Optimization of communications with UAVS using terrestrial cellular networks

• US 9,537,561 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Patil, Sudhakar Reddy, Kotecha, Lalit R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu X
• Application Number:
  US15/003,271
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/418, 455/419, 455/432.3, 455/436, 455/432.1, 455/428
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/00 Network data management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A UAV gateway may be used to assist in the optimization of communications between a UAV and a cellular wireless network. The UAV may include a steerable, multi-faceted antenna array. In one implementation, the UAV may receive, from the cellular wireless network, network description information, describing the physical state of the cellular wireless network. The network description information may include, for example, locations of base stations near the UAV, transmit power associated with the base stations (or with cells provided by the base stations), and/or the transmit antenna patterns associated with the base stations. The UAV may use this information to optimize its communications with the cellular network.

Claims

1. A gateway device for a wireless network, the gateway device comprising processing circuitry to:

store network description information relating to network connectivity of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to the wireless network, the network description information including;

locations of base stations associated with the wireless network, and

radiation or antenna patterns with which the base stations wirelessly communicate with devices in the wireless network;

receive a request, from a particular UAV, for the network description information, the request including a current location of the UAV;

determine, based on the current location of the UAV, a subset of the network description information as information that applies to base stations in a vicinity of the UAV; and

transmit the subset of the network description information to the UAV.

2. The gateway device of claim 1, wherein the subset of the network description information is determined as information that applies to base stations that are in a flight path of the UAV.

3. The gateway device of claim 1, wherein the current location of the UAV, as received by the gateway, includes an indication of a height of the UAV.

4. The gateway device of claim 1, wherein the network description information additionally includes:

indications of transmit power of the base stations.

5. The gateway device of claim 1, wherein the subset of the network description information is determined as information to enable the particular UAV to adaptively control a multi-faceted antenna of the particular UAV.

6. The gateway device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further to:

determine, based on the network description information, when the particular UAV is expected to lose connection to the wireless network; and

transmit, to the particular UAV, indications of when the particular UAV is expected to lose connection to the wireless network.

7. The gateway device of claim 1, wherein the radiation or antenna patterns are received, by the gateway device, from the base stations.

8. The gateway device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry, when determining the subset of the network description information, is further to:

determine the subset of the network description information as information corresponding to base stations within a predetermined distance of the current location of the UAV.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the network description information, when the particular UAV is expected to lose connection to the wireless network; and

transmitting, to the particular UAV, indications of when the particular UAV is expected to lose connection to the wireless network.

10. A method, implemented by a gateway device for a wireless network, the method comprising:

storing network description information relating to network connectivity of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to the wireless network, the network description information including;

locations of base stations associated with the wireless network, and

radiation or antenna patterns with which the base stations wirelessly communicate with devices in the wireless network;

receiving a request, from a particular UAV, for the network description information, the request including a current location of the UAV;

determining, based on the current location of the UAV, a subset of the network description information as information that applies to base stations in a vicinity of the UAV; and

transmitting the subset of the network description information to the UAV.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the subset of the network description information is determined as information that applies to base stations that are in a flight path of the UAV.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the current location of the UAV, as received by the gateway, includes an indication of the height of the UAV.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the network description information additionally includes:

indications of transmit power of the base stations.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the subset of the network description information is determined as information to enable the particular UAV to adaptively control a multi-faceted antenna of the particular UAV.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the radiation or antenna patterns are received, by the gateway device, from the base stations.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing processing instructions for execution by one or more processors to:

store network description information relating to network connectivity of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to a wireless network, the network description information including;

locations of base stations associated with the wireless network, and

radiation or antenna patterns with which the base stations wirelessly communicate with devices in the wireless network;

receive a request, from a particular UAV, for the network description information, the request including a current location of the UAV;

determine, based on the current location of the UAV, a subset of the network description information as information that applies to base stations in a vicinity of the UAV; and

transmit the subset of the network description information to the UAV.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the subset of the network description information is determined as information that applies to base stations that are in a flight path of the UAV.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the current location of the UAV includes an indication of the height of the UAV.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the network description information additionally includes:

indications of transmit power of the base stations.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the subset of the network description information is determined as information to enable the particular UAV to adaptively control a multi-faceted antenna of the particular UAV.