Dynamic shielding system of cellular signals for an antenna of an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,153,830 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kosseifi, Mario, Thomas, Joseph, De Rosa, Giuseppe
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US15/481,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20180294871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 455 1
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/31 generated by photovoltaics
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Example methods, apparatus, systems, and machine-readable mediums for a dynamic shield system of cellular signals for an antenna of an unmanned aerial vehicle are disclosed. An example method may include receiving a navigation route for an unmanned aerial vehicle to execute during flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle and determining an orientation of a radio signal shield for an antenna of the unmanned aerial vehicle using ground level signal propagation information of radio signals for a network and the navigation route, wherein the radio signal shield prevents the radio signals from being received by the antenna from directions based on the orientation. The method may further include adjusting the radio signal shield using the orientation and communicating with a cellular base station of the network using the antenna.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an antenna;

a shielding unit comprising at least one radio signal shielding component that is movable around the antenna;

a non-transitory memory storing antenna shielding data for the at least one radio signal shielding component at different positions around the antenna during operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the antenna shielding data comprises placement information for the at least one radio signal shielding component used to send and receive radio signals using the antenna on a network with a first base station of a plurality of base stations for a cellular network carrier providing the network, and wherein the first base station is selected based on a first user endpoint at a ground level corresponding to a current position of the unmanned aerial vehicle during operation; and

one or more hardware processors configured to execute instructions to cause the device to perform operations comprising;

determining a location of the unmanned aerial vehicle during operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

determining a first placement of the at least one radio signal shielding component based on the antenna shielding data and the location;

causing the at least one radio signal shielding component to be placed at the first placement; and

communicating, using the antenna, during operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle after the causing.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first placement of the at least one radio signal shielding component is dependent on a direction of travel of the unmanned aerial vehicle along a flight path.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first placement is dependent on an opposite direction of travel of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the flight path, and wherein the at least one radio signal shielding component is rotatable around the antenna.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the network comprises one of a 3G, a 4G, a 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), or a 5G network for communication with user endpoints including the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna shielding data is specific for a geographic region of travel by the unmanned aerial vehicle, and wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle operates by flying a route within the geographic region.

6. The device of claim 1, where the at least one radio signal shielding component comprises a plurality of radio signal shielding components, and wherein the first placement comprises an arrangement of the plurality of radio signal shielding components around at least a portion of the antenna.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein communicating during the operation comprises sending and receiving the radio signals by the antenna with the first base station.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one radio signal shielding component comprises at least one of a radio frequency absorbing material or a radio frequency reflecting material of radio frequency signals.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna shielding data is determined based on radio signal coverage areas at the ground level for the plurality of base stations of the cellular network carrier providing the network.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the placement information is determined to mimic geographic conditions at the ground level for the antenna.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein a number of the at least one radio signal shielding component used to shield the antenna is dependent on an altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle during operation.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a change in a route travelled by the unmanned aerial vehicle during operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

determining a second placement of the at least one radio signal shielding component based on the antenna shielding data and the change in the route;

causing the at least one radio signal shielding component to be placed at the second placement; and

communicating, using the antenna, during the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle after the at least one radio signal shielding component is placed at the second placement.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the first base station is further selected to prevent interference from a second base station of the plurality of base stations based on the radio signals of the network received by the first user endpoint.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a navigation route for an unmanned aerial vehicle to execute during flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

determining an orientation of a radio signal shield for an antenna of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on ground level signal propagation information of radio signals for a network and the navigation route, wherein the orientation is dependent on an opposite direction of travel of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the navigation route, and wherein the radio signal shield is rotatable around the antenna;

adjusting the radio signal shield based on the orientation; and

communicating with a cellular base station of the network using the antenna.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the antenna and the radio signal shield are mounted to the unmanned aerial vehicle or a component of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the radio signal shield comprises at least one of a plurality of radio signal absorbing units or a plurality of radio reflecting units.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the orientation is further determined based on an altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the navigation route.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

adjusting the orientation based on a change in the altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the navigation route.

19. A system comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle;

an antenna mounted to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a plurality of radio frequency shields that are rotatable around the antenna;

a non-transitory memory storing geographic information for transmission of radio signals of a network at a ground level, wherein the geographic information comprises ground level objects affecting the radio signals of the network at the ground level; and

one or more hardware processors configured to execute instructions to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving flight path information of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

determining shielding positions of the plurality of radio frequency shields during flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the geographic information, wherein the shielding positions are selected to simulate the ground level objects affecting radio signals of the network during flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

adjusting positions of the plurality of radio frequency shields according to the shielding positions during flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

communicating, using the antenna, on the network with one or more base stations during flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle after the adjusting.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the shielding positions are further determined based on an altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle during flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle.