Emergency shutdown and landing for passenger drones and unmanned aerial vehicles with air traffic control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11468778-B2
Application number	US-201916590516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2019
Priority date	Jun 10, 2016
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for emergency shutdown and landing by an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system for passenger drones include detecting a passenger drone is one of distressed and rogue; determining timing for a shutdown and a location for landing; and communicating the determined timing and the landing location to the passenger drone by the Air Traffic Control system via one or more wireless networks comprising at least one cellular network, wherein the passenger drone is constrained in flight based on cell coverage over the at least one cellular network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for emergency shutdown and landing by an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system for passenger drones, the method comprising:
determining, by the ATC system, a passenger drone is one of distressed and rogue based on analysis of one or more types of data chosen from operational data received from the passenger drone and data related to the passenger drone received from another passenger drone;
determining, by the ATC system, timing for a shutdown and a location for landing; and
communicating, from the ATC system, instructions to the passenger drone for the landing and the shutdown thereof based on the timing for the shutdown and the landing location determined by the ATC system via one or more wireless networks comprising at least one cellular network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the passenger drone is constrained in flight based on cell coverage over the at least one cellular network.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
notifying one or more persons of the determined timing and the landing location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the passenger drone is distressed or rogue and the detecting is also performed by an observer who communicates to the ATC system that the passenger drone is distressed or rogue.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined timing is one of immediate and a short time period allowing the passenger drone to travel to the landing location.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined timing and the landing location are determined by the ATC system utilizing a map of predetermined safe landing locations.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
communicating, from the ATC system, to other passenger drones proximate to the passenger drone that the passenger drone is one of distressed and rogue and providing, from the ATC system, instructions to the other passenger drones for avoidance of the passenger drone.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the passenger drone is already at the landing location and the communicating comprises an instruction to immediately shut down.

9. An Air Traffic Control (ATC) system for passenger drones supporting emergency shutdown and landing, the ATC system comprising:
a network interface and one or more processors communicatively coupled to one another, wherein the network interface is communicatively coupled to a plurality of passenger drones via one or more wireless networks; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to
determine a passenger drone is one of distressed and rogue based on analysis of one or more types of data chosen from operational data received from the passenger drone and data related to the passenger drone received from another passenger drone;
determine timing for a shutdown and a location for landing; and
communicate instructions to the passenger drone for the landing and the shutdown thereof based on the timing for the shutdown and the landing location determined via the one or more wireless networks comprising at least one cellular network.

10. The ATC system of claim 9 , wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to notify one or more persons of the determined timing and the landing location.

11. The ATC system of claim 9 , wherein the passenger drone is distressed or rogue and the detection is also performed by an observer who communicates to the ATC system that the passenger drone is distressed or rogue.

12. The ATC system of claim 9 , wherein the determined timing is one of immediate and a short time period allowing the passenger drone to travel to the landing location.

13. The ATC system of claim 9 , wherein the determined timing and the landing location are determined by the ATC system utilizing a map of predetermined safe landing locations.

14. The ATC system of claim 9 , wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to
communicate to other passenger drones proximate to the passenger drone that the passenger drone is one of distressed and rogue and providing instructions to the other passenger drones for avoidance of the passenger drone.

Assignees

• Etak Systems Llc
• Metal Raptor Llc

Inventors

• Priest Lee

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U30/20

  Rotors; Rotor supports · CPC title

• B64U10/13

  Flying platforms · CPC title