US 11,693,432 B1
System and method for autonomously controlling a set of unmanned aerial vehicles
Alexis Henry Clark, Owens Crossroads, AL (US); and David Beck, Madison, AL (US)
Assigned to BlueHalo, LLC, Huntsville, AL (US)
Filed by BlueHalo, LLC, Huntsville, AL (US)
Filed on Aug. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/881,277.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/345,238, filed on May 24, 2022.
Int. Cl. B64C 39/02 (2023.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); H04W 4/42 (2018.01); G05D 1/10 (2006.01); B64U 50/19 (2023.01)
CPC G05D 1/104 (2013.01) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); G05D 1/1064 (2019.05); H04W 4/42 (2018.02); B64U 50/19 (2023.01); B64U 2201/102 (2023.01); B64U 2201/104 (2023.01); B64U 2201/20 (2023.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for autonomously controlling a set of unmanned aerial vehicles comprising:
a) obtaining, by a fleet configuration module implemented by an autonomous ground control system comprising one or more computer systems, one or more flight commands associated with three-dimensional movement of the set of unmanned aerial vehicles from one or more user devices associated with the autonomous ground control system;
b) generating, by the fleet configuration module, respective fleet configuration instructions and respective safety information for each unmanned aerial vehicle of the set of unmanned aerial vehicles, by the steps of:
i. generating, by the fleet configuration module, first respective fleet configuration instructions for each unmanned aerial vehicle of the set of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the one or more flight commands;
ii. generating, by the fleet configuration module, the respective safety information associated with each unmanned aerial vehicle in the set of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the respective fleet configuration instructions, wherein the respective safety information indicates availability of each respective unmanned aerial vehicle in the set of unmanned aerial vehicles for carrying out the one or more flight commands with respect to predetermined parameters;
iii. determining, by the fleet configuration module, whether each unmanned aerial vehicle in the set of unmanned aerial vehicles is equipped to carry out the one or more flight commands based at least on the respective safety information;
iv. in the case where the respective safety information indicates that any unmanned aerial vehicle in the set of unmanned aerial vehicles is not equipped to carry out the one or more flight commands, publishing, by the fleet configuration module, the respective safety information to the one or more user devices;
v. in the case where the respective safety information indicates that each unmanned aerial vehicle in the set of unmanned aerial vehicles is equipped to carry out the one or more flight commands, designating, by the fleet configuration module, the first respective fleet configuration instructions as the respective fleet configuration instructions based on the respective safety information;
vi. storing, in a memory, the respective fleet configuration instructions associated with each unmanned aerial vehicle of the set of unmanned aerial vehicles;
c) publishing, via a communications module implemented by the autonomous ground control system, the respective fleet configuration instructions to each unmanned aerial vehicle of the set of unmanned aerial vehicles;
d) receiving, by the communications module, respective three-dimensional position information associated with each unmanned aerial vehicle in the set of unmanned aerial vehicles; and
e) publishing, by the communications module, an updated configuration of the set of unmanned aerial vehicles to the one or more user devices based on the respective three-dimensional position information of each unmanned aerial vehicle of the set of unmanned aerial vehicles.