Federated UAS Registry for Airspace-Wide Tracking and Privacy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) lack a comprehensive registry and monitoring system that ensures accountability and public visibility of operations while protecting owner privacy, leading to potential safety and regulatory challenges.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a UAS registry with unique identifiers and a federated architecture that allows for the creation of UAS accounts, authentication, and data sharing among service suppliers to maintain an airspace-wide database, enabling public access to UAS information while protecting owner privacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a comprehensive registry system is implemented to track all UAS operations, then accountability and public visibility are improved, but owner privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The registry system segments information into two distinct categories: public operational data (flight paths, timestamps, location) and private owner information (identity, contact details). This segmentation allows the system to maintain comprehensive tracking for accountability while protecting owner privacy by preventing direct exposure of personal information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism where UAS operations are linked to accountability through unique identifier codes rather than direct owner identification. This intermediary layer enables public visibility and enforcement capabilities while acting as a buffer that protects owner privacy, as authorities can trace operations back to owners through controlled access channels rather than public exposure.
2Reliability
If a centralized database is created to monitor all UAS operations, then safety and regulatory enforcement are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system architecture is segmented into multiple independent components: local service supplier systems that collect and validate operational data, a centralized registry that stores master records, and enforcement agencies that access relevant information. This segmentation distributes computational complexity across multiple systems while maintaining comprehensive safety monitoring through coordinated data exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The registry system is designed with multi-functionality to handle diverse operations: it serves as a registration database, an operational tracking system, an enforcement tool, and a public information source. By consolidating these functions into a unified system with standardized data structures and access protocols, the patent reduces overall complexity compared to maintaining separate systems for each function.
3Productivity
If unique identifiers are assigned to all UAS for tracking purposes, then monitoring capability is improved, but data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Unique identifiers are assigned to UAS during the registration process before operational deployment. This preliminary action ensures that tracking infrastructure is already in place and configured when UAS begin operations, eliminating the need for complex retroactive identification systems and simplifying ongoing monitoring data management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms complex owner and UAS information into simplified unique identifier parameters that can be easily transmitted, stored, and processed. This parameter transformation reduces data management complexity by converting detailed information into compact identifiers while maintaining the ability to retrieve full information through controlled access mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a system comprising (a) a UAS registry including a plurality of UAS accounts, (b) a plurality of UAS registration computing systems operable to create UAS accounts for the UAS registry, (c) a plurality of USS computing systems that each provide service to one of a plurality of service areas within an airspace, wherein each USS computing system is operable to: (i) receive, from UAS operators, operation data for UASs operating in the service area served by the USS computing system, (ii) receive, from the other USS computing systems for the airspace, operation data for UASs operating in the other service areas served the other USS computing systems, (iii) combine the operation data received from the UAS operators, with the operation data received from the other USS computing systems, to maintain an airspace-wide UAS database, and (iv) provide a publicly accessible application interface based on the UAS database.