IoT Drone Fleet Scheduling for Shared Access and Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for systems and methods that facilitate the provisioning, management, control, and use of drones by users who do not own them, especially for short-term or limited purposes, and address the issue of drones being idle resources due to underutilization, while ensuring compliance with regulatory constraints.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising user, owner, and fleet management elements, utilizing communications networks like the Internet, satellite, and IoT, to manage drone usage, including user and owner applications that facilitate mission planning, drone availability, and compliance with operational and regulatory parameters, enabling efficient sharing and utilization of drones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If drones are purchased for individual ownership, then users have dedicated access to drones, but this increases cost and leads to idle resources during non-use periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple drone ownership and usage rights into a shared fleet system where multiple users can access the same drone resources through a centralized management platform, eliminating the need for individual ownership while ensuring availability through coordinated scheduling
Solution Approach 2:
The drone fleet system provides universal access to drone resources for multiple different users and use cases. The same physical drones can serve different users for different missions, making the system multi-functional and maximizing resource utilization across diverse applications
2Productivity
If a centralized fleet management system is implemented, then drone sharing and utilization are optimized, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized fleet management system as an intermediary layer between drone owners and users. This mediator handles scheduling, coordination, and resource allocation, simplifying the interaction for individual users while optimizing overall fleet utilization through automated management functions
3Ease of operation
If drone usage is restricted to owners only, then control and compliance are simplified, but this reduces access for users who need drones for short-term purposes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic access control where drone usage rights are not fixed to owners but can be allocated to different users based on scheduled missions and approvals. The system adapts permissions and control levels according to the specific user, mission requirements, and regulatory constraints, providing both flexibility and simplified compliance through automated workflows
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus, systems, processes, and computer-readable mediums for facilitating the use of drones are described. For one embodiment, such a system includes a user element having a user application computer program configured to instruct a user interface device to facilitate use of user data and use of mission parameter(s) for a proposed drone mission. An owner element includes an owner application computer program configured to facilitate use of owner data and use of at least one drone parameter. A fleet system element is communicatively coupled to the user element and to the owner element and includes a computer system processor configured to facilitate use of a fleet record and use of at least one fleet parameter.