Drone encroachment avoidance monitor
Disclosed are examples of systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products for locating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A region of airspace may be scanned with two scanning apparatuses. Each scanning apparatus may include one or more directional Radio Frequency (RF) antennae. The two scanning apparatuses may have different locations. Radio frequency signals emitted by a UAV can be received at each of the two scanning apparatuses. The received radio frequency signals can be processed to determine a first location of the UAV.
1 . A method for detecting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a sensitive security area, the method comprising:
scanning, with a plurality of scanning apparatuses, a region of airspace associated with the sensitive security area, each scanning apparatus comprising one or more Radio Frequency (RF) antennae configured to receive a variable amount of radio wave power, the variable amount of radio wave power received by each RF antenna being configured to vary based on an angle between a propagation direction of the received radio wave power and an axis of the antennae, each of the scanning apparatuses having different locations, at least one of the scanning apparatuses being mounted on a law enforcement vehicle;
receiving first radio frequency signals emitted by a first UAV at the scanning apparatuses, a frequency of the first radio frequency signals being a downlink frequency of the first UAV, the first radio frequency signals being downlink signals generated by the first UAV to communicate with a first device controlling the first UAV, the scanning apparatuses being independent from generation of the first radio frequency signals;
processing, based on a signal strength of the first radio frequency signals at the scanning apparatuses and a relative position of the scanning apparatuses with respect to the signal strength of the first radio frequency signals, the first radio frequency signals to determine a first location of the first UAV; and
transmitting data based on the determined first location of the first UAV to a law enforcement computing device.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the law enforcement vehicle is a border patrol vehicle.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the law enforcement vehicle is a helicopter.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one other of the plurality of scanning apparatuses is mounted on a stationary observation tower.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the scanning apparatuses is mounted on an aircraft.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the aircraft is a firefighting aircraft.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
disseminating the determined first location of the first UAV to an air traffic control system.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the scanning apparatuses, an uplink radio frequency signal emitted by the first device controlling the first UAV; and
processing the uplink radio frequency signal to determine a location of the first device.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more RF antennae of at least one scanning apparatus comprise a directional antenna configured to rotate through at least one plane.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein processing the first radio frequency signals to determine the first location comprises:
determining, based on the signal strength, an angular relationship between the first UAV and the at least one scanning apparatus comprising the directional antenna.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the first radio frequency signals to determine the first location of the first UAV comprises performing a triangulation calculation based on data from at least two of the plurality of scanning apparatuses.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a velocity of the first UAV based on a change in the determined first location over time.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the downlink frequency is 5.8 Gigahertz (GHz).
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data transmitted to the law enforcement computing device includes video data extracted from the first radio frequency signals.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensitive security area is an international border region.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensitive security area is a prison.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein scanning the region of airspace comprises rotating an antenna of a first scanning apparatus at a first slew rate, and wherein the method further comprises:
upon detecting the first UAV, rotating the antenna of the first scanning apparatus at a second slew rate, slower than the first slew rate, when the antenna is within a designated angular distance of the first UAV.
18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rejecting, by at least one of the scanning apparatuses, signals originating from a known emission source stored in a memory.
19 . A system comprising a plurality of scanning apparatuses coupled with one or more processors, the system configured to cause:
scanning, with the plurality of scanning apparatuses, a region of airspace associated with the sensitive security area, each scanning apparatus comprising one or more Radio Frequency (RF) antennae configured to receive a variable amount of radio wave power, the variable amount of radio wave power received by each RF antenna being configured to vary based on an angle between a propagation direction of the received radio wave power and an axis of the antennae, each of the scanning apparatuses having different locations, at least one of the scanning apparatuses being mounted on a law enforcement vehicle;
receiving first radio frequency signals emitted by a first UAV at the scanning apparatuses, a frequency of the first radio frequency signals being a downlink frequency of the first UAV, the first radio frequency signals being downlink signals generated by the first UAV to communicate with a first device controlling the first UAV, the scanning apparatuses being independent from generation of the first radio frequency signals;
processing, based on a signal strength of the first radio frequency signals at the scanning apparatuses and a relative position of the scanning apparatuses with respect to the signal strength of the first radio frequency signals, the first radio frequency signals to determine a first location of the first UAV; and
transmitting data based on the determined first location of the first UAV to a law enforcement computing device.
20 . A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code including instructions configured to cause:
scanning, with a plurality of scanning apparatuses, a region of airspace associated with the sensitive security area, each scanning apparatus comprising one or more Radio Frequency (RF) antennae configured to receive a variable amount of radio wave power, the variable amount of radio wave power received by each RF antenna being configured to vary based on an angle between a propagation direction of the received radio wave power and an axis of the antennae, each of the scanning apparatuses having different locations, at least one of the scanning apparatuses being mounted on a law enforcement vehicle;
receiving first radio frequency signals emitted by a first UAV at the scanning apparatuses, a frequency of the first radio frequency signals being a downlink frequency of the first UAV, the first radio frequency signals being downlink signals generated by the first UAV to communicate with a first device controlling the first UAV, the scanning apparatuses being independent from generation of the first radio frequency signals;
processing, based on a signal strength of the first radio frequency signals at the scanning apparatuses and a relative position of the scanning apparatuses with respect to the signal strength of the first radio frequency signals, the first radio frequency signals to determine a first location of the first UAV; and
transmitting data based on the determined first location of the first UAV to a law enforcement computing device.