A system and apparatus for determining the best course of action at any particular point inflight. The system determines current aircraft configuration against an expected aircraft configuration to detect configuration errors, and then utilizes configuration errors and error trends to manage aircraft configuration and mission operation. The system may divert the aircraft to the best available landing sites or reconfigure the aircraft to resolve configuration errors. In an emergency the system may safely land the aircraft.

Flight path generation platform and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The platform generates and displays a visual representation of a three-dimensional (3D) model of an environment on a display. The platform generates a visual representation of a flight path of the UAV superposed to the visual representation of the 3D model of the environment. The platform generates the flight path of the UAV based on the visual representation of the flight path. The flight path is loaded and stored in a memory of the UAV. The UAV processes the flight path to generate control commands sent to flying components of the UAV, the control commands controlling operations of the flying components so that the UAV follows a trajectory according to the flight path. The UAV transmits a video generated by a video camera of the UAV via a wireless communication interface of the UAV.

Flight path generation platform and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The platform generates and displays a visual representation of a three-dimensional (3D) model of an environment on a display. The platform generates a visual representation of a flight path of the UAV superposed to the visual representation of the 3D model of the environment. The platform generates the flight path of the UAV based on the visual representation of the flight path. The flight path is loaded and stored in a memory of the UAV. The UAV processes the flight path to generate control commands sent to flying components of the UAV, the control commands controlling operations of the flying components so that the UAV follows a trajectory according to the flight path. The UAV transmits a video generated by a video camera of the UAV via a wireless communication interface of the UAV.

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for an unmanned aerial vehicle aerial survey. One of the methods includes receiving information specifying a location to be inspected by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the inspection including the UAV capturing images of the location. Information describing a boundary of the location to be inspected is obtained. Inspections to be assigned to the location are determined, with the inspection legs being parallel and separated by a particular width. A flight pattern is determined based on a minimum turning radius of the UAV, with the flight pattern specifying an order each inspection leg is to be navigated along, and a direction of the navigation.

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for an unmanned aerial vehicle aerial survey. One of the methods includes receiving information specifying a location to be inspected by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the inspection including the UAV capturing images of the location. Information describing a boundary of the location to be inspected is obtained. Inspections to be assigned to the location are determined, with the inspection legs being parallel and separated by a particular width. A flight pattern is determined based on a minimum turning radius of the UAV, with the flight pattern specifying an order each inspection leg is to be navigated along, and a direction of the navigation.

The present invention is a system and method for a UAV flight highway and management thereof, comprising: a ground control station, a server (for example a cloud server), a geographic locator communication device, a communication transmitter, and one or more UAVs. The present invention is operable to identify ground level topography and air space objects (e.g., buildings) within a region, as well as other restrictions to UAV flights (e.g., restricted flight zones), and generates within such region a UAV flight highway, that may be multi-lane and multi-layer, based upon specific latitudinal and longitudinal points. The present invention is operable to control the flight of one or more UAVs along such flight highway, along multiple-lanes thereof, wherein the UAVs may travel at different speeds in different lanes and different layers along the UAV flight highway.

The present invention is a system and method for a UAV flight highway and management thereof, comprising: a ground control station, a server (for example a cloud server), a geographic locator communication device, a communication transmitter, and one or more UAVs. The present invention is operable to identify ground level topography and air space objects (e.g., buildings) within a region, as well as other restrictions to UAV flights (e.g., restricted flight zones), and generates within such region a UAV flight highway, that may be multi-lane and multi-layer, based upon specific latitudinal and longitudinal points. The present invention is operable to control the flight of one or more UAVs along such flight highway, along multiple-lanes thereof, wherein the UAVs may travel at different speeds in different lanes and different layers along the UAV flight highway.

Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft can provide opportunities to incorporate aerial transportation into transportation networks for cities and metropolitan areas. However, VTOL aircraft may be noisy. To accommodate this, the aircraft may utilize onboard sensors, offboard sensing, network, and predictive temporal data for noise signature mitigation. By building a composite understanding of real data offboard the aircraft, the aircraft can make adjustments to the way it is flying and verify this against a predicted noise signature (via computational methods) to reduce environmental impact. This might be realized via a change in translative speed, propeller speed, or choices in propulsor usage (e.g., a quiet propulsor vs. a high thrust, noisier propulsor). These noise mitigation actions may also be decided at the network level rather than the vehicle level to balance concerns across a city and relieve computing constraints on the aircraft.

Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft can provide opportunities to incorporate aerial transportation into transportation networks for cities and metropolitan areas. However, VTOL aircraft may be noisy. To accommodate this, the aircraft may utilize onboard sensors, offboard sensing, network, and predictive temporal data for noise signature mitigation. By building a composite understanding of real data offboard the aircraft, the aircraft can make adjustments to the way it is flying and verify this against a predicted noise signature (via computational methods) to reduce environmental impact. This might be realized via a change in translative speed, propeller speed, or choices in propulsor usage (e.g., a quiet propulsor vs. a high thrust, noisier propulsor). These noise mitigation actions may also be decided at the network level rather than the vehicle level to balance concerns across a city and relieve computing constraints on the aircraft.

A system for controlling a vehicle, including one or more communication modules and one or more processors operably coupled to the communication modules. The one or more processors are configured to individually or collectively: receive a geo-fence identifier associated with geo-fence information, where the geo-fence identifier uniquely identifies the geo-fence from other geo-fences; obtain one or more activity regulations for the vehicle based on the geo-fence identifier; and control operation of the vehicle according to the one or more activity regulations.