Data Ferry UAVs Combining Cellular Backhaul and WLAN for Fleet Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deploying large-scale infrastructure for bulk data transfers with UAV fleets incurs significant financial and operational costs due to the need for numerous broadband interfaces and network connections.
Innovation Solution
Equipping certain UAVs with specialized functionality to act as 'data ferries' that collect and distribute data via opportunistic wireless local area networks and cellular connections, reducing the reliance on extensive broadband infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If large-scale infrastructure with numerous broadband interfaces is deployed to support data transfers for a large fleet of UAVs, then data transfer capability is improved, but financial and operational costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway UAV as an intermediary device that mediates data transfers between the fleet UAVs and the network server. Instead of each UAV requiring a direct broadband connection, the gateway UAV collects data from multiple fleet UAVs via wireless links and performs bulk data transfers to the server, thereby reducing the total number of broadband interfaces needed while maintaining data transfer capability.
2Reliability
If each UAV in the fleet is equipped with direct broadband connectivity for data uploads and downloads, then data transfer reliability is improved, but infrastructure complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual data transfer connections into a single bulk transfer connection. Multiple fleet UAVs transfer data to the gateway UAV simultaneously or sequentially via wireless links, and the gateway UAV consolidates this data into a single bulk transfer to the network server. This combining approach reduces infrastructure complexity while maintaining reliability through the robustness of bulk transfer protocols.
3Quantity of substance
If a small number of gateway UAVs are used to perform bulk data transfers, then communication costs are reduced, but data transfer time may increase due to intermediate steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous data collection at the gateway UAV, where data from multiple fleet UAVs is accumulated over time and transferred in bulk to the network server. This continuous accumulation approach allows the system to maintain reduced infrastructure requirements while minimizing data transfer time by performing bulk transfers as soon as sufficient data is gathered, rather than waiting for complete datasets.
Data Source
AI summary
An example method carried out by an uncrewed vehicle (UV) is disclosed. The method may involve establishing a wireless cellular connection with a wireless cellular network via a wireless cellular communications interface of the UV. The wireless cellular network may be communicatively connected with one or more data servers via a data backhaul network. The example method may further involve exchanging operational data between the one or more data servers and a data storage device of the UV via the wireless cellular connection with the wireless cellular network, establishing a wireless local area network (WLAN) network connection with one or more uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) via a WLAN communications interface of the UV, and exchanging the operational data between the data storage device and at least one of the one or more UAVs over the WLAN network connection.