AERIAL VEHICLE DATA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20160363929A1
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firmatek Software LLC
• Original Assignee: Kespry, Inc.
• Inventors: Laxson, John D., Clark, Robert Parker, Doersch, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,836,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/00 Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/37 Charging when not in flight
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/83 using parachutes, balloons or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform

Abstract

A data communication system for unmanned aerial vehicles includes communication links comprising a low-throughput capacity communication link and a high-throughput capacity communication link. The data communication system can also include a base station, to which the unmanned aerial vehicles send aerial data, and from which the unmanned aerial vehicles receive command signals. As the unmanned aerial vehicles perform missions in an open, distant airspace, the unmanned aerial vehicles can gather large volume data such as aerial images or videos. The data communication system allows opportunistic transfer of the gathered aerial data from the unmanned aerial vehicles to the base station when a high-throughput communication link is established. The data communication system allows constant communication between the base station and the unmanned aerial vehicles to send and receive low volume, operation-critical data, such as commands or on-going flight path changes, using a low-throughput communication link.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle;

a base station comprising;

a housing;

a first wireless communication circuit configured to send flight command signals to the unmanned aerial vehicle using a first communication link with a first throughput capacity; and

a second wireless communication circuit configured to receive aerial data from the unmanned aerial vehicle using a second communication link with a second throughput capacity, wherein the second throughput capacity is higher than the first throughput capacity; and

a user interface device configured to generate and send a flight plan and/or components thereof to the base station for forwarding to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication link has a lower probability of failure than the second communication link.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication link comprises a 900 MHz band channel and the second communication link comprises a Wi-Fi channel.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station further comprises a third wired or wireless communication circuit configured to send the received aerial data to a remote server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the aerial data comprises at least one of:

image data;

video data;

audio data;

telemetry data;

LIDAR data;

3D mapping data; and

gas sensor data;

wherein the aerial data are gathered by the unmanned aerial vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station comprises manual actuators that command the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform at least one of:

emergency landing;

shutdown propellers;

travelling to a predetermined location;

pausing a mission; and

resuming a paused mission,

wherein one or more manual inputs initiate sending one or more command signals to the unmanned aerial vehicle from the base station through the first communication link.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication circuit is configured to receive data from the unmanned aerial vehicle using the first communication link.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first wireless communication circuit is configured to receive aerial data from the unmanned aerial vehicle using the first communication link.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to select portions of the aerial data for sending over the first communication link.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to determine a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle relative to the base station.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is further configured to send the aerial data to the second wireless communication circuit based at least in part on the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. A method comprising:

executing a flight plan with an unmanned aerial vehicle;

gathering aerial data from sensors attached to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

receiving flight command signals at the unmanned aerial vehicle through a first communication link;

sending at least some of the aerial data from the unmanned aerial vehicle through a second communication link when the second communication link is established, wherein the second communication link has a higher throughput capacity than the first communication link.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first communication link is continuously established during the execution of the flight plan and the second communication link is non-continuously established during the execution of the flight plan.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first communication link has a lower probability of failure than the second communication link.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first communication link comprises a 900 MHz band channel and the second communication link comprises a Wi-Fi channel.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein sending the aerial data comprises:

initiating sending the aerial data from the unmanned aerial vehicle through the second communication link;

determining whether the sending of the aerial data is successful; and

resending the aerial data if the sending was unsuccessful.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein sending the aerial data is based in part on the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the flight control commands comprises commands to perform at least one of:

emergency landing;

shutdown propellers;

returning to a predetermined home base;

pausing a mission; and

resuming a paused mission.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the aerial data comprises at least one of:

image data;

video data;

audio data;

telemetry data;

LIDAR data;

3D mapping data; and

gas sensor data.

20. The method of claim 12, comprising sending at least some of the aerial data from the unmanned aerial vehicle through the first communication link when the second communication link is not established.

21. A base station apparatus for an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a low-throughput capacity communication circuit configured to send flight command signals to the unmanned aerial vehicle through a low-throughput communication link; and

a high-throughput capacity communication circuit configured to opportunistically receive aerial data from the unmanned aerial vehicle through a high-throughput communication link,

wherein the low-throughput capacity communication link has a lower probability of failure than the high-throughput capacity communication link.

22. The base station apparatus of claim 21, wherein opportunistically receiving the aerial data comprises receiving the aerial data whenever the high-throughput capacity communication link between the ground station and the unmanned aerial vehicle is established.

23. The base station apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

one or more battery chargers; and

a plurality of buttons for commanding the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform at least one of;

emergency landing;

shuttering propellers;

returning to a predetermined home base;

pausing a mission; and

resuming a mission,

wherein the buttons are configured to initiate sending command signals to the unmanned aerial vehicle through the low throughput communication channel.

24. The base station apparatus of claim 21, wherein the low-throughput capacity communication circuit is further configured to receive position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

25. The base station apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a directional antenna configured to adjust directionality based at least in part on the received position information.

26. The base station apparatus of claim 21, wherein the low-throughput capacity communication link comprises a 900 MHz band channel and the high-throughput capacity communication link comprises a Wi-Fi channel.

27. The base station apparatus of claim 21, wherein the high-throughput capacity communication circuit is further configured to receive a flight plan from a user interface device.

28. The base station apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a high-throughput capacity transmitter configured to send the received aerial data to a remote server.

29. The base station apparatus of claim 21, wherein the low-throughput capacity communication circuit is configured to receive at least some of the aerial data from the unmanned aerial vehicle using the low-throughput capacity communication link.

30. The base station apparatus of claim 21, wherein the low-throughput capacity communication circuit is configured to receive aerial data from the unmanned aerial vehicle using the low-throughput capacity communication link.