Dynamic selection of unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 10,089,890 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2017
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Ubhi, Gurpreet, Srivastava, Ashok N., Pasko, Douglas M., Batla, Hani, Kantor, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaude, Gertrude Arthur
• Application Number:
  US15/441,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20170162064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/26 Vehicle weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/66 Ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/42 by adaptive correction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 : for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 : Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/005 : for aircraft positioning relative to other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 : of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• 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: G06Q 10/06 : Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 : with a ground station
• 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 5/006 : in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 : specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• 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: H04B 7/18506 : Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A device receives a request for a flight path from a first location to a second location in a region, and calculates the flight path based on the request and based on one or more of weather information, air traffic information, obstacle information, regulatory information, or historical information associated with the region. The device determines required capabilities for the flight path based on the request, and selects, from multiple UAVs, a particular UAV based on the required capabilities for the flight path and based on a ranking of the multiple UAVs. The device generates flight path instructions for the flight path, and provides the flight path instructions to the particular UAV to permit the particular UAV to travel from the first location to the second location via the flight path.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

calculating, by a device, a flight path from a first geographical location to a second geographical location associated with a geographical region,

the flight path being calculated based on regulatory information associated with the geographical region,

the regulatory information including identification of a restricted region within the geographical region;

determining, by the device, a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities for the flight path;

selecting, by the device, a particular unmanned aerial vehicle, from a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on;

the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities, and

a ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles; and

providing, by the device, flight path instructions to the particular unmanned aerial vehicle,

the flight path instructions including instructions which avoid the restricted region, and

the particular unmanned aerial vehicle using the flight path instructions to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path.

2. The method of claim 1, where the restricted region comprises a no-fly zone.

3. The method of claim 2, where the no-fly zone is associated with a government building.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving feedback from the particular unmanned aerial vehicle while the particular unmanned aerial vehicle is traveling along the flight path,

the feedback including at least one of;

visual information,

temperature information, or

wind condition information;

determining, based on the feedback, whether to modify the flight path to obtain a modified flight path; and

providing the modified flight path to the particular unmanned aerial vehicle when the flight path is modified.

5. The method of claim 4, where the feedback indicates a possibility of the particular unmanned aerial vehicle colliding with an obstacle;

and

where determining whether to modify the flight path comprises;

determining to modify the flight path to avoid the obstacle.

6. The method of claim 5, where the obstacle includes at least one of:

a building,

another unmanned aerial vehicle, or

an airplane.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a score for each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on a plurality of respective weights assigned to each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities,

the ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles being based on the score for each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

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

calculate a flight path from a first geographical location to a second geographical location associated with a geographical region,

the flight path being calculated based on regulatory information associated with the geographical region,

the regulatory information including identification of a restricted region within the geographical region;

determine a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities for the flight path;

select a particular unmanned aerial vehicle, from a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on;

the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities, and

a ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles; and

provide flight path instructions to the particular unmanned aerial vehicle,

the flight path instructions including instructions which avoid the restricted region, and

the particular unmanned aerial vehicle using the flight path instructions to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the restricted region comprises a no-fly zone.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the no-fly zone is associated with a government building.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive feedback from the particular unmanned aerial vehicle while the particular unmanned aerial vehicle is traveling along the flight path, the feedback including at least one of;

visual information,

temperature information, or

wind condition information;

determine, based on the feedback, whether to modify the flight path to obtain a modified flight path; and

provide the modified flight path to the particular unmanned aerial vehicle when the flight path is modified.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, where the feedback indicates a possibility of the particular unmanned aerial vehicle colliding with an obstacle;

and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine whether to modify the flight path, cause the one or more processors to;

determine to modify the flight path to avoid the obstacle.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, where the obstacle includes at least one of:

a building,

another unmanned aerial vehicle, or

an airplane.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a score for each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on a plurality of respective weights assigned to each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities,

the ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles being based on the score for each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles.

15. A device, comprising:

one or more memories; and

one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, to;

calculate a flight path from a first geographical location to a second geographical location associated with a geographical region,

the flight path being calculated based on regulatory information associated with the geographical region,

the regulatory information including identification of a restricted region within the geographical region;

determine a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities for the flight path;

select a particular unmanned aerial vehicle, from a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on;

the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities, and

a ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles; and

provide flight path instructions to the particular unmanned aerial vehicle,

the flight path instructions including instructions which avoid the restricted region, and

the particular unmanned aerial vehicle using the flight path instructions to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path.

16. The device of claim 15, where the restricted region comprises a no-fly zone.

17. The device of claim 16, where the no-fly zone is associated with a government building.

18. The device of claim 15, where the one or more processors are further to:

receive feedback from the particular unmanned aerial vehicle while the particular unmanned aerial vehicle is traveling along the flight path, the feedback including at least one of;

visual information,

temperature information, or

wind condition information;

determine, based on the feedback, whether to modify the flight path to obtain a modified flight path; and

provide the modified flight path to the particular unmanned aerial vehicle when the flight path is modified.

19. The device of claim 18, where the feedback indicates a possibility of the particular unmanned aerial vehicle colliding with an obstacle;

and

where the one or more processors, when determining whether to modify the flight path, are to;

determine to modify the flight path to avoid the obstacle.

20. The device of claim 19, where the obstacle includes at least one of:

a building,

another unmanned aerial vehicle, or

an airplane.