System and method for drone connectivity and communication over a cellular network

• US 10,185,316 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2016
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edward Kablaoui
• Original Assignee: Edward Kablaoui
• Inventors: Kablaoui, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney A
• Application Number:
  US15/233,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20170045884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• 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 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/30 with arrangements for data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system and method for drone connectivity using cellular networks for out of line-of-sight applications and tracking drones during flight. The present invention may be modular, allowing users to program customizable modes for one or more microprocessors of the system. In one embodiment, a system comprises a drone configured with a processor, a cellular modem and a flight controller, the processor connected to the cellular modem and connected to the flight controller via serial connections; a cloud server; a remote control device, and wherein the system is configured for communication from the remote control device to the cloud server via internet communication, and from the cloud server to the drone via a cellular network in communication with the cloud server and the cellular modem, the system providing a communication network for the delivery and routing of data between the remote control device and the drone.

Claims

1. A method for remote connectivity and communication with a drone beyond line-of-sight via a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

sending a message comprising a drone UID from a drone configured with a processing board, a flight controller and a cellular modem, the flight controller and cellular modem connected by serial connection to the processing board to a cloud server, wherein the message is sent via a cellular network from the drone to the cloud server;

receiving the message from the drone via the cellular network to a drone port on the cloud server;

registering the drone UID of the message in a registry table on a drone database on the server;

assigning a drone ID to a portable electronic device configured as a remote control device comprising an end user interface and configured for communication with the cloud server, thereby creating a remote control to drone connection assignment;

storing the connection assignment in a remote control/end user table in the registry database;

routing messages received at the cloud server from the remote control to the assigned drone, the message sent from the cloud server via an internet connection to a cell tower;

transmitting the routed message received from the cloud server to the assigned drone over a cellular network, whereby the message is received on the drone via the cellular modem; and

transmitting data comprising images, video stream gps coordinates, or commands from the drone to the cloud server over a cellular network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning to a web service, a URL designated for the drone on the web service of the cloud server, the server configured for connection over a wireless internet connection to a monitoring device, thereby establishing a connection for remote monitoring of drone activity and drone data via the monitoring device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, utilizing one or more application modules stored on one or both of the remote control device or the web server, for storing within a database one or more of no-fly zone data, and zone data;

for remote monitoring and connectivity with the assigned drone of the remote control device and allowing for continual monitoring of drone traffic, and creation of no-fly zones while drones are in flight, and the ability to take control of a drone detected as entering a restricted area, and the ability to force an emergency state thereby instructing all connected drones to initiate a landing operation in order to land the drone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is one or more of a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a desktop, or other computing device.