DETERMINING WHETHER A DRONE-COUPLED USER EQUIPMENT IS ENGAGED IN A FLYING STATE

• US 20180324662A1
• Filed: 05/02/2018
• Published: 11/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: PHUYAL, Umesh, RICO ALVARINO, Alberto, ZISIMOPOULOS, Haris, KITAZOE, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 11,490,246 B2
• 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 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15 Active relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

In an embodiment, a network component (e.g., eNB) of a terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network determines whether a drone-coupled user equipment (UE) is engaged in a flying state based upon one or more wireless signals transmitted by the drone-coupled UE. The determination can occur in a variety of ways, such as based on a message from the drone-coupled UE itself (e.g., an express flying-state notification from the drone-coupled UE, a request particular to a flying state, a measurement reporting message, an identifier used by the drone-coupled UE, uplink signal strength measurement(s) or uplink AoA measurements, whether any intervening base station(s) were skipped over in conjunction with a handoff of the drone-coupled UE, etc.).

Claims

1. A method of operating a network component of a terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network, comprising:

determining whether a drone-coupled user equipment (UE) is engaged in a flying state based upon one or more wireless signals transmitted by the drone-coupled UE.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message via the one or more wireless signals from the drone-coupled UE,

wherein the determining is based on the message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the message is an express flying-state notification from the drone-coupled UE.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the message is configured to facilitate the network component to execute one or more actions and/or to request that the network execute the one or more actions in a manner that indirectly indicates whether the drone-coupled UE is engaged in the flying state.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the one or more actions include switching the drone-coupled UE between a flying state handover protocol and a non-flying state handover protocol, or

wherein the one or more actions include switching the drone-coupled UE between a flying state power control protocol and a non-flying state power control protocol.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the message is a measurement reporting message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the measurement reporting message reports current position data, a current speed and/or a direction of movement of the drone-coupled UE.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein the measurement reporting message reports the current position data, and

wherein the current position data includes a current height or altitude of the drone-coupled UE.

9. The method of claim 2,

wherein the drone-coupled UE is assigned a first identifier for use in the flying state and a second identifier for use in a non-flying state, and

wherein the message is configured to include either the first or second identifier to indicate whether the drone-coupled UE is engaged in the flying state.

10. The method of claim 2,

wherein the receiving occurs in an event-triggered manner each time a flight status of the drone-coupled UE changes, or

wherein the receiving occurs periodically irrespective of whether the flight status of the drone-coupled UE has changed, or

wherein the receiving occurs in response to the network component of the terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network requesting transmission of the message irrespective of whether the flight status of the drone-coupled UE has changed, or

any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on one or more measurements of uplink signal strength of the one or more wireless signals from the drone-coupled UE by one or more base stations of the terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein the one or more base stations include at least one base station that is separated from the drone-coupled UE by more than a distance threshold while measuring an uplink signal strength of one or more uplink signals above a signal strength threshold, and

wherein the determining determines the drone-coupled UE to be engaged in the flying state based on the distance threshold and the signal strength threshold both being exceeded.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on one or more angle-of-arrival estimates by one or more base stations for the one or more wireless signals from the drone-coupled UE.

14. The method of claim 13,

wherein the determining determines the drone-coupled UE to be engaged in a non-flying state if the one or more angle-of-arrival estimates indicate that the drone-coupled UE is on the ground, and

wherein the determining determines the drone-coupled UE to be engaged in the flying state if the one or more angle-of-arrival estimates indicate that the drone-coupled UE is above the ground.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on whether one or more intervening base stations between a source base station and a target base station are bypassed in association with a handoff of the drone-coupled UE.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

implementing a flying state protocol or a non-flying state protocol for the drone-coupled UE based on the determining.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the flying state protocol includes a flying state handover protocol and the non-flying state protocol includes a non-flying state handover protocol.

18. The method of claim 17,

wherein a first set of thresholds is used for the determining,

wherein a second set of thresholds is used to trigger transitions between the flying state handover protocol and the non-flying state protocol, and

wherein the second set of thresholds is configured to provide a higher degree of confidence that the drone-coupled UE has switched between the flying state and a non-flying state relative to the first set of thresholds.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the implementing is based in part upon whether the drone-coupled UE is in a Connected state or an Idle state with respect to the terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining determines that the drone-coupled UE is in the flying state while operating in a Connected state with respect to the terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining determines that the drone-coupled UE is in the flying state while operating in an Idle state with respect to the terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network.

22. The method of claim 21,

wherein the flying state handover protocol includes one or more different Tracking Area (TA) parameters relative to the non-flying state handover protocol, or

wherein the flying state handover protocol includes one or more different cell reselection parameters relative to the non-flying state handover protocol, or

wherein the flying state handover protocol includes one or more different location reporting parameters while the drone-coupled UE is in an Idle state with respect to the terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network relative to the non-flying state handover protocol, or

any combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the flying state handover protocol includes a larger paging radius relative to the non-flying state handover protocol, a cell reselection list encompassing cells in a larger area relative to the non-flying state handover protocol, reduced location reporting relative to the non-flying state handover protocol, or any combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the flying state protocol includes:

refusing to admit the drone-coupled UE to the terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network if the drone-coupled UE is unauthorized for drone-coupled service and/or flying state service.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the flying state protocol includes:

authorizing restricted or limited service to the drone-coupled UE to the terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network if the drone-coupled UE is unauthorized for drone-coupled service and/or flying state service.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the flying state protocol includes:

authorizing service to the drone-coupled UE while assessing a surcharge to an account of the drone-coupled UE is not subscribed for drone-coupled service and/or flying state service.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the flying state protocol includes:

implementing a power control scheme for the drone-coupled UE in the flying state that is different from power control schemes used for drone-coupled UEs that are not in the flying state.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the flying state protocol includes:

implementing a different charging or pricing scheme for the drone-coupled UE in the flying state that is different than charging and/or pricing schemes used for drone-coupled UEs that are not in the flying state.

29. A network component of a terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and at least one communications interface and configured to;

determine whether a drone-coupled user equipment (UE) is engaged in a flying state based upon one or more wireless signals transmitted by the drone-coupled UE.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a network component of a terrestrial wireless communication subscriber network, cause the network component to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction to cause the network component to determine whether a drone-coupled user equipment (UE) is engaged in a flying state based upon one or more wireless signals transmitted by the drone-coupled UE.