Utilization of third party networks and third party unmanned aerial vehicle platforms

• US 10,394,858 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Pasko, Douglas M., Srivastava, Ashok N., Batla, Hani, Kantor, Igor, Ubhi, Gurpreet
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US15/657,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20170337218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2, 701 3, 701 36, 370328, 370331
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• 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 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• 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: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data

Abstract

A device receives a request for a flight path, for a UAV, from a first location to a second location, and calculates the flight path based on the request. The device determines network requirements for the flight path based on the request, and selects a network based on the network requirements. The device generates flight path instructions, and device provides the flight path instructions to the UAV to permit the UAV to travel from the first location to the second location via the flight path. The device receives, at a particular point of the flight path, an indication that the UAV is leaving a coverage area of the network and entering a coverage area of a third party network, and hands off the UAV to a third party device to permit the third party device to monitor traversal of the flight path by the UAV, via the third party network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device and via a first network, network connectivity information from an unmanned aerial vehicle;

identifying, by the device, a second network or another device based on the network connectivity information;

determining, by the device and based on identifying the second network or the other device, whether to hand over control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the other device;

handing off, by the device, control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the other device based on determining to hand over control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the other device; and

providing, by the device, flight path instructions to the other device based on handing off control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the other device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the other device, flight path information generated by a traversal by the unmanned aerial vehicle of a flight path.

3. The method of claim 2, where the flight path information includes at least one of:

information associated with connectivity between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the second network;

component information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle;

flight information;

or

sensor information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a notification that the unmanned aerial vehicle has reached a location.

5. The method of claim 1, where the network connectivity information includes an indication that the unmanned aerial vehicle is leaving a coverage of the first network.

6. The method of claim 1, where the network connectivity information includes an indication that the unmanned aerial vehicle is entering a coverage area of the second network.

7. The method of claim 1, where the network connectivity information includes information associated with a signal strength received by the unmanned aerial vehicle from the second network.

8. A device, comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors to;

receive, via a first network, network connectivity information from an unmanned aerial vehicle;

identify a second network or another device based on the network connectivity information;

determine, based on identifying the second network or the other device, to hand over control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the other device;

establish a connection with the other device based on handing over control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the other device; and

provide flight path instructions to the other device based on establishing the connection.

9. The device of claim 8, where the network connectivity information includes information regarding bandwidth provided by the second network.

10. The device of claim 8, where the network connectivity information includes security information associated with the second network.

11. The device of claim 8, where the network connectivity information includes a system identification code of the second network.

12. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine whether the unmanned aerial vehicle is entering a coverage area of the second network; and

connect with the second network based on determining that the unmanned aerial vehicle is entering the coverage area of the second network.

13. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine that the unmanned aerial vehicle is losing or will lose a signal received from the first network; and

connect with the second network based on determining that that the unmanned aerial vehicle is losing or will lose the signal.

14. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine that the unmanned aerial vehicle is entering a coverage area of the second network; and

instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to disconnect from the first network and connect to the second network.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

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

receive, via a first network, network connectivity information from an unmanned aerial vehicle;

identify a second network or a device based on the network connectivity information;

determine, based on identifying the second network or the device, whether to relinquish control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the device;

hand over control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the device based on determining to relinquish control of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

provide flight path instructions to the device based on handing over control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine to not relinquish control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the device; and

maintain control of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to connect to the second network.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to continue to traverse a flight path without network connectivity.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover until a coverage area of another network is found.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to not leave a coverage area of the first network.