Drone encroachment avoidance monitor

• US 10,089,887 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Timothy Just
• Original Assignee: Timothy Just
• Inventors: Just, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US14/723,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20170039860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/04 using angle measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/04 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/043 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/20 derived by sampling signal received by an antenna system having periodically-varied orientation of directivity characteristic
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/26 the separate antennas having differently-oriented directivity characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0065 for taking-off
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/06 over a restricted angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength

Abstract

Disclosed are examples of systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products for locating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A region of airspace may be scanned with two scanning apparatuses. Each scanning apparatus may include one or more directional Radio Frequency (RF) antennae. The two scanning apparatuses may have different locations. Radio frequency signals emitted by a UAV can be received at each of the two scanning apparatuses. The received radio frequency signals can be processed to determine a first location of the UAV.

Claims

1. A method for locating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the method comprising:

scanning a region of airspace with two scanning apparatuses, each scanning apparatus comprising one or more directional Radio Frequency (RF) antennae, the two scanning apparatuses having different locations;

receiving radio frequency signals emitted by a UAV at each of the two scanning apparatuses, wherein;

a frequency of the radio frequency signals is a downlink frequency of the UAV, and

the UAV is a source of the radio frequency signals; and

processing, based on an angular relationship between the locations of the scanning apparatuses and the UAV, the received radio frequency signals to determine a first location of the UAV, the angular relationship comprising a bearing and an elevation of the UAV relative to the scanning apparatuses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the received radio frequency signals to determine the first location of the UAV comprises:

determining a signal strength associated with a the radio signals at each of the scanning apparatuses;

generating, using the signal strength, first data indicating an angular relationship between the locations of the scanning apparatuses and the UAV;

processing, using the locations of the scanning apparatuses, the first data to determine the first location of the UAV.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second location of the UAV; and

determining, using the first and second location of the UAV, a velocity of the UAV.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

one or more of the directional antennae of a first one of the scanning apparatuses are configured to rotate in a first plane about a first axis; and

one or more of the directional antennae of the first one of the scanning apparatuses are configured to rotate in a second plane about a second axis.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first plane is substantially orthogonal to the second plane.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein a rate of rotation of a first one of the directional antennae of the scanning apparatus is configured to vary throughout a rotation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the rate of rotation of the first directional antenna is based on a recent location of the UAV.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that an angular distance between the first directional antenna and the UAV is greater than a designated angular distance;

causing, responsive to determining that the angular distance between the first subarray and the UAV is greater than the designated angular distance, the rate of rotation of the first subarray to increase.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the directional antennae are configured to receive RF signals having a designated frequency.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the designated frequency is an uplink frequency of the UAV, the method further comprising,

receiving a further radio signal at a first one of the scanning apparatuses, the further radio signal having the designated frequency;

processing the further radio signal to locate an operator of the UAV.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disseminating, via a data network, the first location of the UAV to one or more computing devices.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a further radio signal at a first one of the scanning apparatuses;

determining that the further radio signal is associated with a designated source; and

filtering, responsive to determining that the further radio signal is associated with the designated source, the further radio signal.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving further radio frequency signals emitted by a further UAV at a first one of the two scanning apparatuses; and

tracking, by the first scanning apparatus, both the UAV and the further UAV.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV has a weight of 10 pounds or less.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a first one of the scanning apparatuses is mounted to a light pole.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the light pole includes a power source connected with the scanning apparatus.

17. A system for detecting and locating UAVs, the system comprising:

a plurality of ground data terminals, each ground data terminal comprising an array of one or more directional antennae configured to receive radio signals having a designated frequency, the array of directional antennae having a spatial configuration, each ground data terminal being configured to;

receive a radio signal associated with a UAV, wherein;

a frequency of the radio signal is a downlink frequency of the UAV, and

the UAV is a source of the radio signal;

determine a signal strength associated with the radio signal; and

generate, using the signal strength and the spatial configuration, data indicating an angular relationship between a location of the one of the plurality of ground data terminals and the UAV;

one or more processors in communication with each of the ground data terminals, the one or more processors operable to;

receive data from at least two of the plurality of ground data terminals; and

process, using locations of the at least two ground data terminals, the data from the at least two ground data terminals determine a location of the UAV.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of ground data terminals comprises:

one or more ground data terminals positioned within an approach corridor of an airport runway;

one or more ground data terminals positioned within a departure corridor of the airport runway; and

one or more ground data terminals positioned at an end of the airport runway.

19. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code including instructions configured to cause:

determining a first signal strength associated with a first radio signal associated with a UAV, the first radio signal being received at a first ground data terminal having a first location, the first ground data terminal comprising a first array of one or more directional antennae configured to receive radio signals having a designated frequency, the first array of directional antennae having a first spatial configuration, wherein;

a frequency of the first radio signal is a downlink frequency of the UAV, and

the UAV is a source of the first radio signal;

generating, using the first signal strength and the first spatial configuration, first data indicating an angular relationship between the first location and the UAV;

determining a second signal strength associated with a second radio signal associated with the UAV, the second radio signal being received at a second ground data terminal having a second location, the second ground data terminal comprising a second array of one or more directional antennae configured to receive radio signals having the designated frequency, the second array of directional antennae having a second spatial configuration;

generating, using the second signal strength and the second spatial configuration, second data indicating an angular relationship between the second location and the UAV; and

processing, using the first and second locations, the first and second data to determine a location of the UAV.