Perch for screening drones

• US 10,167,092 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Byers, Charles Calvin, Salgueiro, Gonzalo A., Clarke, Joseph Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Benedik, Justin M
• Application Number:
  US15/133,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20170050748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0015 Devices specially adapted for the protection against criminal attack, e.g. anti-hijacking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0031 means for overriding or restricting access to flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/22 for handling aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/92 Portable platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• 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 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Embodiments herein describe a perch for screening drones before permitting access to a restricted geographic region. The perch may include various scanners for evaluating the payload of the drone, its hardware, and flight control software. In one embodiment, the screening perch includes a conveyor belt that moves the drone through various scanners or stages in the perch. In one embodiment, the perch ensures the drone is properly configured to enter the restricted geographic region. The region may include multiple requirements or criteria that must be satisfied before a drone is permitted to enter. For example, the drone may need a signed flight plan, cargo that is less than a certain percentage of its weight, or an approved flight controller before being permitted into the restricted region. In this manner, the perch serves as a controlled entrance point for drones attempting to enter the restricted region.

Claims

1. A screening perch, comprising:

a landing site configured to receive a drone for screening, wherein the drone is an unmanned vehicle;

a sensor configured to scan at least a portion of the drone; and

a drone verifier communicatively coupled to the sensor and is configured to;

evaluate data outputted from the sensor when scanning the portion of the drone;

determine whether the data satisfies a predefined criteria corresponding to a restricted geographic region; and

upon determining the predefined criteria is satisfied, permit the drone to enter the restricted geographic region.

2. The screening perch of claim 1, further comprising:

a takeoff site; and

an actuator configured to move the drone from the landing site to the takeoff site.

3. The screening perch of claim 2, wherein the sensor is disposed along a path defined by the actuator, wherein moving the drone along the path passes the drone through a sensing region of the sensor.

4. The screening perch of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to detect at least one hazardous materials and contraband on the drone.

5. The screening perch of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an antenna for wirelessly communicating with the drone, wherein the drone verifier is configured to:

communicate with the drone to identify an attribute of a flight controller disposed on the drone; and

determine whether the flight controller satisfies the predefined criteria corresponding to the restricted geographic region.

6. The screening perch of claim 1, wherein the drone verifier is configured to:

identify a flight plan assigned to the drone;

correlate the data outputted from the sensor with information in the flight plan to validate the drone; and

permit the drone to enter the restricted geographic region upon determining the drone is valid.

7. The screening perch of claim 1, wherein the drone verifier is configured to:

upon determining the predefined criteria is satisfied, transmit a message instructing that a flight plan be provided to the drone, the flight plan indicating a route of the drone in the restricted geographic region.

8. The screening perch of claim 1, further comprising:

retaining elements configured to hold the drone on the screening perch, wherein the drone verifier is configured to;

deactivate the retaining elements to permit the drone to leave the screening perch upon determining the predefined criteria is satisfied.

9. A drone screening system, comprising:

a plurality of screening perches disposed at a shared boundary between a first geographic region and a second geographic region, wherein each of the plurality of screening perches comprises;

a sensor configured to scan at least a portion of a drone, wherein the drone is an unmanned vehicle; and

a drone verifier configured to authorize the drone to travel from the first geographic region to the second geographic region based on data outputted by the sensor.

10. The drone screening system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of screening perches comprises:

a landing site;

a takeoff site; and

an actuator configured to move the drone from the landing site to the takeoff site.

11. The drone screening system of claim 10, wherein the sensor is disposed along a path defined by the actuator, wherein moving the drone along the path passes the drone through a sensing region of the sensor.

12. The drone screening system of claim 9, wherein the sensor is configured to detect hazardous materials on the drone.

13. The drone screening system of claim 9, wherein the sensor comprises an antenna for wirelessly communicating with the drone, wherein the drone verifier is configured to:

communicate with the drone to identify an attribute of a flight controller disposed on the drone; and

determine whether the flight controller satisfies predefined criteria corresponding to the second geographic region.

14. The drone screening system of claim 9, wherein any one of the plurality of screening perches can authorize the drone to travel from the first geographic region to the second geographic region.

15. The drone screening system of claim 9, wherein the second geographic region has more restrictive rules for operating drones than the first geographic region.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving a drone at a screening perch, wherein the drone is an unmanned vehicle;

scanning at least a portion of the drone;

evaluating data outputted when scanning the portion of the drone;

determining whether the data satisfies a predefined criteria corresponding to a restricted geographic region; and

upon determining the predefined criteria is satisfied, permitting the drone to leave the screening perch and enter the restricted geographic region.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

moving the drone using an actuator on the screening perch in order to scan the portion of the drone.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

communicating with the drone to identify an attribute of a flight controller disposed on the drone; and

determining whether the flight controller satisfies the predefined criteria corresponding to the restricted geographic region.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying a flight plan assigned to the drone;

correlating the data from scanning the drone with information in the flight plan to validate the drone; and

permitting the drone to enter the restricted geographic region upon determining the drone is valid.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

securing the drone to the screening perch using retaining elements when scanning the drone and evaluating the data outputted when scanning the drone;

deactivating the retaining elements upon determining the predefined criteria is satisfied;

securing a different drone to the screening perch using the retaining elements when scanning the different drone and evaluating the data outputted when scanning the different drone; and

preventing the different drone from leaving the screening perch using the retaining elements upon determining predefined criteria is not satisfied when scanning the different drone.