Systems and methods for monitoring unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 9,652,990 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DreamSpaceWorld Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: DreamSpaceWorld Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Rhee, Sung Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US14/754,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20170004714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include devices and methods for monitoring a drone(s). The method includes: receiving information of a drone via a communication unit and displaying the information of the drone on a display panel of a device. The information includes the location of the drone and an icon indicating the location of the drone is displayed on a map rendered on the display panel. The method further includes determining, based on the information, whether the drone poses a danger and, responsive to the danger, issuing a warning of the danger.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a drone by use of a mobile device:

receiving information of a drone via a communication unit of a mobile device on a ground directly from the drone, the information including a location of the drone;

displaying the information of the drone on a display of the mobile device;

based on a distance between the drone and the mobile device, detecting a danger posed by the drone to the mobile device; and

responsive to detection of the danger, issuing a warning of the danger,

wherein the step of displaying information of the drone includes;

rendering a map on the display; and

displaying a first icon indicating the location of the drone and a second icon indicating a location of the mobile device on the map.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying information of the drone includes:

determining a zone on the map; and

displaying the first icon in a preset color when the drone is located in the zone.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining an estimated trajectory and a crash site of the drone; and

displaying the estimated trajectory and crash site on the map.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the warning includes at least one of visual, verbal and mechanical warning signs.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

storing a trajectory of the drone in a data storage of the mobile device; and

replaying the trajectory of the drone using the stored information on the map.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is contained in a signal broadcasted by the drone and includes status information of the drone, further comprising:

determining whether the drone poses the danger based on the status information.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is contained in a signal broadcasted by the drone and includes at least one of identification, flight data, flight condition measured by the drone and images captured by the drone.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of pattern data for monitoring a drone by use of a mobile device on a ground, where execution of the one or more sequences of pattern data by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving information of the drone via a communication unit of the mobile device directly from the drone, the information including a location of the drone;

displaying the information of the drone on a display of the mobile device;

based on a distance between the drone and the mobile device, detecting a danger posed by the drone to the mobile device; and

responsive to detection of the danger, issuing a warning of the danger,

wherein the step of displaying information of the drone includes;

rendering a map on the display; and

displaying a first icon indicating the location of the drone and a second icon indicating a location of the mobile device on the map.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the step of displaying information of the drone includes:

determining a zone on the map; and

displaying the first icon in a preset color when the drone is located in the zone.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the execution of the one or more sequences of pattern data by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the additional steps of:

determining an estimated trajectory and a crash site of the drone; and

displaying the estimated trajectory and crash site on the map.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the warning includes at least one of visual, verbal and mechanical warning signs.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the execution of one or more sequences of pattern data by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the additional steps of:

storing a trajectory of the drone in a data storage of the mobile device; and

replaying the trajectory of the drone using the stored information on the map.

13. A mobile device on a ground for monitoring a drone, comprising:

a communication unit for receiving information of a drone directly from the drone, the information including a location of the drone;

a display for displaying the information of the drone;

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes steps to be performed comprising;

rendering a map on the display;

displaying a first icon indicating the location of the drone and a second icon indicating a location of the mobile device on the map; and

responsive to detection of a danger posed by the drone to the mobile device, issuing a warning of the danger, the detection of the danger being based on a distance between the drone and the mobile device.

14. A mobile device as recited in claim 13, wherein the display is configured to display a zone on the map and the first icon in a preset color when the drone is located in the zone.

15. A mobile device as recited in claim 13, wherein the steps further comprise:

determining an estimated trajectory and a crash site of the drone; and

displaying the estimated trajectory and crash site on the map.

16. A mobile device as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a data storage for storing a trajectory of the drone, wherein the mobile device is configured to replay the trajectory using the stored trajectory on the map.

17. A mobile device as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

at least one of a speaker and a vibrator for providing the warning sign.