Ground-Based Transmitter for UAV Restricted-Operation Region Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The proliferation of consumer unmanned vehicles (UVs) poses challenges such as infringement of privacy rights, breach of civil aviation regulations, and data protection issues, with incidents like UAVs crashing into crowds or fireworks shows, highlighting the need for controlled operation within restricted areas.
Innovation Solution
A system that defines a restricted-operation region using GPS and Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) technology, allowing UVs to receive instructions that implement an operation policy, including notification, warning, and limited-operation sub-regions, to control their functions and prevent unauthorized operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If geo-fencing technology is applied to UAVs to keep them within prescribed areas, then safety and regulatory compliance are improved, but device complexity increases due to additional GPS and instruction interpretation systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces ground-based transmitters as intermediary devices that broadcast restricted area information and operational instructions to UAVs. This externalizes the geo-fencing functionality from the UAV itself, reducing onboard complexity while maintaining safety through the intermediary transmitter system that handles the computational burden of defining and enforcing restricted zones.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If operation policies are implemented to control UAV functions in restricted areas, then harmful factors are reduced, but device complexity increases due to instruction interpretation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-configures operational policies and instructions in the ground-based transmitters before UAVs enter restricted areas. The transmitters broadcast these pre-prepared instructions that tell UAVs what functions to perform or avoid, allowing the UAVs to comply with harmful factor reduction requirements without complex real-time decision-making capability onboard.
Solution Approach 2:
Ground-based transmitters serve as intermediaries that deliver pre-formulated operational policies to UAVs. This mediator approach allows complex policy enforcement logic to reside in the ground infrastructure rather than the UAV, reducing the UAV's computational burden while still achieving harmful factor control through the intermediary's pre-prepared instructions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sub-regions with different operation policies are defined, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple instruction sets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments restricted areas into multiple sub-regions (e.g., notification sub-region, warning sub-region, limited operation sub-region) with different operational policies. Each sub-region is managed by ground-based transmitters that broadcast specific instructions for that zone. This segmentation allows the system to handle diverse operational requirements through spatial division rather than requiring the UAV to manage all policies simultaneously, reducing onboard complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are directed to a system for implementing a restricted-operation region. The system includes an instruction development module configured to be utilized in the development of a set of instructions that implement an operation policy of the restricted-operation region. The set of instructions is configured to, when interpreted, implement the operation policy by controlling at least one function of a vehicle that attempts to operate within the restricted-operation region. The system further includes a first transmitter configured to transmit the set of instructions to the vehicle, wherein a processor of the vehicle is configured to interpret the set of instructions based at least in part on a determination that the vehicle is attempting to operate within the restricted-operation region.