UAV modular redundant communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11166175-B2
Application number	US-201816206770-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Nov 2, 2021
Grant date	Nov 2, 2021

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) network cell that uses modular communication modems may be configured to support various communication standards and communication frequency bands. A UAV communication controller may monitor a signal robustness value for a communication frequency band that a UAV network cell is using for a relay backhaul with a ground network cell of a wireless carrier network. In response to determining that the signal robustness value of the communication frequency band has dropped below a predetermined threshold, the UAV communication controller may command the UAV network cell to use an additional communication frequency band that is different from the communication frequency band to carry at least one portion of backhaul communication with the wireless carrier network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that upon execution cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
monitoring a signal robustness value for a communication frequency band that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) network cell is using for a relay backhaul with a ground network cell of a wireless carrier network, the relay backhaul carrying relay backhaul communication between the UAV network cell and the ground network cell, the relay backhaul communication including communication sessions of user devices wirelessly connected to the UAV network cell; and
in response to determining that the signal robustness value of the communication frequency band has dropped below a predetermined threshold, commanding the UAV network cell to use an additional communication frequency band that is different from the communication frequency band to carry at least one portion of the relay backhaul communication of the UAV network cell while using the communication frequency band to carry another portion of the relay backhaul communication of the UAV network cell in parallel.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the acts further comprise, in response to determining that the signal robustness value of the communication frequency band is no longer below the predetermined threshold, instructing the UAV network cell to terminate using the additional communication frequency band to route the at least one portion of the relay backhaul communication.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the additional communication frequency band is used by the UAV network cell to pass the at least one portion of the relay backhaul communication to a core network of the wireless carrier network through the ground network cell, through an adjacent ground network cell of the wireless carrier network, through an accessible ground network cell of an additional wireless carrier network, or through a communication satellite.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the acts further comprise, in response to determining that the signal robustness value of the communication frequency band has dropped below the predetermined threshold and the additional communication frequency band is not available, instructing the UAV network cell to terminate handling of one or more communication sessions of the communication sessions for one or more user devices of the user devices that are wirelessly connected to the UAV network cell.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 4 , wherein the acts further comprise, transferring the handling of the one or more communication sessions of the communication sessions to another UAV network cell of the wireless carrier network.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 4 , wherein the acts further comprise, in response to determining that the signal robustness value of the communication frequency band is no longer below the predetermined threshold, command at least one user device to use the UAV network cell to communicate with the wireless carrier network.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the communication frequency band is supported by a first communication modem of the UAV network cell and the additional communication frequency band is supported by a second communication modem of the UAV network cell.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
monitoring, via one or more computing devices, quality of experience (QoE) values for multiple communication sessions of one or more user devices that are receiving communication services from a wireless carrier network via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) network cell;
detecting, via the one or more computing devices, that a corresponding QoE value of at least one communication session of the multiple communication sessions is affected by a lack of relay backhaul throughput on a communication frequency band used for a relay backhaul of the UAV network cell, the relay backhaul carrying a plurality of communication sessions of multiple user devices between the UAV network cell and a ground network cell of the wireless carrier network; and
in response to determining that an additional communication frequency band for carrying at least one portion of the relay backhaul of the UAV network cell is available from the ground network cell, an additional ground network cell, or a communication satellite, commanding, via the one or more computing devices, the UAV network cell to use the additional communication frequency band to carry one or more communication sessions of the multiple communication sessions for the UAV network cell while using the communication frequency band to carry at least one communication session of the multiple communication sessions for the UAV network cell in parallel.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising, in response to determining that the additional communication frequency band is not available from the ground network cell, an additional ground network cell, or the communication satellite, adjusting one or more communication sessions of the multiple communication sessions such that the corresponding QoE value of the at least one communication session is improved.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the adjusting includes decreasing a QoE value for a first communication session, terminating the first communication session, or transferring a handling of the first communication session to another UAV network cell to increase a QoE value of a second communication session of the multiple communication sessions.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the additional ground network cell is an adjacent ground network cell of the wireless carrier network, or an accessible ground network cell of an additional wireless carrier network.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the relay backhaul is carried in parallel on the communication frequency band and the additional communication frequency band.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising reverting the UAV network cell back to using the communication frequency band for the one or more communication sessions when the QoE values of remaining communication sessions carried on the communication frequency band are no longer affected by the lack of relay backhaul throughput.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , further comprising terminating the use of the additional communication frequency band by the UAV network cell following the reverting the UAV network cell back to using the communication frequency band for the one or more communication sessions.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising adjusting a flight path of the UAV network cell to improve the corresponding QoE value of the at least one communication session of the multiple communication sessions when the corresponding QoE value is no longer affected by the lack of relay backhaul throughput on the communication frequency band.

16. A system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory having instructions stored therein, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
monitoring a signal robustness value for a communication frequency band that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) network cell is using for a relay backhaul with a ground network cell of a w

Assignees

• T Mobile Usa Inc

Inventors

• Murphy Sean Patrick

Classifications

• H04W12/069

  using certificates or pre-shared keys · CPC title

• H04W24/02 Primary

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04W84/047

  using dedicated repeater stations · CPC title

• H04B7/18504

  Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform · CPC title

• H04B7/18506 Primary

  Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service · CPC title