Flight Management and Control for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

• US 20170337826A1
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Moran, Michael T., Lipman, Justin, Wyss, Dana K., Madrigal, Gina C., Ferguson, Esther I., Pena, Abran E.
• Application Number:
  US15/162,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20170337826A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• 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: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A mechanism is described for facilitating flight management and control for unmanned aerial vehicles according to one embodiment. A method of embodiments, as described herein, includes facilitating one or more sensors to detect an exclusion zone, wherein the exclusion zone includes a no-fly zone surrounding an entity including at least one of a real property, a personal property, and an individual; receiving a signal from a broadcast beacon associated with the exclusion zone, wherein the signal includes a warning against entering the exclusion zone based a policy; and automatically preventing a computing device from entering the exclusion zone, wherein preventing includes automatically performing at least one of landing the computing device in a fly zone or pulling or turning the computing device away from the exclusion zone.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

detection/monitoring logic to facilitate one or more sensors to detect an exclusion zone, wherein the exclusion zone includes a no-fly zone surrounding an entity including one or more of a real property, a personal property, and an individual;

reception/verification logic to receive a signal from a broadcast beacon associated with the exclusion zone, wherein the signal includes a warning against entering the exclusion zone based a policy; and

control/execution logic to automatically prevent the apparatus from entering the exclusion zone, wherein the control/execution logic to automatically perform at least one of landing the apparatus in a fly zone or pulling or turning the apparatus away from the exclusion zone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the UAV includes a drone.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the broadcast beacon comprises a fixed broadcast beacon or a movable broadcast beacon, wherein the fixed broadcast beacon is capable of being installed or placed at the entity including the real property, wherein the movable broadcast beacon is capable being carried or worn by the entity including the individual or a vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the policy comprises one or more of governmental laws, public regulations, organizational rules, and user preferences, wherein the policy is stored at a database.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control/execution logic to facilitate negotiation of the policy with the broadcast beacon to allow for access to the exclusion zone.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein if the negotiation is successful, the access to the exclusion zone is allowed based on restrictions or conditions, wherein the restrictions or conditions include one or more of time restrictions, altitude restrictions, distance restrictions, task conditions, and performance conditions.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein if the negotiation is unsuccessful, the access to the exclusion zone is denied and at least one of landing, pulling back, or turning away of the apparatus is executed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

communication/interfacing logic to facilitate communication with at least one of the broadcast beacon and the database, wherein the communication/interfacing logic is further to provide interfacing with one or more computing devices accessible to one or more users; and

compatibility/resolution logic to ensure compatibility with the one or more computing devices, and offer one or more resolutions to one or more of communication issues, compatibility issues, and interfacing issues.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more computing devices comprise a server computer capable of being facilitated to perform one or more of negotiating the policy, overriding flying plans associated with the apparatus, and receiving feedbacks relating to the exclusion zone, and wherein the one or more computing devices further comprise a pilot control device capable of being facilitated to perform basic operations relating to the apparatus, wherein the one or more users include an operator having access to the pilot control device.

10. A method comprising:

facilitating one or more sensors to detect an exclusion zone, wherein the exclusion zone includes a no-fly zone surrounding an entity including one or more of a real property, a personal property, and an individual;

receiving a signal from a broadcast beacon associated with the exclusion zone, wherein the signal includes a warning against entering the exclusion zone based a policy; and

automatically preventing a computing device from entering the exclusion zone, wherein preventing includes automatically performing at least one of landing the computing device in a fly zone or pulling or turning the computing device away from the exclusion zone.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the computing device comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the UAV includes a drone.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the broadcast beacon comprises a fixed broadcast beacon or a movable broadcast beacon, wherein the fixed broadcast beacon is capable of being installed or placed at the entity including the real property, wherein the movable broadcast beacon is capable being carried or worn by the entity including the individual or a vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the policy comprises one or more of governmental laws, public regulations, organizational rules, and user preferences, wherein the policy is stored at a database.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising facilitating negotiation of the policy with the broadcast beacon to allow for access to the exclusion zone.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein if the negotiation is successful, the access to the exclusion zone is allowed based on restrictions or conditions, wherein the restrictions or conditions include one or more of time restrictions, altitude restrictions, distance restrictions, task conditions, and performance conditions.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein if the negotiation is unsuccessful, the access to the exclusion zone is denied and at least one of landing, pulling back, or turning away of the computing device is executed.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

facilitating communication with at least one of the broadcast beacon and the database, wherein facilitating communication includes providing interfacing with one or more computing devices accessible to one or more users; and

ensuring compatibility with the one or more computing devices, and offering one or more resolutions to one or more of communication issues, compatibility issues, and interfacing issues.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more computing devices comprise a server computer capable of being facilitated to perform one or more of negotiating the policy, overriding flying plans associated with the computing device, and receiving feedbacks relating to the exclusion zone, and wherein the one or more computing devices further comprise a pilot control device capable of being facilitated to perform basic operations relating to the computing device, wherein the one or more users include an operator having access to the pilot control device.

19. At least one machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

facilitate one or more sensors to detect an exclusion zone, wherein the exclusion zone includes a no-fly zone surrounding an entity including one or more of a real property, a personal property, and an individual;

receive a signal from a broadcast beacon associated with the exclusion zone, wherein the signal includes a warning against entering the exclusion zone based a policy; and

automatically prevent the computing device from entering the exclusion zone, wherein preventing includes automatically performing at least one of landing the computing device in a fly zone or pulling or turning the computing device away from the exclusion zone.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computing device comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the UAV includes a drone.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the broadcast beacon comprises a fixed broadcast beacon or a movable broadcast beacon, wherein the fixed broadcast beacon is capable of being installed or placed at the entity including the real property, wherein the movable broadcast beacon is capable being carried or worn by the entity including the individual or a vehicle.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the policy comprises one or more of governmental laws, public regulations, organizational rules, and user preferences, wherein the policy is stored at a database.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computing device is further to facilitate negotiation of the policy with the broadcast beacon to allow for access to the exclusion zone,

wherein if the negotiation is successful, the access to the exclusion zone is allowed based on restrictions or conditions, wherein the restrictions or conditions include one or more of time restrictions, altitude restrictions, distance restrictions, task conditions, and performance conditions,

wherein if the negotiation is unsuccessful, the access to the exclusion zone is denied and at least one of landing, pulling back, or turning away of the computing device is executed.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computing device is further to:

facilitate communication with at least one of the broadcast beacon and the database, wherein facilitating communication includes providing interfacing with one or more computing devices accessible to one or more users; and

ensure compatibility with the one or more computing devices, and offer one or more resolutions to one or more of communication issues, compatibility issues, and interfacing issues.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the one or more computing devices comprise a server computer capable of being facilitated to perform one or more of negotiating the policy, overriding flying plans associated with the computing device, and receiving feedbacks relating to the exclusion zone, and wherein the one or more computing devices further comprise a pilot control device capable of being facilitated to perform basic operations relating to the computing device, wherein the one or more users include an operator having access to the pilot control device.