Configurability options for information, airspace, and property utilized by an unmanned aerial vehicle platform

• US 9,311,820 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• 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, Srivastava, Ashok N., Pasko, Douglas M., Kantor, Igor, Ubhi, Gurpreet
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US14/282,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20150339933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/00 Traffic control systems for aircraft , e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0004 Transmission of traffic-related information to or from an aircraft airborne radio transmission systems in general H04B7/185; airborne wireless networks H04W84/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/003 Flight plan management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification 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: 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 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• 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 aviation information associated with aviation in a geographical region, and receives configurability options associated with the aviation information. The device analyzes the aviation information based on the configurability options to generate analyzed information, and receives a request for a flight path for a UAV to travel from a first location to a second location in the geographical region. The device calculates the flight path from the first location to the second location based on the analyzed information and capability information associated with the UAV, and generates flight path instructions for the flight path. The device provides the flight path instructions to the UAV to permit the UAV to travel from the first location to the second location via the flight path.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, aviation information associated with aviation in a geographical region;

receiving, by the device, configurability options associated with the aviation information;

analyzing, by the device, the aviation information based on the configurability options to generate analyzed information,

the configurability options indicating that the aviation information is to be shared with users of the device and is to be utilized to calculate a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle;

causing, by the device and based on the configurability options, one or more sources of the aviation information to be monetarily compensated for providing the aviation information;

receiving, by the device, a request for the flight path for the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from a first geographical location to a second geographical location in the geographical region;

calculating, by the device, the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the analyzed information and capability information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle;

generating, by the device, flight path instructions for the flight path; and

providing, by the device, the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path.

2. The method of claim 1, where the configurability options include:

configurability options associated with airspace or property utilized by flight paths of unmanned aerial vehicles.

3. The method of claim 1, where analyzing the aviation information comprises:

identifying the aviation information that satisfies the configurability options; and

generating the analyzed information based on the aviation information that satisfies the configurability options.

4. The method of claim 1, where receiving the configurability options comprises:

generating a user interface that includes;

information associated with configurability options for sharing the aviation information with users of the device, and

information associated with configurability options for utilizing the aviation information to calculate flight paths for unmanned aerial vehicles; and

receiving the configurability options associated with the aviation information via the user interface.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing the user interface to a plurality of user devices associated with the aviation information; and

receiving the configurability options from the user devices, via the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying particular aviation information, of the aviation information, that violates the configurability options; and

excluding the particular aviation information that violates the configurability options from the analyzed information.

7. The method of claim 1, where the flight path relates to delivery of a package.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more devices to;

receive aviation information associated with aviation in a geographical region;

receive configurability options associated with the aviation information;

analyze the aviation information based on the configurability options to generate analyzed information,

the configurability options indicating that the aviation information is to be shared with other users and is to be utilized to calculate a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle;

cause, based on the configurability options, one or more sources of the aviation information to be monetarily compensated for providing the aviation information;

receive a request for the flight path for the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from a first geographical location to a second geographical location in the geographical region;

calculate the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the analyzed information and capability information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle;

generate flight path instructions for the flight path; and

provide the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path.

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

receive a change to the configurability options while the unmanned aerial vehicle is traversing the flight path;

calculate a modified flight path based on the change to the configurability options;

generate modified flight path instructions for the modified flight path; and

provide the modified flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel to the second geographical location via the modified flight path.

10. The system of claim 8, where the configurability options include:

configurability options associated with airspace or property utilized by flight paths of unmanned aerial vehicles.

11. The system of claim 8, where, when analyzing the aviation information comprises, the one or more devices are to:

identify the aviation information that satisfies the configurability options; and

generate the analyzed information based on the aviation information that satisfies the configurability options.

12. The system of claim 8, where, when receiving the configurability options, the one or more devices are to:

generate a user interface that includes;

information associated with configurability options for sharing the aviation information with users of the device, and

information associated with configurability options for utilizing the aviation information to calculate flight paths for unmanned aerial vehicles; and

receive the configurability options associated with the aviation information via the user interface.

13. The system of claim 12, where the one or more devices are further to:

provide the user interface to a plurality of user devices associated with the aviation information; and

receive the configurability options from the user devices, via the user interface.

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

identify particular aviation information, of the aviation information, that violates the configurability options; and

exclude the particular aviation information that violates the configurability options from the analyzed information.

15. A non-transitory 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 aviation information associated with aviation in a geographical region;

receive configurability options associated with the aviation information;

analyze the aviation information based on the configurability options to generate analyzed information,

the configurability options indicating that the aviation information is to be shared with other users and is to be utilized to calculate a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle;

store the analyzed information;

cause, based on the configurability options, one or more sources of the aviation information to be monetarily compensated for providing the aviation information;

receive a request for the flight path for the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from a first geographical location to a second geographical location in the geographical region;

calculate the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the analyzed information and capability information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle;

generate flight path instructions for the flight path; and

provide the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path.

16. The non-transitory 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;

receive a change to the configurability options while the unmanned aerial vehicle is traversing the flight path;

calculate a modified flight path based on the change to the configurability options;

generate modified flight path instructions for the modified flight path; and

provide the modified flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel to the second geographical location via the modified flight path.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the configurability options include:

configurability options associated with airspace or property utilized for flight paths of unmanned aerial vehicles.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the instructions to analyze the aviation information comprise:

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

identify the aviation information that satisfies the configurability options; and

generate the analyzed information based on the aviation information that satisfies the configurability options.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, where the instructions to receive the configurability options comprise:

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

generate a user interface that includes;

information associated with configurability options for sharing the aviation information with users of the device, and

information associated with configurability options for utilizing the aviation information to calculate flight paths for unmanned aerial vehicles; and

receive the configurability options associated with the aviation information via the user interface.

20. The non-transitory 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;

identify particular aviation information, of the aviation information, that violates the configurability options; and

exclude the particular aviation information that violates the configurability options from the analyzed information.