Radio frequency-based obstacle avoidance

• US 10,446,043 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Corp.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lau, Erie Lai Har, Dowlatkhah, Sangar, Greaves, Brian, Hardin, Stephen Thomas, Osterwise, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, Jason
• Application Number:
  US15/222,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20180033317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/04 by terrestrial means G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/00 Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using active systems G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/42 for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft

Abstract

A method includes receiving, from an aerial vehicle, information related to a plurality of radio-frequency signals detected by the aerial vehicle, and identifying access points that transmitted at least one of the plurality of radio-frequency signals based on at least the information. The method also includes determining a first geographical location of the aerial vehicle based on at least the information and locations associated with the access points and identifying a second geographical location, the second geographical location associated with at least one of an obstacle or a restricted zone. The method also includes controlling a navigation of the aerial vehicle based on at least the first geographical location and the second geographical location.

Claims

1. An aerial vehicle comprising:

an antenna;

a processor; and

memory storing instructions that cause the processor to effectuate operations, the operations comprising;

detecting radio-frequency signals received by the antenna, wherein each radio-frequency signal is emitted by an access point of a cellular network;

based on the radio-frequency signals received by the antenna, determining signal information that comprises signal strength and time of arrival (TOA);

determining a geographical location of the aerial vehicle based on at least the signal information;

receiving, from an external database an indication of an obstacle location of an obstacle;

determining an obstacle buffer based on the obstacle location; and

controlling a navigation of the aerial vehicle to avoid the obstacle based on at least the geographical location and the obstacle location,

wherein the navigation is based on at least the obstacle buffer.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein determining the geographical location comprises transmitting an indication of the radio-frequency signals to an external system;

and

receiving a second indication of the geographical location from the external system, wherein the external system calculates the geographical location based on at least the indication of the radio-frequency signals and locations of the access points.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

transmitting an indication of at least one of the geographical location or the radio-frequency signals to an external device; and

receiving, from the external device, information indicative of the obstacle location.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein controlling the navigation comprises changing at least one of an elevation, a latitude, or a longitude of the aerial vehicle.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein controlling the navigation is further based on an aerial vehicle buffer surrounding the geographical location.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 5, comprises receiving a route for the aerial vehicle to travel.

7. A method comprising:

detecting, via an antenna of an aerial vehicle, radio-frequency signals, wherein each radio-frequency signal of a subset of the radio-frequency signals is emitted by an access point of a cellular network;

based on the radio-frequency signals received by the antenna, determining signal information that comprises signal strength and time of arrival (TOA);

determining a geographical location of the aerial vehicle based on at least the subset and the signal information; and

receiving, from an external database, an indication of an obstacle within a vicinity of the aerial vehicle;

determining an obstacle buffer based on the obstacle location; and

controlling a navigation of the aerial vehicle to avoid the obstacle based on at least the geographical location and the obstacle location,

wherein the navigation is based on at least the obstacle buffer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the geographical location comprises:

transmitting an indication of at least the subset to an external system; and

receiving a second indication of the geographical location from the external system, wherein the external system calculates the geographical location based on at least the indication of at least the subset and locations of the access points.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting an indication of at least one of the geographical location or the subset to an external device; and

receiving, from the external device, information indicative of the obstacle location.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the geographical location is associated with a first buffer, and wherein controlling the navigation comprises preventing the first buffer from overlapping with the obstacle buffer.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the geographical location comprises a latitude, a longitude, and an elevation.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the obstacle comprises a second aerial vehicle communicatively coupled to the cellular network.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising identifying a restricted zone, wherein controlling the navigation is further based upon the restricted zone.