Flight policy query at roaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11875688-B2
Application number	US-201716763252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2017
Priority date	Nov 23, 2017
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A system, method, node, and computer program for determining a flight start policy to be applied to an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, ( 10 ) is described. The UAV ( 10 ) is associated with a first UAV-Application Server, UAV-AS ( 100 ) maintaining a flight policy applicable for the geographical service area ( 150 ) where the UAV ( 10 ) is located. The method comprising the first UAV-AS ( 100 ) determining whether the UAV ( 10 ) is going to leave the geographical service area ( 150 ) towards a second geographical service area ( 150 ), wherein the second geographical service area ( 150 ) is associated with a second UAV-AS ( 130 ). If so querying by the first UAV-AS ( 100 ) a flight policy applicable for the second geographical service area ( 150 ) from the second UAV-AS ( 130 ), and instructing a received flight policy applicable for the second geographical service to the UAV ( 10 ), before the UAV ( 10 ) has entered the second geographical service area ( 150 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method implemented by a first unmanned aerial vehicle application server (UAV-AS), for determining a flight policy to be applied to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) located in a first geographical service area associated with the first UAV-AS; the method comprising the first UAV-AS:
determining whether the UAV is going to leave the first geographical service area towards a second geographical service area, wherein the second geographical service area is associated with a second UAV-AS;
querying a flight policy applicable for the second geographical service area from the second UAV-AS; and
instructing the flight policy applicable for the second geographical service to the UAV, before the UAV has entered the second geographical service area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a flight policy comprises restrictions in respect of operation and/or movement of the UAV.

3. The method of claim 1 :
wherein the UAV is residing in a cellular network comprising a plurality of radio coverage areas; and
wherein each of the first and second geographical service areas are composed of one or more radio coverage areas used in the cellular network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first UAV-AS instructs the UAV by providing flight instructions corresponding to the flight policy to the UAV.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first UAV-AS determines the second geographical service area based on flight path information applicable for the UAV.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first UAV-AS receives the flight path information applicable for the UAV from the UAV.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first UAV-AS receives the flight path information applicable for the UAV from an operator operating the UAV.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the first UAV-AS determining the second UAV-AS by performing a neighbor discovery before the UAV has entered the second geographical service area.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the neighbor discovery is a look-up in a database comprising information on the association of a UAV-AS with a geographical service area.

10. The method of claim 8 :
wherein a plurality of UAV-AS are arranged in a hierarchical structure comprising a subordinate layer and at least one superior layer, a superior layer being a subordinate layer to a next higher superior layer, the subordinate layer comprising a plurality of UAV-AS acting as subordinate UAV-AS, the superior layer comprising one or more UAV-AS acting as superior UAV-AS, wherein the UAV-AS are arranged in the hierarchical structure such that each subordinate UAV-AS is tied to one superior UAV-AS; and
wherein the neighbor discovery is a query for a list of neighboring UAV-AS from the superior UAV-AS tied to the first UAV-AS.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a subordinate UAV-AS establishes the association of the subordinate UAV-AS with a geographical service area by registering itself towards a superior UAV-AS by indicating a geographical service area the subordinate UAV-AS is handling the flight policy for.

12. The method of claim 10 :
wherein the first UAV-AS performs the neighbor discovery as a part of the registration of the first UAV-AS with a superior UAV-AS, further comprising:
receiving, at a first UAV-AS a list of neighboring UAV-AS from the superior UAV-AS, the list comprising an indication of the associated geographical service area for each neighboring UAV-AS.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the first UAV-AS:
receiving a request for a flight policy for the geographical service area;
determining the flight policy for the own geographical service area; and
returning the flight policy for the own geographical service area.

14. A method, implemented by an unmanned aerial vehicle application server (UAV-AS) acting as a superior UAV-AS, for determining a flight policy to be applied to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); wherein a plurality of UAV-AS are arranged in a hierarchical structure comprising a subordinate layer and at least one superior layer; the subordinate layer comprising a plurality of UAV-AS acting as subordinate UAV-AS in different geographical areas; the superior layer comprising one or more UAV-AS acting as superior UAV-AS; wherein each subordinate UAV-AS is tied to one superior UAV-AS; the method comprising the superior UAV-AS:
receiving a request from a subordinate UAV-AS, wherein the request comprises an indication of a geographical service area the subordinate UAV-AS is maintaining a flight policy for;
determining a list of subordinate UAV-AS that are tied to geographical service areas that are neighboring to the received geographical service area; and
returning the determined list of subordinate UAV-AS to the requesting subordinate UAV-AS, thereby enabling the requesting subordinate UAV-AS to query a flight policy from any of the subordinate UAV-AS on the list.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the request is a request for registering the requesting UAV-AS as a subordinate UAV-AS to the superior UAV-AS.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the superior UAV-AS:
sending, in response to the superior UAV-AS being tied as a subordinate UAV-AS to a further superior UAV-AS on a next higher hierarchy layer, a request to the further superior UAV-AS for a list of subordinate UAV-AS that are tied to geographical service areas that are neighboring to the received geographical service area; and
receiving, as a response from the further superior UAV-AS, a list of UAV-AS that are tied to geographical service areas that are neighboring to the received geographical service area.

17. A first unmanned aerial vehicle application server (UAV-AS) for determining a flight policy to be applied to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) located in a first geographical area associated with the first UAV-AS; the UAV-AS comprising:
processing circuitry;
memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the UAV-AS is operative to:
determine whether the UAV is going to leave the first geographical service area towards a second geographical service area, wherein the second geographical service area is associated with a second UAV-AS;
query a flight policy applicable for the second geographical service area from the second UAV-AS; and
instruct the flight policy applicable for the second geographical service to the UAV, before the UAV has entered the second geographical service area.

18. The UAV-AS of claim 17 , wherein the instructions are such that the first UAV-AS is operative to determine the second UAV-AS by performing a neighbor discovery before the UAV has entered the second geographical service area.

19. An unmanned aerial vehicle application server (UAV-AS) acting as a superior UAV-AS for determining a flight policy to be applied to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); wherein a plurality of UAV-AS are arranged in a hierarchical structure comprising a subordinate layer and at least one superior layer; the subordinate layer comprising a plurality of UAV-AS acting as subordinate UAV-AS in different geographical areas; the superior layer comprising one or more UAV-AS acting as superior UAV-AS; wherein each subordinate UAV-AS is tied to one superior UAV-AS; the superior UAV-AS comprising:
processing circuitry;
memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the superior UAV-AS is operative to:
receive a request from a subordinate UAV-AS, wherein the request comprises an indication of a geographical service area the subordin

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Poscher Jens
• Detke Ralph
• Eichinger Stefan
• Tercero Pedro

Classifications

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/59

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

• G08G5/34 Primary

  for flight plan modification · CPC title

• B64U2101/64

  for parcel delivery or retrieval · CPC title