An airborne safety and compliance terminal and system for low-altitude logistics drones

Abstract

This utility model discloses an airborne safety and compliance terminal and system for low-altitude logistics drones, belonging to the field of drone technology. It includes: a main control module for overall operation management of the airborne safety and compliance terminal and external communication with the drone traffic management system; a flight control interface module connected to the main control module for data exchange between the airborne safety and compliance terminal and the drone's flight controller; a dedicated airspace rule co-processing module, separate from the main control module, for real-time processing of dynamic airspace commands and independent verification of the drone's flight path compliance; and an independent remote identification module for continuously broadcasting the drone's identity and location information in the event of a main system failure. This ensures flight control stability and immediate response to airspace rules, fundamentally eliminating the risk of single-point failures and enabling rapid location of crashed drones. This is of crucial value for reducing the risk of collateral damage on the ground and conducting accident investigations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and in particular to an airborne safety and compliance terminal and system for low-altitude logistics UAVs. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the rapid development of the low-altitude economy, drones have been increasingly widely used in logistics delivery, urban inspection, and emergency response. Especially in urban environments, low-altitude logistics has become an important development direction. Taking Shenzhen as an example, the implementation of the "Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Low-Altitude Economy Regulations" has greatly promoted the application of the drone industry, leading to a surge in drone flights. This growth has brought unprecedented airspace management challenges. Urban low-altitude airspace exhibits complex characteristics of "high traffic volume, diverse flight speeds, and high flight density," making traditional air traffic management models inadequate.

[0003] To address this challenge, Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems have emerged. UTM systems employ advanced concepts such as dynamic geofencing, hierarchical airspace structures, dynamic rerouting, and traffic capacity management to provide refined and dynamic management of low-altitude airspace. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) need to be able to receive and strictly adhere to these dynamic instructions issued by the UTM system in real time to ensure flight safety and airspace order.

[0004] However, existing UAV onboard systems have inherent limitations in their design. Most UAV onboard systems rely on a single, centralized flight controller or mission computer to handle all tasks, including flight attitude control, navigation calculations, mission path planning, and communication with external systems. When additional processing of complex, dynamic, and highly real-time airspace rules from the UTM system is required, this single-processor architecture faces enormous computational pressure. This can not only lead to instruction processing delays, causing UAVs to unintentionally intrude into no-fly zones or violate altitude restrictions, but more seriously, it constitutes a critical single point of failure. Once the central processor fails due to overload, software errors, or hardware malfunctions, the entire UAV will lose its ability to perceive and comply with dynamic airspace rules, becoming a significant safety hazard in the airspace.

[0005] Furthermore, regulations require drones to be equipped with Remote ID (RID) functionality so that UTM systems can effectively monitor them. In existing technology, RID functionality is typically integrated into the main flight control system. The drawback of this design is that the RID function also fails when the main system experiences a catastrophic failure (such as a power outage). This causes the malfunctioning drone to disappear from the UTM system's monitoring screen, making it impossible for the ground control center to track its last location, significantly increasing the difficulty of search, rescue, and accident investigation, especially in densely populated urban areas.

[0006] Therefore, how to design an airborne device that can improve the reliability of UAVs in responding to complex and dynamic airspace rules from the perspective of physical structure, and ensure traceability in extreme failure situations, is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in the field of low-altitude logistics. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the problems existing in the prior art where malfunctioning drones disappear from the monitoring screen of the UTM system, the ground control center cannot track their last location, and search, rescue and accident investigation are difficult. This invention provides an airborne safety and compliance terminal and system for low-altitude logistics drones.

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides the following technical solution: An airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones, comprising: The main control module is used for the overall operation management of the airborne safety and compliance terminal and external communication with the UAV traffic management system; The flight control interface module is connected to the main control module and is used to exchange data between the airborne safety and compliance terminal and the flight controller of the UAV. A dedicated airspace rules co-processing module is set up separately from the main control module. It is used to process dynamic airspace commands in real time and independently verify the flight path compliance of the UAV. An independent remote identification module is used to continuously broadcast the identity and location information of the UAV when the main system fails.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, the computationally intensive and real-time-critical airspace rule verification function is separated from the main control module and handled by a dedicated airspace rule co-processing module, significantly reducing the burden on the main control module. This physical functional separation avoids the bottleneck of a single processor, ensures the stability of flight control and immediate response to airspace rules, and fundamentally eliminates the risk of single points of failure. Simultaneously, the independent remote identification module ensures that the UAV's position information can still be continuously broadcast even under worst-case conditions.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the dedicated spatial rules coprocessing module includes a field-programmable gate array or a dedicated integrated circuit system-on-a-chip.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the dedicated airspace rule co-processing module is equipped with an independent secure storage unit for storing the latest airspace rules in real time.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the dynamic airspace instructions processed by the dedicated airspace rule co-processing module include dynamic geofence coordinate data, hierarchical airspace height restriction data, and traffic capacity management data.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the main control module, the flight control interface module, and the dedicated airspace rule co-processing module are interconnected through an internal high-speed secure data bus.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the flight control interface module is configured to communicate with the flight controller via a serial port or a controller area network bus interface using the MAVLink communication protocol.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the independent remote identification module is equipped with an independent backup power supply.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the backup power source is a supercapacitor or secondary battery that is independent of the main power supply system of the UAV.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, it also includes a conflict decision module, which is integrated into the airborne safety and compliance terminal and configured to receive input from the main control module and the dedicated airspace rules co-processing module for executing tactical conflict resolution instructions.

[0018] On the other hand, a system for low-altitude logistics drones includes: a drone body; and an onboard safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are: (1) Enhanced system reliability and real-time performance: By separating the computationally intensive and real-time-critical airspace rule verification function from the main control module and entrusting it to an airspace rule coprocessing module, the burden on the main control module is greatly reduced. This physical separation of functions avoids the bottleneck of a single processor, ensures the stability of flight control and the immediate response to airspace rules, and fundamentally eliminates the risk of single point of failure.

[0020] (2) Ensuring compliance of flight path execution: The airspace rules co-processing module acts as an independent "referee," continuously monitoring and verifying the flight paths planned by the main control module. Once it discovers that the planned flight path may violate key rules such as dynamic geofencing or altitude restrictions, it can immediately issue a veto command, forcing the main control module to replan. This hardware-level safety redundancy design ensures that the UAV will not fly in violation of regulations due to software errors or computational delays.

[0021] (3) Enhanced safety management capabilities after a failure: The design of the independent remote identification (RID) module and its dedicated backup power supply is an innovative "black box" concept. It ensures that even in the worst-case scenario (such as mid-air disintegration of the UAV or complete power outage), the UAV's location information can still be continuously broadcast. This buys valuable emergency response time for the ground control center, enabling rapid location of the crashed UAV, which is of vital value for reducing the risk of collateral damage on the ground and conducting accident investigations. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same parts. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the environment in which a drone equipped with an airborne safety and compliance terminal is located in a drone traffic management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shown is an internal structure block diagram of the airborne safety and compliance terminal. Figure 3 This is an operation flowchart of the airborne safety and compliance terminal in response to dynamic airspace commands; Reference numerals: 10-UAV; 20-Flight controller; 100-Airborne safety and compliance terminal; 110-Main control module; 112-Communication unit; 120-Flight control interface module; 130-Dedicated airspace rules co-processing module; 132-Secure storage unit; 140-Independent remote identification module; 142-GNSS receiver; 144-Broadcast antenna; 146-Backup power supply; 200-UAV traffic management system; 210-Dynamic geofence; 220-Hierarchical airspace definition. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. Furthermore, in the description of this utility model, terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or suggesting any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Additionally, terms such as "connected," "linked," etc., can refer to a direct connection between components or an indirect connection via other components.

[0025] Example 1 Please see Figure 1 This demonstrates the overall system environment in which this invention is applied. A low-altitude logistics drone 10 performs a delivery task in an urban environment. The drone 10 is equipped with the airborne safety and compliance terminal 100 of this invention. The airborne safety and compliance terminal 100 maintains a real-time connection with the ground-based drone traffic management system 200 through its internal communication unit. The drone traffic management system 200 is responsible for the low-altitude airspace management of the entire area. It dynamically issues airspace management instructions based on real-time traffic conditions, weather, emergencies, and other factors, such as delineating temporary dynamic geofences 210 or defining layered airspaces 220 at different altitudes and their traffic rules. The core task of the airborne safety and compliance terminal 100 of this invention is to ensure that the drone 10 can 100% understand and comply with these dynamic instructions.

[0026] Please see Figure 2 It details the internal physical structure of the airborne safety and compliance terminal 100. This structure is the core innovation of this utility model.

[0027] Main Control Module 110: This module is the central processing unit of the airborne safety and compliance terminal 100, and can adopt a high-performance ARM architecture microcontroller. It is responsible for running the terminal's embedded operating system, managing communication with other modules, and executing high-level task logic. It exchanges data bidirectionally with the ground-based UAV traffic management system 200 through an integrated 4G / 5G communication unit 112, receives dynamic airspace instructions, and uploads UAV status information.

[0028] Flight Control Interface Module 120: This module serves as the physical and logical interface connecting the onboard safety and compliance terminal 100 to the UAV 10's native flight controller 20. Physically, it can be a UART serial port or a CAN bus interface. Logically, it uses industry-standard communication protocols, such as the MAVLink protocol, to interact with the flight controller 20. Through this module, the main control module 110 can send advanced commands to the flight controller 20 (such as "fly to the next waypoint," "maintain hovering," "adjust altitude to X meters") and obtain real-time telemetry data from the flight controller 20 (such as precise GPS position, speed, attitude, battery voltage, etc.). This standardized interface design gives the terminal good versatility and allows it to be adapted to UAVs from different manufacturers.

[0029] Dedicated airspace rule co-processing module 130: This module is physically separated from the main control module 110 and can be implemented using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or a dedicated system-on-a-chip (SoC) to ensure its processing independence and extremely high real-time performance. Internally, this module contains an independent secure storage unit 132, such as a flash memory with encryption capabilities.

[0030] Preferably, the dedicated spatial rules coprocessing module 130 includes a field-programmable gate array or a dedicated integrated circuit system-on-a-chip.

[0031] Preferably, the dynamic airspace instructions processed by the dedicated airspace rules coprocessing module 130 include dynamic geofence coordinate data, hierarchical airspace height restriction data, and traffic capacity management data.

[0032] The workflow is as follows: After receiving the latest airspace rules (such as the coordinates of dynamic geofences, the altitude range of layered airspace, etc.) from the UAV traffic management system 200, the main control module 110 writes them into the secure storage unit 132 of the dedicated airspace rule co-processing module 130. During flight, each route planned by the main control module 110 must be sent to the dedicated airspace rule co-processing module 130 for verification before being sent to the flight controller 20. The dedicated airspace rule co-processing module 130 independently determines at hardware-level speed whether the route violates any rules stored within it. For example, it determines whether the route crosses a geofence or whether the flight altitude meets the layered airspace requirements of the current location. Only after the verification passes will the dedicated airspace rule co-processing module 130 return a "permission" signal to the main control module 110. If the verification fails, it returns a "reject" signal, forcing the main control module 110 to replan the route. This design provides a reliable hardware-level security guarantee independent of the main control software.

[0033] Preferably, the main control module 110, the flight control interface module 120, and the dedicated airspace rule co-processing module 130 are interconnected via an internal high-speed secure data bus.

[0034] Independent Remote Identification Module 140: This module is a highly integrated, self-sufficient unit. It includes its own GNSS receiver 142 for positioning, a low-power antenna 144 for broadcasting, and most importantly—a dedicated backup power supply 146. This backup power supply 146 can be a small secondary battery or a supercapacitor, and it is isolated from the UAV's main power supply system via independent circuitry.

[0035] During normal flight, the module is powered by the main power supply and continuously broadcasts information such as the drone's identity, real-time location, and speed, conforming to national standards. When the drone experiences a serious malfunction leading to a main power outage, the backup power supply 146 automatically activates, ensuring that the independent remote identification module 140 can continue operating and broadcasting "last location" information for a duration that can be designed to be 1 to 5 minutes. This function is crucial for quickly locating crashed drones and assessing ground risks in complex urban environments.

[0036] Please see Figure 3 It uses an operation flowchart to illustrate how this terminal works in a specific scenario.

[0037] Step 301: Drone 10 is performing a pre-planned logistics delivery task.

[0038] Step 302: Due to an emergency in a certain area, the ground-based UAV traffic management system 200 issues a new dynamic geofencing command. The main control module 110 of the airborne safety and compliance terminal 100 receives the command through the communication unit 112.

[0039] Step 303: The main control module 110 immediately parses the instruction and updates the new geofence coordinate data to the secure storage unit 132 of the dedicated airspace rule coprocessing module 130.

[0040] Step 304: The main control module 110 checks whether the current route conflicts with the new fence. If there is a conflict, it will calculate a new route that bypasses the fence based on the new constraints.

[0041] Step 305: Before sending the new route instructions to the flight controller 20, the main control module 110 must first send the complete data of the new route to the coprocessing module 130 for final verification.

[0042] Step 306: The dedicated airspace rule coprocessing module 130, in its independent hardware environment, compares and verifies the received new route with all the rules (including the recently updated geofence) stored in the secure storage unit 132.

[0043] Step 307: Process Branch. If the co-processing module 130 passes the verification and confirms that the new route is fully compliant, it will return a "permission" signal to the main control module 110. Subsequently, the main control module 110 will issue the new route command to the flight controller 20 for execution through the flight control interface module 120. If the dedicated airspace rules co-processing module 130 finds that the new route still has a risk of violation (e.g., the path is too close to the fence boundary), it will return a "reject" signal, possibly with a reason code, forcing the main control module 110 to return to step 304 for replanning.

[0044] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the airborne safety and compliance terminal 100 of this utility model, through its innovative multi-module physical separation structure, hardwareizes and redundant the key safety and compliance verification functions, and makes the post-event tracking function independent and self-sustaining, thereby fundamentally improving the safety and reliability of low-altitude logistics drones operating in complex, dynamic, and heavily regulated urban airspace.

[0045] Example 2 The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that it also includes a conflict decision module, which is integrated into the airborne safety and compliance terminal 100 and configured to receive input from the main control module 110 and the dedicated airspace rule co-processing module 130, for executing tactical conflict resolution instructions.

[0046] Example 3 This embodiment discloses a system for low-altitude logistics drones, including: a drone body; and an airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones as described in either embodiment 1 or 2.

[0047] The preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of this disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of this disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0048] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, this disclosure will not describe the various possible combinations separately.

[0049] Furthermore, various different embodiments of this disclosure can be combined in any way, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this disclosure, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed in this disclosure.

Claims

1. An airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones, characterized in that, include: The main control module is used for the overall operation management of the airborne safety and compliance terminal and external communication with the UAV traffic management system; The flight control interface module is connected to the main control module and is used to exchange data between the airborne safety and compliance terminal and the flight controller of the UAV. A dedicated airspace rules co-processing module is set up separately from the main control module. It is used to process dynamic airspace commands in real time and independently verify the flight path compliance of the UAV. An independent remote identification module is used to continuously broadcast the identity and location information of the UAV when the main system fails.

2. The airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dedicated airspace rules coprocessing module includes a field-programmable gate array or a dedicated integrated circuit system-on-a-chip.

3. An airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The dedicated airspace rule coprocessing module is equipped with an independent secure storage unit for storing the latest airspace rules in real time.

4. The airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones according to claim 3, characterized in that, The dedicated airspace rules co-processing module processes dynamic airspace instructions including dynamic geofence coordinate data, hierarchical airspace height restriction data, and traffic capacity management data.

5. The airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main control module, flight control interface module, and dedicated airspace rule coprocessing module are interconnected via an internal high-speed secure data bus.

6. The airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flight control interface module is configured to communicate with the flight controller via a serial port or a controller area network bus interface using the MAVLink communication protocol.

7. An airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones according to claim 1, characterized in that, The independent remote identification module is equipped with an independent backup power supply.

8. An airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones according to claim 7, characterized in that, The backup power source is a supercapacitor or secondary battery that is independent of the main power supply system of the UAV.

9. An airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a conflict decision module, which is integrated into the airborne safety and compliance terminal and configured to receive input from the main control module and the dedicated airspace rules coprocessing module for executing tactical conflict resolution instructions.

10. A low-altitude logistics drone system, characterized in that, include: Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) airframe; And an airborne safety and compliance terminal for low-altitude logistics drones according to any one of claims 1-2 and 4-9.

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