Managing a Parameter of an Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle Based on Manned Aviation Data

• US 20180020081A1
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Published: 01/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Teague, Edward Harrison
• Application Number:
  US15/331,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20180020081A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• 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: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Embodiments include devices and methods for an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) to receive manned aviation data from communication equipment available on the UAV without requiring the use of manned aviation radios and transponder equipment. A processor of the UAV may receive manned aviation data over a communication link with a communication network (e.g., the Internet) coupled to a server or network element that has access to manned aviation data. Communications with the communication network may be accomplished via the same communication channels used to transmit and receive mission-critical and payload communications. The processor may analyze the manned aviation data stream to obtain and identify relevant data, and may adjust a parameter of the UAV based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream. In various embodiments, the processor of the UAV may send UAV flight information to the communication network for inclusion in a manned aviation radio system broadcast.

Claims

1. A method of managing a parameter of an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) based on manned aviation data, comprising:

receiving over a communication link with a communication network a manned aviation data stream;

analyzing the manned aviation data stream; and

adjusting a parameter of the UAV based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the parameter of the UAV based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream comprises:

determining whether information relevant to the UAV is included in the analyzed manned aviation data stream; and

adjusting the parameter of the UAV based on the information relevant to the UAV in response to determining that information relevant to the UAV is included in the analyzed manned aviation data stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the parameter of the UAV based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream comprises:

adjusting a flight parameter of the UAV based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the parameter of the UAV based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream comprises:

adjusting a sensor parameter of the UAV based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the parameter of the UAV based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream comprises:

adjusting a camera parameter of the UAV based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication link with the communication network comprises a cellular data communication link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is the Internet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving over the communication link with the communication network the manned aviation data stream comprises receiving the manned aviation data stream over the same communication link over which one of mission critical communications and payload communications is received.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving over the communication link with the communication network the manned aviation data stream comprises receiving the manned aviation data stream from a network element of the communication network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the manned aviation data stream comprises information from a manned aviation radio system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the information from the manned aviation radio system comprises Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data or Mode S transponder system data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the parameter of the UAV based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream comprises changing one or more of a flight direction, a flight speed, and an altitude based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream.

13. An unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a radio module;

an avionics module; and

a processor coupled to the radio module and the avionics module and configured with processor-executable instructions to;

receive over a communication link with a communication network a manned aviation data stream;

analyze the manned aviation data stream; and

adjusting a parameter of the UAV based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream.

14. The UAV of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether information relevant to the UAV is included in the analyzed manned aviation data stream; and

adjust the parameter of the UAV based on the information relevant to the UAV in response to determining that information relevant to the UAV is included in the analyzed manned aviation data stream.

15. The UAV of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured such that the communication link with the communication network comprises a cellular data communication link.

16. The UAV of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the manned aviation data stream over the same communication link over which one of mission critical communications and payload communications is received.

17. The UAV of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the manned aviation data stream from a network element of the communication network.

18. The UAV of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured such that the manned aviation data stream comprises information from a manned aviation radio system.

19. The UAV of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to change one or more of a flight direction, a flight speed, and an altitude based on the analyzed manned aviation data stream.

20. A method of communicating flight information from an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) to a manned aviation information system, comprising:

establishing a communication link between the UAV and a communication network; and

sending UAV flight information to a network element of the communication network for inclusion in a broadcast by a manned aviation information system.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein sending UAV flight information to a network element of the communication network comprises sending the UAV flight information over the same communication link over which one of mission critical communications and payload communications is transmitted.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein establishing the communication link between the UAV and the communication network comprises providing authentication credentials to verify a permission of the UAV to provide the UAV flight information to the manned aviation information system.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein sending the UAV flight information to a network element of the communication network for inclusion in the broadcast of a manned aviation radio system comprises formatting the UAV flight information into a format usable by the manned aviation radio system.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the UAV flight information includes one or more of location information, altitude information, course information, speed information, and sensor information.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the communication link between the UAV and a communication network comprises a cellular data communication link.

26. A system for communicating flight information from an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) to a manned aviation information system, comprising:

a UAV, comprising;

a radio module;

an avionics module; and

a processor coupled to the radio module and the avionics module and configured with processor-executable instructions to;

establish a communication link between the UAV and a communication network; and

send UAV flight information to a network element of the communication network for inclusion in a broadcast by a manned aviation information system.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor of the UAV is further configured to send the flight information over the same communication link over which one of mission critical communications and payload communications is transmitted.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor of the UAV is further configured to provide authentication credentials to verify a permission of the UAV to provide the UAV flight information to the manned aviation information system.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor of the UAV is further configured to format the UAV flight information into a format usable by the manned aviation information system.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor of the UAV is further configured such that the UAV flight information includes one or more of location information, altitude information, course information, speed information, and sensor information.