METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM OF PROVIDING COMMUNICATION COVERAGE TO AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

• US 20170012697A1
• Filed: 09/23/2016
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: Gong, Ming, Fan, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 10,038,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/17 Helicopters flying platforms B64U10/13
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• 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: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing

Abstract

The systems and methods are provided to provide communication coverage to an unmanned aerial vehicle. A proposed flight path of a UAV may be collected, and a communication signal distribution, such as a cellular signal distribution, along the proposed flight of the UAV may be determined. At positions having low or no communication signal, relays may be provided to improve a quality of the communication signal. The relay may be a ground device or an aerial vehicle. A stable and continuous communication between the UAV and user terminals during the entire flight path of UAV may be provided, and a coverage of cellular signal may be expanded.

Claims

1. A method of providing communication coverage to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), said method comprising:

collecting a proposed flight path of the UAV;

determining a communication signal distribution along the proposed flight path of the UAV; and

determining one or more locations for providing one or more relays based on the communication signal distribution to improve communication signal distribution along the proposed flight path of the UAV.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the proposed flight path of the UAV.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes flying another aerial vehicle along the proposed flight path to collect the communication signal distribution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes incorporating past experience data collected from other UAVs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes incorporating past experience data collected from a communication service provider or receiving a preset setting of a communication service provider.

6. An apparatus for providing communication coverage to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), said apparatus comprising:

one or more processors configured to, individually or collectively;

collect a proposed flight path of the UAV;

determine a communication signal distribution along the proposed flight path of the UAV; and

generate signals for providing one or more relays at one or more locations based on the communication signal distribution to improve communication signal distribution along the proposed flight path of the UAV.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of the one or more relays comprises (1) a first communication unit capable of directly communicating with the UAV and (2) a second communication unit capable of communicating over a telecommunication network or a wired communication network.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a plurality of the relays communicate with each other via the second communication units.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a communication between the UAV and a telecommunication network switches to a communication between the UAV and the one or more relays when the UAV fails to receive a predetermined amount of communication resource from the telecommunication network.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes flying another aerial vehicle along the proposed flight path to collect the communication signal distribution.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes incorporating past experience data collected from other UAVs.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes incorporating past experience data collected from a communication service provider or receiving a preset setting of a communication service provider.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes detecting a quality of telecommunication network signal along the proposed flight path of the UAV.

14. A system for providing communication coverage to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), said system comprising:

an aerial vehicle configured to collect a communication signal distribution along a proposed flight path of the UAV; and

a device configured to determine one or more locations for providing one or more relay devices based on the communication signal distribution to improve communication signal distribution along the proposed flight path of the UAV.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the communication signal distribution along the proposed flight path includes detecting one or more areas where a quality of communication signal falls beneath a threshold value.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes incorporating past experience data collected from other UAVs.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes incorporating past experience data collected from a communication service provider or receiving a preset setting of a communication service provider.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes determining the communication signal distribution based on real-time notice from a communication service provider.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the communication signal distribution includes detecting a quality of telecommunication network signal along the proposed flight path of the UAV.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein determining one or more locations for providing one or more relays includes determining one or more locations where a quality of communication signal exceeds a threshold value.