Controlling network connectivity for unmanned vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to an unmanned vehicle, such as a drone, capable of establishing simultaneous data connections to at least two wireless networks. A navigation control system can provide navigation instructions to the unmanned vehicle via a control data connection established via a first wireless network. The present invention further relates to a connectivity control function for controlling network connectivity of the unmanned vehicle. To that end, the connectivity control function can obtain data indicative of a quality of service that the first wireless network provides for the control data connection. If it is determined that the second wireless network provides a better quality of service, the connectivity control function can send a connectivity control command to the unmanned vehicle to switch the control data connection from the first wireless network to the second wireless network.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an unmanned vehicle configured to enable remote navigation control by a navigation control system. The present invention further relates to a computer-implemented method for use in an unmanned vehicle. The present invention further relates to a network node including a processor subsystem configured to implement a connectivity control function, a computer-implemented method for controlling network connectivity of an unmanned vehicle, and a navigation control system. The present invention further relates to a computer-readable medium comprising data for causing a processor system to perform any of the computer-implemented methods. [Background technology]

[0002] Drones, or generally unmanned or uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), are used today for many tasks, ranging from observation (e.g., for mapping fires, road conditions, or crop growth), industrial inspection (e.g., of bridges, pipes, or building conditions), measurement (e.g., to measure pollutant emissions near smokestacks), to delivery of goods (e.g., retail goods to consumers, medical supplies). The use of UAVs is expected to expand further in the future. Many applications of UAVs may require so-called Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, where the UAV operates outside the visual range of its pilot or control facility. BVLOS introduces stringent requirements on the reliability of the command and control (C2) of the UAV. As a result of these stringent requirements, the data connectivity used for C2 information sent to and from the UAV must be highly reliable and may need to meet a set of minimum quality of service (QoS) requirements, which may include, for example, minimum requirements on bandwidth, latency, packet loss, jitter, and / or maximum tolerable disconnection time.

[0003] Flight of a UAV under BVLOS operations may also involve a third-party UAV Traffic Management (UTM) system that may be required by aviation authorities (e.g., FAA, EASA) to authorize BVLOS activities. The UTM may manage BVLOS activities such as registration and identification, flight planning and approval, transmission of weather information, geofencing and tracking / positioning. The UTM may also verify (e.g., in real-time) the reliability of data connectivity along the planned flight path and use information regarding the coverage or connection quality provided by mobile networks.

[0004] BVLOS operations typically involve distances between the UAV control unit used by the UAV operator (which may be, for example, a human, a UTM, a combination of human and UTM, etc.) and the UAV itself that may exceed the reach of Wi-Fi and various point-to-point wireless technologies used for UAVs at closer ranges.

[0005] Cellular mobile networks are natural candidates to provide connectivity for C2 in BVLOS operations due to their wide coverage. However, despite the reliability of today's mobile networks, reliability of data connectivity may still be a concern. For example, a UAV may move to the edge of mobile network coverage where the quality of connectivity may be degraded, which may threaten the safe operation of the UAV. Such connectivity issues may be avoided (at least in part) by using data connections to multiple mobile networks in parallel. This is a natural approach since there are usually multiple mobile networks in most areas relevant for UAV operation. An exemplary scenario is shown in FIG. 1, where a UAV is shown connected by three mobile networks 170, 180, 190. Such simultaneous connectivity to multiple mobile networks may be possible, for example, if the UAV is equipped with three radios and (e)SIMs for the three networks. The UAV control system, sometimes referred to elsewhere as the navigation control system, may be connected to each of the three mobile networks in the sense that it may be reachable by data communication from each of the three mobile networks. In such a scenario, if one or two of the data connections degrade or fail, the third data connection remains available to carry C2 information to and from the UAV.

[0006] It is known to use multiple mobile networks to improve the reliability of remote control of UAVs. For example, reference [1] describes a method to improve the reliability of data transfer to and from a drone by using data connections to two mobile networks in parallel. In the approach of [1], every data packet is transmitted twice (once over each of the two connections). Disadvantageously, transmitting every data twice consumes more of the drone's scarce battery, which may impose a significant cost to improve reliability. Moreover, transmitting data twice also uses more radio resources in the mobile network, which may be costly for the mobile operator.

[0007] While the above refers to unmanned aerial vehicles, the need to improve the reliability of remote control may also apply to other types of unmanned vehicles, such as land-based vehicles, drone ships, etc. In addition, it will be appreciated that while cellular networks may be suitable for remote control of unmanned vehicles, other wireless networks, such as satellite-based networks, RF mesh networks, etc., may also be used. Thus, there may be a general need to improve the reliability of remote control of unmanned vehicles connected to a navigation control system by a wireless network, while avoiding the shortcomings of the approach of [1].

[0008] References [1] R. Amorim, IZ Kovacs, J. Wigard, G. Pocovi, TBSorensen, and P. Mogensen, “Improving Drone's Command and Control Link Reliability through Dual-Network Connectivity” 2019 IEEE 89th Vehicular Technology Conference(VTC2019-Spring),2019,pp.1-6,doi:10.1109 / VTCSpring.2019.8746579 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unmanned vehicle comprising: - a network interface subsystem configured to establish simultaneous data connections to at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network; - Processor Subsystem and the processor subsystem can include - establishing, via the first wireless network, a control data connection to a navigation control system, the navigation control system being configured to provide navigation instructions to the unmanned vehicle via the control data connection; - establishing a signaling data connection to a connectivity control function, the connectivity control function being configured to control network connectivity of the unmanned vehicle; and the processor subsystem may be configured to: - receiving connectivity control instructions from a connectivity control function via a signaling data connection; and - if the connectivity control command is for switching the control data connection to the second wireless network, switching the control data connection to the second wireless network. The method may be further configured to:

[0010] In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a network node or system of network nodes, which may provide a connectivity control function for controlling network connectivity of an unmanned vehicle, the unmanned vehicle being configured to establish simultaneous data connections to at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network, and to receive navigation instructions from a navigation control system via a control data connection established via the first wireless network. - a network interface to a first wireless network; - a processor subsystem for implementing connectivity control functions; and the processor subsystem may include - obtaining data indicative of a quality of service that the first wireless network provides or may provide in the future for the controlled data connection; - determining, based on the data, whether the second wireless network can provide a better quality of service to the control data connection than the first wireless network; and - if it is determined that the second wireless network can provide a better quality of service, sending a connectivity control command to the unmanned vehicle, the connectivity control command being to switch the control data connection to the second wireless network. The signal processing unit may be configured to perform the following steps.

[0011] In a further aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method for switching data connections in an unmanned vehicle is provided, where the unmanned vehicle may be configured to establish simultaneous data connections to at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network, the method comprising: - establishing, via the first wireless network, a control data connection to a navigation control system, the navigation control system being configured to provide navigation instructions to the unmanned vehicle via the control data connection; - establishing a signaling data connection to a connectivity control function, the connectivity control function may be configured to control network connectivity of the unmanned vehicle; - receiving connectivity control instructions from a connectivity control function via a signaling data connection; and - if the connectivity control command is for switching the control data connection to the second wireless network, switching the control data connection to the second wireless network. may include.

[0012] In a further aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method for controlling network connectivity of an unmanned vehicle is provided, where the unmanned vehicle may be configured to establish simultaneous data connections to at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network, and to receive navigation instructions from a navigation control system via a control data connection established via the first wireless network. The method includes: - obtaining data indicative of a quality of service that the first wireless network provides or may provide in the future for the controlled data connection; - determining, based on the data, whether the second wireless network can provide a better quality of service to the control data connection than the first wireless network; and - if it is determined that the second wireless network can provide a better quality of service, sending a connectivity control command to the unmanned vehicle, the connectivity control command being to switch the control data connection to the second wireless network. may include.

[0013] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a transitory or non-transitory computer readable medium containing data representing a computer program, the computer program may include instructions for causing a processor system to perform any of the computer-implemented methods.

[0014] According to the above approach, an unmanned vehicle, such as a UAV, an inspection robot, a drone ship, etc., is provided. The unmanned vehicle may be simultaneously connectable to at least two wireless communication networks, such as a terrestrial cellular communication network ("mobile network"), a satellite-based communication network, a mesh-based radio frequency (RF) network, etc. For example, the unmanned vehicle may be equipped with a network interface subsystem that may include two or more radios for establishing simultaneous connections to individual wireless networks, or may include a single radio that may maintain connectivity to two or more wireless networks. Such connectivity may also be referred to elsewhere as "multi-connectivity," with the adjective "multi" referring to establishing simultaneous connectivity to more than one, e.g., two or more wireless networks. Generally, the wireless networks may be of the same type, e.g., a terrestrial cellular network, but may be of different types (e.g., a terrestrial cellular network and a satellite-based network).

[0015] The unmanned vehicle may further include a processor subsystem that may be configured to establish a control data connection to the navigation control system using the network interface subsystem. Establishing such a control data connection may include establishing a data communication session with the navigation control system, for example, by establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session if the wireless network over which the data communication session is established is a 5G mobile network. The navigation control system may be a known type of navigation control system that may be configured to control the unmanned vehicle by providing navigation instructions to the unmanned vehicle over the control data connection. Thus, control by the navigation control system may extend to at least navigation control over the unmanned vehicle. For example, the navigation control system may provide instructions regarding a destination or a route to be followed by the unmanned vehicle. It is noted that such instructions may, but need not, relate to real-time control. An example of non-real-time control may be that real-time navigation control may be performed at least semi-autonomously by the unmanned vehicle, while navigation instructions may provide less time-critical instructions, such as changing destination, adjusting flight altitude of the UAV, etc.

[0016] Despite navigational control provided by the navigation control system, in some embodiments the unmanned vehicle may be considered an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, in other embodiments, for example where the navigation control system controls the unmanned vehicle in real time, the unmanned vehicle may be considered a remotely controlled vehicle.

[0017] Although an unmanned vehicle may be connected to two or more wireless networks simultaneously, the processor system of the unmanned vehicle may be configured to establish and maintain a control data connection primarily over one of the wireless networks, meaning that during normal operation of the unmanned vehicle, navigation control instructions may be received by one of the wireless networks. In some embodiments, the unmanned vehicle may transmit data to a navigation control system, which may be used by the navigation control system to determine or adjust the navigation control of the unmanned vehicle. Such data may include, for example, flight data or sensor data, which may also be transmitted to the navigation control system by one of the wireless networks. It will be understood that although the control data connection may be established and maintained primarily over one of the wireless networks, this does not preclude two or more control data connections being active simultaneously at times. As will be made clear below, this may occur during transitional periods, for example when switching the control data connection to another wireless network or when it is expected that the control data connection will be switched to another wireless network.

[0018] According to the above measures, a connectivity control function is provided that may be accessible to the unmanned vehicle. For example, the connectivity control function may be a network function that is reachable by the unmanned vehicle by one or both of the wireless networks. The connectivity control function may be configured to remotely control the connectivity of the unmanned vehicle. To that end, a signaling data connection may be established between the unmanned vehicle and the connectivity control function. By means of the signaling data connection, the connectivity control function may instruct the unmanned vehicle to switch the control data connection to another wireless network, and in response, the unmanned vehicle may switch the control data connection accordingly. To decide whether to switch the control data connection, the connectivity control function may obtain data that may be indicative of the Quality of Service (QoS) that the wireless network in which the control data connection is currently active provides or can provide for the control data connection, for example in the (near) future. Such data may take various forms, but may generally include data directly related to quality of service, such as measurement data characterizing available bandwidth or latency to the navigation control system, or data indirectly indicative of or predicting quality of service, such as the location of the unmanned vehicle relative to the coverage area of ​​a wireless network. Based on such data, the connectivity control function may estimate whether another wireless network to which the unmanned vehicle is connected, for example, now or in the (near) future, may be able to provide a better quality of service for the control data connection, and if so, the connectivity control function may command the unmanned vehicle to switch its control data connection to this other wireless network. Such a switch may include, for example, the unmanned vehicle establishing a new control data connection over the other wireless network and terminating the previous connection once it has been established.

[0019] The above measures may be based in part on the insight that navigation control data may be crucial to the operation of an unmanned vehicle, since network degradation or failure to deliver navigation control data may have a significant impact on the operation of the unmanned vehicle. For example, such degradation or failure may cause the unmanned vehicle to pause or stop the operation it is performing, such as a delivery or inspection task. In some cases, such degradation or failure may even cause the unmanned vehicle to stop its operation entirely, which may result in, for example, a UAV being forced to make an emergency landing or a semi-autonomous road vehicle being forced to stop at the side of the road. Such degradation or failure may be detrimental to the safety of, for example, the unmanned vehicle, as well as humans.

[0020] As such, the wireless network over which the control data connection is established should provide sufficient quality of service for the navigation control data, where "sufficient" quality of service may include the mere ability to establish and maintain a control data connection (which may be impaired, e.g., if the unmanned vehicle is at the edge or outside of the coverage of the wireless network), but may also require that the quality of service exceed certain standards (e.g., providing a minimum bandwidth, a maximum latency, experiencing little or no packet loss, etc.).

[0021] [1] addresses the coverage issue, but the approach of [1] requires the simultaneous transmission of navigation control data (in the form of C2 data) over two mobile networks, which consumes additional energy and may adversely affect the battery level (or the energy level of another type of energy source) of the unmanned vehicle. In addition, the simultaneous transmission of navigation control data may approximately double the utilization of radio resources when both mobile networks are used together. According to the above approach, the unmanned vehicle mainly maintains one control data connection to the navigation control system over one wireless network, but a connectivity control function is provided that can monitor and / or estimate the quality of service experienced by the unmanned vehicle and can timely command the unmanned vehicle to switch to another wireless network if the quality of service drops or is expected to drop below a certain minimum level. Thus, it may not be necessary to continuously or at least periodically simultaneously transmit and receive navigation control data over two mobile networks. Furthermore, the joint use may reduce the utilization of radio resources of the wireless networks by, for example, approximately 50%. This is particularly relevant for unmanned vehicles that may frequently operate at the edge of mobile radio coverage, e.g., UAVs that may operate at altitudes where mobile network coverage has not been optimized. At such edges of mobile radio coverage, radio resources may be relatively sparse and utilization of radio resources may be relatively costly for mobile operators. Thus, reducing utilization of radio resources may be particularly beneficial.

[0022] In some embodiments, the unmanned vehicle may maintain a simultaneous signaling data connection to a connectivity control function via a respective wireless network, although such a signaling data connection may have lower requirements in terms of quality of service compared to the control data connection. For example, the signaling data connection may not require particularly high bandwidth or particularly low latency. Similarly, maintaining a signaling data connection may consume (much) less energy than maintaining a control data connection, since the control data connection may carry control data (semi-)continuously or at least periodically, whereas the signaling data connection may only carry a significant amount of data, e.g., video data transmitted by the unmanned vehicle to assist with navigation control, intermittently or sporadically.

[0023] The following embodiments may represent embodiments of unmanned vehicles and computer-implemented methods performed on unmanned vehicles, but may also represent embodiments of corresponding computer-implemented methods in which a network node or a system of network nodes providing connectivity control functionality and a processor subsystem of a network node are configured to perform corresponding steps, unless excluded for technical reasons.

[0024] In one embodiment, the processor subsystem may be configured to transmit data to the connectivity control function, the data being indicative of the quality of service that the first wireless network provides or can provide to the control data connection. The connectivity control function may determine the quality of service that the unmanned vehicle is currently experiencing or will experience in the near future in a number of ways. For example, as will be made clear elsewhere, the connectivity control function may obtain data indicative of this quality of service. Such data may be obtained from the wireless network itself, e.g., from one or more network functions within the core of the wireless network. Additionally or alternatively, the unmanned vehicle itself may provide data indicative of the quality of service to the connectivity control function, when used in combination with data indicative of the quality of service or other data. Such data may include, for example, one or more of location data indicative of the geographic location of the unmanned vehicle, route data indicative of the path or destination of the unmanned vehicle, and network performance data indicative of the network performance of a portion of the first wireless network that may be utilized by the control data connection. Either or both of the location data and the route data may be used by the connectivity control function to determine where the unmanned vehicle is or will be relative to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network, and thereby estimate whether service quality is or will be inadequate. For example, based on the location data and / or the route data, the connectivity control function may determine that the unmanned vehicle is near the edge of the coverage area beyond which there is no coverage. The performance of the wireless network may not be uniform within its coverage area, for example, due to local capacity limitations in the radio resources or the backhaul network from the wireless access points to the core of the wireless network. Furthermore, in such an example, the connectivity control function may determine whether the unmanned vehicle will encounter such an area of ​​inadequate capacity based on the location data and / or the route data.Yet another example of data provided by an unmanned vehicle may be network performance data that may be more directly indicative of the quality of service that the unmanned vehicle is currently experiencing, and which may be measured by the unmanned vehicle (e.g., by measuring bandwidth and / or latency).

[0025] In one embodiment, the processor subsystem may be configured to obtain route data from the navigation control system before transmitting the route data to the connectivity control function. In such an embodiment, the unmanned vehicle may act as a repeater of the route data in that it may obtain the route data from the navigation control system and then transmit it to the connectivity control function. It may be advantageous for the unmanned vehicle to be able to act as a repeater since the navigation control system may not need to communicate directly with the connectivity control function and vice versa. Rather, the unmanned vehicle, which may already be configured to communicate with each of these entities, may act as a repeater. In some embodiments, the route data may already be obtained by the unmanned vehicle for its own navigation purposes. In such an embodiment, obtaining the route data may not imply an additional step.

[0026] In one embodiment, the processor subsystem may be configured to provide quality of service requirement data to the connectivity control function, where the quality of service requirement data may indicate quality of service requirements for the control data connection. The unmanned vehicle may have requirements for the quality of service provided by the wireless network for the control data connection. By transmitting these requirements in data form to the connectivity control function, the connectivity control function may determine whether the required quality of service is or will be met by the first wireless network, and if not, may instruct the unmanned vehicle to switch to a second wireless network that is known or at least expected to be able to meet the required quality of service.

[0027] In one embodiment, the processor subsystem may be configured to establish a first signaling data connection to the connectivity control function via a first wireless network and a second signaling data connection to the connectivity control function via a second wireless network. The unmanned vehicle may establish and maintain simultaneous signaling data connections to the connectivity control function. This may enable the unmanned vehicle to receive connectivity control instructions from the connectivity control function even if one of the signaling data connections degrades or fails completely. For example, if the unmanned vehicle utilizes a first wireless network for its control data connection and signaling data connection, but suddenly loses network connectivity to the first wireless network, the connectivity control function may instruct the unmanned vehicle to switch the control data connection to the second wireless network via the signaling data connection of the second wireless network. Thus, the unmanned vehicle may remain reachable to the connectivity control function even if it loses network connectivity to one of the wireless networks.

[0028] In one embodiment, the processor subsystem may be configured to implement a connectivity control function, and the signaling data connection may be an internal data connection of the unmanned vehicle. Thus, the connectivity control function may be an internal function of the unmanned vehicle. Alternatively, the connectivity control function may be a network function, such as a network function reachable by both the first wireless network and the second wireless network.

[0029] In one embodiment, the first wireless network may be a terrestrial cellular network and the second wireless network may be a - Another land cellular network, - non-cellular wireless networks; - Non-terrestrial wireless networks It could be one of the following.

[0030] The unmanned vehicle may maintain simultaneous connectivity to at least two terrestrial cellular networks, but may also maintain simultaneous connectivity to various types of networks, such as a combination of terrestrial cellular networks and non-cellular wireless networks (e.g., mesh-based Wi-Fi or RF networks) or non-terrestrial wireless networks (e.g., satellite networks).

[0031] The following embodiments may represent embodiments of a network node or a system of network nodes providing connectivity control functionality and a computer-implemented method for performing connectivity control, but may also represent embodiments of an unmanned vehicle and a corresponding computer-implemented method, the processor subsystem of which is configured to perform the corresponding steps, unless excluded for technical reasons.

[0032] In one embodiment, if the quality of service of the first wireless network is determined to be sufficient, the processor subsystem may be configured to not send a connectivity control command to the unmanned vehicle to switch the control data connection to the second wireless network. In such an embodiment, the switch command may be sent only if the quality of service experienced by the first wireless network is insufficient, even if the second wireless network is determined to provide a better quality of service. Such sufficiency may be determined, for example, by checking whether the numerical representation of the quality of service is above a static or dynamic threshold, while insufficiency may be determined, for example, by checking whether the numerical representation of the quality of service is below a static or dynamic threshold. This embodiment may have the advantage of avoiding the control data connection being switched too frequently between wireless networks, which may be disadvantageous in terms of network overhead, for example.

[0033] In one embodiment, the data obtained by the processor subsystem includes: - location data indicating the geographic location of the unmanned vehicle; - coverage data indicative of network coverage of the first wireless network; - route data indicating the route or destination of the unmanned vehicle; - network status data indicative of network status of a portion of the first wireless network utilized by the control data connection; - network performance data indicative of network performance of a portion of the first wireless network utilized by the control data connection; Includes one or more of the following.

[0034] To be able to determine whether the quality of service provided to the unmanned vehicle for the control data connection is sufficient, the connectivity control function may obtain various data. Such data may include, for example, but not be limited to, the types of data described above. It is noted that network status data and / or network performance data may be obtained not only for the wireless network currently carrying the control data connection, e.g., the first wireless network, but also for other wireless networks to which the unmanned vehicle maintains connectivity, e.g., the second wireless network, as well as wireless networks to which the unmanned vehicle does not currently have connectivity, but may potentially establish connectivity in the future.

[0035] In one embodiment, the processor subsystem comprises: - obtaining further data indicative of a quality of service that the second wireless network can provide for the control data connection; - comparing the data with the further data to determine whether the second wireless network can provide a better quality of service for the control data connection than the first wireless network. The signal processing unit may be configured to perform the following steps.

[0036] By obtaining data for both the first and second wireless networks (and possibly further wireless networks), the connectivity control function is enabled to compare the first and second wireless networks (and possibly further wireless networks) with each other in terms of service quality and make a decision to switch from the first wireless network to the second wireless network based on this comparison. Although it may not be necessary to obtain such data for the second wireless network (e.g., if the service quality experienced by the first wireless network is abnormal, the connectivity control function may simply command the unmanned vehicle to switch to the second wireless network since the second wireless network is expected to provide a normal service quality), it may be advantageous to be able to make such a comparison since the service quality provided by the first wireless network may be below a desired level, but the service quality provided by the second wireless network may not be better. In such cases, the connectivity control function may refrain from commanding the unmanned vehicle to switch control data connectivity to the second wireless network.

[0037] In one embodiment, the processor subsystem may be configured to obtain data from at least one of the unmanned vehicle, the navigation control system, and one or more network functions of the first wireless network and / or the second wireless network. For example, the position data, route data, and / or network performance data may be obtained from the navigation control system, while the position data, route data, and / or network performance data may be obtained from the unmanned vehicle, while the network state data, network performance data, and / or position data may be obtained from one or more network functions of the one or more wireless networks.

[0038] In one embodiment, the one or more network functions may include one or more of a performance measurement function (PMF), a network data analysis function (NWDAF), and a policy control function (PCF), for example as specified by 3GPP TS 23.501 V17.3.0 (2021-12); Technical Specification; 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; System architecture for the 5G System (5GS); Stage 2 (Release 17). For example, the PMF may provide radio access network (RAN) status information of the wireless network, which may indicate the quality of service that the unmanned vehicle experiences for its control data connection. Another example is an NWDAF that may provide a network-based estimate of the location of the unmanned vehicle, which may be compared to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network to obtain an estimate of the quality of service. The NWDAF may additionally or alternatively provide a measurement or estimate of the end-to-end performance of the control data connection. Yet another example is that the PCF can send messages regarding violations of quality of service policies, where such violations may indicate suboptimal or poor quality of service.

[0039] In one embodiment, the first wireless network may include multiple wireless access points, and the data may be specific and obtainable for each wireless access point or for a network portion serving one or more wireless access points, and the processor subsystem may be configured to obtain data related to a wireless access point to which the unmanned vehicle is connected or expected to connect. The quality of service may not be uniform throughout the coverage area of ​​the wireless network. For example, due to local capacity limitations in radio resources or in the backhaul network from the wireless access points to the core of the wireless network, the performance of the wireless network may not be uniform within its coverage area. By obtaining data specifically related to the quality of service experienced at or near the location of the unmanned vehicle, a more accurate estimate of the quality of service may be obtained, which may be used by the control connectivity function to more timely determine when to switch the connection from the first wireless network to the second wireless network.

[0040] In one embodiment, the processor subsystem may be configured to send the connectivity control instructions to the unmanned vehicle by sending the connectivity control instructions to the navigation control system for transmission to the unmanned vehicle over a control data connection. Instead of establishing a separate signaling data connection to the unmanned vehicle, the connectivity control function may provide the connectivity control instructions to the navigation control system, which already has a data connection with the unmanned vehicle in the form of a control data connection. The connectivity control instructions may be carried on this existing control data connection as additional signaling data. In this manner, a separate signaling connection between the connectivity control function and the unmanned vehicle may not be necessary.

[0041] In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a navigation control system that may be configured to navigate an unmanned vehicle by transmitting navigation commands over a control data connection to the unmanned vehicle. The navigation control system may include a processor subsystem configured to implement connectivity control functionality as defined herein. Thus, the connectivity control functionality may be included within the navigation control system.

[0042] In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a system, which may include an unmanned vehicle as defined herein and a network node or system of network nodes as defined herein.

[0043] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that two or more of the above-described embodiments, implementations and / or aspects of the invention may be combined in any way deemed useful.

[0044] Modifications and variations of any one of the unmanned vehicles, connectivity control functions, network nodes or systems of network nodes, computer implemented methods, metadata and / or computer programs described herein that correspond to the described modifications and variations of another of those entities, or vice versa, may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art based on this specification.

[0045] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0046] [Figure 1] An unmanned vehicle is shown having three simultaneous control data connections to a navigation control system through individual mobile networks. [Figure 2A] 1 illustrates an unmanned vehicle that initially has a control data connection to a navigation control system over a first mobile network and then is instructed to switch the control data connection to a second mobile network. [Figure 2B]1 illustrates an unmanned vehicle that initially has a control data connection to a navigation control system over a first mobile network and then is instructed to switch the control data connection to a second mobile network. [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates an information exchange in which a control data connection to the navigation control system is switched to a second mobile network. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates an unmanned vehicle that includes two radios for establishing simultaneous network connections to at least two mobile networks. [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates a processor system representing a connectivity control function configured to control network connectivity of an unmanned vehicle. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing data. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates an exemplary data processing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0047] It should be noted that items having the same reference numbers in different drawings have the same structural features and the same functions or are the same signals. Where the function and / or structure of such items have been explained, there is no need to repeat the explanation in the detailed description.

[0048] List of reference numbers The following list of reference symbols and abbreviations is provided to facilitate interpretation of the drawings and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. BVLOS Beyond visual line of sight C2 Command and Control QoS Quality of Service UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UTM UAV Traffic Management 1-7 Message / information exchange steps 10~12 Control data connection 20, 21 Signaling Data Connection 30, 31 Data Exchange 100 Unmanned Vehicles 110 Radio A 120 Radio B 140 Connectivity Device Functions 150 Connectivity Control Function 160 Navigation Control System 170 Mobile Network A 172 Network Functions in the User Plane 174 Network Functions 180 Mobile Network B 182 Network Functions in the User Plane 184 Network Functions 190 Mobile Network C 200 Unmanned Vehicles 210 The First Radio 220 Second Radio 230 Processor Subsystem 240 Data Storage 300 Processor system providing connectivity control function 310 Network Interface 320 Processor Subsystem 330 Data Storage 400 Computer-readable medium 410 Non-transient Data 1000 Exemplary Data Processing System 1002 Processor 1004 Memory Elements 1006 System Bus 1008 Local Memory 1010 Bulk storage device 1012 Input Device 1014 Output device 1016 Network Adapter 1018 Applications

[0049] The following embodiments may describe an unmanned vehicle of the drone type, with the drone being one example of an unmanned aerial vehicle. In the context of these embodiments, a navigation control system is also referred to as a drone control system. Furthermore, since the operational mode of the drone is flight, data indicative of the drone's position and / or path may be obtained in the form of flight data, while the navigation control data provided to the drone may relate to the flight path of the drone. However, it will be understood that the concepts and mechanisms described herein apply equally to other types of unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned non-aerial vehicles. The following embodiments may further refer to the wireless network being a 3GPP-type mobile network, and the drone representing a client device on the 3GPP-type mobile network. However, it will be understood that the concepts and mechanisms described herein may apply equally to any other type of mobile network, or generally any other type of wireless network.

[0050] FIG. 1 illustrates a drone 100 with three simultaneous control data connections to a drone control system 160: a first control data connection 10 through a first mobile network 170, a second control data connection 11 through a second mobile network 180, and a third control data connection 12 through a third mobile network 190. To enable simultaneous connectivity to multiple mobile networks, the drone 100 may, for example, be equipped with three radios and (e)SIMs for the three mobile networks. The drone control system 160, which may be an example of a navigation control system described elsewhere herein, may be connected to each of the three mobile networks at a point that may be reachable by data communication from each of the three mobile networks 170, 180, 190. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, even if one or two of the control data connections 10-12 degrade or fail, the third control data connection may still be available to carry navigation control data or generally command and control (C2) information to and from the drone 100. However, if navigation control data is transmitted simultaneously by all three mobile networks to address the possibility that one or two of the control data connections may degrade or fail, disadvantages in terms of energy consumption and radio resource allocation may apply, as made clear in the background section.

[0051] According to some of the following embodiments, new network functions can be provided in the mobile network and new device functions can be provided in the drone 100. In brief, both functions can work together to steer and thereby control the establishment of a control data connection that can be established between the drone 100 and the drone control system 160 and the switching from one mobile network to another. Such control of the drone's network connectivity can be based on data that can be obtained by the network function, which can include, but is not limited to, data regarding the performance of the mobile network and data regarding the drone's location and / or its planned path. Such types of data can be, but are not necessarily, real-time or pseudo-real-time data. The network function can be referred to as a connectivity control function (CCF) or a multi-connectivity control function (MCCF) and can be provided outside the mobile network in some embodiments. The connectivity control function can use the above-mentioned data to determine how to utilize multiple mobile networks to ensure that the navigation control data from the navigation control system 160 can be delivered to the drone 100. To that end, the connectivity control function may be configured to send connectivity control commands to the new device function in the drone 100 and control the drone's network connectivity with those commands, for example to set up, use, and terminate data connections for its navigation control. The new device function may also be referred to as a connectivity device function (CDF) or a multi-connectivity device function (MCDF).

[0052] 2A and 2B illustrate the functionality of both features by illustrating an example where drone 100 is at least partially remotely controlled by drone control system 160. Here, drone control system 160 may transmit navigation control data to drone 100, which may include navigation instructions. During the drone's flight, drone 100 may also transmit data to drone control system 160, for example in (quasi) real-time, for example by transmitting data indicating its position (e.g., as a geographical location), speed, altitude, waypoints in time, planned route to final destination, etc. In some examples, drone 100 may also transmit additional data feeds, such as video data captured by the drone's on-board camera. The navigation control data and other data may be carried between drone 100 and drone control system 160 by a data connection carried by a mobile network. In 4G networks, this data connection may be, for example, a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context, while in 5G networks, this data connection may be a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session. It will be understood that such a data connection may take any other suitable form, and the form may be specific to the type of wireless network. In this specification, a data connection carrying, for example, navigation control data in the form of or as part of C2 information may be referred to as a control data connection. It will be understood that such a control data connection may also carry other data other than control data to and from the drone 100, such as flight data or sensor data of the drone 100, or generally any user plane data transmitted to and from the drone 100. In Figures 2A and 2B, the control data connection is shown by solid lines 10, 11, and may reach the drone control system 160 from the drone 100 by a wireless access point of the mobile network and a network function 172, 182 in the user plane of the mobile network. A non-limiting example of a network function in the user plane of the mobile network is the 5G user plane function (UPF).

[0053] 2A, the drone 100 may be capable of establishing a simultaneous connection to two mobile networks 170, 180, hereinafter also referred to as the first mobile network 170 and the second mobile network 180. To support a simultaneous connection to two mobile networks, the drone may be equipped with two radios 110, 120, or may have one radio capable of such a simultaneous connection. Here, the term "radio" may be an abbreviation for a wireless communication system, which may be a hardware wireless communication system (e.g., based on mixers, filters, amplifiers, modulators / demodulators, detectors, antennas) or a software wireless communication system (also called software-defined radio) or a combination of hardware and software-based systems.

[0054] In addition to the control data connection, a signaling data connection may be established between the connectivity control function 150, hereinafter also referred to as MCCF, and the device function 140, hereinafter also referred to as MCDF. The signaling data connection may be separate from the control data connection and is indicated by dashed lines 20, 21 in Figures 2A and 2B. These signaling data connections may also be referred to as (multi) connectivity control connections (CCC or MCCC) since they may relate to the control of the connectivity of the drone 100 in relation to multiple mobile networks. Such signaling data connections may be implemented as control data connections in various ways, for example as PDP contexts in 4G networks or PDU sessions in 5G networks or in any other form.

[0055] The CCF 150 may further be connected to one or more network functions 174, 184 in the respective mobile networks 170, 180 by respective data connections 30, 31. Non-limiting examples of such network functions include network functions in the control plane, such as, but not limited to, application functions (AFs) and / or network exposure functions (NEFs) in the respective mobile networks. In some embodiments, the network functions may include one or more network management functions. From the network functions 174, 184, the CCF 150 may receive data regarding, for example, the radio coverage of the respective mobile networks at the cell level and / or end-to-end performance metrics (e.g., of network slices allocated by the respective mobile networks for traffic to and from drones). Such data may be transmitted to the CCF 150 by the network functions 174, 184, for example, using request-response or publish-subscribe data communication mechanisms.

[0056] In some embodiments, before the drone is operated, e.g., before a flight is performed, the CDF 140 may transmit data to the CCF 150, which may include, for example, the planned route to the drone's final destination, waypoints in time, and / or QoS requirements for the drone's control data connection (e.g., requirements regarding bandwidth, latency, packet loss, jitter, maximum acceptable disconnection time, etc.). During the flight, the CCF 150 may receive data from the CDF 140, as previously revealed with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B. Based on the information received from the CDF 140 and / or the network functions 174, 184, the CCF 150 may determine how to optimally use the mobile networks 170, 180 to provide optimal connectivity for the drone's 100 control data connection. To that end, the CCF 150 may, for example, use the drone's current location data to determine the radio coverage in the corresponding cell of each mobile network, thereby ascertaining whether the drone 100 is well within the coverage area of ​​the mobile networks or is rather at the edge of the coverage area. In this way, the CCF 150 can estimate whether a mobile network e.g. currently provides and / or will provide in the future a sufficient quality of service for the control data connection. The CCF 150 can thus determine, e.g., which mobile network is optimal for the control data connection in terms of the quality of service provided to the control data connection, and command the CDF 140 by the signaling data connection to establish the control data connection by said mobile network if necessary. If the drone 100 is currently connected to another mobile network, such a command can explicitly or implicitly command the drone 100 to switch to a more optimal mobile network. Figures 2A and 2B illustrate such a switch by the control data connection 10 being established by the first mobile network 170 in Figure 2A and switched to the second mobile network B 180 using the drone's CDF 140 in Figure 2B.

[0057] In this regard, it is noted that although the control data connection 10 between the drone 100 and the drone control system 160 can be dynamically switched between mobile networks as described above, in some embodiments, the drone control system 160 can be permanently or semi-permanently connected to the user plane functions of several networks at the same time, e.g., in embodiments where the drone control system 160 serves several drones simultaneously, some drones connected to a first mobile network 170 and others connected to a second mobile network 180. For example, such a permanent or semi-permanent connection can be made by an N6 interface between a mobile network and a data network connected to that mobile network to which the drone control system 160 can be connected. However, the (semi-)permanent simultaneous connectivity of the drone control system 160 to the user plane functions of several mobile networks is not shown in Figures 2A and 2B.

[0058] In the embodiment described with reference to Figures 2A and 2B, the drone 100 can establish signaling data connections 20, 21 with each of the two mobile networks 170, 180 simultaneously or generally with each mobile network to which the drone 100 is connected. However, this is not a limitation in that a signaling data connection may be established and maintained by only one mobile network. Nonetheless, it may be preferable to simultaneously maintain at least two signaling data connections to increase the reliability of communications between the CCF 150 and the CDF 140. However, in embodiments in which the drone 100 is configured to simultaneously establish and maintain network connectivity to more than two mobile networks, each mobile network may not need to carry a signaling data connection. In such embodiments, the CCF 150 can establish and / or switch signaling data connections between mobile networks in a manner similar to how the MCCF establishes and / or switches control data connections between mobile networks.

[0059] In general, the CCF 150 may obtain data indicative of the quality of service that the first mobile network provides or can provide, for example, in the (near) future, for the control data connection, and determine, based on the data, whether the second mobile network can provide a better quality of service for the control data connection than the first mobile network. If this is expected to be the case, i.e., if the CCF 150 determines that the second mobile network can provide a better quality of service than the first mobile network, the CCF 150 may send a connectivity control command to the drone's CDF 140 to switch the drone's control data connection to the second mobile network. Here and elsewhere, the term "better" may refer to an improvement in the quality of service in at least one aspect, such as by providing a higher bandwidth or lower latency. It will be understood that a better quality of service may, but need not, include an improvement in the quality of service in several aspects simultaneously, such as a higher bandwidth and lower latency. It is further noted that the mere presence of a network service and the reliability of a control data connection over a wireless network, measured for example in terms of packet loss, maximum delay, maximum jitter, maximum connectivity interruptions, etc., are both aspects of quality of service. Furthermore, determining quality of service may generally include measuring or obtaining measurements of metrics related to quality of service, but may also include making predictions. For example, such predictions may take into account data regarding the planned path of the unmanned vehicle and the coverage area of ​​the wireless network to obtain a prediction of QoS along the planned path of the drone 100 and thereby a QoS prediction in the (near) future.

[0060] As disclosed elsewhere herein, the data on which CCF 150 may base its decisions may take a variety of forms and may come from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to, the types of data identified above with respect to Figures 2A and 2B, such as pre-flight and / or real-time data received from drone 100, data received from network functions 174, 184, and / or data received from drone control system 160. Such data may generally relate to the quality of service currently being experienced, but may alternatively or additionally relate to the quality of service expected in the future, for example, within a given time frame. For example, route data obtained from drone 100 may indicate that the drone is expected to leave the coverage area of ​​a first mobile network within 30 seconds, which may prompt CCF 150 to instruct drone 100 to switch to a second mobile network in a timely manner.

[0061] FIG. 3 relates to the example shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B in that it illustrates an information exchange that can switch a control data connection to the navigation control system 160 from a first mobile network to a second mobile network. FIG. 3 illustrates as entities a network function 174 in the first mobile network, a network function 184 in the second mobile network, a CCF 150 in the drone, a CDF 140, and the drone's radios, i.e., a first radio 110 and a second radio 120. It is further assumed that at the start of the information exchange in FIG. 3, the drone initially has a control data connection with the first mobile network, and there are simultaneous signaling data connections with the first mobile network and the second mobile network. For ease of reference, this first mobile network may be referred to below and elsewhere as mobile network A, or network A for short, while the second mobile network may be referred to below and elsewhere as mobile network B, or network B for short.

[0062] The information exchange in Figure 3 may include the following steps, which may correspond to the respective numbered arrows in Figure 3, where the dashed arrows may indicate communication over a signaling data connection. 1. "Status Information Mobile Network": The CCF 150 may receive information about the status of the individual mobile networks from each of the network functions 174, 184. This step may precede the drone flight or may occur during the flight. 2. “Location Update”: CDF 140 may send the drone’s current location to CCF 150 via the signaling data connection established by network A. 3. "Determining Optimal Network Connectivity": During flight and based on, for example, an updated location of the drone, based on information about network coverage and / or based on end-to-end performance metrics received from the network functions 174, 184, the CCF 150 may determine that the drone's current control data connection (CDC) over Network A is likely to degrade or fail in the (near) future. The CCF 150 may further determine that the drone can be better served by a control data connection over Network B in order to meet quality of service requirements for the control data connection. 4. "Modify Connectivity (Add CDC B)": CCF 150 may instruct CDF 140 to set up a new control data connection to Network B (also called "CDC B" for short). Such an instruction may be sent by CCF 150 over a signaling data connection established by Network A or Network B or both networks. 5. “SETUP (CDC B)”: In response to the command, the CDF 140 may set up a new control data connection with network B by sending a command to the drone’s second radio 120. 6. "Modify Connectivity (Remove CDC A)": After the control data connection to network B has been successfully set up, CCF 150 can instruct CDF 140 to disconnect the control data connection previously established by network A with the signaling data connection established by network A or network B or both. 7. “Disconnect (CDC A)”: In response to a command sent by the CCF 150, the CDF 140 may disconnect the control data connection with network A by sending a command to the drone's first radio 110.

[0063] The following discusses various optional and / or alternative aspects to the embodiments described or claimed herein, which aspects may be combined in any manner unless prohibited for technical reasons.

[0064] In some embodiments, the connectivity control function may receive the unmanned vehicle's path data, for example, from a connectivity device function on the unmanned vehicle. It is noted that the unmanned vehicle may itself receive path data from a navigation control system. The unmanned vehicle's path may be entered into a UAV Traffic Management (UTM) system and shared with the navigation control system by the UTM. To that end, the navigation control system may be connected to, or part of, or represent the UTM.

[0065] In some embodiments, prior to operation of the unmanned vehicle, e.g., prior to flight of a drone, the connectivity control function may determine whether at least one or a combination of wireless networks meets quality of service requirements for and during full operation of the unmanned vehicle. Whether a quality of service requirement is met may be determined by the connectivity control function based on data that may include, but is not limited to, a planned route to a final destination of the unmanned vehicle, waypoints in time, and / or quality of service requirements of the unmanned vehicle's control data connection. The connectivity control function may send a message with a confirmation to the connectivity device function if the quality of service requirement may be met, and if the quality of service is not met, the connectivity control function may be configured to provide information regarding locations along the route where the quality of service is insufficient.

[0066] In some embodiments, additional signaling data connections with further mobile networks may be set up by the connectivity device function at the command of the connectivity control function. Thus, there may not always be all signaling data connections available for use during operation of the unmanned vehicle. Rather, signaling data connections may be set up dynamically during operation of the unmanned vehicle.

[0067] In embodiments involving 5G and similar types of mobile terrestrial cellular networks, the signaling data connection may be implemented using Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling, which may represent data communications within the control plane from the perspective of the mobile network.

[0068] In some embodiments, the connectivity control function may be triggered to instruct the device control function to switch to a different mobile network for its control data connection, for example due to network degradation caused by radio interference. In some embodiments, the connectivity change may be triggered by a degradation in network performance measured by the navigation control system. The navigation control system may, for example, inform the connectivity control function directly or by the connectivity device function of the unmanned vehicle. In some embodiments, the connectivity change may be triggered by information provided by the navigation control system. For example, the navigation control system may have historically measured service quality information of past operations of the unmanned vehicle that may predict degradation in service quality experienced during a current operation, or the navigation control system may predict service quality based on its own data analysis capabilities of end-to-end user application performance (the user application in this context is the navigation control of the unmanned vehicle).

[0069] In some embodiments, the connectivity control function may be implemented by a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) using some underlying mobile network. The connectivity control function may also be implemented as an Application Function (AF) in the mobile network. In general, the connectivity control function may be instantiated in each of the mobile networks, and there is an interconnection between the different instances to prevent a single point of failure. The different connectivity control functions may continuously or periodically update each other regarding relevant network state parameters (e.g., coverage of the unmanned vehicle's path, end-to-end performance of the unmanned vehicle's control data connection, performance of the network slice carrying the control data connection, etc.).

[0070] In some embodiments, the connectivity control function may be implemented on the unmanned vehicle together with the connectivity device function, for example, as one connectivity control function. In some embodiments, the connectivity control function may communicate with the connectivity device function by the navigation control system. In such embodiments, the signaling data connection may be part of the control data connection, in that the control data connection may be used to transmit signaling data to and from the unmanned vehicle. In some embodiments, the connectivity control function may be part of the navigation control system or the UTM.

[0071] In some embodiments, data indicative of the quality of service experienced by the unmanned vehicle may be obtained as Radio Access Network (RAN) state information from a Performance Measurement Function (PMF) in a User Plane Function (UPF). In some embodiments, such RAN state information may be obtained from a Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF) or a message from a PCF regarding quality of service policy violations. The RAN state information may provide state information at or about a cell level or an end-to-end (e.g., network slice) level.

[0072] In some embodiments, the connectivity control function may receive data from the network function that may be indicative of the location of the unmanned vehicle. Such data may be obtained, for example, from the NWDAF and may serve as a backup when the unmanned vehicle is unable to share its location (e.g., during a GPS outage) or may be used to supplement the location data shared by the unmanned vehicle. In some embodiments, the connectivity control function may obtain data from the NWDAF that is indicative of the current or predicted end-to-end performance of the control data connection. Here and elsewhere, the term "end-to-end performance" may refer to the network performance experienced for the control data connection from one end (e.g., the unmanned vehicle) to another end (e.g., the navigation control system).

[0073] In some embodiments, at least one of the wireless networks may be a non-cellular wireless network and / or a non-terrestrial wireless network. Examples of such wireless networks include, but are not limited to, aerial networks with satellites or high altitude platforms. For example, a combination of terrestrial cellular wireless networks and non-cellular and / or non-terrestrial wireless networks may be used when available mobile network terrestrial base stations may not meet QoS requirements.

[0074] In general, it is noted that any device function or network function described herein may be implemented as a system or subsystem of an entity. For example, a connectivity device function may be implemented by a processor subsystem of an unmanned vehicle. In such an embodiment, the connectivity device function may not be explicitly identified as a function. Similarly, any system or subsystem described herein may be implemented as a function. For example, a navigation control system may be implemented as a network function.

[0075] With regard to unmanned vehicle connectivity, it is noted that the unmanned vehicle may include a network interface subsystem that may include several radios for simultaneously connecting to different wireless networks, although in other embodiments the network interface subsystem may include a single radio supporting multiple connectivity / registration to multiple wireless networks.

[0076] In general, an unmanned vehicle may function as a client device of a mobile network, such as a 3GPP-type mobile network. In such cases, the unmanned vehicle may be considered as a user equipment (UE) or combination of UEs of the mobile network. Thus, in some embodiments, an unmanned vehicle may function or be configured as one UE, while in other embodiments, an unmanned vehicle may function or be configured as several UEs. For example, an unmanned vehicle may be configured as one UE with a set of credentials and a UE identifier. In such an embodiment, an unmanned vehicle may include two radios but only one UE routing policy (URSP), one subscriber identity module (SIM), and one instance of other UE logic (UEL). Alternatively, an unmanned vehicle may be configured as two UEs, each with its own set of credentials and UE identifier. Thus, an unmanned vehicle may include a separate URSP, SIM, and UEL for each UE. In this regard, it is noted that any reference to an unmanned vehicle having dual connectivity or two instances of an individual function (e.g., two radios functioning as two UEs) may also apply to multi-connectivity or three or more instances of an individual function.

[0077] In general, the connectivity control function may be configured to determine how to optimally utilize multiple available wireless networks to provide optimal connectivity for the control data connection of the unmanned vehicle. This optimality may be in terms of quality of service, but may alternatively or additionally take into account other aspects such as the cost of a data connection over a particular wireless network (which may vary from wireless network to wireless network) and whether the wireless network is of a preferred network provider (use of a preferred network provider's network may be more optimal, for example, from a cost or process configuration perspective).

[0078] FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram showing selected portions of an unmanned vehicle 200. By way of example, the unmanned vehicle 200 is shown to include a first radio 210 and a second radio 220 for simultaneously connecting to two mobile networks. The radios may be part of a network interface subsystem of the unmanned vehicle 200 or together may form a network interface subsystem. Each of the radios may be, for example, a 5G or next generation (e.g., "6G") radio for connecting to a 5G or next generation mobile network conforming to one or more 3GPP standards. In an exemplary embodiment, both radios may be the same type (e.g., the same type of 5G radio), although both radios may be of different types. Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 4, the unmanned vehicle 200 may also include an antenna or antenna connection for each radio. As will be made clear elsewhere, in some embodiments, the unmanned vehicle may include one radio capable of multi-connectivity / registration with multiple mobile networks, while in other embodiments, the radio may not be for a mobile network but for another type of wireless network.

[0079] The unmanned vehicle 200 may further include a processor subsystem 230, which may be configured, for example, by hardware design or software, to perform the operations described herein as they pertain to the unmanned vehicle 200. Generally, the processor subsystem 230 may be embodied by a single central processing unit (CPU), such as an x86 or ARM based CPU, but may also be embodied by a combination or system of such CPUs and / or other types of processors. The unmanned vehicle 200 is further shown to include a data storage 240, which may include, for example, volatile random access memory or non-volatile solid state memory, that may be used by the unmanned vehicle 200 to store data, such as data transmitted to and received from the connectivity control functions and / or the navigation control system.

[0080] In general, the unmanned vehicle 200 may be an unmanned aerial vehicle, such as a drone, or an unmanned ground vehicle, such as an unmanned bus or car, or an unmanned space vehicle, or an unmanned naval or underwater vehicle, or the like.

[0081] FIG. 5 illustrates a processor system 300 representing a connectivity control function configured to control the network connectivity of an unmanned vehicle. In other words, the processor system 300 may be configured to provide an instance of a connectivity control function described herein, meaning that the processor system 300 can implement such connectivity control function. The processor system 300 may include a network interface 310 for data communication with entities associated with a mobile network, such as a mobile network and a network function within the mobile network. The network interface 310 may be, for example, a wired communication interface, such as an Ethernet or optical fiber-based interface, to a fixed (e.g., non-mobile) portion of the mobile network. Alternatively, the network interface 310 may be, for example, a wireless communication interface of the type described for the unmanned vehicle 200 of FIG. 4. In yet another example, the processor system 300 may be a subsystem of a larger system, such as a parent system that implements several network functions. In such a case, the network interface 310 may be an internal interface of the parent system, such as a virtual software-based network interface.

[0082] The processor system 300 may further include a processor subsystem 320 that may be configured, for example, by hardware design or software, to perform the operations described herein as far as the entity that the processor system embodies, e.g., the connectivity control function, is concerned. Generally, the processor subsystem 320 may be embodied by a single central processing unit (CPU), such as an x86 or ARM-based CPU, but may also be embodied by a combination or system of such CPUs and / or other types of processors. In an embodiment in which the processor system 300 is distributed across different entities, e.g., different servers, the processor subsystem 320 may be distributed, for example, across the CPUs or other processors of such different servers. As also shown in FIG. 5, the processor system 300 may include data storage 330, such as a hard drive, solid state drive, or an array of such hard drives and / or solid state drives. In some examples, the processor system 300 may be implemented by a network node or a system of network nodes that jointly implement the connectivity control function.

[0083] Generally, each entity described herein may be embodied as or in a device or apparatus. The device or apparatus may include one or more (micro)processors running appropriate software. The processor of the individual entities may be embodied by one or more of these (micro)processors. Software implementing the functionality of the individual entities may be downloaded and / or stored in a corresponding memory, e.g. a volatile memory such as RAM or a non-volatile memory such as Flash. Alternatively, the processor of the individual entities may be implemented in a programmable logic form, e.g. as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), in the device or apparatus. Any input and / or output interfaces may be implemented by individual interfaces of the device or apparatus. Generally, each functional unit of the individual entities may be implemented in the form of a circuit. The individual entities may be implemented in a distributed manner, e.g. including different devices or apparatus.

[0084] It is noted that any of the methods described herein, e.g., in any of the claims, may be implemented on a computer as a computer-implemented method, dedicated hardware, or a combination of both. Instructions for a computer, e.g., executable code, may be stored on a computer-readable medium 400, e.g., as shown in FIG. 6, in the form of a series of machine-readable physical marks 410 and / or as a series of elements having different electrical, e.g., magnetic, or optical properties or values. The executable code may be stored in a transitory or non-transitory manner. Examples of computer-readable media include memory devices, optical storage devices, integrated circuits, servers, online software, etc. FIG. 6 shows an optical storage device 400 as an example.

[0085] 7 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary data processing system 1000 that may be used in the embodiments described herein. Such data processing systems include the data processing entities described herein, including, but not limited to, unmanned vehicles and any network node or system of network nodes. The data processing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1002 coupled to a memory element 1004 by a system bus 1006. As such, the data processing system may store program code in the memory element 1004. Furthermore, the processor 1002 may execute program code accessed from the memory element 1004 by the system bus 1006. In one aspect, the data processing system may be implemented as a computer suitable for storing and / or executing program code. However, it should be understood that the data processing system 1000 may be implemented in the form of any system including a processor and memory capable of performing the functions described herein.

[0086] Memory elements 1004 may include one or more physical memory devices, such as, for example, a local memory 1008 and one or more bulk storage devices 1010. Local memory may refer to random access memory or other non-persistent memory devices that are generally used during the actual execution of the program code. Bulk storage devices may be implemented as hard drives, solid state disks, or other persistent data storage devices. Data processing system 1000 may also include one or more cache memories (not shown) that provide temporary storage of at least some of the program code to reduce the number of times the program code would otherwise be retrieved from bulk storage device 1010 during execution.

[0087] Input / output (I / O) devices, illustrated as input device(s) 1012 and output device(s) 1014, may optionally be coupled to the data processing system. Examples of input devices may include, but are not limited to, microphones, keyboards, pointing devices such as mice, game controllers, Bluetooth controllers, VR controllers, and gesture-based input devices. Examples of output devices may include, but are not limited to, monitors or displays, speakers, and the like. The input and / or output devices may be coupled to the data processing system directly or through intervening I / O controllers. A network adapter 1016 may also be coupled to the data processing system to enable coupling to other systems, computer systems, remote network devices, and / or remote storage devices through intervening private or public networks. A network adapter may include a data receiver for receiving data transmitted by the system, device, and / or network for data, and a data transmitter for transmitting data to the system, device, and / or network. Radios, modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are examples of various types of network adapters that may be used with data processing system 1000.

[0088] 7, the memory element 1004 may store an application 1018. It should be appreciated that the data processing system 1000 may further execute an operating system (not shown), which may facilitate execution of the application. The application, implemented in executable program code form, may be executed by the data processing system 1000, for example, by the processor 1002. In response to executing the application, the data processing system may be configured to perform one or more operations described in more detail herein.

[0089] For example, data processing system 1000 may represent or be part of an unmanned vehicle as described herein. In that case, application 1018 may represent an application that, when executed, configures data processing system 1000 to perform the functions described with respect to the unmanned vehicle. In another example, data processing system 1000 may represent an embodiment of the connectivity control functionality as described herein. In that case, application 1018 may represent an application that, when executed, configures data processing system 1000 to perform the functions described with respect to the connectivity control functionality.

[0090] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are illustrative rather than limiting of the invention, and that many alternative embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

[0091] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in the claim. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude a plurality of the element. When preceding a list or group of elements, phrases such as "at least one of" denote the selection of all or any subset of the elements from the list or group. For example, the phrase "at least one of A, B and C" is to be understood as including A only, B only, C only, both A and B, both A and C, both B and C or all of A, B and C. The invention can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, as well as by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

1. An unmanned vehicle, a network interface subsystem configured to establish simultaneous data connections to at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network; - Processor subsystem and the processor subsystem comprising: establishing, via the first wireless network, a control data connection to a navigation control system, the navigation control system being configured to provide navigation instructions to the unmanned vehicle via the control data connection; establishing a signaling data connection to a connectivity control function, said connectivity control function being configured to control network connectivity of said unmanned vehicle; and the processor subsystem is configured to: receiving connectivity control instructions from said connectivity control function via said signalling data connection; if the connectivity control instruction is for switching the control data connection to the second wireless network, performing the switching of the control data connection to the second wireless network. The unmanned vehicle is further configured to:

2. 2. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor subsystem is configured to send data to the connectivity control function, the data indicating a quality of service that the first wireless network provides or may provide in the future for the control data connection.

3. The data provided to the connectivity control function comprises: - location data indicating the geographical location of said unmanned vehicle; - route data indicating a route or destination of said unmanned vehicle; network performance data indicative of network performance of a portion of the first wireless network utilized by the control data connection; The unmanned vehicle of claim 2 , comprising one or more of:

4. The unmanned vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the processor subsystem is configured to obtain the route data from the navigation control system prior to transmitting the route data to the connectivity control function.

5. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the processor subsystem is configured to provide quality of service requirement data to the connectivity control function, the quality of service requirement data indicating quality of service requirements for the control data connection.

6. An unmanned vehicle as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processor subsystem is configured to establish a first signaling data connection to the connectivity control function via the first wireless network and a second signaling data connection to the connectivity control function via the second wireless network.

7. 1. A network node or system of network nodes for providing a connectivity control function for controlling network connectivity of an unmanned vehicle, the unmanned vehicle being configured to establish simultaneous data connections to at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network, and to receive navigation commands from a navigation control system via a control data connection established via the first wireless network, the network node or system of network nodes comprising: a network interface to said first wireless network; a processor subsystem for implementing said connectivity control functionality; the processor subsystem comprising: obtaining data indicative of a quality of service that said first wireless network provides or may provide in the future for said control data connection; determining, based on said data, whether said second wireless network is capable of providing a better quality of service to said control data connection than said first wireless network; if it is determined that the second wireless network can provide the better quality of service, sending a connectivity control command to the unmanned vehicle, the connectivity control command being for switching the control data connection to the second wireless network; A network node or a system of network nodes configured to perform the above steps.

8. The data is - location data indicating the geographical location of said unmanned vehicle; coverage data indicative of network coverage of the first wireless network; - route data indicating a route or destination of said unmanned vehicle; network status data indicative of network status of a portion of the first wireless network utilized by the control data connection; network performance data indicative of network performance of a portion of the first wireless network utilized by the control data connection; 8. A network node or system of network nodes as claimed in claim 7, comprising one or more of:

9. The processor subsystem includes: obtaining further data indicative of the quality of service that the second wireless network can provide for the control data connection; comparing said data with said further data to determine whether said second wireless network is able to provide a better quality of service for said control data connection than said first wireless network; 9. A network node or a system of network nodes as claimed in claim 7 or 8, configured to:

10. A network node or system of network nodes according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the processor subsystem is configured to obtain the data from at least one of the unmanned vehicle, the navigation control system and one or more network functions of the first wireless network.

11. A network node or system of network nodes according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the first wireless network includes a plurality of wireless access points, the data being specific and obtainable for each wireless access point or for each network portion serving one or more wireless access points, and the processor subsystem is configured to obtain the data relating to a wireless access point to which the unmanned vehicle is connected or expected to connect.

12. 12. A navigation control system configured to control the navigation of an unmanned vehicle by transmitting navigation commands over a control data connection to the unmanned vehicle, the navigation control system comprising a processor subsystem configured to implement a connectivity control function according to any one of claims 7 to 11.

13. 1. A computer-implemented method for switching data connections in an unmanned vehicle, the unmanned vehicle being configured to establish simultaneous data connections to at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network, the method comprising: establishing, via the first wireless network, a control data connection to a navigation control system, the navigation control system being configured to provide navigation instructions to the unmanned vehicle via the control data connection; - establishing a signaling data connection to a connectivity control function, said connectivity control function being configured to control network connectivity of said unmanned vehicle; receiving connectivity control instructions from said connectivity control function via said signalling data connection; if the connectivity control instruction is for switching the control data connection to the second wireless network, performing the switching of the control data connection to the second wireless network.

4. A computer-implemented method comprising:

14. 1. A computer-implemented method for controlling network connectivity of an unmanned vehicle, the unmanned vehicle being configured to establish simultaneous data connections to at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network, and to receive navigation commands from a navigation control system via a control data connection established via the first wireless network, the method comprising: obtaining data indicative of a quality of service that said first wireless network provides or may provide in the future for said control data connection; determining, based on said data, whether said second wireless network is capable of providing a better quality of service to said control data connection than said first wireless network; if it is determined that the second wireless network can provide the better quality of service, sending a connectivity control command to the unmanned vehicle, the connectivity control command being for switching the control data connection to the second wireless network; 4. A computer-implemented method comprising:

15. 15. A transitory or non-transitory computer readable medium containing data representing a computer program comprising instructions for causing a processor system to perform the method of claim 13 or 14.

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