Network Location Services for UAV Traffic Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) frameworks face challenges in accurately tracking and enforcing flight plans due to reliance on GPS location reporting, which can be inaccurate and resource-intensive, especially in scenarios with multiple simultaneous flights.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that utilizes 3GPP Location Services (LCS) to monitor and enforce UAV locations in real-time, allowing the UTM system to receive reliable location information from a standardized and regulated network operator rather than relying on UAV operators' reports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the UTM system requests and manages GPS location information from multiple UAVs, then the UTM system can track UAV positions, but the UTM system becomes overwhelmed with the burden of requesting, receiving, and managing location information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network location services system as an intermediary between the UTM system and UAVs. This mediator handles location tracking by receiving location data from UAVs via wireless networks and providing it to the UTM system, thereby reducing the direct burden on the UTM system while maintaining tracking capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the location management function from the UTM system and transfers it to a dedicated network location services system. This separation allows the UTM system to focus on traffic management while the location services system handles the complex task of collecting and managing location information from multiple UAVs
2Reliability
If the UTM system relies on GPS location information reported by UAV operators, then the system can obtain location data, but the location information is often inaccurate due to GPS precision variations, coordinate reporting errors, or deliberate misinformation
Solution Approach 1:
The network location services system acts as a trusted intermediary that collects, verifies, and standardizes location information from multiple sources including GPS data and wireless network positioning. This mediator provides the UTM system with validated location data, reducing reliance on potentially inaccurate direct reports from UAV operators
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct GPS coordinate reporting from UAVs with network-based location determination using wireless communication signals. The network location services system uses multiple positioning methods including cellular tower triangulation and other wireless signal-based techniques to provide more reliable location information that is less susceptible to GPS errors
Data Source
AI summary
A method for managing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is described. The method may include transmitting a request to monitor a location of the UAV to a location services system provided by a network operator that provides location information of the UAV based on wireless communications of the UAV in a network operated by the network operator, wherein the request to monitor the location of the UAV indicates an area of interest; receiving, from the location services system, a message that indicates a current location of the UAV as a result of the location services system detecting the UAV in the area of interest; and causing one or more remedial actions to be performed responsive to receipt of the message.