# US 10,372,142 B2 · System for autonomous operation of multiple hybrid unmanned aerial vehicles supported by recharging stations to perform services > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,142 B2 - Document ID: US10372142B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/738,236 - Filed: 2016-06-23 - Published: 2018-07-05 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-23 - Assignees: Archon Technologies Ltd. - Applicants: Davide Venturelli - Inventors: Davide Venturelli - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372142B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/104: {involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying (traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00)} - B64C 25/34: wheeled type, e.g. multi-wheeled bogies - B64U 50/30: Supply or distribution of electrical power - G06Q 10/06311: {Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group} - G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management - G08G 5/20: Arrangements for acquiring, generating, sharing or displaying traffic information (arrangements for monitoring traffic G08G5/72) - G08G 5/22: located on the ground - G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations - G08G 5/32: for flight plan preparation - G08G 5/34: for flight plan modification - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft - G08G 5/727: {from a ground station} - G08G 5/76: for monitoring atmospheric conditions - B64U 2201/10: autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract An automated system and method for controlling a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is described. The system can include a receiver, a transmitter, and at least one processor in communication with a memory. The receiver receives first telemetric data from the plurality of UAVs. The transmitter is configured to transmit control data to the plurality of UAVs. The memory stores processor-issuable instructions to: substantially simultaneously determine a plurality of plans for each of the plurality of UAVs and for a predetermined time period based at least on the first telemetric data; and iteratively revise the plurality of plans. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An automated system for controlling a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising: a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); a receiver for receiving first telemetric data from said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); a transmitter for transmitting control data to said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); at least one processor in communication with a memory which has stored therein processor-issuable instructions; and a planner for substantially simultaneously determining a plurality of plans for each one of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for a predetermined time period based at least upon said first telemetric data received from said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and for iteratively revising said telemetric data and said plurality of plans into updated telemetric data and plans for each one of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and for transmitting both navigational and scheduling program data to said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such that said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can not only be controlled navigationally but can also be controlled in accordance with a scheduled program, including periodic movements to at least one recharging station, whereby individual ones of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles can assist each other in combination in order to accomplish a predetermined task, as well as to relieve each other as necessary in accordance with a continuously controlled unmanned aerial vehicle operational program. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said at least one of said first telemetric data and said updated telemetric data includes positional data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said at least one of said first telemetric data and said updated telemetric data includes battery charge data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said plurality of iteratively revised plans is based upon updated telemetric data received, via said receiver, from said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: wherein at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is an unmanned ground aerial vehicle (UGAV) comprising wheels for ground movement. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein: said control data, transmitted to at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprises flight navigation data and ground navigation data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) include a plurality of environmental sensors for sensing various environmental conditions; said plans for each one of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are coordinated so as to satisfy at least one of the following scenarios: avoid collisions between said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); avoid collisions between said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other objects or regions specified upon a geographical navigation model; avoid interaction of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with events specified on a temporal model; synchronize planned movements of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in accordance with environmental conditions detected by said sensors in order to guarantee the continuance of data acquisition of a particular region or event for an arbitrarily long amount of time; ensure that said plans for said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs allows for said data acquisition as specified as an objective of said plan; and ensure that each one of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) maintains a battery charge that is above a predetermined level, which could be different for each unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said plans are coordinated to ensure that at least a predefined number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is present in each of a predetermined plurality of geographical zones. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said plans are coordinated to ensure that no more than a predefined number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is present in each one of a predetermined plurality of geographical zones. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said updated telemetric data received from said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fault notification. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: at least one of said first telemetric data and said updated telemetric data comprises meteorological data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said updated telemetric data comprises trigger event data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said control data transmitted to said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles comprises at least one of: ground navigation data, flight navigation data, data acquisition data, communication data, take-off data, landing data, docking data, and recharging data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: said plurality of plans are coordinated so as to run substantially concurrently. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said plurality of plans include an instruction for at least one of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to travel to a recharging station. ### Claim 16 A method of controlling a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising the steps of: determining a plurality of plans for each one of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based at least upon first telemetric data received from said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); subsequently iteratively revising said telemetric data and said plurality of plans; and transmitting both navigational and scheduling program data to said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such that said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can not only be controlled navigationally but can also be controlled in accordance with a scheduled program, including periodic movements to at least one recharging station, whereby individual ones of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles can assist each other in combination in order to accomplish a predetermined task, as well as to relieve each other as necessary in accordance with a continuously controlled unmanned aerial vehicle operational program. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein: determining said plurality of plans for said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) comprises determining all of said plans thereof substantially simultaneously. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein: iteratively revising said plurality of plans is based upon second, updated, telemetric data received from the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein: iteratively revising said plurality of plans is performed at predeterminedly timed intervals. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein: iteratively revising said plurality of plans is based upon a decision made by a predeterminedly configured software program. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein: configuring at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as an unmanned ground aerial vehicle (UGAV) comprising wheels for ground movement. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein: said plurality of plans includes an instruction for at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of said plurality of f unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to travel to a recharging station.