Dynamic navigation of uavs using three dimensional network coverage information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016371985-A1
Application number	US-201514741357-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2015
Priority date	Jun 16, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Flight path determination for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in which three-dimensional coverage information, corresponding to a wireless network, is used to optimize the flight path to ensure that the UAVs maintain network coverage throughout the flight. The flight path information may be provided as a service to UAV operators. In one implementation, network coverage for a cellular network may be mapped in a three-dimensional manner. That is, the radio signal strength of the network may be mapped at various heights that correspond to heights at which UAVs are likely to fly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, by one or more computing devices, a request from an entity associated with navigation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), for a flight path for the UAV, the request including an indication of a starting location and ending location of the flight path; obtaining, by the one or more computing devices, three-dimensional network coverage information that provides a three-dimensional indication of wireless signal strength for a cellular wireless network to which the UAV is to connect when traversing the flight path; determining, by the one or more computer devices and in response to the request, the requested flight path based on a plurality of factors, the plurality of factors including the starting and ending location of the flight path and the three-dimensional network coverage information, the determined flight path indicating altitudes at which the UAV should fly to optimize connectivity to the cellular wireless network when the UAV is traversing the flight path; and transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, the determined flight path to the entity associated with navigation of the UAV.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flight path is determined as a plurality of waypoints, wherein each of the plurality of waypoints includes an indication of a geographical location and an altitude.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of factors additionally include one or more of:
areas that are restricted fly zones; or areas that correspond to areas of high pedestrian density.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional coverage information includes, for various locations, estimates of the wireless signal strength between heights of approximately 100 to 400 feet above ground level.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the three-dimensional network coverage information further includes:
receiving measurements of signal strength, associated with the cellular wireless network, from a plurality of UAVs, each of the received measurements including a three-dimensional indication of a location of the corresponding one of the plurality of UAVs when the corresponding UAV performs a measurement of the signal strength.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein obtaining the three-dimensional network coverage information further includes:
estimating signal strength, associated with the cellular wireless network, based on power radiation formulas applied to transceivers in the cellular wireless network.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein estimating the signal strength further includes estimating the signal strength, at various altitudes, based on geographic topology and network topology of the wireless cellular network.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined flight path includes indications of flight segments, along the flight path, at which network connectivity to the cellular wireless network is not present.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
dynamically updating flight altitudes associated with the determined flight path based on changes in the three-dimensional network coverage information; and transmitting the updated flight altitudes to the entity associated with navigation of the UAV.

10 . One or more computing devices including processing circuitry to:
receive a request from an entity associated with navigation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), for a flight path for the UAV, the request including an indication of a starting location and ending location of the flight path; obtain three-dimensional network coverage information that provides a three-dimensional indication of wireless signal strength for a cellular wireless network to which the UAV is to connect when traversing the flight path; determine, in response to the request, the requested flight path based on a plurality of factors, the plurality of factors including the starting and ending location of the flight path and the three-dimensional network coverage information; and transmit the determined flight path to the entity associated with navigation of the UAV.

11 . The one or more computing devices of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of factors additionally include one or more of:
areas that are restricted fly zones; or areas that correspond to areas of high pedestrian density.

12 . The one or more computing devices of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry of the one or more computing devices, when obtaining the three-dimensional network coverage, is additionally to:
receive measurements of signal strength, associated with the cellular wireless network, from a plurality of UAVs, each of the received measurements including a three-dimensional indication of a location of the corresponding one of the plurality of UAVs when the corresponding UAV performs a measurement of the signal strength.

13 . The one or more computing devices of claim 12 , wherein the processing circuitry of the one or more computing devices, when obtaining the three-dimensional network coverage, is additionally to:
estimate signal strength, associated with the cellular wireless network, based on power radiation formulas applied to transceivers in the cellular wireless network.

14 . The one or more computing devices of claim 13 , wherein estimating the signal strength further includes estimating the signal strength, at various altitudes, based on geographic topology and network topology of the wireless cellular network.

15 . The one or more computing devices of claim 10 , wherein the determined flight path includes indications of flight segments, along the flight path, at which network connectivity to the cellular wireless network is not present.

16 . A system comprising:
a network coverage component to maintain a network coverage map that includes estimates of signal strength for a cellular wireless network, the estimates of signal strength being maintained on a three-dimensional basis, wherein, for a particular location, a plurality of signal strength estimates, corresponding to different altitudes, are maintained; and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation component to provide flight paths for UAVs, the UAV navigation component determining a particular flight path, for a particular UAV, based at least on the network coverage map such that the flight path includes indications of altitudes at which the particular UAV should fly to optimize connectivity to the cellular wireless network when the UAV is traversing the flight path.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the flight path is determined as a plurality of waypoints, in which each of the plurality of waypoints includes an indication of a geographical location and an altitude.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the network coverage component estimating the signal strength for the cellular wireless network by:
receiving measurements of signal strength, associated with the cellular wireless network, from a plurality of UAVs, each of the received measurements including a three-dimensional indication of a location of the corresponding one of the plurality of UAVs when the corresponding UAV performs a measurement of the signal strength.

19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the network coverage component, in maintaining the network coverage map, estimates signal strength, associated with the cellular wireless network, based on power radiation formulas applied to transceivers in the cellular wireless network.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the netwo

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Kotecha Lalit R

Classifications

• B64U2201/00

  UAVs characterised by their flight controls · CPC title

• G01C21/005

  with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching (G01C21/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06Q10/047

  Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem · CPC title

• G01C21/20

  Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04B7/18506

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