Process and system to register and regulate unmanned aerial vehicle operations

A system for establishing and using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight plan, comprising:

• a UAV having an onboard flight lock that is turned on to prevent the UAV from flying or turned off to enable the UAV to fly, wherein the flight lock is initially turned on;
• and
• a registration authority server, including:
• an interface to receive a flight plan request comprising a proposed flight plan for the UAV;
• a trajectory building engine to build a flight plan trajectory from the flight plan request;
• one or more processors to determine whether the flight plan trajectory conflicts with exclusion zones that restrict operation of the UAV;
• and
• an interface to send an approved flight plan that is destined for the UAV, the approved flight plan conveying to the UAV an authority to fly in a defined inclusion zone in a defined time window;
• wherein the UAV is configured to:
• receive the approved flight plan;
• determine whether the received approved flight plan meets criteria to turn off the flight lock;
• and
• if the criteria are met, turn off the flight lock to enable the UAV to fly.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

• an engine and flight control surfaces;
• a position, navigation, and time (PNT) module to provide PNT information;
• a communication interface to receive data;
• a processor coupled to the flight control surfaces, the PNT module, and the communication interface, and configured to:
• implement a flight lock that when turned on prevents the UAV from flying and when turned off enables the UAV to fly;
• initially turn on the flight lock to prevent the UAV from flying;
• receive, via the communication interface, an approved flight plan conveying authority to fly a UAV in a defined time window in a defined inclusion zone that avoids conflicts with flight path exclusion zones;
• determine whether the approved flight plan meets criteria to turn off the flight lock;
• and
• if the criteria are met, turn off the flight lock to enable the UAV to fly.