CONTROLLING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES AS A FLOCK TO SYNCHRONIZE FLIGHT IN AERIAL DISPLAYS
First Claim
1. A system for controlling flight of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising:
- a plurality of UAVs each including a processor executing a local control module and further including memory accessible by the processor for use by the local control module; and
a ground station system with a processor executing a fleet manager module and with memory storing a different flight plan for each of the UAVs,wherein corresponding ones of the flight plans are stored in the memory of each of the UAVs, andwherein, during flight operations, each of the local control modules independently controls the UAV to execute the flight plan stored in the memory of the UAV.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for flock-based control of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The system includes UAVs each including a processor executing a local control module and memory accessible by the processor for use by the local control module. The system includes a ground station system with a processor executing a fleet manager module and with memory storing a different flight plan for each of the UAVs. The flight plans are stored on the UAVs, and, during flight operations, each of the local control modules independently controls the corresponding UAV to execute its flight plan without ongoing control from the fleet manager module. The fleet manager module is operable to initiate flight operations by concurrently triggering initiation of the flight plans by the multiple UAVs. Further, the local control modules monitor front and back and communication channels and, when a channel is lost, operate the UAV in a safe mode.
264 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for controlling flight of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising:
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a plurality of UAVs each including a processor executing a local control module and further including memory accessible by the processor for use by the local control module; and a ground station system with a processor executing a fleet manager module and with memory storing a different flight plan for each of the UAVs, wherein corresponding ones of the flight plans are stored in the memory of each of the UAVs, and wherein, during flight operations, each of the local control modules independently controls the UAV to execute the flight plan stored in the memory of the UAV. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A flight control method, comprising:
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at a plurality of multicopters, receiving a flight plan unique to each of the multicopters; concurrently operating the multicopters to execute the flight plans; providing a communications channel between pairs of the multicopters; with a first one of the multicopters detecting a second one of the multicopters in a predefined space proximal to the first one of the multicopters; and with the first one of the multicopters, transmitting a message to the second multicopter over the communication channel between the first and second multicopters causing the second multicopter to change position to avoid collision. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A flight control system for use with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising:
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a ground control system including a fleet manager module; and a plurality of UAVs each with a front end radio communicating with a first radio of the ground control system to receive operating commands from the fleet manager module and with a back end radio communicating with a second radio of the ground control system to transfer telemetry data to the ground control system. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification