Managing detected obstructions in air traffic control systems for unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 10,089,888 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• 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): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US15/268,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20170358224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/003 Flight plan management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• 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: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/02 Automatic approach or landing aids, i.e. systems in which flight data of incoming planes are processed to provide landing data landing aids fitted in or to aircraft B64D45/04; visual or acoustic landing aids B64F1/18
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

Static obstruction detection and management systems and methods through an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) include receiving UAV data from a plurality of UAVs related to static obstructions; receiving external data from one or more external sources related to the static obstructions; analyzing the UAV data and the external data to populate and manage an obstruction database of the static obstructions; and transmitting obstruction instructions to the plurality of UAVs based on analyzing the obstruction database with their flight plan.

Claims

1. A static obstruction detection and management method comprising:

in an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), receiving UAV data from a plurality of UAVs related to static obstructions;

in the ATC system, receiving external data from one or more external sources related to the static obstructions;

in the ATC system, analyzing the UAV data and the external data to populate and manage an obstruction database of the static obstructions; and

in the ATC system, transmitting obstruction instructions to the plurality of UAVs based on analyzing the obstruction database with their flight plan.

2. The static obstruction detection and management method of claim 1, wherein the obstruction database comprises a plurality of data structures each defining a no fly zone of location coordinates based on the analyzing.

3. The static obstruction detection and management method of claim 2, wherein the data structures define one of a cylinder and a rectangle sized to cover an associated obstruction and with associated location coordinates.

4. The static obstruction detection and management method of claim 2, wherein the data structures each comprise a time to remove parameter defining either a temporary or a permanent obstruction.

5. The static obstruction detection and management method of claim 1, wherein one of the UAV data and the external data is used to first detect an obstruction and enter the obstruction in the obstruction database and the other of the UAV data and the external data is used to verify the obstruction in the obstruction database.

6. The static obstruction detection and management method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting instructions to one or more UAVs to obtain additional information to populate and manage the obstruction database.

7. The static obstruction detection and management method of claim 1, further comprising:

managing one or more of emergency landing locations, recharging locations, and landing locations for the plurality of UAVs based on the obstruction database.

8. The static obstruction detection and management method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of UAVs fly under about 1000′

and the obstructions are based thereon.

9. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) air traffic control and monitoring system for static obstruction detection and management, the system comprising:

a network interface and one or more processors communicatively coupled to one another; and

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

receive UAV data from a plurality of UAVs related to static obstructions via the network interface;

receive external data from one or more external sources related to the static obstructions via the network interface;

analyze the UAV data and the external data to populate and manage an obstruction database of the static obstructions; and

transmit obstruction instructions to the plurality of UAVs based on analyzing the obstruction database with their flight plan via the network interface.

10. The UAV air traffic control and monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the obstruction database comprises a plurality of data structures each defining a no fly zone of location coordinates based on the analyzing.

11. The UAV air traffic control and monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the data structures define one of a cylinder and a rectangle sized to cover an associated obstruction and with associated location coordinates.

12. The UAV air traffic control and monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the data structures each comprise a time to remove parameter defining either a temporary or a permanent obstruction.

13. The UAV air traffic control and monitoring system of claim 9, wherein one of the UAV data and the external data is used to first detect an obstruction and enter the obstruction in the obstruction database and the other of the UAV data and the external data is used to verify the obstruction in the obstruction database.

14. The UAV air traffic control and monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

transmit instructions to one or more UAVs to obtain additional information to populate and manage the obstruction database.

15. The UAV air traffic control and monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

manage one or more of emergency landing locations, recharging locations, and landing locations for the plurality of UAVs based on the obstruction database.

16. The UAV air traffic control and monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of UAVs fly under about 1000′

and the obstructions are based thereon.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform steps of:

receiving UAV data from a plurality of UAVs related to static obstructions;

receiving external data from one or more external sources related to the static obstructions;

analyzing the UAV data and the external data to populate and manage an obstruction database of the static obstructions; and

transmitting obstruction instructions to the plurality of UAVs based on analyzing the obstruction database with their flight plan.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the obstruction database comprises a plurality of data structures each defining a no fly zone of location coordinates based on the analyzing.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the data structures define one of a cylinder and a rectangle sized to cover an associated obstruction and with associated location coordinates.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the data structures each comprise a time to remove parameter defining either a temporary or a permanent obstruction.