Method, apparatus and system of providing communication coverage to an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,601,496 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: Gong, Ming, Fan, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US16/031,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20180323862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/17 Helicopters flying platforms B64U10/13
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing

Abstract

A method of providing communication coverage includes collecting a location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while the UAV is in flight, determining a communication signal distribution in a proximity of the UAV, and determining one or more locations for arranging one or more relays based on the communication signal distribution to improve communication signal coverage along a flight path of the UAV.

Claims

1. A method of providing communication coverage comprising:

collecting, by a processor, a location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while the UAV is in flight;

receiving, by the processor, a communication signal distribution in a proximity of the UAV detected by one or more mobile signal detectors; and

determining, by the processor, one or more locations for arranging one or more relays based on the communication signal distribution to improve communication signal coverage along a flight path of the UAV, the one or more locations being one or more fixed locations where a quality of public communications signal exceeds a first threshold value, and a signal coverage of the one or more relays arranged at the one or more fixed locations include one or more areas in which the quality of public communications signal is below a second threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes detecting, by the processor, a quality of telecommunication network signal in the proximity of the UAV.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes detecting, by the processor, a degree of congestion in communication capacity in the proximity of the UAV.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more mobile signal detectors follow the UAV while the UAV is in flight.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes determining, by the processor, a change in the communication signal distribution based on real-time notice from a communication service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more locations for arranging the one or more relays includes determining, by the processor, one or more locations for arranging one or more other UAVs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more relays include one or more mobile relays; and

determining the one or more locations for arranging the one or more relays includes determining a range of the flight path of the UAV for the one or more mobile relays to follow the UAV.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, whether the UAV is capable of directly communicating with a remote controller at a predetermined level of quality;

instructing, by the processor, the UAV to directly communicate with the remote controller without using the one or more relays in response to the UAV being capable of directly communicating with the remote controller at the predetermined level of quality; and

instructing, by the processor, the UAV to communicate with the remote controller through at least one of the one or more relays in response to the UAV not being capable of directly communicating with the remote controller at the predetermined level of quality.

9. A method of providing communication coverage comprising:

collecting, by a processor, a location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while the UAV is in flight;

determining, by the processor, a communication signal distribution in a proximity of the UAV; and

determining, by the processor, one or more locations for arranging one or more relays based on the communication signal distribution to improve communication signal coverage along a flight path of the UAV;

determining, by the processor, whether the UAV is capable of communicating over a communication network at a predetermined level of quality based on the communication signal distribution;

instructing, by the processor, the UAV to communicate over the communication network without using the one or more relays in response to the UAV being capable of communicating over the communication network at the predetermined level of quality; and

instructing, by the processor, the UAV to communicate with at least one of the one or more relays in response to the UAV not being capable of communicating over the communication network at the predetermined level of quality.

10. An apparatus for providing communication coverage comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

collect a location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while the UAV is in flight;

determine a communication signal distribution in a proximity of the UAV; and

determine one or more locations for arranging one or more relays based on the communication signal distribution to improve communication signal coverage along a flight path of the UAV, the one or more locations being one or more fixed locations where a quality of public communications signal exceeds a first threshold value, and a signal coverage of the one or more relays arranged at the one or more fixed locations include one or more areas in which the quality of public communications signal is below a second threshold value.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the communication signal distribution includes a quality of telecommunication network signal in the proximity of the UAV.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the communication signal distribution includes a degree of congestion in communication capacity in the proximity of the UAV.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the communication signal distribution is detected by one or more mobile signal detectors that follow the UAV while the UAV is in flight.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the program instructions further cause the processor to determine a change in the communication signal distribution based on real-time notice from a communication service provider.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more relays include one or more other UAVs.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the one or more relays include one or more mobile relays; and

the one or more locations includes a range of the flight path of the UAV for the one or more mobile relays to follow the UAV.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the program instructions further cause the processor to:

determine whether the UAV is capable of communicating over a communication network at a predetermined level of quality based on the communication signal distribution;

instruct the UAV to communicate over the communication network without using the one or more relays in response to the UAV being capable of communicating over the communication network at the predetermined level of quality; and

instruct the UAV to communicate with at least one of the one or more relays in response to the UAV not being capable of communicating over the communication network at the predetermined level of quality.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, the program instructions further cause the processor to:

determine whether the UAV is capable of directly communicating with a remote controller at a predetermined level of quality;

instruct the UAV to directly communicate with the remote controller without using the one or more relays in response to the UAV being capable of directly communicating with the remote controller at the predetermined level of quality; and

instruct the UAV to communicate with the remote controller through at least one of the one or more relays in response to the UAV not being capable of directly communicating with the remote controller at the predetermined level of quality.