Airspace activity tracking using unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 9,858,822 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2017
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gentry, Nicholas Kristofer
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M
• Application Number:
  US15/478,075
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• 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: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to an automated unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) self-identification system, devices, and techniques pertaining to the automated identification of individual UAVs operating within an airspace via a mesh communication network, individual UAVs and a central authority representing nodes of the mesh network. The system may detect nearby UAVs present within a UAV'"'"'s airspace. Nearby UAVs may self-identify or be identified via correlation with one or more features detected by the UAV. The UAV may validate identifying information using a dynamic validation policy. Data collected by the UAV may be stored in a local mesh database and distributed to individual nodes of the mesh network and merged into a common central mesh database for distribution to individual nodes of the mesh network. UAVs on the mesh network utilize local and central mesh database information for self-identification and to maintain a dynamic flight plan.

Claims

1. A first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more sensors to capture signals providing a representation of an airspace at least partially surrounding the first UAV; and

memory to store computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform acts including;

detecting, from signals generated from the one or more sensors, a second UAV at a location in the airspace at least partially surrounding the first UAV;

determining an identifier associated with the second UAV;

sending, to at least one of another UAV or a central authority, a notification that includes at least the identifier and the location of the second UAV to update a mesh network that tracks aircraft in at least the airspace; and

receiving data associated with the mesh network, the data indicating at least a different location of a third UAV in the airspace.

2. The first UAV of claim 1, wherein the acts further comprise:

determining whether the second UAV is authorized to operate in the airspace based at least in part on the identifier associated with the second UAV; and

indicating, in the mesh network, an authorization status of the second UAV based on whether the second UAV is authorized to operate in the airspace.

3. The first UAV of claim 1, wherein the mesh network includes nodes that represent at least one of other aircraft or obstacles in the airspace, and wherein the acts further comprise:

determining a likelihood of physical interaction between the first UAV and individual objects associated with the nodes of the mesh network based at least in part on the data associated with the mesh network; and

generating a flight plan based at least in part on the mesh network to avoid physical interaction between the first UAV and the individual objects associated with the nodes of the mesh network.

4. The first UAV of claim 1, wherein the mesh network include past location data for at least one of the second UAV and the third UAV, and wherein the acts further comprise:

estimating a future flight path for at least one of the second UAV or the third UAV based at least in part on the past location data; and

representing the future flight path in the mesh network.

5. The first UAV of claim 1, wherein the mesh network includes an indication that the third UAV is an unverified UAV that is unassociated with a recognized identifier;

and wherein the acts further comprise representing the second UAV as verified and the third UAV as unverified in the mesh network.

6. The first UAV of claim 1, wherein the acts further comprise updating the mesh network to include representations for at least the first UAV, the second UAV, and the third UAV and corresponding location information prior to transmitting the mesh network to a fourth UAV or to the central authority.

7. A method comprising:

detecting, from signals generated from sensors onboard a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a second UAV at a location in an airspace at least partially surrounding the first UAV;

determining an identifier associated with the second UAV;

populating a mesh network with at least the identifier and the location of the second UAV, the mesh network to track aircraft in at least the airspace;

transmitting, to at least one other UAV, a notification that includes at least the identifier and the location of the second UAV.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, from a third UAV, location information of a fourth UAV in the airspace; and

populating the mesh network to include information associated with a presence of the third UAV, the fourth UAV, or both in the airspace.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

populating the mesh network with information associated with the first UAV; and

transmitting the mesh network to a central authority.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining whether the second UAV is authorized to operate in the airspace based at least in part on the identifier associated with the second UAV.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the mesh network includes nodes that represent at least one of other aircraft or obstacles, and wherein the acts further comprise generating a flight plan associated with the first UAV to reduce a likelihood of physical interaction between the first UAV and individual objects associated with the nodes of the mesh network.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the mesh network includes past location data for the second UAV, and further comprising:

estimating a future flight path for the second UAV based at least in part on the past location data; and

representing the future flight path for the second UAV and a known flight path of the first UAV in the mesh network.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising validating at least the identifier of the second UAV using a verification policy.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining the second UAV terminates flight, and

updating the mesh network to at least one of remove the second UAV from the mesh network or depict the second UAV as stationary.

15. A flight management system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory to store computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

receiving, from a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), i) location information associated with a second UAV at a second location in an airspace at least partially surrounding the first UAV and ii) a second identifier associated with the second UAV; and

transmitting, to at least a third UAV, a notification that includes at least some data from a mesh network that tracks aircraft in the airspace, the notification including at least i) a first identifier of the first UAV and a first location of the first UAV and ii) the second identifier of the second UAV and the second location of the second UAV.

16. The flight management system of claim 15, wherein the acts further comprise validating at least the second identifier of the second UAV using a verification policy to determine at least one of a flight plan of the second UAV or an authorization of the second UAV to operate in the airspace.

17. The flight management system of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a flight plan of at least the first UAV; and

updating the mesh network to include at least a flight plan of the first UAV.

18. The flight management system of claim 15, further comprising designating, via the mesh network, at least the first UAV as authorized to operate in the airspace based at least in part on the first identifier of the first UAV.

19. The flight management system of claim 15, further comprising determining a first predicted flight path of the first UAV and second predicted flight path of the second UAV based at least in part on the first location and the second location, and including the predicted flight path in the notification transmitted to the third UAV.

20. The flight management system of claim 15, wherein the acts further comprise updating the mesh network to remove a node in response to at least one of:

detecting that the first UAV or the second UAV lands;

or

detecting that the second UAV travels outside of the airspace at least partially surrounding the first UAV or outside of other airspace surrounding other UAVs that contribute to the mesh network.