Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) compliance using standard protocol requirements and components to enable identifying and controlling rogue UAVS

• US 10,710,710 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Price, Cecelia Anabel-Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): Kong, Sze-Hon
• Application Number:
  US15/336,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20180120829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes: receiving, by a computer device, UAV data from a UAV; displaying, by the computer device, a representation of the UAV on a map based on the UAV data; receiving, by the computer device, a user input to control the UAV; and transmitting, by the computer device, an authenticated control signal to the UAV based on the received user input, wherein the control signal is configured to override control of the UAV from a UAV remote controller associated with the UAV.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

receiving, by a computer device, UAV data from a UAV;

displaying, by the computer device, a representation of the UAV on a map based on the UAV data;

receiving, by the computer device, a user input to control the UAV; and

transmitting, by the computer device, an authenticated control signal to the UAV based on the received user input, wherein the control signal is configured to enable a user to override control of the UAV from a UAV remote controller associated with the UAV based on determining that the UAV is in an unauthorized area, wherein the user is a third-party user different than a user operating the UAV remote control;

removing the UAV from the unauthorized area using the override control of the control signal; and

landing the UAV at a Global Positioning System (GPS) location specified by the third party user;

wherein the UAV data comprises;

a Drone Identification Number (DIN) that is unique to the UAV, wherein the DIN is a unique addressable identifier by which the computer device addresses and directs messages to the UAV via SMS-PP transmission;

a current GPS location of the UAV; and

a current altitude of the UAV,

wherein the computer device comprises a Drone Monitor And Command Transmitter (DMACT),

wherein the DMACT is configured to provide a toggle between the map with a satellite earth view background, which displays the UAV located relative to places on the ground, and the map without the satellite earth view background,

wherein the toggle is comprised of a toggle button located on a user interface that displays the map,

wherein the user interface further includes a monitoring center button configured to provide a window on the user interface when tapped by the user to set a monitoring center location for monitoring the current GPS location of the UAV by displaying the current GPS location of the UAV in terms of a radius from the monitoring center location,

wherein the DMACT is configured to provide a default monitoring center location based on the current GPS coordinates of where the DMACT is currently located, and

wherein the window is configured for the user to change the monitoring center location to a location different than the default monitoring center location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed representation of the UAV includes the DIN of the UAV, the current GPS location of the UAV, and the current altitude of the UAV, and wherein the DMACT is a handheld device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displayed representation of the UAV includes an indication of a direction of flight of the UAV and an indication of a speed of flight of the UAV.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the displayed representation of the UAV includes a line with an arrowhead displayed on the map;

the arrowhead points in a direction of flight of the UAV;

a length of the line indicates a relative flying speed of the UAV; and

the DIN of the UAV, the current GPS location of the UAV, and the current altitude of the UAV are each displayed on the map as respective alpha-numeric characters adjacent to the line and the arrowhead.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the UAV data is received at a first communication frequency;

the control signal is transmitted at a second communication frequency different from the first communication frequency; and

wherein the GPS location specified by the user is a takeoff location of the UAV.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first communication frequency and the second communication frequency are reserved frequencies.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the UAV data is received via Short Message Service-Cell Broadcast (SMS-CB) protocol; and

the control signal is transmitted via Short Message Service-Point to Point (SMS-PP) protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying plural selectable objects in a user interface that displays the map, wherein the user input is a selection of one of the plural selectable objects, wherein the plural selectable objects include:

a first button, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to land in its current location in response to the user input being a selection of the first button;

a second button, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to hover at its current location and altitude for a specified time and land after the hovering in response to the user input being a selection of the second button;

a third button, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to land at a location from which the UAV previously took off in response to the user input being a selection of the third button; and

a fourth button, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to land at a user-specified location in response to the user input being a selection of the fourth button.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to land in its current location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to hover at its current location and altitude for a specified time and land after the hovering, and the computer device permits a user to adjust the specified time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to land at a location from which the UAV previously took off.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to land at a user-specified location.

13. A computer program product for controlling unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to:

receive UAV data from plural UAVs;

display representations of the plural UAVs on a map of a user interface;

receive a user selection of one of the representations of the plural UAVs on the map, the user selection defining a selected UAV that is one of the plural UAVs;

receive a user input to control the selected UAV; and

transmit a control signal that is authenticated by a digital signature to the selected UAV based on the received user input, wherein the control signal is configured to enable a user to override control of the selected UAV from a UAV remote controller associated with the selected UAV based on determining that the UAV is in an unauthorized area, wherein the user is a third-party user different than a user operating the UAV remote control;

remove the UAV from the unauthorized area using the override control of the control signal; and

land the UAV at a Global Positioning System (GPS) location specified by the third party user;

wherein the UAV data is received at a first communication frequency; and

the control signal is transmitted at a second communication frequency different from the first communication frequency,

wherein the computing device comprises a Drone Monitor And Command Transmitter (DMACT),

wherein the DMACT is configured to provide a toggle between the map with a satellite earth view background, which displays the UAVs located relative to places on the ground, and the map without the satellite earth view background,

wherein the toggle is comprised of a toggle button located on a user interface that displays the map,

wherein the user interface further includes a monitoring center button configured to provide a window on the user interface when tapped by the user to set a monitoring center location for monitoring the current GPS locations of the UAVs by displaying the current GPS locations of the UAVs in terms of radii from the monitoring center location,

wherein the DMACT is configured to provide a default monitoring center location based on the current GPS coordinates of where the DMACT is currently located, and

wherein the window is configured for the user to change the monitoring center location to a location different than the default monitoring center location.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the UAV data for a respective one of the plural UAVs comprises:

a Drone Identification Number (DIN) that is unique to the respective one of the plural UAVs, the DIN being a unique addressable identifier by which the computer device addresses and directs messages to the respective one of the plural UAV via SMS-PP transmission;

a current GPS location of the respective one of the plural UAVs; and

a current altitude of the respective one of the plural UAVs.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein:

the UAV data is received via Short Message Service-Cell Broadcast (SMS-CB) protocol; and

the control signal is transmitted via Short Message Service-Point to Point (SMS-PP) protocol.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the selected UAV to perform one from the group consisting of:

land in a current location;

hover at a current location and altitude for a specified time and land after the hovering;

land at a location from which the selected UAV previously took off; and

land at a user-specified location.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein:

the user interface is displayed on a touchscreen of the computing device;

the user interface simultaneously displays a view button with the map and four control buttons;

the view button is selectable via the touchscreen to cause the map to toggle between no background and a satellite earth view background; and

the four control buttons comprise;

a first button, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to land in its current location in response to a selection of the first button via the touchscreen;

a second button, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to hover at its current location and altitude for a specified time and land after the hovering in response to a selection of the second button via the touchscreen;

a third button, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to land at a location from which the UAV previously took off in response to a selection of the third button via the touchscreen; and

a fourth button, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the UAV to land at a user-specified location in response to a selection of the fourth button via the touchscreen.

18. A system, comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising;

a propulsion system;

a processor configured to control the propulsion system based on a control signal received from a UAV remote controller;

a read only memory programmed with a Drone Identification Number (DIN);

a GPS sensor configured to determine a GPS location of the UAV;

an altimeter configured to determine an altitude of the UAV;

a transmitter configured to broadcast the DIN, the GPS location, and the altitude to a computer device different than the UAV remote controller;

a receiver configured to receive a control signal from the computer device;

a user interface configured to display a representation of the UAV on a map based on the GPS location and the altitude of the UAV; and

a computer processor and flight controller configured to enable a user to override the control signal received from a UAV remote controller and control the propulsion system based on the authenticated control signal from the computer device and based on determining that the UAV is in an unauthorized area, wherein the user is a third-party user different than a user operating the UAV remote control;

wherein the computer processor and flight controller are configured to remove the UAV from the unauthorized area by overriding the control signal received from the UAV remote controller and landing the UAV at a Global Positioning System (GPS) location specified by the third party user, and

wherein the transmitter broadcasts the DIN, the GPS location, and the altitude via Short Message Service-Cell Broadcast (SMS-CB) protocol; and

the receiver receives the control signal from the computer device via Short Message Service-Point to Point (SMS-PP) protocol,

wherein the computer processor and flight controller comprises a Drone Monitor And Command Transmitter (DMACT),

wherein the DMACT is configured to provide a toggle between the map with a satellite earth view background, which displays the UAV located relative to places on the ground, and the map without the satellite earth view background,

wherein the toggle is comprised of a toggle button located on the user interface that displays the map,

wherein the user interface further includes a monitoring center button configured to provide a window on the user interface when tapped by the user to set a monitoring center location for monitoring the current GPS location of the UAV by displaying the current GPS location of the UAV in terms of a radius from the monitoring center location,

wherein the DMACT is configured to provide a default monitoring center location based on the current GPS coordinates of where the DMACT is currently located, and

wherein the window is configured for the user to change the monitoring center location to a location different than the default monitoring center location.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control signal from the computer device causes the UAV to perform one from the group consisting of:

land in a current location;

hover at a current location and altitude for a specified time and land after the hovering;

land at a location from which the UAV previously took off; and

land at a user-specified location.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the UAV further comprises a wireless communication system that is separate from the transmitter and the receiver and that is configured to provide wireless transmission and reception of communication signals to and from the UAV remote controller.