Systems and methods for detecting and managing the unauthorized use of an unmanned aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10787276-B2
Application number	US-201816199881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2018
Priority date	Sep 6, 2006
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A method for policing and managing the operation of a flying, unmanned aircraft in the event of usurpation of control of, malfunction of, or ill-intentioned use of, this aircraft includes the steps of (a) detecting inappropriate operation of the aircraft; (b) transmitting a takeover command to the aircraft to interrupt control of the operation of this aircraft by a first pilot and relinquish control of the aircraft to a second pilot; and (c) transmitting control commands to the aircraft to control its operation by the second pilot, until the need for alternate pilot control of the aircraft has ended or until the aircraft has landed safely.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of confirming the identification of a pilot of an unmanned, remotely controlled vehicle (“UV”), said method comprising the steps of:
(1) certifying that both alphanumeric and biologic identification information of a person who is a registered UV pilot, each pertain to the same person;
(2) storing said certified identification information as the person's identification information in a computer memory of registered UV pilots (“stored II”);
(3) transmitting a request from a UV police authority to a UV for a presentation of pilot identification information (“pilot II”) pertaining to a pilot of said UV;
(4) transmitting said request from said UV to a remote control station (“RCS”) adapted to control said UV in response to commands inputted thereto by said pilot;
(5) transmitting said pilot II from said RCS to said UV;
(6) transmitting said pilot II from said UV to said UV police authority and receiving at said police authority, said pilot II (“received pilot II”);
(7) said police authority utilizing a computational device to compare said received pilot II with said stored II of registered UV pilots; and
(8) based on the results of said step (7), indicating at said police authority whether or not said UV pilot is a registered UV pilot.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including a step (9) taking a police action selected from the group consisting of (a) destroying the UV, (b) escorting the UV, and (c) taking control of the UV, if said step (8) indicates that said pilot is not a registered UV pilot.

3. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein said biologic identification information is selected from the group consisting of:
(a) an image of a face;
(b) an image of a retina;
(c) an image of an iris;
(d) an image of at least one fingerprint;
(e) an image of a palm print;
(f) a voice print; and
(g) a DNA sample.

4. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein
(A) said step (5) further includes transmitting a plurality of images showing:
(i) a hand of said UV pilot actuating an input device for controlling said UV,
(ii) at least one body part having a visible biologic identifier selected from the group consisting of: a face, a retina, an iris, a fingerprint and a palm print of said UV pilot, and
(iii) contiguous UV pilot body parts situated between said hand and said body part having said visible biologic identifier;

wherein, an analysis of the combination of said images (i), (ii) and (iii) allow an identification of said UV pilot actuating said input device;
(B) said step (5) further includes transmitting data representing a control instruction inputted by said pilot for controlling a motion or an orientation of said UV from said RCS to said UV;
(C) said step (6) further includes transmitting said images and said control instruction from said UV to said police authority;
(D) said step (7) further includes utilizing said computational device to determine an inputted control instruction from said at least one image of the hand of said UV pilot actuating an input device;
and further comprising
a step (10) comparing the received control instruction with said determined control instruction of said step (7), and
a step (11) said police authority determining whether the vehicle under observation is being piloted by the pilot whose biologic identification has been inputted, in dependence upon whether said received control instruction substantially matches said determined control instruction.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein
said step (7) further comprises utilizing said computational device to analyze said combination of images (i), (ii) and (iii) to determine whether or not said hand and said biologic identifier belong to the same person,
thereby to determine whether the person identified by said biologic identifier is the person inputting said control instruction.

6. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein
said step (3) further comprises transmitting a request from said police authority to said UV for said UV pilot to input a first police-requested instruction (“PI”) to a RCS input device;
said step (4) further comprises transmitting said first requested PI from said UV to said RCS;
said step (5) further includes transmitting data representing a control instruction for controlling a motion or an orientation of said UV, inputted by said pilot in response to said PI, from said RCS to said UV;
said step (6) further includes transmitting a control instruction representing the instruction inputted by said pilot, from said UV to said police authority;
and further comprising
a step (12) comparing an instruction represented by said police authority-received control instruction with said first requested PI; and
a step (13) said police authority determining if said first requested PI was inputted by said UV pilot.

7. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein
(A) said step (5) further includes transmitting a plurality of images showing:
(i) a hand of said UV pilot actuating an input device for controlling said UV,
(ii) at least one body part having a visible biologic identifier selected from, the group consisting of: a face, a retina; an iris, a fingerprint and a palm print of said UV pilot, and
(iii) contiguous UV pilot body parts situated between said hand and said body part having said visible biologic identifier; wherein said images allow an identification of said UV pilot actuating said input device;

(B) said step (5) further includes transmitting control instruction inputted by said pilot for controlling a motion or an orientation of said UV from said RCS to said UV;
(C) said step (6) further includes transmitting telemetry signals from said UV, indicating an effect of said control instruction upon said UV, to said police authority;
(D) said step (7) further includes utilizing said computational device to perform a first determination of an instruction, represented b said inputted control instruction, by analyzing the effect of said inputted instruction on a motion of said UV; and said step (7) further includes utilizing said computational device to perform a second determination of an instruction, represented by said inputted control instruction, by analyzing said at least one image of the hand of said UV pilot actuating said input device;
and further comprising
a step (15) comparing said first determination based on said effected UV motion with said second determination based on an analysis of said at least one image of the hand of said UV pilot actuating said input device for controlling said UV; and
a step (16) said police authority determining whether the vehicle under observation is being piloted by the pilot whose biologic identification has been inputted, in dependence upon whether said first determination substantially matches said second determination.

8. The method defined in claim 7 , wherein said telemetry signals convey vehicle information including at least one of: an altitude, a latitude, a longitude, GPS coordinates, a velocity, a rate of climb, a rate of descent, a horizontal acceleration, a vertical acceleration, an attitude, a pitch, a yaw, a rate of roll, a of change of pitch, and a rate of change of yaw.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said step (7) further comprises utilizing said computational device to analyze said combination of images (i), (ii) and (iii) to determine whether or not said hand and said biologic identifier belong to the same person,
thereby to determine whether the person identified by said biologic identifier is the person inputting said control instruction.

10. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein
said step (3) further comprises transmitting a request from said police authority to said UV for s

Assignees

• Matos Jeffrey A

Inventors

• Matos Jeffrey A

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• G08G5/32

  for flight plan preparation · CPC title

• G08G5/723

  from the aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/59

  in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones · CPC title

• G08G5/58

  for emergency situations, e.g. hijacking or bird strikes · CPC title