WO2018178750A1 - Procédés et systèmes pour permettre un système d'enregistreur de vol fiable dans des systèmes de gestion de trafic sans pilote - Google Patents

Procédés et systèmes pour permettre un système d'enregistreur de vol fiable dans des systèmes de gestion de trafic sans pilote Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2018178750A1
WO2018178750A1 PCT/IB2017/053444 IB2017053444W WO2018178750A1 WO 2018178750 A1 WO2018178750 A1 WO 2018178750A1 IB 2017053444 W IB2017053444 W IB 2017053444W WO 2018178750 A1 WO2018178750 A1 WO 2018178750A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
uas
network device
flight data
flight
data
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PCT/IB2017/053444
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English (en)
Inventor
Heikki Mahkonen
Ravi Manghirmalani
Attila TAKÁCS
Zia Syed
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Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)
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Publication of WO2018178750A1 publication Critical patent/WO2018178750A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
    • G07C5/00—Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
    • G07C5/008—Registering or indicating the working of vehicles communicating information to a remotely located station
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U50/00—Propulsion; Power supply
    • B64U50/10—Propulsion
    • B64U50/19—Propulsion using electrically powered motors
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
    • G07C5/00—Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
    • G07C5/08—Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
    • G07C5/0841—Registering performance data
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
    • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft, e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
    • G08G5/0043—Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
    • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft, e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
    • G08G5/0047—Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft
    • G08G5/0052—Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft for cruising
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
    • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft, e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
    • G08G5/0047—Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft
    • G08G5/006—Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
    • G08G5/00—Traffic control systems for aircraft, e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
    • G08G5/0047—Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft
    • G08G5/0069—Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U10/00—Type of UAV
    • B64U10/10—Rotorcrafts
    • B64U10/13—Flying platforms
    • B64U10/14—Flying platforms with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U10/00—Type of UAV
    • B64U10/80—UAVs characterised by their small size, e.g. micro air vehicles [MAV]
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U2101/00—UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64U2201/00—UAVs characterised by their flight controls

Definitions

  • Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of managing unmanned aircraft systems (UASs); and more specifically, to enabling a reliable flight recorder in unmanned traffic management (UTM) systems.
  • UASs unmanned aircraft systems
  • UDM unmanned traffic management
  • UTM Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management
  • UAS Unmanned Aircraft System
  • UTM framework is sought to act as an enabler to promote widespread use of UASs in both commercial and recreational settings while at the same time minimizing the perils to manned air traffic, to the public and to surrounding pieces of infrastructure.
  • a UAS Service Supplier (USS) operating within the UTM framework may receive a set of directives and constraints.
  • the directives and constraints may specify the current state of the managed airspace and may include restricted flight areas or other limitations to a UAS.
  • the USS Upon receiving a proposed UAS mission, the USS will assist in determining whether the mission is authorized to proceed and if so authorized may transmit flight path information along with other relevant information to the UAS operator. Based on this authorization to proceed, the UAS may take flight to carry out the planned mission.
  • the USS may stay involved in the flight through issuance of updated directives/constraints along with enforcement of the authorized flight plan.
  • UASs are manufactured without reliable systems for flight data recordation. Further, the current recreational and inspection oriented use- cases of a UAS, in which the UAS is typically operated locally (within sight of the operator) do not warrant such systems. While some UASs include a flash memory which may store a portion of the flight data (such as the speed of the UAS, the altitude, and position of the UAS, etc.), this memory is not used to record all the information related to a flight of a UAS (e.g., constraints and updates sent from the USS to the UAS operator and commands sent by the UAS operator may not be stored) and can hardly be considered as a flight data recorder that would provide an overall view of the operations of a UAS.
  • a flash memory which may store a portion of the flight data (such as the speed of the UAS, the altitude, and position of the UAS, etc.)
  • this memory is not used to record all the information related to a flight of a UAS (e.g., constraints and updates sent from the US
  • One general aspect includes a method in an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) traffic management (UTM) system, the method includes: receiving, from a network device, flight data including data about an event related to a flight of the UAS in an airspace, a timestamp associated with the event, and a cryptographic key associated with the UAS; determining, based at least in part on the cryptographic key associated with the UAS, whether the network device is authorized to record the flight data; in response to determining that the network device is authorized to record the flight data, performing the following: creating a record including the data about the event, the timestamp associated with the event, and the cryptographic key associated with the UAS, where the record is a block of a block-chain database of flight data, adding the record to the block-chain database of flight data.
  • the method also includes in response to determining that the network device is not authorized to record the flight data, discarding the flight data.
  • One general aspect includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a set of one or more processors of a first network device in an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) traffic management (UTM) system, cause the first network device to perform operations including: receiving, from a second network device, flight data including data about an event related to a flight of the UAS in an airspace, a timestamp associated with the event, and a cryptographic key associated with the UAS; determining, based at least in part on the cryptographic key associated with the UAS, whether the network device is authorized to record the flight data; in response to determining that the second network device is authorized to record the flight data, performing the following: creating a record including the data about the event, the timestamp associated with the event, and the cryptographic key associated with the UAS, where the record is a block of a block-chain database of flight data, and adding the record to the block-chain database of flight data.
  • the operations further include in response to determining that the second network device is
  • One general aspect includes a first network device in an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) traffic management (UTM) system, the first network device including: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor, where the memory includes one or more instructions that when executed by the processor cause network device to: receive, from a second network device, flight data including data about an event related to a flight of the UAS in an airspace, a timestamp associated with the event, and a cryptographic key associated with the UAS; to determine, based at least in part on the cryptographic key associated with the UAS, whether the network device is authorized to record the flight data; in response to determining that the network device is authorized to record the flight data, perform the following: create a record including the data about the event, the timestamp associated with the event, and the
  • the record is a block of a block-chain database of flight data, and add the record to the block-chain database of flight data; and in response to determining that the network device is not authorized to record the flight data, discard the flight data.
  • One general aspect includes a method in a first network device in an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) traffic management (UTM) system, the method including: receiving a request from a second network device to access flight data related to one or more flights of a UAS; determining whether to grant access to a flight data database including the flight data related to the one or more flights of the UAS, based on authorization and authentication information associated with the second network device; in response to determining that access is granted, transmitting a response to the second network device including access credentials, which cause the network device to access the flight data database for obtaining the flight data related to the one or more flights of the UAS for a predetermined period of time; and in response to determining that access is denied, transmitting a response to the second network device including a denial of access.
  • UAS unmanned aircraft system
  • UAM traffic management
  • One general aspect includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a set of one or more processors of a first network device, cause the first network device to enable auditing of flight data in an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) traffic management (UTM) system, by performing operations including:
  • One general aspect includes a first network device in an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) traffic management (UTM) system, the first network device including: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, where the memory includes one or more instructions that when executed by the processor cause the first network device to: receive a request from a second network device to access flight data related to one or more flights of a UAS; determine whether to grant access to a flight data database including the flight data related to the one or more flights of the UAS, based on authorization and authentication information associated with the second network device; in response to determining that access is granted, transmit a response to the second network device including access credentials, which cause the second network device to access the flight data database for obtaining the flight data related to the one or more flights of the UAS for a predetermined period of time; and in response to determining that access is denied, transmit a response to the second network device including a denial of access.
  • UAS unmanned aircraft system
  • UAM traffic management
  • Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of an air traffic system 100 including a reliable flight data recorder system, according to some embodiments.
  • Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary flight plan of an UAS, according to some embodiments.
  • Figure 3 A illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary flight data recorder system enabling registration of a UAS, according to some embodiments.
  • Figure 3B illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary flight data recorder system enabling UAS flight data recordation, according to some embodiments.
  • Figure 4A illustrates a flow diagram of exemplary operations for enabling reliable flight data recordation in an unmanned aircraft traffic management system, according to some embodiments.
  • Figure 4B illustrates a flow diagram of exemplary operations for auditing flight data in an unmanned aircraft traffic management system, according to some embodiments.
  • Figure 5A illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary implementation of a flight data recording unit, according to some embodiments.
  • Figure 5B illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary implementation of a flight data recording unit, according to some embodiments.
  • Figure 6 illustrates a block diagram of exemplary implementations of a network device, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • Figure 7 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary UAS, according to some embodiments.
  • Bracketed text and blocks with dashed borders are used herein to illustrate optional operations that add additional features to embodiments of the invention. However, such notation should not be taken to mean that these are the only options or optional operations, and/or that blocks with solid borders are not optional in certain embodiments of the invention.
  • references in the specification to "one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
  • Coupled is used to indicate that two or more elements, which may or may not be in direct physical or electrical contact with each other, co-operate or interact with each other.
  • Connected is used to indicate the establishment of communication between two or more elements that are coupled with each other.
  • Flight data is received from a network device.
  • the flight data includes an event related to a flight of the UAS in an airspace, a timestamp associated with the event, and a cryptographic key associated with the UAS.
  • a determination of whether the network device is authorized to record the flight data is performed. The determination is performed, based at least in part on the cryptographic key associated with the UAS.
  • the UAS cryptographic key may have been obtained by the network device as a result of a registration process of the UAS.
  • the flight data is discarded.
  • adding the block to the block-chain database includes participating in a peer-to-peer database update mechanism.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an air traffic system 100 including a reliable flight data recorder system, according to one embodiment.
  • the air traffic system 100 includes an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) system 101, an Air Traffic Management System (ATM) 124, and National Airspace System (NAS) Data sources 126.
  • UAS Unmanned Aircraft System
  • UTM Air Traffic Management System
  • NAS National Airspace System
  • the air traffic system 100 may be used for managing the flights of one or more UASs 102A-M that are controlled/operated/piloted by corresponding UAS operators 104A-N.
  • the components of the air traffic system 100 may communicate through a physical network 103, which can be a combination of one or more connected networks (wired and/or wireless) provided by one or more service providers, enterprises networks, etc.
  • the UASs 102A-N may couple to network devices (e.g., radio access network devices) of a cellular network before, during, and after a flight.
  • network devices e.g., radio access network devices
  • the communication between a component of the UTM 101 and the network 103 will be illustrated as a communication between two separate entities, however one would understand that this is a logical representation and that the components of the UTM 101 may be part of the network 103, and the communication between the network 103 and a component intends to represent a link between a network device part of the underlay physical network 103 and the network device including a logical component from the UTM system 101.
  • the UASs 102A-M may be small or miniature UASs, which are unmanned aircraft that are small enough to be considered portable by an average man and typically operate/cruise at altitudes lower than larger aircraft.
  • a small UAS may be any unmanned aircraft that is fifty-five pounds or lighter and/or is designed to operate below 400 feet.
  • the UASs 102A-M may be interchangeably referred to as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones throughout this description.
  • UAVs Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • the embodiments described herein may be applied to small UASs, the systems and methods are not restricted to aircraft of these sizes or that are designed to operate at particular altitudes. Instead, the methods and systems described herein may be similarly applied to aircraft of any size or design and with or without an onboard pilot.
  • the UASs 102A-M are aircraft without an onboard human controller. UASs 102A-M may be operated/piloted using various degrees of autonomy by the UAS operators 104A-N. Each one of the operators 104A-N may command/control one or more of the UASs 102A-M.
  • An UAS operator 104 may refer to an electronic device acting as a remote controller for communicating with and controlling one or more of the UASs 102A-M or alternatively as a combination of a human operator and such an electronic device.
  • UAS 102A may be operated by a UAS operator 104A located on the ground or otherwise removed and independent of the location of the UAS 102 A.
  • the UAS operator 104A may be located on the ground and may control a UAS 102A or a group of UASs from the UASs 102A-M by transmitting commands/flight plans via a remote controller (e.g., an electronic device operative to communicate with the UASs) through a wireless interface (e.g., a radio interface).
  • a remote controller e.g., an electronic device operative to communicate with the UASs
  • a wireless interface e.g., a radio interface
  • the UAS operator 104A may be located remotely from the UAS 102A (for example, the UAS may be out of the operator's sight).
  • the UAS 102A is coupled to the UAS operator 104A through a network (e.g., a wireless communication network (e.g., WiFi, cellular network (3G, 4G, 5G, etc.)), or a combination of a wired and a wireless communication networks).
  • a network e.g., a wireless communication network (e.g., WiFi, cellular network (3G, 4G, 5G, etc.)), or a combination of a wired and a wireless communication networks).
  • the UAS operator 104A transmits commands/flight plans via the network to cause the UAS 102A to adjust/move particular flight instruments for the purpose of following a flight plan or another set of objectives.
  • the UAS operator 104A may be continuously involved in the control of the UAS 102A by transmitting regular and detailed commands/instructions to cause the UAS 102A to move or adjust its flight.
  • the UAS operator 104A may transmit a flight plan to the UAS 102 A.
  • the flight plan may include high level instructions/details about a flight (e.g., start location, a destination location, and a set of characteristics for the flight (altitude, potential emergency stop locations, no-fly zones, etc.)).
  • the UAS 102A may automatically adjust/move particular flight instruments to fulfill objectives of the flight plan without a regular intervention of the UAS operator 104A.
  • a human operator may monitor the progress of the flight of the UAS 102A and intervene as needed or as directed to adjust the flight.
  • the UASs 102A-M can be operated for performing a variety of tasks that may benefit from the UTM management framework.
  • UASs may be used for performing delivery services, aerial photography and film making, remote sensing tasks for agriculture, city planning, civil engineering, support for public safety and rescue services, and much more. While some applications may involve aircraft that are manually flown by their operator, other applications are well suited for autonomous flight where humans could be monitoring multiple aircraft and intervening only if trouble arises.
  • a flight plan may include one or more points of a path (e.g., a starting point, an ending point, and/or a set of waypoints, where each are defined by longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates), a set of velocities, a set of altitudes, a set of headings/directions, a set of operations (e.g., capture video at prescribed times or locations, hover over an area for a specified interval, etc.), a time/duration, and a set of restricted zones/areas.
  • the flight plan 200 shown in Figure 2 may indicate that the UAS 102A is to take off from location Al, travel to location A2, and avoid a set of restricted zones 204A and 204B.
  • the UAS 102A is directed to reach the target location A2 without entering the set of restricted zones 204A and 204B.
  • the restricted zones may be relative to geographical location (defined by a set of coordinates), an altitude, and/or a velocity.
  • the UAS 102A may be permitted to enter restricted zone 204A but only at a prescribed altitude and/or only at a prescribed velocity.
  • flight plans may be encoded/presented using any format.
  • a flight plan may be represented and passed to the UAS 102A using an extensible markup language (XML) based format or another encoding or representation that is decodable and parseable by a machine.
  • XML extensible markup language
  • the UTM system 101 includes one or more UAS service suppliers (USSs) 120A-L, one or more optional supplemental data service providers 128A-H, a flight information management system (FIMS) 122, a flight data recorder system 108, and an optional flight data auditor 112.
  • the UTM system 101 may include a plurality of USSs 120A-L.
  • the set of USSs 120A-L may alternatively be referred to as a USS network.
  • Each one of the USS 120A-L offers support for safe airspace operations based on information received from a set of stakeholders and other information sources.
  • the USSs 120A- L may share information about their supported operations to promote safety and to ensure that each USS 120A-L has a consistent view of all UAS 102A-M operations and thus enable the UASs 102A-M to stay clear of each other.
  • the USSs 120A-L may receive information from a variety of stakeholders and information sources such that they may determine whether a proposed flight plan is authorized to proceed.
  • a governmental or regulatory agency e.g., the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) in the United States
  • FAA Federal Aviation Association
  • the FIMS 122 provides administration officials a way to issue constraints and directives to the UAS operators 104A-N and/or the UASs 102A-M via one or more USSs 120A-L.
  • constraints and directives may be based on information received from the ATM system 124 and/or other National Airspace System (NAS) data sources 126.
  • NAS National Airspace System
  • the ATM system 124 could be used to mark certain restricted areas (e.g., airports and military bases) for the UASs 102A-M or restrict flights over forest fire areas or other spaces, which are normally permitted for the UASs 102A-M.
  • the FIMS 122 may provide impact data, which may describe effects caused by the UASs 102A-M to a common airspace.
  • the USSs 120A-L may receive data from supplemental data service providers 128A-H.
  • supplemental data service providers 128A-H may provide various pieces of data that are used by the USSs 120A-L in planning and authorizing a flight plan, including terrain, weather, surveillance, and performance information.
  • the supplemental data service providers 128A-H may communicate amongst each other to insure consistency and accuracy of information.
  • the supplemental data service providers 128A-H may provide data that is presented/transmitted to UAS operators 104A-N via the USSs 120A-L for the planning of a flight plan/mission.
  • the USSs 120A-L may receive constraints from public safety sources 130. This information may limit UAS 102A-M missions over areas when such flights may negatively affect public safety. For example, UAS 102A-M missions may be limited over areas that are currently hosting events with large crowds of people.
  • the public safety sources 130 may provide data that is presented/transmitted to UAS operators 104A-N via the USS 120 for the planning of a flight plan/mission.
  • the USSs 120A-L may also make UAS 102A-M flight/operations information available to the public 132.
  • An USS 120A may receive flight information (e.g., a flight plan) from the UAS operator 104A and determine if the proposed flight plan is authorized in view of directives, constraints, and information received from various stakeholders/sources. After concluding that the proposed flight plan is authorized or not authorized to proceed, the USS 120A may transmit a response to the UAS operator 104A. In response to receiving an authorized flight plan, the UAS operator 104A may begin controlling the UAS 102A to effectuate the authorized flight plan (e.g., either by transmitting detailed and specific instructions/commands to the UAS for each movement that the UAS is to perform or by transmitting the flight plan to the UAS causing the UAS to autonomously execute the flight plan).
  • flight information e.g., a flight plan
  • the UAS operator 104A may transmit a response to the UAS operator 104A.
  • the UAS operator 104A may begin controlling the UAS 102A to effectuate the authorized flight plan (e.g., either by transmitting detailed
  • the UTM 101 further includes a flight data recorder system 108 that is operative to receive and record information related to a flight of a UAS 102A.
  • the flight data recorder system 108 may receive flight data from the UAS 102A (flight data 1), the UAS operator 104A (flight data 2) and/or the USSs 120A (flight data 3).
  • the flight data recorder system 108 may further receive flight data (4) from the supplemental data service providers 128A-H.
  • the information related to a flight can be transmitted to the flight data recorder system 108 in the form of messages.
  • the message may include an event related to the flight of the UAS, a timestamp related to the event, and a cryptographic key uniquely associated with the UAS 102A.
  • the flight data recorder system 108 securely records the received flight information and enables other elements of the UTM system to access/review this information provided they have the proper authorization credentials, as will be described in further details below.
  • the flight data recorder system 108 enables secure, distributed, non-repudiable and scalable flight data recordation.
  • the flight data recorder system 108 can be provided as a value added service part of the UTM system 101.
  • the UTM 101 may further include a flight data auditor 112.
  • the flight data auditor 112 is operative to obtain access rights to access and audit all or a portion of flight data associated with one or more UAS as obtained and recorded through the flight data recorder system 108.
  • the flight data auditor 112 may access the flight data recorder system 108 to obtain access rights and may further connect to the flight data recorder system to view/audit the recorded flight data. While the flight data auditor 112 is illustrated as a separate component of the UTM 101, in other embodiments, the flight data auditor 112 may be included in one or several of the other components of the UTM 101.
  • a flight data auditor may be part of the UAS operators 104A-N, the USSs 120A-L, the FIMS 122, or the supplemental data service providers 128A-H, etc.
  • each instance may have a different set of access rights enabling each one to access a different portion of the flight data recorded.
  • FIG. 3 A illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary flight data recorder system 108 enabling registration of a UAS 102A, according to some embodiments.
  • the flight data recorder system 108 includes an authentication and authorization unit (AAU) 304 and one or more multiple flight data recording units 302A-K.
  • AAU authentication and authorization unit
  • the AAU 304 is operative to provide an authentication and authorization mechanism to the flight data recorder system 108 for managing and recording flight data of UASs.
  • UAS operator 104A may engage in a registration process (31) with the AAU 304 to register the UAS 102A.
  • the UAS operator 104A may provide a list of one or more UAS 102A-M to be associated with an account of a user of the UTM system.
  • Several schemes may be used to register the UAS and obtain the cryptographic key without departing from the scope of the present invention.
  • the registration of an UAS can be performed based upon an identifier of the UAS (e.g., subscriber identification module (SIM), Media Access Control (MAC) address, Internet Protocol (IP) address, serial number, etc.), and/or registration credentials (username, password) associated with a user/owner of the UAS (i.e., the human operating the UAS operator 104A).
  • SIM subscriber identification module
  • MAC Media Access Control
  • IP Internet Protocol
  • serial number e.g., password
  • a cryptographic key is obtained from the AAU 304 at operation 32.
  • the cryptographic key (which may be referred to herein as the UAS cryptographic key) is uniquely associated with the UAS 102A and can be used to provide authentication and authorization to the UAS 102 A in the UTM system 101 without revealing the identifier of the UAS 102A. This will provide a level of anonymity to the UAS when operating in the UTM system 101.
  • the cryptographic key may be transmitted to other elements of the UTM 101 (e.g., to the UAS 102A at operation 33, to the USS 120A at operation 34, to the supplemental data service provider 128A at operation 35), to one or more network devices (e.g., ND 113A) of the network 103 by the UAS operator 104A and/or by the AAU 304.
  • the UAS cryptographic key is used to authenticate and authorize the UAS 102A and/or the other elements of the UTM 101 to upload and record flight data associated with the UAS 102A to the flight data recorder system 108.
  • the AAU 304 may be external to the flight data recorder system 108 and may be provided as a service to the flight data recorder system 108.
  • the AAU 304 is part of the flight data recorder system 108 and provides the authentication and authorization service to the other elements of the UTM 101.
  • the management of the identity and registration of the UAS 102A i.e., through the AAU 304
  • the two processes can be combined inside a trusted platform module (TPM).
  • TPM trusted platform module
  • a shared cryptographic key can be used to access the flight data recording units and the AAU304.
  • FIG. 3B illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary flight data recorder system 108 enabling flight data recordation, according to some embodiments.
  • the flight data recorder system 108 includes one or more flight data recording units 302A-K.
  • Each of the flight data recording units 302A-K is operative to receive flight data associated with a flight of the UAS 102 A from several components of the UTM 101.
  • the flight data recording units 302A-K may receive flight data from the UAS 102A, the UAS operator 104A, the USS 120A, one or more NDs of the network 103 and/or the supplemental data service provider 128 A.
  • the flight data received at the flight data recording units 302A-K includes an event, a timestamp associated with the event and a UAS cryptographic key.
  • any combination and/or additional information related to the flight of a UAS can be included in the flight data received without departing from the scope of the present invention.
  • the flight data recording unit 302A illustrates an exemplary detailed implementation of one of the flight data recording units 302A-K.
  • the flight data recording unit 302A includes flight data collector 312A, block generation unit 314A and block-chain database 316A.
  • the flight data collector 312A is operative to establish a communication with and receive flight data (e.g., messages 36-40) from at least one of the UAS 102A, the UAS operator 104A, the USS 120A, the network 103 and the supplemental data service provider 128A.
  • the flight data collector 312A is further operative to determine whether the component attempting to establish the communication is authorized to record flight data for a corresponding UAS.
  • only authenticated/authorized components are permitted to establish a communication with and to upload flight data to the flight data recording unit 302A.
  • anonymous components are not permitted to connect to the flight data recording unit 302A or to upload and store the flight data.
  • the flight data collector 312A determines that the network device transmitting the flight data is not authorized to record the data, the flight data received is discarded.
  • the flight data collector 312A Once the flight data collector 312A has determined that the network device (i.e., the UAS 102A, the UAS operator 104A, the USS 120A, a network device from the network 103, or the supplemental data service provider 128A) is authorized to record the flight data, the flight data collector 312A transmits them to the block generation unit 314A. Upon receipt of the flight data, the block generation unit 314A is operative to encode the data (i.e., the event, the timestamp associated with the event, and the UAS cryptographic key) in a block of a block- chain database 316A. The block is then stored as part of the block-chain database 316A.
  • the network device i.e., the UAS 102A, the UAS operator 104A, the USS 120A, a network device from the network 103, or the supplemental data service provider 128A
  • the flight data collector 312A transmits them to the block generation unit 314A.
  • Adding the block to the block-chain database 316A may include participating in a peer-to-peer database update mechanism.
  • a block is built with the following fields of information - a block number, a nonce, data, a hash and a previous block.
  • the block number is a monotonically increasing block number representing a unit of information to be stored in the data field.
  • the previous block field carries the hash value of the previous block in the chain.
  • the hash field carries a cryptographic secure hash, typically generated utilizing the SHA-256 algorithm, used to detect any tampering of the block.
  • the data field is used to store the immutable information (i.e., the flight data including the event, the timestamp and the cryptographic key) which needs to be recorded.
  • the nonce is an integer field to make sure the hash has a predefined prefix so that validation algorithms can quickly discern any tampering of the block before undertaking a computationally expensive secure hash algorithm to validate it completely.
  • the block-chain database 316A is illustrated as a single component within the flight data recording unit 302A, this is intended to be for illustrative purposes only.
  • the block-chain database 316A is a distributed database that is implemented on several connected devices that are part of a peer-to-peer network (not shown in Figure 3B).
  • the block-chain database 316A is managed autonomously using the peer-to-peer network and a distributed timestamping server.
  • the flight data recording unit 302A guarantees that the information cannot be repudiated or tampered with by a minority of rogue block-chain "mining" elements as any effort to do so will invalidate the block-chain and such an action can be easily detected.
  • the database of flight data is shared amongst different authorized participants, each having a role in the system.
  • the block-chain database 316A including the flight information can only be updated by consensus of the participants, and once the flight data is successfully entered to the block- chain database 316A, it cannot be altered.
  • Each recorded event is cryptographically verifiable with the proof of agreement from the participating nodes of the peer-to-peer network.
  • the flight data transmitted from the components to the flight data recorder system 108 may be of various types.
  • the flight data relates to one or more flight of a UAS and can be transmitted to the flight data recorder system 108 before, during or after a flight of the UAS.
  • Each component can transmit a variety of flight data that will be referred to herein as events.
  • each of the components can be configured to automatically transmit flight data information (for example, as soon as the information is gathered) to the flight data recorder system 108.
  • the flight data recorder system 108 may request at regular intervals, or upon a triggering event, the flight data from each of the components involved in a flight of the UAS 102A.
  • each one of the UAS 102A, the UAS operator 104A, the USS 120A, a network device from the network 103, and the supplemental data service provider 128 A may locally store events associated with a UAS and, in response to the request from the flight data recorder system 108, transmits a response to the flight data recorder system 108 (for example to a flight data recording unit 302A) including the most recent flight data stored in association with one or more UAS operators.
  • the UAS 102A may transmit, via message 36, command and control event (C2) data received from the UAS operator 104A and/other components of the UTM system 101 (e.g., NDs of the network 103), and/or telemetry and data captured/obtained by the UAS 102A during the flight (e.g., sensor measurements, video streams and images, audio recordings, etc.).
  • C2 command and control event
  • the C2 communication between the UAS 102A and the UAS operator is request-response or transactional in nature, and therefore the UAS 102A is configured to transmit data about events related to the transactions (requests/responses) that occur to the flight data recorder system 108 (for example, the UAS 102A may transmit a copy of all requests and responses
  • the telemetry information may include sensor measurements (e.g., temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, CO2 concentration, acceleration, pressure, movement, etc.), audio recordings, video streams, and/or images captured by the UAS.
  • the telemetry information can be transmitted on a request-response basis or periodically. In some embodiments the telemetry information can be sent as notifications from the UAS, each time an event is detected (e.g., a change in altitude, a change in any of the measurements captured by the UAS, a new image captured, etc.).
  • the UAS operator 104A may transmit, via message 37, data about command and control event (C2) information transmitted to the UAS 102A.
  • C2 communication between the UAS 102A and the UAS operator 104A is request-response or transactional in nature, and therefore, the UAS operator 104A is configured to transmit to the flight data recorder system 108, data about events related to the transactions (requests/responses) that occur (for example, the UAS operator 104A may transmit a copy of all requests and responses transmitted/received to/from the UAS 102A; alternatively, the UAS operator 104A may transmit only a subset of copies of these transactions).
  • the UAS operator 104A may also transmit to the flight data recorder system 108 the flight plan of the UAS 102A.
  • the UAS operator 104A receives guidelines, policies, and flight plan authorizations from the USS 120A, which may be transmitted to the flight data recorder system 108 to be recorded in the block-chain database 316A.
  • the USS 120A is also operative to transmit, via message 38, to the flight data recorder system 108, all or a subset of the communication exchanged with the UAS operator 104A, or any other components of the UTM that relate to a flight of the UAS 102A.
  • the USS 120A may transmit the flight plan request received from the UAS operator 104A as well as the flight plan authorization.
  • a response to a flight plan request may include additional information that can be recorded by the flight data recorder system 108 (for example, a reason for denying a request, a set of policies and constraints that are to be followed during the flight, etc.).
  • the network 103 is also operative to transmit, via message 40, to the flight data recorder system 108 all or a subset of the flight data gathered in relation to the UAS 102A.
  • the network 103 may include one or more network devices (e.g., base stations of a cellular network) that are to connect with the UAS 102A during its flight. These network devices can gather information associated with the UAS 102A (e.g., position of the UAS, data received from the UAS, etc.) that is transmitted to the flight data recorder system 108 to be stored as part of the block-chain database 316A.
  • the flight data auditor 112 e.g., compliance or regulatory agencies implementing a flight data auditor
  • the flight data auditor 112 is enabled to audit the database to obtain a detailed view of the actual itinerary of a UAS as well as the information related to the original flight plan of the UAS.
  • the block-chain database 316A including the flight data of the UASs can be used to verify the integrity of any contested or challenged information. For example, in case of an accident/incident involving an UAS, an auditor may access the database and use the recorded data to obtain an accurate view of the accident.
  • block-chain database 316A provides for peer-to-peer non-centralized or distributed recording of the flight data, which can efficiently be checked for immutability by other elements of the UTM system 101.
  • one of the supplemental data service provider 128A, the USS 120A, the FIMS 122, or the UAS operator 104A may include an instance of the flight data auditor 112 that enables access to the block-chain database 316A and verification of flight data related to one or more flights of the UASs 102A-M. This can enable these components to enforce policies, regulations, and obtain records regarding
  • the flight data auditor 112 is authenticated by the AAU 304 prior to accessing the database.
  • the flight data auditor 112 may obtain time-based certificates to allow viewing of certain sections of the database associated with one or more UASs.
  • a flight data auditor 112 may request from the AAU 304 to access the database 316A and may obtain as a result of the request access credentials that provide access to the database.
  • the auditor may use the UAS cryptographic key, a time period during which the auditor would need to learn the flight data associated with the UAS, and the access credentials to access the block-chain database 316A and obtain all the flight data recorded for the UAS by the various components of the UTM 101 within the needed time period.
  • This enables the auditor to construct an accurate assessment of the operations of the UAS 102A.
  • This scheme functions in this manner as the transaction content is encrypted with a sophisticated key derivation function to ensure only intended participants may see the contents logged only for a specific duration of time thereby protecting the confidentiality of the non-repudiated transaction.
  • FIG 4A illustrates a flow diagram of exemplary operations for enabling reliable flight data recordation in an unmanned aircraft traffic management system, according to some embodiments.
  • flight data is received from a network device.
  • the flight data includes data about an event related to a flight of the UAS in an airspace, a timestamp associated with the event, and a cryptographic key associated with the UAS.
  • the flight data may be received at one of the flight data recording unit 302A-K included in a network device, from a component from the UTM system 101, as described with reference to Figure 3B.
  • the network device may be a radio access network device (as described below with reference to Figures 5A-B).
  • a determination of whether the network device is authorized to record the flight data is performed. The determination is performed, based at least in part on the cryptographic key associated with the UAS.
  • the UAS cryptographic key may have been obtained by the network device as a result of a registration process of the UAS as described in further details with reference to Figure 3A.
  • the flow of operations moves to operation 406, at which the flight data is discarded.
  • the flow of operations moves to performing the operations 408-410.
  • a record including the data about the event, the timestamp associated with the event, and the cryptographic key associated with the UAS is created.
  • the record is a block of a block-chain database of flight data.
  • the record is added to the block-chain database of flight data enabling a reliable flight data recordation for the UAS.
  • the adding of the block to the block-chain database includes participating in a peer-to-peer database update mechanism, at optional operation 412.
  • FIG. 4B illustrates a flow diagram of exemplary operations for auditing flight data in an unmanned aircraft traffic management system, according to some embodiments.
  • an AAU 304 receives a request from a network device to access flight data related to one or more flights of a UAS.
  • the network device may be an UAS operator, a USS, a FIMS, or another entity of the UTM 101 that needs to access the flight data recorded through the flight data recorder system 108.
  • the request may be received from another entity independent of the UTM 101 system, and which needs to audit or verify flight data related to flights of UASs.
  • the auditor may be a network device operated by a court, or a law enforcement agency that needs access to the flight data for an investigation involving an UAS or a UAS operator operating one or more UASs.
  • the AAU may determine whether this particular network device has the proper access rights to view/audit the flight data.
  • the flight data auditor may provide one or more cryptographic keys of respective UASs for identifying the UASs for which flight data is needed.
  • the access rights of a flight data auditor may have been set in a registration process, at which the auditor is granted a set of authorizations for accessing the flight data of the identified UASs.
  • a flight data auditor included in a UAS operator may only obtain access to view/audit the flight data associated with a UAS that is operated and owned by the UAS operator.
  • a flight data auditor included in a USS may obtain access to view/audit flight data related to all flights of all UASs that occurred in the last few days.
  • a law enforcement agency may obtain unlimited access to the flight data recoded.
  • each flight data auditor may be provided access to only a subset of the UAS flights.
  • This scheme functions in this manner as the transaction content is encrypted with a sophisticated key derivation function to ensure only intended participants may see the contents logged only for a specific duration of time thereby protecting the confidentiality of the non-repudiated transaction.
  • a flight data auditor 112 may obtain time-based certificates to allow viewing of certain sections of the database associated with one or more UASs. For example, a flight data auditor 112 may request from the AAU 304 to access the database 316A and may obtain as a result of the request access credentials that provide access to the database.
  • the flight data auditor may use the UAS cryptographic key, a time period during which the auditor would need to learn the flight data associated with the UAS, and the access credentials to access the block-chain database 316A and obtain all the flight data recorded for the UAS by the various components of the UTM 101 within the needed time period. This enables the auditor to construct an accurate assessment of the operations of the UAS 102A.
  • the flow moves to operation 426, at which the AAU 304 transmits a response to the network device including a denial of access.
  • the embodiments described herein provide a flight data recorder system that enables reliable flight data recordation in unmanned aircraft system traffic management systems (UTMs).
  • the flight data recorder system facilitates investigation of aviation accidents and incidents.
  • the flight data recorder system provides a secure, non-repudiable distributed platform that gathers flight data from UASs, UAS operators, communication and navigation service providers, USSs, regulation and policing agencies, and a host of other value added service providers.
  • the flight data recorder system can be used for conflict resolution decisions and investigations of accidents/malfunctions of UASs.
  • Each element of the air traffic system 100 may be composed of or otherwise implemented by a set of electronic/networking devices.
  • each one of the FIMS 122, the supplemental data service providers 128A-H, the USSs 120A-L, the flight data recorder system 108, and the UAS operators 104A-N are composed or implemented by a set of one or more interconnected network devices.
  • these components can be distributed over a network 103, which is typically a combination of wired and wireless networks.
  • the functionality described with reference to each one of these components can be implemented on a single network device or alternatively distributed over several network devices.
  • a network device is an electronic device that is operative to be communicatively connected to other electronic devices on the network (e.g., other network devices (from a core network of a cellular network (e.g., network 502)), unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), radio base stations, etc.).
  • a network device may include radio access features that provide wireless radio network access to other electronic devices (for example a "radio access network device” may refer to such a network device) such as UASs.
  • a radio access network device may be a base station, such as eNodeB in Long Term Evolution (LTE), NodeB in Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) or other types of base stations, as well as a Radio Network Controller (RNC), a Base Station Controller (BSC), or other types of control nodes.
  • LTE Long Term Evolution
  • WCDMA Wideband Code Division Multiple Access
  • RNC Radio Network Controller
  • BSC Base Station Controller
  • each flight data recording unit (FDRU) 302A-K may be implemented according to various embodiments.
  • each FDRU 302A, 302B, and 302C is implemented as part of a respective radio access network device 506 A, 506B, and 506C.
  • the radio access network devices enable the UAS 102A to connect with other components of the UTM 101 through the core network 502.
  • the UAS 102A moves through the cells 51, 52, and 53 (where each cell is covered by a respective radio access network device)
  • the UAS 102A couples with the respective radio access network device and transmits flight data to the respective FDRU (302A-C).
  • each of the FDRU is operative to receive the flight data, to generate a block including the flight data with the associated UAS
  • a block-chain database is represented as being part of the radio access network (by being included in a FDRU).
  • the database may be updated through a distributed update mechanism that involves
  • each radio access network device 506 A-C includes a respective flight data collector 312A-C that is operative to communicate with the UAS 102A when the UAS 102A enters a cell (e.g., cells 54a, 55a, or 56a) served by the respective radio access network device.
  • the flight data collector (312A-C) is operative to transmit the flight data to block generation unit 314 that is to create a block for the flight data and store the block in the block-chain database 316.
  • the block generation unit 314 may be implemented over one or multiple network devices.
  • the block-chain database 316 may be implemented over one or multiple network devices.
  • the communication between a flight data collector 312A-C and the block generation unit 314 and block chain database 316 is performed over a respective secure communication channel (54b, 55b, or 56b).
  • the secure communication channels enable transmission of data through an encryption mechanism.
  • Figure 6 illustrates two specific examples of how ND 600 may be implemented in certain embodiments of the described solution including: 1) a special-purpose network device 602 that uses custom processing circuits such as application-specific integrated-circuits (ASICs) and a proprietary operating system (OS); and 2) a general purpose network device 604 that uses common off-the-shelf (COTS) processors and a standard OS which has been configured to provide one or more of the features or functions disclosed herein.
  • ASICs application-specific integrated-circuits
  • OS operating system
  • COTS common off-the-shelf
  • Special-purpose network device 602 includes hardware 610 comprising processing circuit(s) 612, and interface 616, as well as memory 618 having stored therein software 620.
  • the software 620 implements the modules described with regard to the previous figures. During operation, the software 620 may be executed by the hardware 610 to instantiate a set of one or more software instance(s) 622.
  • software 620 includes flight data recording unit (FDRU) code 621 which when executed by the processing circuit 612 cause the network device 602 to instantiate the FDRU instances 631A-R to perform the operations of the flight data recording units 302A-K of receiving flight data associated with one or more UASs from multiple components of the UTM system 101 and reliably recording the flight data (e.g., in the block chain database 316A-K).
  • FDRU flight data recording unit
  • software 620 may include in addition or alternatively to FDRU code 621, flight data transmitter (FDT) code 623 which when executed by the processing circuit 612 cause the network device 602 to instantiate one or more FDT instances 633A-R to perform the operations of the components of the UTM system 101 that are operative to transmit flight data associated with one or more UASs to a flight data recording unit 302A-K.
  • FDT flight data transmitter
  • Each of the software instance(s) 622, and that part of the hardware 610 that executes that software instance form a separate virtual network element 630A-R.
  • each of the virtual network elements 630A-R may be part of an access node of an access network of a cellular network operative to act as a FDRU and/or a FDT.
  • the example general purpose network device 604 includes hardware 640 comprising a set of one or more processing circuit(s) 642 (which are often COTS processors) and interface 646, as well as memory 648 having stored therein software 650.
  • the processing circuit(s) 642 execute the software 650 to instantiate one or more sets of one or more applications 664A-R. While certain embodiments do not implement virtualization, alternative embodiments may use different forms of virtualization.
  • virtualization layer 654 represents the kernel of an operating system (or a shim executing on a base operating system) that allows for the creation of multiple instances 662A-R called software containers that may each be used to execute one (or more) of the sets of applications 664A-R.
  • software containers 662A-R also called virtualization engines, virtual private servers, or jails
  • user spaces typically a virtual memory space
  • the set of applications running in a given user space may be prevented from accessing the memory of the other processes.
  • virtualization layer 654 may represent a hypervisor (sometimes referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM)) or a hypervisor executing on top of a host operating system; and each of the sets of applications 664A-R may run on top of a guest operating system within an instance 662A-R called a virtual machine (which in some cases may be considered a tightly isolated form of software container that is run by the hypervisor).
  • VMM virtual machine monitor
  • one, some or all of the applications are implemented as unikernel(s), which can be generated by compiling directly with an application only a limited set of libraries (e.g., from a library operating system ( LibOS ) including drivers/libraries of OS services) that provide the particular OS services needed by the application.
  • libraries e.g., from a library operating system ( LibOS ) including drivers/libraries of OS services
  • uni kernel can be implemented to run directly on hardware 640, directly on a hypervisor (in which case the unikernel is sometimes described as running within a LibOS virtual machine), or in a software container
  • embodiments can be implemented fully with unikernels running directly on a hypervisor represented by virtualization layer 654, unikernels running within software containers represented by instances 662A-R, or as a combination of unikernels and the above- described techniques (e.g., unikernels and virtual machines both run directly on a hypervisor, unikernels and sets of applications that are run in different software containers).
  • software 650 includes FDRU code 651 which when executed by the processing circuit 642 cause the network device 604 to instantiate the FDRU instances 661A-R to perform the operations of the flight data recording units 302A-K of receiving flight data associated with one or more UASs from multiple components of the UTM system 101 and reliably recording the flight data (e.g., in the block chain database 316A-K).
  • software 650 may include in addition or alternatively to FDRU code 651, flight data transmitter (FDT) code 653 which when executed by the processing circuit 642 cause the network device 604 to instantiate one or more FDT instances 663A-R to perform the operations of the components of the UTM system 101 that are operative to transmit flight data associated with one or more UASs to a flight data recording unit 302A-K.
  • FDT flight data transmitter
  • the instantiation of the one or more sets of one or more applications 664A-R, as well as virtualization if implemented are collectively referred to as software instance(s) 652.
  • the virtual network element(s) 660A-R perform similar functionality to the virtual network element(s) 630A-R.
  • the third exemplary ND implementation in Figure 6 is a hybrid network device 606, which includes both custom ASICs/proprietary OS and COTS
  • a platform virtual machine such as a VM that implements the functionality of the special-purpose network device 602, could provide for para- virtualization to the hardware present in the hybrid network device 606.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary UAS, according to one embodiment.
  • Each element of the UAS 700 will be described by way of example below and it is understood that each UAS 102A-M described with reference to the preceding figures may include more or less components than those shown and described herein with reference to UAS 700.
  • a UAS 700 may include a set of motors 702A-N controlled by one or more motor controllers 704, which control the speed of rotation of the motors (i.e., rounds per minute).
  • the term engine may be used synonymously with the term motor and shall designate a machine that converts one form of energy into mechanical energy.
  • the motors 702A-N may be electrical motors that convert electricity stored in the battery 706 into mechanical energy.
  • the UAS 700 may include any number of motors 702A-N that are placed in any configuration relative to the body and/or an expected heading of the UAS 700.
  • the motors 702A-N may be configured such that the UAS 700 is a multirotor helicopter (e.g., a quadcopter). In other embodiments, the motors 702A-N may be configured such that the UAS 10700 is a fixed wing aircraft (e.g., a single engine or dual engine airplane). In these embodiments, the motors 702, in conjunction with other elements of the UAS 700 serve to keep the UAS 700 in flight and/or propel the UAS 700 in a desired direction. In some embodiments, the UAS 700 may not include motors 702 A-N for propelling the UAS 700 forward. In this embodiment, the UAS 700 may be a glider or lighter than aircraft (e.g., a weather balloon).
  • the motors 702A-N are controlled by one or more motor controllers 704, which govern the speed of rotation of each motor 702.
  • the motor controllers 704 may work in conjunction with actuator controllers 708 and actuators 710 that control the pitch/angle/rotation of propellers, flaps, slats, slots, rotors, rotor blades/wings, and other flight control systems 714.
  • the motor controllers 704 and actuator controllers 708 may be managed/controlled by an electronic device 712, which includes one or more processors 712A that are communicatively coupled to a memory 712B and one or more interfaces 712C.
  • the memory 712B may store instructions that when executed by the processor 712A cause the UAS 700, via adjustments to settings/parameters of the motor controllers 704 and actuator controllers 708, to move in a particular direction (vertical or horizontal) or maintain a particular flight pattern (e.g., hover at a particular altitude).
  • the UAS 700 may receive a flight plan from an UAS operator and store the flight plan in the memory 712B which when executed by the processing circuit 712A cause the UAS 700, to move in a particular direction (vertical or horizontal) or maintain a particular flight pattern (e.g., hover at a particular altitude) (e.g., via adjustments to settings/parameters of the motor controllers 704 and actuator controllers 708), to capture measurements/images (e.g., via the operations of the camera 716A, the sensing devices 716B, and/or the audio recording unit 716C) to satisfy the objectives of the flight plan.
  • a flight plan from an UAS operator and store the flight plan in the memory 712B which when executed by the processing circuit 712A cause the UAS 700, to move in a particular direction (vertical or horizontal) or maintain a particular flight pattern (e.g., hover at a particular altitude) (e.g., via adjustments to settings/parameters of the motor controllers 704 and actuator controllers 708),
  • the memory 712B may include flight data transmitter code 716, which when executed by the processing circuit 712A cause the UAS 700 to transmit flight data to a flight data recording unit 302A-K.
  • the flight data may include data indicative of the status of the various elements of the UAS 700 (e.g., the motors 702A-N, the motor controllers 704, the battery 706, the actuator controller 708, the electronic device 712, the actuator 710, the flight control systems 714, the camera 716A, the sensing devices 716B, and the audio recording unit 716C), as well as measurements/data recorded by the camera 716A, the sensing devices 716B, and the audio recording unit 716C.
  • the various elements of the UAS 700 e.g., the motors 702A-N, the motor controllers 704, the battery 706, the actuator controller 708, the electronic device 712, the actuator 710, the flight control systems 714, the camera 716A, the sensing devices 716B, and the audio recording unit 716C
  • the electronic device 712 may communicate with one or more other devices using the one or more interfaces 712C.
  • an interface 712C in a UAS 700 may be used to communicate with one or more radio access network devices of a cellular network.
  • the interface 712C may adhere to one or more of GSM (including General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE)), UMTS (including High Speed Packet Access (HSPA)), and Long Term Evolution (LTE).
  • GSM General Packet Radio Service
  • EDGE Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution
  • UMTS including High Speed Packet Access (HSPA)
  • LTE Long Term Evolution
  • one or more interfaces 712C in the UAS 700 may allow a UAS operator (e.g., UAS operators 104A-N) and/or other parts of the UTM system 101 to control or provide plans/instructions to the UAS 700.
  • a UAS operator e.g., UAS operators 104A-N
  • other parts of the UTM system 101 may be controlled or provide plans/instructions to the UAS 700.
  • the exemplary implementations of ND 600 and the UAS 700 are electronic devices that comprise processing circuits (e.g., processing circuits 612, 642, and 712A), a memory (e.g., memory 618, 648, and memory 712B), an interface (e.g., interface 616, 646, and 712C).
  • processing circuits e.g., processing circuits 612, 642, and 712A
  • memory e.g., memory 618, 648, and memory 712B
  • an interface e.g., interface 616, 646, and 712C
  • an electronic may further include an antenna. These components may work together to provide various network device functionality.
  • the processing circuit(s) (612, 642, or 712A) may be a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, any other type of electronic circuitry, or any combination of one or more of the preceding.
  • the processing circuit(s) may comprise one or more processor cores.
  • some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by the electronic devices e.g., ND 600 and UAS 700
  • the memory (618, 648, or 712B) may store code (which is composed of software instructions and which is sometimes referred to as computer program code or a computer program) and/or data using non-transitory machine -readable (e.g., computer-readable) media, such as machine -readable storage media (e.g., magnetic disks, optical disks, solid state drives, read only memory (ROM), flash memory devices, phase change memory) and machine -readable transmission media (e.g., electrical, optical, radio, acoustical or other form of propagated signals - such as carrier waves, infrared signals).
  • machine -readable storage media e.g., magnetic disks, optical disks, solid state drives, read only memory (ROM), flash memory devices, phase change memory
  • machine -readable transmission media e.g., electrical, optical, radio, acoustical or other form of propagated signals - such as carrier waves, infrared signals.
  • memory (618, 648 or 712B) may comprise non-volatile memory containing code to be executed by the processing circuit(s) (612, 642, or 712A).
  • the code and/or data stored therein can persist even when the network device is turned off (when power is removed).
  • an electronic device e.g., ND 600 or UAS 700
  • volatile memory e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM)
  • the interface may be used in the wired and/or wireless communication of signaling and/or data to or from the electronic devices/network devices.
  • the interface e.g., interfaces 616, 646, or 712C
  • the interface may perform any formatting, coding, or translating to allow the electronic/network device to send and receive data whether over a wired and/or a wireless connection.
  • the interface may comprise radio circuitry capable of receiving data from other devices in the network over a wireless connection and/or sending data out to other devices via a wireless connection.
  • This radio circuitry may include transmitter(s), receiver(s), and/or transceiver(s) suitable for radiofrequency communication.
  • the radio circuitry may convert digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate parameters (e.g., frequency, timing, channel, bandwidth, etc.).
  • the radio signal may then be transmitted via antennas to the appropriate recipient(s).
  • the interface may comprise network interface controller(s) (NICs), also known as a network interface card, network adapter, local area network (LAN) adapter or physical network interface.
  • NICs network interface controller(s)
  • the NIC(s) may facilitate in connecting the network device to other devices allowing them to communicate via wire through plugging in a cable to a physical port connected to a NIC.
  • processing circuits (612, 642, or 712A) may represent part of the interface (616, 646, or 712C), and some or all of the functionality described as being provided by the interface may be provided more specifically by the processing unit(s).
  • the components of the electronic devices are each depicted as separate boxes located within a single larger box for reasons of simplicity in describing certain aspects and features of the electronic device disclosed herein.
  • one or more of the components illustrated in the example electronic devices may comprise multiple different physical elements (e.g., the interface may comprise terminals for coupling wires for a wired connection and a radio transceiver for a wireless connection).

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Traffic Control Systems (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé et un appareil dans un système de gestion de trafic d'aéronef sans pilote. Des données de vol sont reçues de la part d'un dispositif de réseau. Les données de vol contiennent des données concernant un événement relatif à un vol de l'UAS dans un espace aérien, une estampille temporelle associée à l'événement et une clé cryptographique associée à l'UAS. Une détermination de l'autorisation du dispositif de réseau à enregistrer les données de vol est effectuée. La détermination est effectuée en se basant au moins en partie sur la clé cryptographique associée à l'UAS. En réponse à la détermination du fait que le dispositif de réseau est autorisé à enregistrer les données de vol, un enregistrement contenant les données concernant l'événement, l'estampille temporelle associée à l'événement et la clé cryptographique associée à l'UAS est créée ; et l'enregistrement est ajouté à une base de données de chaîne de blocs de données de vol.
PCT/IB2017/053444 2017-03-31 2017-06-10 Procédés et systèmes pour permettre un système d'enregistreur de vol fiable dans des systèmes de gestion de trafic sans pilote WO2018178750A1 (fr)

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CN112214484A (zh) * 2019-10-23 2021-01-12 北京京东振世信息技术有限公司 一种无人机数据监测系统、方法、服务器和存储介质
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CN108537916A (zh) * 2018-04-17 2018-09-14 深圳市元征科技股份有限公司 一种基于区块链的行车记录信息处理方法及装置
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EP3901935A4 (fr) * 2018-12-18 2021-12-22 Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. Procédé et appareil de rapport de vol
CN109660538A (zh) * 2018-12-20 2019-04-19 众安信息技术服务有限公司 基于区块链的车辆通信方法及装置
EP3772051B1 (fr) * 2019-07-31 2023-11-08 The Boeing Company Système et procédé permettant de vérifier des informations de position d'aéronef
WO2019228561A3 (fr) * 2019-09-02 2020-06-25 Alibaba Group Holding Limited Gestion de systèmes de registre centralisés basés sur des chaînes de blocs
US10728046B1 (en) 2019-09-02 2020-07-28 Alibaba Group Holding Limited Managing blockchain-based centralized ledger systems
US10904017B2 (en) 2019-09-02 2021-01-26 Advanced New Technologies Co., Ltd. Managing blockchain-based centralized ledger systems
US11271760B2 (en) 2019-09-02 2022-03-08 Advanced New Technologies Co., Ltd. Managing blockchain-based centralized ledger systems
CN112214484A (zh) * 2019-10-23 2021-01-12 北京京东振世信息技术有限公司 一种无人机数据监测系统、方法、服务器和存储介质
CN112214484B (zh) * 2019-10-23 2024-04-12 北京京东振世信息技术有限公司 一种无人机数据监测系统、方法、服务器和存储介质
US11455297B2 (en) 2020-04-22 2022-09-27 Alipay (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd. Managing transaction requests in ledger systems
US11455631B2 (en) 2020-04-22 2022-09-27 Alipay (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd. Managing transaction requests in ledger systems
US11250428B2 (en) 2020-04-22 2022-02-15 Alipay (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd. Managing transaction requests in ledger systems
US11963203B2 (en) 2021-01-06 2024-04-16 Aura Network Systems, Inc. Systems and methods for managing radio frequency spectrum in ground to aerial vehicle communications
US11923943B2 (en) 2021-03-22 2024-03-05 Aura Network Systems, Inc. Systems and methods for flight plan initiated beam/null forming antenna control
WO2022256809A1 (fr) * 2021-06-01 2022-12-08 Aura Network Systems, Inc. Systèmes et procédés de sécurité de liaisons de données aéronautiques basée sur un registre distribué spécifique aux plans de vol

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