WO2015021159A1

WO2015021159A1 - System and method for implementing an airborne telecommunication network using an unmanned aerial vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2015021159A1
Application number: PCT/US2014/049947
Authority: WO
Inventors: Winston TROPE
Original assignee: Trope Winston
Priority date: 2013-08-09
Filing date: 2014-08-06
Publication date: 2015-02-12

Abstract

An aerial vehicle, in communication with a ground station, for collecting and transmitting signal data from wireless telecommunication devices in an area and transmitting the data to a telecommunications network, having a sensor array configured to collect data from one or more of the devices, a communications array configured to transmit data to the network, and a command and control system configured to communicate with the ground station and configured to change the area in response to control signals from the ground station. A self-preservation system is configured to protect the aerial vehicle from catastrophic damage in the event of electrical or mechanical failure. A storage system, comprising an enclosure, is configured to protect the aerial vehicle. The enclosure can be or more of waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and electromagnetic-pulse-proof to protect the aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle is preferably unmanned, and can be fixed or have a rotary wing.

Description

Title: System and Method For Implementing an Airborne Telecommunication

Network Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Inventor: Winston Trope

Related applications

This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/864,041, filed

August 9, 2013, the disclosure and teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background of Invention

The present invention relates to an airborne telecommunication networks for response and recovery efforts in a variety of circumstances, including natural disasters, "severe events," and coordinated cyber- attacks.

A natural disaster, sometimes referred to as a "low frequency, high impact event," is characterized by the extensive damage and disruption it causes. The damage may include destruction of buildings and the downing of trees and power lines. The resulting disruption may include power outages and other critical infrastructure whose operation depends on a continuous and reliable supply of electricity. Most forms of electronic communications will be disrupted if the outages last long enough, even those that can utilize batteries or back-up generators (which depend, in turn, on supplies of fossil fuels, which may quickly run short or become unavailable during prolonged power outages).

A severe impact event or Severe Event may cause damage and disruption beyond that imagined in scenarios that organizations use to create their disaster recovery plans. Critical infrastructure services, such as the bulk power system, may take months or years to return to their pre-event levels of operations after such a Severe Event. As the North American Electric Reliability Corporation ("NERC") describes it, a Severe Event "is an emergency situation so catastrophic that complete restoration of electric service is not possible." The BPS [bulk power system] is operated at a reduced state of reliability and supply for months or possibly years through the New Normal period.

A Severe Event can present enormous challenges as entities within the electricity industry strive to restore and maintain reliable operations under rapidly changing circumstances never before experienced. (North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Severe Impact Resilience Task Force, Severe Impact Resilience: Considerations and Recommendations, May 9, 2012, p. 2, accessed at http://www.nerc.com/docs/oc/sirtf/SIRTF_Final_May_9_2012- Board_Accepted.pdf. ) A coordinated cyber-attack that targets the bulk power system could result in a disruption that disables or impairs "the integrity of multiple control systems" or could enable intruders to take operating control of portions of the BPS such that generation or transmission system is damaged or mis-operated.

In natural disasters, "severe events," coordinated cyber-attacks, and other events that damage and disrupt critical infrastructure industries, there tends to be a cascading effect from one sector to another because the incident response and recovery plans of most industrial firms assume the resilience and continued operation of unaffected critical infrastructure, e.g., telecoms' plans may assume the resilience and continued operation of the electrical grid and Bulk Power System when, in fact, outages may occur in the same event and cause the interruption of telecom links, both landline and mobile. In the Bulk Power System, a Severe Event "may disrupt the flow of data, tools, or facilities needed to operate the BPS. Alternate mechanisms and processes would be needed to maintain a wide area view of situational awareness when it is more important than ever." When situational awareness is compromised or substantially degraded for an extended period of time, telecommunications capabilities often tend to be in a significantly degraded state. Maintaining telecom capabilities or bringing them back even to a degraded level or to a predictable schedule of limited periods of operation can be vital to containing damage from an event by directing first responders to where they are most urgently needed in order to save lives. Restoring degraded or scheduled periods of telecom capabilities can also enable government agencies to communicate and coordinate with critical infrastructure that would otherwise be isolated in the damaged areas and that could transmit crucial intelligence about the situation on the ground to first responders and government agencies.

The traditional way of solving such problems has tended to be two methods, one based on having advanced notice of a disaster and one based on having no notice of a disaster. When there is notice of a pending disaster that is received hours or days before its predicted occurrence, critical infrastructure can pre-position incident response and recovery equipment in or near the predicted area(s) of impact. When there is no notice or only a few minutes notice of a disaster, critical infrastructure attempt to maintain situational awareness, and then, as soon as reports of damage location and extent are received, to assess priorities and, on that basis, to direct personnel and equipment to begin efforts to mitigate damage, conduct repairs, and restore operations. In all such efforts, the effectiveness of the efforts depends to a significant extent on maintaining telecommunications capabilities for situational awareness, for receiving and responding to calls for help, and for directing personnel and equipment to where they are most urgently needed. Unfortunately, when a Severe Event disrupts telecommunications capabilities there is very often no established back-up system. Makeshift solutions tend to be the only recourse; such solutions include ham-radio communications (for as long as such radios have power from batteries or generators). The disadvantage of such improvised solutions is that they may not be well located, whether there was advanced notice or no notice of the disaster. One of the important objectives of the current invention is to create a reliable way to quickly and predictably restore telecommunications in areas otherwise isolated by a disaster or areas to which refugees from a disaster have relocated but lack telecommunications or where limited telecommunications capabilities have been overwhelmed by the volume of attempted calls.

Moreover, as the forms of network- or grid-reliant transmission, such as cell phones or computers, have been integrated into daily lives, individuals often have stopped using and, in many cases, discarded the few modes of communication that do not rely on essential

infrastructure or transmission networks. The result of this shift is that people are often left stranded, both in terms of location and ability to communicate, after natural disasters or blackouts because, while they may still have battery-life left in their electronic devices (or solar means of re-charging such relatively low power devices), there are no networks to support those devices. Recently Google Inc. began tests of high- altitude balloons carrying relaying equipment that would provide test volunteers Internet service as a proof-of-concept. (Kelion, Leo. "Google tests balloons to beam internet from near space." BBC News. BBC, 15 June 2013. Web. 19 June 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22905199). The intent of the program is to deploy balloons at very high altitudes as a means of providing long-term Internet access to customers in remote areas. Google Inc. also indicated an interest in deploying the balloons as a means of filling the communications gap that is created in the wake of a Severe Event. While this system would fulfill the same purpose as invention described in this document, there is a flaw in its implementation; balloons cannot be controlled. Once the balloon is launched, the operators have no control over where is it carried by wind and other atmospheric effects, which are often amplified or strengthened during and shortly after a Severe Event, the period during which it is most important to implement the system.

The current invention involves the use of unmanned aerial vehicles ("UAVs," also referred to herein as "drones") to establish temporary communication networks after natural disasters, Severe Impact events, coordinated cyber-attacks, and other disasters so that those in network dead-zones can still use their smart-devices or computer-based devices to reach first responders, relief workers, and government agencies with requests for immediate aid. Such communications would be needed, of course, not only to issue calls for help, but also to receive guidance (e.g., from physicians directing triage and first aid efforts, from critical infrastructure companies that may need to give warnings of additional impacts to persons in an affected area, etc.).

In addition, a major problem facing aid workers in refugee camps is the census process within camps; head counts are difficult to perform due to the size and intricacy of the camps and are often highly inaccurate due to many refugees' unwillingness to be truthful when asked about the number of members in their households. While this may seem trivial to the average observer, inaccurate census data results in large amounts of misappropriated supplies and greater financial burdens on aid organizations. The current invention would also serve as a means of solving or diminishing such problems with the use of additional attachments or apparatuses for the system.

Summary of the Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide an affected area with telecommunications coverage after a severe event. A further object of the present invention is to provide a ground support system for the aerial vehicles that enable such coverage. These and other objectives, which will become clear, are preferably accomplished by use of the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention. After launch, the vehicle flies over the affected area and may hover or maintain an orbit. During its flight, an onboard telecommunication system establishes a telecommunication network with the use of one or more transceivers, effectively operating as an aerial cell site. A user establishes a connection with the vehicle and transmits data using whatever method of communication is available to the user. The telecommunication system receives the data sent by the user and a processor analyses and logs the data in the onboard storage system, a hard disk for example. The processor then may pass the data to back to the transceiver for transmittal to a base station, relay station, satellite, or another aerial vehicle for further transmission or it may edit the data to make it easier to store or transmit, compressing the data for example. Meanwhile, the unmanned aerial vehicle's own guidance and processing system, which is kept separate from the telecommunication system, senses and maintains or changes the vehicle's position and flight as necessary using apparatuses such as a global position unit, accelerometer, and altimeter. The vehicle also utilizes its own separate communication system to connect and work with base stations and other unmanned aerial vehicles in its area to maintain the best possible coverage in the area, with as few gaps and as strong a ground signal as possible. A user can direct the vehicle with global positioning coordinates or general commands such as flight area and duration by connecting with the vehicle using its separate communication system. The commands are received by the communication system, interpreted by the guidance system's processor, and then carried out by the guidance system.

A reactive software program may be contained within and run by the aerial vehicle's command and control system' s computer. The reactive software program may allow the aerial vehicle to compile and analyze topographical and situational data for the area of operation, such as terrain features, weather conditions, the state of local telecommunications networks, and the number of local users. The reactive software program may then utilize the analysis to create a flight plan to provide the best possible telecommunications coverage to the assigned or affected area. The reactive software program may also enable several of the aerial vehicles to work in concert in a given area to provide the best coverage possible.

The program collects locational data on preferably all local unmanned aerial vehicles and compares it with topographical and situational data for the area of operation, such as terrain features, weather conditions, the state of local telecommunications networks, and the number of local users. Then, using analytical logic, the program preferably determines the arrangement of the available aerial vehicles that may provide the best possible telecommunications service in the affected area under the observed circumstances. The software may collect data and recalculate the arrangement at regular intervals, which may be set by an authorized user, to allow the system to react to changes in the situational circumstances, such as the loss of one or more aerial vehicles or further damage to existing ground-based telecommunications networks that may be sudden and unforeseen.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a representation of the short- and long-term effects of a severe event on the electrical systems of an affected area;

FIG. 2 is large-scale view of the telecommunications network established by the unmanned aerial vehicles of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the distinct electrical components contained within and utilized by the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a large-scale view of a possible arrangement of the aerial vehicles of the present invention, and the telecommunications coverage provided by the collection of aerial vehicles in an affected area, as determined by the reactive software program of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the storage system for the aerial vehicle of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Drawings and Preferred Embodiment

Description will now be given of the invention with reference to the attached Figures 1-5. It should be understood that these Figures are exemplary in nature and in no way serve to limit the scope of the invention.

The present invention discloses systems and methods for implementing an airborne telecommunications network for replacing ground-based towers that have been affected by a severe event. Figure 1 is a prior art chart illustrating the levels of operation of network infrastructure services after damage or disruption by a sever event. After an emergency situation, power systems often operate at a reduced state of reliability and supply for months or even years. Thus, there is a need for a system that can replace and supply network coverage in the case of an emergency situation.

As seen in Figure 2, a quadrocopter 10 is the preferred embodiment of an unmanned aerial vehicle ("UAV"). Quadrocopter 10 (also referred to herein as "drone 10") may be useful for short duration missions where agility is required. Quadrocopter 10 can preferably either have a fixed wing design or a rotary wing design, and preferably contains photovoltaic cells that may facilitate longer flight times and greater stability in varied weather conditions. The flight and structural elements of the individual quadrocopters 10 may be chosen and implemented based on calculations that can determine the design and maximize efficiency of the same.

As depicted in Figure 3, the system may include one or more drones 10 having preferably multiple batteries in the power source 20 to facilitate longer flight time as well as longer operational time. One battery, a propulsion battery, may be devoted to the propulsion of the drone 10 - i.e., powering motors and computational systems, such as accelerometers and a central processing unit (CPU) that may allow the drone 10 to make corrections to its control surfaces to maintain stable flight - while the other, a communications battery, may be used to provide power to the communications array or other attached systems on the drone 10. This use of multiple batteries may facilitate longer flight times by preventing one power source from being rapidly drained by two separate functions.

As also illustrated in Figure 3, a CPU 30 may be included as a processing unit that controls many of the drone's functions, which may include environmental sensing (with environmental sensors 38) and aerial maneuvers and flight plan determination (with

accelerometer & GPS unit 34). Linked to the CPU 30 may be a data storage device 32 such as an external hard drive, which may log locational and environmental data for later retrieval and use by first responders in the event of the drone's being crippled or destroyed during its deployment. An accelerometer and Global Positioning System (GPS) unit 34 may be coupled to or included in the drone 10 to allow it to maintain stability and position in varied weather conditions where the drone may be pushed off-station by strong winds or sudden turbulence. In addition to those systems, a set of electronic speed controllers (ESCs) 40 may be connected to the CPU 30 to allow individual control of the motor(s) 42 of the drone for increased stability. A transmitter 36 may also be coupled to or included in the CPU 30 and may be dedicated solely to communication with other UAVs in the area, which may enable the use of swarm logic. Swarm logic is programming that enables the drones 10 to communicate with one another, allowing them to react to their operating environment as a unit that may increase the efficiency of the network of deployed UAVs and enable a dynamic shift in coverage in the event that one or more of the drones are rendered inoperative for any reason.

For the protection of the drone in flight, the drone 10 may also contain a self-preservation system 50 such as a parachute, flotation device, and/or strobe that may be activated if the drone's motors fail and it is no longer able to maintain lift. This self-preservation system 50 may be governed by the CPU 30, which may have minimum or maximum limitations set by the user that would enable the CPU 30 to automatically determine when to activate the system. A parachute as the self-preservation system 50 may prevent the destruction of the drone as a result of free-fall from a great height. A strobe as the self-preservation system 50, which may be infrared or a visible spectrum, may enable the rapid recovery of the system in all weather conditions. The self- preservation system 50 may have its own power source 52 to enable it to deploy in the event of the main power source's failure.

As also illustrated in Figure 3, possibly linked to a secondary CPU 60 and running off a separate power source 62 may be some form of communications array 64, such as a signal booster or satellite array, which may allow for transmission and reception of data by the drone. Linked to the secondary CPU 60 may be a data storage device 66 such as an external hard drive, which may store a log of the transmissions sent and received by the drone, or a camera or environmental sensor 68 to detect the environment in which the drone 10 is deployed.

There may also be space on the drone 10 for cargo, such as medical supplies, or sensory attachments, such as infrared (IR) cameras or Geiger counters, that may allow the drone to be used as a remote observation or transport system. The sensory attachments may be connect with special mounts that may allow them to more independently of the drone at the command of a user, and both the mounts and the attachments may be controlled by a remote user or the secondary CPU.

As depicted in Figures 2 and 4, the method of deployment of the system may be as follows. One or more of the drones 10 may be placed strategically within a designated area 80 and maintained - i.e., charged and stored securely - until needed. When a natural disaster, such as a flood, tornado, or earthquake, or a blackout occurs, the drones 10 may be deployed, preferably as soon as possible, to reestablish a communications network so that victims of the Severe Event may call in to first responders or relay last known positions to databases before the batteries of their smart or portable electronic devices run out of power.

Depending on the communications array 64 present on the drone at the time of use, the ways in which the drone 10 transmits and receives data to and from victims may vary. As shown in Figure 2, if a communications satellite 82 may be in use, the UAV 10 may transmit or relay data from the victims to the satellite 82 it is in contact with, which may in turn send the data to units or organizations 84 responsible for responding to calls for help or for documenting the Severe Event and the response to that and any subsequent Severe Events. If a cell-tower-based system or dish-based system may be in use, the drone 10 may transmit or relay data from the victims of the event to the nearest operational towers or dishes 86, which may send the data to the aforementioned units or organizations. The data from victims may be sent from computers, smart devices, such as phones or tablets, radios, or other communications devices, which the drone may be able to directly relay or translate into a transmittable format. As shown in Figure 4, during and prior to deployment, the drones 10 may be stationed in such a way that the coverage area 90 provided by their communications arrays 64 overlaps with other deployed drones for operational security. One or more drones 10 may be damaged by the initial Severe Event or by following Severe Events or may suffer unforeseeable mechanical or digital failures prior to or during operation, resulting in victims in certain areas going without communications coverage, which may result in severe injury or death to both them and any responders who may attempt to reach or rescue them. The loss of drones may also result in a severe reduction of situational awareness if the drones may be used in an observatory capacity, further demonstrating the need for redundant coverage.

As illustrated in Figure 5 the drone may be kept in an enclosure 100 that may protect it from Severe Events. The drone enclosure 100 may be waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and/or electromagnetic -pulse-proof to provide a wide range of protection. The drone 10 may also be kept charged by a surge-proof power source, which may be connected to the electrical grid and/or one or more backup generators, to prevent its destruction in the event of a sudden electrical surge, which may be created or caused by solar flares, a blackout, or other Severe Events. The enclosure 100 may also include backup batteries 102 to reduce or eliminate time lost due to charging between sorties, and have additional spaces 108 for additional equipment or attachments to drone 10. Alternatively, or in addition to other power sources, a power source such as a set of photovoltaic cells that may be used to recharge the drone and its extra batteries between sorties or missions in the event that the electrical grid has collapsed and backup generators have failed, been damaged or destroyed, run out of fuel, or are not readily available may also be included in or on the storage system. There may be several tiers or levels of compartments 104 and 106 within the enclosure 100 to allow for the storage of as much of the above-named components, or other items, as possible. The storage system may also be portable, possibly in the form of a carried or rolled case, bag, or drag-able or tow-able trailer so that the system may be moved in the event that a Severe Event may compromise the safety of the system's original storage location.

Another use of the drone system of the present invention can be for when power has been restored after a cyber- attack; while service is returned to the majority of the population in the affected area, there may be certain "islands" that are without power and the drones may support those areas until power is fully restored.

It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular feature or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

What I Claim:

1. An aerial vehicle, in communication with a ground station, for collecting and transmitting signal data from wireless telecommunication devices in an area and transmitting the data to a telecommunications network, comprising:

a sensor array configured to collect data from one or more of the devices;

a communications array configured to transmit said data to the network; and a command and control system configured to communicate with the ground station and configured to change the area in response to control signals from the ground station.

2. The aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a self-preservation system, configured to protect said aerial vehicle from catastrophic damage in the event of an electrical or mechanical failure.

3. The aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said self-preservation system comprises one or more of an optical beacon, a signal beacon, basic auxiliary sensors, a parachute system, and a flotation system.

4. The aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a storage system, the storage system comprising an enclosure configured to house and protect said aerial vehicle, and a homing sensor configured to locate said aerial vehicle, wherein said enclosure is one or more of waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and electromagnetic -pulse-proof.

5. The aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said aerial vehicle is unmanned.

6. The aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein said aerial vehicle is a quadcopter.

7. The aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reactive software system is further configured to respond to user- identified changes.

8. The aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said aerial vehicle comprises one or more of a fixed wing and a rotary wing.

9. The aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sensor array comprises one or more of receivers, transmitters, signal boosters, processors, digital storage systems, and one or more power systems.

10. The aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said command and control system comprises one or more of telemetry units, environmental sensors, processors, digital storage systems, and one or more power systems.

11. The aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said command and control system further comprises a communication system configured to allow said aerial vehicle to

communicate with another said aerial vehicle, said communication system comprising one or more of transmitters and receivers.

12. A method for collecting and transmitting signal data from wireless telecommunication devices in an area and transmitting the data to a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

providing an aerial vehicle;

deploying said aerial vehicle after a severe event, said aerial vehicle comprising: a sensor array configured to collect data from one or more of the devices; a communications array configured to transmit said data to the network; a command and control system configured to communicate with the ground station and configured to change the area in response to control signals from the ground station.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising protecting, by a self-preservation system, said aerial vehicle from catastrophic damage in the event of an electrical or mechanical failure.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said aerial vehicle comprises a self- preservation system, said self-preservation system comprising one or more of an optical beacon, a signal beacon, basic auxiliary sensors, a parachute system, and a flotation system.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a storage system, the storage system comprising an enclosure configured to house and protect said aerial vehicle, and a homing sensor configured to locate said aerial vehicle, wherein said enclosure is one or more of waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and electromagnetic -pulse-proof.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said aerial vehicle is unmanned.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said aerial vehicle is a quadrocopter.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising responding, by said reactive software system, to user- identified changes.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said aerial vehicle comprises one or more of a fixed wing or a rotary wing.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said sensor array comprises one or more of receivers, transmitters, signal boosters, processors, digital storage systems, and one or more power systems.

21. The method as claimed in claim 12, said command and control system further comprising one or more of telemetry units, environmental sensors, processors, digital storage systems, and one or more power systems.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said command and control system further comprises a communication system configured to allow said aerial vehicle to communicate with another said aerial vehicle, said communication system comprising one or more of transmitters and receivers.