UNOCCUPIED FLYING VEHICLE (UFV) LOCATION CONFIRMANCE

• US 20150203213A1
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Published: 07/23/2015
• 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 9,669,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic

Abstract

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) location confirmance. For certain example embodiments, at least one machine, such as a UFV, may: (i) obtain at least one indication of at least one location of a UFV; or (ii) attempt to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV. 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) location confirmance, the method being at least partially implemented by at least one machine, the method comprising:

obtaining at least one indication of at least one location of a UFV; and

attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining at least one indication of at least one location of a UFV comprises:

obtaining the at least one indication via one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining at least one indication of at least one location of a UFV comprises:

obtaining at least one distance to at least one waypoint.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining at least one indication of at least one location of a UFV comprises:

obtaining the at least one indication via at least one other UFV.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining at least one indication of at least one location of a UFV comprises:

obtaining the at least one indication via at least one altimeter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV comprises:

thwarting the at least one attack against the location determination for the UFV.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the thwarting the at least one attack against the location determination for the UFV comprises:

determining to discount the location determination.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the thwarting the at least one attack against the location determination for the UFV comprises:

obtaining an alternative location determination for the UFV.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the thwarting the at least one attack against the location determination for the UFV comprises:

reporting the at least one attack.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV comprises:

attempting to counter at least one external effort to cause a degraded location determination for the UFV.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV comprises:

attempting to counter at least one attack against a mechanism to obtain at least one position fix.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a mechanism to obtain at least one position fix comprises:

attempting to counter at least one attack against at least one of a procedure or a component to obtain one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) coordinates using one or more orbiting satellites.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV comprises:

attempting to counter at least one satellite positioning system (SPS) hijacking attack.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV comprises:

attempting to counter at least one satellite positioning system (SPS) spoofing attack.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV comprises:

identifying at least one attack against a location determination by the UFV.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV comprises:

directing at least one antenna beam that is to receive satellite positioning system (SPS) signals upwards.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the directing at least one antenna beam that is to receive satellite positioning system (SPS) signals upwards comprises:

directing the at least one antenna beam in a direction that is substantially opposite a direction towards earth.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the directing at least one antenna beam that is to receive satellite positioning system (SPS) signals upwards comprises:

directing the at least one antenna beam upward using, at least partially, at least one meta-material antenna.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV comprises:

switching from satellite-based location determination to at least partially using terrestrial-based location determination.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the switching from satellite-based location determination to at least partially using terrestrial-based location determination comprises:

switching to using at least one or more cellular base station towers for location determination.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the switching from satellite-based location determination to at least partially using terrestrial-based location determination comprises:

switching to using at least one or more Wi-Fi signals for location determination.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the switching from satellite-based location determination to at least partially using terrestrial-based location determination comprises:

switching to using at least one or more terrestrial beacons for location determination.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV comprises:

switching from using a first satellite-based location determination system to using a second satellite-based location determination system.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV comprises:

using a first satellite-based location determination system and a second satellite-based location determination system.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the using a first satellite-based location determination system and a second satellite-based location determination system comprises:

switching between or among at least the first satellite-based location determination system and the second satellite-based location determination system.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the switching between or among at least the first satellite-based location determination system and the second satellite-based location determination system comprises:

switching between or among at least the first satellite-based location determination system and the second satellite-based location determination system based at least partly on at least one geospatial zone.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the switching between or among at least the first satellite-based location determination system and the second satellite-based location determination system comprises:

switching between or among at least the first satellite-based location determination system and the second satellite-based location determination system based at least partly on at least one reliability factor.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the using a first satellite-based location determination system and a second satellite-based location determination system comprises:

utilizing at least a first location-related value obtained via the first satellite-based location determination system and a second location-related value obtained via the second satellite-based location determination system.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the utilizing at least a first location-related value obtained via the first satellite-based location determination system and a second location-related value obtained via the second satellite-based location determination system comprises:

combining at least the first location-related value and the second location-related value.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV comprises:

attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one other UFV.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one other UFV comprises:

attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one location associated with the at least one other UFV.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one location associated with the at least one other UFV comprises:

attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) coordinates corresponding to the at least one location associated with the at least one other UFV.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one other UFV comprises:

attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one range to the at least one other UFV.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one other UFV comprises:

attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one communication received from the at least one other UFV.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one communication received from the at least one other UFV comprises:

attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one notification, which is received from the at least one other UFV, of a detected location-determination attack.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one communication received from the at least one other UFV comprises:

attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) coordinates, which are received from the at least one other UFV and which correspond to a location of the at least one other UFV.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one communication received from the at least one other UFV comprises:

attempting to counter the at least one attack based, at least partially, on at least one communication that is received from the at least one other UFV via at least one antenna beam.

3. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

43. (canceled)

45. An apparatus for unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) location confirmance, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry for obtaining at least one indication of at least one location of a UFV; and

circuitry for attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV.

46-88. -88. (canceled)

89. An arrangement for unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) location confirmance, the arrangement comprising:

means for obtaining at least one indication of at least one location of a UFV; and

means for attempting to counter at least one attack against a location determination for the UFV.

90-132. -132. (canceled)