Network-centric sensor coverage management

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a participant computing device, participant information for each of a plurality of mobile aerial participants;

determining, by the participant computing device, individual coverage thresholds for each of the plurality of mobile aerial participants;

determining, by the participant computing device, a network coverage threshold for the plurality of mobile aerial participants;

determining, by the participant computing device, a current coverage area for each of the plurality of mobile aerial participants;

aggregating, by the participant computing device, the current coverage areas of the plurality of mobile aerial participants;

determining, by the participant computing device, if the aggregated current coverage area meets each of the individual coverage thresholds and the network coverage threshold; and

in response to the aggregated current coverage area not meeting at least one individual coverage threshold or the network coverage threshold:

determining, by the participant computing device, a missing coverage area based on a comparison between the aggregated current coverage area and the at least one individual coverage threshold or the network coverage threshold not met by the aggregated current coverage area;

selecting, by the participant computing device, at least one first mobile aerial participant of the plurality of mobile aerial participants to provide coverage for the missing coverage area; and

instructing, by the participant computing device, the at least one first mobile aerial participant to modify a transmission beamform of at least one sensor mounted on the at least one first mobile aerial participant to modify the current coverage area of the at least one first mobile aerial participant to at least partially overlap the missing coverage area.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the participant computing device, if the aggregated current coverage area includes at least one unwanted overlapping coverage area; and

in response to the aggregated current coverage area including at least one unwanted overlapping coverage area:

selecting, by the participant computing device, at least one second mobile aerial participant of the plurality of mobile aerial participants to remove unwanted overlapping coverage area; and

instructing, by the participant computing device, the at least one second mobile aerial participant to modify the current coverage area of the at least one second mobile aerial participant to remove at least a portion of the unwanted overlapping coverage area.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein instructing the at least one second mobile aerial participant to modify the current coverage area of the at least one second mobile aerial participant includes:

instructing the at least one second mobile aerial participant to modify a transmission beamform of at least one sensor mounted on the at least one second mobile aerial participant to provide a new coverage area that removes the portion of the unwanted overlapping coverage area.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the participant information includes identification information, type of participant, geolocation, kinematic information, throughput capabilities, frequency capabilities, number and locations of sensors and antennas, or maximum sensor coverage areas.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the current coverage area for each of the plurality of mobile aerial participants includes:

determining, by the participant computing device, a current coverage area for each of a plurality of sensors that are mounted on each of the plurality of mobile aerial participants.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the participant computing device is one of the plurality mobile aerial participants.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the current coverage area for each of the plurality of mobile aerial participants includes:

determining a three-dimensional sensor coverage area around each of the plurality of mobile aerial participants.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the at least one first mobile aerial participant includes:

determining a current processing capacity of the at least one first mobile aerial participant and; and

identifying a coverage area that at least partially overlaps the missing coverage area for the at least one first mobile aerial participant based on the determined current processing capacity.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting the at least one second mobile aerial participant includes:

determining a current processing capacity of the at least one second mobile aerial participant and; and

identifying a reduced coverage area that removes at least a portion of the unwanted overlapping coverage area for the at least one second mobile aerial participant based on the determined current processing capacity.

10. A computing device, comprising

a memory that stores participant information for a plurality of mobile participants and computer instructions; and

a processor that executes the computer instruction to:

receive the participant information for the plurality of mobile participants;

determine individual coverage thresholds for the plurality of mobile participants;

determine a network coverage threshold for the plurality of mobile participants;

determine a current coverage area for the plurality of mobile participants;

aggregate the current coverage areas of the plurality of mobile participants;

determine if the aggregated current coverage area meets the individual coverage thresholds and the network coverage threshold; and

in response to the aggregated current coverage area not meeting at least one individual coverage threshold or the network coverage threshold:

determine a missing coverage area based on a comparison between the aggregated current coverage area and the at least one individual coverage threshold or the network coverage threshold not met by the aggregated current coverage area;

select at least one first mobile participant of the plurality of mobile participants to provide coverage for the missing coverage area; and

instruct the at least one first mobile participant to modify a transmission beamform of at least one sensor mounted on the at least one first mobile participant to modify the current coverage area of the at least one first mobile participant to at least partially overlap the missing coverage area.

11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the processor further executes the computer instructions to:

determine if the aggregated current coverage area includes at least one unwanted overlapping coverage area; and

in response to the aggregated current coverage area including at least one unwanted overlapping coverage area:

select at least one second mobile participant of the plurality of mobile participants to remove unwanted overlapping coverage area; and

instruct the at least one second mobile participant to modify the current coverage area of the at least one second mobile participant to remove at least a portion of the unwanted overlapping coverage area.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the processor instructs the at least one second mobile participant to modify the current coverage area of the at least one second mobile participant by further executing the computer instructions to:

instruct the at least one second mobile participant to modify a transmission beamform of at least one sensor mounted on the at least one second mobile participant to provide a new coverage area that removes the portion of the unwanted overlapping coverage area.

13. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the processor determines the current coverage area for the plurality of mobile participants by further executing the computer instructions to:

determine a current coverage area for a plurality of sensors that are mounted on the plurality of mobile participants.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by a processor in a computing system, cause the processor to perform actions, the actions comprising:

obtaining participant information for each of a plurality of participant computing devices;

determining a network coverage threshold for the plurality of participant computing devices;

determining a current coverage area for each of the plurality of participant computing devices;

aggregating the current coverage areas of each of the plurality of participant computing devices;

determining if the aggregated current coverage area meets the network coverage threshold based on a comparison between the aggregated current coverage area and the network coverage threshold;

in response to the aggregated current coverage area not meeting the network coverage threshold:

determining a missing coverage area in the aggregated current coverage area;

selecting at least one participant computing device of the plurality of participant computing devices to provide coverage for the missing coverage area; and

instructing the at least one participant computing device to modify a transmission beamform of at least one sensor mounted on the at least one participant computing device to modify the current coverage area of the at least one participant computing device to at least partially overlap the missing coverage area.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor, cause the processor to perform further actions, the further actions comprising:

determining if the aggregated current coverage area includes at least one unwanted overlapping coverage area; and

in response to the aggregated current coverage area including at least one unwanted overlapping coverage area:

determining an overlapping coverage area in the aggregated current coverage area;

selecting at least one second participant computing device of the plurality of participant computing devices to remove unwanted overlapping coverage area; and

instructing the at least one second participant computing device to modify the current coverage area of the at least one second participant computing device to remove at least a portion of the unwanted overlapping coverage area.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor, cause the processor to perform further actions, the further actions comprising:

determining an individual coverage threshold for at least one of the plurality of participant computing devices;

determining if the aggregated current coverage area meets the individual coverage threshold based on a comparison between the aggregated current coverage area and the individual coverage threshold;

in response to the aggregated current coverage area not meeting the individual coverage threshold:

determining an individual missing coverage area in the aggregated current coverage area;

selecting at least one second participant computing device of the plurality of participant computing devices to provide coverage for the individual missing coverage area; and

instructing the at least one second participant computing device to modify the current coverage area of the at least one participant computing device to at least partially overlap the individual missing coverage area.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the participant information includes identification information, type of participant, geolocation, kinematic information, throughput capabilities, frequency capabilities, number and locations of sensors and antennas, or maximum sensor coverage areas.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor to determine the current coverage area for the plurality of participant computing devices, cause the processor to perform further actions, the further actions comprising

determining a current coverage area for a plurality of sensors that are mounted on the plurality of participant computing devices.