UAV Network Access via WLAN-Cellular Relay Gateway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile cellular networks provide inadequate high-altitude coverage for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), necessitating additional cellular communication modules, which increases costs and does not fully meet network access requirements.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that enable UAVs to access a mobile communication network using a UAV control terminal with both WLAN and cellular communication modules, allowing information transmission between the UAV and the control terminal without requiring a cellular module on the UAV, thereby addressing insufficient air coverage through WLAN communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cellular communication module is added to the UAV to enable network access, then the UAV can access the mobile communication network, but the cost of the UAV increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a ground-based gateway device as an intermediary between the UAV and the mobile communication network. The gateway device establishes a cellular network connection on the ground and relays communications to the UAV via wireless link, eliminating the need for a cellular module on the UAV itself while maintaining network access capability
Solution Approach 2:
The solution shifts the cellular network connection from the aerial dimension (UAV) to the ground dimension (gateway device). By separating the cellular communication function from the UAV and placing it on the ground, the system achieves network access without adding complexity to the UAV
2Reliability
If the mobile cellular network is used to provide coverage, then the ground coverage is guaranteed, but the high-altitude coverage is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is segmented into two distinct functional components: a ground-based gateway device that handles cellular network connection and a UAV that operates in the air. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific environment, with the gateway ensuring reliable ground coverage while the UAV extends coverage to high-altitude areas
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device serves as an intermediary that bridges the ground-based cellular network and the aerial UAV environment. It receives cellular signals on the ground and retransmits them to the UAV, effectively extending the coverage area from ground level to high-altitude operations
3Ease of operation
If a cellular communication module is installed on the UAV, then the UAV can access the network directly, but additional cost and device complexity are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device acts as an intermediary that provides network access services to the UAV without requiring the UAV to have its own cellular module. The gateway handles all cellular protocol complexity and network registration, while the UAV simply communicates with the gateway using standard wireless protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device serves multiple functions: it acts as a cellular network interface, a wireless access point for the UAV, and a protocol translator between cellular and wireless communication standards. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate cellular hardware on the UAV
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides a method and device for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to access a network, said method comprising: acquiring, by means of a first communication module, information to be transmitted between a UAV and a target base station; Forwarding, to a second communication module, the information to be transmitted; and by means of the second communication module, sending, to an information receiving end, the information to be transmitted, the information receiving end comprising: the UAV, or a target base station of a mobile communication network; the first communication module and the second communication module being different types of communication modules, the communication modules comprising: a cellular communication module and a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication module. The method for controlling the UAV to access the network provided by the present disclosure can be used to enable the UAV to access the mobile communication network smoothly, without increasing the manufacturing costs of the UAV.