Obstruction detection in air traffic control systems for unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 10,198,953 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• 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): Oh, Harry Y
• Application Number:
  US15/255,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20170358213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 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 5/0069 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: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

Obstruction detection and management systems and methods are performed through an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The obstruction detection and management method includes receiving UAV data from a plurality of UAVs, wherein the UAV data includes operational data for the plurality of UAVs and obstruction data from one or more UAVs; updating an obstruction database based on the obstruction data; monitoring a flight plan for the plurality of UAVs based on the operational data; and transmitting obstruction instructions to the plurality of UAVs based on analyzing the obstruction database with their flight plan.

Claims

1. An obstruction detection and management method comprising:

in an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system comprising one or more servers communicatively coupled to a plurality of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) via one or more wireless networks, receiving UAV data from a plurality of UAVs, wherein the UAV data comprises operational data for the plurality of UAVs and obstruction data from one or more UAVs;

updating an obstruction database based on the obstruction data, wherein the obstruction database comprises entries of obstructions with their height, size, location, and a permanency flag comprising either a temporary obstruction or a permanent obstruction;

monitoring a flight plan for the plurality of UAVs based on the operational data; and

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

2. The obstruction detection and management method of claim 1, wherein the obstruction data comprises an indication of a potential obstruction which was not provided to a UAV in the obstruction instructions.

3. The obstruction detection and management method of claim 1, wherein the obstruction data comprises a confirmation of an obstruction based on the obstruction instructions, and wherein the updating comprises noting any changes in the obstruction based on the confirmation.

4. The obstruction detection and management method of claim 1, wherein the obstruction instructions comprise a request to a UAV to perform data capture of a potential obstruction, wherein the obstruction data comprises photos and/or video of the potential obstruction, and wherein the updating comprises identifying the potential obstruction based on the obstruction data.

5. The obstruction detection and management method of claim 1, wherein the permanency flag comprises a Time To Remove (TTR) for the temporary obstruction which is a flag with a specified time or a flag which requires removal if the next UAV passing near the temporary obstruction fails to detect and report it.

6. The obstruction detection and management method of claim 1, wherein the operational data comprises a plurality of speed, location, heading, and altitude, and wherein the flight plan is determined from the operational data.

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

.

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

a network interface and one or more processors communicatively coupled to one another, wherein the network interface is communicatively coupled to one or more wireless networks for communication with a plurality of UAVs; and

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

receive UAV data from the plurality of UAVs, wherein the UAV data comprises operational data for the plurality of UAVs and obstruction data from one or more UAVs;

update an obstruction database based on the obstruction data, wherein the obstruction database comprises entries of obstructions with their height, size, location, and a permanency flag comprising either a temporary obstruction or a permanent obstruction;

monitor a flight plan for the plurality of UAVs based on the operational data; and

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

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the obstruction data comprises an indication of a potential obstruction which was not provided to a UAV in the obstruction instructions.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the obstruction data comprises a confirmation of an obstruction based on the obstruction instructions, and wherein updates to the obstruction database comprise noting any changes in the obstruction based on the confirmation.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the obstruction instructions comprise a request to a UAV to perform data capture of a potential obstruction, wherein the obstruction data comprises photos and/or video of the potential obstruction, and wherein updates to the obstruction database comprise identifying the potential obstruction based on the obstruction data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the permanency flag comprises a Time To Remove (TTR) for the temporary obstruction which is a flag with a specified time or a flag which requires removal if the next UAV passing near the temporary obstruction fails to detect and report it.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operational data comprises a plurality of speed, location, heading, and altitude, and wherein the flight plan is determined from the operational data.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of UAVs fly under about 1000′

.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors, in an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system comprising one or more servers communicatively coupled to a plurality of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) via one or more wireless networks, to perform steps of:

receiving Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) data from a plurality of UAVs, wherein the UAV data comprises operational data for the plurality of UAVs and obstruction data from one or more UAVs;

updating an obstruction database based on the obstruction data, wherein the obstruction database comprises entries of obstructions with their height, size, location, and a permanency flag comprising either a temporary obstruction or a permanent obstruction;

monitoring a flight plan for the plurality of UAVs based on the operational data; and

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

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the obstruction data comprises an indication of a potential obstruction which was not provided to a UAV in the obstruction instructions.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the obstruction data comprises a confirmation of an obstruction based on the obstruction instructions, and wherein the updating comprises noting any changes in the obstruction based on the confirmation.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the obstruction instructions comprise a request to a UAV to perform data capture of a potential obstruction, wherein the obstruction data comprises photos and/or video of the potential obstruction, and wherein the updating comprises identifying the potential obstruction based on the obstruction data.