Granted Patent B2

US 12,513,734 · App. 18/204,223 · Granted Dec 30, 2025

Inventors: John F. Grabowsky (Camarillo, CA); Phillip T. Tokumaru (Thousand Oaks, CA); Robert J. Kniskern (Fort Wayne, IN); Nicholas S. Currens (Lima, OH); Allan L. Levine (Thousand Oaks, CA)

Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.

H04W72/543H04B7/18504H04W72/0446H04L67/12H04W28/20

Abstract

Claims (20)

1 . An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a transmitter/receiver controlled by an operating system such that the unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of functioning as an arbiter node in a DDL session, wherein the arbiter node is configured to control an operation of a plurality of client nodes by defining communications operation cycles and allocating a bandwidth to each of the plurality of client nodes on a cycle by cycle basis in response to requests for bandwidth from the plurality of client nodes, and wherein the arbiter node is configured to prioritize the requests for bandwidth from the plurality of client nodes and to allocate bandwidth in an operation cycle based on a priority of each request.

2 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the arbiter is configured to vary the operation cycles based the requests for bandwidth.

3 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the arbiter is configured to relinquish control as session arbiter to another node upon request.

4 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the arbiter is configured to transmit an arbiter table upon request prior to relinquishing control as session arbiter.

5 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each operation cycle is divided up into a set of time segments, and wherein allocating the bandwidth comprises assigning a transmission start time and a transmission duration for each of the plurality of client nodes requesting bandwidth and changing the transmission start time and the transmission duration for each of the plurality of client nodes requesting bandwidth in response to the requests for bandwidth from the plurality of client nodes.

6 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of client nodes comprises a plurality of unmanned vehicles.

7 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of client nodes comprises a ground station.

8 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of client nodes further comprises an unmanned vehicle.

9 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the arbiter is configured such that allocating the bandwidth comprises assigning a transmission start time and a transmission duration to the plurality of client nodes and changing the transmission start time and the transmission duration for the plurality of client nodes in response to requests from the plurality of client nodes.

10 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the arbiter is configured such that assigning the bandwidth comprises controlling a video quality transmit by each of the plurality of client nodes.

11 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10 wherein the arbiter is configured such that assigning the bandwidth comprises allocating bandwidth for at least one of: a) full video; b) degraded video; c) still pictures; or d) no video imagery for a client node requesting bandwidth.

12 . An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a transmitter/receiver controlled by an operating system configured to monitor for an existing DDL session and assume a role of an arbiter if no DDL session is in progress, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle as the arbiter is configured to control an operation of a plurality of client nodes by defining communications operation cycles and allocating a bandwidth to each of the plurality of client nodes on a cycle by cycle basis in response to requests for bandwidth from the plurality of client nodes, and wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle as the arbiter is configured to prioritize the requests for bandwidth from the plurality of client nodes and to allocate bandwidth in an operation cycle based on a priority of each request.

13 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle as the arbiter is configured to initiate a DDL session within the channel if no DDL session is detected within the channel.

14 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle as the arbiter is configured to control the operation of a ground control unit.

15 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle as the arbiter is further configured to receive vehicle control commands for the unmanned aerial vehicle from one of the plurality of client nodes and maneuver according to the vehicle control commands from the at least one of the plurality of client nodes.

16 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle as the arbiter is further configured to relay data between at least two of the plurality of client nodes.

17 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle as the arbiter is configured to allocate bandwidth in an operation cycle based on a priority of the data.

18 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle as the arbiter is further configured to relinquish the role of arbiter to another node upon request.

19 . An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a transmitter/receiver controlled by an operating system configured to assume a role of an arbiter of a DDL session and control an operation of a plurality of client nodes by defining communications operation cycles and allocating a bandwidth to each of the plurality of client nodes on a cycle by cycle basis in response to requests for bandwidth from the plurality of client nodes, and wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle as the arbiter is configured to prioritize the requests for bandwidth from the plurality of client nodes and to allocate bandwidth in an operation cycle based on a priority of each request, and wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle as the arbiter is further configured to relinquish the role of arbiter to another node upon request.

20 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle as the arbiter is configured to receive an initial request for the desired bandwidth allocation from a non-arbiter node and to grant bandwidth allocation in response to the initial request from the non-arbiter node and allow the requesting non-arbiter node to join the DDL session.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (145)