UAV Route Directing for Dynamic Restricted Area Avoidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) poses challenges in ensuring safe traffic management, particularly in preventing collisions and unauthorized entry into restricted areas, such as airports, and protecting personal privacy, as they may fly randomly or breach restricted zones.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that enables UAVs to receive wireless communication from a network entity about restricted areas, allowing them to withdraw and reroute to avoid such zones, using communication modules for real-time updates and virtual road management within a communications system, such as LTE or 5G, to ensure safe and controlled flight paths.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If UAVs use pre-downloaded maps and static routes, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to temporary flight restrictions and dynamic conditions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to temporary flight restrictionsVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a network entity as an intermediary between the UAV and the flight restriction data. The network entity receives, stores, and manages restricted area information, then provides it to UAVs upon request. This allows UAVs to access dynamic flight restriction data without carrying complex onboard storage and update mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If UAVs receive real-time route directing from network entity, then safety and adaptability improve, but loss of time in communication and route calculation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety in restricted area avoidanceVSAvoidtime for route calculation and communication
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The network entity performs preliminary actions by pre-processing restricted area data and preparing route information before the UAV actually needs it. When a UAV requests flight information, the network entity has already organized the restricted area boundaries and can quickly calculate appropriate routes, reducing the real-time processing delay and improving safety response time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3469435B1Methods of route directing unmanned aerial vehicles
Publication Date: 2022.04.27 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP3469435B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3469435B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP3469435B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

A method (50) of route directing performed in an unmanned aerial vehicle (8a) is provided. The unmanned aerial vehicle (8a) comprises a communication module (9a) for wireless communication with an access node (2a, 2b) of a communications system (1). The method (50) comprises receiving (51), from a network entity (11), warning signaling about a restricted area, and withdrawing (52) from the restricted area in response to receiving the warning signaling. A method (20) in a network entity (11) is also provided, as well as an unmanned aerial vehicle (8a), a network entity (11), computer programs and computer program products.