Unmanned aerial vehicle transponder systems with integrated disablement

• US 10,310,498 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Petruzzelli, Edmund
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/184,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20170364065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/02 Anti-aircraft or anti-guided missile or anti-torpedo defence installations or systems cartridges or missiles for producing smoke or for dispensing radar chaff or infrared material F42B5/15, F42B12/48, F42B12/70; informative reference: details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00; jamming or electronic countermeasures G01S7/38, G01S7/495, H04K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• 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 1/02 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/06 Receivers
• 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

Various systems and methods for disabling UAVs are presented. An interrogation system may transmit an identifier request message to a UAV. The interrogation system may receive, in response to the identifier request message, a response message that indicates a UAV identifier. The interrogation system may access one or more UAV identifier databases that relate UAV identifiers with airspace definitions. The interrogation system may retrieve from the one or more UAV identifier database systems an airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier. The interrogation system may determine that the UAV is to be disabled based on: a location of the UAV, a restricted airspace definition, and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier. The interrogation system may then transmit a disablement instruction message to the UAV based on the location of the UAV and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier.

Claims

1. A system for interrogating and disabling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the system comprising:

a ground-based interrogation system, comprising;

a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and an interrogation server system, wherein;

the ground-based interrogation system is distinct and separate from a pilot control system that is used to control flight of the UAV from a remote location, the pilot control system not being in communication with the ground-based interrogation system;

the interrogation server system comprises one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

transmit an identifier request message to the UAV using the wireless transmitter, wherein the UAV is in flight and is piloted using the pilot control system distinct from the ground-based interrogation system when the identifier request message is transmitted to the UAV;

receive, in response to the identifier request message, a response message using the wireless receiver, the response message comprising a UAV identifier, wherein the UAV identifier distinguishes the UAV from other UAVs;

while the UAV is in flight and in response to the response message from the UAV, access a plurality of UAV identifier databases that relate UAV identifiers with airspace definitions, wherein;

the plurality of UAV identifier databases comprises a first UAV identifier database that is stored locally by the interrogation server system and defines only UAV identifiers that are exempted from a restricted airspace controlled by the ground-based interrogation system; and

the plurality of UAV identifier databases comprises a second UAV identifier database that is accessed via the Internet using login credentials and that stores information on all UAVs registered in a given jurisdiction;

while the UAV is in flight and in response to the response message from the UAV, retrieve from the plurality of UAV identifier databases an airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier, wherein;

the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier indicates that the UAV is not permitted to fly in the restricted airspace;

determine that the UAV is to be disabled based on;

a location of the UAV, the restricted airspace definition, and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier; and

transmit a disablement instruction message to the UAV via the wireless transmitter based on determining that the UAV is to be disabled based on the location of the UAV and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier, wherein the disablement instruction message disables control of the UAV by the pilot and the pilot control system.

2. The system for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a UAV disablement control module integrated on-board the UAV, wherein the UAV disablement control module, in response to a disablement instruction message, severs control of the UAV from a remote pilot system and executes a UAV disablement procedure.

3. The system for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 1, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

transmit login credentials to the second UAV identifier database.

4. The system for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 3, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

retrieve, from the second UAV identifier database, an encryption key specific to the UAV identifier.

5. The system for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 4, wherein the disablement instruction message transmitted to the UAV is encrypted using the encryption key specific to the UAV identifier retrieved from the second UAV identifier database.

6. The system for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 1, wherein the disablement instruction message transmitted to the UAV indicates a specific type of disablement selected from a plurality of types of disablement.

7. The system for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 1, wherein the airspace definition defines a standardized list of airspaces in which the UAV is not permitted to fly.

8. The system for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 7, wherein the airspace definition further defines one or more exceptions to the standardized list of airspaces, the one or more exceptions defining one or more restricted airspaces in which the UAV is permitted to fly.

9. A method for interrogating and disabling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

transmitting, by an airspace management system, an identifier request message to the UAV via a wireless transmitter of a ground-based interrogation system, wherein;

the UAV is in flight when the identifier request message is transmitted to the UAV;

the ground-based interrogation system is distinct and separate from a pilot control system that is used to control flight of the UAV from a remote location, the pilot control system not being in communication with the ground-based interrogation system;

while the UAV is in flight, receiving, by the airspace management system, in response to the identifier request message, a response message using a wireless receiver, the response message comprising a UAV identifier, wherein the UAV identifier distinguishes the UAV from other UAVs;

while the UAV is in flight and in response to the response message from the UAV, accessing, by the airspace management system, a plurality of UAV identifier databases that relate UAV identifiers with airspace definitions, wherein;

the plurality of UAV identifier databases comprises a first UAV identifier database that is stored locally by the ground-based interrogation system and defines only UAV identifiers that are exempted from a restricted airspace controlled by the ground-based interrogation system; and

the plurality of UAV identifier databases comprises a second UAV identifier database that is accessed via the Internet using login credentials and that stores information on all UAVs registered in a given jurisdiction;

while the UAV is in flight and in response to the response message from the UAV, retrieving, by the airspace management system, from the plurality of UAV identifier databases an airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier, wherein;

the plurality of UAV identifier databases store a plurality of airspace definitions that permit one or more UAVs to fly in a restricted airspace defined by a restricted airspace definition and deny access for one or more other UAVs to the restricted airspace defined by the restricted airspace definition; and

the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier indicates that the UAV is not permitted to fly in the restricted airspace;

determining, by the airspace management system, that the UAV is to be disabled based on;

a location of the UAV, the restricted airspace definition, and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier; and

transmitting, by the airspace management system, a disablement instruction message to the UAV via the wireless transmitter based on determining that the UAV is to be disabled based on the location of the UAV and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier, wherein the disablement instruction message disables control of the UAV by the pilot and the pilot control system.

10. The method for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 9, the method further comprising:

deactivating, by the UAV, in response to the disablement instruction message, control of the UAV from a remote pilot system; and

executing, by the UAV, a UAV disablement procedure.

11. The method for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 9, further comprising transmitting, by the airspace management system, login credentials to the second UAV identifier database.

12. The method for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving, by the airspace management system, from the second UAV identifier database, an encryption key specific to the UAV identifier.

13. The method for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 12, wherein the disablement instruction message transmitted to the UAV is encrypted using the encryption key specific to the UAV identifier retrieved from the second UAV identifier database.

14. The method for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 9, further comprising:

selecting, by the airspace management system, a specific type of disablement selected from a plurality of types of disablement, wherein the disablement instruction message transmitted to the UAV indicates the specific type of disablement selected from the plurality of types of disablement.

15. The method for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 9, wherein the airspace definition defines a standardized list of airspaces in which the UAV is not permitted to fly.

16. The method for interrogating and disabling the UAV of claim 15, wherein the airspace definition further defines one or more exceptions to the standardized list of airspaces, the one or more exceptions defining one or more restricted airspaces in which the UAV is permitted to fly.

17. A non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising processor-readable instructions that cause one or more processors of a ground-based interrogation system to:

transmit an identifier request message to a UAV using a wireless transmitter of the ground-based interrogation system, wherein;

the UAV is in flight when the identifier request message is transmitted to the UAV;

the ground-based interrogation system is distinct and separate from a pilot control system that is used to control flight of the UAV from a remote location, the pilot control system not being in communication with the ground-based interrogation system;

while the UAV is in flight, receive, via a wireless receiver of the ground-based interrogation system, in response to the identifier request message, a response message comprising a UAV identifier, wherein the UAV identifier distinguishes the UAV from other UAVs;

while the UAV is in flight and in response to the response message from the UAV, access a plurality of UAV identifier databases that relate UAV identifiers with airspace definitions, wherein;

the plurality of UAV identifier databases comprises a first UAV identifier database that is stored locally by the ground-based interrogation system and defines only UAV identifiers that are exempted from a restricted airspace controlled by the ground-based interrogation system; and

the plurality of UAV identifier databases comprises a second UAV identifier database that is accessed via the Internet using login credentials and that stores information on all UAVs registered in a given jurisdiction;

while the UAV is in flight and in response to the response message from the UAV, retrieve from the plurality of UAV identifier databases an airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier, wherein;

the plurality of UAV identifier databases store a plurality of airspace definitions that permit one or more UAVs to fly in a restricted airspace defined by a restricted airspace definition and deny access for one or more other UAVs to the restricted airspace defined by the restricted airspace definition; and

the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier indicates that the UAV is not permitted to fly in the restricted airspace;

determine that the UAV is to be disabled based on;

a location of the UAV, the restricted airspace definition, and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier; and

transmit, via the wireless transmitted of the ground-based interrogation system, a disablement instruction message to the UAV via the wireless transmitter based on determining that the UAV is to be disabled based on the location of the UAV and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier, wherein the disablement instruction message disables control of the UAV by the pilot and the pilot control system.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 17 wherein the processor-readable instructions further cause the one or more processors to encrypt the disablement instruction message to be transmitted to the UAV using an encryption key specific to the UAV identifier retrieved from the second UAV identifier database.