UAV control method, device and system

Abstract

The present application provides a method, device, and system for controlling a drone, which enables the drone or network equipment to identify risks in the flight route and manage the flight route of the drone, thereby ensuring the flight safety of the drone.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a method, device, and system for controlling a drone. Background Art

[0002] The application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is becoming more and more popular in today's society, and the management of such drones has gradually attracted everyone's attention.

[0003] Currently, UAVs can send flight path information to radio access network (RAN) nodes, so that the RAN nodes can optimize the UAV's handover strategy. Figure 1 It is an information diagram of a possible UAV flight path.

[0004] As UAVs become more and more popular, there may be a large number of UAVs in one area. Usually, the flight routes of UAVs can be set by users themselves without the need for authorization, which may lead to the following problems: Figure 2 As shown in FIG, UAV flight path conflicts may occur, which may lead to UAV collisions and cause safety hazards. Alternatively, some UAVs may fly into no-fly zones, causing unnecessary trouble or unnecessary economic losses. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, embodiments of the present application provide a method, device, and system for controlling a drone, which can reasonably control the flight path of the drone.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a method for controlling a drone, which can be implemented by a drone or a component that can be configured for a drone. The method may include: a first drone receiving flight path information from at least one other drone (a second drone); the first drone determining a collision risk based on its own flight path information and the received flight path information; and the first drone updating its own flight path.

[0007] Optionally, the flight route information received from the second UAV may include the flight route information of the second UAV itself, and may also include the flight route information of other UAVs obtained by the second UAV.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the first drone may receive the flight route information via a side link. Optionally, when receiving the flight route information via the side link, a layer 2 identifier may also be received, where the layer 2 identifier is a destination identifier.

[0009] In some possible implementations, after determining that a collision risk exists, the first drone may proactively update its current flight route. Optionally, after proactively updating its flight route, the first drone may report information related to the updated flight route. For example, the first drone may send the information related to the updated flight route to an access network device, a drone controller associated with the first drone, or a drone system service management (UTM) node.

[0010] In some possible implementations, after determining that there is a collision risk, the first drone may report the collision risk information and then update the flight route according to the received instructions or commands. For example, the first drone may report the existence of the collision risk to the UTM node by way of an alarm (such as sending a collision warning message or indicating the collision risk information in a certain message). After learning that there is a collision risk, the UTM node may instruct or command the first drone to update the route, or, after learning that there is a collision risk, the UTM node may send the alarm instruction to the drone controller, so that the drone controller controls the update of the flight route. For another example, the first drone may send the alarm to the access network device or the drone controller, so that the access network device or the drone controller can update the flight route.

[0011] Optionally, the warning information sent by the first UAV may include one or more of a cause value and a warning location / area.

[0012] Optionally, the UTM node, access network device or unmanned controller may include one or more of the following in the indication information of updating the flight route sent to the first UAV: ​​updated flight route information, flight route adjustment information, where the flight route adjustment information may include: position adjustment information and / or time adjustment information for the warning location / area.

[0013] On the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a method for controlling a drone, which can be implemented by a control node of the drone (UTM node or access network device or drone controller), or can be implemented by a component configured in the control node of the drone. In some possible implementations, the method may include: receiving collision risk information reported by a first drone, and sending flight route update information to the first drone or instructing the first drone to update the flight route based on the collision risk information. That is, the control node may instruct or instruct the first drone to update the flight route when there is a collision risk. Optionally, the flight route update information may include: flight route adjustment information or updated flight route information.

[0014] With the drone control method provided in the first or second aspects, when a drone detects a collision risk, it updates its flight path, thereby avoiding collisions and ensuring flight safety. Furthermore, flight path control and management by the drone's control node (such as a UTM node, access network device, or drone controller) allows for centralized management of each drone's flight path, improving management efficiency and rationality.

[0015] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a method for controlling a drone, which can be implemented by a network device (UTM node or access network device), or can be implemented by a component configured in a network device. The method may include: receiving information about a first flight route of a drone; and determining whether there is a problem with the first flight route of the drone based on the information about the first flight route, wherein determining whether there is a problem with the first flight route of the drone includes determining whether there is a risk of collision with other devices and / or determining whether the first flight route is legal.

[0016] Optionally, the association between the first drone and the drone controller corresponding to the first drone can be implemented on the network device.

[0017] In some possible implementations, the network device may receive information about the first flight route from the drone or the drone controller.

[0018] In some possible implementations, if the first flight wireless information is sent by the drone controller to the network device, if the network device determines that there is no problem with the first flight route, the network device sends the first flight route to the first drone, so that the first drone flies according to the first flight route.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the method may further include: sending a message for rejecting the first flight route if the network device determines that there is a problem with the first flight route.

[0020] In some possible implementations, the message for rejecting the first flight route may include at least one of the following: a reason value, flight route update information, or a time point and / or location information of a problem in the first flight route.

[0021] In some possible implementations, the network device may determine flight route update information for the first drone based on information such as the size and / or model of the first drone.

[0022] Optionally, in the case where the network device is a UTM node, the message for rejecting the first flight route can be sent to the first UAV or to the UAV controller corresponding to the first UAV, so that the first UAV can fly according to the updated flight route.

[0023] Optionally, when the network device is an access network device, the message for rejecting the first flight route can be sent to the UTM node, to the first drone, or to the drone controller corresponding to the first drone, so that the first drone can fly according to the updated flight route.

[0024] Fourthly, embodiments of the present application further provide a method for controlling a drone. This method may be implemented by a first drone, a drone controller, or a UTM node corresponding to the first drone, or may also be implemented by components configurable with these devices. The method may include receiving a message rejecting the flight route of the first drone, and updating the flight route based on the message.

[0025] In some possible implementations, the message for rejecting the first flight route may include at least one of the following: a reason value, flight route update information, or a time point and / or location information of a problem in the first flight route.

[0026] The method provided in the third aspect or the fourth aspect above is that the network device identifies the flight route, which is further used for flight route management, thereby ensuring flight safety and legality.

[0027] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a module, unit or component for implementing the control method of the drone of the first aspect.

[0028] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a module, unit or component for implementing the drone method of the second aspect above.

[0029] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a module, unit or component for implementing the control method of the drone of the third aspect mentioned above.

[0030] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a module, unit or component for implementing the drone method of the fourth aspect.

[0031] In the ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a communication device, the communication device implements the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, or enables the communication device to implement the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect, or enables the communication device to implement the method in the third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect, or enables the communication device to implement the method in the fourth aspect and any possible implementation of the fourth aspect.

[0032] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed, enables the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect to be implemented, or enables the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect to be implemented, or enables the method in the third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect to be implemented, or enables the method in the fourth aspect and any possible implementation of the fourth aspect to be implemented.

[0033] In an eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a drone and a drone controller, and optionally, a UTM node and / or access network equipment. Alternatively, the communication system may comprise a drone and a UTM node, and optionally, an unmanned controller and / or access network equipment. It will be appreciated that the interactions between the various network elements or devices in the communication system can refer to the methods described in any of the first to fourth aspects above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the UAV flight path.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of UAV flight path conflicts.

[0036] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a UAV communication system according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a method for controlling a drone according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a method for controlling a drone according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a method for controlling a drone according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of a method for controlling a drone according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Figure 9 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, fifth generation (5G) system, new radio (NR) or future network, etc. The 5G mobile communication system described in this application includes a non-standalone (NSA) 5G mobile communication system or a standalone (SA) 5G mobile communication system. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system. The communication system may also be a public land mobile network (PLMN) network, a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT) communication system, or other communication systems.

[0045] The access network device in the embodiment of the present application can be any communication device with wireless transceiver capabilities used to communicate with terminal devices. The device includes but is not limited to: an evolved Node B (eNB), a radio network controller (RNC), a Node B (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a home evolved NodeB (HeNB, or home Node B, HNB), a baseband unit (BBU), an access point (AP) in a wireless fidelity (WIFI) system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a transmission point (TP) or a transmission and reception point (TRP), etc. It can also be a 5G system, such as a gNB in ​​an NR system, or a transmission point (TRP or TP), one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or it can also be a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DU), etc. The access network device in the embodiment of the present application may also be referred to as a radio access network (RAN) device or a RAN node.

[0046] In some deployments, the access network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a centralized unit (CU) or a distributed unit (DU), or the access network device may include both a CU and a DU. The gNB may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some gNB functions, while the DU implements some gNB functions. For example, the CU is responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services, implementing the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers. The DU is responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services, implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layers. The AAU implements some physical layer processing functions, RF processing, and active antenna-related functions. Because RRC layer information ultimately becomes PHY layer information, or is converted from PHY layer information, in this architecture, higher-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can also be considered to be sent by the DU, or by both the DU and the AAU. It can be understood that the access network device can be a device including one or more of a CU node, a DU node, and an AAU node.

[0047] Furthermore, the CU can be divided into a central unit for the control plane (CU-CP) and a central unit for the user plane (CU-UP). The CU-CP and CU-UP can also be deployed on different physical devices. The CU-CP is responsible for control plane functions, mainly including the RRC layer and the PDCP-C layer. The PDCP-C layer is mainly responsible for encryption and decryption, integrity protection, and data transmission of control plane data. The CU-UP is responsible for user plane functions, mainly including the SDAP layer and the PDCP-U layer. The SDAP layer is mainly responsible for processing core network data and mapping flows to bearers. The PDCP-U layer is mainly responsible for at least one function of the data plane, including encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, sequence number maintenance, and data transmission. Specifically, the CU-CP and CU-UP are connected via a communication interface (e.g., an E1 interface). The CU-CP represents the access network device and is connected to the core network device via a communication interface (e.g., an Ng interface), and is connected to the DU via a communication interface (e.g., an F1-C (control plane) interface). The CU-UP is connected to the DU through a communication interface (eg, F1-U (User Plane) interface).

[0048] There is another possible implementation in which the PDCP-C layer is also included in the CU-UP.

[0049] It can be understood that the above protocol layer divisions of CU and DU, as well as CU-CP and CU-UP are only examples, and there may be other division methods, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0050] The access network device mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a device including a CU, or a DU, or a device including a CU and a DU, or a device including a control plane CU node (CU-CP node) and a user plane CU node (CU-UP node) and a DU node.

[0051] The access network equipment can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water; it can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which the access network equipment is located.

[0052] The current standard is discussing the introduction of a network element on the network side to manage drone services. This network element can be called an Unmanned Aerial System Traffic Management (UTM) node. In one possible implementation, this network element can be a core network element (for example, a functional entity set in the core network) or an independent control network element. For example, the network model after the introduction of this network element can be as follows: Figure 3 A UTM node can also be called a UTM module, a UTM network element, or a UTM entity.

[0053] In such Figure 3 The system shown includes a UAV, a UAV controller, an access network device, and a UTM node. The UAV controller is used to control the UAV. For example, the operator can use the UAV controller to control the UAV's flight path and / or flight speed. The UTM node can associate the UAV with the UAV controller to implement control and management functions for the UAV or UAVs. The access network device can provide mobile communication network services for the UAV and the UAV controller. Optionally, the access network device can also associate the UAV with the UAV controller to implement control and management functions for the UAV or UAVs. Figure 3 Taking a UAV as an example, it is understood that the system may include one or more UAVs and corresponding UAV controllers. In the system, one UAV may correspond to one UAV controller, or multiple UAVs may correspond to one UAV controller, and this embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0054] When there are multiple drones in the system, in order to avoid possible collisions between drones, the present application embodiment provides a method for controlling drones, such as Figure 4 Shown, including:

[0055] S410: The first UAV receives flight route information from the second UAV.

[0056] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the term "drone" is a broad concept, and any unmanned aircraft or flight terminal controlled by a controller may be collectively referred to as a drone. The second drone may include one or more drones different from the first drone. A drone may also be referred to as an Airborne User Equipment (UE).

[0057] Among them, the flight route represents the path or waypoint of the drone, and the information of the flight route may include location information and time information corresponding to the location information, wherein the location information may include representation by longitude, latitude and altitude. Or the location information may also be geographic location information, such as XX Street, Pudong District, Shanghai. Among them, the height in the embodiment of the present application may be the height relative to the ground, or the height relative to the sea level (altitude), or the height relative to a reference point (relative height), and this application does not limit this. It is understandable that the location information can also be represented by other information, such as using reference coordinates to represent the location information, as long as the location of the drone can be determined, and this embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0058] A drone (also referred to as drone A) can send flight route information to other drones (at least one drone different from drone A), so that other drones can obtain the corresponding flight route information from drone A. The flight route information sent by drone A can include drone A's own flight route information, and can also include drone A's flight route information received from other drones. In other words, drone A can send all or part of the flight route information it can obtain to other drones. It can be understood that each drone in the system that needs to send flight route information can use a similar method to send flight route information to other drones. The embodiment of the present application does not limit each drone in the system to needing to send flight route information to other drones. In other words, all drones can send flight route information to other drones, or some drones can send flight route information to other drones.

[0059] Optionally, drone A can, for example, broadcast flight route information via a sidelink (SL), and other drones can receive the flight route information via the sidelink. A sidelink is an example of a link for communication between drones. The embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto; a sidelink can also be referred to as an edge link, a sidelink, a D2D link, or a V2X link. Furthermore, drone A can also send flight route information via multicast or unicast. In the embodiments of the present application, the message carrying the flight route information can be referred to as a first message. The first message can include a first identifier, which is a destination identifier and is used to identify the purpose or usage of the flight route information included in the first message. In other words, the first identifier allows drones receiving the flight route information to identify the nature of the received information. Optionally, the first identifier can be, for example, a layer 2 (L2) identifier. Optionally, the flight route information and the first identifier can be processed and carried in the first message. The first message can also carry other information.

[0060] Optionally, the second drone may also send drone information corresponding to the flight route information to the first drone. The drone information may include, for example, the drone's identifier, and may also include the drone's model and / or size (also called dimensions).

[0061] S420: The first UAV determines whether there is a collision risk with other UAVs based on its own flight path information and the flight path information received from the second UAV.

[0062] In this step, after receiving information about the flight paths of other drones, the first drone combines its own flight path with the flight paths of the other drones to determine whether there is a risk of collision with the other drones. In other words, the first drone performs a collision risk check. The other drone here can be the second drone or the drone corresponding to the flight path indicated by the second drone.

[0063] In one possible implementation, the flight path of the first UAV itself can be judged to determine whether there is a risk of collision with other UAVs by one or more of the following conditions: (1) the flight path of the first UAV and the flight paths of other UAVs overlap at the same time; (2) the distance between the positions of the flight paths of the first UAV and the flight paths of other UAVs at the same time is less than or equal to a first threshold; (3) the flight paths of the first UAV and the flight paths of other UAVs appear at the same position at two similar times; (4) the distance between the positions of the flight paths of the first UAV and the flight paths of other UAVs at two similar times is less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0064] Alternatively, condition (1) can be used to determine whether the flight path of the first UAV itself has a risk of collision with other UAVs. That is, when the positions of the first UAV and the other UAVs overlap at the same time, it is determined that the first UAV will collide with the other UAVs, i.e., there is a collision risk. When condition (1) is not met, it can be determined that there is no collision risk between the first UAV and the other UAVs.

[0065] Optionally, it is also possible to combine condition (1) with any one or more of conditions (2)-(4) to determine whether the flight path of the first drone itself is at risk of colliding with other drones. That is, as long as any one of the combined conditions is met, it is determined that the first drone will collide with other drones, that is, there is a collision risk. For example, when conditions (1) and (2) are combined, if the flight path of the first drone overlaps with the flight paths of other drones at the same time, and / or the distance between the flight paths of the first drone and the flight paths of other drones at the same time is less than or equal to a first threshold, it is determined that the first drone will collide with other drones. When all the conditions in the combined conditions are not met, it can be determined that there is no collision risk between the first drone and the other drones. In the embodiment of the present application, the position corresponding to the above conditions (1)-(4) can be called a warning position or a risk position, or the area within a certain range around the position corresponding to the above conditions (1)-(4) can be called a warning area or a risk area.

[0066] The above conditions (1)-(4) may be predetermined (e.g., specified by a protocol) or set, or may be set by the drone controller or the drone, or may be configured by a network device.

[0067] When it is determined that the first drone will collide with other drones, S430 may be executed; when it is determined that there is no collision risk between the first drone and other drones, the first drone may continue the current flight route without performing other processing.

[0068] The first threshold value may be the same as or different from the second threshold value. Two similar moments may refer to the absolute value of the difference between the two moments being less than or equal to the third threshold value. It is understood that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the values ​​and units of the first threshold value, the second threshold value, and the third threshold value. For example, the first threshold value may be 10 cm, the second threshold value may be 15 cm, and the third threshold value may be 1 minute. In addition, the first threshold value, the second threshold value, and the third threshold value may be flexibly set or may be preset fixed values.

[0069] For flexible settings, the thresholds can be set by the drone itself, configured by the drone controller, configured by the access network device, or configured by the UTM node. If the first and second thresholds are the same, instead of configuring two thresholds, a single threshold can be configured, i.e., the two thresholds can be reused. In one possible approach, the thresholds can be set or configured based on the size and / or model of the drone. For example, for large drones, the thresholds may be set higher to minimize collisions.

[0070] Then, optionally, the embodiment of the present application may further include:

[0071] S400: The first UAV receives configuration information, where the configuration information includes at least one of the following: a first threshold, a second threshold, or a third threshold.

[0072] In one possible implementation, the first drone may receive the configuration information from a drone controller.

[0073] In another possible implementation, the first drone may receive the configuration information from an access network device, wherein the access network device may send the configuration information to the first drone via broadcast, multicast, or unicast. This embodiment of the application does not limit the message used to send the configuration information to the first drone.

[0074] In another possible implementation, the first UAV may receive the configuration information from the UTM. For example, the UTM may carry the configuration information via a non-access stratum (NAS) message or application data, and the access network device may transparently transmit the configuration information to the first UAV. This embodiment of the application does not limit the type of message used to send the configuration information to the first UAV.

[0075] Optionally, S400 may be executed before S410 or S420.

[0076] Furthermore, when it is determined that the first drone will collide with other drones, the method of the embodiment of the present application may optionally further include:

[0077] S430: The first UAV updates its own flight route.

[0078] Among them, the first UAV can avoid after determining that there is a collision risk, that is, adjust the current flight path.

[0079] One possible approach is for the first drone to proactively update its current flight route, that is, the first drone updates its flight route on its own. Furthermore, after proactively updating its flight route, the first drone may report information related to the updated flight route. For example, the first drone may send the information related to the updated flight route to an access network device or a drone controller associated with the first drone. Optionally, upon receiving the information related to the updated flight route, the access network device may further send it to a UTM node, and the UTM node may also notify the drone controller associated with the first drone of the information related to the updated flight route. Alternatively, the drone controller may report the information related to the updated flight route to the UTM node after receiving it. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the manner and channel (link) for the first drone to report the information related to the updated flight route. By the first drone reporting the information related to the updated flight route, the device or node that manages and controls the first drone may be informed of the relevant information, thereby improving the efficiency of subsequent management and control.

[0080] Exemplarily, the first UAV may update the flight route by redesigning a complete flight route, or adjusting the warning position or warning area based on the current flight route, such as moving a certain distance up / down / left / right, or adjusting the time point corresponding to the warning position or warning area based on the current flight route, such as staying in a non-warning position or non-warning area for a certain period of time before continuing to fly, or adjusting the flight speed of the first UAV, that is, changing the time point corresponding to the flight position on the flight route. The above-mentioned redesigned flight route, or the position information or time information of the adjusted warning position (or warning area) can be collectively referred to as information related to the updated flight route. Among them, the position adjustment or time information of the warning position / area can be referred to as flight route adjustment information.

[0081] In another possible method, the first UAV may report the collision risk information after determining that there is a collision risk, and the network element that receives the collision risk information report may instruct the first UAV to update the flight route: for example, the network element sends flight route update information to the first UAV (which may be the updated flight route information or the flight route adjustment information), so that the first UAV updates the current route; or, for example, the network element may instruct the first UAV to update the flight route, and after receiving the instruction, the first UAV updates the flight route in a manner similar to the above-mentioned method of actively updating the current flight route.

[0082] The first drone may report the collision risk information by sending an alert (e.g., sending a collision alert message or indicating the collision risk information in a message) to the UTM node. Upon learning of the collision risk, the UTM node may instruct the first drone to update its route, for example, by sending first indication information to instruct the first drone to update its route. This first indication information may be sent to the first drone via an access network device or via a drone controller associated with the first drone.

[0083] Alternatively, the first drone may report the collision risk information by: the first drone may report the collision risk to the UTM node via an alert (e.g., sending a collision alert message or indicating the collision risk information in a message). The UTM node may then send the alert to a drone controller associated with the first drone, so that the drone controller may instruct the first drone to update its route, for example, by sending a second instruction message to instruct the first drone to update its route.

[0084] Alternatively, the first drone may report the collision risk information by: the first drone may report the collision risk to the access network device or the corresponding drone controller via an alert (e.g., sending a collision alert message or indicating the collision risk information in a message). Upon learning of the collision risk, the access network device or drone controller may instruct the first drone to update its route. For example, the access network device may send third indication information to the first drone or to a drone controller associated with the first drone to instruct the first drone to update its route.

[0085] The first drone reports collision risk information, which may include: a cause value (e.g., collision) and / or an alert location, or a cause value (e.g., collision) and / or an alert area. This report enables the corresponding network element to be notified of the alert information, allowing for appropriate updates to the flight path. The aforementioned UTM nodes, access network devices, or drone controllers can all serve as drone control nodes.

[0086] The drone control method provided in the embodiments of the present application updates the drone's flight path when a collision risk is detected, thereby avoiding collisions and ensuring flight safety. Furthermore, the drone's control node controls and manages the flight path, enabling centralized management of each drone's flight path, improving management efficiency and rationality.

[0087] Another embodiment of the present application also provides a method for controlling a drone, which can be applicable to scenarios where there is one or more drones in the system. In this method, a network device receives information about the drone's flight route and determines whether there is a problem with the drone's flight route based on the received information about the drone's flight route, such as determining whether the drone's flight route poses a risk of collision with other devices and / or determining whether the drone's flight route is legal, thereby managing or controlling the drone's flight route to ensure flight safety. The network device can be a drone UTM node or an access network device. The following embodiments will describe in detail the scenarios where the network device is a UTM node or an access network device.

[0088] like Figure 5 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a drone, including:

[0089] S510: The UTM node associates the drone controller with the drone controlled by the drone controller.

[0090] The drone controller that controls the first drone may also be referred to as the drone controller corresponding to the first drone.

[0091] For example, the UTM node can receive registration information from the first drone and the drone controller corresponding to the first drone (first drone controller), respectively, so that the UTM node can obtain the drone controller corresponding to the first drone based on the registration information of the first drone and the registration information of the drone controller, thereby associating the two. Optionally, the correspondence between the drone and the drone controller can be maintained at the UTM node, for example, in the form of a table, list, or index. It is understandable that S510 can also be referred to as the UTM node obtaining the association relationship between the drone controller and the drone.

[0092] The registration information sent by the first drone to the UTM node may include the first drone's identifier. Furthermore, it may optionally include the identifier of the drone controller corresponding to the first drone. Optionally, it may also include at least one of the following information: information about the first drone's purpose, the first drone's model, and the first drone's dimensions. For example, the first drone may be used as a V2X drone.

[0093] The registration information sent by the drone controller corresponding to the first drone to the UTM node may include: identification information of the drone controller and, optionally, identification information of one or more drones it controls. Furthermore, it may include at least one of the following information: usage information of the one or more drones it controls, model information of the one or more drones it controls, and size information of the one or more drones it controls.

[0094] It should be noted that S510 is an optional step, that is, S510 can be skipped.

[0095] S520: The UTM node receives information about a first flight route of the first UAV from a UAV controller corresponding to the first UAV.

[0096] The UAV controller corresponding to the first UAV may formulate a flight route for the first UAV and send information about the formulated flight route to the UTM node. A UTM node may receive information about the flight route of at least one UAV sent by at least one UAV controller.

[0097] After receiving the information about the first flight route, the UTM node determines that the first flight route is prepared for the first UAV and executes S530.

[0098] S530: The UTM node determines whether there is a problem with the first flight route.

[0099] Optionally, the UTM node can determine that the first flight route is formulated for the first UAV based on the association relationship obtained in S510, or the UTM node can also determine that the first flight route is formulated for the first UAV based on the identifier or index or other indication information in the information of the first flight route.

[0100] The UTM node determines whether there is a problem with the first flight route, that is, the UTM node identifies whether the first flight route is feasible or the UTM node performs flight route problem detection, which may include: the UTM node determines whether the first flight route has a collision risk with other devices and / or whether the flight route is legal.

[0101] Among them, other equipment may include other drones or other equipment that may appear on the flight path, such as base stations, towers, etc. In other words, the equipment here may include infrastructure. The judgment on whether there is a collision risk between the flight paths of drones can be compared with Figure 4The illustrated embodiment is similar in determining whether a drone's flight path presents a collision risk. The method and principle for determining whether a collision risk exists with infrastructure is also similar. For example, the flight path of a first drone may be considered to present a collision risk with the infrastructure if one or more of the following conditions are met: (a) the location of the first drone's flight path overlaps with the location of the infrastructure; (b) the distance between the location of the first drone's flight path and the location of the infrastructure is too small, for example, the distance is less than or equal to a fourth threshold. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the value of the fourth threshold. Furthermore, the fourth threshold can be flexibly set or a preset fixed value. In the case of a flexible setting, the fourth threshold can be set by the drone itself, configured by the drone controller, configured by the access network device, or configured by the UTM node. Optionally, the fourth threshold can be set or configured based on the size and / or model of the first drone. Furthermore, the above conditions (a)-(b) can be pre-defined or set, set by the drone controller or drone, or configured by the network device.

[0102] In addition, when there is a no-fly zone (such as a military area or other controlled area) on the flight route of the first UAV, the flight route of the first UAV can be considered illegal. The no-fly zone can also be called an illegal area.

[0103] When the UTM node determines that there is no problem with the first flight route, S540 may be executed. When the UTM node determines that there is a problem with the first flight route, S550 may be executed.

[0104] S540: The UTM node sends the flight route information to the first UAV.

[0105] The UTM node can send the information of the first flight route to the first UAV through the access network device. After receiving the information of the first flight route, the first UAV flies according to the information of the first flight route.

[0106] S550: The UTM node sends a second message to the drone controller associated with the first drone, to reject the first flight route.

[0107] Among them, in the embodiment of the present application, the message used to reject the first flight route is referred to as the second message. The second message can carry different information element contents, all of which can achieve the rejection of the first flight route. For example, the second message may include a rejection indication, and the rejection indication may, for example, indicate that there is a collision risk and / or an illegal reason value, or it may also be an alarm indication. For another example, in the second message, the rejection of the first flight route may be indirectly indicated by carrying the time point and / or location information of the problem in the first flight route. For another example, the rejection of the first flight route may also be indirectly indicated by carrying updated flight route (i.e., recommended flight route) information or time point and / or location change suggestion information of the problem. For another example, the second message may carry the rejection indication and the time point and / or location information of the problem in the first flight route at the same time, or the second message may carry the rejection indication and the new flight route information at the same time, or the second message may carry the rejection indication and flight route change suggestion information (for the time point and / or location change suggestion information of the problem) at the same time.

[0108] It can be understood that the above-mentioned flight route change suggestion information is the relative change information of the flight route. For example, adjustments are made based on the problematic position on the first flight route, such as moving a certain distance up / down / left / right, or adjusting the time point corresponding to the problematic position based on the current flight route. For example, you can stay at a non-problematic position for a certain period of time before continuing to fly (so as to avoid the routes of other drones).

[0109] It can be seen that after the UTM node determines that there is a problem with the first flight route, it can re-formulate the flight route, or send a rejection instruction and / or modification suggestion to the drone controller, which will then re-formulate a route for the first drone. After the drone controller re-formulates the route, it can re-execute S520 and subsequent steps until the flight route is not rejected, or it can notify the first drone, which will then fly according to the re-designated route. It is understandable that in the case where the UTM node re-designates the flight route, optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the UTM node can also send information about the updated flight route to the first drone.

[0110] The UTM node may send the updated flight route information to the first UAV through the access network device. After receiving the updated flight route information, the first UAV flies according to the updated flight route information.

[0111] It is understandable that the UTM node can determine updated flight route information or flight route change suggestions for the first UAV based on information such as the size and / or model of the first UAV.

[0112] In the embodiment of the present application, the flight route is reported to the UTM node by the drone controller, and the UTM node implements centralized management of the flight route to ensure flight safety and legality.

[0113] above Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the UAV controller sends the flight route information to the UTM node. It is understandable that the UAV can also send the flight route information to the UTM node. Figure 6 As shown, another embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a drone, comprising:

[0114] S610: The UTM node associates the drone controller with the drone controlled by the drone controller.

[0115] Among them, S610 is similar to S510, and the relevant description of S510 can be referred to, which will not be repeated here.

[0116] It should be noted that S610 is an optional step, that is, S610 can be skipped.

[0117] S620: The first UAV sends information about the first flight route to the UTM node.

[0118] Optionally, the first UAV may receive the first flight route information from a corresponding UAV controller via the application layer. The first UAV may transmit the first flight route information to the UTM node via an access network device. The access network device may transparently transmit the first flight route to the UTM node, or may read or parse the first flight route information.

[0119] After receiving the information of the first flight route, the UTM node can determine the drone controller corresponding to the first drone based on the association relationship obtained in S610, or the UTM node can also obtain the drone controller corresponding to the first drone based on the identifier, index or other indication information in the flight route information.

[0120] It is understandable that the UTM node can receive the flight route information sent by at least one UAV. After receiving the first flight route information, the UTM node executes S630.

[0121] S630: The UTM node determines whether there is a problem with the first flight route. For how the UTM node determines whether there is a problem with the first flight route, please refer to the relevant description at S530, which will not be repeated here.

[0122] When the UTM node determines that there is no problem with the first flight route, no processing is required. Then, the first UAV can fly according to the first flight route after not receiving feedback from the UTM node for a period of time. Alternatively, the first UAV can fly according to the first flight route while sending information about the first flight route. If a rejection message is received from the UTM node, the flight route will be adjusted. Otherwise, the first UAV will continue to fly according to the first flight route.

[0123] Alternatively, when the UTM node determines that there is no problem with the first flight route, it can send a confirmation response to the first UAV, so that the first UAV knows that there is no problem with the first flight route and flies according to the first flight route.

[0124] When the UTM node determines that there is a problem with the first flight route, S640 may be executed.

[0125] S640: The UTM node sends a second message to reject the first flight route.

[0126] The UTM node can send a second message to the first drone, and then the first drone can update the flight route according to the second message. For the relevant description of the content and function of the second message, please refer to the relevant description at S550. The difference is that the second message of S550 is sent to the drone controller, and the second message here is sent to the first drone. It can be understood that the UTM node can send the second message to the first drone through the access network device. After receiving the second message, the first drone can execute S650. Optionally, in addition to sending the second message to the first drone, the UTM node can also send the second message to the drone controller corresponding to the first drone. It can be understood that the "second message" here refers to the content or function and Figure 5 The "second message" of the embodiment shown is similar and does not mean Figure 5 and Figure 6 The message names in the two processes must be the same, that is, the message names or carriers in the two processes can be different or the same.

[0127] Alternatively, the UTM node may send a second message to the drone controller corresponding to the first drone. After receiving the second message, the drone controller may re-formulate a flight route for the first drone, thereby further executing S620 and subsequent steps again, or the first drone may fly according to the flight route re-executed by the drone controller.

[0128] S650: The first UAV updates the flight route and flies according to the updated flight route.

[0129] According to different contents in the second message, the first drone updates the flight route in different ways.

[0130] For example, if the second message includes a rejection indication, the first drone may request the corresponding drone controller to update the flight route and fly according to the updated route, or the first drone may directly adjust the entire flight route up / down / left / right by a certain distance, or the first drone may modify the flight time. For another example, if the second message includes time points and / or location information indicating problems with the first flight route, the first drone may update the flight route based on the problematic time points and / or location information and fly according to the updated flight route. It is understood that in the case where the updated flight route is determined by the drone controller or drone, the drone controller or drone may determine the updated flight route and then fly according to the updated flight route, or may further execute S620 and subsequent steps again until the flight route is not rejected.

[0131] For another example, when the second message includes information about an updated flight route, the first UAV flies according to the updated flight route.

[0132] In the embodiment of the present application, the flight route is reported to the UTM node by the drone, and the UTM node implements centralized management of the flight route, thereby ensuring flight safety and legality.

[0133] In addition to the UTM node, the centralized management of flight routes can also be achieved on the access network equipment side, such as Figure 7 As shown, another embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a drone, comprising:

[0134] S710: The access network device associates the drone controller with the drone controlled by the drone controller.

[0135] The method by which the access network device associates the drone controller and the drone controlled by the drone controller is similar to the method by which the UTM node associates the drone controller and the drone controlled by the drone controller. Please refer to the relevant description at S510 and will not be repeated here.

[0136] It should be noted that S710 is an optional step, that is, S710 can be skipped.

[0137] S720: The first drone or the drone controller corresponding to the first drone sends information about the first flight route to the access network device.

[0138] By receiving the information about the first flight route sent by the first drone or the drone controller corresponding to the first drone, the access network device can obtain the information about the first flight route.

[0139] If the first flight route is sent by the UAV controller, the access network device can determine that the flight route is formulated for the first UAV based on the association relationship learned in S710, or the access network device can also know that the flight route is formulated for the first UAV based on the identifier or index or other indication information in the flight route information.

[0140] If the first flight route is sent by the first UAV, the access network device can determine the corresponding UAV controller based on the association relationship obtained in S710, or the access network device can also obtain the corresponding UAV controller based on the identifier or index or other indication information in the flight route information.

[0141] S730: The access network device determines whether there is a problem with the first flight route.

[0142] It can be understood that the method by which the access network device determines whether there is a problem with the first flight route is similar to the method by which the UTM node determines whether there is a problem with the first flight route. Therefore, reference may be made to the relevant description at S530 and no further details will be given here.

[0143] If the access network device determines that there are no issues with the first flight route, the first UAV may proceed along the first flight route. For example, the access network device's UAV controller may transmit information about the first flight route to the first UAV. For another example, if the first UAV has already received information about the first flight route, it may continue to fly along the first flight route after a period of time without receiving feedback from the access network device. Alternatively, the first UAV may, while transmitting information about the first flight route, initially proceed along the first flight route and, if it receives a rejection from the access network device, adjust the flight route. Otherwise, it may continue to fly along the first flight route.

[0144] When the access network device determines that there is a problem with the first flight route, S740, S750, or S760 may be executed.

[0145] S740: The access network device sends a second message to the first drone.

[0146] Among them, regarding the content and function of the second message, please refer to the relevant description at S550, which will not be repeated here. After receiving the second message, the first drone can update the flight route according to the second message and fly according to the updated flight route, for example, refer to the relevant description at S650. It can be understood that the term "second message" here refers to the content or function and Figure 5The "second message" of the embodiment shown is similar and does not mean Figure 5 and Figure 7 The message names in the two processes must be the same, that is, the message names or carriers in the two processes can be different or the same.

[0147] S750: The access network device sends a second message to the drone controller corresponding to the first drone.

[0148] Regarding the second message, please refer to the relevant description at S550 and will not be repeated here. After receiving the second message, the drone controller corresponding to the first drone can re-designate the flight route according to the second message, for example, refer to the relevant description at S550, so that the first drone flies according to the re-designated flight route.

[0149] S760: The access network device sends a second message to the UTM node.

[0150] Regarding the second message, please refer to the relevant description at S550, which will not be repeated here.

[0151] In one possible implementation, after receiving the second message, the UTM node may forward it to the drone controller corresponding to the first drone, and then the drone controller may re-specify the flight route based on the second message, for example, refer to the relevant description at S550, so that the first drone flies according to the re-established flight route.

[0152] In another possible implementation, after receiving the second message, the UTM node can perform relevant processing based on the second message, such as re-routing the flight route, and send the re-route to the drone controller corresponding to the first drone or to the first drone, so that the first drone can fly according to the re-route. In other words, the access network device can identify the problem, and the UTM node can plan the flight route.

[0153] In an embodiment of the present application, the flight route is reported to the access network device, and the access network device identifies the flight route, which is further used for flight route management, thereby ensuring flight safety and legality.

[0154] It should be noted that this application does not limit the name or carrier of the second message in the above embodiments.

[0155] It should be noted that Figure 4 The embodiment shown can also be further combined with Figure 5-7 In combination with any of the embodiments shown, both the drone and the network device manage and control the flight path. For example, the network device can Figure 5-7The method of any embodiment shown in the figure determines whether the flight path of the drone is legal, and the drone follows Figure 4 The method shown determines whether a collision will occur and adjusts the flight path based on this information. For example, a drone may only receive information about the flight paths of some drones, making the judgment incomplete. In this case, the drone can control its flight path based on the flight path identification and update information of the network device.

[0156] In the above method embodiments, the order of the sequence numbers of the above processes does not necessarily indicate the order of execution. The order of execution of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application. In addition, it is possible that not all operations in the above method embodiments need to be executed.

[0157] It should be understood that the drone, drone controller, and network device in the above method embodiments can perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments, and these steps or operations are only examples. The embodiments of the present application may also include performing other operations or variations of various operations. In addition, the first, second, and various digital numbers in the various embodiments of the present application are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. For example, different frequencies, etc. Furthermore, the "protocol" involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and this application does not limit this.

[0158] It can be understood that in each of the above embodiments, the operations or steps implemented by the drone can also be implemented by components that can be configured on the drone (such as chips or circuits), the operations or steps implemented by the drone controller can also be implemented by components that can be configured on the drone controller (such as chips or circuits), the operations or steps by the UTM node can also be implemented by components that can be configured on the UTM node (such as chips or circuits), and the operations or steps implemented by the access network device can also be implemented by components that can be configured on the access network device (such as chips or circuits). One embodiment of the present application also provides a communication device for correspondingly implementing the method of the above embodiment. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for the content that is not described in detail, please refer to the above method embodiment. For the sake of brevity, some content will not be repeated.

[0159] like Figure 8As shown, the communication device 800 may include: at least one transceiver unit 810 and at least one processing unit 820. Optionally, the communication device may further include at least one storage unit 830, wherein the storage unit 830 may be coupled to the transceiver unit 810 and / or the processing unit 820. For example, the storage unit 830 may be used to store computer-executable instructions and / or other information such as data. The processing unit 820 may read the instructions or data stored in the storage unit 830 to implement the corresponding solution.

[0160] It should be noted that the transceiver unit 810 in the embodiment of the present application may also be referred to as a communication unit (module) or a communication interface, the processing unit 820 may be referred to as a processing module or a processor, and the storage unit 830 may also be referred to as a storage module or a memory.

[0161] The communication device 800 can respectively implement Figure 4-7 In any method embodiment, the operations or steps corresponding to the drone, drone controller, UTM node, and access network device.

[0162] Illustratively, when the communication device 800 implements the operations or steps corresponding to the drone in the above method embodiment, the communication device 800 can be a drone or a component (chip or circuit) that can be used for a drone.

[0163] Exemplarily, when the communication device 800 implements the operations or steps corresponding to the drone controller in the above method embodiment, the communication device 800 can be a drone controller or a component (chip or circuit) that can be used for a drone controller.

[0164] Illustratively, when the communication device 800 implements the operations or steps corresponding to the UTM node in the above method embodiment, the communication device 800 may be a UTM node or a component (chip or circuit) that can be used for a UTM node.

[0165] Illustratively, when the communication device 800 implements the operations or steps corresponding to the access network device in the above method embodiment, the communication device 800 can be an access network device or a component (chip or circuit) that can be used for the access network device.

[0166] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 800 implements Figure 4In the illustrated method embodiment, when corresponding to the operation or steps of the drone, the transceiver unit 810 is used to receive flight route information from the second drone, and the processing unit 820 is used to determine the presence of a collision risk based on its own flight route information and the flight route information received from the second drone, and to update its own flight route. Optionally, the transceiver unit 810 may receive flight route information from the second drone via a side link. Optionally, the processing unit 820 may determine whether there is a collision risk based on one or more of the aforementioned conditions (1)-(4). Optionally, the transceiver unit 810 may also receive one or more of the first threshold to the third threshold. Optionally, the transceiver unit 810 may also be used to report collision risk information and receive information for instructing a flight route update.

[0167] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 800 implements Figure 5-7 In any of the illustrated method embodiments corresponding to the operations or steps of the drone or drone controller, the transceiver unit 810 is used to receive a second message for rejecting the flight route, and the processing unit 820 is used to update the flight route according to the second message so that the drone flies according to the updated flight route.

[0168] In one possible manner, when the communication device 800 implements Figure 4 In the illustrated method embodiment, when the operations or steps correspond to the drone controller, UTM node, or access network device, the transceiver unit 810 is used to receive collision risk information reported by the drone, and the processing unit 820 is informed that there is a collision risk. Then, the transceiver unit 810 is further used to send flight route update information to the drone.

[0169] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 800 is used to implement Figure 5 or Figure 6 In any of the illustrated method embodiments, when operating or performing operations corresponding to a UTM node, the transceiver unit 810 is configured to receive information about a first flight route of a drone, and the processing unit 820 is configured to determine whether there is a problem with the first flight route. If so, the transceiver unit 810 is configured to send a second message to reject the first flight route. Optionally, the processing unit 820 may also be configured to associate the drone with a drone controller corresponding to the drone. The transceiver unit 810 may receive information about the first flight route from a drone controller or a drone, and the transceiver unit 810 may send the second message to the drone or the drone controller.

[0170] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 800 is used to implement Figure 7In any of the illustrated method embodiments, when operating or performing operations corresponding to a UTM node, the transceiver unit 810 is configured to receive information about a first flight route of a drone, and the processing unit 820 is configured to determine whether there is a problem with the first flight route. If so, the transceiver unit 810 is configured to send a second message to reject the first flight route. Optionally, the processing unit 820 may also be configured to associate the drone with a drone controller corresponding to the drone. The transceiver unit 810 may receive information about the first flight route from a drone controller or a drone, and the transceiver unit 810 may send the second message to the drone, drone controller, or UTM node.

[0171] The communication device in the embodiment of the present application can ensure flight safety by managing the flight route of the drone.

[0172] It is understandable that the above units can be provided separately or integrated, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0173] The “module” or “unit” in various embodiments of the present application may refer to an application-specific integrated circuit ASIC, a circuit, a processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, an integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0174] Figure 9 FIG2 shows a communication device 900 provided by another embodiment of the present application. The communication device 900 can respectively implement any corresponding functions of the drone or drone controller or UTM node or access network device in each of the above method embodiments. The communication device 900 includes: at least one processor 901 ( Figure 9 exemplarily including a processor) and at least one memory 902 ( Figure 9 exemplarily includes a memory description). The memory may store instructions (or may also be called programs or codes) and / or data. The processor 901 is coupled to the memory 902. For example, the processor 901 may call the instructions and / or data in the memory 902 to enable the communication device to respectively implement any operations or steps corresponding to the drone, drone controller, UTM node, or access network device in each of the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0175] The processor and transceiver described in each embodiment of the present application can be implemented in an integrated circuit (IC), an analog IC, a radio frequency integrated circuit RFIC, a mixed signal IC, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic device, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), N-type metal oxide semiconductor (nMetal-oxide-semiconductor, NMOS), P-type metal oxide semiconductor (positive channel metal oxide semiconductor, PMOS), bipolar junction transistor (Bipolar Junction Transistor, BJT), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc. Optionally, the processor may include one or more processors, for example, including one or more CPUs. In the case where the processor is a CPU, the CPU may be a single-core CPU or a multi-core CPU. The transceiver is used to send and receive data and / or signals, and receive data and / or signals. The transceiver may include a transmitter and a receiver, wherein the transmitter is used to send data and / or signals, and the receiver is used to receive data and / or signals. The transceiver may also be a communication interface. The memory includes, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), and compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), and is used to store relevant instructions and / or data.

[0176] In one possible design, the chip mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can implement the relevant functions that can be implemented by a processor, or can implement the relevant functions that can be implemented by a processor and a transceiver, or can implement the relevant functions that can be implemented by a processor, a transceiver, and a memory. The chip can be a field programmable gate array, a dedicated integrated circuit, a system chip, a central processing unit, a digital signal processing circuit, a microcontroller, or a programmable controller or other integrated chip that implements the relevant functions.

[0177] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed, implements the communication method in any of the above method embodiments.

[0178] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, which, when executed, implements the communication method in any of the above method embodiments.

[0179] The present application also provides a communication system, which may include a drone, and may also include one or more of a drone controller, a UTM node, and an access network device.

[0180] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0181] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0182] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0183] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0184] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0185] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0186] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state drive (SSD)).

[0187] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a drone, characterized in that: include: A first drone receives flight route information from a second drone, wherein the second drone is at least one drone different from the first drone; The first UAV determines, based on its own flight path information and the flight path information received from the second UAV, that there is a collision risk; The first UAV reports collision risk information; The first UAV receives the flight route update information and updates the current flight route according to the flight route update information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first UAV receives the flight route information of the second UAV from the second UAV, including: the first UAV receives the flight route information from the second UAV through a side link.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Also includes: The first UAV receives a layer 2 identifier from the second UAV, wherein the layer 2 identifier is used to identify the use or purpose of the flight route information received from the second UAV; the flight route information includes location information and time information corresponding to the location information.

4. A method for controlling a drone, characterized in that: include: receiving collision risk information reported by a first drone, where the collision risk information is determined based on information about a flight path of the first drone and information about a flight path of a second drone, where the second drone is at least one drone different from the first drone; Sending flight route update information to the first UAV according to the collision risk information; wherein the flight route update information includes flight route adjustment information or updated flight route information.

5. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a unit for implementing the control method of the drone according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a unit for implementing the control method of the drone as claimed in claim 4.

7. A communication system, characterized in that: The method comprises the communication device according to claim 5 and the communication device according to claim 6.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A computer program or instruction is stored, and the computer program or instruction is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. A computer program product comprising instructions, characterized in that When the system is run, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is executed.

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