DYNAMICALLY ADJUSTING UAV FLIGHT OPERATIONS BASED ON RADIO FREQUENCY SIGNAL DATA

• US 20180004207A1
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Unmanned Innovation Inc (Delair SAS)
• Inventors: Michini, Bernard J., Blanc-Pques, Fabien, Cummings, Logan
• Granted Patent: US 11,150,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/26 for manufacturing, inspections or repairs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/024 of beacon transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• 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: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength

Abstract

In some implementations, a UAV flight system can dynamically adjust UAV flight operations based on radio frequency (RF) signal data. For example, the flight system can determine an initial flight plan for inspecting a RF transmitter and configure a UAV to perform an aerial inspection of the RF transmitter. Once airborne, the UAV can collect RF signal data and the flight system can automatically adjust the flight plan to avoid RF signal interference and/or damage to the UAV based on the collected RF signal data. In some implementations, the UAV can collect RF signal data and generate a three-dimensional received signal strength map that describes the received signal strength at various locations within a volumetric area around the RF transmitter. In some implementations, the UAV can collect RF signal data and determine whether a RF signal transmitter is properly aligned.

Claims

1. A system comprising one or more processors, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform the operations comprising:

navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

periodically monitoring radio frequency (RF) signals external to the UAV;

determining a received signal strength indication (RSSI) value for the monitored RF signals at a plurality of geospatial locations during the navigation of the UAV; and

storing a plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations of where a corresponding value was monitored.

2. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

adjusting navigation of the UAV system to locations where the determined RSSI value of the monitored signals remains below a threshold RSSI value.

3. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

preventing navigation of the UAV to a position of a stored geospatial location based on the corresponding stored RSSI value.

4. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

obtaining a received signal strength indication (RSSI) map corresponding to an area around a target object; and

dynamically adjusting flight of the UAV to avoid areas of particular RSSI values as indicated in the RSSI map.

5. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

generating an RSSI map for RF signals for an area surrounding a structure.

6. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

based on the plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations, determining the shape of an RF signal lobe generated by an RF transmitter coupled to a structure.

7. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

based on the plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations, determining whether an RF transmitter coupled to a structure is aimed in a particular direction or azimuth.

8. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

determining whether an RF transmitter coupled to a structure is operating at a particular frequency or power level.

9. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

based on the plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations, determining an orientation of an RF transmitter coupled to a structure.

10. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving RF signals from RF transmitters coupled to two different structures.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting navigation of the UAV system to locations where the determined RSSI value of the monitored signals remains below a threshold RSSI value.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing navigation of the UAV to a position of a stored geospatial location based on the corresponding stored RSSI value.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a received signal strength indication (RSSI) map corresponding to an area around a target object; and

dynamically adjusting flight of the UAV to avoid areas of particular RSSI values as indicated in the RSSI map.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an RSSI map for RF signals for an area surrounding a structure.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations, determining the shape of an RF signal lobe generated by an RF transmitter coupled to a structure.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations, determining whether an RF transmitter coupled to a structure is aimed in a particular direction or azimuth.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an RF transmitter coupled to a structure is operating at a particular frequency or power level.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations, determining an orientation of an RF transmitter coupled to a structure.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving RF signals from RF transmitters coupled to two different structures.

22. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

adjusting navigation of the UAV system to locations where the determined RSSI value of the monitored signals remains below a threshold RSSI value.

23. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

preventing navigation of the UAV to a position of a stored geospatial location based on the corresponding stored RSSI value.

24. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

obtaining a received signal strength indication (RSSI) map corresponding to an area around a target object; and

dynamically adjusting flight of the UAV to avoid areas of particular RSSI values as indicated in the RSSI map.

25. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

generating an RSSI map for RF signals for an area surrounding a structure.

26. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

based on the plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations, determining the shape of an RF signal lobe generated by an RF transmitter coupled to a structure.

27. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

based on the plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations, determining whether an RF transmitter coupled to a structure is aimed in a particular direction or azimuth.

28. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

determining whether an RF transmitter coupled to a structure is operating at a particular frequency or power level.

29. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

based on the plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations, determining an orientation of an RF transmitter coupled to a structure.

30. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving RF signals from RF transmitters coupled to two different structures.

11. A method implemented by a system comprising one or more processors, the method comprising:

navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

periodically monitoring radio frequency (RF) signals external to the UAV;

determining a received signal strength indication (RSSI) value for the monitored RF signals at a plurality of geospatial locations during the navigation of the UAV; and

storing a plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations of where the corresponding value was monitored.

21. A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a system comprising one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

periodically monitoring radio frequency (RF) signals external to the UAV;

determining a received signal strength indication (RSSI) value for the monitored RF signals at a plurality of geospatial locations during the navigation of the UAV; and

storing a plurality of RSSI values and the respective geospatial locations of where the corresponding value was monitored.