UTILIZATION OF THIRD PARTY NETWORKS AND THIRD PARTY UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE PLATFORMS

• US 20160300492A1
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Published: 10/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: PASKO, Douglas M., SRIVASTAVA, Ashok N., BATLA, Hani, KANTOR, Igor, UBHI, Gurpreet
• Granted Patent: US 9,881,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• 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: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface

Abstract

A device receives a request for a flight path, for a UAV, from a first location to a second location, and calculates the flight path based on the request. The device determines network requirements for the flight path based on the request, and selects a network based on the network requirements. The device generates flight path instructions, and device provides the flight path instructions to the UAV to permit the UAV to travel from the first location to the second location via the flight path. The device receives, at a particular point of the flight path, an indication that the UAV is leaving a coverage area of the network and entering a coverage area of a third party network, and hands off the UAV to a third party device to permit the third party device to monitor traversal of the flight path by the UAV, via the third party network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, a request for a flight path, for an unmanned aerial vehicle, from a first geographical location to a second geographical location;

calculating, by the device, the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the request for the flight path;

determining, by the device, network requirements for the flight path based on the request for the flight path;

selecting, by the device, a network based on the network requirements for the flight path;

causing, by the device, a connection with the unmanned aerial vehicle and the network to be established;

generating, by the device, flight path instructions for the flight path;

providing, by the device and via the network, the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path;

receiving, by the device and at a particular point of the flight path, an indication that the unmanned aerial vehicle is leaving a coverage area associated with the network and entering a coverage area associated with a third party network; and

handing off, by the device, the unmanned aerial vehicle to a third party device associated with the third party network to permit the third party device to monitor traversal of the flight path by the unmanned aerial vehicle, via the third party network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the unmanned aerial vehicle, information associated with the flight path, via the third party network and the third party device, after handing off the unmanned aerial vehicle to the third party device.

3. The method of claim 1, where handing off the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises:

relinquishing control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the third party device associated with the third party network; and

providing the flight path instructions to the third party device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving information associated with the flight path from the third party device, while the unmanned aerial vehicle is being controlled by the third party device.

5. The method of claim 1, where:

the network and the device are associated with a first entity, and

the third party network and the third party device are associated with a second entity, different than the first entity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing a connection with the network to be terminated after the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the third party device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover until the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the third party device.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more devices to;

receive a request for a flight path, for an unmanned aerial vehicle, from a first geographical location to a second geographical location;

calculate the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the request for the flight path;

determine network requirements for the flight path based on the request for the flight path;

select a network based on the network requirements for the flight path;

cause a connection with the unmanned aerial vehicle and the network to be established;

generate flight path instructions for the flight path;

provide, via the network, the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path;

receive, at a particular point of the flight path, an indication that the unmanned aerial vehicle is leaving a coverage area associated with the network and entering a coverage area associated with a third party network; and

hand off the unmanned aerial vehicle to a third party system associated with the third party network to permit the third party system to monitor traversal of the flight path by the unmanned aerial vehicle, via the third party network.

9. The system of claim 8, where the one or more devices are further to:

receive, from the unmanned aerial vehicle, information associated with the flight path, via the third party network and the third party system, after handing off the unmanned aerial vehicle to the third party system.

10. The system of claim 8, where, when handing off the unmanned aerial vehicle, the one or more devices are further to:

authenticate the third party system; and

relinquish control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the third party system associated with the third party network.

11. The system of claim 8, where the one or more devices are further to:

provide the flight path instructions to the third party system after the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the third party system; and

receive information associated with the flight path from the third party system, after the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the third party system.

12. The system of claim 8, where:

the network and the system are associated with a first entity, and

the third party network and the third party system are associated with a second entity, different than the first entity.

13. The system of claim 8, where the one or more devices are further to:

cause a connection with the network to be terminated after the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the third party system.

14. The system of claim 8, where the one or more devices are further to:

receive, from the third party system, arrival information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle when the unmanned aerial vehicle arrives at the second geographical location.

15. A computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a request for a flight path, for an unmanned aerial vehicle, from a first geographical location to a second geographical location;

calculate the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the request for the flight path;

determine network requirements for the flight path based on the request for the flight path;

select a network based on the network requirements for the flight path;

cause a connection with the unmanned aerial vehicle and the network to be established;

generate flight path instructions for the flight path;

provide, via the network, the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path;

receive, at a particular point of the flight path, an indication that the unmanned aerial vehicle is leaving a coverage area associated with the network and entering a coverage area associated with a third party network; and

hand off the unmanned aerial vehicle to a third party device associated with the third party network to permit the third party device to monitor traversal of the flight path by the unmanned aerial vehicle, via the third party network.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to at least one of;

receive, from the unmanned aerial vehicle, information associated with the flight path, via the third party network and the third party device, after handing off the unmanned aerial vehicle to the third party device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the instructions to hand off the unmanned aerial vehicle further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

relinquish control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the third party device associated with the third party network;

provide the flight path instructions to the third party device; and

receive information associated with the flight path from the third party device, while the unmanned aerial vehicle is being controlled by the third party device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to at least one of;

receive, from the third party device, arrival information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle when the unmanned aerial vehicle arrives at the second geographical location.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to at least one of;

cause a connection with the network to be terminated after the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the third party device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover until the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the third party device.