Unmanned aerial vehicle beyond visual range control system

Abstract

The invention discloses an over-the-horizon control system of an unmanned aerial vehicle, and belongs to the field of intelligent air traffic control of unmanned aerial vehicles. Comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle UA, an unmanned aerial vehicle flight control terminal UAS, an unmanned aerial vehicle access gateway UAG, an unmanned aerial vehicle controller UAC, an unmanned aerial vehicle register UAR and an unmanned aerial vehicle manager UAM. And the airborne terminal of the UA and the control terminal of the UAS respectively register to the air traffic control service network, and after the authentication is passed, the UAS is connected with the specified UA to the air traffic control service network and reports the position of the specified UA. And in the flight process of the UA, the airborne terminal obtains the current position through a global satellite positioning system, constructs an ADS message, reports the ADS message to the air traffic control service network at regular time, judges the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the ADS information, and judges whether the electronic fence is touched or not. If the electronic fence is touched, an alarm needs to be sent to the UAS. Meanwhile, in the flight process of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the UAM provides weather, air traffic conditions and other related air traffic management services for the UAS. The problems of aircraft control instruction delay and flight supervision are solved, and the control efficiency is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of intelligent air traffic control for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and in particular relates to mobile Internet, industrial Internet of Things, 4G or 5G, and is specifically a beyond-visual-range control system for UAVs. Background Art

[0002] With the booming drone market, the issue of drone safety regulation has become increasingly prominent. In 2015, the FAA issued a proposal requiring small drones used for commercial or non-recreational purposes to remain below 500 feet above the ground in daylight conditions and within the operator's line of sight. However, illegal drone flights remain common both domestically and internationally, as regulatory frameworks lag far behind industry development and the technology to monitor drones in real time is lacking.

[0003] On the other hand, from the perspective of drone communication and control, in 2016, US mobile communications provider AT&T and semiconductor manufacturer Intel formed a joint team to study whether mobile cellular network communications can support drone control beyond line of sight. The two companies evaluated domestic LTE mobile cellular networks in the United States to determine whether they can provide reliable command and control and video streaming communication links for drones operating beyond line of sight. In August 2016, Ericsson and China Mobile completed the world's first 5G drone trial in Wuxi, demonstrating that drones can switch between different cells just like mobile phones, coexisting harmoniously with mobile phones and sharing base station resources.

[0004] The above research and experiments have proved that drones can be controlled beyond visual range based on public mobile communication networks, while the supervision of drones will face more severe challenges.

[0005] In order to cooperate with the implementation of the national low-altitude airspace management reform and meet the growing general aviation demand for low-altitude flight safety and intelligent aviation systems, based on the characteristics of drones, we study the key technologies of drone supervision based on public mobile communication networks, establish a drone supervision technology system with completely independent intellectual property rights, and conduct experimental verification to lay the foundation for subsequent application demonstration and industrialization.

[0006] Prior art includes a civilian drone control system and device with application number 201720582744.8. These devices monitor the specific location of registered drones, distribute fixed gateways within a predetermined area, and transmit signals to a drone control platform, facilitating the determination of the drone's specific location and corresponding owner information in the event of an incident. However, this device only manages drones within a specific range during drone flight monitoring. If a drone flies outside the current communication management range, signals cannot be transmitted to the drone control platform, making it difficult to maintain continuous communication between the platform and the drone.

[0007] Application number 201610905166.7 discloses a drone air traffic control system and method. This system uses a reader on an inspection drone to read the drone's tag and transmit the data to a ground control center. The system then compares the relevant information to determine whether the target drone is in a flight violation state. If a violation occurs, the system contacts the operator to manage and direct the operator. However, this method uses data from inspection drones to conduct safety supervision of target drones, significantly increasing information transmission costs and resulting in significant time delays, which reduces the efficiency of handling drone incidents. Furthermore, the ground control center contacts the operator when a violation occurs, rather than directly taking control of the drone. This makes handling incidents and violations difficult when contact is unavailable.

[0008] The civil drone integrated management network platform, application number 201220360246.6, ensures safe drone flight through a ground control station and a central service platform system. The service platform uses a server to receive drone information, and drones communicate with the ground control station via onboard radios. The drones' public network terminals are 3G devices, and drone safety management is achieved through the coordination of multiple systems. Compared to 4G transmission, this method performs poorly in terms of transmission speed and operational efficiency. Given the lack of zoned drone airspace control, efficient drone safety management is unavailable and coverage is limited.

[0009] Application number 201710575087.9 describes a civil drone air traffic control system and a method for controlling drone flight using this system. This system establishes local base stations to plan and dispatch drones within a certain range. Node units are installed on drones to identify them. A backend management controller verifies the identity of each node unit and sends the results to the base station for zoned control. While this method effectively expands the scope of airspace supervision through the collaborative management of local base stations, it lacks control over secure drone access and requires authentication for drone access. This can lead to unsafe drone access in practice, potentially causing unnecessary accidents. Summary of the Invention

[0010] To address issues such as aircraft control command delays and flight supervision, this paper proposes a beyond-visual-range (BLOS) control system for drones. By deploying a drone control agent within a public mobile communications network, this system enables BOS control of the drone via the public mobile communications network, effectively improving control efficiency. By establishing a secure link, a control link connection based on local network routing within the drone's location is achieved, enabling applications in drone trajectory monitoring and management.

[0011] The drone super control system consists of the following devices: drone UA, drone flight control terminal UAS, drone access gateway UAG, drone controller UAC, drone registrar UAR and drone manager UAM;

[0012] UA is equipped with an onboard terminal, which is divided into active onboard terminal mode and passive onboard terminal mode:

[0013] In the passive aircraft-mounted terminal mode, a dedicated control channel is used to connect to the UAS, and line-of-sight control is generally adopted.

[0014] In the active airborne terminal mode, the UA and UAS are connected through a secure link to collect and report the location of the drone. They can establish a beyond-line-of-sight communication connection through the public mobile communication network to complete beyond-line-of-sight information transmission and control.

[0015] The control modes of UAS over UA are divided into beyond visual range control mode and line-of-sight control mode:

[0016] In the beyond-visual-range control mode, both UAS and UA support the public mobile communication network. UAS and UA register with the air traffic control service network and complete secure link transfer through UAG.

[0017] In the line-of-sight control mode, load information and control information are exchanged through the private channel between the UAS and UA.

[0018] UAG provides secure tunnels for UAs and UASs under beyond-line-of-sight control conditions based on the public mobile communication network, isolating them from the public mobile communication network. At the same time, through the secure tunnel, they access the air traffic control service network to support UA and UAS registration, flight plan filing, and air traffic management services.

[0019] Key features include:

[0020] (1) The UA's onboard terminal securely accesses the air traffic control service network. The legitimacy of the UA's access terminal is confirmed through access authentication, and the communication security between the onboard terminal and the air traffic control service network is ensured through an encrypted link.

[0021] (2) The UAS control terminal securely accesses the air traffic control service network. The legitimacy of the UAS control terminal is confirmed through access authentication, and the communication security between the control terminal and the air traffic control service network is ensured through an encrypted link.

[0022] (3) Control command and service data distribution. Identify control commands between UA airborne terminals, UAS control terminals, and the air traffic control service network; identify service data between UA airborne terminals, UAS control terminals, and the air traffic control service network; and complete the distribution of control commands and service data based on the identification of UAS control terminals, UA airborne terminals, and UAM services.

[0023] (4) Under the control of UAC, the service data is distributed to multiple UAS control terminals. The air traffic control service network can broadcast the specified TIS / FIS message to the specified UAS control terminal on demand through UAC control.

[0024] (5) Under the control of UAC, complete the distribution of service data to multiple UAMs. When the air traffic control service network receives ADS information, it needs to distribute ADS messages to multiple designated UAM services on demand through UAC control.

[0025] The main function of UAC is to provide communication control between UA, UAS, UAR, UAM and control terminals.

[0026] Before a drone takes off, the UAS control terminal must register with the air traffic control service network, establish a communication connection, and declare a control association binding with the UA airborne terminal. Once the binding is successful, data services and control communications can be completed bidirectionally between the UA and UAS, between the UA and UAM, and between the UAS and UAM. Therefore, the UAC needs to manage the connectivity of UAs and UASs, and the communication associations between UAs, UASs, and UAMs.

[0027] Key features include:

[0028] (1) Complete the secure access authentication of the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal based on the terminal identification and terminal reserved identification code provided by the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal.

[0029] (2) Complete the registration and deregistration of UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals, maintain the control channel connection with UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals, and send the registration and deregistration requests and disconnection notifications of UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals to UAR to complete the registration management.

[0030] (3) Complete the association between the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal, maintain the association throughout the flight, and complete the addressing and forwarding of control instructions between the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal.

[0031] (4) Complete the association between the UA airborne terminal, UAS control terminal and UAM service, maintain the association throughout the flight process, and complete the addressing and forwarding of control instructions between the UA airborne terminal, UAS control terminal and UAM.

[0032] (5) Based on the association between the UA airborne terminal, UAS control terminal and UAM, complete the uplink and downlink routing table management of UAG.

[0033] The main function of UAR is to complete the registration management, access authorization management and binding authorization management of UA and UAS.

[0034] Before a drone takes off, the UAS control terminal must register with the air traffic control service network and declare a control association binding with the UA airborne terminal. This binding requires authentication and authorization between the UA and the UAS. Once authorized, the UAS can control the flight of the UA, while ensuring the access security of the UA and the UAS.

[0035] The main functions of UAR include:

[0036] (1) Provide identification and authorization information maintenance for UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals, and provide security information maintenance for UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals.

[0037] (2) Provide contract information maintenance for the UAS control terminal and the UA airborne terminal, maintain the binding between the UAS control terminal and the UA airborne terminal, and complete the UAS control terminal's authorization to control the UA airborne terminal.

[0038] (3) Maintain the position of the UA onboard terminal and the UAS control terminal during their movement to support terminal addressing.

[0039] The main functions of UAM are to complete the flight plan review of UA and UAS, complete electronic fence management, and complete air traffic management services.

[0040] Before takeoff, the UAS must submit a flight plan to the air traffic control network. During flight, the UAM uses ADS information to determine the drone's position and whether it has encountered an electronic fence. If so, an alert is issued to the UAS. Furthermore, the UAM provides the UAS with relevant air traffic management services, including weather and air traffic conditions.

[0041] Key features of UAM include:

[0042] (1) Support for drone location monitoring: When the UA supports the global positioning system, the drone's location monitoring is completed based on the ADS message actively fed back by the UA's airborne terminal, or the location message actively fed back by the UAS control terminal on behalf of the UA. When the UA does not support the global positioning system, the approximate location of the UA is determined based on the UAS's position and line of sight coverage.

[0043] (2) Supporting UAV control station location monitoring: When the UAS supports the global positioning system, the UAS location monitoring is completed based on the ADS message actively fed back by the UAS. When the UAS does not support the global positioning system, the UAS location is located based on the public mobile communication network.

[0044] (3) Support electronic fence service: The electronic fence is divided into the authorized flight range of the drone and the restricted flight range of the drone. When the drone is authorized to access, the electronic fence information is fed back to the UAS control terminal. When the drone flies out of the authorized flight range or touches the restricted flight range, an alarm is sent to the UAS control terminal. When the UA actively reports the location information, the UAM identifies the UA's location through the ADS message and determines whether it touches the electronic fence. When the UA passively reports the location information, the UAM locates the UAS through the public mobile communication network and determines whether it touches the electronic fence based on the UAS location and line of sight coverage.

[0045] (4) Support Flight Information Service (FIS): Provide the UAS control terminal with weather information of the UAS flight airspace on a regular basis.

[0046] (5) Support Traffic Information Service (TIS): The TIS mainly provides the UAS control terminal with the air situation information of the UAS flight airspace.

[0047] The specific working process of the UAV beyond visual range control system is as follows:

[0048] Step 1: The UA's onboard terminal registers the UA with the air traffic control service network. After the air traffic control service network authentication is passed, the UA is in standby state, waiting for control instructions.

[0049] Step 2: The UAS control terminal registers the UAS with the air traffic control service network. After the air traffic control service network authentication is passed, the UAS connects to the designated UA to the air traffic control service network.

[0050] Step 3: After obtaining the location monitoring information of the designated UA, the UAS will actively report the location of the designated UA to the air traffic control service network.

[0051] Step 4: After the air traffic control service network completes the binding between the UAS and the designated UA, it can accept the control instructions of the authorized UAS and conduct controlled flight.

[0052] Step 5: During the flight of the designated UA, the airborne terminal obtains the current position through the global satellite positioning system, constructs an ADS message, and regularly reports the ADS message to the air traffic control service network to complete the position monitoring of the UAV.

[0053] The advantages of the present invention are:

[0054] 1. The present invention provides a beyond-visual-range UAV control system. Compared with existing civilian UAV control systems, the present invention provides a more secure and reliable access service and more powerful control means for UAV control stations.

[0055] 2. This invention provides a drone beyond-visual-range control system that provides users with services such as electronic fencing, flight information, traffic information, and user authentication management through a drone control terminal. This allows drone users to clearly understand restricted flight areas, temporary control information, and relevant air traffic control laws and regulations, minimizing safety hazards associated with drone use. Furthermore, by integrating drone information and user registration and authentication, this system improves control information, enabling more efficient drone perception, control, location acquisition, and communication control.

[0056] 3. This invention provides a drone beyond-visual-range control system. Utilizing a drone controller, a drone registrar, and a drone manager, the system completes registration with the air traffic control service network before takeoff, establishes a communication connection, completes declaration and authorization, and then conducts flight plan review. During flight, if the drone encounters an electronic fence, an alert is sent to the drone control terminal. If the alert is ineffective, the drone is taken over and controlled to return home. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the components of a beyond-visual-range control system for a drone according to the present invention;

[0058] Figure 2 The following is a flow chart of the working principle of a UAV beyond visual range control system of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] To facilitate understanding and implementation of the present invention by those skilled in the art, the present invention is further described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is apparent that the embodiments described are merely partial embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. All other embodiments derived by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0060] To address the challenges faced by nationwide civil drone regulation, such as multiple regulatory targets, a wide regulatory scope, multiple regulatory information sources, and cross-regional regulation, it is necessary to draw on the air traffic control (ATC) control zone divisions and divide the regulatory network into multiple prefecture-level supervision zones. This allows for the integration of local multi-source regulatory information, and central supervision to aggregate regulatory information and coordinate multi-prefecture-level supervision, thereby forming a distributed networking system for civil drone regulation. Simultaneously, each regulatory center will access the ATC network through a collaborative control gateway to coordinate with each ATC control zone. Furthermore, the drone's trajectory information will be mapped into ADS-B messages to achieve seamless integration with the existing ATC system. This invention proposes a drone beyond-visual-range control system.

[0061] The UAV override system, such as Figure 1 As shown, it mainly includes: 1) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UA): configures airborne terminals to complete position acquisition and communication control; 2) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Control Terminal (UAS): completes the perception control, position acquisition and communication control of the UAV; 3) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Access Gateway (UAG): mainly completes the access management of UA and UAS, and conducts real-time data communication to complete position perception and control; 4) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Controller (UAC): The main function is to provide communication control between UA, UAS, UAR, UAM, and control terminals; 5) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Registrar (UAR): The main function is to complete the registration management, access authorization management and binding authorization management of UA and UAS; 6) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Manager (UAM): The main function is to complete the flight plan review of UA and UAS, complete electronic fence management, and complete air traffic management services.

[0062] UA is a controlled drone equipped with an onboard terminal to complete position acquisition and communication control. It is divided into active onboard terminal mode and passive onboard terminal mode:

[0063] Passive onboard terminal mode, similar to the control terminal in traditional drones, uses a dedicated control channel to connect to the UAS and generally employs line-of-sight control. In this mode, the UA cannot actively collect and report its location information, nor can it use the public mobile communication network to support beyond-line-of-sight communication transmission and control.

[0064] The active airborne terminal mode means that the control terminal in the drone supports the public mobile communication network and the global satellite positioning system, so that it can collect and report the location of the drone, establish a beyond-line-of-sight communication connection through the public mobile communication network, and complete beyond-line-of-sight information transmission and control.

[0065] The main functions of active airborne terminal mode include:

[0066] (1) The UA's onboard terminal supports access to the air traffic control service network based on the public mobile communication network. After the legitimacy of the UA's access terminal is confirmed through access authentication, access to the air traffic control service network is achieved through an encrypted link.

[0067] (2) The UA's onboard terminal supports registering the UA with the air traffic control service network. After the air traffic control service network authentication is passed, the UA is in a standby state, waiting for control instructions. After the air traffic control service network completes the binding between the UAS and the UA, the UA can accept control instructions from the authorized UAS and conduct controlled flight.

[0068] (3) During the flight of the UA, the onboard terminal obtains the current position through the global satellite positioning system, constructs the ADS message according to the ADS specification, and reports the ADS message to the air traffic control service network through the secure link with the air traffic control service network at regular intervals.

[0069] UAS is the control terminal of the UAV, which completes the perception control, location acquisition and communication control of the UAV. The control mode of UA is divided into beyond visual range control mode and line-of-sight control mode:

[0070] In the beyond-line-of-sight control mode, both UAS and UA support the public mobile communication network. UAS and UA register with the air traffic control service network and complete secure link transfer through UAG. Position monitoring, load information and control information exchange are completed between UA and UAS through a secure link.

[0071] In the line-of-sight control mode, UAS and UA do not need to support the public mobile communication network, but instead exchange load information and control information directly through the private channel between UAS and UA.

[0072] When UAS reports location monitoring information, it can be divided into active reporting mode and passive reporting mode:

[0073] (1) In the active reporting mode, after obtaining the location monitoring information of the UA, the UAS will actively report the location of the drone to the air traffic control service network.

[0074] (2) In passive reporting mode, the UAS will not actively report the UA's location monitoring information.

[0075] In beyond-visual-range control mode, the main functions of the UAS include:

[0076] (1) The UAS control terminal supports access to the air traffic control service network based on the public mobile communication network, confirms the legitimacy of the UAS control terminal through access authentication, and accesses the air traffic control service network through an encrypted link.

[0077] (2) The UAS control terminal supports registering the UAS with the air traffic control service network. After passing the air traffic control service network authentication, the UAS can connect to the designated UA on the air traffic control service network. After the air traffic control service network completes the binding between the UAS and the UA, interactive control with the UA can be completed.

[0078] The main functions that UAS provides to users include:

[0079] (1) Support mobile phone terminals;

[0080] (2) Support user registration management and user authentication management of drone pilots;

[0081] (3) Support input of drone information, completion of drone registration and drone binding;

[0082] (4) Support flight plan management functions such as flight plan declaration, cancellation, and review of approval results;

[0083] (5) Support electronic fence services, provide maps, support viewing restricted flight zones, and provide electronic fence contact alarms;

[0084] (6) Support flight information services and provide surrounding weather information display;

[0085] (7) Support traffic information services and provide surrounding air situation information display;

[0086] (8) Support air traffic management services, provide system messages, and control message communications;

[0087] (9) Provide reading and inquiry of drone flight regulations and systems.

[0088] UAG primarily manages access to UAs and UASs. During flight, the onboard terminal on the UA and the control terminal on the UAS must communicate data in real time to achieve positional awareness and control. Under beyond-line-of-sight control conditions based on the public mobile communications network, a secure tunnel is provided for UAs and UASs, isolating them from the public mobile communications network. Furthermore, access to the air traffic control service network through the secure tunnel supports UA and UAS registration, flight plan filing, and air traffic management services.

[0089] Key features include:

[0090] (1) The UA's onboard terminal securely accesses the air traffic control service network. The legitimacy of the UA's access terminal is confirmed through access authentication, and the communication security between the onboard terminal and the air traffic control service network is ensured through an encrypted link.

[0091] (2) The UAS control terminal securely accesses the air traffic control service network. The legitimacy of the UAS control terminal is confirmed through access authentication, and the communication security between the control terminal and the air traffic control service network is ensured through an encrypted link.

[0092] (3) Control command and service data distribution. Identify control commands between UA airborne terminals, UAS control terminals, and the air traffic control service network; identify service data between UA airborne terminals, UAS control terminals, and the air traffic control service network; and complete the distribution of control commands and service data based on the identification of UAS control terminals, UA airborne terminals, and UAM services.

[0093] (4) Under UAC control, complete the distribution of service data to multiple UAS control terminals. When the air traffic control service network provides TIS / FIS information services, it needs to broadcast weather and traffic information to UAS control terminals flying in a specific airspace. The air traffic control service network can broadcast specified TIS / FIS messages to specified UAS control terminals on demand through UAC control.

[0094] (5) Under the control of UAC, complete the distribution of service data to multiple UAMs. When the air traffic control service network receives ADS information, it needs to distribute ADS messages to multiple designated UAM services on demand through UAC control.

[0095] The main function of UAC is to provide communication control between UA, UAS, UAR, UAM and control terminals.

[0096] Before a drone takes off, the UAS control terminal must register with the air traffic control service network, establish a communication connection, and declare a control association binding with the UA airborne terminal. Once the binding is successful, data services and control communications can be completed bidirectionally between the UA and UAS, between the UA and UAM, and between the UAS and UAM. Therefore, the UAC needs to manage the connectivity of UAs and UASs, and the communication associations between UAs, UASs, and UAMs.

[0097] Key features include:

[0098] (1) Complete the secure access authentication of the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal based on the terminal identification and terminal reserved identification code provided by the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal. During the authentication process, support bidirectional security authentication between the UA airborne terminal, the UAS control terminal and the UAC.

[0099] (2) Complete the registration and deregistration of UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals, maintain the control channel connection with UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals, and send the registration and deregistration requests and disconnection notifications of UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals to UAR to complete the registration management.

[0100] (3) Complete the association between the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal, maintain the association throughout the flight, and complete the addressing and forwarding of control instructions between the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal.

[0101] (4) Complete the association between the UA airborne terminal, UAS control terminal and UAM service, maintain the association throughout the flight process, and complete the addressing and forwarding of control instructions between the UA airborne terminal, UAS control terminal and UAM.

[0102] (5) Based on the association between the UA airborne terminal, UAS control terminal and UAM, complete the uplink and downlink routing table management of UAG.

[0103] The main function of UAR is to complete the registration management, access authorization management and binding authorization management of UA and UAS.

[0104] Before a drone takes off, the UAS control terminal must register with the air traffic control service network and declare a control association binding with the UA airborne terminal. This binding requires authentication and authorization between the UA and the UAS. Once authorized, the UAS can control the flight of the UA, while ensuring the access security of the UA and the UAS.

[0105] The main functions of UAR include:

[0106] (1) Provide identification and authorization information (used for terminal access authentication and authorization) maintenance for UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals, and provide security information (used for communication integrity protection and encryption) maintenance for UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals.

[0107] (2) Provide contract information maintenance for the UAS control terminal and the UA airborne terminal, maintain the binding between the UAS control terminal and the UA airborne terminal, and complete the UAS control terminal's authorization to control the UA airborne terminal.

[0108] (3) Maintain the position of the UA onboard terminal and the UAS control terminal during their movement to support terminal addressing.

[0109] The main functions of UAM are to complete the flight plan review of UA and UAS, complete electronic fence management, and complete air traffic management services.

[0110] Before takeoff, the UAS must submit a flight plan to the air traffic control service network. Only after the flight plan has been successfully submitted will takeoff be permitted. During flight, the UAM uses ADS information to determine the drone's position and whether it has contacted the electronic fence. If the electronic fence is contacted, an alert is issued to the UAS. Furthermore, during flight, the UAM provides the UAS with relevant air traffic management services, including weather and air traffic conditions.

[0111] Key features of UAM include:

[0112] (1) Support for drone location monitoring: When the UA supports the global positioning system, the drone's location monitoring is completed based on the ADS message actively fed back by the UA's airborne terminal, or the position message actively fed back by the UAS control terminal on behalf of the UA. When the UA does not support the global positioning system (the UA and UAS can generally only be controlled based on line-of-sight communication), the approximate location of the UA is determined based on the UAS's position and line-of-sight coverage.

[0113] (2) Supporting UAV control station location monitoring: When the UAS supports the global positioning system, the UAS location monitoring is completed based on the ADS message actively fed back by the UAS. When the UAS does not support the global positioning system, the UAS location is located based on the public mobile communication network.

[0114] (3) Support electronic fence service: Electronic fence service is a specific information service for drones.

[0115] Geo-fences are divided into authorized drone flight ranges and restricted drone flight ranges. When a drone is authorized to access, geo-fence information is fed back to the UAS control terminal. When the drone flies out of the authorized flight range or touches the restricted flight range, an alarm is issued to the UAS control terminal. When the UA actively reports its location information (the UA actively reports ADS, or the UAS reports ADS on behalf of the UA), the UAM identifies the UA's location through the ADS message and determines whether it has touched the geo-fence. When the UA passively reports its location information (neither the UA nor the UAS can report ADS, and the communication between the UA and the UAS is mainly based on line-of-sight communication control), the UAM locates the UAS through the public mobile communication network and determines whether it has touched the geo-fence based on the UAS's location and line-of-sight coverage.

[0116] (4) Support Flight Information Service (FIS): Flight information service mainly includes flight weather service, which provides the UAS control terminal with weather information of the UAS flight airspace on a regular basis.

[0117] (5) Support Traffic Information Service (TIS): The TIS mainly provides the UAS control terminal with the air situation information of the drone flight airspace, including the position, altitude, speed, etc. of various aircraft in the airspace.

[0118] The specific working process of the UAV beyond visual range control system is as follows:

[0119] Step 1: The UA's onboard terminal registers the UA with the air traffic control service network. After the air traffic control service network authentication is passed, the UA is in standby state, waiting for control instructions.

[0120] Step 2: The UAS control terminal registers the UAS with the air traffic control service network. After the air traffic control service network authentication is passed, the UAS connects to the designated UA to the air traffic control service network.

[0121] Step 3: After obtaining the location monitoring information of the designated UA, the UAS will actively report the location of the designated UA to the air traffic control service network.

[0122] Step 4: After the air traffic control service network completes the binding between the UAS and the designated UA, it can accept the control instructions of the authorized UAS and conduct controlled flight.

[0123] Step 5: During the flight of the designated UA, the airborne terminal obtains the current position through the global satellite positioning system, constructs an ADS message, and regularly reports the ADS message to the air traffic control service network to complete the position monitoring of the UAV.

[0124] The interfaces between the components of the UAV super control system include: Nm interface, Nf interface, Np interface, Ud interface, Cm interface, Ce interface, Cf interface and Rx interface;

[0125] The Nm interface is a wireless interface between UAs and UASs and the public mobile communications network. It primarily connects UAs and UASs to the public mobile communications network and enables data transmission. UA payload data, such as photos, videos, and sensor information, is transmitted directly between the UA and UAS via the Nm interface.

[0126] The NF interface is the interface between the UAG and the public mobile communication network. It is a wired interface and is primarily used for the landing of UA and UAS information. This allows for data communication between UAs and UASs and the terrestrial network.

[0127] The Np interface refers to the carrying and exchange of control instructions and air traffic management service messages between UA and UAS, and between UA and UAS and drone cloud services.

[0128] The Ud interface refers to the logical interface between UA and UAS, which completes the exchange of control instructions and payload data between UA and UAS.

[0129] The Cm interface refers to the logical interface between UAC and UA, UAS, which completes the registration and authentication control of UA, UAS, and completes the binding management between UA and UAS.

[0130] The Ce interface refers to the control interface between the UAC and the UAG, which is mainly used to report the registration request, authentication request, binding request, etc. of the UA and UAS, and complete the UAG routing table change under the control of the UAC.

[0131] The Cf interface refers to the interface between the UAC and the control terminal and UAM in the air traffic control network, which completes UA and UAS binding queries, location queries, control relationship queries, etc.

[0132] The Rx interface refers to the interface between the UAR and the UAM and UAC, which completes the UA and UAS authentication information query and basic information query.

[0133] The present invention mainly solves the following three technical problems:

[0134] 1) Drone Positioning and Tracking: When drones use direct wireless links, detecting a drone entering a restricted area can reveal the drone pilot's approximate direction and range through wireless link detection, allowing for positioning and control. However, if drones use public mobile communication networks, their control range can be extremely long, and they can be controlled from anywhere via the internet, significantly increasing the difficulty of locating and tracking drones.

[0135] 2) Drone flight range control: When drones use direct wireless links, their control range is limited, and so is their range of activity. Controlling a drone's flight range can be achieved by monitoring the location of the drone control station. However, when beyond-visual-range (BLOS) control is employed, the drone's range of activity is theoretically unlimited. Controlling the drone's position and flight area authorization can no longer be managed based on the location of the drone control station. New methods are needed to track the drone's position in real time and determine whether it has violated restricted areas.

[0136] 3) Drone Flight Service Issues: When drones fly using direct wireless links, their flight range is limited, so the pilot can assess weather conditions, air traffic conditions, and other aspects directly within line of sight. However, when operating beyond visual range (BLOS), the pilot has no way of understanding the flight environment, posing a significant safety hazard. Therefore, BOS pilots need to be provided with more comprehensive airspace awareness, weather awareness, and restricted airspace awareness. During BOS drone control, pilots are more reliant on air traffic control services.

[0137] There are two key issues to be addressed when using public mobile communication networks to achieve beyond-visual-range control of civilian drones:

[0138] One issue is the delay experienced by pilots controlling their aircraft beyond visual range (BLOS) via the public mobile communications network. Due to the distance between the pilot and the aircraft, flight control commands can be delayed if they are forwarded through the aircraft provider's server.

[0139] The second issue is flight control. Because the aircraft and pilot are controlled beyond visual range, the aircraft or pilot controller must establish a network connection with the drone monitoring system to report flight paths and receive control commands.

[0140] To address these two issues, this paper proposes using a drone control agent deployed within the public mobile communications network to implement control link connections based on local routing within the drone's network, thereby reducing control link latency between the pilot and the drone. Furthermore, the control agent bypasses and inserts track information and control commands, enabling drone companies and regulatory networks to monitor and remotely control drone tracks.

[0141] The drone access gateway, deployed at the edge of the public mobile communications network, connects drones and flight control terminals and supports secure links between drones and pilot controllers, as well as between drones and drone manufacturers, and between drone controllers and drone manufacturers. The control agent, through multi-party collaborative control, facilitates local routing and forwarding of control commands between drones and pilot controllers, distribution of control commands and track information to drone manufacturers and regulatory centers, and the insertion of override control commands. This resolves issues such as control link delays and unresponsive flight control caused by beyond-visual-range drone supervision and local drone control by drone companies.

Claims

1. A UAV beyond visual range control system, characterized in that: include: UAV UA, UAV flight control terminal UAS, UAV access gateway UAG, UAV controller UAC, UAV registrar UAR and UAV manager UAM; The specific working principle is as follows: Step 1: The UA's onboard terminal registers the UA with the air traffic control service network. After the air traffic control service network authentication is passed, the UA enters the standby state, waiting for control instructions; Step 2: The UAS control terminal registers the UAS with the air traffic control service network. After the air traffic control service network authentication is passed, the UAS connects to the designated UA on the air traffic control service network. Step 3: After obtaining the location monitoring information of the designated UA, the UAS will proactively report the location of the designated UA to the air traffic control service network; Step 4: After the air traffic control service network completes the binding between the UAS and the designated UA, it can accept the control instructions of the authorized UAS and conduct controlled flight; Step 5: During the flight of the designated UA, the airborne terminal obtains the current position through the global satellite positioning system, constructs an ADS message, and regularly reports the ADS message to the air traffic control service network to complete the position monitoring of the UAV.

2. The UAV beyond visual range control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The UA is equipped with an onboard terminal, which is divided into active onboard terminal mode and passive onboard terminal mode: In passive terminal mode, a dedicated control channel is used to connect to the UAS, generally using line-of-sight control; In the active airborne terminal mode, the UA and UAS are connected through a secure link to collect and report the location of the drone. They can establish a beyond-line-of-sight communication connection through the public mobile communication network to complete beyond-line-of-sight information transmission and control.

3. The UAV beyond visual range control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The UAS control mode of UA is divided into beyond-visual-range control mode and line-of-sight control mode: In the beyond-line-of-sight control mode, both the UAS and UA support the public mobile communication network. The UAS and UA register with the air traffic control service network and complete the secure link transfer through the UAG. In the line-of-sight control mode, load information and control information are exchanged through the private channel between the UAS and UA.

4. The UAV beyond visual range control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The UAG provides a secure tunnel for UAs and UASs under beyond-line-of-sight control conditions based on the public mobile communication network, isolating the public mobile communication network. At the same time, it accesses the air traffic control service network through the secure tunnel to support UA and UAS access registration, flight plan filing, and air traffic management services. Key features include: (1) The UA's onboard terminal securely accesses the air traffic control service network, confirms the legitimacy of the UA's access terminal through access authentication, and ensures the security of communication between the onboard terminal and the air traffic control service network through an encrypted link; (2) The UAS control terminal securely accesses the air traffic control service network, confirms the legitimacy of the UAS control terminal through access authentication, and ensures the communication security between the control terminal and the air traffic control service network through an encrypted link; (3) Control command and service data distribution, identifying control commands between UA airborne terminals, UAS control terminals and air traffic control service networks, identifying service data between UA airborne terminals, UAS control terminals and air traffic control service networks, and completing the distribution of control commands and service data based on the identification of UAS control terminals, UA airborne terminals and UAM services; (4) Under the control of UAC, the service data is distributed to multiple UAS control terminals. The air traffic control service network can broadcast the specified TIS / FIS message to the specified UAS control terminal on demand through UAC control; (5) Under the control of UAC, complete the distribution of service data to multiple UAMs. When the air traffic control service network receives ADS information, it needs to distribute ADS messages to multiple designated UAM services on demand through UAC control.

5. The UAV beyond visual range control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main function of the UAC is to provide communication control between UA, UAS, UAR, UAM and control terminals; Before a drone takes off, the UAS control terminal must register with the air traffic control service network, establish a communication connection, and declare the control association binding of the UA airborne terminal to the air traffic control service network. After the binding is successful, data services and control communications can be completed bidirectionally between the UA and UAS, between the UA and UAM, and between the UAS and UAM. Therefore, the UAC needs to manage the connectivity of the UA and UAS, and manage the communication association relationship between the UA, UAS, and UAM. Key features include: (1) Complete the secure access authentication of the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal based on the terminal identification and terminal reserved identification code provided by the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal; (2) Complete the registration and deregistration of UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals, maintain the control channel connection with UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals, and send the registration and deregistration requests and disconnection notifications of UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals to UAR to complete the registration management; (3) Complete the association between the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal, maintain the association throughout the flight, and complete the addressing and forwarding of control instructions between the UA airborne terminal and the UAS control terminal; (4) Complete the association between the UA airborne terminal, UAS control terminal and UAM service, maintain the association during the entire flight process, and complete the addressing and forwarding of control instructions between the UA airborne terminal, UAS control terminal and UAM; (5) Based on the association between the UA airborne terminal, UAS control terminal and UAM, complete the uplink and downlink routing table management of UAG.

6. The UAV beyond visual range control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main function of the UAR is to complete the registration management, access authorization management and binding authorization management of UA and UAS; Before a drone takes off, the UAS control terminal must register with the air traffic control service network and declare control association binding with the UA airborne terminal. Binding requires authentication and authorization between the UA and the UAS. Once authorization is passed, the UAS can control the flight of the UA while ensuring access security between the UA and the UAS. The main functions of UAR include: (1) Provide identification and authorization information maintenance for UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals, and provide security information maintenance for UA airborne terminals and UAS control terminals; (2) Provide contract information maintenance for the UAS control terminal and the UA airborne terminal, maintain the binding between the UAS control terminal and the UA airborne terminal, and complete the UAS control terminal's authorization to control the UA airborne terminal; (3) Maintain the position of the UA onboard terminal and the UAS control terminal during their movement to support terminal addressing.

7. The UAV beyond visual range control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main functions of the UAM are to complete the flight plan review of UA and UAS, complete electronic fence management, and complete air traffic management services; Before a drone takes off, the UAS must submit a flight plan to the air traffic control service network. During the flight, the UAM must determine the drone's position based on ADS information and determine whether it has touched the electronic fence. If the electronic fence is touched, an alert will be issued to the UAS. At the same time, during the flight of the drone, the UAM will provide the UAS with air traffic management services related to weather and air traffic conditions. Key features of UAM include: (1) Supporting UAV location monitoring: When the UA supports the global positioning system, the location monitoring of the UAV is completed based on the ADS message actively fed back by the UA airborne terminal, or the location message actively fed back by the UAS control terminal on behalf of the UA; when the UA does not support the global positioning system, the approximate location of the UA is determined based on the UAS position and line of sight coverage; (2) Supporting the location monitoring of the UAS control station: When the UAS supports the global positioning system, the location monitoring of the UAS is completed based on the ADS message actively fed back by the UAS; when the UAS does not support the global positioning system, the location of the UAS is located based on the public mobile communication network; (3) Support electronic fence service: The electronic fence is divided into the authorized flight range of the drone and the restricted flight range of the drone; when the drone is authorized to access, the electronic fence information is fed back to the UAS control terminal; when the drone flies out of the authorized flight range or touches the restricted flight range, an alarm is sent to the UAS control terminal; when the UA actively reports the location information, the UAM identifies the UA's location through the ADS message and determines whether it touches the electronic fence; when the UA passively reports the location information, the UAM locates the UAS through the public mobile communication network and determines whether it touches the electronic fence based on the UAS location and line of sight coverage. (4) Support flight information services: provide the UAS control terminal with regular weather information of the UAS flight airspace; (5) Support traffic information services: Traffic information services mainly provide UAS control terminals with air situation information of the UAS flight airspace.

Images