Systems and methods for managing flight-restriction regions

Abstract

A method for regulating flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes obtaining information related to the UAV in response to determining that the UAV is flying approaching or within a flight-restriction region; obtaining, automatically with aid of one or more processors, a permission level for the UAV to fly within the flight-restriction region based on the information related to the UAV; determining, by a flight controller on board the UAV, a flight response measure associated with the flight-restriction region based on the permission level, where the flight response measure includes one or more rules governing an operation of the UAV; and controlling, by the flight controller on board the UAV, the operation of the UAV based on the flight response measure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for regulating flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
 in response to determining that the UAV is flying approaching or within a flight-restriction region, obtaining information related to the UAV;   obtaining, automatically with aid of one or more processors, a permission level for the UAV to fly within the flight-restriction region based on the information related to the UAV;   determining, by a flight controller on board the UAV, a flight response measure associated with the flight-restriction region based on the permission level, the flight response measure including one or more rules governing an operation of the UAV; and   controlling, by the flight controller on board the UAV, the operation of the UAV based on the flight response measure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information related to the UAV includes user information for a user of the UAV, the user of the UAV being an operator or an owner of the UAV. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the user information includes at least one of:
 a user identifier that uniquely identifies the user from other users;   information about the user's name, address, phone number;   financial information of the user; or   information about a level of training for UAV flight of the user, or certifications or licenses for UAV flight held by the user.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information related to the UAV includes UAV identification information for the UAV. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the UAV identification information includes at least one of:
 a UAV identifier that uniquely identifies the UAV from other UAVs;   information about a model, manufacturer, or performance characteristics of the UAV; or   a serial number of the UAV.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining the permission level for the UAV to fly within the flight-restriction region includes selecting the permission level of the UAV from a plurality of permission levels including a fully granted permission, a restrictedly granted permission, and a denied permission. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the UAV is prevented from flying within the flight-restriction region with the denied permission. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the permission level for the UAV to fly within the flight-restriction region depends on air traffic within the flight-restriction region. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 monitoring activity of the UAV within the flight-restriction region when the UAV is granted permission to fly within the flight-restriction region.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting that the flight-restriction region is designated in error; and   reporting an update that the flight-restriction region is designated in error.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the flight response measure includes a set of rules governing at least one of a flight of the UAV, an operation of a payload carried by the UAV, data collection of the UAV, transmission of data collected by the UAV, or communication of the UAV. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the flight-restriction region is a first flight-restriction region, and the flight response measure is a first flight response measure associated with the first flight response measure;   the method further comprising:
 in response to determining that the UAV is flying within the first flight-restriction region, obtaining information of a second flight-restriction region that is within the first flight-restriction region; 
 determining a second flight response measure associated with the second flight-restriction region, the second flight response measure being different from the first response measure; and 
 controlling, in response to the UAV flying approaching or within the second flight-restriction region, the operation of the UAV further based on the second flight response measure. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the flight-restriction region includes a plurality of zones each associated with one of a plurality of flight-restriction levels. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving a warning in response to the UAV flying within one of the plurality of zones and approaching another one of the plurality of zones.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending a request for the UAV to fly within the flight-restriction region prior to obtaining the permission level for the UAV to fly within the flight-restriction region.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the request includes at least one of:
 an indication of a proposed flight path of the UAV;   an indication of a proposed flight area of the UAV; or   an indication of a proposed timing of the UAV flight.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more rules governing the operation of the UAV include at least one of:
 limiting a maximum or minimum threshold of a translational speed, a height, a translational acceleration, an angular speed, or an angular acceleration for the UAV to fly within the flight-restriction region;   limiting a range of orientation for the UAV to fly within the flight-restriction region; or   governing a take-off and/or landing procedure of the UAV within the flight-restriction region.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to determining that the UAV is flying approaching or within the flight-restriction region, obtaining characteristic information of a payload carried by the UAV;   wherein obtaining the permission level includes obtaining the permission level for the UAV to fly within the flight-restriction region further based on the characteristic information of the payload.   
     
     
         19 . A system for regulating flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising one or more processors on board the UAV, individually or collectively configured to:
 in response to determining that the UAV is flying approaching or within a flight-restriction region, obtain information related to the UAV;   obtain, automatically with aid of one or more processors, a permission level for the UAV to fly within the flight-restriction region based on the information related to the UAV;   determine, by a flight controller on board the UAV, a flight response measure associated with the flight-restriction region based on the permission level, the flight response measure including one or more rules governing an operation of the UAV; and   control, by the flight controller on board the UAV, the operation of the UAV based on the flight response measure.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium for regulating flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising code, logic, or instructions to:
 in response to determining that the UAV is flying approaching or within a flight-restriction region, obtain information related to the UAV;   obtain, automatically with aid of one or more processors, a permission level for the UAV to fly within the flight-restriction region based on the information related to the UAV;   determine, by a flight controller on board the UAV, a flight response measure associated with the flight-restriction region based on the permission level, the flight response measure including one or more rules governing an operation of the UAV; and   control, by the flight controller on board the UAV, the operation of the UAV based on the flight response measure.