Unmanned aerial vehicle navigation

• US 10,049,587 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Kalathil, Rakesh, Raghupathy, Vishnusudhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US15/200,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20180005535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 701516, 701216, 701200
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• 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: G01S 1/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7038 Signal details
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• 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 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0466 the resource being a scrambling code

Abstract

System and techniques for unmanned aerial vehicle navigation are described herein. A plurality of transmission beams may be established. Here, each beam in the plurality of transmission beams is a focused photonic propagation directed to a fixed geographic area and a travel route intersects the fixed geographic areas of the plurality of transmission beams. Cell entry may be received for a vehicle transceiver entering a geographic area for a transmission beam in the plurality of beams. Scrambling codes corresponding to the plurality of transmission beams may be provided to the vehicle. A course parameter, decodable by a scrambling code of the scrambling codes, may be transmitted to the vehicle via the plurality of transmission beams.

Claims

1. A system for unmanned aerial vehicle navigation, the system comprising an eNodeB including:

a transceiver to establish a plurality of transmission beams, each beam in the plurality of transmission beams comprising a focused photonic propagation directed to a fixed geographic area, a travel route intersecting the fixed geographic areas of the plurality of transmission beams;

a decoder to receive cell entry for a vehicle transceiver entering a geographic area for a transmission beam in the plurality of beams; and

an encoder to;

provide scrambling codes corresponding to the plurality of transmission beams to the vehicle; and

transmit a course parameter to the vehicle via the plurality of transmission beams, wherein the course parameter is at least one of a heading, a velocity, or an altitude that, when followed a vehicle with the vehicle transceiver, define a virtual highway for the travel route without foreknowledge by the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the scrambling codes are a single scrambling code that is the same for all beams participating in the travel route across all cells.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a second plurality of beams established by the transceiver define a second virtual highway for a second travel route.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second plurality of beams have second scrambling codes corresponding to the second virtual highway.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each beam in the plurality of transmission beams includes a corresponding fixed course parameter, a fixed course parameter being the same without regard to a position of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a second vehicle is sent the same fixed course parameter that is transmitted to the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the fixed course parameter is encoded in a navigation reference signal (NRS), the NRS being different than other NRS for other beams in the plurality of beams.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the eNodeB is to transition the vehicle into an idle mode after providing the scrambling codes.

9. A method for unmanned aerial vehicle navigation, the method comprising:

establishing a plurality of transmission beams, each beam in the plurality of transmission beams comprising a focused photonic propagation directed to a fixed geographic area, a travel route intersecting the fixed geographic areas of the plurality of transmission beams;

receiving cell entry for a vehicle transceiver entering a geographic area for a transmission beam in the plurality of beams;

providing scrambling codes corresponding to the plurality of transmission beams to the vehicle; and

transmitting a course parameter to the vehicle via the plurality of transmission beams, wherein the course parameter is at least one of a heading, a velocity, or an altitude that, when followed a vehicle with the vehicle transceiver, define a virtual highway for the travel route without foreknowledge by the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the scrambling codes are a single scrambling code that is the same for all beams participating in the travel route across all cells.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a second plurality of beams established by the transceiver define a second virtual highway for a second travel route.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second plurality of beams have second scrambling codes corresponding to the second virtual highway.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein each beam in the plurality of transmission beams includes a corresponding fixed course parameter, a fixed course parameter being the same without regard to a position of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a second vehicle is sent the same fixed course parameter that is transmitted to the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the fixed course parameter is encoded in a navigation reference signal (NRS), the NRS being different than other NRS for other beams in the plurality of beams.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising transitioning the vehicle into an idle mode after providing the scrambling codes.

17. At least one non-transitory machine readable medium including instructions for unmanned aerial vehicle navigation, the instructions, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

establish a plurality of transmission beams, each beam in the plurality of transmission beams comprising a focused photonic propagation directed to a fixed geographic area, a travel route intersecting the fixed geographic areas of the plurality of transmission beams;

receive cell entry for a vehicle transceiver entering a geographic area for a transmission beam in the plurality of beams;

provide scrambling codes corresponding to the plurality of transmission beams to the vehicle; and

transmitting a course parameter to the vehicle via the plurality of transmission beams, wherein the course parameter is at least one of a heading, a velocity, or an altitude that, when followed a vehicle with the vehicle transceiver, define a virtual highway for the travel route without foreknowledge by the vehicle.

18. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the scrambling codes are a single scrambling code that is the same for all beams participating in the travel route across all cells.

19. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein a second plurality of beams established by the transceiver define a second virtual highway for a second travel route.

20. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein second plurality of beams have second scrambling codes corresponding to the second virtual highway.

21. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein each beam in the plurality of transmission beams includes a corresponding fixed course parameter, a fixed course parameter being the same without regard to a position of the vehicle.

22. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein a second vehicle is sent the same fixed course parameter that is transmitted to the vehicle.

23. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein the fixed course parameter is encoded in a navigation reference signal (NRS), the NRS being different than other NRS for other beams in the plurality of beams.

24. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions cause the machine to transition the vehicle into an idle mode after providing the scrambling codes.