UAV system emergency path planning on communication failure

1. A method for emergency path planning for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in an event of communication failure on account of an obstacle, said UAV moving along a path having a plurality of communication waypoints, each communication waypoint providing communication between the UAV and a home location through a wireless radio link, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting, by a flight control system of the UAV, a communication failure resulting from loss of wireless radio link communication;

enabling, by the flight control system, on detection of the communication failure, the UAV to return to a last healthy communication waypoint location, the last healthy communication waypoint location being a communication waypoint out of the plurality of communication waypoints with healthy signal and selected based on one or more factors selected from the group of on-board sensor status/condition and nominal mission parameters comprising total time, total distance, distance travelled, payload weight, payload condition/health; and

waiting, at the last healthy communication waypoint location, by the flight control system, for a defined time period for communication to return before enabling the UAV to return to its home location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UAV returns back to the home location using a linear shortest flight path from the last healthy communication waypoint location to the home location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UAV returns back to the home location if the communication does not return within the defined time period.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein in case the communication returns within the defined time period, the UAV waits for user command.

5. A system configured for emergency path planning fora UAV in an event of communication failure on account of an obstacle, said UAV moving along a path having a plurality of communication waypoints, each communication waypoint providing communication between the UAV and a home location through a wireless radio link, said system comprising:

a communication module;

a flight control system operatively coupled with the communication module so as to detect a communication failure and, based on such detection, return the UAV to a last healthy communication waypoint location, the last healthy communication waypoint location being a communication waypoint out of the plurality of communication waypoints with healthy signal and selected based on one or more factors selected from the group of on-board sensor status/condition and nominal mission parameters comprising total time, total distance, distance travelled, payload weight, payload condition/health, wherein the flight control system is configured to wait for a defined time period before enabling the UAV to return to its home location, the detected communication failure resulting from loss of wireless radio link communication.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the UAV returns back to the home location using a linear shortest flight path from the last healthy communication waypoint location to the home location.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the UAV returns back to the home location if the communication does not return within the defined time period.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein in case the communication returns within the defined time period, the UAV waits for user command.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the flight control system is further configured to, using one or more sensors, monitor UAV parameters selected from any or a combination of location, payload, speed, height, direction, path traversed, and fuel level.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the communication failure is detected based on status of the wireless radio link.