# US 12,015,922 B2 · Automated remote ID monitoring network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,922 B2 - Document ID: US12015922B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/437,468 - Filed: 2020-03-13 - Published: 2022-06-16 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-14 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Mark Edward Davis; Gabriel C. Cox - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015922B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/18506: {Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service} - H04W 12/104: Location integrity, e.g. secure geotagging - H04L 63/0823: {using certificates (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263)} - H04L 63/1425: {Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection} - H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences - H04W 12/03: Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption - H04W 12/0431: Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04W 12/069: using certificates or pre-shared keys - H04W 12/122: Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices - H04W 12/64: using geofenced areas - H04W 84/06: Airborne or Satellite Networks (space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Techniques and systems are described for monitoring remote identifiers transmitted by aerial devices and for detecting whether an aerial device is engaging in suspicious activities. A described technique can include determining, based on information collected from one or mom network components associated with a cellular network, that an aerial device is communicating via the cellular network and is operating in a geographical area; determining whether the aerial device corresponds to a remote identifier which is transmitted within the geographical area or reported for the geographical area; and providing an alarm notification based on the aerial device lacking a correspondence to a remote identifier which is transmitted within the geographical area or reported for the geographical area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: determining, based on information collected from one or more network components associated with a cellular network, that an aerial device is communicating via the cellular network and is operating in a geographical area, the determining comprising: processing signals from a user equipment operating in the cellular network; and determining, based on said processing signals, that the user equipment is likely coupled with the aerial device; determining whether the aerial device corresponds to a remote identifier that is transmitted within the geographical area or reported for the geographical area, the determining comprising: comparing characteristics of the user equipment to one or more known remote identifiers in a corresponding geographical area to determine whether the user equipment is providing proper identification; and providing an alarm notification based on the aerial device lacking a correspondence to a remote identifier which is transmitted within the geographical area or reported for the geographical area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising: receiving, from the aerial device, information that indicates at least one of a reported identity, a reported location, or a reported activity of the aerial device; and verifying the received information that indicates at least one of the reported identity, the reported location, or the reported activity of the aerial device based on corresponding information detected by the one or more network components or provided by an aerial device service supplier that indicates at least one of a detected identity, a detected location, or a detected activity of the aerial device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the received information comprises a reported remote identifier associated with the aerial device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising: monitoring remote identifier broadcasts in the geographical area; performing an automated check for anomalous situations based on the monitoring of the remote identifier broadcasts in the geographical area; detecting an anomalous situation based on the performing of the automated check; and providing a notification to a registered recipient in response to a detection of the anomalous situation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein performing the automated check comprises: detecting, based on cellular network signaling, information related to the aerial device; determining a reported remote identifier for the aerial device; and detecting a discrepancy between the detected information and the reported remote identifier. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the aerial device corresponds to a remote identifier that is transmitted within the geographical area or reported for the geographical area comprises: receiving, from a plurality of devices, authentication messages based on public key encryption of corresponding remote identifiers and certificates; based at least on the authentication messages, determining, for at least some of the plurality of devices, whether the authentication messages satisfy stored authentication data based on public key encryption of remote identifiers and the certificates and that the remote identifier broadcasts in the geographical area are likely authentic; and determining that the aerial device does not correspond to a remote identifier that is transmitted within the geographical area or reported for the geographical area based at least on a respective remote identifier broadcast determined to not be authentic. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, comprising: aggregating data collected based on the monitoring, wherein aggregating data further comprises collecting aviation-band information including transponder traffic; and providing a report based on the aggregation of the data. ### Claim 8 An apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to perform operations comprising: determining, based on information collected from one or more network components associated with a cellular network, that an aerial device is communicating via the cellular network and is operating in a geographical area, the determining comprising: processing signals from a user equipment operating in the cellular network; and determining, based on said processing signals, that the user equipment is likely coupled with the aerial device; determining whether the aerial device corresponds to a remote identifier that is transmitted within the geographical area or reported for the geographical area, the determining comprising: comparing characteristics of the user equipment to one or more known remote identifiers in a corresponding geographical area to determine whether the user equipment is providing proper identification; and providing an alarm notification based on the aerial device lacking a correspondence to a remote identifier which is transmitted within the geographical area or reported for the geographical area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations comprise: receiving, from the aerial device, information that indicates an identity, a location, and an activity of the aerial device; and verifying the received information based on information detected by the one or more network components or provided by an aerial device service supplier. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the received information comprises a remote identifier associated with the aerial device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations comprise: monitoring remote identifier broadcasts in the geographical area; performing an automated check for anomalous situations based on the monitoring of the remote identifier broadcasts in the geographical area; detecting an anomalous situation based on the performing of the automated check; and providing a notification to a registered recipient in response to a detection of the anomalous situation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein performing the automated check comprises: detecting, based on cellular network signaling, information related to the aerial device; determining a reported remote identifier for the aerial device; and detecting a discrepancy between the detected information and the reported remote identifier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein determining whether the aerial device corresponds to a remote identifier that is transmitted within the geographical area or reported for the geographical area comprises: receiving, from a plurality of devices, authentication messages based on public key encryption of corresponding remote identifiers and certificates; based at least on the authentication messages, determining, for at least some of the plurality of devices, whether the authentication messages satisfy stored authentication data based on public key encryption of remote identifiers and the certificates and that the remote identifier broadcasts in the geographical area are likely authentic; and determining that the aerial device does not correspond to a remote identifier that is transmitted within the geographical area or reported for the geographical area based at least on a respective remote identifier broadcast determined to not be authentic. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operations comprise: aggregating data collected based on the monitoring, wherein aggregating data further comprises collecting aviation-band information including transponder traffic; and providing a report based on the aggregation of the data. ### Claim 15 An apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to perform operations comprising: receiving one or more first remote identifiers that are being broadcasted in a geographical area; receiving one or more second remote identifiers for the geographical area reported by an aerial device service supplier; detecting one or more user devices in the geographical area that appear to be aerial, the detecting comprising: processing signals from a user equipment operating in a cellular network; and determining, based on said processing signals, that the user equipment is likely coupled with an aerial device; identifying, from a set of one or more detected user devices, one or more suspect aerial devices that are not associated with the one or more first remote identifiers and the one or more second remote identifiers, the identifying comprising: comparing characteristics of the user equipment to one or more known remote identifiers in a corresponding geographical area to determine whether the user equipment is providing proper identification; and providing a notification comprising information regarding the one or more suspect aerial devices. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein detecting one or more user devices in the geographical area that appear to be aerial comprises: determining one or more properties of the signals that indicate the user equipment is performing aerial operations. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more suspect aerial devices comprises an aerial device that is determined to be noncompliant based on non-transmission of a remote identifier. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more suspect aerial devices comprises an aerial device that is determined to be noncompliant based on transmitting false information.