Unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) location assurance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429514-B2
Application number	US-201715730629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2017
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) location assurance. For certain example embodiments, at least one machine, such as a UFV, may: (i) obtain one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV; or (ii) perform at least one analysis that uses at least one or more SPS coordinates and at least one assurance token. However, claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular described embodiments, implementations, examples, or so forth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) location assurance, the method being at least partially implemented by at least one machine, the method comprising:
autonomously controlling at least one UFV including at least:
obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of the at least one UFV;
analyzing at least the one or more PS coordinates including at least deriving at least one aspect of at least one velocity from the one or more PS coordinates, identifying at least one velocity trend associated with at least one time series of the derived at least one aspect of the at least one velocity,
assigning at least one confidence level indicative of at least accuracy of the one of the one or more PS coordinates based at least partly on the identified at least one velocity trend, determining navigational utility of the one or more PS coordinates based at least partly on the at least one confidence level, wherein the determining navigational utility includes at least rejecting at least one PS coordinate indicated as being inaccurate in accordance with the at least one confidence level, and determining at least one portion of at least one flight path based at least partly on one or more PS coordinates determined as having navigational utility; and
controlling the at least one UFV at least partly in accordance with the determined at least one portion of the at least one flight path.

2. An apparatus for unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) location assurance, the apparatus comprising:
one or more electronic devices including at least:
circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV;
circuitry configured for analyzing at least the one or more PS coordinates including at least deriving at least one aspect of at least one velocity from the one or more PS coordinates, identifying at least one velocity trend associated with at least one time series of the derived at least one aspect of the at least one velocity, assigning at least one confidence level indicative of at least accuracy of the one of the one or more PS coordinates based at least partly on the identified at least one velocity trend, determining navigational utility of the one or more PS coordinates based at least partly on the at least one confidence level, wherein the determining navigational utility includes at least rejecting at least one PS coordinate indicated as being inaccurate in accordance with the at least one confidence level, and determining at least one portion of at least one flight path based at least partly on one or more PS coordinates determined as having navigational utility; and
circuitry configured for controlling the at least one UFV at least partly in accordance with the determined at least one portion of the at least one flight path.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more PS coordinates via one or more signals received from one or more positioning systems satellites.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for calculating at least two PS coordinates corresponding to the at least an apparent location.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV comprises:
at least one of:
circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more PS coordinates corresponding to the at least an apparent location of at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); or
circuitry configured for receiving the one or more PS coordinates from at least one other UFV.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV comprises:
at least one of:
circuitry configured for accepting the one or more PS coordinates from at least one PS chip; or
circuitry configured for accepting one or more global positioning system (GPS) coordinates from at least one GPS chip.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining at least one location that is specified at least partially relative to the earth.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more PS coordinates corresponding to at least a determined location of the at least one UFV.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more PS coordinates corresponding to at least an uncorroborated location of the at least one UFV.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more PS coordinates corresponding to at least an accurate location of the at least one UFV.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more PS coordinates corresponding to at least a falsified location of the at least one UFV.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more PS coordinates corresponding to at least a degraded location of the at least one UFV.

13. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining one or more positioning system (PS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV comprises:
at least one of:
circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more PS coordinates corresponding to a location that comports with at least an expected level of accuracy absent at least one of malfunction or malfeasance; or
circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more PS coordinates corresponding to a location that deviates from at least an expected level of accuracy as a result of at least one of malfunction or malfeasance.

14. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for automatically analyzing at least one or more first PS coordinates and at least one or more second PS coordinates comprises:
circuitry configured for automatically analyzing at least one or more first PS coordinates and at least one or more second PS coordinates.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the circuitry configured for automatically analyzing at

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Levien Royce A
• Lord Robert W
• Lord Richard T
• Malamud Mark A
• Rinaldo Jr John D
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• G01S19/396

  Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements · CPC title

• B64U10/30

  Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/102

  adapted for flying in formations · CPC title

• B64U2201/104

  using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS · CPC title