Computer implemented system and method for providing robust communication links to unmanned aerial vehicles

A computer implemented method for providing robust communication links to unmanned aerial vehicles, said method comprising the following:

• creating a 3D model determining signal coverage provided by a plurality of nodes in a pre-determined area;
• storing said 3D signal coverage model for said pre-determined area, and also storing, for an unmanned aerial vehicle, a pre-determined flight path having pre-determined corridors on each side of said flight path and information associated with said flight path, wherein said information comprises location information related to waypoints lying within said corridors and signal strengths of said waypoints;
• navigating said unmanned aerial vehicle to follow said stored flight path,
• wherein, if said signal coverage is lost while following said stored flight path, then said unmanned aerial vehicle searches for a node in said stored flight path that provides signal coverage, and if said node is found, then said unmanned aerial vehicle follows said stored flight path in an online mode, wherein in said online mode a sequence of signal strength measurements are used along with a digital terrain model (DTM) and location of radio signal transmitters to model and predict signal propagation losses more precisely,
• wherein, if said signal coverage is lost from said node, then said unmanned aerial vehicle switches to an offline mode from said online mode to carry out 3D path planning and signal prediction based on said 3D model and to use coverage skimming, wherein said offline mode uses only said DTM and said location of radio signal transmitters to model and predict said signal propagation losses, and
• wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle further checks for the signal from said node in the offline mode, and, if said signal from said node is found, then said unmanned aerial vehicle switches back to said online mode from said offline mode and follows said stored flight path, and, if said signal from said node is not found, then said unmanned aerial vehicle returns to a location that received said signal from said node in said online mode and continues to search for said signal from said node;
• identifying waypoints present in the followed flight path, wherein the identified waypoints include suitable waypoints and guiding waypoints;
• selecting suitable waypoints from the identified waypoints;
• collecting data from said selected suitable waypoints present in said flight path;
• identifying location of said unmanned aerial vehicle and determining nodes present at pre-determined distance from said unmanned aerial vehicle based on stored 3D signal coverage model and stored approximate signal strengths;
• detecting actual signal strengths of said determined nodes;
• selecting, from said determined nodes, a suitable node based on corresponding signal strength;
• and
• transmitting the collected data to said suitable node through said unmanned aerial vehicle thereby providing robust communication.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for providing robust communication links to unmanned aerial vehicles, that when executed by a processor performs the following steps:

• creating a 3D model determining signal coverage provided by a plurality of nodes in a pre-determined area;
• storing said 3D signal coverage model for said pre-determined area, and also storing, for an unmanned aerial vehicle, a pre-determined flight path having pre-determined corridors on each side of said flight path and information associated with said flight path, wherein said information comprises location information related to waypoints lying within said corridors and signal strengths of said waypoints;
• navigating said unmanned aerial vehicle to follow said stored flight path,
• wherein, if said signal coverage is lost while following said stored flight path, then said unmanned aerial vehicle searches for a node in said stored flight path that provides signal coverage, and if said node is found, then said unmanned aerial vehicle follows said stored flight path in an online mode, wherein in said online mode a where sequence of signal strength measurements are used along with a digital terrain model (DTM) and location of radio signal transmitters to model and predict signal propagation losses more precisely,
• wherein, if said signal coverage is lost from said node, then said unmanned aerial vehicle switches to an offline mode from said online mode to carryout 3D path planning and signal prediction based on said 3D model and to use coverage skimming, wherein said offline mode uses only said DTM and said location of radio signal transmitters to model and predict said signal propagation losses, and
• wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle further checks for the signal from said node in the offline mode, and, if said signal from said node is found, then said unmanned aerial vehicle switches back to said online mode from said offline mode and follows said stored flight path, and, if said signal from said node is not found, then said unmanned aerial vehicle returns to a location that received said signal from said node in said online mode and continues to search for said signal from said node;
• identifying waypoints present in the followed flight path, wherein the identified waypoints include suitable waypoints and guiding waypoints;
• selecting suitable waypoints from the identified waypoints;
• collecting data from said selected suitable waypoints present in said flight path;
• identifying location of said unmanned aerial vehicle and determining nodes present at pre-determined distance from said unmanned aerial vehicle based on stored 3D signal coverage model and stored approximate signal strengths;
• detecting actual signal strengths of said determined nodes;
• selecting, from said determined nodes, a suitable node based on corresponding signal strength;
• and transmitting the collected data to said suitable node through said unmanned aerial vehicle thereby providing robust communication.