Ground terminal and UAV beam pointing in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for network access
First Claim
1. A communications system for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) apparatus, the communications system comprising:
- the UAV apparatus configured to generate and steer one or more UAV beams toward a ground location;
a ground terminal apparatus configured to generate and steer one or more ground terminal beams; and
wherein the ground terminal apparatus further comprises logic configured to;
receive real-time position coordinates associated with the UAV apparatus;
define a current bin and a plurality of search bins based on the real-time position coordinates;
measure at least one signal quality corresponding to at least one bin of the plurality of search bins and a current signal quality of the current bin; and
when the at least one signal quality is higher than the current signal quality, redefine the at least one bin as the current bin.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for detecting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Network access (for example, to the Internet) may be provided by detecting a UAV and fixing one or more beams from one or more ground terminals to the UAV. In one embodiment, the detection of a UAV includes forming and pointing beams from a ground terminal and ground gateways toward the UAV. The ground terminal may be configured to autonomously steer its antenna beam during initial installation to detect the reference signal from a UAV. In one variant, the ground terminals are steered to more finely track the position of the UAV based on a signal quality metric such as received signal strength and the UAV real-time position location coordinates. In one embodiment, the ground terminal antenna is initially manually pointed toward the UAV, and thereafter allowed to automatically steer to track the position of the UAV. In another embodiment the UAV antenna is steered toward a ground terminal using signal quality received from the ground terminal and real-time position coordinates and orientation of the UAV.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A communications system for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) apparatus, the communications system comprising:
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the UAV apparatus configured to generate and steer one or more UAV beams toward a ground location; a ground terminal apparatus configured to generate and steer one or more ground terminal beams; and wherein the ground terminal apparatus further comprises logic configured to; receive real-time position coordinates associated with the UAV apparatus; define a current bin and a plurality of search bins based on the real-time position coordinates; measure at least one signal quality corresponding to at least one bin of the plurality of search bins and a current signal quality of the current bin; and when the at least one signal quality is higher than the current signal quality, redefine the at least one bin as the current bin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A communications system for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) apparatus, the communications system comprising:
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the UAV apparatus configured to generate and steer one or more UAV beams toward a ground location; a ground terminal configured to generate and steer one or more ground terminal beams; and wherein the UAV apparatus further comprises; an on-board positioning and orientation sub-system configured to determine real-time position coordinates and an orientation of the UAV apparatus; logic configured to acquire position coordinates of the ground terminal; and wherein the one or more UAV beams are steered toward the position coordinates of the ground terminal based on the determined real-time position coordinates and the orientation of the UAV apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) apparatus, the method comprising:
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generating one or more terminal antenna beams; receiving real-time position coordinates associated with the UAV apparatus; pointing the one or more terminal antenna beams terminal antenna beam toward the UAV position; and continuously monitoring a signal quality by; defining a plurality of search bins around a current position; measuring the signal quality for each of the plurality of search bins; and when the measured signal quality of a searched bin exceeds a current signal quality of the current position, set the searched bin to the current bin. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of detecting a ground terminal with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) apparatus, the method comprising:
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determining a location and orientation of the UAV apparatus; identifying a coarse location bin of the ground terminal, the identifying comprising; pointing a UAV antenna toward an estimated location of the ground terminal based on the determined location and orientation of the UAV apparatus; defining a first plurality of search bins proximate to the estimated location; continuously measuring a signal quality metric at each of the first plurality of search bins; and thereafter continuously fine tracking the ground terminal by tracking a particular bin of the first plurality of search bins having the highest measured signal quality metric. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification