US 2016/0260332 A1 · UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE AUTHORIZATION AND GEOFENCE ENVELOPE DETERMINATION

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for unmanned aerial vehicle authorization and geofence envelope determination. One of the methods includes determining, by an electronic system in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), an estimated fuel remaining in the UAV. An estimated fuel consumption of the UAV is determined. Estimated information associated with wind affecting the UAV is determined using information obtained from sensors included in the UAV. Estimated flights times remaining for a current path, and one or more alternative flight paths, are determined using the determined estimated fuel remaining, determined estimated fuel consumption, determined information associated wind, and information describing each flight path. In response to the electronic system determining that the estimated fuel remaining, after completion of the current flight path, would be below a first threshold, an alternative flight path is selected.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

maintaining, by a system, comprising one or more processing devices comprising hardware, geofence envelopes respectively allocated, using the system, for each UAV in a first plurality of UAVs, wherein each allocated geofence envelope represents a virtual barrier for a real-world geographic area associated with a respective UAV;
receiving information describing a first flight path of a first UAV;
determining that the first flight path of the first UAV would violate a geofence envelope respectively allocated to one or more other UAVs in the first plurality of UAVs;
and
at least partly in response to the determination that the first flight path of the first UAV would violate the one or more geofence envelopes respectively allocated to the one or more other UAVs in the first plurality of UAVs, providing a response to the first UAV or to a ground station in communication with the first UAV;
wherein the response includes information indicating a recommended second flight path that would not violate the one or more geofence envelopes respectively allocated to the UAVs in the first plurality of UAVs.

3 more elements

A computer program product, encoded on one or more non-transitory computer storage media, comprising instructions that when executed by a system, comprising one or more computers, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

maintaining, by a system, comprising one or more processing devices comprising hardware, geofence envelopes respectively allocated, using the system, for each UAV in a first plurality of UAVs, wherein each allocated geofence envelope represents a virtual barrier for a real-world geographic area associated with a respective UAV;
receiving information describing a flight path of a first UAV;
determining that the flight path of the first UAV would violate a geofence envelope respectively allocated to one or more other UAVs in the first plurality of UAVs;
and
at least partly in response to the determination that the first flight path of the first UAV would violate the one or more geofence envelopes respectively allocated to the one or more other UAVs in the first plurality of UAVs, providing a response to the first UAV or to a ground station in communication with the first UAV;
wherein the response includes information indicating a recommended second flight path that would not violate the one or more geofence envelopes respectively allocated to the UAVs in the first plurality of UAVs.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Unmanned aerial vehicle authorization and geofence envelope determination

Life of this patent

Unmanned aerial vehicle authorization and geofence envelope determination

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30