CONTROLLING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES AS A FLOCK TO SYNCHRONIZE FLIGHT IN AERIAL DISPLAYS
First Claim
1. A flight control method, comprising:
- 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.
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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 end communication channels and, when a channel is lost, operate the UAV in a safe mode.
27 Citations
23 Claims
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1. 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 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A flight control method, comprising:
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at a plurality of multicopters, receiving a flight plan unique to each of the multicopters, wherein the flight plans comprise a plurality of way points for each of the multicopters; operating the multicopters to execute the flight plans; providing a communications channel between pairs of the multicopters; and during the operating of the multicopters to execute the flight plans, adjusting flight speed or course of one of the multicopters based on comparison of a present position and one of the way points. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A flight control method, comprising:
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at a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, storing in memory a flight plan unique to each of the UAVs; with a local control module executed by a processor on each of the UAVs, operating each of the UAVs to execute the flight plans; for each of the UAVs, providing a front end communication channel and a back end communication channel with a ground station system; with the local control module of each of the UAVs, periodically determining status of the front and back end communication channels; and when the status determination for one of the UAVs indicates a loss of one of the front and back end communication channels, operating the one of the UAVs in a predefined safe operating mode. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification