Methods and procedures for dynamic channel assignment and change in unmanned aircraft system (uas) control and non-payload communication

Abstract

A dynamic channel assignment method includes receiving, at a ground control station (GCS), assignment of a first communication channel set from a spectrum authority before takeoff of the unmanned aircraft; receiving, at the GCS, assignment of a second communication channel set when the unmanned aircraft is to move from a first area using the first communication channel set to a second area using the second communication channel set due to a flight plan of the unmanned aircraft after takeoff of the unmanned aircraft; and after the unmanned aircraft enters the second area, maintaining, at the GCS, the first communication channel set when the unmanned aircraft reenters the first area due to the flight plan, and returning, at the GCS, the first communication channel set to the spectrum authority when the unmanned aircraft does not reenter the first area due to the flight plan.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dynamic channel assignment method of a point-to-point (P2P) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) comprising a spectrum authority, a ground control station (GCS), a ground radio station (GRS), and an unmanned aircraft, the method comprising:
 receiving, at the GCS, assignment of a first communication channel set for communication between the GCS and the unmanned aircraft from the spectrum authority before takeoff of the unmanned aircraft;   receiving, at the GCS, assignment of a second communication channel set before the unmanned aircraft enters a second area when the unmanned aircraft is to move from a first area in which the first communication channel set is available to the second area in which the second communication channel set different from the first communication channel set is available due to a flight plan of the unmanned aircraft after takeoff of the unmanned aircraft;   performing, at the GCS, communication with the unmanned aircraft using the second communication channel set when the unmanned aircraft enters the second area; and   maintaining, at the GCS, the first communication channel set when the unmanned aircraft reenters the first area from the second area due to the flight plan of the unmanned aircraft, and returning, at the GCS, the first communication channel set to the spectrum authority when the unmanned aircraft does not reenter the first area due to the flight plan of the unmanned aircraft.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 returning, at the GCS, the first communication channel set to the spectrum authority and receiving assignment of a third communication channel set available in a third area from the spectrum authority when the unmanned aircraft enters the third area due to the flight plan of the unmanned aircraft.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 monitoring, at the GCS, a link state of a communication channel set in use; and   changing, at the GCS, the communication channel set by returning the communication channel set in use to the spectrum authority and by receiving assignment of a new communication channel set when the link state of the communication channel set in use does not satisfy a reference value.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the communication channel set includes a primary channel and a backup channel, and
 the primary channel and the backup channel are selected from different frequency bands, respectively.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the changing of the communication channel set comprises initially changing one of the primary channel and the backup channel included in the communication channel set and subsequently changing a remaining one thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, at the GCS, information of a communication channel set assigned from the spectrum authority to the GRS; and   verifying, at the GRS, whether the communication channel set is assigned from the spectrum authority, based on information of the communication channel set.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the spectrum authority further provides information indicating that the communication channel set is assigned from the spectrum authority when assigning the communication channel set to the GCS,
 information of the communication channel set provided from the GCS to the GRS includes information indicating that the communication channel set is assigned from the spectrum authority, and   the GRS verifies whether the communication channel set is assigned from the spectrum authority based on information indicating that the communication channel set is assigned from the spectrum authority.   
     
     
         8 . A dynamic channel assignment method of a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) comprising a spectrum authority, a ground control station (GCS), a ground radio station (GRS) supporting a plurality of unmanned aircrafts, and an unmanned aircraft, the method comprising:
 transmitting, at the GRS, information of the GRS to the spectrum authority, and receiving assignment of an uplink frequency set from the spectrum authority;   registering, at the spectrum authority, the uplink frequency set and information of the GRS to a database of the spectrum authority;   receiving, at the GCS, assignment of a first communication channel set for communication between the GCS and the unmanned aircraft from the spectrum authority before takeoff of the unmanned aircraft;   receiving, at the GCS, assignment of a second communication channel set before the unmanned aircraft enters a second area when the unmanned aircraft is to move from a first area in which the first communication channel set is available to the second area in which the second communication channel set different from the first communication channel set is available due to a flight plan of the unmanned aircraft after takeoff of the unmanned aircraft;   performing, at the GCS, communication with the unmanned aircraft using the second communication channel set when the unmanned aircraft enters the second area; and   maintaining, at the GCS, the first communication channel set when the unmanned aircraft reenters the first area from the second area due to the flight plan of the unmanned aircraft, and returning, at the GCS, the first communication channel set to the spectrum authority when the unmanned aircraft does not reenter the first area due to the flight plan of the unmanned aircraft.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 returning, at the GCS, the first communication channel set to the spectrum authority and receiving assignment of a third communication channel set available in a third area from the spectrum authority when the unmanned aircraft enters the third area due to the flight plan of the unmanned aircraft.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 monitoring, at the GCS, a link state of a communication channel set in use; and   changing, at the GCS, the communication channel set by returning the communication channel set in use to the spectrum authority and by receiving assignment of a new communication channel set when the link state of the communication channel set in use does not satisfy a reference value.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the receiving the assignment of the communication channel set comprises receiving an approval of a GRS used at the GCS from the spectrum authority, and receiving assignment of a time slot in an uplink frequency assigned to the GRS and a downlink frequency as the communication channel set, and
 the changing of the communication channel set comprises changing, at the GCS, the downlink frequency of the communication channel set and the time slot of the uplink frequency.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the communication channel set includes a primary channel and a backup channel, and
 the primary channel and the backup channel are selected from different frequency bands, respectively.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the changing of the communication channel set comprises initially changing one of the primary channel and the backup channel included in the communication channel set and subsequently changing a remaining one thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 providing, at the GCS, information of a communication channel set assigned from the spectrum authority to the GRS; and   verifying, at the GRS, whether the communication channel set is assigned from the spectrum authority, based on information of the communication channel set.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the spectrum authority further provides information indicating that the communication channel set is assigned from the spectrum authority when assigning the communication channel set to the GCS,
 information of the communication channel set provided from the GCS to the GRS includes information indicating that the communication channel set is assigned from the spectrum authority, and   the GRS verifies whether the communication channel set is assigned from the spectrum authority based on information indicating that the communication channel set is assigned from the spectrum authority.   
     
     
         16 . A distributed channel assignment method of a point-to-point (P2P) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) comprising a spectrum authority, a ground control station (GCS), a ground radio station (GRS) supporting a plurality of unmanned aircrafts, and an unmanned aircraft, the method comprising:
 selecting, at the GCS, available channels for communication with the unmanned aircraft based on information provided from the spectrum authority;   requesting, at the GCS, the spectrum authority for assigning a single channel among the available channels;   verifying, at the spectrum authority, whether the requested channel is available in a flight area of the unmanned aircraft, and determining whether to approve the requested channel; and   assigning, at the spectrum authority, the requested channel to the GCS when the requested channel is determined to be approved.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 providing, at the spectrum authority, an assignment database and an interference analysis algorithm for determining whether to assign the channel to the GCS, prior to selecting at the GCS, the available channels,   wherein the selecting comprises analyzing, at the GCS, performing interference analysis between frequency channels using the interference analysis algorithm and selecting a communication channel compatible with an existing communication channel present in a current flight area of the unmanned aircraft during flight of the unmanned aircraft.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the requesting comprises providing, at the GCS, at least one of communication link waveform information including a bandwidth of the requested channel, a maximum transmission power, and a receiver sensitivity, a GRS to be used at the GCS, and a transceiver location and an antenna pattern of the unmanned aircraft. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 providing, at the GCS, communication channel link state information between the GCS and the unmanned aircraft to the spectrum authority; and   updating, at the spectrum authority, the interference analysis algorithm based on the communication channel link state information.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 notifying, at the spectrum authority, the GCS that the channel assignment is disallowed if the channel assignment is impossible;   receiving, at the GCS, the updated interference analysis algorithm from the spectrum authority, reselecting an available channel using the updated interference analysis algorithm, and requesting again the spectrum authority for the reselected available channel; and   assigning, at the spectrum authority, the channel to the GCS when the requested channel is determined to be approved.