UAV Flight Path Coordination Using Sidelink Risk Detection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing number of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a given area leads to conflicts in flight paths, potentially causing collisions and safety hazards, as well as unauthorized entry into no-fly zones, resulting in economic losses.

Innovation Solution

A method where a first UAV receives information about the flight path of other UAVs through a sidelink, determines potential collision risks, and updates its own flight path to avoid collisions, with centralized management by a UTM node or access network device to ensure safety and legality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If UAVs fly without centralized flight path management, then flight operations are simple and autonomous, but collision risks increase and flight safety deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflight safetyVSAvoidflight path management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a centralized flight management system (UTM/ANP) as an intermediary between UAVs and ground control. This mediator receives flight path information from multiple UAVs, processes collision risk assessments, and coordinates flight paths to prevent conflicts. The intermediary handles the complexity of multi-UAV coordination centrally, allowing individual UAVs to operate autonomously while maintaining overall safety through systematic management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If UAVs independently determine flight paths without receiving information from other UAVs, then communication overhead is reduced, but collision detection capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision risk informationVSAvoidinformation exchange complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the collision avoidance function into two parts: (1) Individual UAVs independently assess their own flight path risks based on received flight path information from other UAVs, and (2) A centralized system performs overall coordination. This segmentation allows each UAV to maintain autonomous decision-making while benefiting from shared information about other UAVs' intended paths, improving collision detection without requiring constant direct communication between all UAV pairs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If centralized flight path management is implemented for all UAVs, then collision prevention improves, but system complexity and management overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidcentralized management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by requiring UAVs to report their intended flight paths to the centralized management system before actual flight operations begin. The system performs collision risk assessments on these pre-planned paths and provides coordination instructions in advance. This preliminary planning and assessment approach allows the system to prevent collisions proactively rather than reacting to conflicts during flight, reducing the complexity of real-time intervention while maintaining high safety standards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4071577B1Unmanned aerial vehicle control method, apparatus, and system
Publication Date: 2024.09.11 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4071577B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4071577B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4071577B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

This application provides an uncrewed aerial vehicle control method, an apparatus, and a system. An uncrewed aerial vehicle or a network device identifies a risk of a flight path, to manage the flight path of the uncrewed aerial vehicle, thereby ensuring flight safety of the uncrewed aerial vehicle.