Detecting of navigation data spoofing based on image data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9689686-B1
Application number	US-201514866719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Techniques for determining whether data associated with an autonomous navigation of an unmanned vehicle may be trusted. For example, navigation-related data may be provided from a source external to the unmanned vehicle. Image data associated with the autonomous navigation may be generated. The navigation-related data and the image data may be compared to determine whether the navigation data may be trusted or not. If untrusted, the autonomous navigation may be directed independently of the navigation data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, by a computer system of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), global positioning system (GPS) data, the computer system configured to direct a flight of the UAV to deliver an item from a source to a destination along a predefined route based at least in part on the GPS data;
requesting, by the computer system from an imaging device of the UAV, an image associated with a location of the UAV, the UAV being at the location based at least in part on the GPS data;
accessing, by the computing system, a known image associated with a known location along the predefined route;
determining, by the computer system, a discrepancy between the known image and the image;
determining, by the computer system, that the GPS data is spoofed based at least in part on the discrepancy between the known image and the image; and
directing, by the computer system, a portion of the flight independently of the GPS data that is spoofed.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the discrepancy comprises:
transmitting, by the computer system, the image to a central station, the central station configured to:
select the known image from available images based at least in part on checkpoints along the predefined route of the UAV,
compare the image to the known image, and
determine that the discrepancy between the image and the known image based at least in part on the comparison, and

receiving the discrepancy from the central station.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the GPS data is spoofed comprises:
detecting, by the computer system, that the discrepancy exceeds a threshold, wherein the threshold is based at least in part on one or more of: the camera, the item, historical deliveries of the UAV, or historical deliveries of another UAV.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein directing the portion of the flight independently of the GPS data comprises:
receiving sensor data of a navigation sensor of the UAV; and
directing the portion of the flight based at least in part on the sensor data.

5. One or more non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions that, when executed with a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:
access navigation data of a source external to an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV), the navigation data associated with directing an autonomous navigation of the UAV along a predefined route;
access image data of an optical sensor installed on the UAV;
access known image data associated with a known location along the predefined route;
determine that the navigation data is untrusted based at least in part on a discrepancy between the known image data and the image data; and
direct the autonomous navigation of the UAV independently of the navigation data based at least in part on the navigation data being untrusted.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 5 , wherein the UAV is configured to deliver an item available from an electronic marketplace, wherein the source external to the UAV comprises a global positioning system (GPS), and wherein the navigation data comprises GPS data.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 5 , wherein the computer system is installed at the UAV.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 5 , wherein the computer system is installed at a central station and is configured to communicate with the UAV over a network, wherein accessing the image data comprises receiving an image of a location of the UAV, wherein determining that the navigation data is untrusted comprises:
detecting an object in the image;
matching the object to a known object from a map, the map indicating a particular location of the known object;
determining the discrepancy based on a comparison of the known location along the predefined route of the UAV and the particular location of the known object; and
determining that the discrepancy exceeds a threshold.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 5 , wherein the image data forms an image at a particular resolution of a location of the UAV, wherein the UAV is at the location based at least in part on the navigation data.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed with the computer system, further cause the computer system to at least:
request, based at least in part on determining that the navigation data is untrusted, a second image at a higher resolution from an imaging device comprising the optical sensor; and
confirm that the navigation data is untrusted based at least in part on the second image.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 5 , wherein the instructions, when executed with the computer system, further cause the computer system to at least, upon determining that the navigation data is untrusted:
change a location of the UAV;
request an image of the location from an imaging device comprising the optical sensor; and
confirm that the navigation data is untrusted based at least in part on the image.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 5 , wherein the image data forms an image of a location of the UAV, wherein the instructions, when executed with the computer system, further cause the computer system to at least: request an imaging device comprising the optical sensor to generate the image upon a detection that the UAV is at the location based at least in part on the navigation data.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 5 , wherein the image data forms an image of a location of the UAV, wherein the instructions, when executed with the computer system, further cause the computer system to at least: request an imaging device comprising the optical sensor to generate images of locations of the UAV at a dynamic frequency, wherein the dynamic frequency increases upon determining that the navigation data is untrusted.

14. A system associated with an unmanned vehicle, the system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions that, when executed with the one or more processors, cause the system to at least:
access navigation data of a source external to the unmanned vehicle, the navigation data associated with directing an autonomous navigation of the unmanned vehicle along a predefined route;
access image data of an optical sensor of the unmanned vehicle, the image data associated with a location of the unmanned vehicle based at least in part on the autonomous navigation;
access known image data associated with a known location along the predefined route;

determine that the navigation data is untrusted based at least in part on a discrepancy between the known image data and the image data; and
direct the autonomous navigation of the unmanned vehicle independently of the navigation data that is untrusted and based at least in part on a corrective action.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the image data forms an image at a resolution, wherein the instructions, when executed with the one or more processors, further cause the system to at least:
detect that the unmanned vehicle is at the location based at least in part on the navigation data, and
request an imaging device comprising the optical sensor to generate the image at the resolution upon the detecting, and

wherein the corrective action comprises:
requesting t

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Carmack Scott Gerard
• Lakkakula Narasimha Rao
• Mehr Nima Sharifi

Classifications

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U2201/104

  using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• B64U2101/60

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

• H04K3/65

  using deceptive jamming or spoofing, e.g. transmission of false signals for premature triggering of RCIED, for forced connection or disconnection to/from a network or for generation of dummy target signal · CPC title

• H04K3/22

  including jamming detection and monitoring · CPC title