UAV Search Area Partitioning for High-Altitude Fleet Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) frameworks are limited to altitudes below 400 feet, failing to provide a comprehensive solution for safe navigation and regulation of UAVs used in package delivery and air taxis that operate above this altitude.
Innovation Solution
A method for coordinating an aerial search among UAVs involves receiving search area data, accessing UAV parameters, determining the number of UAVs needed to complete a search within a time limit, and partitioning the search area into equal partitions, utilizing a blockchain system for secure and trustworthy communication and data management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple UAVs are deployed for aerial searches above 400 feet, then search coverage and safety are improved, but coordination complexity and air traffic management burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the search area into multiple partitions and assigns each partition to a specific UAV, enabling independent operation within each zone while maintaining overall coordination. This segmentation reduces the complexity of managing multiple UAVs by creating manageable, discrete operational units that can be controlled and monitored more easily.
2Productivity
If more UAVs are used to complete the search within the time limit, then search productivity is improved, but the number of partitions and coordination requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the number of partitions and UAV assignments based on real-time factors such as search area size, UAV capabilities, and time constraints. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize productivity by using more UAVs when necessary while avoiding unnecessary partitioning that would increase coordination complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the search area is divided into many partitions, then each UAV has a manageable search zone, but the overall coordination and data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a blockchain-based intermediary system that automatically manages coordination between multiple UAVs and partitions. This intermediary handles data recording, verification, and coordination logic, reducing the burden on individual UAV operators while maintaining efficient management of multiple partitions through automated smart contracts and decentralized consensus mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
In a particular embodiment, coordinating an aerial search among unmanned aerial vehicles is disclosed that includes receiving, by a server in a UAV transportation ecosystem, search area data, accessing, by the server, UAV parameters for a type of UAV, determining, by the server in dependence upon the search area data and the UAV parameters, a number of UAVs needed to complete a coordinated aerial search of a search area within a time limit, and partitioning, by the server, the search area into a plurality of partitions, wherein the number of partitions is equal to the number of UAVs.