System and method of preventing and remedying restricted area intrusions by unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 9,905,134 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Botlink, LLC
• Original Assignee: Aerobotic Innovations LLC
• Inventors: Kube, Alexander J., Huls, Luke, Muehler, Shawn P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Application Number:
  US15/043,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20160240087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• 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 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• 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

Abstract

An intrusion prevention system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a UAV controller, and a restricted area data aggregator. The restricted data aggregator collects and stores restricted area data. The UAV controller is coupled to communicate with the UAV and the restricted area data aggregator, wherein the UAV controller receives positional data from the UAV and restricted area data from the restricted area aggregator. The UAV controller determines based on the received positional data and the received restricted area data whether the UAV is currently intruding within a restricted area or is predicted to intrude within a restricted area and wherein the UAV controller initiates actions to prevent unauthorized intrusions into restricted areas.

Claims

1. A restricted area intrusion avoidance system comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that includes a positional sensor that determines a position of the UAV;

a restricted area aggregator that collects and stores restricted area data, wherein the restricted area aggregator is searchable by location to provide spatially relevant restricted area data; and

a UAV controller coupled to communicate with the UAV and the remotely located restricted area aggregator, wherein the UAV controller receives flight data and position data from the UAV and provides the UAV with flight control instructions, wherein the UAV controller provides position data to the restricted area aggregator and receives in response spatially relevant restricted area data from the restricted area aggregator, wherein the UAV controller includes an intrusion prevention module that determines based on the received positional data and the received restricted area data whether the UAV is currently intruding within a restricted area or is predicted to intrude within a restricted area, wherein in response to a detected intrusion the UAV controller generates a plurality of remediation maneuver points and automatically selects a remediation maneuver point that is both located outside of the restricted area and in close proximity to the current location of the UAV or presents to a user via a display the plurality of remediation maneuver points and prompts the user for a selection, wherein the selected remediation maneuver point is provided to the UAV as a flight control instruction to remedy or prevent the intrusion, wherein the intrusion prevention module includes a local database for storing the spatially relevant restricted area data provided by the restricted area aggregator.

2. The restricted area intrusion avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the UAV controller includes a display screen, wherein the intrusion prevention module displays information regarding the position of the UAV and location/boundaries of restricted areas on the display screen for review by a user.

3. The restricted area intrusion avoidance system of claim 2, wherein the intrusion prevention module receives information from the restricted area aggregator regarding notifications/permissions required to enter restricted areas, wherein the notifications/permissions are displayed to the user via the display screen.

4. The restricted area intrusion avoidance system of claim 2, wherein the selected remediation maneuver point is presented to the user via the display screen and prompts the user for resolution of whether the selected remediation maneuver point should be executed, wherein if executed the remediation maneuver point is communicated to the UAV to implement.

5. The restricted area intrusion avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the restricted area aggregator includes a geo-spatial restricted area database that is searchable by position to provide spatially relevant information regarding restricted areas.

6. The restricted area intrusion avoidance system of claim 5, wherein the restricted area aggregator includes a restricted area intrusion/UAV database that maintains records related to intrusions within restricted areas by UAVs.

7. The restricted area intrusion avoidance system of claim 6, wherein records related to intrusions within restricted areas include at least one of identification of the UAV, owner of the UAV, time/duration of the intrusion, and location of the intrusion.

8. The restricted area intrusion avoidance system of claim 5, wherein the restricted area aggregator includes a restricted area creation module that receives restricted area data from restricted area owners/administrators regarding definition of restricted area boundaries, wherein the received restricted area data is stored to the geo-spatial restricted area database.

9. The restricted area intrusion avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the restricted area aggregator includes a restricted area data interface module that receives restricted area data from third-party restricted area data sources regarding definition of restricted area boundaries, wherein the received restricted area data is stored to the geo-spatial restricted area database.

10. The restricted area intrusion avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the generation of a plurality of remediation maneuver points includes generation of a remediation maneuver point to the north, south, east, west, vertically up, and vertically down.

11. The restricted area intrusion avoidance system of claim 1, wherein a position of the UAV controller is utilized as a factor in selecting one of the plurality of remediation maneuver points.

12. The restricted area intrusion avoidance system of claim 1, wherein a point at which the UAV entered a restricted area is utilized as a factor in selecting of the plurality of remediation maneuver points.

13. A method of preventing restricted area intrusions, the method comprising:

receiving flight data provided by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the flight data includes at least positional data describing position of the UAV, wherein the flight data is received by a UAV controller associated with the UAV;

requesting restricted area data from a restricted area aggregator, wherein the request include positional data received from the UAV;

receiving spatially relevant restricted area data from the restricted area aggregator, wherein the spatially relevant restricted area data is received and stored by the UAV controller;

determining a risk of intrusion based on a comparison of the flight data received from the UAV and the spatially relevant restricted area data received from the restricted area aggregator;

calculating avoidance maneuvers in response to a determined risk of intrusion;

displaying a map to a user that identifies the position of the UAV, corresponding spatially relevant restricted area, and calculated avoidance maneuvers and the user is prompted for action; and

communicating the calculated avoidance maneuver selected by the user to the UAV as a flight control instruction to remedy and/or prevent an intrusion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the received spatially relevant restricted area data includes information regarding owner of the restricted area and notification requirements for entering the restricted area.

15. The method of claim 14, further including generating an entry request notification and transmitting the entry request notification to the owner of the restricted area.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the calculated avoidance maneuvers are automatically provided to the UAV to prevent intrusion within the restricted area.

17. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) controller comprising:

a controller interface coupled to communicate bi-directionally with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the controller interface receives flight data from the UAV and provides flight commands to the UAV, wherein flight data includes position information associated with the UAV;

a restricted area interface coupled to communicate bi-directionally with a restricted area aggregator, wherein the restricted area interface provides a request to the restricted area aggregator for spatially relevant restricted area data, wherein the request includes position information received from the UAV, and wherein the restricted area aggregator selects spatially relevant restricted area data based on the position information received from the restricted area interface; and

an intrusion prevention module that compares flight data received from the UAV with spatially relevant restricted area data to determine a risk of intrusion within a restricted area and calculates avoidance maneuvers to prevent the UAV from entering a restricted area; and

a display for presenting to a user the location of the UAV, the location of spatially relevant restricted areas, and avoidance maneuvers calculated to prevent the UAV from entering a restricted area or to remove the UAV from a restricted area, wherein the controller interface communicates a calculated avoidance maneuver to the UAV as a flight control instruction to remedy and/or prevent an intrusion of a restricted area.

18. The UAV controller of claim 17, wherein the intrusion prevention module calculates avoidance maneuvers to prevent the UAV from entering a restricted area and provides the calculated avoidance maneuvers to the controller interface for provision to the UAV.

19. The UAV controller of claim 18, further including a display, wherein the intrusion prevention module provides information regarding restricted areas and calculated avoidance maneuvers to the display for review by a user.