Precise UAV tracking in 3-D space

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a wireless network access point in a network, a first wireless unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-locating signal based on a first UAV-locating mode selected from a plurality of UAV-locating modes, the first UAV-locating mode causing the wireless network access point to search for local UAVs, wherein the wireless network access point is a base station or a router;

receiving, at the wireless network access point, a plurality of wireless signals in response to the first transmitted UAV-locating signal, wherein the plurality of wireless signals are indicative of locations of a plurality of airborne UAVs;

detecting, by the wireless network access point, each of the plurality of airborne UAVs and causing a determination to be made regarding a location of each of the plurality of airborne UAVs based on each of the wireless signals received;

in response to detecting at least one UAV of the plurality of airborne UAVs, switching, by the wireless network access point, to a second UAV-locating mode to track the UAV;

transmitting, by the wireless network access point, a second wireless UAV-locating signal based on a second UAV-locating mode selected from the plurality of UAV-locating modes;

tracking, by the wireless network access point while in the second UAV-locating mode, the plurality of airborne UAVs; and

wherein the first and second UAV-locating modes control the wireless network access point to emit different emission patterns from an antenna of the wireless network access point.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UAV-locating modes are selected by the wireless network access point, by a second wireless network access point in the network, or by a supervisory device in the network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antenna of the wireless network access point is a phase array antenna.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first UAV-locating signal is transmitted as a scanning signal across azimuth and elevation angles of a hemisphere centered at the wireless network access point.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received wireless signal is a portion of the transmitted first UAV-locating signal reflected back from the airborne UAV.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

causing, by the wireless network access point, a determination of one or more characteristic features of the plurality of airborne UAVs based on signal strength of the received wireless signal.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the characteristic feature is UAV model type, payload weight estimate, or payload size estimate.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

causing, by the wireless network access point, a determination of one or more characteristic features of the airborne UAV based on signal variance of the received wireless signal.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

causing, by the wireless network access point, a determination of UAV velocity based on Doppler shifts of the received wireless signal.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received wireless signal is a response signal transmitted by each of the plurality of airborne UAVs.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the received wireless signal is a preamble signal.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, at the wireless network access point, a second wireless signal in response to the second transmitted UAV-locating signal, wherein the received second signal has a reduced signal characteristic than the received first wireless signal.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the signal characteristic is signaling rate.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network access point:

transmits a plurality of second wireless UAV-locating signals.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location of the plurality of airborne UAVs is determined by a cloud device or a fog device.

16. A wireless network access point comprising:

one or more network interfaces to communicate within a computer network;

a processor coupled to the network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:

transmit a first wireless unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-locating signal based on a first UAV-locating mode selected from a plurality of UAV-locating modes, the first UAV-locating mode causing the wireless network access point to search for local UAVs, wherein the wireless network access point is a base station or a router;

base station or a router;

receive a plurality of wireless signals in response to the first transmitted UAV-locating signal, wherein the plurality of wireless signals are indicative of locations of a plurality of airborne UAVs;

detect each of the plurality of airborne UAVs and causing a determination to be made regarding a location of each of the plurality of airborne UAVs based on each of the wireless signals received;

in response to detecting the UAV, switch to a second UAV-locating mode selected from the plurality of UAV-locating modes to track the UAV;

transmit a second wireless UAV-locating signal based on the second UAV-locating mode;

track, while in the second UAV-locating mode, the plurality of airborne UAVs; and

wherein the first and second UAV-locating modes control the wireless network access point to emit different emission patterns from an antenna of the wireless network access point.

17. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software, when executed by a processor operable to:

transmit a first wireless unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-locating signal based on a first UAV-locating mode selected from a plurality of UAV-locating modes, the first UAV-locating mode causing a wireless network access point to search for local UAVs, wherein the wireless network access point is a base station or a router;

receive a plurality of wireless signals in response to the first transmitted UAV-locating signal, wherein the plurality of wireless signals are indicative of locations of a plurality of airborne UAVs;

detect each of the plurality of airborne UAVs and causing a determination to be made regarding a location of each of the plurality of airborne UAVs based on each of the wireless signals received;

in response detecting at least one UAV of the plurality of airborne UAVs, switching, by the wireless network access point, to a second UAV-locating mode to track the UAV;

transmit a second wireless UAV-locating signal based on the second UAV-locating mode;

track, while in the second UAV-locating mode, the plurality of airborne UAVs; and

wherein the first and second UAV-locating modes control the wireless network access point to emit different emission patterns from an antenna of the wireless network access point.