Systems and methods for unmanned aerial system communications

Abstract

A system and method for unmanned aerial system communication. Among other things, a method for unmanned aerial system communication is performed by a first server, the method comprising: in response to a request, creating at least one group for a pair of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a controller of the UAV, obtaining an identifier of the pair, wherein the identifier is a group identifier of the pair or a respective group identifier of each item in the pair; using the identifier of the pair, providing a quality of service (QoS) for communication of the pair; determining whether a communication condition of the pair meets a predetermined QoS requirement; in response to determining that the communication condition does not meet the predetermined QoS requirement, triggering an adaptation of the QoS for the pair to be performed.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of an actively amended version of the Chinese patent application filed on July 9, 2021, with patent number 202180005737.0 and entitled "System and Method for Communication of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems". Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the operation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and more specifically, to the monitoring and allocation of Quality of Service (QoS) for UAS communications. Background Technology

[0003] It is possible to maintain QoS originating from the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (e.g., uplink from the UAV to the network) or QoS terminating at the UAV (e.g., downlink from the network to the UAV) for application layer operations of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). QoS may include, but is not limited to, network bandwidth, latency, jitter, data loss rate, etc. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Currently, the three supported command and control (C2) communication modes may require support from different network resources from the UAS application layer.

[0005] The embodiments disclosed herein can solve the above-mentioned problems and other issues.

[0006] According to embodiments, regarding direct C2 communication, a service enabler architecture layer (SEAL) group management server can be used to ensure matching between a pair of UAVs and UAV controllers, for example, based on certain UAS ID configurations. Network QoS configuration can be triggered by the SEAL network resource manager (NRM) server based on the group ID. In some cases, subgroups can be created for the UAVs and UAV controllers respectively to enable separate QoS control for each uplink and downlink. Embodiments of this disclosure can provide network resource support by using a group-based approach to provide direct C2 QoS configuration.

[0007] According to one or more embodiments, a method is provided executed by at least one processor implementing a first server. The method includes: in response to a request, creating at least one group for a pair consisting of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a controller of the UAV, and obtaining an identifier for the pair, wherein the identifier is a group identifier for the pair or a corresponding group identifier for each item in the pair;

[0008] Use the identifier of the pair to provide Quality of Service (QoS) for the communication of the pair;

[0009] Determine whether the communication conditions of the pair meet the predetermined QoS requirements;

[0010] In response to determining that the communication conditions do not meet the predetermined QoS requirements, the adaptation to perform the QoS is triggered.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the communication between the two is direct command and control C2 communication between the UAV and the controller.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the communication conditions include at least one of bandwidth, latency, jitter, and data loss rate.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the method further includes: in response to the UAV and the controller being communicatively connected to the first server, identifying the UAV and the controller of the UAV as the pair.

[0014] According to one embodiment, identifying the UAV and the UAV's controller as the pair includes: obtaining a first identifier of the UAV and a second identifier of the controller; and identifying the UAV and the controller as the pair in response to the first identifier being the same as the second identifier.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the second server is a Service Enablement Architecture Layer (SEAL) group management server, and the third server is a SEAL network resource management server.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the triggering of the adaptation to perform the QoS includes: sending a request to another server to perform the QoS adaptation.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the method further includes: receiving response information from the other server, the response information indicating that the QoS has been successfully adapted.

[0018] According to one or more embodiments, a system is provided. The system includes at least one processor and a memory storing computer code. The computer code includes: request code configured to cause a first server to request an identifier for a pair of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their controllers, the identifier being a group identifier for the pair or a corresponding group identifier for each item in the pair; configuration code configured to cause the first server to use the group identifier for the pair or the corresponding group identifier for each item in the pair to provide Quality of Service (QoS) for communication of the pair; determination code configured to cause the first server to determine whether communication conditions of the pair do not meet predetermined QoS requirements; and trigger code configured to cause the first server to trigger a third server to perform QoS adaptation for the pair in response to determining that the communication conditions do not meet predetermined QoS requirements.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the communication between the two is direct command and control C2 communication between the UAV and the controller.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the communication conditions include at least one of bandwidth, latency, jitter, and data loss rate.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the computer code further includes: an identification code configured to identify the UAV and the controller of the UAV as the pair in response to the UAV and the controller being communicatively connected to the first server.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the identification code is configured such that the first server identifies the UAV and the controller of the UAV as the pair in response to the first server obtaining a first identifier for the UAV and a second identifier for the controller being the same.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the second server is a Service Enablement Architecture Layer (SEAL) group management server, and the third server is a SEAL network resource management server.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the trigger code is configured to cause the first server to send a request to the third server to perform QoS adaptation.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the trigger code is configured to cause the first server to receive response information from the third server, the response information indicating that the QoS has been successfully adapted.

[0026] According to one or more embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided for storing computer code. The computer code is configured to, when executed by at least one processor implementing a first server, cause the at least one processor to perform the following operations: request a second server to provide a group identifier for a pair of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their controllers, or a corresponding group identifier for each item in the pair; provide Quality of Service (QoS) for communication of the pair using the group identifier for the pair or the corresponding group identifier for each item in the pair; determine whether communication conditions do not meet predetermined QoS requirements; and, based on the determination that the communication conditions do not meet predetermined QoS requirements, trigger a third server to perform QoS adaptation for the pair. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Other features, properties, and various advantages of the disclosed subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAS) system.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a UAS that includes communication with at least one server.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a system including a UAS according to one embodiment.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a system including a UAS according to one embodiment.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an advanced process for creating a UAV group using a SEAL group management server according to one embodiment.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an advanced workflow that provides group-based direct C2 QoS according to one embodiment.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of computer code for a UAE server according to one embodiment.

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the example SEAL general architecture used in UAS.

[0036] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a computer system according to one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0037] refer to Figure 1The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System (UAS) (100) may include an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (101) and a controller (102). The controller (102) may transmit control commands from the controller (102) to the UAV (101) via a data link (103). The controller (102) may include at least one communication circuit configured to provide communication via a wireless technology that transmits over very high frequency (VHF), ultra-high frequency (UHF), or other analog or digital wireless transmissions, constituting the data link (103). The controller (102) may control the power levels of the UAV (101)'s engine (114) or control surfaces of the UAV (101) via the data link (103). More abstract commands, such as pitch, yaw, and roll, similar to those used in helicopters or airplanes, may also be used. Experienced pilots can operate some UAVs using these basic controls without relying on any advanced onboard processing of the UAV's internal control signals. UAVs come in various forms, including helicopters and airplanes.

[0038] Recent advancements in airborne electronic design have enabled the transfer of certain tasks from human operators to the UAV itself. Currently, many UAVs include sensors (104) that instruct the UAV (101)'s (101) onboard controller (105) on its characteristics, such as attitude and acceleration. The onboard controller (105) can be a computer system with a scaled-down user interface or without one. In addition to control inputs received from the controller (102) via the data link (103), the information obtained from the sensors (104) allows the UAV (101) to remain stable unless a positive control input is received from the controller (102).

[0039] Even recently, UAVs may include a receiver (106) configured to receive communications from one of several Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) operated by the United States. Figure 1A single satellite (108) is shown providing a signal (107) for the aforementioned communication, representing GNSS. However, the receiver (106) of the UAV (101) can receive communication from GNSS comprising three or more, typically four or more line-of-sight satellites, to triangulate the UAV (101)'s position in space. The receiver (106) can be a GNSS receiver capable of determining the UAV (101)'s position in space and time with considerable accuracy. In some UAVs, GNSS can be enhanced by additional sensors (e.g., ultrasonic or LiDAR sensors) on the vertical (Z-) axis of the UAV (101) to enable soft landings (not shown). According to some embodiments, the UAV (101) can be configured to perform features such as "fly home" and "automatic landing" based on GNSS capabilities, where the UAV (101) flies to a location defined as its home. These features can be executed by the UAV (101) based on a simple command (e.g., pressing a single button) from the controller (102), or in the event of a loss of the data link (103) from the controller (102) or a timeout of other meaningful control input.

[0040] As another recent development, the UAV (101) may also include one or more cameras (109). In some cases, the UAV (101) may include a camera mounted on a gimbal as one of the cameras (109) and may be used to record images and videos of sufficient quality (currently, typically high-definition television resolution) for the UAV user. In some cases, the UAV (101) may include other cameras (110), typically covering some or all of the axes of motion, and the UAV (101) may be configured to perform onboard signal processing based on signals from the cameras (110) to avoid collisions with stationary and moving objects.

[0041] In some cases, the UAV (101) may include a “main” camera as one of the cameras (109), and its camera signal may be transmitted in real time to a human user via a data link (111) through the UAV’s (101) communication interface (e.g., communication circuitry) and displayed on a display device (112) that is included in, attached to, or detached from the controller (102). The data link (111) may be the same as or different from the data link (103). Thus, using a technique known as “First Person View (FPV),” the UAV can successfully fly out of the visual range of a human pilot.

[0042] refer to Figure 2The UAS (200) may include a UAV (201) and a controller (202). The UAV (201) and the controller (202) may be respectively connected to... Figure 1 The UAV (101) and controller (102) shown are identical or similar. According to one embodiment, the UAS (200), possibly operated by a human pilot (203), can be configured to notify one or more USSs (204) of the location of the UAV (201) in real time. Reporting can be made using the Internet (205). For all use cases except for exotic use cases involving tethered UAVs, this likely means that one or both of the UAV (200) and controller (202) of the UAS (201) can be configured to have a connection (206) to the Internet (205) via a wireless network such as a network (207) (e.g., a 5G network), and the USS (204) can also have a connection to the Internet (205) (208). Such a scenario can be assumed here, but embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. Networks other than the Internet (205) can also be used. For example, it is conceivable that a closed wireless network, not the Internet, could be used for communication between the UAS (200) and the USS (204). Closed wireless networks can be used in some military UAVs. Such networks should be included when referring to the "Internet" thereafter.

[0043] Many physical wireless network technologies can be deployed during use to establish a connection (206) (e.g., a wireless connection) and a network (207) (e.g., a wireless network) to connect, for example, the controller (202) of a UAS (200) or a UAV (201) to the Internet (205). For outdoor applications, mobile networks, such as fifth-generation or “5G” networks, can be used. It can then be assumed that such a 5G network is used, but embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. Other physical network technologies can also be used, including, for example, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, LTE mobile networks, wireless LANs in infrastructure or ad hoc mode, zig-bee, etc. In embodiments of this disclosure, the mobile network carrying the Internet can provide bidirectional communication, such as, for example, between the UAS (200) and the USS (204). However, the quality of service may differ in each direction. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the UAV (201), controller (202), and / or USS (204) may include a communication interface (e.g., including a transmitter and / or receiver) and at least one processor and memory, said at least one processor being capable of implementing one or more physical wireless network technologies so as to be configured to communicate via one or more network types of this disclosure.

[0044] refer to Figure 2The connection (206) between the Internet (205) and the UAV (201) and / or controller (202) via a network (207) (e.g., a 5G network) can be bidirectional. When communication between the UAS (200) and USS (204) is conducted using Internet protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and Quick UDP Internet Connection (QUIC), these protocols may require a bidirectional link to function, depending on the nature of those protocols.

[0045] refer to Figure 3-4 In this disclosure, a system may be provided. This system may include a UAV (301) and a controller (302) that together constitute a UAS (300). The UAV (301) and controller (302) may include any number of hardware components (e.g., cameras and communication interfaces) and... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The software components described with respect to UAS(100) and UAS(200) are shown, and can be configured to perform the functions described with respect to UAS(100) and UAS(200). According to an embodiment, reference is made to... Figure 3 The UAV (301) may include a computer system (320) including at least one processor and a memory storing computer code, wherein the computer code is configured to cause the UAV (301) to perform its functions when executed by at least one processor of the UAV (301). The computer system (320) may be referred to below. Figure 9 The computer system (900) described may be implemented with any number of components, and may not include... Figure 9Most of the user interface components are shown. The computer system (320) may be an embedded system and may advantageously (due to space and weight reasons) be part of or integrated into the onboard flight control circuitry of the UAV (301). The computer system (320) may have a mechanism for acquiring its position in three-dimensional space. For example, the computer system (320) may include a GPS antenna (323), which together with a GPS receiver can be an example of such a mechanism. The computer system (320) may include other mechanisms, such as a combination of GPS and (potentially more accurate) barometric altimeter, triangulation mechanisms, etc., for determining lateral position by ground navigation tools (omnidirectional distance navigation system (VOR), cell phone towers, etc.). The UAV (301) may also include a memory (324) accessible by a user (309) of the UAV (301). For example, as Figure 3 As shown, the memory (324) can be a micro SD card. However, the memory (324) can also be other replaceable semiconductor memory, onboard NV-RAM, etc. in the UAV (301), which can be accessed via a computer's network plug or via a wireless LAN.

[0046] The controller (302) may also include a computer system comprising at least one processor and a memory storing computer code, wherein the computer code is configured to cause the controller (302) to perform its functions when executed by at least one processor of the controller (302). The computer system of the controller (302) may be referred to later below. Figure 9 The computer system (900) described can be implemented with any number of components. (Reference) Figure 4 The controller (302) may include a memory (334) accessible by a user (309) of the controller (302). The memory (334) may have the same or similar configuration as the memory (324). According to embodiments, the UAS (300) may not include the memory (324) and the memory (334), or the UAS (300) may include one of the memory (324) and the memory (334) or both.

[0047] The memory (324) and / or memory (334) may be at least large enough to store information relating to the airspace in which the UAV may operate. Such information may include digital representations of charts, Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), and Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR), etc. The digital information may be interpreted by the computer system (320) of the UAV (301) and / or the computer system of the controller (302) and may be compared (e.g., correlated) with the position of the UAV (301) in three dimensions, including lateral position and altitude. The computer system (320) of the UAV (301) and / or the computer system of the controller (302) may determine whether the UAV (301) is “legally flying” or “illegally flying” in the airspace currently occupied by the UAV (301), as a result of the comparison (e.g., correlation) process. Alternatively or additionally, the computer system (320) of the UAV (301) and / or the computer system of the controller (302) may determine other outcomes, such as "legal flight but approaching a legal airspace boundary" or "legal flight, but will become illegal flight within 10 seconds if the course is not changed." The memory (324) and / or the memory (334) may load digital information related to the airspace that the UAV (301) is expected to enter.

[0048] During UAV (301) startup, pre-flight, or flight, UAS (300) can obtain airspace-related digital information (or additional digital information that can update the digital information) via one or more of radio connections (341) and radio connections (342). For example, refer to Figure 3 The UAV (301) of the UAS (300) can be configured to have a wireless connection (341) to the Internet (305) via a wireless network (e.g., a network such as a 5G network (307)), and one or more servers (304) (e.g., a USS) can be connected to the Internet (305). Alternatively or additionally, refer to Figure 4The controller (302) of the UAS can be configured to have a wireless connection (342) to the Internet (305) via a wireless network such as a network (307) (e.g., a 5G network), and one or more servers (304) can be connected to the Internet (305). Therefore, the controller (302) of the UAV (301) and / or the UAS (300) can be configured to communicate via the Internet (305) with one or more servers (304) and / or similar servers operated or designated in the airspace by the relevant authorities. Through the wireless connection (341) and / or the wireless connection (342), the UAS (300) can query one or more servers (304) (e.g., the USS) and receive airspace-related digital information (or additional digital information) from one or more servers (304).

[0049] For example, according to an embodiment, the UAV (301) and / or controller (302) may query the USS (408) (and / or a similar server) for the following information, and then the UAV (401) and / or controller (302) may obtain this information and store it in memory (324) and / or memory (334):

[0050] (A) Chart: If the UAV (301) or controller (302) determines that the onboard chart of the relevant area in memory (324) and / or memory (334) is not up-to-date (e.g., the chart may have an expiration date), the UAS (300) can query and obtain the chart associated with the specific area identified by the UAS (300). For example, the specific area may be the geographic location (e.g., the location of the UAS (401)) obtained by the UAS (300) from the GPS antenna (323), or other georeferenced data, including a reasonable radius around the current location of the UAV (301), wherein the reasonable radius may be calculated by the UAV (301) or controller (302) based on the UAV (301)'s endurance (e.g., maximum flight time), the UAV (301)'s maximum speed, and a safety factor adapted to wind and other environmental factors.

[0051] (B) Navigation Notice: The UAS (300) can query and obtain a NOTAM related to a specific area identified by the UAS (300), where the specific area may be the same as or similar to the aforementioned specific area.

[0052] (C)TFR: UAS(300) can query and obtain the TFR associated with a specific region identified by UAS(300), where the specific region may be the same as or similar to the specific region mentioned above.

[0053] (D) Other Information: The UAS (300) can query and obtain other information related to the UAV's flight (e.g., other information related to a specific area identified by the UAS (300)). For example, other information may include weather data, such as wind data. According to an embodiment, the UAS (300) can use weather data to determine a safety factor for calculating a reasonable radius around the current location of the UAV (301).

[0054] Information received using the above mechanism can be integrated with onboard information in memory (324) and / or memory (334) and used in a manner further described below.

[0055] The protocol details for communication between a UAS (300) (e.g., a UAV (301) or controller (302)) and one or more servers (304) (e.g., a USS) may depend on the services provided by one or more servers (304). Historically, as an example, NOTAMs (e.g., TFRs) have been obtained from files covering a geographic area of ​​an air traffic control center (the size of several US states). According to embodiments of this disclosure, a UAS (300) (e.g., a UAV (301) or controller (302)) may perform the following operations: (a) request a file corresponding to the operational status of the UAV (301) (e.g., identified by the UAS (300) based on GPS location and onboard charts); (b) download the relevant NOTAM text file (which may be tens or possibly 100 kilobytes (KB) in size) using protocols such as FTP or HTTP; (c) parse the file to obtain the relevant information; and (e) integrate the relevant information identified with onboard chart information into memory (324) and / or memory (334). Such a process can occur not only at least once before flight, but also several times during flight, for example, at intervals of 1 minute or 5 minutes. This process is feasible due to the relatively small file size. Other access mechanisms described below in this disclosure may be even more efficient.

[0056] Recently, airspace authorities, including the FAA, have implemented modern query interfaces that enable the automatic download of location-specific information at a much finer granularity than that of states. These interfaces can operate on RESTful technology. Representational State Transfer (REST) ​​is a technology in which clients can query servers identified by a Basic Uniform Resource Indicator (URI) in a defined format using standard Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) methods (e.g., GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, or DELETE). One such standardized format is called Java Object Notation (JSON).

[0057] refer to Figure 3 The computer system (320) of the UAV (301) may include a communication interface, which, as an example, includes one or more communicators, such as communicator (325), which may include, for example, a 5G antenna. Communicator (325) may be configured to transmit data to the Internet (305) via a network (307) and receive data (e.g., airspace-related information) from the Internet. Another communicator of communicator (325) or the communication interface of the UAV (301) may be configured to transmit data (e.g., sensor data, video data, airspace-related information) via a wireless connection (310) and receive data (e.g., command data) from the controller (302). The controller (302) may also have a communication interface containing a communicator configured to transmit data (e.g., commands) to the UAV (301) via a wireless connection (310) and receive data (e.g., sensor data, video data, airspace-related information) from the UAV (301). Reference Figure 4 The communicator (315) of the controller (302) or another communicator of the communication interface of the controller (302) can be configured to send data to the Internet (305) and receive data (e.g., airspace-related information) from the Internet via the network (307). As an example, each communicator of this disclosure may include a transmitter and a receiver.

[0058] According to an embodiment, the UAS (300) can be configured to receive airspace-related digital information. According to an embodiment, the UAS (300) can be configured to transmit airspace-related digital information between the UAV (301) and the controller (302). According to an embodiment, the UAV (301) and / or the controller (302) can be configured to make a decision (e.g., illegal flight) based on the airspace-related digital information. According to an embodiment, the UAV (301) and / or the controller (302) can be configured to cause the UAV (301) and / or the controller (302) to warn the user (309) of the decision, and / or cause the UAV (301) to perform an action (e.g., automatic return or landing) based on the decision. An example of warning the user (309) of the decision is provided below.

[0059] Refer again Figures 3 to 4 After obtaining an update to the graph information stored in memory (324) and / or memory (334) through any of the above-described mechanisms or any other suitable mechanism according to embodiments of this disclosure, the UAS (300) can communicate the results of a comparison (e.g., correlation) process to the user (309) based on the updated graph information. While piloting the UAV (301), the user (309) may not be particularly interested in the details obtained. Instead, the user (309) may be most interested in indications that the UAV (301)'s flight is illegal or has become illegal.

[0060] According to the embodiments, refer to Figure 3 The UAS (300) can notify the user (309) by transmitting signals encoded with comparison (e.g., correlation) results via a wireless connection (310) between the UAV (301) and the controller (302), and by, for example, vibration of the controller (302), visual signals such as warnings, or messages on a display (312), which may be part of or attached to the controller (302). For example, the wireless connection (310) may be available. However, if such a wireless connection is not available for any reason, alternatively or additionally, the UAV (301) may include an onboard mechanism that enables it to notify the user (309) of the results of the comparison (e.g., correlation) process. For example, the UAV (301) may include a warning light visible from the ground. As another example, the UAV (301) may “oscillate” (a rapid, oscillating vertical movement).

[0061] refer to Figure 6This disclosure may include alternative or additional implementations that offload some computational burden from the UAV (301) to the controller (302). For example, in this case, the controller (302) may access a memory (334) containing (potentially updated) graph data and may perform the aforementioned comparisons (e.g., correlations) based on location information transmitted by the UAV (301) via a wireless connection (310) (obtained by a GPS antenna (323)). The graph data may be updated to one or more servers (304) (e.g., USS) via any suitable mechanism (including those described above) through a communicator (315) (e.g., a 5G interface), a network (307) (e.g., a 5G network), and the Internet (305). The results of the comparisons (e.g., legal or illegal flight) may be locally available to the controller (302) and may be communicated by the controller (302) to the user (309) via, for example, visual signals (e.g., via lights), messages on a display (312), vibration alarms, or other suitable mechanisms. Since the controller (302) controls the UAV (301), the comparison result can also be made visible through the UAV (301) itself, for example, by a light connected to the UAV (301) or by the way the UAV “swings”. Because the user (309) may focus on the UAV (301) itself rather than the user interface of the controller (302), it may be helpful to indicate the judgment result of the UAV (301).

[0062] In the 3GPP 5G radio architecture, there may be a Service Enabler Architecture Layer for verticals (SEAL), which provides programs, information flows, and APIs to support vertical applications on 3GPP systems. To ensure the effective use and deployment of vertical applications on 3GPP systems, SEAL services may include, but are not limited to, group management, configuration management, location management, identity management, key management, and network resource management.

[0063] refer to Figure 8 The following describes a general SEAL architecture example for UAS.

[0064] As an example, the SEAL general architecture may include a user equipment (UE) (710) (e.g., a UAS), a 3GPP network (720), a UAV application enablement (UAE) server (730), and a SEAL server (740). As an example, the UE (710) may include a UAE client (712) and a SEAL client (714).

[0065] The UAE client (712) can provide UAE client-side functionality and can support interaction with the SEAL client (714) via a reference point (701). The UAE server (730) can provide UAE server-side functionality and can support interaction with the SEAL server (740) via a reference point (704).

[0066] The SEAL client (714) can provide client-side functions corresponding to a specific SEAL service, and the SEAL client (714) can support interaction with the UAE client (712), and can also support interaction between two UEs (710) and the corresponding SEAL client (714). The SEAL server (740) can provide server-side functions corresponding to a specific SEAL service, can support interaction with the UAE server (730), and can also support interaction with the corresponding SEAL server (740) in a distributed SEAL deployment.

[0067] Interactions related to vertical application layer (VAL) support functions between the UAE client (712) and the VAL server can be provided through a reference point (702). The VAL server can be part of or provided with the UAE server (730). Interactions between the SEAL client (714) and the corresponding SEAL server (740) can be provided through a reference point (703). The reference point (703) can be a specific SEAL service (e.g., network resource management) reference point, which can be specified in a specific SEAL service function model.

[0068] A Network Resource Management (NRM) server may be provided, which communicates with the 3GPP Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) via a reference point (705). The NRM server may also communicate with the 3GPP 5G Policy Control Function (PCF) via a reference point (706) to control unicast resources from the underlying 3GPP network (720). The NRM server may be part of or provided with a SEAL server (740), and the PCRF and PCF may be included in the 3GPP network (720).

[0069] According to an embodiment, the 3GPP 5G radio architecture may include a SEAL Group Manager (GM) server, which is configured to enable group management operations at the upper application layer. Furthermore, the 3GPP 5G radio architecture may include a SEAL Network Resource Management (NRM) server, which is configured to support unicast and multicast network resource management at the upper application layer.

[0070] Currently, 5G wireless technology supports three C2 (command and control) communication modes: direct C2, network-assisted C2, and UAS Traffic Management (UTM)-navigation C2 communication.

[0071] Direct C2 is a mode that establishes a direct C2 link between a UAV controller and a UAV, allowing them to communicate with each other and both registering with the 5G network using configured and scheduled radio resources provided by the 5G network for direct C2 communication. That is, for example, direct C2 could be a mode where the UAV controller and UAV communicate via a 3GPP network (e.g., a 5G network), rather than using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or any other unlicensed radio resources. According to embodiments, both the UAV controller and the UAV can have a designed 3GPP subscription and may also have a 3GGP UE ID.

[0072] Network-assisted C2 communication is a mode in which the UAV controller and the UAV register and establish their own unicast C2 communication links to the 5G network and communicate with each other through the 5G network.

[0073] UTM-Navigation C2 Communication provides pre-determined flight plans for UAVs. The UTM (such as a USS server) maintains a C2 communication link with the UAV to periodically monitor the UAV's flight status, verify the flight status using the latest dynamic limits, provide route updates, and, when necessary, the mode of flying the UAV.

[0074] As described above, QoS (Quality of Service) originating from the UAV (uplink from the UAS to the network) or QoS terminating at the UAS (downlink from the network to the UAS) can be maintained for UAS application layer operations. QoS can include, but is not limited to, network bandwidth, latency, jitter, and data loss rate. The three currently supported C2 communication modes may require different network resource support from the UAS application layer.

[0075] The embodiments disclosed herein can solve the above-mentioned problems and other issues.

[0076] According to embodiments, regarding direct C2 communication, a Service Enablement Architecture Layer (SEAL) group management server can be used to ensure matching between a pair of UAVs and UAV controllers, for example, based on certain UAS ID configurations. Network QoS provisioning can be triggered by the SEAL Network Resource Manager (NRM) server based on the group ID. In some cases, subgroups (or other types of unique groups) can be created for the UAVs and UAV controllers respectively to enable separate QoS control for each uplink and downlink. Embodiments of this disclosure can provide network resource support by using a group-based approach to provide direct C2 QoS provisioning.

[0077] refer to Figure 5 This illustrates a method for creating a group for a pair of UAVs and UAV controllers. For example... Figure 5 As shown, a UAV controller (401), a UAV Application Enablement (UAE) server (402), a UAV (403), and a SEAL GM server (404) can be provided. According to an embodiment, the above components can be... Figures 3 to 4 The system shown is implemented as follows. For example, a UAV controller (401) may correspond to a controller (302), a UAV (403) may correspond to a UAV (301), and the UAE server (402) and the SEAL GM server (404) may be implemented by one or more servers (304) and at least one of their same or different processors. Such components can be used... Figures 3 to 4 The various connections shown communicate with each other.

[0078] According to an embodiment, the system (e.g.) Figures 3 to 4 The system shown can be configured to provide direct C2 communication, network-assisted C2 communication, and / or UTM-navigation C2 communication, and can be configured to perform the group creation method described below.

[0079] refer to Figure 5 The UAV controller (401) and UAV (403) can initially connect to the UAE server (402) using a common UAS ID (step 405).

[0080] After the connection is established, the UAE server (402) can identify a unique pair of UAV controllers (401) and UAVs (403) (step 406). For example, the UAE server (402) can identify that UAV controllers (401) and UAVs (403) are a pair based on the fact that they receive the same UAS ID from both UAV controllers (401) and UAVs (403).

[0081] After the pair is identified, the UAE server (402) can use the link between the UAE server (402) and the SEAL GM server (404) (e.g., the GM-S reference link) to send a group creation request for the pair to the SEAL GM server (404) (step 407).

[0082] Based on the received group creation request, the SEAL GM server (404) can create a group ID for the pair of UAV (403) and UAV controller (401) (step 408).

[0083] In some cases, subgroups (or other different types of groups) may be created separately for UAV (403) and UAV controller (401) (step 409).

[0084] The UAE server (402) can use the returned group ID for QoS management (e.g., initial QoS allocation, QoS monitoring, and QoS tuning) (step 410). In cases where subgroups (or other different types of groups) have been created for the UAV (403) and UAV controller (401), the UAE server (402) can use the corresponding group ID (e.g., subgroup ID) to manage the QoS of the UAV (403) and UAV controller (401) respectively.

[0085] Once the SEAL GM server (404) assigns a group ID, the UAE server (402) can use these IDs for QoS provisioning in direct C2 communication.

[0086] For example, refer to Figure 6 This demonstrates an advanced workflow provided by direct C2 QoS based on groups. For example... Figure 6 As shown, a SEAL NRM server (504) and a 3GPP core network (505) can be additionally provided. The SEAL NRM server (504) can be provided by... Figures 3 to 4 One or more servers (304) are shown. For example, the SEAL NRM server (504) may be implemented by a server that is the same as or different from the UAE server (402) and / or the SEAL GM server (404), and / or at least one processor that is the same as or different from that server. The 3GPP core network (505) may correspond to Figures 3 to 4 The network (307) shown in the figure.

[0087] like Figure 6 As shown, the UAV controller (401) and / or UAV (403) can use the initially assigned network QoS settings for direct C2 communication (step 506). For example, the UAV controller (401) and / or UAV (403) can use the radio resources initially assigned by the UAE server (402).

[0088] The UAE server (402) can periodically monitor the expected QoS of the UAV (403) and UAV controller (401) using the group ID and / or the subgroup ID corresponding to the UAV (403) and UAV controller (401) (step 507). For example, the UAV (403) and UAV controller (401) can periodically report the current (3GPP) network conditions to the UAE server (402) for resource adaptation. For example, the current network conditions may include bandwidth, latency, jitter, etc.

[0089] If the UAE server (402) determines that direct C2 communication does not meet at least one predetermined QoS requirement, the UAE server (402) may choose to send a QoS adaptation request to the SEAL NRM server (504) using an NRM-S reference point to trigger QoS adaptation (step 508). The QoS adaptation request may depend on how the UAE server (402) handles group creation, whether it is sent by group or subgroup. According to an embodiment, the QoS adaptation request may include information identifying the UAE server (402), the group ID and / or subgroup ID corresponding to the UAV (403) and UAV controller (401), and resource adaptation requirements (e.g., bandwidth, resources, etc.) for the UAV (403) and / or UAV controller (401).

[0090] Based on the QoS adaptation request, the SEAL NRM server (504) can perform network resource adaptation (step 509). For example, network resource adaptation may include sending a request to the 3GPP core network to update QoS requirements (505). As an example, this can be done via... Figure 8 Reference points 705 and 706 shown in the figure are used to perform network resource adaptation.

[0091] The SEAL NRM server (504) may notify the UAE server (402) of the QoS update in the response (step 510). According to an embodiment, the response may include result information indicating whether the QoS adaptation was successful or failed. The response may also include updated values ​​for one or more parameters included in the network resource adaptation request (e.g., resource provisioning negotiation).

[0092] Then, the UAS application layer can use the updated QoS allocation for C2 communication (step 511). According to an embodiment, the UAS application layer may include functional application entities of a UAV controller (401), a UAV (403), and one or more servers (304), configured to use SEAL services such as location management, group management, configuration management, identity management, key management, and network resource management. According to an embodiment, the UAV controller (401) and UAV (403) may each include a UAS application-specific client as part of the UAS application layer, and one or more servers (304) may include a UAS application-specific server having a link to a UAE server (402). The UAS application-specific server, the UAE server (402), and the SEAL GM server (404) may be implemented by the same or different servers (304) and at least one of the same or different processors of that server.

[0093] The system disclosed herein may include at least one processor and a memory storing computer code. When executed by at least one processor, the computer code may be configured to cause the at least one processor to perform the functions of the embodiments of this disclosure. For example, the UAV and UAV controller of this disclosure may each include a corresponding at least one processor and a memory storing computer code configured to cause the UAV and UAV controller to perform their respective functions. Furthermore, the servers of this invention (e.g., UAE server (402), SEAL GM server (404), SEAL NRM server (504)) may be implemented by the same or different at least one processor and / or the same or different memories storing computer code.

[0094] The following is for reference. Figure 7 Examples of computer code (i.e., computer code that implements the UAE server (402)). For example, computer code may include an identification code (602), a request code (604), a provide code (606), a determine code (608), and a trigger code (610).

[0095] The identification code (602) can be configured to communicate with the UAV and controller connected to the UAE server (402) such that the UAE server (402) identifies the UAV and its controller as a pair. For example, the identification code (602) can be configured such that the UAE server (402) identifies the UAV and its controller as a pair based on the fact that the first identifier of the UAV obtained by the UAE server (402) and the second identifier of the controller are the same.

[0096] The request code (604) can be configured to cause the UAE server (402) to request the SEAL GM server (404) to provide the group identifier of the pair, or the corresponding group identifier of each item in the pair.

[0097] The provided code (606) can be configured to enable the UAE server (402) to provide QoS for communication of the pair using the group identifier of the pair or the corresponding group identifier of each item in the pair.

[0098] The determination code (608) can be configured to enable the UAE server (402) to determine whether the communication conditions do not meet the predetermined QoS requirements.

[0099] The trigger code (610) can be configured to cause the UAE server (402) to trigger the SEAL NRM server (504) to perform QoS adaptation for the pair based on the determination that the communication conditions do not meet the predetermined QoS requirements. For example, the trigger code (610) can be configured to cause the UAE server (402) to send a request to the SEAL NRM server (504) to perform QoS adaptation.

[0100] Although example code executed by the UAE server (402) has been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that each of the UAVs, UAV controllers, and servers of this disclosure may include, and / or be implemented by, computer code configured to cause the UAVs, UAV controllers, and servers to perform their respective functions (including the functions described in this disclosure).

[0101] refer to Figure 9 A computer system (900) suitable for implementing certain embodiments of the disclosed subject matter is shown.

[0102] Computer software can be coded using any suitable machine code or computer language. Any suitable machine code or computer language can be assembled, compiled, linked, or similarly processed to create code containing instructions that can be executed directly by a computer's central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), or through interpretation, microcode, or similar means.

[0103] The instructions can be executed on various types of computers or their components, including personal computers, tablets, servers, smartphones, gaming devices, and Internet of Things devices.

[0104] Figure 9The components of the computer system (900) shown are exemplary in nature and are not intended to impose any limitation on the scope or functionality of computer software implementing embodiments of this disclosure. The configuration of the components should also not be construed as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or a combination of components shown in the exemplary embodiments of the computer system (900).

[0105] The computer system (900) may include certain human-machine interface input devices. Such human-machine interface input devices may respond to input from one or more human users, for example, through input such as: tactile input (e.g., keystrokes, swipes, movement of a data glove), audio input (e.g., voice, clapping), visual input (e.g., gestures), and olfactory input (not shown). The human-machine interface devices may also be used to capture certain media that are not necessarily directly related to human conscious input, such as audio (e.g., voice, music, ambient sounds), images (e.g., scanned images, photographic images acquired from a still image camera), and video (e.g., two-dimensional video, three-dimensional video including stereoscopic video), etc.

[0106] The input human-machine interface device may include one or more of the following (only one of each is shown): keyboard (901), mouse (902), touchpad (903), touch screen (910), joystick (905), microphone (906), scanner (907), and camera (908).

[0107] The computer system (900) may also include some human-machine interface output devices. Such human-machine interface output devices may, for example, stimulate the senses of one or more human users through tactile output, sound, light, and smell / taste. Such human-machine interface output devices may include tactile output devices (e.g., tactile feedback of a touchscreen (910), data gloves, or joysticks (905)), but may also be tactile feedback devices that are not input devices. For example, such devices may be audio output devices (e.g., speakers (909), headphones (not shown)), visual output devices (e.g., screens (910) including CRT screens, LCD screens, plasma screens, OLED screens, each with or without touchscreen input capability, each with or without tactile feedback capability - some of which are capable of outputting two-dimensional or more three-dimensional visual outputs through devices such as stereoscopic image output, virtual reality glasses (not shown), holographic displays and smoke boxes (not shown), and printers (not shown).

[0108] The computer system (900) may also include human-accessible storage devices and their associated media, such as optical media including CD / DVD ROM / RW (920) having media such as CD / DVD (921), finger drives (922), removable hard disk drives or solid-state drives (923), conventional magnetic media such as magnetic tapes and floppy disks (not shown), devices based on dedicated ROM / ASIC / PLD such as security dongles (not shown), etc.

[0109] Those skilled in the art should also understand that the term "computer-readable medium" as used in connection with the presently disclosed subject matter does not include transmission media, carrier waves, or other transient signals.

[0110] The computer system (900) may also include interfaces to one or more communication networks. These networks may be, for example, wireless networks, wired networks, or optical networks. Further, networks may be local area networks, wide area networks, metropolitan area networks, vehicle and industrial networks, real-time networks, latency-tolerant networks, etc. Examples of networks include local area networks such as Ethernet, wireless LANs, cellular networks including GSM, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, etc., cable or wireless wide area digital television networks including cable television, satellite television, and terrestrial broadcast television, vehicle and industrial television including CANBus, etc. Some networks typically require external network interface adapters (e.g., USB ports of the computer system (900)) to connect to certain general-purpose data ports or peripheral buses (949); other network interfaces are typically integrated into the core of the computer system (900) by connecting to the system bus (e.g., an Ethernet interface in a PC computer system or a cellular network interface in a smartphone computer system). The computer system (900) can use any of these networks to communicate with other entities. Such communication can be one-way receiving (e.g., broadcast television), one-way transmitting (e.g., CANbus connected to certain CANbus devices), or bidirectional, such as connecting to other computer systems using a local area network or wide area network digital network. This communication can include communication with cloud computing environments (955). As mentioned above, certain protocols and protocol stacks can be used on each of those networks and network interfaces.

[0111] The aforementioned human-machine interface device, human-machine accessible storage device, and network interface (954) can be attached to the kernel (940) of the computer system (900).

[0112] The core (940) may include one or more central processing units (CPU) (941), graphics processing units (GPUs) (942), dedicated programmable processing units in the form of field-programmable gate areas (FPGAs) (943), hardware accelerators (944) for certain tasks, etc. These devices, as well as read-only memory (ROM) (945), random access memory (RAM) (946), and internal mass storage such as internal non-user-accessible hard disk drives, SSDs, etc., may be connected via a system bus (948). In some computer systems, the system bus (948) may be accessed in the form of one or more physical connectors to allow for expansion with additional CPUs, GPUs, etc. Peripheral devices may be directly connected to the core's system bus (948) or connected to the core's system bus via a peripheral bus (949). Peripheral bus architectures include PCI, USB, etc. A graphics adapter (950) may be included in the core (940).

[0113] The CPU (941), GPU (942), FPGA (943), and accelerator (944) can execute certain instructions, which can be combined to form the aforementioned computer code. This computer code can be stored in ROM (945) or RAM (946). Transient data can also be stored in RAM (946), while permanent data can be stored, for example, in internal mass storage (947). Fast storage and retrieval to any storage device can be achieved using a cache, which can be closely associated with one or more CPUs (941), GPUs (942), mass storage (947), ROM (945), RAM (946), etc.

[0114] Computer-readable media may have computer code thereon for performing various computer-implemented operations. The media and computer code may be media and computer code specifically designed and constructed for the purposes of this disclosure, or the media and computer code may be of a type known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software.

[0115] As a non-limiting example, a computer system (900) having an architecture, particularly a kernel (940), can be functionally provided by one or more processors (including CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, accelerators, etc.) executing software contained in one or more tangible computer-readable media. Such computer-readable media can be media associated with user-accessible mass storage as described above, and some non-transitory memory of the kernel (940), such as internal kernel mass storage (947) or ROM (945). Software implementing various embodiments of this disclosure can be stored in such means and executed by the kernel (940). Depending on specific needs, the computer-readable medium may include one or more storage devices or chips. The software can cause the kernel (940), particularly the processors therein (including CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, etc.), to execute specific processes or specific portions of specific processes described herein, including defining data structures (946) stored in RAM and modifying such data structures according to software-defined processes. Additionally or alternatively, the computer system may be provided with functionality by hard-wired or otherwise embodied logic in circuitry (e.g., an accelerator (944)) that may replace or operate with the software to perform a particular process or a particular portion of a particular process described herein. Where appropriate, references to software may include logic, and vice versa. Where appropriate, references to computer-readable media may include circuitry (e.g., an integrated circuit (IC)) storing software for execution, circuitry embodying logic for execution, or both. This disclosure includes any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0116] Although this disclosure has described several non-limiting exemplary embodiments, modifications, substitutions, and various equivalent alternatives that fall within the scope of this disclosure exist. Therefore, it should be understood that those skilled in the art will be able to design numerous systems and methods that, while not expressly shown or described herein, embody the principles of this disclosure and thus fall within its spirit and scope.

Claims

1. A method for communication in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, executed by a first server, the method comprising: In response to a request, at least one group is created for a pair consisting of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and its controller, and an identifier for the pair is obtained, wherein the identifier is a group identifier for the pair or a corresponding group identifier for each item in the pair. Use the identifier of the pair to provide Quality of Service (QoS) for the communication of the pair; Determine whether the communication conditions of the pair meet the predetermined QoS requirements; In response to determining that the communication conditions do not meet the predetermined QoS requirements, a QoS adaptation request is sent to another server to perform the QoS adaptation, wherein the first server is a UAE server and the other server is a SEALNRM server, and the QoS adaptation request includes information identifying the UAE server, a group identifier of the pair or a corresponding group identifier for each item in the pair, and resource adaptation requirements for the UAV and the controller of the UAV. Receive response information from the SEAL NRM server, the response information being used to indicate that the QoS has been successfully adapted, wherein the response information includes result information indicating whether the QoS adaptation was successful or failed, and updated values ​​of one or more parameters included in the network resource adaptation request.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication between the two is direct command and control C2 communication between the UAV and the controller.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication conditions include at least one of bandwidth, latency, jitter, and data loss rate.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to the UAV and the controller being communicatively connected to the first server, the UAV and the controller of the UAV are identified as the pair.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of identifying the UAV and the UAV's controller as the pair includes: Obtain the first identifier of the UAV and the second identifier of the controller; In response to the first identifier being the same as the second identifier, the UAV and the controller are identified as the pair.

6. A system for communication in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, characterized in that, include: At least one processor; Memory for storing computer code, the computer code including: A request code configured to cause a first server to request an identifier for a pair of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their controllers, the identifier being a group identifier for the pair or a corresponding group identifier for each item in the pair. Configuration code, which is configured to cause the first server to use the identifier of the pair to provide Quality of Service (QoS) for communication between the pair; The determination code is configured to enable the first server to determine whether the communication conditions of the pair meet predetermined QoS requirements; A trigger code, configured to cause the first server, in response to determining that the communication conditions do not meet the predetermined QoS requirements, to send a QoS adaptation request to another server to perform QoS adaptation, wherein the first server is a UAE server and the other server is a SEAL NRM server, the QoS adaptation request including information identifying the UAE server, a group identifier for the pair or a corresponding group identifier for each item in the pair, and resource adaptation requirements for the UAV and the UAV's controller; causing the UAE server to receive response information from the SEAL NRM server, the response information indicating that the QoS has been successfully adapted, wherein the response information includes result information indicating whether the QoS adaptation was successful or failed, and updated values ​​of one or more parameters included in the network resource adaptation request.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The communication between the two is direct command and control C2 communication between the UAV and the controller.

8. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The communication conditions include at least one of bandwidth, latency, jitter, and data loss rate.

9. The system according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that, The computer code also includes: An identification code, configured to identify the UAV and the controller as a pair in response to the UAV and the controller being communicatively connected to the first server.

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The identification code is configured such that the first server identifies the UAV and the controller as the pair in response to the first server obtaining a first identifier of the UAV and a second identifier of the controller being the same.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, characterized in that, Used to store computer code, the computer code being configured to, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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