Mobile unmanned aerial vehicle infrastructure and management system and method

• US 9,481,475 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Alcaiz, Ivan Maza, Campillo, David Esteban, Casado Magaa, Enrique Juan, Scarlatti, David, Benitez, Fernando Caballero, de la Torre, Ricardo Ragel
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US14/696,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20160207637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2- 18, 701/23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/007 Helicopter portable landing pads
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/10 using self-propelled vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/93 for use on a land or nautical vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/95 Means for guiding the landing UAV towards the platform, e.g. lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00

Abstract

A mobile UAV infrastructure and management system for control and management of one or more unmanned aerial vehicles including at least one landing platform to facilitate operational readiness of the unmanned aerial vehicle, radio beacons for localization of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a command and control station in communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle, and an unmanned ground vehicle for deploying the landing platform, the radio beacons and the command and control station.

Claims

1. A mobile UAV infrastructure and management system for control and management of one or more unmanned aerial vehicles, said system comprising:

a plurality of radio beacons defining a control area, wherein said plurality of radio beacons facilitate localization of said unmanned aerial vehicle when said unmanned aerial vehicle is within said control area;

at least one landing platform positioned in said control area, said landing platform facilitating operational readiness of said unmanned aerial vehicle;

a command and control station in communication with said unmanned aerial vehicle for operational control of said unmanned aerial vehicle; and

an unmanned ground vehicle, which is either autonomous or teleoperated, for transport of said landing platform, said plurality of radio beacons and said command and control station to a designated area, and for deployment of said landing platform, said plurality of radio beacons and said command and control station about said designated area.

2. The mobile UAV infrastructure and management system of claim 1 comprising a plurality of landing platforms.

3. The mobile UAV infrastructure and management system of claim 2 wherein, when deployed, each landing platform of said plurality of landing platforms is spaced a distance from the other landing platforms of said plurality of landing platforms, and wherein said distance is based on a minimum distance required for said unmanned aerial vehicle to take-off and land.

4. The mobile UAV infrastructure and management system of claim 2 wherein, when deployed, said plurality of landing platforms define a centroid, and wherein said plurality of radio beacons are equally spaced in an area determined by a circle centered on said centroid and having a horizontal dilution of precision less than 1, with a radius determined by a radio range of said plurality of radio beacons.

5. The mobile UAV infrastructure and management system of claim 4 further comprising a remote communication system for communicating with a remote control center that controls and supervises said deployment of said landing platform, said plurality of radio beacons and said command and control station.

6. The mobile UAV infrastructure and management system of claim 4 wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle is a vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle.

7. A method for deploying the mobile UAV infrastructure and management system of claim 1 comprising:

defining a first area for said deployment of said landing platform, said plurality of radio beacons and said command and control station; and

deploying from said unmanned ground vehicle in said first area said landing platform, said plurality of radio beacons and said command and control station.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising loading onto said unmanned ground vehicle said deployed landing platform, said deployed plurality of radio beacons and said deployed command and control station.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

defining a second area for said deployment of said landing platform, said plurality of radio beacons and said command and control station; and

deploying from said unmanned ground vehicle in said second area said landing platform, said plurality of radio beacons and said command and control station.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising communicating to said unmanned aerial vehicle a location indicative of said second area.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said mobile UAV infrastructure and management system of claim 1 comprises a plurality of landing platforms, and wherein said deploying step comprises maintaining a distance between each landing platform of said plurality of landing platforms that is higher than a safety radius, said safety radius being determined by a minimum distance needed for said unmanned aerial vehicle to take-off and land.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said mobile UAV infrastructure and management system of claim 1 comprises a plurality of landing platforms, and wherein said deploying step comprises:

calculating a centroid of the positions of said deployed plurality of landing platforms having a horizontal dilution of precision less than 1;

calculating a radius of a circle centered on said centroid according to a radio range of said plurality of radio beacons, a required localization accuracy in vicinity of said plurality of landing platforms, and a size of said control area defined by said plurality of radio beacons; and

placing said plurality of radio beacons equally spaced in said circle.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising deploying a remote communication system for communicating with a remote control center that controls and supervises said deployment of said landing platform, said plurality of radio beacons and said command and control station.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said remote communication system comprises an antenna.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein said deployment step is a teleoperated deployment or an autonomous deployment.

16. A method for managing the mobile UAV infrastructure and management system of claim 1, the mobile UAV infrastructure and management system comprising a plurality of landing platforms, said method comprising:

deploying said unmanned aerial vehicle;

determining a position of said unmanned aerial vehicle depending on a distance of said unmanned aerial vehicle from said plurality of landing platforms;

assigning said unmanned aerial vehicle a landing platform of said plurality of landing platforms; and

landing said unmanned aerial vehicle on said assigned landing platform.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said position of said unmanned aerial vehicle is determined using a global positioning system onboard of said unmanned aerial vehicle when said unmanned aerial vehicle is outside of said control area defined by of said plurality of radio beacons.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said position of said unmanned aerial vehicle is determined by switching from said global positioning system to a local positioning system based on said plurality radio beacons when said unmanned aerial vehicle is inside of said control area.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said position of said unmanned aerial vehicle is determined by switching from said local positioning system to a relative localization system based on at least one of a visual marker and an ultrasonic device when said unmanned aerial vehicle is within a predefined proximity of said landing platform.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said assigned landing platform is assigned based on at least one of current position of said unmanned aerial vehicle, current unmanned aerial vehicle traffic and availability of said plurality of landing platforms.