Hierarchical UAS Cloud Architecture for Scalable Data Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack effective integration and real-time information sharing for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations, leading to inadequate situational awareness for air traffic controllers and other operators, which can result in undesirable consequences.
Innovation Solution
A network cloud-based hierarchical architecture is implemented, comprising higher and lower level servers that communicate flight and position information of UAS, enabling consolidated data dissemination and service provision across local, regional, and national levels, facilitating integrated situation awareness and efficient operation control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a centralized system is used to manage UAS operations, then information availability improves, but system complexity and processing burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into multiple hierarchical levels (local, regional, national servers) that each handle specific portions of UAS information. Local servers manage individual UAS operations, regional servers aggregate data from multiple local servers, and national servers provide overarching coordination. This segmentation distributes the information management burden across multiple components rather than concentrating it in a single centralized system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the system architecture, organizing servers across multiple levels (local→regional→national) rather than using a flat centralized structure. This dimensional organization allows information to flow upward through the hierarchy while management commands flow downward, enabling distributed information availability without requiring a single point of centralized control.
2Loss of information
If real-time data collection from all UAS is implemented, then situational awareness improves, but data processing burden and network load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and processes data locally at each server level before transmitting consolidated information upward. Local servers extract relevant operational data from individual UAS, regional servers extract aggregated patterns from multiple local servers, and only essential consolidated information is transmitted to national servers. This extraction approach maintains comprehensive situational awareness while significantly reducing the volume of data that must be processed at higher levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial data collection and processing at each hierarchical level, focusing on the most critical information needed for situational awareness at that level. Rather than collecting and processing all possible data uniformly across the entire system, each server performs partial processing appropriate to its level, reducing overall computational burden while maintaining adequate awareness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a hierarchical server architecture is implemented, then system scalability improves, but communication overhead and coordination complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hierarchical architecture segments the system into independent server levels (local, regional, national) that can be added, removed, or modified without affecting the entire system. Each level operates semi-independently, allowing the system to scale by adding more local or regional servers as needed. This segmentation enables flexible adaptation to growing UAS operations while maintaining manageable communication protocols at each level.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for creating a network cloud based hierarchical architecture for supporting unmanned aircraft are disclosed. A system may include a higher level server, one or more lower level server in direct communication with the higher level server, and one or more control station in direct communication with the lower level server. Each control station may be configured to: control flight operations of an unmanned aircraft; acquire flight information and position information of the unmanned aircraft; and provide updates to the lower level server regarding the flight information and position information of the unmanned aircraft. Each lower level server may be configured to: process the flight information and position information received from the control station; and provide updates to the higher level server regarding the flight information and position information received from the control station.