Method and system to improve safety concerning drones

• US 9,947,233 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Corp.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Zhi, Dowlatkhah, Sangar, Shaw, Venson
• Primary Examiner(s): SOOFI, YAZAN A
• Application Number:
  US15/207,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20180018881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/00 Type of UAV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• 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 5/006 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: H04B 7/00 Radio transmission systems, i.e. using radiation field H04B10/00, H04B15/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies

Abstract

A method and system for controlling access to restricted sectors in airspace. The method includes creating a multi-dimensional map of airspace, overlaying a sector having boundaries onto the map, wherein the sector contains a restricted flight zone and a buffer zone monitoring the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), sending a command to the UAV if the UAV enters the buffer zone; and generating a response if the UAV does not leave the sector based on the command.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a multi-dimensional map of airspace;

overlaying a sector having first boundaries and second boundaries onto the map, wherein the sector contains a restricted flight zone having the first boundaries and a buffer zone having the second boundaries;

monitoring flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

sending a command to the UAV if the UAV enters the buffer zone; and

generating a response if the UAV does not leave the sector based on the command.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the command is sent to the UAV via a network, and wherein the response comprises a second command to the UAV to override a current flight plan of the UAV.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the response comprises an alarm.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein access to the sector is based at least on one of a time of day, authorization levels, or a number of UAVs in the sector.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and the second boundaries are generated based on events and then transmitted to the UAV.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and the second boundaries are received from a second UAV and transmitted to the UAV.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and the second boundaries move as a function of time.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and the second boundaries move based on movement of events on the ground.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a request from the UAV to enter the sector and transmitting a response to the UAV.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from a second UAV, information associated with the sector, wherein the overlaying is in response to receiving the information.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the response is generated if the UAV does not leave the sector within an interval of time.

10. A system comprising:

an unmanned airborne vehicle (UAV);

a command and control center in communication with the UAV, the command and control center having a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, the memory having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

creating a multi-dimensional map of airspace;

overlaying a sector having first boundaries and second boundaries onto the map, wherein the sector contains a restricted flight zone having the first boundaries and a buffer zone having the second boundaries;

monitoring flight of the UAV;

sending a command to the UAV if the UAV enters the buffer zone; and

generating a response if the UAV does not leave the sector based on the command.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the response comprises a second command to the UAV to override a current flight plan of the UAV.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the response comprises an alarm.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein access to the sector is based at least on one of a time of day, authorization levels, or a number of UAVs in the sector.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the first and the second boundaries are generated based on events and then transmitted to the UAV.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the first and the second boundaries are received from a second UAV and transmitted to the UAV.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the first and the second boundaries move as a function of time.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the first and the second boundaries move based on movement of events on the ground.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the operations further comprise receiving a request from the UAV to enter the sector and transmitting a response to the UAV.