A method for monitoring an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a processor obtaining a datagram based on monitoring data for a UAV-detector communication between the UAV and one or more detectors. The monitoring data indicates at least one of a location of the UAV or a location of a control station in communication with the UAV. The method further includes determining a risk level by retrieving pre-stored risk information associated with the UAV based on the datagram.

Apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed for managing a C2 communication mode of operation. One apparatus includes a transceiver supporting a network interface that receives an application request to manage an operation mode of C2 communication for a first UAS. Here, the first UAS comprises a first UAV and a first UAV-C. The network interface receives a first report from an application of the first UAS, where the first application is located in one of the first UAV and the first UAV-C. The apparatus includes a processor that determines to switch the operation mode of C2 communication for the first UAS based on the received first report and transmits, via the network interface, a C2 communication switching instruction to the first UAS.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage device, for using a drone to pre-surveil a portion of a property. In one aspect, a system may include a monitoring unit. The monitoring unit may include a network interface, a processor, and a storage device that includes instructions to cause the processor to perform operations. The operations may include obtaining data that is indicative of one or more acts of an occupant of the property, applying the obtained data that is indicative of one or more acts of the occupant of the property to a pre-surveillance rule, determining that the pre-surveillance rule is satisfied, determining a drone navigation path that is associated with the pre-surveillance rule, transmitting, to a drone, an instruction to perform pre-surveillance of the portion of the one or more properties using the drone navigation path.

An aerial vehicle is provided. The aerial vehicle can include a plurality of sensors mounted thereon, an avionics system configured to operate at least a portion of the aerial vehicle, and a machine vision controller in operative communication with the avionics system and the plurality of sensors. The machine vision controller is configured to perform a method. The method includes obtaining sensor data from at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors, determining performance data from the avionic system or an additional sensor of the plurality of sensors, processing the sensor data based on the performance data to compensate for movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle, identifying at least one geographic indicator based on processing the sensor data, and determining a geographic location of the aerial vehicle based on the at least one geographic indicator.

A weather drone (100) comprising: a first sensor (101) configured to repeatedly measure one or more parameters indicative of weather; a memory (103) coupled to the first sensor (101) and configured to store data recorded by the first sensor (101), the data comprising a series of repeatedly measured parameters; and a processor (104) coupled to the first sensor (104) and the memory (103). The processor (104) is configured to analyse the data as it is being recorded by the first sensor (101), and determine if the data exceeds a first threshold value and/or falls below a second threshold value. If the processor (104) determines that the data exceeds the first threshold value and/or falls below the second threshold value on at least one occasion, the processor (104) is configured to prevent the storage of further data from the first sensor (101) in the memory (102).

Systems and methods for detecting radio frequency (“RF”) signals and corresponding origination locations are disclosed. An RF sensor device includes a software-defined radio and an antenna pair for receiving RF signals. Furthermore the RF sensor device may include a processing unit for processing/analyzing the RF signals, or the processing unit may be remote. The system calculates a phase difference between an RF signal received at two separate antennas of an antenna pair. The phase difference, the distance between the antennas, and the frequency of the RF signal are used for determining the origination direction of the RF signal. In various embodiments, the origination direction may indicate the location of a UAV controller or base station. The software-defined radio may include more than one antenna pair, connected to multiplexers, for efficiently scanning different frequencies by alternating active antenna pairs. Moreover, the system may execute packet-based processing on the RF signal data.

A method of communicating between an aerial vehicle and a cellular radio access network is described. In some cases, the method includes determining a current location of the aerial vehicle; determining, in response to the current location, a location of a nearest cell of the cellular radio access network; and processing communications between the aerial vehicle and the cellular radio access network, using the nearest cell as a serving cell. When the method is performed on-board an aerial vehicle, the method further includes orienting a directional antenna of the aerial vehicle toward the location of the nearest cell.

A vehicle control system includes at least one imaging device attached to a vehicle and that captures multiple images, and a control circuit that generates a composite image from the multiple images and displays the composite image on a display unit. The vehicle is operated according to a user operation on a portion of the display unit on which the composite image is being displayed.

A flight task processing method includes generating and displaying a user prompt according to flight data of a plurality of flight tasks, selecting one of the flight tasks as a target flight task in response to a selection operation with respect to the user prompt, determining the flight data of the target flight task, processing the flight data of the target flight task to obtain control instruction, and automatically controlling an operation of an aerial vehicle according to the control instruction to reproduce the target flight task by controlling the aerial vehicle to fly to a waypoint included in the flight data, controlling a gimbal of the aerial vehicle to face a gimbal orientation included in the flight data while the aerial vehicle is at the waypoint, and controlling a camera carried by the gimbal to acquire an image while the aerial vehicle is at the waypoint.

A method of targeting, which involves capturing a first video of a scene about a potential targeting coordinate by a first video sensor on a first aircraft; transmitting the first video and associated potential targeting coordinate by the first aircraft; receiving the first video on a first display in communication with a processor, the processor also receiving the potential targeting coordinate; selecting the potential targeting coordinate to be an actual targeting coordinate for a second aircraft in response to viewing the first video on the first display; and guiding a second aircraft toward the actual targeting coordinate; where positive identification of a target corresponding to the actual targeting coordinate is maintained from selection of the actual targeting coordinate.