Scheduling of unmanned aerial vehicles for mission performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9671790-B2
Application number	US-201414282205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A device receives a request for a mission that includes traversal of a flight path from one or more first locations to a second location and performance of mission operations, and determines required capabilities and constraints for the mission based on the request. The device identifies UAVs based on the required capabilities and the constraints, and calculates a cost effective mission plan, for the identified UAVs, based on the required capabilities and the constraints. The device generates mission plan instructions, for the cost effective mission plan, that include flight path instructions for the flight path and mission instructions for the mission operations. The device provides the mission plan instructions to the identified UAVs to permit the identified UAVs to travel from the one or more first locations to the second location, via the flight path, and to perform the mission operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a device, a request for a mission that includes traversal of a flight path from a first geographical location to a second geographical location and performance of one or more mission operations;
determining, by the device, required capabilities for the mission based on the request;
determining, by the device, constraints for the mission based on the request;
identifying, by the device and from a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, particular unmanned aerial vehicles based on the required capabilities and the constraints;
calculating, by the device, a cost effective mission plan, for the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the required capabilities and the constraints;
generating, by the device, mission plan instructions for the cost effective mission plan,
the mission plan instructions including flight path instructions for the flight path and mission instructions for the one or more mission operations; and

providing, by the device, the mission plan instructions to the particular unmanned aerial vehicles to permit the particular unmanned aerial vehicles to travel from the first geographical location to the second geographical location, via the flight path, and to perform the one or more mission operations.

2. The method of claim 1 , where determining the constraints for the mission comprises at least one of:
determining the constraints for the mission based on availability of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
determining the constraints for the mission based on operational states of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
determining the constraints for the mission based on costs associated with operating the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
determining the constraints for the mission based on a time limit associated with the mission; or
determining the constraints for the mission based on a mission type associated with the mission.

3. The method of claim 1 , where calculating the cost effective mission plan comprises:
determining a plurality of mission plans, for the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the required capabilities and the constraints;
assigning weights to the required capabilities and the constraints;
calculating scores for the plurality of mission plans based on the assigned weights; and
selecting the cost effective mission plan, from the plurality of mission plans, based on the calculated scores.

4. The method of claim 1 , where calculating the cost effective mission plan comprises:
utilizing a linear programming technique to calculate the cost effective mission plan, for the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the required capabilities and the constraints.

5. The method of claim 1 , where identifying the particular unmanned aerial vehicles comprises:
assigning weights to capability information associated with the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
calculating scores for the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the assigned weights; and
identifying the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, from the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the calculated scores.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising one of:
identifying one or more additional unmanned aerial vehicles for the particular unmanned aerial vehicles based on the cost effective mission plan; or
removing one or more unmanned aerial vehicles from the particular unmanned aerial vehicles based on the cost effective mission plan.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from at least one of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, a notification indicating that the mission is complete when the particular unmanned aerial vehicles complete the one or more mission operations.

8. A system, comprising:
one or more devices to:
receive a request for a mission that includes traversal of a flight path from one or more first geographical locations to a second geographical location and performance of one or more mission operations at the second geographical location;
determine required capabilities for the mission based on the request;
determine constraints for the mission based on the request;
identify, from a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, particular unmanned aerial vehicles based on the required capabilities and the constraints;
calculate a cost effective mission plan, for the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the required capabilities and the constraints;
generate mission plan instructions for the cost effective mission plan,
the mission plan instructions including flight path instructions for the flight path and mission instructions for the one or more mission operations; and

provide the mission plan instructions to the particular unmanned aerial vehicles to permit the particular unmanned aerial vehicles to travel from the one or more first geographical locations to the second geographical location, via the flight path, and to perform the one or more mission operations at the second geographical location.

9. The system of claim 8 , where, when determining the constraints for the mission, the one or more devices are further to least one of:
determine the constraints for the mission based on availability of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
determine the constraints for the mission based on operational states of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
determine the constraints for the mission based on costs associated with operating the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
determine the constraints for the mission based on a time limit associated with the mission; or
determine the constraints for the mission based on a mission type associated with the mission.

10. The system of claim 8 , where, when calculating the cost effective mission plan, the one or more devices are further to:
determine a plurality of mission plans based on the required capabilities and the constraints;
assign weights to the required capabilities and the constraints;
calculate scores for the plurality of mission plans based on the assigned weights;
select the cost effective mission plan, from the plurality of mission plans, based on the calculated scores.

11. The system of claim 8 , where, when calculating the cost effective mission plan, the one or more devices are further to:
utilize a linear programming technique to calculate the cost effective mission plan, for the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the required capabilities and the constraints.

12. The system of claim 8 , where, when identifying the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, the one or more devices are further to:
assign weights to capability information associated with the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
calculate scores for the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the assigned weights; and
identify the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, from the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, based on the calculated scores.

13. The system of claim 8 , where the one or more devices are further to:
receive mission information from the particular unmanned aerial vehicles during performance of the one or more mission operations by the particular unmanned aerial vehicles; and
provide the mission information to a device that generated the request for the mission.

14. The system of claim 8 , where the one or more devices are further to:
receive, from at least one of the particular unmanned aerial vehicles, a notification indicating that the mission is complete when the particular unmanned aerial vehicles complete the one or more mission operations.

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U2101/60

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

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title

• G05D1/101 Primary

  specially adapted for aircraft · CPC title