Grouped UAV Communication for Robust Base Station Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face difficulties in maintaining a robust connection with cellular base stations due to frequent changes in altitude, speed, and orientation, leading to unreliable communication.
Innovation Solution
Pairing UAVs in a primary/secondary relationship, where both UAVs are equipped with cellular transceivers and communicate signal parameters to determine which one should respond to base station communications, allowing the primary UAV to adjust flight parameters to improve connectivity and switch roles if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single UAV communicates with a base station, then the device complexity is low, but the connection reliability deteriorates due to frequent changes in altitude, speed, and orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple UAVs into a single communication group that shares one group ID. The group acts as a unified communication entity with the base station, where multiple UAVs pool their communication resources. This merging approach improves connection reliability by having multiple potential communicators while maintaining simple base station interaction through a single group identifier.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic role assignment within the UAV group, where UAVs can switch between primary and secondary roles based on current communication conditions. The primary UAV is selected based on real-time assessment of communication quality, ensuring the most suitable UAV handles communication at any given moment. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability through role flexibility while keeping individual UAV functionality relatively simple.
2Reliability
If multiple UAVs are paired in primary/secondary relationship, then the signal strength is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to role management and coordination requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where UAVs automatically assess their own communication quality and autonomously determine their role (primary or secondary) based on pre-established criteria. The system performs self-organization and self-management without requiring external coordination, reducing operational complexity while maintaining improved signal strength through cooperative communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where UAVs continuously monitor communication quality metrics and use this information to dynamically adjust their roles and behavior. The primary UAV selection is based on real-time feedback about signal strength and communication quality, allowing the system to automatically optimize performance without complex manual intervention.
3Reliability
If UAVs dynamically adjust flight parameters to improve connection, then the connection robustness is improved, but the productivity deteriorates due to flight path deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by allowing flight parameter adjustments only when communication quality falls below threshold levels. Instead of continuously modifying flight paths, the system makes targeted, minimal adjustments sufficient to restore acceptable connection quality. This approach maintains connection robustness while minimizing interference with the primary surveying mission and overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes communication-related parameters (such as transmission power, modulation scheme, or selected communicating UAV) rather than always modifying flight parameters. This allows the system to improve connection robustness through parameter optimization while maintaining the original flight path and surveying efficiency, thus avoiding productivity loss.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for grouping unmanned aerial vehicles are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving, by a first unmanned aerial vehicle that includes a first transceiver, a communication from a base station. The actions further include receiving, by the first unmanned aerial vehicle and from a second unmanned aerial vehicle that includes a second transceiver, data indicating that the second unmanned aerial vehicle received the communication from the base station. The actions further include determining first signal parameters of the communication. The actions further include receiving, from the second unmanned aerial vehicle, second signal parameters of the communication. The actions further include selecting the first unmanned aerial vehicle or the second unmanned aerial vehicle to transmit a reply communication to the base station.