Vehicle-Mounted Drone Container for Network Disconnection Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to effectively identify and assist users who become disconnected from networks while in wilderness areas, as they lack the capability to autonomously deploy aerial drones to reconnect and provide assistance when network connectivity is lost.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-mounted system that includes a computer program to detect network connections and disconnections, activating an aerial drone to deploy and travel to a connected location to establish communication and request assistance when a user device is disconnected from a wide-area network for a predetermined time, using a combination of vehicle, container, and aerial drone computers to manage the drone's deployment and navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vehicle-mounted system deploys an aerial drone to travel to connected locations when network disconnection is detected, then user safety and assistance capability in remote areas is improved, but device complexity and system resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The aerial drone is nested within a protective container that is mounted on the vehicle. The container serves multiple functions: protecting the drone during vehicle transport, providing a controlled environment for drone operation, and integrating with the vehicle's existing structure. This nesting approach allows the complex drone system to be deployed without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into distinct functional modules: the vehicle-mounted container, the aerial drone, the network monitoring system, and the control computer. Each module operates independently but coordinates through standardized interfaces. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high reliability through modular redundancy while managing complexity through clear functional boundaries.
2Loss of time
If the system autonomously monitors network connections and deploys drones in real-time, then response time to assist disconnected users is improved, but energy consumption and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network monitoring system operates periodically rather than continuously, checking connection status at predetermined intervals. This periodic monitoring reduces energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring while maintaining adequate response time. The system adjusts monitoring frequency based on whether disconnection events are detected, intensifying checks only when necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessments before full drone deployment by first detecting network disconnection, then evaluating the user's location and situation through available data. This preliminary action allows the system to prepare for potential drone deployment without consuming full operational energy until absolutely necessary, reducing overall energy usage while maintaining rapid response capability.
3Reliability
If the aerial drone is kept in a protected container during transport, then drone safety and operational readiness is improved, but accessibility and deployment speed may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed with dynamic opening mechanisms that can quickly transition from a protected closed state during transport to an open deployed state when needed. The container automatically opens upon detection of a disconnection event, eliminating manual intervention and maximizing deployment speed while maintaining protection during vehicle transport.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprising a computer programmed to identify a connected location of a vehicle at which a user device is connected to a first network and a disconnected location of the vehicle at which the user device is disconnected from the first network. Upon further determining that the user device has not connected to a second network within a first predetermined time, the computer is further programmed to activate an aerial drone container to an open position.