Security key for unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12351335-B2
Application number	US-202117540183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2021
Priority date	Apr 5, 2021
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods using a security key for an unmanned aerial vehicle. For example, some methods include during flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, encrypting, using a public key stored by the unmanned aerial vehicle, a symmetric key that is used to encrypt media data captured using one or more sensors of the unmanned aerial vehicle to obtain encrypted media data; landing the unmanned aerial vehicle; connecting a key device to the unmanned aerial vehicle via a serial port connector of the key device and a serial port connector of the unmanned aerial vehicle; while the key device is connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle, decrypting, using a private key stored on the key device, the encrypted symmetric key, which in turn is used to decrypt a portion of the encrypted media data to obtain decrypted media data; and transmitting a portion of the decrypted media data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a key device including a memory and a first serial port connector, wherein the memory is configured to store a private key; and
an unmanned aerial vehicle including, one or more sensors, a second serial port connector configured to connect with the first serial port connector, a non-volatile memory, and a processing apparatus, wherein the processing apparatus is configured to:
store a public key, wherein the public key is paired to the private key;
encrypt, using a symmetric key, media data captured using the one or more sensors to obtain encrypted media data;
encrypt, using the public key, the symmetric key to obtain an encrypted symmetric key;
store the encrypted media data and the encrypted symmetric key in the non-volatile memory;
while the key device is connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle via the first serial port connector connected to the second serial port connector, decrypt, using the private key, the encrypted symmetric key to obtain the symmetric key;
decrypt, using the symmetric key, a portion of the encrypted media data to obtain decrypted media data; and
transmit a portion of the decrypted media data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing apparatus is configured to:
receive the public key from the key device via the first serial port connector connected to the second serial port connector.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein key device includes a light emitting diode and the key device is configured to:
blink the light emitting diode while performing an encryption provisioning operation, including transmitting the public key to the processing apparatus via the first serial port connector connected to the second serial port connector; and
turn off the light emitting diode responsive to completion of the encryption provisioning operation.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory of the key device that is configured to store the private key is part of a secure element in the key device, and wherein processing apparatus is configured to:
transmit the encrypted symmetric key to the key device;
invoke decryption of the encrypted symmetric key by the secure element using the private key to obtain the symmetric key; and
receive the symmetric key from the key device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing apparatus is configured to:
responsive to initiation of a takeoff procedure for the unmanned aerial vehicle, delete the symmetric key from memory of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing apparatus is configured to:
store the symmetric key in volatile memory of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
continue to decrypt, using the symmetric key, portions of the encrypted media data to obtain the decrypted media data and transmit portions of the decrypted media data after the key device has been disconnected from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein key device includes a light emitting diode and the key device is configured to:
blink the light emitting diode while performing a decryption operation, including decrypting, using the private key, the encrypted symmetric key to obtain the symmetric key; and
turn off the light emitting diode responsive to completion of the decryption operation.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing apparatus is configured to:
transmit the portion of the decrypted media data to a controller for the unmanned aerial vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first serial port connector is a universal serial bus plug and the second serial port connector is a universal serial bus receptacle.

10. A method comprising:
during flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, encrypting, using a symmetric key, media data captured using one or more sensors of the unmanned aerial vehicle to obtain encrypted media data;
encrypting, using a public key stored by the unmanned aerial vehicle, the symmetric key to obtain an encrypted symmetric key, wherein the public key is paired to a private key stored by a key device that is disconnected from the unmanned aerial vehicle during flight;
landing the unmanned aerial vehicle;
connecting the key device to the unmanned aerial vehicle via a first serial port connector of the key device and a second serial port connector of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
while the key device is connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle via the first serial port connector connected to the second serial port connector, decrypting, using the private key, the encrypted symmetric key to obtain the symmetric key;
decrypting, using the symmetric key, a portion of the encrypted media data to obtain decrypted media data; and
transmitting a portion of the decrypted media data.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
while the key device is connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle via the first serial port connector connected to the second serial port connector, receiving the public key from the key device via the first serial port connector connected to the second serial port connector.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein decrypting, using the private key, the encrypted symmetric key to obtain the symmetric key comprises:
transmitting the encrypted symmetric key to the key device;
invoking decryption of the encrypted symmetric key by a secure element in the key device that stores the private key to obtain the symmetric key; and
receiving the symmetric key from the key device.

13. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
responsive to initiation of a takeoff procedure for the unmanned aerial vehicle, deleting the symmetric key from memory of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
storing the symmetric key in volatile memory of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
continuing to decrypt, using the symmetric key, portions of the encrypted media data to obtain the decrypted media data and transmit portions of the decrypted media data after the key device has been disconnected from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
blinking a light emitting diode of the key device while performing a decryption operation, including decrypting, using the private key, the encrypted symmetric key to obtain the symmetric key; and
turning off the light emitting diode responsive to completion of the decryption operation.

16. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
transmitting the portion of the decrypted media data to a controller for the unmanned aerial vehicle.

17. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
one or more sensors,
a first serial port connector configured to connect with a second serial port connector of a key device configured to store a private key, and
a processing apparatus, wherein the processing apparatus is configured to:
store a public key, wherein the public key is paired to the private key;
encrypt, using a symmetric key, media data captured using the one or more sensors to obtain encrypted media data;
encrypt, using the public key, the symmetric key to obtain an encrypted symmetric key;
delete the symmetric key;
while the key device is connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle via the first serial port connector connected to the second serial port connector, decrypt, using the private key, the encrypted symmetric key to obtain the symmetric key;
decrypt, using the symmetric key, a portion of the encrypted media data to obtain decrypted media data; and
transmit a portion of the decrypted media data.

18. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the p

Assignees

• Skydio Inc

Inventors

• Kubisiak Brian
• Enke Joseph Anthony
• Hornung Ryan
• Moskovchenko Stepan

Classifications

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U80/20

  with arrangements for servicing the UAV · CPC title

• B64U80/25

  for recharging batteries; for refuelling · CPC title

• B64U70/40

  Landing characterised by flight manoeuvres, e.g. deep stall · CPC title

• B64U50/37

  Charging when not in flight · CPC title