UNOCCUPIED FLYING VEHICLE (UFV) COORDINATION

• US 20140222248A1
• Filed: 04/19/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Lord, Richard T., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,527,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) coordination. For certain example embodiments, at least one machine, such as a UFV, may: (i) obtain one or more theater characteristics; or (ii) coordinate at least one behavior of at least one UFV based, at least partially, on one or more theater characteristics. However, claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular described embodiments, implementations, examples, or so forth.

Claims

1. A method for unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) coordination, the method being at least partially implemented by at least one machine, the method comprising:

obtaining one or more theater characteristics; and

coordinating at least one behavior of at least one UFV based, at least partially, on the one or more theater characteristics.

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55. An apparatus for unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) coordination, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry for obtaining one or more theater characteristics; and

circuitry for coordinating at least one behavior of at least one UFV based, at least partially, on the one or more theater characteristics.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for obtaining one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for receiving from a remote UFV at least one indication of at least one status associated with the remote UFV.

58. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for obtaining one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for obtaining at least one indication of at least one size of at least one theater.

61. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for obtaining one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for obtaining at least one indication of at least one type of at least one UFV corresponding to a given theater.

62. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for obtaining one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for obtaining at least one indication of at least one flight attribute of at least one identified UFV.

63. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for obtaining one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for obtaining at least one indication of at least one intended flight path of a UFV corresponding to a given theater.

64. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for obtaining one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for obtaining at least one map of at least one theater.

67. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for coordinating at least one behavior of at least one UFV based, at least partially, on the one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for transmitting at least one flight control command to a first UFV based, at least partially, on at least one indication of at least one hazard that is received from a second UFV.

69. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for coordinating at least one behavior of at least one UFV based, at least partially, on the one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to a first UFV at least one command to update at least one mission based, at least partially, on at least one indication of at least one status of a second UFV that is received from the second UFV.

70. The apparatus of claim 69, wherein the circuitry for transmitting to a first UFV at least one command to update at least one mission based, at least partially, on at least one indication of at least one status of a second UFV that is received from the second UFV comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the first UFV the at least one command to update the at least one mission based, at least partially, on the at least one indication of the at least one status of the second UFV that is received from the second UFV and based, at least partially, on at least one mission analysis performed by a UFV.

72. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for coordinating at least one behavior of at least one UFV based, at least partially, on the one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for transmitting from a UFV coordinator at least one flight control command to a remote UFV based, at least partially, on the one or more theater characteristics.

74. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for coordinating at least one behavior of at least one UFV based, at least partially, on the one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for investigating UFV coordinator status of at least one theater corresponding to multiple UFVs.

79. The apparatus of claim 74, wherein the circuitry for investigating UFV coordinator status of at least one theater corresponding to multiple UFVs comprises:

circuitry for tracking one or more UFV coordinator designations received from one or more UFVs.

81. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for coordinating at least one behavior of at least one UFV based, at least partially, on the one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for transmitting at least one UFV coordinator designation to another UFV to indicate that a UFV is willing to ordain the other UFV with UFV coordinator status.

83. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein the circuitry for transmitting at least one UFV coordinator designation to another UFV to indicate that a UFV is willing to ordain the other UFV with UFV coordinator status comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the at least one UFV coordinator designation to the other UFV to indicate that the UFV is willing to implement one or more commands, which are received from the other UFV, to adjust at least one flight path of the UFV.

85. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for coordinating at least one behavior of at least one UFV based, at least partially, on the one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for detecting that at least one remote UFV is flying erratically.

87. The apparatus of claim 85, wherein the circuitry for detecting that at least one remote UFV is flying erratically comprises:

circuitry for detecting that the at least one remote UFV is not flying in accordance with at least one flight control command instituted by a UFV flight coordinator.

88. The apparatus of claim 85, wherein the circuitry for detecting that at least one remote UFV is flying erratically comprises:

circuitry for detecting that the at least one remote UFV is not comporting with one or more promulgated flight rules.

93. The apparatus of claim 85, wherein the circuitry for detecting that at least one remote UFV is flying erratically comprises:

circuitry for broadcasting at least one announcement indicative that the at least one remote UFV has been categorized as flying erratically.

94. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the circuitry for coordinating at least one behavior of at least one UFV based, at least partially, on the one or more theater characteristics comprises:

circuitry for detecting that a remote UFV is entering a coordination zone.

96. The apparatus of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for detecting that a remote UFV is entering a coordination zone comprises:

circuitry for asking the remote UFV if it agrees to abide by an ordained UFV coordinator for the coordination zone of which it is entering.

97. The apparatus of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for detecting that a remote UFV is entering a coordination zone comprises:

circuitry for broadcasting to multiple UFVs of the coordination zone a notification that the remote UFV is traveling within the coordination zone without deference to a UFV coordinator of the coordination zone.

99. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

circuitry for transmitting to a remote UFV at least one update command to update instruction code on the remote UFV.

100. The apparatus of claim 99, wherein the circuitry for transmitting to a remote UFV at least one update command to update instruction code on the remote UFV comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the remote UFV the at least one update command to update flight instruction code that provides at least partial flight control for the remote UFV if the flight instruction code is executed.

102. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

circuitry for installing at least one instruction code update during flight.

103. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

circuitry for transmitting to a remote UFV at least one update command to update at least one security protocol of the remote UFV.

104. The apparatus of claim 103, wherein the circuitry for transmitting to a remote UFV at least one update command to update at least one security protocol of the remote UFV comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the remote UFV at least one malware indicator to be included in at least one updated security protocol of the remote UFV.

107. The apparatus of claim 103, wherein the circuitry for transmitting to a remote UFV at least one update command to update at least one security protocol of the remote UFV comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the remote UFV the at least one update command to update at least one location attack rejection mechanism.

108. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

circuitry for updating at least one security protocol of a UFV while airborne.

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109. A system for unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) coordination, the system comprising:

means for obtaining one or more theater characteristics; and

means for coordinating at least one behavior of at least one UFV based, at least partially, on the one or more theater characteristics.

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