Aerial Drone Routing Using Line-of-Sight Privacy Constraints
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for commercial purposes raises privacy concerns due to their ability to capture data from areas traditionally considered private, such as homes and backyards, which can lead to public opposition and distrust.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that process model data to identify privacy-sensitive features of structures, calculate line-of-sight data between UAVs and these features, and configure the UAV's routing to minimize exposure and avoid direct lines of sight into private areas, using 3D model data and indoor mapping to determine and classify privacy-sensitive features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If aerial drones are equipped with sensors and operate in population dense areas for commercial purposes, then service providers can deliver packages and perform commercial tasks, but privacy concerns increase and public opposition grows
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-processes model data of structures to identify privacy-sensitive features (windows, doors, openings) before drone operation. This preliminary identification allows the routing system to pre-calculate paths that avoid direct line-of-sight to these features, enabling commercial deliveries while proactively preventing privacy violations before they occur
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary routing system that acts as a mediator between the drone's commercial operation and privacy protection requirements. This routing system calculates optimal paths based on line-of-sight data to privacy-sensitive features, serving as an intermediary layer that enables commercial productivity while filtering out privacy-violating flight paths
2Object-affected harmful factors
If drones fly at lower altitudes to navigate around structures, then they can avoid some privacy issues, but they may still capture data from private areas through windows and openings
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of flight routing by calculating optimal paths based on line-of-sight geometry rather than simply flying at fixed altitudes. By adjusting the routing parameters to avoid direct lines of sight to privacy-sensitive features, the system prevents unintentional data capture while maintaining necessary flight operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the solution from a two-dimensional altitude-based approach to a three-dimensional routing approach that considers horizontal position, vertical altitude, and angular orientation simultaneously. This dimensional expansion allows the drone to navigate around structures in complex 3D space while maintaining privacy protection
3Ease of operation
If drones operate without privacy-sensitive routing, then operational simplicity is maintained, but post-processing is needed to protect captured privacy data
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary processing of model data to identify privacy-sensitive features and pre-calculates routing paths that avoid these features before drone operation begins. This shifts the processing burden from post-flight data analysis to pre-flight route planning, maintaining operational simplicity while eliminating the need for time-consuming post-processing to protect privacy
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
There is provided a computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a routing request for an aerial drone to travel to a target location (603) located in or near a structure (103); accessing map data comprising line-of-sight data for one or more privacy-sensitive features of the structure, the one or more privacy-sensitive features including one or more windows (201, 505), one or more openings, or a combination thereof; calculating a privacy-sensitive route for the aerial drone to the target location (603) based on the map data; and providing the privacy-sensitive route in response to the routing request.