UAV Fleet Map Interface for Concurrent Group Command Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
As fleets of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) grow larger, human operators face the challenge of managing multiple UAVs simultaneously using current technologies that only allow for the transmission of commands to a single UAV at a time, making it unmanageable and inflexible.
Innovation Solution
A computer-readable medium with logic that enables a fleet management computing system to receive telemetry information from multiple UAVs, generate a map interface with UAV icons, allow operators to select and de-select UAVs, and transmit commands to the final selected group of UAVs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If current technologies are used to transmit commands to multiple UAVs, then each UAV can be controlled individually, but the human operator cannot manage multiple UAVs simultaneously and the system becomes unmanageable as fleets grow larger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple UAV selections into a single group operation. The interface allows operators to select multiple UAV icons simultaneously and transmit a single command to all selected UAVs, consolidating what would otherwise require multiple individual command transmissions into one unified action.
Solution Approach 2:
The command transmission system is enhanced to support both individual and group operations. The same interface and command mechanism can handle single UAV control or multi-UAV fleet management, making the system versatile and adaptable to different operational scales without requiring separate control systems.
2Productivity
If commands are transmitted to a single UAV at a time, then precise control is maintained, but operational efficiency decreases and workload increases for human operators
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual command transmissions are merged into a single group command transmission. The system allows operators to select multiple UAVs and send one command that reaches all selected UAVs simultaneously, reducing the total number of transmission operations from N individual commands to 1 group command for N UAVs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary selection of multiple UAVs before command transmission. By allowing operators to pre-select multiple UAV icons and group them together, the system prepares the target set in advance, so that when the command is issued, it is immediately distributed to all selected UAVs without requiring sequential individual transmissions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system allows selection of multiple UAVs, then flexibility in group management is improved, but the interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interface segments UAV management into discrete selectable icons displayed on a map. Each UAV is represented as an individual icon that can be independently selected or grouped, allowing operators to break down the complex task of fleet management into simple, manageable selection units that can be combined flexibly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a selection dimension to the existing map interface. By overlaying selectable icons on the geographic map and introducing selection states (selected/not selected), the interface enables multi-UAV grouping without fundamentally changing the underlying map display, adding functionality through an additional interactive layer.
Data Source
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AI summary
In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method of managing a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is provided. A fleet management computing system receives telemetry information from a plurality of UAVs. The fleet management computing system generates a map interface having a plurality of UAV icons based on the telemetry information. The fleet management computing system receives a selection of an initial group of UAV icons via the map interface, wherein the initial group of UAV icons includes two or more UAV icons. The fleet management computing system receives a de-selection of one or more UAV icons from the initial group of UAV icons to create a final selected group of UAV icons. The fleet management computing system transmits a command to UAVs associated with the UAV icons of the final selected group of UAV icons.