Utilization of third party networks and third party unmanned aerial vehicle platforms

• US 9,881,021 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Pasko, Douglas M., Srivastava, Ashok N., Batla, Hani, Kantor, Igor, Ubhi, Gurpreet
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US14/282,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20160300492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2, 701 3, 701 36, 370328, 370331
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface

Abstract

A device receives a request for a flight path, for a UAV, from a first location to a second location, and calculates the flight path based on the request. The device determines network requirements for the flight path based on the request, and selects a network based on the network requirements. The device generates flight path instructions, and device provides the flight path instructions to the UAV to permit the UAV to travel from the first location to the second location via the flight path. The device receives, at a particular point of the flight path, an indication that the UAV is leaving a coverage area of the network and entering a coverage area of a third party network, and hands off the UAV to a third party device to permit the third party device to monitor traversal of the flight path by the UAV, via the third party network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a platform device, a request for a flight path, for an unmanned aerial vehicle to travel, from a first geographical location to a second geographical location;

calculating, by the platform device, the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the request for the flight path;

determining, by the platform device, network requirements that enable the platform device to communicate with the unmanned aerial vehicle, during traversal of the flight path by the unmanned aerial vehicle, based on the request for the flight path;

selecting, by the platform device, a network based on the network requirements;

causing, by the platform device, a connection with the unmanned aerial vehicle and the network to be established;

generating, by the platform device and based on causing the connection with the unmanned aerial vehicle and the network to be established, flight path instructions instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to traverse the flight path,

the flight path instructions identifying the network;

providing, by the platform device and via the network, the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path;

receiving, by the platform device and at a particular point of the flight path, an indication that the unmanned aerial vehicle is leaving a first coverage area associated with the network and entering a second coverage area associated with another network; and

handing off, by the platform device and based on receiving the indication, control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to another device, associated with the other network, to permit the other device to control the unmanned aerial vehicle via the other network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the unmanned aerial vehicle, information associated with the flight path, via the other network and the other device, after handing off control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the other device.

3. The method of claim 1,

further comprising

providing the flight path instructions to the other device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information associated with the flight path from the other device while the unmanned aerial vehicle is being controlled by the other device.

5. The method of claim 1, where:

the network and the platform device are associated with a first entity, and

the other network and the other device are associated with a second entity,

the second entity being different than the first entity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the connection to be terminated after control of the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the other device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover until control of the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the other device.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more platform devices to;

receive a request for a flight path, for an unmanned aerial vehicle to travel, from a first geographical location to a second geographical location;

calculate the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the request for the flight path;

determine network requirements that enable a platform device, of the one or more platform devices, to communicate with the unmanned aerial vehicle, during traversal of the flight path by the unmanned aerial vehicle, based on the request for the flight path;

select a network based on the network requirements;

cause a connection with the unmanned aerial vehicle and the network to be established;

generate based on causing the connection with the unmanned aerial vehicle and the network to be established, flight path instructions instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to traverse the flight path;

provide, via the network, the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path;

receive, at a particular point of the flight path, an indication that the unmanned aerial vehicle is leaving a first coverage area associated with the network and entering a second coverage area associated with another network; and

hand off, based on receiving the indication, control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to another system, associated with the other network, to permit the other system to control the unmanned aerial vehicle via the other network.

9. The system of claim 8, where the one or more platform devices are further to:

receive, from the unmanned aerial vehicle, information associated with the flight path, via the other network and the other system, after handing off control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the other system.

10. The system of claim 8, where the one or more platform devices are further to:

authenticate the other system; and

where, when handing off control of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the one or more platform devices are to;

hand off control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the other system, associated with the other network, based on authenticating the other system.

11. The system of claim 8, where the one or more platform devices are further to:

provide the flight path instructions to the other system after control of the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the other system; and

receive information associated with the flight path from the other system, after control of the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the other system.

12. The system of claim 8, where:

the network and the system are associated with a first entity, and

the other network and the other system are associated with a second entity,

the second entity being different than the first entity.

13. The system of claim 8, where the one or more platform devices are further to:

cause the connection to be terminated after control of the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the other system.

14. The system of claim 8, where the one or more platform devices are further to:

receive, from the other system, arrival information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle when the unmanned aerial vehicle arrives at the second geographical location.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a platform device, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a request for a flight path, for an unmanned aerial vehicle to travel, from a first geographical location to a second geographical location;

calculate the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the request for the flight path;

determine network requirements that enable the platform device to communicate with the unmanned aerial vehicle, during traversal of the flight path by the unmanned aerial vehicle, based on the request for the flight path;

select a network based on the network requirements;

cause a connection with the unmanned aerial vehicle and the network to be established;

generate, based on causing the connection with the unmanned aerial vehicle and the network to be established, flight path instructions instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to traverse the flight path;

the flight path instructions identifying the network;

provide, via the network, the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path;

receive, at a particular point of the flight path, an indication that the unmanned aerial vehicle is leaving a first coverage area associated with the network and entering a second coverage area associated with another network; and

hand off, based on receiving the indication, control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to another device, associated with the other network, to permit the other device to control the unmanned aerial vehicle via the other network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from the unmanned aerial vehicle, information associated with the flight path, via the other network and the other device, after handing off control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the other device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions,

when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

provide the flight path instructions to the other device; and

receive information associated with the flight path from the other device while the unmanned aerial vehicle is being controlled by the other device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from the other device, arrival information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle when the unmanned aerial vehicle arrives at the second geographical location.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

cause the connection to be terminated after control of the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the other device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover until control of the unmanned aerial vehicle is handed off to the other device.