Emergency shutdown and landing for unmanned aerial vehicles with air traffic control systems

• US 10,074,284 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metal Raptor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Etak Systems, Llc
• Inventors: Priest, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US15/448,968
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/00 Emergency apparatus or devices, not otherwise provided for parachutes B64D17/00, B64D19/00; jettisoning of fuel tanks or fuel per se B64D37/00; specially adapted for protection against criminal attack, e.g. anti-hijacking systems B64D45/0015 ; safety belts or body harnesses in general A62B35/00; safety belts or body harnesses for land vehicles B60R22/00; jettisonable parts of fuselage facilitating emergency escape B64C
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A method for emergency shutdown and landing by an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) includes detecting an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is one of distressed and rogue; determining timing for a shutdown and a location for landing; and communicating the determined timing and the landing location to the UAV by the Air Traffic Control system via one or more wireless networks comprising at least one cellular network.

Claims

1. A method for emergency shutdown and landing by an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), the method comprising:

detecting an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is one of distressed and rogue;

determining timing for a shutdown and a location for landing; and

communicating the determined timing and the landing location to the UAV by the Air Traffic Control system via one or more wireless networks comprising at least one cellular network, wherein the UAV is constrained in flight based on cell coverage over the at least one cellular network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying one or more persons of the determined timing and the landing location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV is distressed and the detecting is performed locally and communicated to the Air Traffic Control system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV is distressed and the detecting is performed locally based on a failure or interruption of a two-way handshake with the Air Traffic Control system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV is distressed and the detecting is performed by the Air Traffic Control system which detects the UAV is distressed through analysis of operational data from the UAV.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV is distressed or rogue and the detecting is performed by one of an observer who communicates to the Air Traffic Control system and another UAV which communicates to the Air Traffic Control system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined timing is one of immediate and a short time period allowing the UAV to travel to the landing location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined timing and the landing location are determined locally by the UAV using one of a map of predetermined safe landing locations and a camera on the UAV which scans for a safe location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined timing and the landing location are determined by the UAV Air Traffic Control system utilizing a map of predetermined safe landing locations.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating to other UAVs proximate to the UAV that is one of distressed and rogue and providing instructions for avoidance.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV is already at the landing location and the communicating comprises an instruction to immediately shut down.

12. An Air Traffic Control (ATC) system for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) supporting emergency shutdown and landing, the ATC system comprising:

a network interface and one or more processors communicatively coupled to one another, wherein the network interface is communicatively coupled to a plurality of UAVs via one or more wireless networks; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to

detect an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is one of distressed and rogue;

determine timing for a shutdown and a location for landing; and

communicate the determined timing and the landing location to the UAV via the one or more wireless networks comprising at least one cellular network, wherein the UAV is constrained in flight based on cell coverage over the at least one cellular network.

13. The ATC system of claim 12, wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to notify one or more persons of the determined timing and the landing location.

14. The ATC system of claim 12, wherein the UAV is distressed and the detection is performed by the Air Traffic Control system which detects the UAV is distressed through analysis of operational data from the UAV.

15. The ATC system of claim 12, wherein the UAV is distressed or rogue and the detection is performed by one of an observer who communicates to the Air Traffic Control system and another UAV which communicates to the Air Traffic Control system.

16. The ATC system of claim 12, wherein the determined timing is one of immediate and a short time period allowing the UAV to travel to the landing location.

17. The ATC system of claim 12, wherein the determined timing and the landing location are determined by the UAV Air Traffic Control system utilizing a map of predetermined safe landing locations.

18. The ATC system of claim 12, wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to communicate to other UAVs proximate to the UAV that is one of distressed and rogue and providing instructions for avoidance.

19. The ATC system of claim 12, wherein the UAV is already at the landing location and the communicating comprises an instruction to immediately shut down.

20. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) supporting emergency shutdown and landing, the UAV comprising:

one or more rotors disposed to a body;

a camera associated with the body;

wireless interfaces;

a processor coupled to the wireless interfaces and the camera; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

detect the UAV is one of distressed and rogue;

determine timing for a shutdown and a location for landing; and

receive the determined timing and the landing location to the UAV from an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system via one or more wireless networks comprising at least one cellular network, wherein the UAV is constrained in flight based on cell coverage over the at least one cellular network.