IDENTIFYING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES FOR MISSION PERFORMANCE

• US 20170160740A1
• Filed: 02/24/2017
• Published: 06/08/2017
• 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: BATLA, Hani, KANTOR, Igor, UBHI, Gurpreet, SRIVASTAVA, Ashok N., PASKO, Douglas M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,811,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• 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 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

A device receives a request for a mission that includes traversal of a flight path from a first location to a second location and performance of mission operations, and calculates the flight path from the first location to the second location based on the request. The device determines required capabilities for the mission based on the request, and identifies UAVs based on the required capabilities for the mission. The device generates flight path instructions for the flight path and mission instructions for the mission operations, and provides the flight path/mission instructions to the identified UAVs to permit the identified UAVs to travel from the first location to the second location, via the flight path, and to perform the mission operations at the second location.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, a request for a mission that includes traversal of a flight path from a first geographical location to a second geographical location and performance of one or more mission operations;

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

determining, by the device, required capabilities for the mission based on the request;

identifying, by the device and from a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, particular unmanned aerial vehicles based on the required capabilities for the mission;

generating, by the device, flight path instructions for the flight path and mission instructions for the one or more mission operations; and

providing, by the device, the flight path instructions and the mission instructions to the particular unmanned aerial vehicles to permit the particular unmanned aerial vehicles to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location, via the flight path, and to perform the one or more mission operations.

2. The method of claim 1, where determining the required capabilities for the mission comprises at least one of:

determining the required capabilities for the mission based on the first geographical location and the second geographical location;

determining the required capabilities for the mission based on component requirements associated with the flight path and the one or more mission operations;

determining the required capabilities for the mission based on physical requirements associated with the flight path and the one or more mission operations;

or

determining the required capabilities for the mission based on aviation information associated with the first geographical location and the second geographical location.

3. The method of claim 1, where identifying the particular unmanned aerial vehicles comprises:

assigning weights to capability information associated with the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;

calculating a score, for each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the assigned weights; and

identifying the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, from the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the calculated scores and based on the required capabilities for the mission.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving mission information from the particular unmanned aerial vehicles during performance of the mission by the particular unmanned aerial vehicles; and

determining, based on the mission information, whether any of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles are experiencing problems with the performance of the mission.

5. The method of claim 4, where determining whether any of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles are experiencing problems further comprises:

identifying one of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles that is experiencing a problem with performance of a mission operation of the one or more mission operations; and

instructing another one of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles to perform the mission operation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from at least one of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, a notification indicating that the mission is complete when the particular unmanned aerial vehicles complete the one or more mission operations.

7. The method of claim 1, where the particular unmanned aerial vehicles perform the one or more mission operations while traversing the flight path and at the second geographical location.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more devices to;

receive a request for a mission that includes traversal of a flight path from a first geographical location to a second geographical location and performance of one or more mission operations at the second geographical location;

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

determine required capabilities for the mission based on the request;

identify, from a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, particular unmanned aerial vehicles based on the required capabilities for the mission;

generate flight path instructions for the flight path and mission instructions for the one or more mission operations; and

provide the flight path instructions and the mission instructions to the particular unmanned aerial vehicles to permit the particular unmanned aerial vehicles to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location, via the flight path, and to perform the one or more mission operations at the second geographical location.

9. The system of claim 8, where, when determining the required capabilities for the mission, the one or more devices are further to at least one of:

determine the required capabilities for the mission based on the first geographical location and the second geographical location;

determine the required capabilities for the mission based on component requirements associated with the flight path and the one or more mission operations;

determine the required capabilities for the mission based on physical requirements associated with the flight path and the one or more mission operations;

or

determine the required capabilities for the mission based on aviation information associated with the first geographical location and the second geographical location.

10. The system of claim 8, where, when identifying the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, the one or more devices are further to:

assign different weights to different capability information associated with the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;

calculate a score, for each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the assigned weights; and

identify the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, from the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the calculated scores and based on the required capabilities for the mission.

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

receive mission information from the particular unmanned aerial vehicles during performance of the mission of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles at the second geographical location; and

determine, based on the mission information, whether any of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles are experiencing problems with the performance of the mission.

12. The system of claim 11, where, when determining whether any of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles are experiencing problems, the one or more devices are further to:

identify a first unmanned aerial vehicle, of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, that is experiencing a problem with performance of a mission operation of the one or more mission operations;

instruct the first unmanned aerial vehicle to return to the first geographical location; and

instruct a second unmanned aerial vehicle, of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, to perform the mission operation.

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

receive, from at least one of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, a notification indicating that the mission is complete when the particular unmanned aerial vehicles complete the one or more mission operations.

14. The system of claim 8, where the particular unmanned aerial vehicles perform the one or more mission operations while traversing the flight path and 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 mission that includes traversal of a flight path from a first geographical location to a second geographical location and performance of one or more mission operations;

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

determine required capabilities for the mission based on the request;

identify, from a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, particular unmanned aerial vehicles based on the required capabilities for the mission;

generate flight path instructions for the flight path and mission instructions for the one or more mission operations; and

provide the flight path instructions and the mission instructions to the particular unmanned aerial vehicles to permit the particular unmanned aerial vehicles to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location, via the flight path, and to perform the one or more mission operations at the second geographical location.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the instructions to determine the required capabilities for the mission further comprise:

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

determine the required capabilities for the mission based on the first geographical location and the second geographical location;

determine the required capabilities for the mission based on component requirements associated with the flight path and the one or more mission operations;

determine the required capabilities for the mission based on physical requirements associated with the flight path and the one or more mission operations;

or

determine the required capabilities for the mission based on aviation information associated with the first geographical location and the second geographical location.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the instructions to identify the particular unmanned aerial vehicles further comprise:

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

assign different weights to different capability information associated with the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;

calculate a score, for each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the assigned weights; and

identify the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, from the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the calculated scores and based on the required capabilities for the mission.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the instructions further comprise:

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 mission information from the particular unmanned aerial vehicles during performance of the mission of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles; and

determine, based on the mission information, whether any of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles are experiencing problems with the performance of the mission.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, where the instructions to determine whether any of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles are experiencing problems further comprise:

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

identify a first unmanned aerial vehicle, of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, that is experiencing a problem with performance of a mission operation of the one or more mission operations;

instruct the first unmanned aerial vehicle to return to the first geographical location; and

instruct a second unmanned aerial vehicle, of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, to perform the mission operation.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the instructions further comprise:

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 at least one of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, a notification indicating that the mission is complete when the particular unmanned aerial vehicles complete the one or more mission operations.