WIRELESSLY CONTROLLING UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AND ACCESSING ASSOCIATED SURVEILLANCE DATA

• US 20100224732A1
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Matt, Olson, Steven J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,477,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/190
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• 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: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• 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: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• 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

Controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may be accomplished by using a wireless device (e.g., cell phone) to send a control message to a receiver at the UAV via a wireless telecommunication network (e.g., an existing cellular network configured primarily for mobile telephone communication). In addition, the wireless device may be used to receive communications from a transmitter at the UAV, wherein the wireless device receives the communications from the transmitter via the wireless network. Examples of such communications include surveillance information and UAV monitoring information.

Claims

1-53. -53. (canceled)

54. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

receiving a control message at a first UAV and over a wireless connection;

transmitting the control message from the first UAV to a second UAV, wherein the control message includes instructions to control at least one of;

surveillance activities of the second UAV and activities of a weapons system of the second UAV; and

receiving communications from a transmitter, the transmitter located at the second UAV.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising establishing an ongoing connection between a wireless device transmitting the control message to the first UAV and a receiver at the first UAV.

56. The method of claim 54 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving compressed digital video transmissions.

57. The method of claim 54 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving full size and full frame rate digital video transmissions.

58. The method of claim 54 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving surveillance information collected by the second UAV.

59. The method of claim 54 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving health and/or status information associated with the second UAV.

60. The method of claim 54 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving surveillance information collected by the second UAV, wherein the collected information includes information associated with a third UAV and is collected for the purpose of avoiding airspace conflicts, conducting joint surveillance of a geographical area, and/or conducting joint tracking of a subject.

61. The method of claim 54 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving communications from the second UAV via the first UAV.

62. The method of claim 54 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving communications directly from the second UAV.

63. The method of claim 54, wherein the wireless connection is provided by a wireless network configured primarily for mobile telephone communications.

64. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), by a method comprising:

receiving a control message at a first UAV and over a wireless connection;

transmitting the control message from the first UAV to a second UAV, wherein the control message includes instructions to control at least one of;

surveillance activities of the second UAV and activities of a weapons system of the second UAV; and

receiving communications from a transmitter, the transmitter located at the second UAV.

65. The computer-readable medium of claim 64, further comprising establishing an ongoing connection between a wireless device transmitting the control message to the first UAV and a receiver at the first UAV.

66. The computer-readable medium of claim 64 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving compressed digital video transmissions.

67. The computer-readable medium of claim 64 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving full size and full frame rate digital video transmissions.

68. The computer-readable medium of claim 64 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving surveillance information collected by the second UAV.

69. The computer-readable medium of claim 64 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving health and/or status information associated with the second UAV.

70. The computer-readable medium of claim 64 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving surveillance information collected by the second UAV, wherein the collected information includes information associated with a third UAV and is collected for the purpose of avoiding airspace conflicts, conducting joint surveillance of a geographical area, and/or conducting joint tracking of a subject.

71. The computer-readable medium of claim 64 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving communications from the second UAV via the first UAV.

72. The computer-readable medium of claim 64 wherein receiving communications from the transmitter includes receiving communications directly from the second UAV.

73. The computer-readable medium of claim 64, wherein the wireless connection is provided by a wireless network configured primarily for mobile telephone communications.

74. A system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a transceiver arrangement configured to;

receive a control message at a first UAV and over a wireless connection;

transmit the control message from the first UAV to a second UAV, wherein the control message includes instructions to control at least one of;

surveillance activities of the second UAV and activities of a weapons system of the second UAV; and

receive communications from a transmitter, the transmitter located at the second UAV.

75. The system of claim 74, wherein the communications from the transmitter include compressed digital video transmissions.

76. The system of claim 74, wherein the communications from the transmitter include full size and full frame rate digital video transmissions.

77. The system of claim 74 wherein the communications from the transmitter include surveillance information collected by the second UAV.

78. The system of claim 74 wherein the communications from the transmitter include health and/or status information associated with the second UAV.

79. The system of claim 74 wherein the communications from the transmitter include surveillance information collected by the second UAV, wherein the collected information includes information associated with a third UAV and is collected for the purpose of avoiding airspace conflicts, conducting joint surveillance of a geographical area, and/or conducting joint tracking of a subject.

80. The system of claim 74, wherein the wireless connection is provided by a wireless network configured primarily for mobile telephone communications.