System for controlling unmanned aerial vehicle and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11831390-B2
Application number	US-202117210739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2021
Priority date	Sep 16, 2020
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle may control to receive a departure point and a destination from a vehicle, and transmit information related to a shadow area between the departure point and the destination to the unmanned aerial vehicle to control the unmanned aerial vehicle to measure a communication sensitivity for each altitude in the shadow area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, the system comprising: a telematics server configured to:
receive a departure point and a destination from a vehicle;
transmit information related to a shadow area between the departure point and the destination to the unmanned aerial vehicle to control the unmanned aerial vehicle to measure a communication sensitivity for a plurality of altitudes in the shadow area;
determine an optimal altitude path based on the communication sensitivity for each of the altitudes in the shadow area measured through the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
control the unmanned aerial vehicle to assist a communication function of the vehicle while flying along the optimal altitude path upon determining that the vehicle passes through the shadow area, and
wherein the telematics server is further configured to:
select the plurality of altitudes in the shadow area;
measure the communication sensitivity for each altitude; and
determine a path connecting altitudes with a highest measured communication sensitivity in an arbitrary section as the optimal altitude path, and

wherein the shadow area is an area in which communication sensitivity is less than a predetermined threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the telematics server is further configured to:
select an outermost point on one side of the shadow area as a shadow start point;
select an outermost point of an opposite side of the shadow area as a shadow end point;
control the unmanned aerial vehicle to measure the communication sensitivity through communication with a wireless communication base station around the shadow area while the unmanned aerial vehicle flies from the shadow start point to the shadow end point; and
determine the optimal altitude path by receiving the communication sensitivity measured through the unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the telematics server is further configured to:
select the plurality of altitudes from the shadow start point to the shadow end point to control the unmanned aerial vehicle to normally measure the communication sensitivity for each altitude while the unmanned aerial vehicle flies when a time in which the vehicle arrives at the shadow area is later than a time in which the unmanned aerial vehicle completes the measurement of the communication sensitivity; and
select a number of altitudes from the shadow start point to the shadow end point, which is less than a predetermined number of normal measurements, to control the unmanned aerial vehicle to measure the communication sensitivity for each altitude by the number of altitudes selected while the unmanned aerial vehicle flies when the time the vehicle arrives at the shadow area is earlier than the time in which the unmanned aerial vehicle completes the measurement of the communication sensitivity.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to:
identify a minimum altitude, a maximum altitude, and an intermediate altitude which is an intermediate height between the minimum altitude and the maximum altitude while reciprocating along a driving path of the vehicle from the shadow start point to the shadow end point; and
measure the communication sensitivity while making a one-way flight at the minimum altitude, the intermediate altitude, or the maximum altitude along the driving path.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is further configured to:
perform as a wireless repeater between the vehicle and the wireless communication base station while flying at the minimum altitude, the intermediate altitude or the maximum altitude based on a driving distance of the vehicle from the shadow start point to the shadow end point upon determining that the vehicle arrives in the shadow area.

6. A system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to:
receive information related to a shadow area based on a departure point and a destination of a vehicle from a telematics server to measure a communication sensitivity for each altitude a plurality of altitudes in the shadow area;
receive an optimal altitude path from the telematics server after transmitting the communication sensitivity for each of the altitudes in the shadow area to the telematics server; and
assist a communication function of the vehicle while flying along the optimal altitude path upon determining that the vehicle passes through the shadow area,
wherein the telematics server is further configured to:
select the plurality of altitudes in the shadow area;
measure the communication sensitivity for each altitude; and
determine a path connecting altitudes with a highest measured communication sensitivity in an arbitrary section as the optimal altitude path, and

wherein the shadow area is an area in which communication sensitivity is less than a predetermined threshold.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the telematics server is configured to:
select an outermost point on one side of the shadow area as a shadow start point;
select an outermost point of an opposite side of the shadow area as a shadow end point;
control the unmanned aerial vehicle to measure the communication sensitivity through communication with a wireless communication base station around the shadow area while the unmanned aerial vehicle flies from the shadow start point to the shadow end point; and
determine the optimal altitude path by receiving the communication sensitivity measured through the unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the telematics server is further configured to:
select the plurality of altitudes from the shadow start point to the shadow end point to control the unmanned aerial vehicle to normally measure the communication sensitivity for each altitude while the unmanned aerial vehicle flies when a time in which the vehicle arrives at the shadow area is later than a time in which the unmanned aerial vehicle completes the measurement of the communication sensitivity; and
select a number of altitudes from the shadow start point to the shadow end point, which is less than a predetermined number of normal measurements, to control the unmanned aerial vehicle to measure the communication sensitivity for each altitude by the number of altitudes selected while the unmanned aerial vehicle flies when the time the vehicle arrives at the shadow area is earlier than the time in which the unmanned aerial vehicle completes the measurement of the communication sensitivity.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is further configured to:
identify a minimum altitude, a maximum altitude, and an intermediate altitude which is an intermediate height between the minimum altitude and the maximum altitude while reciprocating along a driving path of the vehicle from the shadow start point to the shadow end point; and
measure the communication sensitivity while making a one-way flight at the minimum altitude, the intermediate altitude, or the maximum altitude along the driving path.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is further configured to:
perform as a wireless repeater between the vehicle and the wireless communication base station while flying at the minimum altitude, the intermediate altitude or the maximum altitude based on a driving distance of the vehicle from the shadow start point to the shadow end point when the vehicle arrives in the shadow area.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle includes:
a communication device configured to perform communication between the telematics server and the vehicle

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kim Hyun Soo

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U10/00

  Type of UAV · CPC title

• B64U80/86

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/686

  Maintaining a relative position with respect to moving targets, e.g. following animals or humans (for pointing payloads towards targets G05D1/689; involving controlling the position or course of two or more vehicles G05D1/69) · CPC title

• G05D1/46

  Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D] · CPC title