Systems and methods for restricting drone airspace access

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9601022-B2
Application number	US-201514608226-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2015
Priority date	Jan 29, 2015
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for providing conditional access for a drone for accessing a restricted area. Conditional access information associated with conditional access restrictions for the restricted area may be received by the drone. The drone may compare the received conditional access information to one or more access parameters for the drone. The drone may access the restricted area based on the comparison of the received conditional access information and the access parameter. A drone may take corrective action when the received conditional access information does not permit access to the restricted area based on the access parameter for the drone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing conditional access by a drone to an area of restricted space (“restricted area”), comprising:
receiving, by a processor of the drone, conditional access information associated with conditional access restrictions for the restricted area;
comparing, by the processor of the drone, the received conditional access information for the restricted area to one or more access parameters for the drone; and
accessing the restricted area by the drone based on comparing the received conditional access information to the one or more access parameters for the drone.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing the restricted area by the drone based on comparing the received conditional access information and the one or more access parameters for the drone comprises accessing the restricted area when the one or more access parameters satisfy the received conditional access information and not accessing the restricted area when the one or more access parameters do not satisfy the received conditional access information.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising taking corrective action by the drone when the one or more access parameters do not satisfy the received conditional access information, wherein the corrective action comprises at least one of:
landing in or moving to a designated area;
proceeding along a designated path to avoid the restricted area;
returning to a designated location;
preventing takeoff;
reverting control of the drone to a third party;
restricting usage of the drone while in the restricted area; and
waiting for a period of time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
comparing, by the processor of the drone, the received conditional access information for the restricted area to one or more access parameters for the drone comprises comparing a restriction level in the received conditional access information with an access level assigned to the drone; and
accessing the restricted area by the drone based on comparing the received conditional access information and the one or more access parameters for the drone comprises accessing the restricted area when the access level assigned to the drone is equal to or higher than the restriction level based on comparing the restriction level with the access level assigned to the drone, and taking corrective action by the drone when the access level assigned to the drone is less than the restriction level based on comparing the restriction level with the access level assigned to the drone.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the corrective action comprises at least one of:
landing in or moving to a designated area;
proceeding along a designated path to avoid the restricted area;
returning to a designated location;
preventing takeoff;
reverting control of the drone to a third party;
restricting usage of the drone while in the restricted area; and
waiting for a period of time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving, by a processor of the drone, conditional access information associated with conditional access restrictions for the restricted area comprises receiving a restriction level in the received conditional access information that is changeable between a first restriction level and a second restriction level; and
accessing the restricted area by the drone based on comparing the received conditional access information and the one or more access parameters for the drone comprises accessing the restricted area when the restriction level is changed to the first level and not accessing the restricted area when the restriction level is changed to the second level.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conditional access restrictions for the restricted area are configured to change based on one or more of: a time; a time period; a time of day; a day; and a date.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing the restricted area by the drone based on comparing the received conditional access information and the one or more access parameters for the drone further comprises:
providing, by the processor of the drone, toll payment information to one of a server and a beacon device;
receiving, by the processor of the drone, a confirmation of a toll payment with the toll payment information; and
accessing the restricted area by the drone based on the received confirmation of the toll payment.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more access parameters for the drone comprises at least one of a drone access level, a drone toll payment, a drone identification, a drone authentication, and a drone capability.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conditional access restrictions comprise at least one of a restriction level, a drone toll payment restriction, a time-based restriction, a drone identification restriction, a drone authentication restriction, a drone use restriction, a drone speed restriction, and a drone altitude restriction.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving, by a processor of the drone, conditional access information associated with conditional access restrictions for the restricted area comprises receiving the conditional access information from a database;
a first portion of the database is stored on a first server; and
a second portion of the database is stored on a second server.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more access parameters of the drone are at least in part based on one or more access parameters of an operator of the drone.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, by a processor of the drone, conditional access information including conditional access restrictions for the restricted area comprises receiving the conditional access information from a server via a wireless communication network.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising storing the received conditional access information in a memory of the drone.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving the conditional access information from a server via a wireless communication network comprises receiving updates to the conditional access information periodically according to an interval.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving the conditional access information from a server via a wireless communication network comprises receiving an expiration time for the conditional access information.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising reloading the conditional access information from the server when the expiration time expires.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, by a processor of the drone, conditional access information associated with conditional access restrictions for the restricted area comprises receiving the conditional access information from a database stored in a plurality of redundant servers, the method further comprising:
selecting one of the plurality of redundant servers from which to receive the conditional access information based on a criteria.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the criteria includes one or more of: a proximity of the one of the plurality of redundant servers to the drone, a link quality of a communication link between the one of the plurality of redundant servers and the drone, an affiliation of the one of the plurality of redundant servers, a classification of the one of the plurality of redundant servers, a reputation of one of the plurality of redundant servers, and an operator of the one of the plurality of redundant servers.

20. A drone, comprising:
a transceiver; and
a processor coupled to the transceive

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Taveira Michael Franco

Classifications

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• H04K3/22

  including jamming detection and monitoring · CPC title

• H04K3/90

  related to allowing or preventing navigation or positioning, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• H04K2203/22

  for communication related to vehicles · CPC title

• H04K3/25

  based on characteristics of target signal or of transmission (as countermeasure against surveillance H04K3/827), e.g. using direct sequence spread spectrum or fast frequency hopping (spread spectrum techniques H04B1/69) · CPC title