Dynamic beam steering for unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 10,511,091 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Teague, Edward Harrison
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US15/388,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20180019516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 342359, 342372
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

Various embodiments include methods for dynamic antenna steering on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The methods may include orienting an antenna on the UAV towards a serving ground station based on the UAV'"'"'s position, orienting the antenna towards a neighboring ground station when it is time to conduct signal measurements of the neighboring ground station, conducting the signal measurements while orienting the antenna towards the neighboring ground station, and reorienting the antenna towards the serving ground station. Methods further include orienting a ground station antenna towards a UAV by obtaining a position of the UAV, calculating a vector between the position of the UAVs and the ground station, determining a direction to steer a beam based on the calculated vector, and steering the beam to the determined direction for the UAV.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having an antenna, comprising:

a processor coupled to the antenna and configured with processor-executable instructions to;

orient the antenna towards a serving ground station based on a current position of the UAV;

orient the antenna towards a neighboring ground station when it is time to conduct signal measurements of the neighboring ground station;

conduct the signal measurements of the neighboring ground station while orienting the antenna towards the neighboring ground station;

determine whether signals of the neighboring ground station are stronger than signals of the serving ground station based on the signal measurements of the neighboring ground station while orienting the antenna towards the neighboring ground station; and

perform a handover to the neighboring ground station in response to determining that the signals of the neighboring ground station are stronger than signals of the serving ground station.

2. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to orient the antenna on the UAV towards the serving ground station based on the current position of the UAV by:

obtaining a location of the serving ground station;

calculating a vector between the location of the serving ground station and the current position of the UAV;

determining an orientation for the antenna that points to the location of the serving ground station based on the vector; and

adjusting the antenna to the determined orientation.

3. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to orient the antenna to the determined orientation by mechanically steering the antenna.

4. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to orient the antenna to the determined orientation by electronically steering the antenna.

5. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to orient the antenna to the determined orientation by adjusting an orientation of the UAV.

6. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

determine whether it is time to report the signal measurements to a network; and

report the signal measurements to the network via the serving ground station in response to determining that it is time to report the signal measurements to a network.

7. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

determine whether it is time to report the signal measurements to a network;

orient the antenna to the neighboring ground station in response to determining that is time to report the signal measurements to the network; and

report the signal measurements to the network via the neighboring ground station.

8. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to orient the antenna towards the neighboring ground station by:

obtaining a location of the neighboring ground station;

calculating a vector between the location of the neighboring ground station and the current position of the UAV, wherein the current position of the UAV comprises a three-dimensional coordinate and an orientation;

determining an orientation for the antenna that points to the location of the neighboring ground station based on the vector; and

adjusting the antenna to the determined orientation.

9. A ground station, comprising:

a plurality of antennas; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of antennas and configured with processor-executable instructions to;

receive signal measurements from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of signals between the UAV and a neighboring ground station while an antenna of the UAV is oriented toward each of the one or more neighboring ground stations and of signals between the UAV and a serving ground station;

determine, from the received signal measurements, whether signals of the neighboring ground station are stronger than signals of the serving ground station based on the received signal measurements; and

transmit instructions to the UAV to perform a handover to the neighboring ground station in response to determining that the signals of the neighboring ground station are stronger than signals of the serving ground station.

10. The ground station of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

determine a first time to steer at least one of the plurality of antennas of the ground station toward the UAV; and

steering the at least one of the plurality of antennas toward the UAV at the first time.

11. The ground station of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

determine a second time for receiving signal measurements; and

steer the at least one of the plurality of antennas toward the UAV at the second time for receiving signal measurements from the UAV.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform operations comprising:

orienting an antenna on the UAV towards a serving ground station based on a current position of the UAV;

orienting the antenna towards a neighboring ground station when it is time to conduct signal measurements of the neighboring ground station;

conducting the signal measurements of the neighboring ground station while orienting the antenna towards the neighboring ground station;

determining whether signals of the neighboring ground station are stronger than signals of the serving ground station based on the signal measurements of the neighboring ground station while orienting the antenna towards the neighboring ground station; and

performing a handover to the neighboring ground station in response to determining that the signals of the neighboring ground station are stronger than signals of the serving ground station.

13. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

means for orienting an antenna on the UAV towards a serving ground station based on a current position of the UAV;

means for orienting the antenna towards a neighboring ground station when it is time to conduct signal measurements of the neighboring ground station;

means for conducting the signal measurements of the neighboring ground station while orienting the antenna towards the neighboring ground station;

means for determining whether signals of the neighboring ground station are stronger than signals of the serving ground station based on the signal measurements of the neighboring ground station while orienting the antenna towards the neighboring ground station; and

means for performing a handover to the neighboring ground station in response to determining that the signals of the neighboring ground station are stronger than signals of the serving ground station.