Unmanned aerial vehicle authorization and geofence envelope determination

• US 10,755,585 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 08/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
• Inventors: Downey, Jonathan, Michini, Bernard J., Moster, Joseph, Weigel, Donald Curry, Ogden, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/431,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20170154535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36
• 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 1/00 Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith position fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/004 Indicating the operating range of the engine economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• 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 5/0091 : for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• 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 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 : Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for unmanned aerial vehicle authorization and geofence envelope determination. One of the methods includes determining, by an electronic system in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), an estimated fuel remaining in the UAV. An estimated fuel consumption of the UAV is determined. Estimated information associated with wind affecting the UAV is determined using information obtained from sensors included in the UAV. Estimated flights times remaining for a current path, and one or more alternative flight paths, are determined using the determined estimated fuel remaining, determined estimated fuel consumption, determined information associated wind, and information describing each flight path. In response to the electronic system determining that the estimated fuel remaining, after completion of the current flight path, would be below a first threshold, an alternative flight path is selected.

Claims

1. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:

one or more processors and one or more computer storage media storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more processors, to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

monitoring information associated with the UAV;

displaying, via a user interface, a current flight path of the UAV;

determining based on the monitored information a contingency prediction of the UAV and recommending an alternative flight path for the UAV, wherein recommending an alternative flight path comprises determining a minimum safe altitude for the alternative flight path based on waypoints included in the alternative flight path;

displaying, via the user interface, the alternative flight path for the UAV; and

performing the alternative flight path for the UAV in accordance with the minimum safe altitude.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the current flight path includes a plurality of waypoints, and the alternative flight path excludes one or more waypoints from the current flight path.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitored information of the UAV includes estimated fuel remaining, and estimated fuel consumption.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the fuel is a liquid fuel.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein estimated fuel remaining is battery charge, and the fuel consumption is power consumption.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the contingency prediction is an estimated insufficient fuel situation such that the UAV would be unable to perform the current flight path.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an approval of the alternative flight path for the UAV.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the UAV periodically determines the estimated fuel remaining.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining at least an updated landing location for the alternative flight path.

10. The system of claim 1, where the alternative flight paths includes a flight path to return to a point of takeoff location.

11. A computer program product, encoded on one or more non-transitory computer storage media, comprising instructions that when executed by a system, comprising one or more computers, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

monitoring information associated with a UAV;

displaying, via a user interface, a current flight path of the UAV;

determining based on the monitored information a contingency prediction of the UAV and recommending an alternative flight path for the UAV, wherein recommending an alternative flight path comprises determining a minimum safe altitude for the alternative flight path;

displaying, via the user interface, the alternative flight path for the UAV; and

performing the alternative flight path for the UAV in accordance with the minimum safe altitude.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the current flight path includes a plurality of waypoints, and the alternative flight path excludes one or more waypoints from the current flight path.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the monitored information of the UAV includes estimated fuel remaining, and estimated fuel consumption.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the fuel is a liquid fuel.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein estimated fuel remaining is battery charge, and the fuel consumption is power consumption.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the contingency prediction is an estimated insufficient fuel situation such that the UAV would be unable to perform the current flight path.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an approval of the alternative flight path for the UAV.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the UAV periodically determines the estimated fuel remaining.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining at least an updated landing location for the alternative flight path.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, where the alternative flight paths includes a flight path to return to a point of takeoff location.

21. A method, performed by one or more processing devices comprising hardware, the method comprising:

monitoring information associated with a UAV;

displaying, via a user interface, a current flight path of the UAV;

determining based on the monitored information a contingency prediction of the UAV and recommending an alternative flight path for the UAV, wherein recommending an alternative flight path comprises determining a minimum safe altitude for the alternative flight path;

displaying, via the user interface, the alternative flight path for the UAV; and

performing the alternative flight path for the UAV in accordance with the minimum safe altitude.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the current flight path includes a plurality of waypoints, and the alternative flight path excludes one or more waypoints from the current flight path.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the monitored information of the UAV includes estimated fuel remaining, and estimated fuel consumption.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the fuel is a liquid fuel.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein estimated fuel remaining is battery charge, and the fuel consumption is power consumption.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the contingency prediction is an estimated insufficient fuel situation such that the UAV would be unable to perform the current flight path.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an approval of the alternative flight path for the UAV.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising the UAV periodically determining the estimated fuel remaining.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining at least an updated landing location for the alternative flight path.

30. The method of claim 21, where the alternative flight paths includes a flight path to return to a point of takeoff location.