System, apparatus and method for an unmanned aerial vehicle with memory secured against tampering and access
Systems, apparatus and methods are provided for securing firmware and mission data in memory of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle may include a central body and at least one electric motor. The central body may include a flight controller with a processor, a firmware memory configured to receive and store firmware, and circuit board with a fixed portion and a removable portion with a programming interface connector providing access through a signal connection to a firmware memory operatively connected to the flight controller. The central body may further include a volatile mission memory configured to receive mission data and automatically be erased upon power interruption.
1 . An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
a. a central body comprising:
i. a flight controller including at least one processor;
ii. a firmware memory operatively connected to the flight controller and configured to receive and store firmware including processor executable instructions for directing movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
iii. a circuit board comprising:
1. A fixed portion comprising:
a. a flight controller connector operatively connected to the flight controller; and
b. a signal connection operatively connected to the firmware memory; and
2. A physically removable portion comprising at least one programming interface connector operatively connected to the signal connection,
wherein, when the physically removable portion is attached to the fixed portion, the physically removable portion is configured to receive by the at least one programming interface connector the firmware, and provide the firmware to the firmware memory of the flight controller via the signal connection and the flight controller connector of the fixed portion, and
wherein when the physically removable portion is physically removed from the fixed portion the operative connection between the at least one programming interface connector and the signal connection is eliminated and the at least one programming interface connector does not provide the firmware to the firmware memory, and the physically removable portion is not capable of being physically reattached; and
b. at least one electric motor operatively connected to the central body and connected to at least one propeller such that the at least one propeller is rotatable by the at least one electric motor,
wherein the at least one electric motor is controlled by control signals received from the flight controller according to the firmware.
2 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one programming interface connector extends out of an exterior of the circuit board.
3 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one programming interface connector is the only connector of the unmanned aerial vehicle configured to receive the firmware and to provide the firmware to the firmware memory.
4 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one programming interface connector comprises at least one pull-up resistor.
5 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the at least one pull-up resistor embodies a match with the flight controller that is a prerequisite to completing a transmit receive circuit allowing the firmware to be received and provided to the firmware memory of the flight controller.
6 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one programming interface connector includes a plurality of programming interface connectors.
7 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one programming interface connector comprises a plurality of pull-up resistors.
8 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one programming interface connector comprises at least one capacitor.
9 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein removal of the physically removable portion from the fixed portion prevents firmware from being provided to the firmware memory.
10 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the central body further comprises a volatile mission memory operatively connected to the flight controller and configured to receive and store mission data including processor executable instructions for providing the control signals to the at least one electric motor based on the firmware to direct movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to a mission, and wherein the volatile mission memory is configured to be automatically erased upon interruption of power to the volatile mission memory for a period of time.
11 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the volatile mission memory is operatively connected to a removable memory card inserted into a data port of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the mission data is received by the volatile mission memory from the removable memory card.
12 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the removable memory card is a removable microSD card.
13 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the circuit board further comprises a radio interface operably connected to at least one radio transceiver and the volatile mission memory is operably connected to the radio interface and configured to receive the mission data through the at least one radio transceiver.
14 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the volatile mission memory comprises random access memory.
15 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising data clearing circuitry operatively connected to the random access memory and configured to clear data in the volatile mission memory upon the interruption of electric power to the random access memory for the period of time.
16 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the data clearing circuitry comprises at least one capacitor.
17 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the data clearing circuitry comprises at least one resistor.
18 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the data clearing circuitry comprises at least one capacitor and at least one resistor.
19 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the firmware memory is configured to retain the firmware upon the interruption of power to the firmware memory.
20 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the mission data is stored solely within the volatile mission memory.
21 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the circuit board further comprises a data port and the volatile mission memory is operably connected to the data port and configured to receive the mission data through the data port.
22 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 21 , wherein the data port is configured to receive a removable memory card and the volatile mission memory is configured to receive the mission data from the removable memory card.
23 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 22 , wherein the removable memory card is a removable microSD card.
24 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the circuit board further comprises at least one radio interface operably connected to at least one radio transreceiver, wherein the volatile mission memory is operably connected to the at least one radio interface and configured to receive the mission data through the at least one radio interface from the at least one radio transceiver.
25 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the fixed portion further comprises a plurality of peripheral connectors operatively connected to at least one peripheral device of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
26 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the central body further comprises a power distribution board electrically connected to the flight controller.
27 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the firmware memory is encapsulated within an interior portion of the flight controller.
28 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 27 , wherein at least a portion of the firmware memory is encapsulated by a layer of epoxy covering an otherwise exposed portion of the firmware memory.
29 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the firmware memory is a soldered module.
30 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board further comprises an attachment portion connecting the physically removable portion to the fixed portion, and wherein the attachment portion is at least one of: scored, partially scored, weakened, partially weakened, thinned, and partially thinned to allow the physically removable portion to be physically removed from the fixed portion.
31 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the signal connection is a trace on the circuit board.
32 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the signal connection is a wire embedded within an interior of the circuit board.
33 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein, when the physically removable portion is attached to the fixed portion, the at least one programming interface connector is configured to receive the firmware from an external memory card.
34 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein, when the physically removable portion is attached to the fixed portion, the at least one programming interface connector is configured to receive the firmware from an external processor.
35 . An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
a. a central body comprising:
i. a flight controller including at least one processor;
ii. a firmware memory operatively connected to the flight controller and configured to receive and store firmware including processor executable instructions for directing movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
iii. a volatile mission memory, physically separate from the firmware memory, operatively connected to the flight controller and configured to receive and store mission data including processor executable instructions for providing control signals based on the firmware to direct movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to a mission, wherein the volatile mission memory is configured to be automatically erased upon interruption of power to the volatile mission memory for a period of time; and
b. at least one electric motor operatively connected to the central body and connected to at least one propeller such that the at least one propeller is rotatable by the at least one electric motor,
wherein the at least one electric motor is controlled by the control signals provided by the flight controller according to the firmware,
wherein the mission data is stored solely within the volatile mission memory.
36 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 35 , wherein the central body further comprises a data port and the volatile mission memory is operably connected to the data port and configured to receive the mission data through the data port.
37 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 36 , wherein the data port is configured to receive a removable memory card and the volatile mission memory is configured to receive the mission data from the removable memory card.
38 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 37 , wherein the removable memory card is a removable microSD card.
39 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 38 , wherein the central body further comprises at least one radio interface operably connected to at least one radio transreceiver, wherein the volatile mission memory is operably connected to the at least one radio interface and configured to receive the mission data through the at least one radio interface from the at least one radio transceiver.
40 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 35 , wherein the central body further comprises a power distribution board electrically connected to the flight controller.
41 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 35 , wherein the volatile mission memory comprises random access memory.
42 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 41 , further comprising data clearing circuitry operatively connected to the random access memory and configured to clear data in the volatile mission memory upon interruption of electric power to the random access memory for the period of time.
43 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 42 , wherein the data clearing circuitry comprises at least one capacitor.
44 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 42 , wherein the data clearing circuitry comprises at least one resistor.
45 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 42 , wherein the data clearing circuitry comprises at least one capacitor and at least one resistor.