Patent Description:
Unmanned aerial vehicles, abbreviated as UAVs, are one of unmanned flight vehicles that can be controlled by a radio remote control device. At present, it has become more and more common in people's daily life to connect UAVs to a cellular network and use the cellular network to control UAVs. How to improve the flexibility in controlling UAVs by the cellular network has become an urgent problem.

<NPL>, relates to UAV airborne status change indication - from flying mode to non-flying mode.

<CIT> relates to a method and apparatus for multiple accesses in a communication system. A method of operating a first terminal includes a step of allowing a first terminal operating in an RRC_Connected state to transmit an uplink reference signal used for the estimation of a spatial correlation to a base station; a step of receiving an estimation completion message indicating that estimation of the spatial correlation degree is completed from the base station; a step of receiving a first transmission preamble sequence set based on the spatial correlation from the base station; and a step of transit the operation state of the first terminal from the RRC_connected state to an RRC_idle state when the first transmission preamble sequence is received. Therefore, the performance of a communication system can be improved.

<CIT> relates to a method and apparatus for controlling an unmanned plane, and the method is applied to a base station. The method comprises the following steps: receiving flight path information transmitted by an unmanned plane controller, wherein the flight path information is used for characterizing a flight path set by the unmanned plane controller for the controlled unmanned plane; determining the flight path according to the flight path information; determining a next base station to which the unmanned plane is to be moved according to the flight path, and performing a switching preparation for the base station. Therefore, the method and the apparatus improve the mobility of the unmanned plane, and can also reduce the delay of the base station handover.

<NPL>, relates to analyzing the radio propagation characteristics of drones, and identifying potential enhancements for drones, including interference coordination/avoidance, interference cancellation/mitigation, power control, beam management, and access and connection control.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information transmission method, an UAV, a base station and a computer-readable storage medium according to the independent claims, which can improve the flexibility in controlling UAVs by the cellular network.

According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided an information transmission method performed by a system comprising at least one unmanned aerial vehicle and a base station, comprising:.

Optionally, the sending, by an unmanned aerial vehicle, mode switching information to a base station after the flight mode is switched from a first flight mode to a second flight mode comprises:.

Optionally, the sending the mode switching information to the base station in the random access procedure, comprises:.

Optionally, the mode switching information is carried in a radio resource control connection request (RRCConnectionRequest) signaling of the MSG3.

According to a second aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:.

Optionally, the processor is configured to
initiate a random access procedure, and send the mode switching information to the base station in the random access procedure, after the flight mode is switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode.

Optionally, the processor is configured to.

According to a third aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a base station, comprising:.

Optionally, the mode switching information is sent by the unmanned aerial vehicle during a random access procedure, which random access procedure is initiated by the unmanned aerial vehicle after the flight mode is switched from the first flight mode to the first flight mode.

According to a fourth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein at least one instruction is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and the at least one instruction, when it is executed by a processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle and a processor of a base station, results in carrying out the respective steps of the unmanned aerial vehicle and of the base station of the information transmission method according to any emnbodiment of the above-mentioned first aspect.

The technical approach provided by embodiments of the present disclosure may at least comprise the following beneficial effects:
mode switching information is sent by the unmanned aerial vehicle to the base station, after the flight mode is switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode, so as to report via the mode switching information to the base station that the flight mode of the unmanned aerial vehicle has been switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode. In this way, the base station can control the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the switched flight mode, which is the second flight mode, after the flight mode of the unmanned aerial vehicle is switched, thereby improving the flexibility in controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle.

It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present disclosure.

The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, showing embodiments that conform to the present disclosure, and are used along with the specification to explain the principle of the present disclosure.

In order to make the objectives, technical approaches and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, in the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described further in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The exemplary embodiments will be described in detail here, and examples thereof are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementations as described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all the implementations consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are only examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

UAVs are one of the unmanned flight vehicles that can be operated by a radio remote control device. At present, it has become more and more common in people's daily life to connect UAVs to a cellular network and use the cellular network to control UAVs.

Since the coverage of a single cell in the cellular network is limited, during the flight, the UAV may move from the coverage of one cell to the coverage of another cell. In order to ensure the continuity in the communication services offered by the UAV and prevent the UAV from leaving the control by the cellular network, a process of cell handover needs to be performed on the UAV when the UAV moves from the coverage of one cell to the coverage of another cell.

In practical applications, the flight mode of the UAV can include a fixed flight mode and a dynamic flight mode. Among the two flight modes, the fixed flight mode refers to a flight mode with a fixed flight path. In the fixed flight mode, the UAV's operator can preset the flight path of the UAV, and the UAV can fly according to the preset flight path. The dynamic flight mode refers to a flight mode with a variable flight path. In the dynamic flight mode, the UAV's operator can control the flight of the UAV in real time by a radio remote control device, and the UAV can be controlled by the radio remote control device in real time.

In the fixed flight mode, as the flight path of the UAV is preset, the UAV can send the flight path to the network side of the cellular network (hereinafter referred to as the network side). In this way, the network side can determine, based on the flight path, cells that the UAV will pass by during the flight, which helps to prepare the base station, to which the cells belong, in advance for cell handover.

In the dynamic flight mode, as the flight path of the UAV cannot be predicted, the base station at the network side can instruct the UAV to measure neighboring cells during the flight, and to report the measurement results to the base station. In this way, the base station can perform cell handover for the UAV based on the measurement results.

It can be seen from the above description that in different flight modes, the control strategies required to control the UAV at the network side are likely to be different.

In order to improve the flexibility in controlling UAVs by the cellular network, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information transmission method. In the information transmission method, the UAV can send a mode switch information to the base station after the flight mode is switched from a first flight mode to a second flight, so as to report via the mode switch information to the base station that the flight mode of the UAV has been switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode. In this way, the base station can find a suitable control strategy according to the switched flight mode, that is, the second flight mode, after the flight mode of the UAV is switched, and the UAV can be controlled according to such control strategy. Thus, the flexibility in controlling UAVs can be improved.

In the following, a brief description is provided of an implementation environment as involved in the information transimittion method proposed by the present disclosure.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of an implementation environment as involved in the information transmission method proposed by embodiments of the disclosure. As shown in <FIG>, the implementation environment can comprise a base station <NUM> and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) <NUM>. The base station <NUM> and the UAV <NUM> can be connected by a cellular network. The UAV <NUM> is any one of the UAVs in the cell served by the base station <NUM>.

The aforementioned cellular network can be a fifth-generation mobile communication technology (abbreviated as <NUM>) network, a long-term evolution (abbreviated as LTE) network, or other cellular network similar to an LTE network or <NUM> network.

<FIG> is a flow chart showing an information transmission method according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in <FIG>, the information transmission method is suitable to be used in the implementation environment shown by <FIG>. The information transmission method comprises the following steps.

Step <NUM> is sending, by an UVA, mode switching information to a base station, after the flight mode is switched from a first flight mode to a second flight mode.

The mode switching information is configured to indicate that the flight mode of the UAV has been switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode.

Step <NUM> is receiving, by a base station, the mode switching information sent by the UAV.

In summary, according to the information transmission method provided by embodiments of the present disclosure, the mode switching information is sent by the UAV to the base station, after the flight mode is switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode, so as to report via the mode switching information to the base station that the flight mode of the UAV has been switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode. In this way, after the flight mode of the UAV is switched, the base station can control the UAV according to the switched flight mode, that is, the second flight mode. Thus, the flexibility in controlling the UAV can be improved.

<FIG> is a flowchart of an information transmission method according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in <FIG>, the information transmission method is suitable for use in the implementation environment shown by <FIG>. The information transmission method comprises the following steps.

Step <NUM> is switching, by an UAV, the flight mode from a first flight mode to a second flight mode.

The first flight mode may be a flight mode with a fixed flight path, i.e., the first flight mode may be a fixed flight mode, and the second flight mode may be a flight mode with a variable flight path, i.e., the second flight mode may be a dynamic flight mode. Alternatively, the first flight mode may be a flight mode with a variable flight path, and the second flight mode may be a flight mode with a fixed flight path.

In the following, merely as an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the first flight mode is a fixed flight mode and the second flight mode is a dynamic flight mode, so as to explain the technical process for switching the flight mode of the UAV from the first flight mode to the second flight mode. The same applies to the case where the first flight mode is a dynamic flight mode and the second flight mode is a fixed flight mode, and the present disclosure will not go into detail in this regard.

In one possible scenario, when the UAV is in a fixed flight mode, the UAV's operator can use a radio remote control device to send control commands to the UAV, and upon receipt of the control commands, the UAV can switch from the fixed flight mode to a dynamic flight mode.

For example, when the UAV is in a fixed flight mode and the UAV's operator observes that the UAV may collide with an obstacle, the UAV's operator can use a radio remote control device to send a control command to the UAV, so as to control the UAV for emergency obstacle avoidance. After receiving the control command, the UAV can switch from the fixed flight mode to a dynamic flight mode, and adjust the filight path according to the control command.

In another possible case, when the UAV is in a fixed flight mode, a distance sensor installed in the UAV can measure the distance between the UAV and objects around the UAV in real time. When the distance measured by the distance sensor between the UAV and the objects around the UAV is less than a certain threshold value, the UAV can automatically switch from the fixed flight mode to a dynamic flight mode, and perform emergency obstacle avoidance.

Step <NUM> is initiating, by the UAV, a random access procedure and sending mode switching information to the base station in the random access procedure.

After the first flight mode is switched to the second flight mode, and when the UAV is in an idle state, the UAV can initiate a random access procedure. That is, the UAV can send a random access preamble identifier to the base station on a physical random access channel (abbreviated as PRACH), so that the base station performs the subsequent random access procedure according to the random acess precursor code.

The mode switching information is configured to indicate that the flight mode of the UAV has been switched from a first flight mode to a second flight mode. The present disclosure provides two ways for the UAV to send the mode switching information to the base station in the random access procedure.

In the first way, the UAV sends mode switching information to the base station via a Message <NUM> (MSG3) in the random access procedure.

In this case, the mode switching information can be carried in a radio resource control connection request (RRCConnectionRequest) signaling of the MSG3.

In the second way, the UAV sends mode switching information to the base station via a Message <NUM> (MSG5) in the random access procedure.

In this case, the mode switching information can be carried in the radio resource control connection setup complete (RRCConnectionSetupComplete) signaling of the MSG5.

Step <NUM> is receiving, by the base station, the mode switching information sent by the UAV in the random access procedure initiated by the UAV.

As similar to the two ways in which the UAV sends the mode switching information to the base station, there may also two ways in which the base station receives the mode switching information.

In the first way, the base station receives the mode switching information sent by the UAV via a MSG3 in the random access procedure.

In the second way, the base station receives the mode switching information sent by the UAV via a MSG5 in the random access procedure.

Step <NUM> is acquiring, by the base station, the second flight mode according to the mode switching information, and controllling the UAV according to the second flight mode.

After receiving the mode switching information, the base station can acquire the switched flight mode, i.e., the second flight mode, of the UAV according to the mode switching information. After that, the base station can obtain the control strategy corresponding to the second flight mode and control the UAV based on such control strategy.

For example, when the base station determines that the flight mode of the UAV has been switched from a fixed flight mode to a dynamic flight mode based on the mode switching information sent by the UAV, the base station can notify each base station on the original flight path of the UAV to stop its preparation for cell handover, and at the same time, the base station can also instruct the UAV to measure the neighboring cells.

In summary, according to the information transmission method provided by embodiments of the present disclosure, mode switching information is sent by the UAV to the base station after the UAV has switched the flight mode from the first flight mode to the second flight mode, so as to report via the mode switching information to the base station that the flight mode of the UAV has been switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode. In this way, after the UAV has switched the flight mode, the base station can control the UAV based on the switched flight mode, i.e., the second flight mode, thus allowing for a greater flexibility in controlling the UAV.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an information transmission device <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment. The information transmission device <NUM> can be disposed in the UAV <NUM> shown in <FIG>. Referring to <FIG>, the information transmitting device <NUM> comprises a transmitting module <NUM>.

The transmitting module <NUM> is configured to send mode switching information to the base station after the flight mode is switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode. The mode switching information is configured to indicate that the flight mode of the UAV has been switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmitting module <NUM> is configured to initiate a random access procedure and send the mode switching information to the base station in the random access procedure, after the flight mode is switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmitting module <NUM> is configured to send the mode switching information to the base station via a MSG3 in the random access procedure.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mode switching information is carried in a radio resource control connection request (i.e., RRCConnectionRequest) signaling of the MSG3.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmitting module <NUM> is configured to send the mode switching information to the base station via a MSG4 in the random access procedure.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mode switching information is carried in a radio resource control connection setup complete (i.e., RRCConnectionSetupComplete) signaling of the MSG4.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first flight mode is a flight mode with a fixed flight path, and the second flight mode is a flight mode with a variable flight path. Alternatively, the first flight mode is a flight mode with a variable flight path, and the second flight mode is a flight mode with a fixed flight path.

In summary, according to the information transmission device provided by embodiments of the present disclosure, mode switching information is sent to the base station after the flight mode is switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode, so as to report via the mode switching information to the base station that the flight mode of the UAV has been switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode. In this way, after the flight mode of the UAV has been switched, the base station can control the UAV according to the switched flight mode, i.e., the second flight mode, thus increasing the flexibility in controlling the UAV.

With respect to the device proposed in the above embodiments, the specific manner in which the individual components perform their operations has been described in detail in the example embodiments of the above method, and will not be described in detail herein.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an information transmission device <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment, which information transmission device <NUM> can be disposed in the base station <NUM> shown in <FIG>. Referring to <FIG>, the information transmitting device <NUM> comprises a receiving module <NUM>.

The receiving module <NUM> is configured to receive the mode switching information sent by the UAV. The mode switching information is sent by the UAV after it has switched the flight mode from the first flight mode to the second flight mode. The mode switching information is configured to indicate that the flight mode of the UAV has been switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mode switching information is sent by the UAV in a random access procedure, which random access procedure is initiated by the UAV after the flight mode is switched from that first flight mode to that second flight mode.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving module <NUM> is configured to receive the mode switching information sent by the UAV via a MSG3 in the random access procedure.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving module <NUM> is configured to receive the mode switching information sent by the UAV via a MSG5 in the random access procedure.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mode switching information is carried in a radio resource control connection setup complete (i.e., RRCConnectionSetupComplete) signaling of the MSG5.

In summary, according to the information transmission device provided by embodiments of the present disclosure, the mode switching information, sent by the UAV after switching the flight mode from the first flight mode to the second flight mode, is reviced by the base station, wherein the mode switching information is configured to indicate that the flight mode of the UAV has been switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode. In this way, after the flight mode of the UAV has been switched, the base station can control the UAV according to the switched flight mode, i.e., the second flight mode, thus allowing for a greater flexibility in controlling the UAV.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an information transmission device <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the device <NUM> can be an UAV.

Referring to <FIG>, the device <NUM> can comprise one or more of the following components: a processing component <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, an electric power supply <NUM>, a power component <NUM>, a sensor assembly <NUM>, and a communication component <NUM>.

The processing component <NUM> typically controls the overall operation of the device <NUM>, for example communicates with data, changes altitude, changes flight direction, and switches flight mode. The processing component <NUM> can comprise one or more processors <NUM> to execute instructions, such that all or some of the steps in the above described method are accomplished. Additionally, the processing component <NUM> can comprise one or more modules to facilitate interactions between the processing component <NUM> and other components. For example, the processing component <NUM> can comprise a sensor module to facilitate interactions between the sensor assembly <NUM> and the processing component <NUM>.

The memory <NUM> is configured to store various types of data to support operations of the device <NUM>. Examples of such data comprise, for example, instructions for any applications or methods installed in the device <NUM>. The memory <NUM> can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, Disk or CD.

The electric power supply <NUM> provides electric power to various components of the device <NUM>. The electric power supply <NUM> can comprise a power management system, one or more electric power sources, and other components associated with the generation, management and distribution of electric power for the device <NUM>.

The power assembly <NUM> can provide power for the flight of the UAV, and can change the flight altitude and the flight direction of the UAV, etc., under the control of the processing component <NUM>.

The sensor assembly <NUM> comprises one or more sensors for providing a status assessment of various aspects of the device <NUM>. For example, the sensor assembly <NUM> can detect changes in the orientation or the acceleration/deceleration and the temperature of the device <NUM>. The sensor assembly <NUM> can comprise a proximity sensor, which is configured to detect the presence of nearby objects in the absence of any physical contact. The sensor assembly <NUM> can also comprise an optical sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. According to some embodiments, the sensor assembly <NUM> can also comprise an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

The communication component <NUM> is configured to facilitate a wired or wireless communication between the device <NUM> and other devices. The device <NUM> can have access to a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, <NUM>, <NUM>, or a combination thereof. According to an exemplary embodiment, the communication component <NUM> receives a broadcast signal or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system on a broadcast channel. According to an exemplary embodiment, the communication component <NUM> also comprises a near-field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

In exemplary embodiments, the device <NUM> can be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components for performing the methoddescribed above.

In an exemplary embodiment, there is also provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, such as a memory <NUM> containing instructions, which instructions can be executed by the processor <NUM> of the device <NUM> for implementating the method as described above. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be ROM, random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disks, and optical data storage devices, among others.

In exemplary embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is also provided. This enables the UAV to perform the information transmission method provided by the present disclosure, when instructions contained in the storage medium are executed by the processor of the UAV.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an information transmission device <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the information transmission device <NUM> can be a base station. As shown in <FIG>, the information transmission device <NUM> can comprise: a processor <NUM>, a receiver <NUM>, a transmitter <NUM>, and a memory <NUM>. The receiver <NUM>, the transmitter <NUM>, and the memory <NUM> are each connected to the processor <NUM> via a respective bus.

The processor <NUM> comprises one or more processing cores, and by running a software program as well as a module, the processor <NUM> executes the steps as performed by the base station in the information transmission method provided by the present disclosure. The memory <NUM> can be configured to store the software program as well as the module. Specifically, the memory <NUM> can store an operating system <NUM>, and an application module <NUM> required for at least one function. The receiver <NUM> is configured to receive communication data sent by other devices, and the transmitter <NUM> is configured to send communication data to other devices.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an information transmission system <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in <FIG>, the information transmission system <NUM> comprises a base station <NUM> and a UAV <NUM>.

The base station <NUM> is configured to perform the information transmission method as performed by the base station in the example shown by <FIG>.

The UAV <NUM> is configured to perform the information transmission method as performed by the UAV in the example shown by <FIG>.

In an exemplary embodiment, there is also provided a computer-readable storage medium that is a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program is stored, which computer program is configured, when executed by a processing component, to implement the information transmission method provided by the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure also provides a computer program product having instructions stored therein, wherein the instructions are configured, when run on a computer, such that the computer performs the information transmission method provided by the present disclosure.

The present disclosure also provides a chip containing a programmable logic circuitry and/or program instructions, which enables the chip, when operating, to perform the information transmission method provided by the present disclosure.

Claim 1:
An information transmission method performed by a system comprising at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (<NUM>) and a base station (<NUM>), wherein,
the information transmission method comprises:
sending (<NUM>), by the unmanned aerial vehicle (<NUM>), mode switching information to the base station (<NUM>), after a flight mode is switched from a first flight mode to a second flight mode, wherein the first flight mode is a flight mode with a fixed flight path and the second flight mode is a flight mode with a variable flight path, and
receiving (<NUM>), by the base station (<NUM>), the mode switching information sent by the unmanned aerial vehicle (<NUM>),
wherein the mode switching information is configured to indicate that the flight mode of the unmanned aerial vehicle (<NUM>) has been switched from the first flight mode to the second flight mode,
characterized in that,
the information transmission method further comprises:
obtaining, by the base station (<NUM>), after receiving the mode switching information, a control strategy corresponding to the second flight mode,
controlling, by the base station (<NUM>), the unmanned aerial vehicle (<NUM>) based on the control strategy,
and instructing, by the base station the unmanned aerial vehicle (<NUM>) to measure neighboring cells when the unmanned aerial vehicle (<NUM>) is in the second flight mode.