Method and system to improve safety concerning drones

• US 10,217,369 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2018
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Corp.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Zhi, Dowlatkhah, Sangar, Shaw, Venson
• Primary Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan A
• Application Number:
  US15/927,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20180211547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/00 Type of UAV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/32 for cartography or topography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• 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 5/0069 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: H04B 7/00 Radio transmission systems, i.e. using radiation field H04B10/00, H04B15/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies

Abstract

A method and system for controlling access to restricted sectors in airspace is disclosed. The method includes creating a multi-dimensional map of airspace, overlaying a sector having boundaries onto the map, wherein the sector contains a restricted flight zone and a buffer zone monitoring the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), sending a command to the UAV if the UAV enters the buffer zone; and generating a response if the UAV does not leave the sector based on the command.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving data from a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

updating a map of an airspace to add a sector based on the data to generate an updated map, wherein the sector is associated with a restricted flight zone having a first boundary and a buffer zone having a second boundary;

sending the updated map to a second UAV;

receiving a request from the second UAV to enter the restricted flight zone; and

sending a first command to the second UAV in response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the second UAV is in an area associated with the sector, wherein the updated map is sent to the second UAV in response to the determining.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first command comprises an indication of an area within the sector that the second UAV is permitted to enter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first command comprises an instruction to leave the sector, the method further comprising effectuating an action if the second UAV stays within the sector for a specified interval of time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the action comprises sending a flight program override.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a flight status associated with the second UAV;

determining whether a current flight associated with the second UAV is in compliance with the updated map based on the monitoring; and

sending a second command to the second UAV if the current flight associated with the second UAV is not in compliance with the updated map.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a restricted sector map, and wherein the updating the map comprises overlaying the sector onto the map to generate the updated map.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first command is sent to the second UAV via a network, and wherein the first command is based on an approved list of UAVs.

9. A system comprising:

a memory that stores machine-readable instructions; and

a processor that executes the machine-readable instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving data associated with an event;

generating a map of an airspace that includes a first sector, wherein the first sector is based on the data, and wherein the first sector is associated with a first restricted flight zone having a first boundary and a first buffer zone having a second boundary; and

sending the map to a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the data is received by a second UAV and the map is sent to the first UAV by the second UAV.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether one or more restricted sectors are to be defined based on the data, and wherein the map is generated in response to the determining.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the first UAV is in an area associated with the first sector, and wherein the map is sent to the first UAV in response to the determining.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprising updating an authorization associated with the first restricted flight zone and the first buffer zone during a current flight of the first UAV.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise sending the map to a command and control center.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the map is generated and sent by a second UAV during flight of the second UAV.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, by the second UAV, whether the second UAV is in a second buffer zone of a second sector;

in response to determining that the second UAV is in the second buffer zone, sending, by the second UAV, a request to enter a second restricted flight zone of the second sector;

receiving, by the second UAV from a command and control center, a command associated with the request; and

navigating, by the second UAV, according to the command.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

creating a multi-dimensional map of an airspace, wherein the multi-dimensional map comprises a first sector, and wherein the first sector is associated with a restricted flight zone having a first boundary and a buffer zone having a second boundary;

receiving data associated with a first event;

updating the multi-dimensional map to add a second sector based on the data to obtain an updated map;

receiving a request from a first unmanned vehicle to enter one of the first sector or the second sector; and

sending a command to the first unmanned vehicle in response to the request.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first sector is associated with a second event, and wherein the operations further comprise updating a definition of the first sector based on a movement associated with the second event.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the command comprises an indication of an area that the first unmanned vehicle is permitted to enter, and wherein the area is within the one of the first sector or the second sector.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the data is received from a second unmanned vehicle.