Distributed unmanned aerial vehicle architecture

• US 9,310,221 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2015
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Unmanned Innovation Inc (Delair SAS)
• Inventors: Downey, Jonathan, Michini, Bernard J., Richman, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US14/709,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20160114886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 244/53.R, 244/1.R, 244/75.1, 244/76.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/19 for use as targets or decoys
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a distributed system architecture for unmanned air vehicles. One of the methods includes receiving selections of configuration information to provide to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), with the selections of configuration information being associated with respective components included in the UAV. The configuration information associated with a first component is determined to be valid from selections of configuration information associated with the first component. The configuration information associated with the first component is provided for storage in the UAV in response to receiving a user action.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving at a system comprising one or more computers, from a user, selections of configuration information to provide to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the selections of configuration information are associated with respective components included in the UAV;

determining by the system, from selections of configuration information associated with a first component, that the configuration information associated with the first component is valid; and

in response to receiving a user action, providing, for storage in the UAV, the configuration information associated with the first component;

determining by the system, one or more possible selections of configuration information associated with a second component, wherein the possible selections are determined based on information identifying capabilities of the second component and configuration information associated with one or more other components to be utilized in a flight operation of the UAV; and

providing by the system, for presentation to the user, possible selections of configuration information associated with the second component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, from selections of configuration information associated with a third second component, that the configuration information associated with the third second component is not valid; and

providing, for presentation to the user, information identifying describing an error associated with the configuration information associated with the third component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second component is a radio datalink, and determining possible selections of configuration information associated with the second component comprises:

determining, from flight operation configuration information associated with the one or more other components to be utilized in the flight operation of the UAV, that configuration information associated with a ground datalink includes a selection of a particular frequency spectrum; and

identifying the possible selection of a frequency spectrum associated with the radio datalink as the particular frequency spectrum.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the configuration information associated with each component included in the UAV is valid; and

providing, over a network, the configuration information for storage in a cloud system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, from a second user, a request to receive the validated configuration information from the cloud system;

obtaining information identifying components included in a different UAV associated with the second user; and

providing, to the different UAV, a portion of the validated configuration information identifying settings one or more selections of configuration information associated with the second component, wherein the second component is similar to a component included in the different UAV.

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

receiving, from a user, selections of configuration information to provide to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the selections of configuration information are associated with respective components included in the UAV;

determining, from selections of configuration information associated with a first component, that that the configuration information associated with the first component is valid; and

in response to receiving a user action, providing, for storage in the UAV, the configuration information associated with the first component;

determining by the system, one or more possible selections of configuration information associated with a second component, wherein the possible selections are determined based on information identifying capabilities of the second component and configuration information associated with one or more other components to be utilized in a flight operation of the UAV; and

providing, for presentation to the user, possible selections of configuration information associated with the second component.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise further comprising:

determining, from selections of configuration information associated with a third second component, that the configuration information associated with the third second component is not valid; and

providing, for presentation to the user, information identifying describing an error associated with the configuration information associated with the third component.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the second component is a radio datalink, and determining possible selections of configuration information associated with the second component comprises:

determining, from flight operation configuration information associated with the one or more other components to be utilized in the flight operation of the UAV, that configuration information associated with a ground datalink includes a selection of a particular frequency spectrum; and

identifying the possible selection of a frequency spectrum associated with the radio datalink as the particular frequency spectrum.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the configuration information associated with each component included in the UAV is valid; and

providing, over a network, the configuration information for storage in a cloud system.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from a second user, a request to receive the validated configuration information from the cloud system;

obtaining information identifying components included in a different UAV associated with the second user; and

providing, to the different UAV, a portion of the validated configuration information identifying settings one or more selections of configuration information associated with the second component, wherein the second component is similar to a component included in the different UAV.

11. A system comprising:

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

receiving, from a user, selections of configuration information to provide to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the selections of configuration information are associated with respective components included in the UAV;

determining, from selections of configuration information associated with a first component, that the configuration information associated with the first component is valid; and

in response to receiving a user action, providing, for storage in the UAV, the configuration information associated with the first component;

determining by the system, one or more possible selections of configuration information associated with a second component, wherein the possible selections are determined based on information identifying capabilities of the second component and configuration information associated with one or more other components to be utilized in a flight operation of the UAV; and

providing by the system, for presentation to the user, possible selections of configuration information associated with the second component.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, from selections of configuration information associated with a third second component, that the configuration information associated with the third second component is not valid; and

providing, for presentation to the user, information identifying describing an error associated with the configuration information associated with the third component.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the second component is a radio datalink, and determining possible selections of configuration information associated with the second component comprises:

determining, from flight operation configuration information associated with the one or more other components to be utilized in the flight operation of the UAV, that configuration information associated with a ground datalink includes a selection of a particular frequency spectrum; and

identifying the possible selection of a frequency spectrum associated with the radio datalink as the particular frequency spectrum.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the configuration information associated with each component included in the UAV is valid; and

providing, over a network, the configuration information for storage in a cloud system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from a second user, a request to receive the validated configuration information from the cloud system;

obtaining information identifying components included in a different UAV associated with the second user; and

providing, to the different UAV, a portion of the validated configuration information identifying settings one or more selections of configuration information associated with the second component, wherein the second component is similar to a component included in the different UAV.