A hierarchical method for managing the airspace of large drone swarms.

Abstract

A method for coordinating drones flying within divided airspace includes the steps of transmitting a patrol command to each drone in a set of airlift drones within divided airspace, wherein the divided airspace includes a ceiling altitude, a floor altitude, and mutually exclusive horizontal layers having at least one transition layer, and these layers include multiple sectors, and the patrol command includes the steps of directing the drones into a flight path within a sector, transmitting a first transition command to a first drone, which commands the first drone to move from the first drone's sector to the transition space layer and from the transition space layer out of the divided airspace, and transmitting a second transition command to a second drone, which commands the second transition command to move from outside the divided airspace to the transition space layer and from the transition space layer back to the first drone's sector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - reference to Related Applications This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.§119(e) (Title 35, United States Code, Section 119(e)) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 491694, entitled "Layer Approach to Managing Airspace of Large Groups of Drones", inventor Tyris Monte Audronis, filed on March 22, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background Art

[0002] Background A drone or unmanned aerial vehicle is a type of vehicle that can be operated, or not operated, without a human on board to directly pilot it. This vehicle can be navigated remotely (e.g., by a human operator / pilot) or autonomously (e.g., using sensors and / or a navigation program). Drones can be designed for different environments, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) (but not limited to these).

[0003] Drones can utilize any of a variety of sensors, such as cameras, infrared (temperature) sensors, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), sonar (acoustic detectors), etc. (but not limited to these). At high vantage points, UAVs with on - board sensors can often collect data over a larger area and with less interference from obstacles than when on the ground.

[0004] Drones for gathering information over large areas are particularly useful in emergencies and disaster situations. With little to no direct human direction, these drones can acquire visual and other information at high speed and effectiveness, enhancing planning and adjustments by responders. [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Detailed disclosure of the present invention Referring to the diagram here, a hierarchical method for managing the airspace of a swarm of drones is described. Drones can be used to collect information over a large geographical area using onboard sensors. This can be useful, for example, in disaster recovery scenarios, for surveying the environment and making plans and decisions. Drones can follow predetermined routes, navigate autonomously or be manually controlled, to cover as large an area of ​​interest as possible. A user interface can display a virtual environment and provide the user with controls to direct the drone to a specific location. In this way, the user can visually examine raw, or near real-time, information over a large area through the systematic navigation of one or more drones.

[0006] The airspace to be covered by a set of drones can be divided into multiple layers (vertical separation) and sectors within each layer (horizontal separation). In some preferred examples of the present invention, sectors within a layer are of equal shape and size. For example, sectors can be divided into a grid pattern. Sectors can be of a shape that fits just within the grid pattern, such as a rectangle, square, or hexagon. In additional preferred examples, sectors within one layer can be of a different shape and / or size from sectors within other layers.

[0007] Depending on the altitude of the layer, the characteristics of the type of drone, and / or the coverage range of the sensors carried by the drone, certain types of drones may be suitable for or appropriate for certain layers. For example, fixed-wing drones generally fly at higher altitudes and higher speeds, while microcopters generally operate at lower altitudes and speeds and have the ability to hover (stay stationary in the air).

[0008] One or more drones can be assigned to each sector. Furthermore, each drone can be programmed (e.g., onboard or remotely controlled) to patrol within its sector. As will be further described below, patrolling may include repeating a single flight path to cover a particular sector while capturing information using sensors. In an additional preferred example of the present invention, each drone may include one or more sensors (e.g., a camera, an infrared sensor, etc.), and these sensors may be used to collect sensor data during flight, and the collected sensor data may be stored onboard or transmitted to a receiver (e.g., on the ground or in the air). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram shows a system for collecting sensor data from a drone, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram conceptually illustrates a computer system that can be used in a command center according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of airspace according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows the process of deploying a drone into an airspace sector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the process of replacing a drone by transferring it outside of its sector. [Figure 6]This diagram shows the placement and flight plans of several different drones across multiple sectors, with the first layer of the airspace having a floor of 75 feet (22.86 m) and a ceiling of 150 feet (45.72 m). [Figure 7] The diagrams show several different drone deployments and flight plans across multiple sectors. Figure 7A shows an example where two drones patrol a long rectangular sector within the first layer at 100 feet (30.48 m), and Figure 7B shows the flight paths to which the drones are assigned in response to sensor triggers. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the deployment and flight plans of several different drones across multiple sectors, illustrating an example where three drones patrol different sectors within a single layer. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] A system for controlling sensor data from drones Figure 1 shows a system 100 for collecting sensor data from a drone according to one embodiment of the present invention, the system 100 includes one or more drones 102, 104, and 106, a drone command center 110, a data center 112, and one or more client devices 108 and 110. In the illustrated embodiment, these entities can communicate over a wide area network 101 such as the Internet. The drones may include, but are not limited to, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) adapted to different environments. Each drone may include at least one sensor. Sensors may include, but are not limited to, cameras, infrared (temperature) sensors, LiDAR (light detection and ranging), sonar, olfactory / particle sensors, auditory sensors, etc. Additional embodiments of the present invention may include cameras and / or other types of sensors 114 that are not mounted on the drone. These sensors can be fixed in place and may have associated GPS (global positioning system) circuits or systems that identify their location. For example, a camera or sensor may have a built-in GPS tracker or be mounted on another system that includes GPS (e.g., a structure or stationary vehicle). Some fixed camera systems may include, for example, public wildfire monitoring systems.

[0011] The drone command center 110 may include control interfaces for drones. In some embodiments of the present invention, each drone has a control interface associated with itself, for example, Pixhawk Cube®. The drone command center 110 may also have one or more computer systems that can coordinate controller interfaces, run 3D (three-dimensional) visualization software applications (e.g., game engines) for a virtual environment, and / or generate information about one or more client devices 108 and 110 for a user interface to display the virtual environment. Processes that can be performed in the drone command center 110 include those further described below.

[0012] The data center 112 may include one or more databases. The databases may store drone information / metadata and geometric data. In particular, in some embodiments, separate data centers may house databases for different types of information.

[0013] Figure 2 conceptually illustrates a computer system usable in a data center according to an embodiment of the present invention. The computer system 200 includes a processor 202 and memory 204. The memory 204 includes processor instructions for executing an operating system 206, a sensor data integration platform 208, and a user interface application 210. The computer system 200 can further access the data center 212 described above. The computer system 200 can also interface with one or more drone controllers 206, 208, and 210, which are configured to control drones (e.g., drones 102, 104, and 106 in Figure 1). The drone controllers can be any suitable type or model, such as Pixhawk Cube®. Using the drone controllers 206, 208, and / or 210, the computer system 200 can command the drones to patrol a sector of airspace at a particular layer by sending commands to the drones to execute a flight path in a process such as those further described below. While specific systems are described above with respect to Figures 1 and 2, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, according to embodiments of the present invention, any of the various systems can be used in a manner suitable for a particular application.

[0014] airspace division A drone can patrol a predetermined airspace within a geographical area. This airspace can conceptually be divided vertically (e.g., by altitude) into multiple layers, and within each layer, it can be divided horizontally (e.g., by a repeatable geometric grid). A sector in a layer can be bounded by a lower altitude (floor (lowest altitude)) and an upper altitude (ceiling (highest altitude)). In some embodiments of the present invention, the space between layers (e.g., between the ceiling of one layer and the floor of the next layer) can be referred to as a transition space. The transition space is intended to be used by the drone to move within and outside the sector assigned to it, and not for use during the drone's flight or patrol.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, sectors within a layer are of the same shape and size. For example, sectors can be divided into a grid pattern. Sectors can be of a shape that fits just within the grid pattern, such as a rectangle, square, or hexagon. In additional embodiments, sectors within one layer can be of a different shape and / or size from sectors within other layers.

[0016] One or more drones can be assigned to each sector. In many embodiments, only a maximum number of drones (e.g., 2) can be assigned to each sector. Furthermore, each drone can be programmed to patrol a flight path (e.g., via onboard control or remote control). In some embodiments, the flight of each drone within a sector can be set to a different altitude to avoid collisions. In additional embodiments of the present invention, each drone may include one or more sensors (e.g., a camera, an infrared sensor, etc.), and may use the sensors to collect sensor data during flight, and the collected sensor data may be stored onboard or transmitted to a receiver (e.g., on the ground or in the air). Due to the field of view, resolution, and / or other characteristics of different types of sensors, it may be appropriate to use certain types of sensors at lower altitudes and other types of sensors at higher altitudes.

[0017] Similarly, due to the flight dynamics and other characteristics of different types of drones, it may be appropriate to use certain types of drones (e.g., multirotors, rotary drones, etc.) at low altitudes and other types of drones (e.g., fixed-wing drones, vertical take-off and landing drones, forward thrust drones, etc.) at high altitudes.

[0018] Figure 3 shows an example of airspace according to one embodiment of the present invention. This airspace is divided into two layers: a first layer closer to the ground and a second layer above the first layer. For the purposes of this example, the ground is at sea level.

[0019] The first layer at a height of 150 feet (45.72 m) is square and is divided into a grid of four square sectors A1, B1, C1, and D1. Drones 302A and 304A are assigned to sector A1. Drones 302B and 304B are assigned to sector B1. Drones 302C and 304C are assigned to sector C1. Drones 302D and 304D are assigned to sector D1. Drones 302A, 302B, 302C, and 302D are mapping microcopters and include digital cameras in the visible spectrum. In this example, drones 304A, 304B, 304C, and 304D are heat map creation microcopters and include infrared digital cameras. In other embodiments, other types of drones and / or sensors can be utilized.

[0020] The second layer at a height of 300 feet (91.44 m) is square and is divided into a grid of four square sectors A2, B2, C2, and D2. Drone 306A is assigned to sector A2. Drone 306B is assigned to sector B2. Drone 306C is assigned to sector C2. Drone 306D is assigned to sector D2. In this example, drones 306A, 306B, 306C, and 306D are fixed-wing sUAS (small unmanned aircraft system) and have thermal cameras. In other embodiments, other types of drones and / or sensors can be utilized.

[0021] The airspace between the first layer and the second layer, and also the airspace above the second layer, can be considered transfer space. As will be further explained below, drones moving into a sector assigned from outside the airspace and drones moving out of an assigned sector can avoid collisions by crossing the transfer space and avoiding entering other spaces that the drone is not assigned to and that can be occupied by other drones.

[0022] In the example shown in Figure 3, the arrows conceptually represent simplified flight paths that drones can follow to utilize the transition space. Drone 302C gains altitude (e.g., 160 feet (48.77 m)) and leaves sector C1, traversing the interlayer transition space and exiting the airspace. Drone 304D enters the airspace through the interlayer transition space (e.g., 180 feet (54.86 m)), proceeds to sector D1, and descends to an appropriate altitude (e.g., 150 feet (45.72 m)). Drone 306A gains altitude (e.g., 350 feet (106.68 m)) and leaves sector A2, traversing the interlayer transition space and exiting the airspace. Drone 306B enters the airspace through the upper layer transition space (e.g., 400 feet (121.92 m)), proceeds to sector B2, and descends to an appropriate altitude (e.g., 300 feet (91.44 m)). Other drones can follow a similar path to replace one another. For example, drone 306A' (not shown) can enter from 400 feet (121.92 m) and replace drone 306 after drone 306 has left its sector A2. In other embodiments, drones in the upper layers can also utilize the interlayer transition space.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present invention, these drones are limited to situations where they are close to each other during flight. These drones can be programmed to stay within a specific distance of each other (for example, 25 feet (7.62 m) or 50 feet (15.24 m)).

[0024] Although a specific configuration is described above with reference to Figure 3, it will be acknowledged to those skilled in the art that any of a variety of configurations can be used according to embodiments of the present invention. In various embodiments, the airspace may include three or more layers, multiple layers may be at different altitudes, transition spaces between layers may have different heights, layers may include different numbers of sectors, sectors within different layers may be of different sizes, different numbers of drones may patrol these sectors, and / or different types of drones may be assigned to each layer.

[0025] For example, in another embodiment, one square sector in the upper layer may occupy the same area as four square sectors in the lower layer. In an additional embodiment, a layer may occupy a range of altitudes rather than a set altitude (for the lower layer, 20 feet (6.1 m) floor to 200 feet (60.96 m) ceiling; for the upper layer, 300 feet (91.44 m) floor to 400 feet (121.92 m) ceiling). In an additional embodiment of the present invention, one airspace may include three or more layers, each separated by a transition space. Another example may include the two layers described with respect to Figure 3, and may also include a third layer located at 225 feet (68.58 m) with a sector patrolled by a drone equipped with a LiDAR scanner.

[0026] The process of deploying drones into airspace Drones moving within their assigned sectors should coordinate with each other to avoid potential competition and collisions. Figure 4 shows the process of deploying drones into an airspace sector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Process 400 includes the step of launching the first drone. For illustrative purposes, an example of the airspace in Figure 3 can be used. A launch command can be sent to the drone 302A to launch and fly to sector A1. The drone executes the launch command and launches (404) and flies to the assigned sector A1 (406). In some embodiments of the present invention, the drone 302A passes through a transition space between the first and second layers to avoid sectors other than sector A1 of the drone within the first and second layers.

[0028] Takeoff orders, patrol orders, and transfer orders are examples of flight orders. Flight orders to a drone may include, but are not limited to, components of a Bezier curve, such as GPS coordinates as waypoints, start and end vectors, and / or tension, or linear paths, as well as altitude. Orders to be stored on the drone may also include an "exit path" specifying a route to leave the airspace through a transfer space, when possible, in case of communication loss.

[0029] A drone can patrol its sector according to a flight plan provided as a patrol order (408). In some embodiments, a patrol order can be provided to the drone before takeoff or while it is en route to its assigned sector. In other embodiments, the flight plan for patrolling is updated after the drone has reached its sector. If any of the drones remain for takeoff, the process can be repeated from 402. In the example in Figure 3, the next drone to take off may be the second drone. The second drone receives an order to take off and navigate through the transition space to sector B1.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present invention, the next drone will not be launched until the previously launched drone has stabilized (for example, until it has three readings in a row, each within tolerance, where telemetry includes positional information).

[0031] In some embodiments, instead of each drone going directly to its sector, all drones move to a coordinate in the same sector but at a lower altitude. Once all drones are stable, they move to the designated altitude of the drone.

[0032] While the specific process of deploying a drone into the airspace is explained with reference to Figure 4, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, according to embodiments of the present invention, any of the various processes can be utilized.

[0033] The process of transferring drones within and outside of airspace. For various reasons, such as sector failure, low battery level, or mechanical damage, a drone may be removed from its sector and replaced with another drone. Figure 5 illustrates the process of replacing a drone by moving it outside its sector.

[0034] Identify the first drone to be moved (502). Transmit a transfer command to the drone (504). In many embodiments of the present invention, the command specifies that the first drone should move from its sector to a transfer space above or below its sector without entering a different sector. Once inside the transfer space, the drone can move to the boundary of the entire airspace and exit the airspace. The destination can be a landing area for the drone.

[0035] The first drone moves in accordance with the transfer command provided to it (506). The replacement second drone is commanded to move into the first drone's sector by providing it with a transfer command of its own (508). If it is not yet in the air, the second drone is launched and moved into the sector (510). Once the second drone reaches the sector, it can fulfill a patrol command, patrol the sector, execute a flight plan, and capture information using at least one onboard sensor.

[0036] In certain embodiments, strategies can be employed to reduce the likelihood of collisions between an outgoing drone (first drone) and an incoming drone (second drone). For example, the second drone may only be moved after the first drone arrives at a specific point, for example, after it leaves the sector, enters a transition space, leaves the airspace, or lands. The second drone may be held outside the airspace or within the transition space. If the incoming and outgoing drones are moving back and forth in the same vector field, they may be assigned different paths, such as clockwise and counterclockwise paths.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present invention, the system avoids collisions by limiting the number of drones that move outside the sector at one time to one or two.

[0038] Although the specific process for transferring the drone has been described above with reference to Figure 5, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, according to embodiments of the present invention, any of the various processes can be utilized.

[0039] Adapt the flight plan to change. In additional embodiments of the present invention, the flight plan or movement of one or more drones can be modified in response to changing circumstances. More specifically, the flight plan can realize different sector sizes, sector shapes, and / or altitudes utilized by the drones. Circumstances may include, for example, a ground sector being triggered, for example, by movement, or by the detection of an object. Responses may also include adding or removing active drones patrolling the area. Some examples are described below.

[0040] Examples of flight plans and transfers Several different drone deployments and flight plans across multiple sectors are described below with reference to Figures 6-8. These drones can be launched and transferred within or outside the airspace following a process such as that using the transfer space described further above.

[0041] In the example in Figure 6, the first layer of airspace has a floor of 75 feet (22.86 m) and a ceiling of 150 feet (45.72 m). Microcopters 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614, and 616, each equipped with image sensors (e.g., RGB (red, green, blue), temperature, simple photogrammetry), are deployed to the first layer sector. Each multicopter is instructed to fly in a regular pattern within its assigned sector. The airspace from 150 feet (45.72 m) to 175 feet (53.34 m) can be used as a buffer or transition space. Multicopters 620 and 622, equipped with faster scanning sensors such as LiDAR, fly patterns across a 1x4 sector, to the airspace from 175 feet (53.34 m) to 225 feet (68.58 m). The airspace from 225 feet (68.58 m) to 250 feet (76.2 m) can be used as a buffer or transition space. Within the third layer from 250 feet (76.2 m) to 325 feet (99.06 m), fixed-wing drone 624 flies along an orbital path and uses an infrared camera. The airspace from 325 feet (99.06 m) to 350 feet (106.68 m) can be used as a buffer or transition space. The airspace from 350 feet (106.68 m) to 400 feet (121.92 m) can be used as a transition space.

[0042] In the example shown in Figure 7A, two drones, 702 and 704, patrol long rectangular sectors A1 and B1 within the first layer at 100 feet (30.48 m). Drone 706 patrols sector A2 within the second layer at 150 feet (45.72 m), in the opposite direction to drones 702 and 704 in the first layer. The airspace above 175 feet (53.34 m) can be used as a transition space.

[0043] A ground-based motion sensor 708 can be triggered by something coming into the sensor's range. In response to the sensor 708 being triggered, the drone is assigned a new flight path as shown in Figure 7B. Drone 702 is commanded to enter a 75-foot (22.86m) trajectory within the range of motion sensor 708. Drone 704 remains within sector B1. Drone 706 shifts to a modified sector A2 that is more narrowly offset relative to sector B1.

[0044] In the example shown in Figure 8, three drones, 802, 804, and 806, patrol sectors A1, B1, and C1, respectively, within a single layer. During a transfer event, drone 804 moves to sector C1, drone 806 moves to sector A1, and drone 802 moves to sector B1. While these drones are moving, one or more of them can be swapped with other drones when they move to a new sector.

[0045] While specific examples of divided airspace having multiple sectors, flight paths, and drone transitions have been described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that any modifications suitable for a particular application can be realized according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0046] conclusion Although the above description contains numerous specificities, these specificities should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention, but rather as merely providing examples of some currently preferred embodiments of the present invention. Various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be specified not by the illustrated embodiments, but by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating drones flying within divided airspace, A step of transmitting a patrol command to each drone in a set of airlift drones within the divided space, wherein the divided airspace includes a ceiling altitude and a floor altitude, and a plurality of mutually exclusive horizontal layers having at least one transitional layer, the horizontal layers include a plurality of sectors, and the patrol command to each of the drones directs the drone into a flight path within one of the sectors within the divided airspace. A step of transmitting a first transfer command to a first drone of the set of air transport drones, wherein the first transfer command commands the first drone to move from the sector of the first drone to the transfer space layer and to leave the divided airspace from the transfer space layer. The step of transmitting a second transfer command to a second drone other than the aforementioned set of air transport drones, wherein the second transfer command commands the second drone to move from outside the divided airspace to the transfer space layer, and from the transfer space layer to the sector from which the first drone exited. A method that includes this.

2. The steps include launching each drone in the aforementioned set of air transport drones, The steps include: sending an initialization command to the drone instructing the drone to navigate to the sector assigned to the drone; The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of instructing each of the drones to capture sensor data using onboard sensors while patrolling the sector of the drones.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the drones includes a visible light camera, and at least one of the drones includes an infrared camera.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the drones includes a lidar sensor.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shape and size of the sectors in the horizontal layer are uniform.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shape and size of the sectors in the horizontal layer are not uniform.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein up to two of the drones are assigned to any of the sectors.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein any two of the drones within one sector are assigned different altitudes.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the drone in the horizontal layer has the same type of sensor.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting an updated patrol order to at least one of the drones, the updated patrol order instructing the drone to move to a different sector and patrol that sector.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting an updated patrol order to at least one of the drones, wherein the updated patrol order results in a change in the shape of at least one of the sectors within the divided airspace.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first transition command commands the first drone to reach one altitude within the transition layer.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second transition command commands the second drone to reach one altitude within the transition layer.

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