Management of drone operations and security in a pervasive computing environment

• US 9,292,705 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2015
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lens Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: Lens Ventures LLC
• Inventors: Lemmey, Tara, Vonog, Stanislav
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US14/629,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20150242972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 using redundant signals or controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A method to provide negotiation control to data such that a person or entity can negotiate the use of data gathered beyond what is needed for a particular use by a third party transaction. The method also provides negotiation for the control and operation of autonomous vehicles such as drones operating in non-public space.

Claims

1. A method for regulating the use of a given site by programmable drones concerning drone conduct within comprising:

establishing, by a geo-fence server, outer site boundaries with a geo-fence, the outer site boundaries established by the geo-fence limited to an area less-than the area covered by the wireless communication range of the geo-fence server;

receiving, by the geo-fence server, a wireless, two-way, communicative link with a programmable drone at the outer site boundary, the programmable drone configured to transmit data via the communicative link, the data including programming of the programmable drone as relating to the area within the outer site boundaries;

negotiating, by the geo-fence server with the programmable drone via the communicative link, site use restrictions for the programmable drone, wherein said negotiating comprises a dual participation investigation and response process to permit the programmable drone site access and use according to a set of configured parameters based upon results of the investigation and response process; and

issuing, by the geo-fence server, a permitted access and use verdict as a result of the negotiation to the programmable drone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configured parameters include one or more of the following:

preference over ownership of the programmable drone, preference over activities the programmable drone intends to conduct within the site, preference of the programmable drone'"'"'s route in and out of the site, or preference over disposition of data collected by the programmable drone within the site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the permitted access and use verdict includes one or more of the following:

directing the programmable drone to avoid all ingress or egress with the site, directing the programmable drone to transfer funds to conduct intended activities within the site, directing the programmable drone to only travel in a specified section of the site, or direct the programmable drone to handle data collected with the site in a specified manner.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

submitting unresolved negotiations to a user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

issuing orders to perform remedial actions if the programmable drone does not follow permitted access and use verdict as directed.

6. A method for directing a programmable drone comprising:

directing, via programmable logic, a programmable drone to a predetermined target action;

encountering, by the programmable drone, a foreign zone or object which interferes with the predetermined target action of the programmable drone, wherein the foreign zone or object includes a wireless communication interface and the foreign zone or object is responsive to a two-way communicative link;

transmitting, by the programmable drone, programming of the programmable drone as relating to the foreign zone or object, to the foreign zone or object via the two-way communicative link;

negotiating, by the programmable drone with the foreign zone or object via the communicative link, responsive action for the programmable drone, wherein said negotiating comprises a dual participation investigation and response process with the foreign zone or object according to a set of configured parameters and including transmitting; and

modifying, via the programmable logic, the conduct of target action based upon the results of said negotiating.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the configured parameters includes one or more of the following:

preference over cost of conducting target action as originally programmed, preference over time to complete target action, preference of cost to amend original programming to complete an amended target action, or preference over ownership of foreign zone or object.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the modification of the conduct to the target action includes one or more of the following:

routing programmable drone trajectory to an acceptable path, transferring funds to a specified entity, handling collected data in a specified manner, or abandoning target action.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

submitting unresolved negotiations to a user.

10. A system for programmable drone management comprising:

a programmable drone including a two-way wireless communicative transceiver;

a site with an outer boundary established by a geo-fence and supported by a site server including a wireless communication transceiver, the outer site boundaries limited to an area less-than the area covered by the wireless communication range of the site server;

a negotiation interface module, wherein the negotiation interface module enables the programmable drone and the site server to initiate a dual participation investigation and response process upon the programmable drone reaching the outer boundary of the site to reconcile the purpose of the programmable drone with respect to the area within the outer boundary of the site, investigation and response includes transmitting programming of the programmable drone as relating to the site, to the site server, and using configured parameters for the programmable drone and the site; and

a remediation module, wherein the remediation module enables the programmable drone and the site to execute the results of the reconciliation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the reconciliation using configured parameters includes assessing the comparative worth of one or more of the following values:

ownership of drone or site, location of site, cost of action of the drone or site, data that would be collected at the site, or handling of data collected at site.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the remediation module further submits unresolved negotiations to a user.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the remediation module directs the programmable drone to transfer funds to a specified account before executing the purpose of the programmable drone with respect to the area within the outer boundary of the site.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the remediation module directs the programmable drone to travel in a specified route in the site.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the remediation module directs the programmable drone to dispose of data collected in the site in a specified manner.

16. A system for programmable drone management comprising:

a first programmable drone including a two-way wireless communicative transceiver;

a second programmable drone including a two-way wireless communicative transceiver;

a negotiation interface module instantiated in each programmable drone, wherein the negotiation interface module enables the first and second programmable drones to transmit data that facilitates an investigation and response process upon the drones establishing a communicative proximity with one another to reconcile the target actions of each programmable drone using configured parameters for the programmable drones, transmitted data including at least a portion of each drone'"'"'s programming; and

a remediation module, wherein the remediation module enables the programmable drones to execute the results of the reconciliation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the reconciliation using configured parameters includes assessing the comparative version history of the programming of the first and second programmable drones and the remediation module directs the programmable drone with the most current programming to transmit said programming to the programmable drone with older programming.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the remediation module directs the programmable drone with the most current programming to transmit said programming to the programmable drone with older programming.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the reconciliation using configured parameters includes determining if the first and second programmable drones have conflicting target actions and assessing the comparative importance of the target action of each programmable drone.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the remediation module directs the programmable drone with the target action determined to be of lesser importance to cede right of way to the programmable drone with the target action of greater importance.