Waypoint Obstruction Management for UAV Air Traffic Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

The proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) poses challenges for air traffic control due to the sheer number of drones in flight, requiring advanced systems to manage flying lanes, avoid collisions, and navigate through dynamic and static obstructions, especially in urban areas where conventional air traffic control systems are inadequate.

Innovation Solution

A waypoint management system using wireless networks to communicate with UAVs, providing real-time updates on obstruction status and managing flight paths, landing, and take-off, while utilizing cellular networks for communication and navigation assistance, including dynamic and static obstruction detection and management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional air traffic control systems are used for UAVs, then existing infrastructure can be leveraged, but the systems are inadequate to handle the sheer quantity of UAVs and provide proper monitoring and collision avoidance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapacity to handle number of vehiclesVSAvoidcollision avoidance capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The air traffic control system is segmented into multiple ground stations distributed across different geographic regions, each managing local UAV traffic. This segmentation allows the system to scale horizontally to handle increasing numbers of UAVs while maintaining reliable collision avoidance through localized monitoring and control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If more ground stations are deployed to improve UAV monitoring coverage, then monitoring capability increases, but system complexity and infrastructure requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring coverageVSAvoidnumber of ground stations

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Ground stations are designed as multi-functional units that perform obstruction detection, UAV monitoring, communication relay, and coordination with adjacent stations. This universal design reduces the need for specialized equipment at each station and simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining comprehensive coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Adjacent ground stations share data and coordinate their monitoring zones, effectively merging their capabilities to provide continuous coverage. This combining approach allows the system to achieve reliable monitoring with fewer stations than would be required if each station operated independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If detailed obstruction data is collected for all waypoints to improve navigation safety, then collision avoidance improves, but data management complexity and communication overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation safetyVSAvoiddata management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system maintains detailed obstruction data only for waypoints in active or nearby flight paths, while using simplified representation for distant or inactive waypoints. This local quality approach ensures navigation safety for current operations without the burden of managing comprehensive data for all possible waypoints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Obstruction data for upcoming waypoints is collected and prepared in advance during flight planning, allowing the UAV to receive pre-processed navigation information. This preliminary action reduces real-time data management complexity while maintaining safety through advance obstacle awareness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Productivity

If autonomous flight control is implemented for UAVs to reduce human intervention, then operational efficiency increases, but communication requirements and system reliability challenges increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational efficiencyVSAvoidcommunication dependency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Ground stations serve as intermediaries between autonomous UAVs and air traffic control authorities, relaying commands and status information. This intermediary layer maintains communication efficiency while allowing autonomous operation, as the ground station can buffer and manage communication traffic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Autonomous UAVs continuously receive feedback from ground stations regarding obstruction status, weather conditions, and traffic patterns, allowing them to adjust their flight paths autonomously. This feedback mechanism maintains high operational efficiency while ensuring safety through real-time environmental awareness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10157548B2Waypoint directory in air traffic control systems for unmanned aerial vehicles

Publication Date: 2018.12.18 METAL RAPTOR INC

AI summary

A waypoint management method for an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) includes communicating with a plurality of UAVs via one or more wireless networks comprising at least one cellular network; receiving updates related to an obstruction status of each of a plurality of waypoints from the plurality of UAVs, wherein the plurality of waypoints are defined over a geographic region under control of the ATC system; and managing flight paths, landing, and take-off of the plurality of UAVs in the geographic region based on the obstruction status of each of the plurality of waypoints.