Information collection and component/software upgrades for unmanned aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10380900-B2
Application number	US-201414282195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A device receives, from a user device, a request for a flight path for a UAV to travel in a geographical region, and determines a suggested component/software for the UAV based on capability information associated with the UAV. The device provides, to the user device, information associated with the suggested component/software, and calculates the flight path based on the capability information, real time information, and non-real time information associated with the geographical region. The device generates flight path instructions for the flight path, and provides the flight path instructions to the UAV to permit the UAV to travel in the geographical region via the flight path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a first device, real time information associated with aviation in a geographical region and non-real time information associated with aviation in the geographical region,
at least one of the real time information or the non-real time information including regulatory information,
the regulatory information including information regarding at least one of:
no fly zones,
restricted airspace,
prohibited airspace, or
controlled airspace;

assigning, by the first device, a first weight to the real time information to create first weighted information;
assigning, by the first device, a second weight to the non-real time information to create second weighted information;
receiving, by the first device and from a second device, a request for a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from a first geographical location to a second geographical location in the geographical region;
determining, by the first device, a suggested software upgrade for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on capability information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle and receiving the request for the flight path;
calculating, by the first device, the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the first weighted information, the second weighted information, and the capability information,
at least one of the first weighted information or the second weighted information including the regulatory information;

generating, by the first device, flight path instructions for the flight path;
providing, by the first device, the flight path instructions and information identifying the suggested software upgrade to the unmanned aerial vehicle for use by the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path;
receiving, by the first device and based on providing the flight path instructions and the information identifying or the suggested software upgrade, feedback from the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
generating, by the first device and based on the feedback, modified flight path instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a plurality of possible flight paths from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the first weighted information, the second weighted information, and the capability information;
calculating scores for the plurality of possible flight paths based on the first weight assigned to the real time information and the second weight assigned to the non-real time information; and
selecting the flight path, from plurality of possible flight paths, based on the calculated scores.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
ranking the plurality of possible flight paths based on the calculated scores; and
where selecting the flight path from the plurality of possible flight paths comprises:
selecting the flight path, from the plurality of possible flight paths, based on the ranking of the plurality of possible flight paths.

4. The method of claim 1 , where determining the suggested software upgrade comprises:
determining a plurality of possible software for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the capability information;
calculating scores for the plurality of possible software based on the first weight assigned to the real time information and the second weight assigned to the non-real time information; and
selecting the suggested software upgrade based on the calculated scores.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
ranking the plurality of possible software based on the calculated scores; and
where selecting the suggested software upgrade comprises:
selecting the suggested software upgrade based on the ranking of the plurality of possible software.

6. The method of claim 1 , where the information associated with the suggested software upgrade is provided, for presentation, via a user interface from which the suggested software upgrade may be selected.

7. The method of claim 1 , where the real time information and the non-real time information include one or more of:
weather information associated with the geographical region,
air traffic information associated with the geographical region, or
obstacle information associated with the geographical region.

8. A device, comprising:
one or more processors to:
receive real time information associated with aviation in a geographical region and non-real time information associated with aviation in the geographical region,
at least one of the real time information or the non-real time information including regulatory information,
the regulatory information including information regarding at least one of:
 no fly zones,
 restricted airspace,
 prohibited airspace, or
 controlled airspace;

assign a first weight to the real time information to create first weighted information;
assign a second weight to the non-real time information to create second weighted information;
receive, from a user device, a request for a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from a first geographical location to a second geographical location in the geographical region;
determine a suggested software upgrade for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on capability information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle and receiving the request for the flight path;
calculate the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the first weighted information, the capability information, and the second weighted information,
at least one of the first weighted information or the second weighted information including the regulatory information;

generate flight path instructions for the flight path;
provide the flight path instructions and information identifying the suggested software upgrade to the unmanned aerial vehicle for use by the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path;
receive, based on providing the flight path instructions and the information identifying the suggested software upgrade, feedback from the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
generate, based on the feedback, modified flight path instructions.

9. The device of claim 8 ,
where the one or more processors are further to:
assign a third weight to the capability information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle;
determine a plurality of possible software for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the capability information and based on the real time information or the non-real time information;
calculate scores for the plurality of possible software based on the third weight assigned to the capability information; and
select the suggested software upgrade based on the calculated scores.

10. The device of claim 9 , where the one or more processors are further to:
rank the plurality of possible software based on the calculated scores; and
where, when selecting the suggested software upgrade, the one or more processors are to:
select the suggested software upgrade based on ranking the plurality of possible software.

11. The device of claim 8 , where the one or more processors are further to:
determine a plurality of possible software for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the capability information and based on the real time information or the non-real time information;
generate a user interface that includes information associated with the plurality of possible software; and
present, for display, the user interface to the user device.

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Batla Hani
• Srivastava Ashok N
• Pasko Douglas M
• Kantor Igor
• Ubhi Gurpreet

Classifications

• B64U2201/00

  UAVs characterised by their flight controls · CPC title

• G08G5/0034 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08G5/0091

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08G5/0013

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08G5/0039

  Physics · mapped topic