Methods and apparatus for data control and transfer with an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,382,539 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cape Mcuas, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cape Productions, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Finsterbusch, Thomas, Charalambides, Gabriel, Finsterbusch, Andrej, Stockford, John David, Loo, Alexander, Rizk, Anthony, Pasetto, Richard Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berns, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US15/611,644
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• 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: B64U 80/30 with arrangements for data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/1064 specially adapted for avoiding collisions with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• 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 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft 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: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1085 : involving dynamic management of active down- or uploading connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 : Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 : Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 : Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 : Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A system has a drone session server to collect drone session information. A drone user machine is in a client relationship with the drone session server. A drone control machine is in a client relationship with the drone session server and a peer-to-peer relationship with the drone user machine. The drone control machine is configured to relay video data from a drone to the drone user machine via a peer-to-peer connection. The drone control machine evaluates user commands collected by the drone user machine that are relayed to the drone control machine via the peer-to-peer connection to produce enforced limits commands to maintain the drone within a three-dimensional geographical fence. The drone control machine sends autopilot commands to the drone to transport the drone from the three-dimensional geographical fence to a land site to complete a drone session.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a drone session server to collect drone session information;

a drone user machine in a client relationship with the drone session server;

a drone control machine in a client relationship with the drone session server and connected through a network with the drone user machine, and in a peer-to-peer relationship with the drone user machine, the drone control machine is configured to;

relay video data from a drone to the drone user machine through a drone console and the drone control machine and the network via a peer-to-peer connection wherein the drone console is within visual presence of the drone,

send autopilot commands to the drone console to lift off the drone and direct the drone into a three-dimensional geographical fence,

receive user command through the network from the drone user machine, wherein the drone user machine is operated by a user that is not within visual presence of the drone;

generate a user command vector based on the received user commands,

generate a revised vector based on the user command vector and the three-dimensional geographical fence for producing enforced limits commands to maintain the drone within the three-dimensional geographical fence,

provide the enforced limits commands to the drone through the drone console; and

send autopilot commands to the drone to transport the drone from within the three-dimensional geographical fence to a land site outside of the three-dimensional geographical fence to complete a drone session.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the drone session server provides peer network management information to the drone user machine and the drone control machine.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the enforced limits commands prevent the drone from colliding with a static obstacle.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the enforced limits commands prevent the drone from colliding with an airborne obstacle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the enforced limits commands include autopilot override commands to maintain the drone in the three-dimensional geographical fence.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the video data and user commands are relayed via the peer-to-peer connection, wherein the peer-to-peer connection is established by the drone control machine and the drone user machine accessing a session identification and peer network management information at a peer server.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the drone control machine and the drone user machine exchange Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) signaling messages.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the drone session server supplies drone session analytics.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the drone control machine evaluates user commands collected by a plurality of drone user machines.