Unmanned aerial vehicle systems

Abstract

Various systems, methods, for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are disclosed. In one aspect, UAVs operation in an area may be managed and organized by UAV corridors, which can be defined ways for the operation and movement of UAVs. UAV corridors may be supported by infrastructures and/or systems supported UAVs operations. Support infrastructures may include support systems such as resupply stations and landing pads. Support systems may include communication UAVs and/or stations for providing communications and/or other services, such as aerial traffic services, to UAV with limited communication capabilities. Further support systems may include flight management services for guiding UAVs with limited navigation capabilities as well as tracking and/or supporting unknown or malfunctioning UAVs.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . An unmanned aerial vehicle system for providing a location service for a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating within a predetermined operational area of the unmanned aerial vehicle system, comprising:
 a communication station, the communication station including a communication component for communicating with the plurality of UAVs and a second communication component for communicating with a communication point being a terrestrial communication station, when the communication UAV is active within the predetermined operational area;   wherein the communication station includes a processor for determining a location estimate of at least one of the plurality of UAVs using signal characteristics of communication with the at least one UAV and the communication station.   
     
     
         19 . The unmanned aerial vehicle system of  claim 18 , wherein one or more additional location estimates of the at least one UAV are accessible to the communication station, the one or more location estimates based on one or more of (a) a location estimate from a geolocation component of the at least one UAV, (b) a location estimate provided by a aerial traffic service, and (c) a location estimate based on tracking data of the at least one UAV from the UAV system; and
 wherein the determining by the processor includes weighting the location estimate and the one or more additional location estimates based on a reliability of each of the location estimate and the one or more additional location estimates.   
     
     
         20 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
 an optical system for detecting an aerial target within a vicinity of the UAV, when the UAV is in operation;   a processor for determining, based on a detected flight characteristic of the aerial target by the optical system that the aerial target maintains a constant azimuth and elevation relative to the UAV; and   a flight control system for maneuvering the UAV to avoid a collision with the aerial target.   
     
     
         40 . An unmanned aerial vehicle system for providing a surveillance service of an airspace to a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating within a predetermined operational area of the unmanned aerial vehicle system, comprising:
 a communication UAV, the communication UAV including
 a first communication component for communicating with the plurality of UAVs, 
 a second communication component for transceiving first communication related to the surveillance service through a first channel, and 
 a second communication component for transceiving second communication related to the surveillance service through a second channel, 
   when the communication UAV is active within the predetermined operational area; and   wherein information related to the first communication and the second communication are provided by the communication UAV to the plurality of UAVs through the communication component in sufficiently real time.