# US 2025/0095504 A1 · Supervisory safety system for controlling and limiting unmanned aerial system (uas) operations

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- Number: US 2025/0095504 A1
- Document ID: US20250095504A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/967,596
- Filed: 2024-12-03
- Published: 2025-03-20
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-19
- Assignees: AeroVironment, Inc.
- Applicants: AeroVironment, Inc.
- Inventors: Andrew Joseph Thurling; Joseph Frank Mohos
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250095504A1

## CPC

- G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft
- B64U 10/10: Rotorcrafts
- G05D 1/2295: {defining restricted zones, e.g. no-flight zones or geofences}
- G08G 5/21: located onboard the aircraft
- G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations
- G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft
- G08G 5/59: in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
- G05D 2103/00: Adaptations for complying with regulatory restraints on the operations of the controlled vehicles, e.g. compliance with airspace or traffic regulations
- G05D 2107/85: {Airports}
- G05D 2109/22: with fixed wings
- G05D 2109/254: {Flying platforms, e.g. multicopters}
- 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})
- B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for determining, by a processor, an unmanned aerial system position relative to at least one flight boundary; and effecting, by the processor, at least one flight limitation of a flight limiting device if the determined unmanned aerial system position crosses the at least one flight boundary.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
determining, by a processor having addressable memory, an error in a trajectory of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) that will cross at least one flight boundary within a set time, wherein the error is determined based on a position of the UAS; and
effecting, by the processor, at least one flight limitation based on the determined error in the trajectory, wherein the effected at least one flight limitation prevents the UAS from entering a prohibited flight area.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the position of the UAS is a three-dimensional position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
determining, by the processor, the three-dimensional position of the UAS relative to the at least one flight boundary encompassing the prohibited flight area.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
determining, by the processor, whether the determined three-dimensional position of the UAS has crossed a first flight boundary; and
sending, by the processor, a warning to a user when the first flight boundary of the at least one flight boundary is crossed by the UAS.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
attaching a flight limiting device (FLD) to the UAS, wherein the FLD includes the processor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the FLD is detachably attached to the UAS, and wherein the UAS has an operational reliability of at least 1*10−7 of preventing the UAS from crossing the at least one flight boundary when the FLD is detachably attached to the UAS.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the UAS has a lower operational reliability when the FLD is detached from the UAS.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
determining, by the processor, the UAS position relative to at least one user defined flight boundary; and
effecting, by the processor, at least one flight limitation of the UAS if the determined UAS position crosses the at least one user defined flight boundary;
wherein the at least one user defined flight boundary is smaller than the prohibited flight area.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving an input, by the processor, from a sense and avoid system of at least one object that could interfere with the UAS;
generating, by the processor, the at least one flight boundary based on the received input from the sense and avoid system; and
effecting, by the processor, at least one flight limitation of the UAS if the UAS position crosses the at least one generated flight boundary.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one flight boundary is updated by at least one of: a user from a third-party database prior to a flight, a sense and avoid system during the flight of the UAS, and a third-party database during the flight of the UAS.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a flight limitation of the at least one flight limitation comprises at least one of: grounding the UAS; deploying a parachute;
separating one or more components of the UAS; reversing a throttle to one or more propulsion devices of the UAS; and actuating an actuator to maintain the UAS in a circular flight pattern, wherein the circular flight pattern does not cross the at least one flight boundary, and wherein the circular flight pattern maintains the UAS outside of the prohibited flight area.

### Claim 12

A system comprising:
a processor having addressable memory, the processor configured to:
determine an error in a trajectory of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) that will cross at least one flight boundary within a set time, wherein the error is determined based on a position of the UAS; and
effect at least one flight limitation of the UAS based on the determined error in the trajectory, wherein the effected at least one flight limitation prevents the UAS from entering a prohibited flight area.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the position of the UAS is a three-dimensional position.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine the three-dimensional position of the UAS relative to the at least one flight boundary encompassing the prohibited flight area.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the low operational reliability UAS comprises a UAS processor with addressable memory.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, further comprising:
a highly reliable flight limiting device (FLD) configured to be detachably attached to a low operational reliability unmanned aerial system (UAS), wherein the FLD comprises the processor;
wherein the UAS has an operational reliability of at least 1*10−7 of preventing the UAS from crossing the at least one flight boundary when the FLD is detachably attached to the UAS, and wherein the UAS has a lower operational reliability when the FLD is detached from the UAS.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, further comprising:
wherein the UAS further comprises:
a UAS navigation device, wherein the UAS navigation device further comprises a global positioning system (GPS), an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and an altimeter;
a UAS radio, wherein the UAS radio comprises a transceiver; and
at least one UAS propulsion device; and
a UAS power source;
wherein the FLD is in communication with a UAS controller to effect the at least one flight limitation;
wherein the at least one flight limitation of the UAS comprises an actuation of an actuator to maintain the UAS in a circular flight pattern, wherein the circular flight pattern does not cross the at least one flight boundary, and wherein the circular flight pattern maintains the UAS outside of the prohibited flight area; and
wherein the processor of the FLD is configured to receive an input from at least one of: the UAS power source, the UAS controller, the UAS navigation device, the UAS radio, and the at least one UAS propulsion device;
a UAS operator controller comprising:
a UAS operator controller processor having addressable memory, the UAS controller processor configured to:
receive a status of the UAS, wherein the status includes data on at least one of: the UAS power source, the UAS controller, the UAS navigation device, the UAS radio, and the at least one UAS propulsion device; and
receive a warning if the determined UAS position crosses the at least one flight boundary.

### Claim 18

A method comprising:
attaching a processor having addressable memory to a first unmanned aerial system (UAS) having a first UAS processor and addressable memory, wherein the processor is detachably attached to the first UAS;
detaching the processor from the first UAS;
attaching the processor to a second UAS having a second UAS processor and addressable memory, wherein the processor is detachably attached to the second UAS;
determining, by the processor, an error in a trajectory of the second UAS that will cross the at least one flight boundary within a set time, wherein the error is determined based on a position of the second UAS; and
effecting, by the processor, at least one flight limitation based on the determined error in the trajectory, wherein the effected at least one flight limitation prevents the second UAS from entering a prohibited flight area.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising:
determining, by the processor, the position of the second UAS relative to the at least one flight boundary encompassing the prohibited flight area, wherein the position of the second UAS is a three-dimensional position of the second UAS.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein a highly reliable flight limiting device (FLD) includes the processor, wherein the first UAS has an operational reliability of at least 1*10−7 of preventing the first UAS from crossing the at least one flight boundary when the FLD is detachably attached to the first UAS, wherein the second UAS has an operational reliability of at least 1*10−7 of preventing the second UAS from crossing the at least one flight boundary when the highly reliable FLD is detachably attached to the second UAS, and wherein the second UAS has a lower operational reliability when the highly reliable FLD is detached from the second UAS.