Dynamic selection of unmanned aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9354296-B2
Application number	US-201414282345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A device receives a request for a flight path from a first location to a second location in a region, and calculates the flight path based on the request and based on one or more of weather information, air traffic information, obstacle information, regulatory information, or historical information associated with the region. The device determines required capabilities for the flight path based on the request, and selects, from multiple UAVs, a particular UAV based on the required capabilities for the flight path and based on a ranking of the multiple UAVs. The device generates flight path instructions for the flight path, and provides the flight path instructions to the particular UAV to permit the particular UAV to travel from the first location to the second location via the flight path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for enabling unmanned aerial vehicles to traverse flight paths from origination locations to destination locations, the method comprising:
receiving, by a device, a request for a flight path from a first geographical location to a second geographical location in a region;
calculating, by the device, the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the request for the flight path and based on one or more of weather information, air traffic information, obstacle information, regulatory information, or historical information associated with the region;
determining, by the device, required capabilities for the flight path based on the request for the flight path;
selecting, by the device and from a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, a particular unmanned aerial vehicle based on the required capabilities for the flight path and based on a ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
generating, by the device, flight path instructions for the flight path; and
providing, by the device, the flight path instructions to the particular unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the particular unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path.

2. The method of claim 1 , where determining the required capabilities for the flight path comprises at least one of:
determining the required capabilities for the flight path based on the first geographical location and the second geographical location;
determining the required capabilities for the flight path based on component requirements associated with the flight path;
determining the required capabilities for the flight path based on physical requirements associated with the flight path; or
determining the required capabilities for the flight path based on the one or more of the weather information, the air traffic information, the obstacle information, the regulatory information, or the historical information associated with the region.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is determined prior to receiving the request for the flight path.

4. The method of claim 1 , where selecting the particular unmanned aerial vehicle comprises:
assigning weights to capability information associated with the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
calculating a score, for each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the assigned weights; and
selecting the particular unmanned aerial vehicle, from the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the calculated scores and based on the required capabilities for the flight path.

5. The method of claim 4 , where selecting the particular unmanned aerial vehicle comprises:
determining the ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the calculated scores; and
selecting the particular unmanned aerial vehicle, from the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles.

6. The method of claim 4 , where different weights are assigned to different types of the capability information.

7. The method of claim 1 , where the particular unmanned aerial vehicle includes a mobile hotspot component that permits the particular unmanned aerial vehicle to generate a mobile hotspot at the second geographical location.

8. A system for enabling unmanned aerial vehicles to traverse flight paths from origination locations to destination locations, the system comprising:
one or more devices to:
receive a request for a flight path from a first geographical location to a second geographical location in a region;
calculate the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the request for the flight path and based on:
one or more of air traffic information, regulatory information, or historical information associated with the region, and
one or more of weather information or obstacle information;

determine required capabilities for the flight path based on the request for the flight path;
select, from a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, a particular unmanned aerial vehicle based on the required capabilities for the flight path and based on a ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
generate flight path instructions for the flight path; and
provide the flight path instructions to the particular unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the particular unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location via the flight path.

9. The system of claim 8 , where, when determining the required capabilities for the flight path, the one or more devices are to at least one of:
determine the required capabilities for the flight path based on the first geographical location and the second geographical location;
determine the required capabilities for the flight path based on component requirements associated with the flight path;
determine the required capabilities for the flight path based on physical requirements associated with the flight path; or
determine the required capabilities for the flight path based on the one or more of the weather information, the air traffic information, the obstacle information, the regulatory information, or the historical information associated with the region.

10. The system of claim 8 , where the ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is determined prior to receiving the request for the flight path.

11. The system of claim 8 , where, when selecting the particular unmanned aerial vehicle, the one or more devices are to:
assign weights to capability information associated with the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
calculate a score, for each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the assigned weights; and
select the particular unmanned aerial vehicle, from the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the calculated scores and based on the required capabilities for the flight path.

12. The system of claim 11 , where, when selecting the particular unmanned aerial vehicle, the one or more devices are to:
determine the ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the calculated scores; and
select the particular unmanned aerial vehicle, from the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the ranking of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles.

13. The system of claim 11 , where different weights are assigned to different types of the capability information.

14. The system of claim 8 , where the particular unmanned aerial vehicle includes a mobile hotspot component and the one or more devices are to:
instruct the particular unmanned aerial vehicle to travel to the second geographical location and generate a mobile hotspot at the second geographical location.

15. A computer-readable medium for storing instructions for enabling unmanned aerial vehicles to traverse flight paths from origination locations to destination locations, the instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the one or more processors to:
receive a request for a flight path from a first geographical location to a second geographical location in a region;
calculate the flight path from the first geographical location to the second geographical location based on the request for the flight path and based on one or more of weather information, air traffic information, obstacle information, regulatory information, o

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Ubhi Gurpreet
• Srivastava Ashok N
• Pasko Douglas M
• Batla Hani
• Kantor Igor

Classifications

• B64U2101/60

  for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons · CPC title

• B64U2201/00

  UAVs characterised by their flight controls · CPC title

• G08G5/74

  for monitoring terrain · CPC title

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G08G5/59

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