Method and system to improve safety concerning drones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9947233-B2
Application number	US-201615207874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2016
Priority date	Jul 12, 2016
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A method and system for controlling access to restricted sectors in airspace. The method includes creating a multi-dimensional map of airspace, overlaying a sector having boundaries onto the map, wherein the sector contains a restricted flight zone and a buffer zone monitoring the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), sending a command to the UAV if the UAV enters the buffer zone; and generating a response if the UAV does not leave the sector based on the command.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method comprising:
creating a multi-dimensional map of airspace;
overlaying a sector having first boundaries and second boundaries onto the map, wherein the sector contains a restricted flight zone having the first boundaries and a buffer zone having the second boundaries;
monitoring flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
sending a command to the UAV if the UAV enters the buffer zone; and
generating a response if the UAV does not leave the sector based on the command.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the command is sent to the UAV via a network, and wherein the response comprises a second command to the UAV to override a current flight plan of the UAV.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the response comprises an alarm.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein access to the sector is based at least on one of a time of day, authorization levels, or a number of UAVs in the sector.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and the second boundaries are generated based on events and then transmitted to the UAV.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and the second boundaries are received from a second UAV and transmitted to the UAV.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and the second boundaries move as a function of time.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and the second boundaries move based on movement of events on the ground.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a request from the UAV to enter the sector and transmitting a response to the UAV.

10. A system comprising:
an unmanned airborne vehicle (UAV);
a command and control center in communication with the UAV, the command and control center having a processor; and
a memory coupled with the processor, the memory having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:
creating a multi-dimensional map of airspace;
overlaying a sector having first boundaries and second boundaries onto the map, wherein the sector contains a restricted flight zone having the first boundaries and a buffer zone having the second boundaries;
monitoring flight of the UAV;
sending a command to the UAV if the UAV enters the buffer zone; and
generating a response if the UAV does not leave the sector based on the command.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the response comprises a second command to the UAV to override a current flight plan of the UAV.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the response comprises an alarm.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein access to the sector is based at least on one of a time of day, authorization levels, or a number of UAVs in the sector.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the first and the second boundaries are generated based on events and then transmitted to the UAV.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the first and the second boundaries are received from a second UAV and transmitted to the UAV.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the first and the second boundaries move as a function of time.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the first and the second boundaries move based on movement of events on the ground.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the operations further comprise receiving a request from the UAV to enter the sector and transmitting a response to the UAV.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from a second UAV, information associated with the sector, wherein the overlaying is in response to receiving the information.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the response is generated if the UAV does not leave the sector within an interval of time.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Cui Zhi
• Dowlatkhah Sangar
• Shaw Venson

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

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

• G08G5/006 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08G5/0069

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08G5/0039

  Physics · mapped topic