System and method for automated traffic management of intelligent unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

A drone traffic management system comprising a computer comprising memory means for storing origin coordinates indicating an origin location of a drone, destination coordinates indicating a destination of the drone, and traffic management factors located between the origin location of the drone and the destination of the drone; and processing means for controlling the flight of a drone. This is accomplished by calculating a flight path for the drone to fly automatically from the origin location to the destination location without manual intervention, sending the flight path to the drone, receiving location data of the drone as it travels from the origin location to the destination, re-calculating the flight path of the drone as a function of the traffic management factors and the location data of the drone, and sending the re-calculated flight path to the drone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drone traffic management system comprising a computer comprising:
 memory means for storing
 origin coordinates indicating an origin location of a drone, 
 destination coordinates indicating a destination of the drone, and 
 traffic management factors located between the origin location of the drone and the destination of the drone; and 
   processing means for controlling the flight of a drone by
 calculating a flight path for the drone to fly automatically from the origin location to the destination location without manual intervention, 
 sending the flight path to the drone, 
 receiving location data of the drone as it travels from the origin location to the destination, 
 re-calculating the flight path of the drone as a function of the traffic management factors and the location data of the drone, and 
 sending the re-calculated flight path to the drone. 
   
     
     
         2 . The drone traffic management system of  claim 1  wherein the traffic management factors comprise at least one of weather parameters, natural barrier locations, manmade barrier locations. 
     
     
         3 . The drone traffic management system of  claim 1  wherein the traffic management factors comprise a flight path of a second drone. 
     
     
         4 . The drone traffic management system of  claim 1  wherein the computer is stationary with respect to the drone. 
     
     
         5 . The drone traffic management system of  claim 1  wherein the computer is located onboard a second drone that is in motion with respect to the drone. 
     
     
         6 . The drone traffic management system of  claim 1  wherein the processing means is adapted to control the flight of a plurality of drones. 
     
     
         7 . The drone traffic management system wherein one of the plurality of drones is a roving sector drone, and wherein the computer is located onboard the roving sector drone. 
     
     
         8 . A method of managing drone traffic comprising:
 storing in memory
 origin coordinates indicating an origin location of a drone, 
 destination coordinates indicating a destination of the drone, and 
 traffic management factors located between the origin location of the drone and the destination of the drone; and 
   controlling the flight of a drone by
 calculating a flight path for the drone to fly automatically from the origin location to the destination location without manual intervention, 
 sending the flight path to the drone, 
 receiving location data of the drone as it travels from the origin location to the destination, 
 re-calculating the flight path of the drone as a function of the traffic management factors and the location data of the drone, and 
 sending the re-calculated flight path to the drone. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the traffic management factors comprise at least one of weather parameters, natural barrier locations, manmade barrier locations. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the traffic management factors comprise a flight path of a second drone. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising controlling the flight of a plurality of drones.