IP Library Granted Patent US 11,620,914
Granted Patent B1
US 11,620,914 · App. 17/128,806 · Granted Apr 4, 2023

Multiplexed communication of telemetry data, video stream data and voice data among piloted aerial drones via a common software application

Inventors: Thomas Walker (Virginia Beach, VA); John Vernon (Virginia Beach, VA)
Assignee: DroneUp, LLC
G08G5/0095B64C39/024G08G5/0008G08G5/0013G08G5/0021G08G5/0026H04W4/022H04W4/06B64C2201/122H04W4/44
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,620,914
App. No.
17/128,806
Granted
Apr 4, 2023
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method for coordinating multiplexed communication of data among multiple piloted assets and multiple requestors via a common software application includes receiving a mission request via the common software application, defining a common mission based on the mission request via the common software application, and coordinating the multiplexed communication using multiple communication channels. The coordinating includes exchanging data with multiple piloted aerial drone assets relaying a communication from one of the piloted assets to at least one other piloted asset, via the software application. When a new piloted asset joins the common mission, communication is facilitated via the software application between the further piloted asset and the multiple piloted assets. Upon detection that a piloted asset from the multiple piloted assets is no longer associated with the common mission, communication via the software application between that piloted asset and the remaining piloted assets is prevented.

Claims (51)

1. A method, comprising:

coordinating multiplexed communications among a plurality of piloted aerial drone assets and a requestor via a plurality of communication channels, each piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets associated with a common mission, the coordinating including:

sending data to and receiving data from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets via a compute device, the data including at least one of telemetry data, video stream data, image data, chat data, or voice data;

relaying, via the compute device, a communication received from at least one piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets and originating from an input entered via the compute device, to at least one other piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets for presentation of the communication via the compute device;

upon detection of an event in which a further piloted aerial drone asset joins the common mission, operating communication via the compute device between the further piloted aerial drone asset and the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets; and

upon detecting that a piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets is no longer associated with the common mission, preventing communication via the compute device between the piloted aerial drone asset that is no longer associated with the common mission and the remaining piloted aerial drone assets from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets,

the data including data received at the compute device from a client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relaying the communication from the at least one piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets to the at least one other piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets includes receiving the communication from the at least one piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets at the compute device, and sending the communication from the compute device to the at least one other piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising relaying, via the compute device, a communication from at least one piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets to a plurality of client devices including the client device, for presentation of the communication.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising relaying, via the compute device, at least one of telemetry data, video stream data, image data, chat data, or voice data from at least one piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets to a plurality of client devices including the client device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, via the compute device and in response to detecting an airspace advisory change, an alert to an asset pilot associated with at least one piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, via the compute device and in response to detecting a connectivity interruption, an alert to an asset pilot associated with at least one piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the compute device, a mission status update; and

sending the mission status update to an asset pilot associated with at least one piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets, for modification of a flight plan of the at least one piloted aerial drone asset from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets.

8. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing processor-executable instructions, the code comprising code to cause a processor to:

coordinate multiplexed communication among (1) piloted assets of a subset of piloted assets from a plurality of piloted assets and (2) a requestor, by:

sending data to and receiving data from the subset of piloted assets, via a compute device and during a mission common to each piloted asset from the subset of piloted assets;

receiving, via the compute device and during the mission, a first communication from a first piloted asset from the subset of piloted assets;

sending, via the compute device and during the mission, the first communication to a second piloted asset from the subset of piloted assets;

receiving, via the compute device and during the mission, a second communication from a third piloted asset from the subset of piloted assets; and

sending, via the compute device and during the mission, the second communication to a mobile device of the requestor for presentation of the second communication via the mobile device.

9. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the data includes at least one of telemetry data, video stream data, image data, chat data, or voice data.

10. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:

receive, via the compute device, enlistment requests from the plurality of piloted assets, each of the enlistment requests includes a request to join the mission; and

send, via the compute device, acknowledgments of enlistment to the subset of piloted assets from the plurality of piloted assets.

11. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:

receive, via the compute device, enlistment requests from the plurality of piloted assets, each of the enlistment requests includes location data for the associated piloted asset from the plurality of piloted assets; and

send, via the compute device, acknowledgments of enlistment to the subset of piloted assets from the plurality of piloted assets.

12. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:

receive, via the compute device, a mission request from the mobile device of the requestor in response to an input made by the requestor via the mobile device.

13. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:

receive, via the compute device, a mission request from the mobile device of the requestor, the mission request in response to an input made by the requestor via the mobile device and including an indication of at least one of: an organization, a mission type, a mission title, a mission description, or a mission contact.

14. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:

send, via the compute device, an invitation to join the mission to at least one further piloted asset.

15. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing processor-executable instructions, the code comprising code to cause a processor to:

coordinate multiplexed communication among (1) piloted aerial drone assets of a subset of piloted aerial drone assets from a plurality of piloted aerial drone assets and (2) a requestor, by:

sending data to and receiving data from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets, via a compute device and during a mission common to each piloted aerial drone asset of the subset of piloted aerial drone assets from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets;

receiving, via the compute device and during the mission, a first communication from a first piloted aerial drone asset of the subset of piloted aerial drone assets from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets;

sending, via the compute device and during the mission, the first communication to a second piloted aerial drone asset of the subset of piloted aerial drone assets from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets;

receiving, via the compute device and during the mission, a second communication from a mobile device of the requestor; and

sending, via the compute device and during the mission, the second communication to a third piloted aerial drone asset of the subset of the piloted aerial drone assets from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets.

16. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the second communication is an e-mail.

17. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 15 , the code further comprising code to cause a processor to:

receive, via the compute device, a mission status update from at least one piloted aerial drone asset of the subset of piloted aerial drone assets from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets; and

send, via the compute device and in response to receiving the mission status update, the mission status update to the requestor.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 15 , the code further comprising code to cause a processor to:

send, via the compute device and in response to detecting an airspace advisory change, an alert to an asset pilot associated with at least one piloted aerial drone asset of the subset of piloted aerial drone assets from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets.

19. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 15 , the code further comprising code to cause a processor to:

send, via the compute device and in response to detecting a connectivity interruption, an alert to an asset pilot associated with at least one piloted aerial drone asset of the subset of piloted aerial drone assets from the plurality of piloted aerial drone assets.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the data includes at least one of telemetry data, video stream data, image data, chat data, or voice data.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2023
From: DRONEUP, LLC
To: MILLER, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, JERROLD L.
Reel/Frame 065058/0450 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2020
From: WALKER, THOMAS; VERNON, JOHN
To: DRONEUP, LLC
Reel/Frame 054711/0671 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16146758 · Sep 28, 2018
Continuation 16104590 · Aug 17, 2018
Provisional Application 62565392 · Sep 29, 2017