A METHOD OF AND AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE FOR ACTING UPON A RESTRICTION IN SERVICES FOR THE UAV, A UAV CONTROL SERVER AND A BASE STATION

Abstract

A method of acting upon a restriction in services for an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, wherein the UAV is connected to a telecommunication network and wherein the UAV is allowed to utilize one or more services within the telecommunication network, the method comprising the steps of receiving, by the UAV, from a base station in the telecommunication network, access information for being served by the base station, determining, by the UAV, from the access information that at least one service of the one or more llowed services is restricted, determining, by the UAV, an action to be performed based on the at least one restricted service, the action eing at least one of a communication service modification of the UAV, and a physical action of the UAV, and finally performing, by the UAV, the action.

Claims

1. A method of acting upon a restriction in services for an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, wherein the UAV is connected to a telecommunication network and wherein the UAV is allowed to utilize one or more services within the telecommunication network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, by the UAV, from a base station in the telecommunication network, access information for being served by the base station; determining, by the UAV, from the access information that at least one service of the one or more allowed services is restricted; determining, by the UAV, an action to be performed based on the at least one restricted service, the action being at least one of: a communication service modification of the UAV, and/or a physical action of the UAV; performing, by the UAV, the action.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises: forwarding, by the UAV, information on the at least one restricted service, via the telecommunication network, to a UAV control server; receiving, by the UAV, from the UAV control server, over the telecommunication network an instruction message comprising the action to be performed by the UAV.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises: sending, by the UAV, via the telecommunication network, to a UAV control server, a request message thereby requesting the UAV control server approval for performing the determined action; and receiving, by the UAV, via the telecommunication network, from the UAV control server, a response message thereby indicating an approval for performing the determined action.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the action is a communication service modification of the UAV, wherein the communication service modification is any of: limited service with respect to a video bit rate of the UAV; only Radio Resource Control, RRC, and/or Non-access stratum, NAS, signalling is allowed; only UAV control related user plane is allowed; and/or limited bandwidth per bearer.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the action is a physical action of the UAV, wherein the physical action is any of: landing of the UAV; emergency landing of the UAV; modify flying path of the UAV to an alternative path; set minimum and/or maximum altitude of the UAV; set minimum and/or maximum speed of the UAV; and/or handover of the UAV from a first base station in the telecommunication network to a second base station in the telecommunication network.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the access information is comprised by a System Information Block, SIB.

7. A method for facilitating an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, to act upon a restriction in services, wherein the UAV is connected to a telecommunication network and wherein the UAV is allowed to utilize one or more services within the telecommunication network, the method comprising the step of: broadcasting, by a base station comprised in the telecommunication network, access information for being served by the base station, wherein the UAV is able to determine from the access information that at least one service of the one or more allowed services is restricted.

8. A method for facilitating an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, to act upon a restriction in services, wherein the UAV is connected to a telecommunication network and wherein the UAV is allowed to utilize one or more services within the telecommunication network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, by an UAV control server, any of: information on at least one restricted service for the UAV; and/or a request message thereby requesting the UAV control server approval for performing a particular action; transmitting, by the UAV control server, any of: an instruction message comprising an action to be performed by the UAV; and/or a response message thereby indicating an approval for performing the particular action; wherein the action being at least one of: a communication service modification of the UAV, and/or a physical action of the UAV.

9. An unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, arranged for acting upon a restriction in services, wherein the UAV is connected to a telecommunication network and wherein the UAV is allowed to utilize one or more services within the telecommunication network, the UAV comprising: a UAV communication module arranged for receiving, from a base station in the telecommunication network, access information for being served by the base station, and arranged for determining from the access information that at least one service of the one or more services is restricted; a UAV control module arranged for determining an action to be performed based on the at least one restricted service into an act, wherein the action is any of: a communication service modification of the UAV, and/or a physical action of the UAV; and wherein the UAV is further arranged for performing the action.

10. The UAV in accordance with claim 9, wherein the UAV control module is arranged for determining the action by: forwarding information on the at least one restricted service, via the telecommunication network, to a UAV control server; and receiving from the UAV control server, over the telecommunication network an instruction message comprising the action to be performed by the UAV.

11. The UAV in accordance with claim 9, wherein the UAV control module is arranged for determining the action by: sending, via the telecommunication network, to a UAV control server, a request message thereby requesting the UAV control server approval for performing the determined action; and receiving, via the telecommunication network, from the UAV control server, a response message thereby indicating an approval for performing the determined action.

12. The UAV in accordance with claim 9, wherein the action is a communication service modification of the UAV, wherein the communication service modification is any of: limited service with respect to a video bit rate of the UAV; only Radio Resource Control, RRC, and/or Non-access stratum, NAS, signalling is allowed; only UAV control related user plane is allowed; and/or limited bandwidth per bearer.

13. The UAV in accordance with claim 9, wherein the action is a physical action of the UAV, wherein the physical action is any of: landing of the UAV; emergency landing of the UAV; modify flying path of the UAV to an alternative path; set minimum and/or maximum altitude of the UAV; set minimum and/or maximum speed of the UAV; and/or handover of the UAV from a first base station in the telecommunication network to a second base station in the telecommunication network.

14. The UAV in accordance with claim 9, wherein the access information is comprised by a System Information Block, SIB.

15. A base station arranged to operate in a telecommunication network, and arranged for facilitating an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, to act upon a restriction in services, wherein the UAV is connected to the telecommunication network and wherein the UAV is allowed to utilize one or more services within the telecommunication network, the base station comprising: a transmitter arranged for broadcasting access information for being served by the base station, wherein the UAV is able to determine from the access information that at least one service of the one or more services is restricted.

16. An unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, control server arranged for facilitating an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, to act upon a restriction in services, wherein the UAV is connected to a telecommunication network and wherein the UAV is allowed to utilize one or more services within the telecommunication network, the UAV control server comprising: a receiver arranged for receiving any of: information on at least one restricted service for the UAV; and/or a request message thereby requesting the UAV control server approval for performing a particular action; and a transmitter arranged for transmitting any of: an instruction message comprising an action to be performed by the UAV; and/or a response message thereby indicating an approval for performing the particular action; wherein the action being at least one of; a communication service modification of the UAV, and/or a physical action of the UAV.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions, which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to implement a method in accordance with claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0096] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV, approaching an area broadcasting that the corresponding cell is barred for UAV's;

[0097] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a flow chart for a handover of a UAV between two base stations;

[0098] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a flow chart comprising interactions between the UAV communication module and the UAV control module;

[0099] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a flow chart comprising a message flow between the telecommunication network and the UAV;

[0100] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates another flow chart comprising a message flow between the telecommunication network and the UAV;

[0101] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV, in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0102] Embodiments contemplated by the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The disclosed subject matter should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, the illustrated embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0103] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV, 1 approaching an area broadcasting that the corresponding cell is barred for UAV's 1.

[0104] The scenario depicted in FIG. 1 is explained with respect to the concept that cellular networks allow access limitation or restriction using broadcast information within a cell for a specific UAV 1.

[0105] In the prior art, there are no mechanisms available to limit or to restrict services used by the UAV 1 from the network operator, based on cell level broadcasted network properties, before accessing the corresponding cell.

[0106] Depending on operator policies, deployment scenarios, subscriber profiles, and available services, different criteria may be available for determining if network access for a UAV should be allowed, limited or blocked. These criteria may be understood, evaluated and interpreted for execution by the UAV 1.

[0107] Scenarios like natural disasters, accidents, etc., might require UAV's to take independent actions based on cellular network radio interactions like not entering a geographical cell area, block real time video surveillance or limiting valuable resources in the telecommunication network.

[0108] The present disclosure provides for a method for UAV's to take early corrective actions when flying into dynamically created restricted areas not known to the flight controller. This method may provide a mechanism to take actions before entering the specific radio cell geographical coverage or radio cell layer. Communication between internal UAV communication and control system may be required as UAV's may not be 3GPP standard compliant devices like UE's, but the installation of embedded communication modules may become more and more popular for flying beyond a visual line of sight.

[0109] FIG. 1 shows an UAV 1 approaching an area 6 broadcasting that the cell is barred for UAV's in the radio network. This could be, for example, an area covering a particular sporting event like the Olympics.

[0110] The telecommunication network comprises a Radio Access Network, RAN, and a core network. The RAN is used for connecting to the core network. In this particular case, the RAN consists of a radio base station 2 which is connected to two base station antenna's 3, 4. Each of the two base station antenna's has a particular radiation pattern as indicated with reference numerals 5 and 6.

[0111] The RAN connects to the core network which is visually depicted by the cloud pictogram 9. A UAV control server 10 is connected to the core network 9. The UAV control server 10 may reside in the telecommunication network or may reside in a public communication network, like the internet. In the latter, the UAV control server 10 may connect to a Packet Gateway of the telecommunication network.

[0112] The UAV 1 may receive 7 from the base station 2 an access information message comprising access information for being served by the base station 2. This aspect is described in more detail with respect to FIG. 2.

[0113] It is noted that the examples shown in the figures relate to services that are barred from a UAV. It is however possible, in accordance with the present invention, that a particular service is not barred but is restricted. The service may thus still be available for the UAV but in a modified form.

[0114] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a flow chart 21 for a handover of a UAV 1 between two base stations 22, 23.

[0115] As mentioned before, a handover may be a scenario in which the services for a particular UAV tend to change. However, other scenarios in which the services for a particular UAV change are also encompassed by the present disclosure.

[0116] The handover is initiated by a base station, i.e. the gNodeB1 22, in that the gNodeB1 22 requests 24 the UAV for measurement configuration for the handover.

[0117] To this end, the UAV 1 may have an RRC connection established with the gNodeB1 22, and the gNodeB1 22 may inform the UAV 1 in which event any received signal strength should be reported, by sending a configuration message, RRC Connection Reconfiguration message 24. The UAV 1 may keep track of the received signal strength of both its serving and neighbour gNodeB's, i.e. the gNodeB's having reference numerals 22 and 23. Then when one of the events specified occurs, the UAV 1 may report the received signal strength to its gNodeB1 22 through a Measurement Report message 25.

[0118] The gNodeB1 22, upon receipt of the message, may decide whether to initiate a handover or not by reviewing the reported strength information and by reviewing, for example, the overload status of the gNodeB2 23. Once decided, the gNodeB1 22 initiates handover of the UAV 1 to the gNodeB2 23.

[0119] The above described request 24 may be an RRC Connection reconfiguration request. Such a request comprises a trigger event, a report interval and a neighbour cell list. The trigger event specifies the trigger for the UAV 1 to send a measurement report and is, often, related to received signal strengths. The report interval may specify how often the measurement report should be reported by the UAV 1. The neighbour cell list may specify to which gNodeB's the measurement report should be tailored.

[0120] The above described measurement report 25 may, for example, comprise the signal strength associated with the gNodeB1 22 as well as the received signal strength associated with the gNodeB2 23.

[0121] It is noted that signalling between the different gNodeBs 22, 23 may occur, but is omitted from FIG. 2 for efficiency reasons.

[0122] Once the gNodeB1 22 has decided to handover the UAV 1 to the gNodeB2 23, the gNodeB1 22 will sent a RRC connection re-configuration message 26 to the UAV 1 containing the access information related to the gNodeB2 23. Next, the UAV 1 is to perform random access in the target cell, i.e. associated with gNodeB2 23 and, once completed, the UAV 1 sends an RRC Connection Reconfiguration Complete message 28.

[0123] The access information may be related to one or more System Information Blocks, SIBs, for example SIB1 of SIB2, in case of a 4G telecommunication network. SIB1 describes aspects relating to the granting and restricting of cell access and/or defines scheduling of other SIBs. SIB2 describes aspects relating to radio resource configuration information common for all equipment connected to the telecommunication network.

[0124] It is noted that the access information with respect to gNodeB2 23 may differ from the access information with respect to gNodeB1 22. That is, the UAV is to determine from the access information that at least one service of the one or more allowed services is barred.

[0125] The barred service is then translated into an action that is to be performed by the UAV 1. The action may, for example, be that the UAV 1 initiates a landing or modifies its flying path to an alternative path, or that it sets a minimum or a maximum altitude or speed, etc.

[0126] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a flow chart 31 comprising interactions between the UAV communication module and the UAV control module.

[0127] In this particular example, it is assumed that the UAV 1 comprises a UAV communication module and a UAV control module. The UAV communication module may refer to a modem embedded in the UAV, may be 3GPP standard compliant and may be able to connect to the telecommunication network through the air interface. This module may be in charge for receiving the access information regarding the particular conditions of the access of the UAV to the corresponding cell. It is noted that the UAV communication module may be based on off-the-shelf equipment, like the equipment that is present in smart phones all over the world.

[0128] The UAV communication module may thus comprise the same, or similar, technology as is present in smart phones all over the world. The UAV communication module is able to facilitate 4G or 5G telecommunication signalling. The UAV control module may refer to the system present in the UAV that processes the input from the UAV communication module and, in some cases, from the UAV control server. This UAV communication module may translate the cellular network system information, i.e. the one or more services that are barred, and may steer physical elements of the UAV to modify the behaviour of the UAV accordingly.

[0129] The UAV control module may thus be arranged to understand the parameters that are utilized in the telecommunication network, and that are provided to the UAV control module by the UAV communication module.

[0130] The UAV control module may be a physically separate control block, for example a micro controller or a Field Programmable Gate Array, FPGA, or anything alike.

[0131] FIG. 3 concerns the situation in which the UAV is controlled by a telecommunication network. That is, the UAV is either using network services already or is about to use network services.

[0132] Here, the UAV approaches 32 a specific radio cell wherein the conditions of the radio cell vary from the one to which the UAV is currently connected. The UAV then needs to determine whether physical actions are required. This is initiated in that the UAV communication module receives 33 cellular broadcast information, i.e. the access information as discussed above.

[0133] The UAV communication module and/or the UAV control module may process and evaluate 34 the broadcast information based on radio domain tags. This type of information may include Identity of the UAV and categories for the access, i.e. service needs.

[0134] After the communication service modification evaluation, and the decision 35 that the service is to be modified, the UAV continues in actually performing the communication service modification. This could be related to the blocking of video, modifying of bit rate of video of the UAV, etc. The above is controlled 37 by the control module.

[0135] The action that is to be performed may also require a physical, i.e. UAV, action as indicated with reference numeral 39. If so, the control module may perform a physical action 38 of the UAV. For example, the control module may decide to stop flying and do an emergency landing, may decide to turn around and fly the other way, or anything alike. Then, the flow charts ends as indicated with reference numeral 40.

[0136] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a flow chart 41 comprising a message flow between the telecommunication network and the UAV.

[0137] One of the aspects of the present disclosure is that the UAV comprises logic to translate radio specific channel information, i.e. the access information, received by a 3GPP compliant mobile chipset into particular physical actions that are to be performed by the UAV, for example into UAV control actions. Different criteria for access control may be broadcasted over the radio access network and may be received by the UAV communication module.

[0138] Based on the retrieved information and evaluation of barred or restrictive services, a mapping may follow and may allow for translating the retrieved information into corresponding physical actions which may be accomplished by control signalling by the UAV control module.

[0139] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a complete end-to-end signal flow in the scenario of a UAV 1 which is connected to radio cell A 42, in the Radio Access Network 43, but gets updated system information about limited service availability.

[0140] In this particular case, the UAV 1 stays connected to radio cell A 42, i.e. it is not handed over to radio cell B 44, and accepts the service provisioning is limited taking immediate action.

[0141] In a first step, the radio base state A 42 broadcasts information, more specifically access information, which is being received 47 by the UAV 1, more specifically the UAV communication module 45.

[0142] The UAV communication module 45 may be a 3GPP compliant module, like the one that is present in mobile phones or the like. The UAV communication module may be arranged to support 3G and/or 4G and/or 5G telecommunications.

[0143] The UAV communication module 45 may be arranged for determining, from the received access information, that at least one service is barred for the UAV 1. This is notified 49 to the UAV control module 46.

[0144] Based on the received notification 49, the UAV control module 46 is arranged to determine an action 50 to be performed based on the at least one barred service. The table below represent a table mapping that may be used by the UAV control module 46 for performing such a translation.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 UAV Access UAV Communication UAV Control Category Category module module A 1 Cell allowed No action 2 Limited bandwidth No action per bearer B 1 Cell not allowed Check with UTM 2 Limited to NAS only No action 3 Communication service No action modification A C 1 Cell not allowed Check with UTM 2 Communication service No action modification A 3 Communication service No action modification B 4 No action Cell speed limit 5 No action Cell minimum altitude

[0145] As shown above, each UAV may be categorized into a particular category. Here, three categories are shown as indicated with the numbers “A”, “B” and “C”. For each UAV category, multiple access categories may exist. Each access category is coupled to a particular requirement that is associated with the UAV, for example “cell allowed”, “limited bandwidth per bearer”, “cell not allowed”, etc. The particular requirement may thus be deduced, or retrieved, from the access information that is broadcasted by the radio base station A 42.

[0146] The UAV control module 46 may thus utilize the table above to translate the requirement into a particular action that is to be performed by the UAV.

[0147] For example, the requirement “cell not allowed” may be translated into a “check with UTM” to see what kind of actions are required by the UAV.

[0148] It is noted that the UAV category may depend on regulator classification based on specific parameters such as weight, size, maximum altitude allowed, etc. Each UAV category may be associated with one or several access categories which may trigger one or more actions in the UAV control module.

[0149] The table as indicated above may be interpreted in that category A is assigned to police UAVs which are still allowed to access a particular cell with a complete service package or may be offered a maximum of only limited services.

[0150] Category B may, for example, be assigned to commercially flying UAVs, whereas category C may, for example, be assigned to UAVs for consumers.

[0151] In a nutshell, the information broadcasted is received by the UAV communication module. The information is then translated, by the UAV control module, into a particular action that is to be performed.

[0152] In this particular case, the UAV control module 46 forwards 52 information on the at least one barred service, via the telecommunication network to a UAV control server 51, which is indicated with the wording “UAV UTM”. The UAV control server 51 is then arranged to actually determine the action that is to be performed by the UAV, and communicate 53 the action that is to be performed by the UAV back to the UAV over the telecommunication network.

[0153] The UAV then performs 54 the action that is specified by the UAV control server 51, and the action is also communicated 55 back to the UAV control server. Such communication may be necessary if the action is related to a particular action that is to be performed by the UAV communication module 45. For example, the UAV control module 46 may decide to perform a handover of the UAV to a different base station, for example base station B 44. The UAV communication module 45 may then perform a radio communication service modification 56.

[0154] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a flow chart 61 comprising a message flow between the telecommunication network and the UAV. It is noted that the same reference numerals are used in comparison with FIG. 4 for the same elements or the same aspects.

[0155] The main difference with respect to FIG. 4 is that, in this particular scenario, the UAV 1 is connected to the radio base station B 44 and that it receives the broadcasted information, i.e. the access information, from the radio bases station A 42.

[0156] Based on the access information received from the radio base station A 42, the UAV control module 46 may decide that at least one service is barred. This may mean that the UAV may come to the conclusion that at least one service is barred for the UAV when comparing the available services to the UAV when connected to the radio base station A 41 with the available services to the UAV when connected to the radio base station B 44. It is noted that this could go two ways. The list of services available for the UAV, when connected to the radio base station A 42, may be longer, or shorter, compared to the list of services available for the UAV, when connected to the radio base station A 44.

[0157] The feature that the UAV 1 determines from the access information that at least one service of the one or more allowed services is barred may thus also include the situation that the UAV 1 currently has one or more services barred compared to the situation when it is connected to another base station.

[0158] In this particular case, the UAV control module 46 translates 62, from the access information, that at least one service of the one or more allowed services is barred. The UAV control module 46 then performs 63 an action in that it decides to handover the UAV 1 from radio base station B 44 to radio base station A 42. This decision is communicated to the UAV UTM 51, and an acknowledgement is received 65 from the UAV UTM 51.

[0159] The action is then initiated 66 and communicated 67 to the UAV communication module 45. The UAV communication module 45 performs the handover of the UAV 1 to cell A and regular radio communication service provisions 69 may be initiated.

[0160] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV, 1 in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0161] The unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, 1 is arranged for acting upon a restriction in services, wherein the UAV 1 is connected to a telecommunication network and wherein the UAV 1 is allowed to utilize one or more services within the telecommunication network.

[0162] The UAV comprising: [0163] a UAV communication module 45 arranged for receiving, from a base station in the telecommunication network, an access information message comprising access information for being served by the base station, and arranged for determining from the access information that at least one service of the one or more services is barred; [0164] a UAV control module 46 arranged for determining an action to be performed based on the at least one barred service into an act, wherein the action is any of: [0165] a communication service modification of the UAV, and [0166] a physical action of the UAV; [0167] and wherein the UAV 1 is further arranged for performing the action.

[0168] Incoming packets are received via the input terminal 78 and the receive equipment 71. Outgoing packets are provided via the transmit equipment 72 and the output terminal 75.

[0169] The UAV 1 further comprises a processor 73, connected to a memory 74, and wherein the receive equipment 71, the transmit equipment 72, the UAV communication module 45, the UAV control module 46 are all connected to the processor 73 via a bus. The processor 73 is connected to a memory 74 for temporal storage of data.

[0170] Other variations to the disclosed examples can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed disclosure, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. A computer program may be stored/distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems. Any reference signs in the claims should not construed as limiting scope thereof.