Devices, methods and systems for close proximity identification of unmanned aerial systems

Abstract

Embodiments described herein include an electronic beacon system mounted to an unmanned aerial system (UAS) broadcasting identification and sensor data including a UAS identification code, global positioning system data and other telemetry information. In certain embodiments, identification and global positioning system data of the unmanned aerial system is transmitted to and displayed upon a mobile handheld device. Other embodiments include using the identification data to ascertain the identity of the owner/operator of an unmanned aerial system. Related systems, hardware, firmware, and software are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for the identification of an unmanned aerial systems system, said the method comprising:
 transmitting an identification code and sensor data from an the unmanned aerial system, wherein the identification code identifies an owner or operator of the unmanned aerial system and wherein the sensor data includes positional information about the unmanned aerial system; 
 receiving and saving the identification code and sensor data by an authorized handheld mobile device and by an unauthorized handheld mobile device; 
 transmitting authorization credentials and, the identification code, and the sensor data from the authorized handheld mobile device to a database/application server; 
 looking up the identification code on the database/application server and matching the identification code with an the unmanned aerial system; 
 transmitting information identifying an the unmanned aerial system owner or operator associated with the identification code and unmanned aerial system information from the database/application server to the authorized handheld mobile device; and 
 displaying on the authorized handheld mobile device the unmanned aerial system information on the authorized handheld mobile device identifying the owner or operator of the unmanned aerial system; 
 wherein the unauthorized handheld mobile device lacks authorization credentials for the database/application server and lacks access to the database/application server, and is configured to display the identification code and sensor data received from the unmanned aerial system, and to present provide a notification on the unauthorized handheld mobile device that the unauthorized handheld mobile device is in proximity to the unmanned aerial system responsive to receiving the sensor data from the unmanned aerial system; 
 wherein the sensor data comprises at least one from among global positioning coordinates, altitude, speed, time, date, direction, and other telemetry data, or any combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein sensor data and identification codes are transmitted via a short-range wireless transmitter. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the sensor data and identification code from the unauthorized handheld mobile device to an authorized handheld mobile device. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identification code is a unique code assigned to an unmanned aerial system by a manufacturer, government agency or other public agency. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the identification code comprises hexadecimal code, alphanumeric code, symbolic code, binary code, encrypted code or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the authorization credentials comprise a username and password or any other security validation method. 
     
     
       7. A computer system for the identification of the owner or operator of an unmanned aerial system through the use of an unmanned aerial system identification code, the computer system comprising: 
 a processor and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to:
 transmit an the unmanned aerial system identification code and sensor data from an the unmanned aerial system, wherein the unmanned aerial system identification code identifies comprises information identifying an owner or operator of the unmanned aerial system and wherein the sensor data includes positional information about the unmanned aerial system; 
 receive and save the identification code and sensor data by an authorized handheld mobile device and by an unauthorized handheld mobile device; 
 transmit authorization credentials and, the identification code, and the sensor data from the authorized handheld mobile device to a database/application server; 
 look up the identification code on the database/application server and matching match the identification code with an the unmanned aerial system and the information identifying the owner or operator of the unmanned aerial system;  
 transmit the information identifying an the owner or operator of the unmanned aerial system from the database/application server to the authorized handheld mobile device; and 
 display the unmanned aerial system information identifying the owner or operator of the unmanned aerial system and the sensor data on the authorized handheld mobile device; 
 
 wherein the unauthorized handheld mobile device lacks authorization credentials for the database/application server and lacks access to the database/application server, and is configured to present provide a notification that the unauthorized handheld mobile device is in proximity to the unmanned aerial system responsive to receiving the sensor data from the unmanned aerial system, and to display the identification codes and sensor data received from the unmanned aerial system; 
 wherein sensor data comprises at least one from among global positioning coordinates, altitude, speed, time, date, direction, and other telemetry data, or any combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       8. The computer system according to  claim 7 , wherein sensor data and identification codes are transmitted via a short-range wireless transmitter. 
     
     
       9. The computer system according to  claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computer system to transmit the sensor data and identification code from the unauthorized handheld mobile device to an authorized handheld mobile device. 
     
     
       10. The computer system according to  claim 7 , wherein the identification code comprises a unique code assigned to an unmanned aerial system by a manufacturer, government agency or other public agency. 
     
     
       11. The computer system according to  claim 10 , wherein the identification code comprises hexadecimal code, alphanumeric code, symbolic code, binary code or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       12. The computer system according to  claim 7 , wherein the authorization credentials comprise a username and password or any other security validation method. 
     
     
       13. The computer system according to  claim 7 , further comprising the authorized handheld mobile device, wherein the authorized handheld mobile device comprises:
 a device processor; and 
 a device memory containing instructions that, when executed by the device processor, cause the authorized mobile handheld device to perform a method, comprising:
 receiving the identification code and sensor data pertaining to an the unmanned aerial system from the unauthorized handheld mobile device wherein the identification code identifies the unmanned aerial system and wherein the sensor data includes positional information about the unmanned aerial system; 
 transmitting authentication credentials and the identification code to the database/application server containing relational information between the identification code for each of a plurality of unmanned aerial systems and one or more of identification of a designated user to which each respective unmanned aerial system is registered and other information corresponding to each respective unmanned aerial system; and 
 receiving from the database/application server an identification of the designated user corresponding to the received identification code or other information corresponding to the received identification code. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The computer system according to  claim 13 , wherein the device memory contains further instructions that, when executed by the device processor, cause the authorized handheld mobile device to present a notification indicating that the authorized handheld mobile device is in proximity to the unmanned aerial system, responsive to receiving the sensor data. 
     
     
       15. A system for use with a vehicle with at least one sensor, comprising:
 a wireless transmitter on the vehicle and structured to transmit a vehicle identification code of the vehicle and sensor data, the sensor data including at least one from among global positioning coordinates, altitude, speed, time, date, and direction;   an authorized mobile device having:
 a first transceiver structured to receive the vehicle identification code and the sensor data from the wireless transmitter on the vehicle; 
 a second transceiver structured to transmit the vehicle identification code and the sensor data; and 
 an output interface structured to present the sensor data to a user of the authorized mobile device; 
   an unauthorized mobile device having a transceiver structured to receive the vehicle identification code and the sensor data from the wireless transmitter on the vehicle;   a remote computing device having:
 a memory that stores computer instructions; and 
 a processor that, when executing the computer instructions, causes the remote computing device to:
 maintain a database of authorization credentials for a plurality of authorized mobile devices, vehicle identification codes for a plurality of vehicles, and information about a responsible entity of each of the plurality of vehicles; 
 receive the vehicle identification code and the sensor data from a mobile device; 
 determine if the mobile device is the authorized mobile device and authorized to access the database based on authorization credentials received from the mobile device or if the mobile device is the unauthorized mobile device; 
 in response to determining that the mobile device is the authorized mobile device and authorized to access the database, obtain the information about the responsible entity of the vehicle based on a query of the database using the identification code; 
 transmit the information about the responsible entity associated with the identification code to the authorized mobile device; and 
 
   wherein the transceiver of the unauthorized mobile device is structured to transmit the vehicle identification code and the sensor data to the authorized mobile device; and   wherein the unauthorized mobile device lacks authorization credentials for the database of authorization credentials for a plurality of authorized mobile devices, vehicle identification codes for a plurality of vehicles, and information about a responsible entity of each of the plurality of vehicles and lacks access to database of authorization credentials for a plurality of authorized mobile devices, vehicle identification codes for a plurality of vehicles, and information about a responsible entity of each of the plurality of vehicles, and is configured to present a notification that the unauthorized mobile device is in proximity to the vehicle responsive to receiving the sensor data from the vehicle and to display the identification codes and sensor data received from the wireless transmitter on the vehicle.   
     
     
       16. The system of 15, wherein the second transceiver of the authorized mobile device is structured to transmit the vehicle identification code, the sensor data, and the authorization credentials of the authorized mobile device to the remote computing device and to receive the information about the responsible entity of the vehicle from the remote computing device. 
     
     
       17. The system of 15, wherein the output interface of the authorized mobile device is structured to present the information about the responsible entity of the vehicle to the user of the authorized mobile device. 
     
     
       18. A system for identifying an owner or operator of a vehicle through the use of a vehicle identification code that includes information about the owner or operator of the vehicle, the vehicle having at least one sensor that provides sensor data that includes at least one from among global positioning coordinates, altitude, speed, time, date, direction, and other telemetry data, the system comprising:
 a first memory on the vehicle structured to store the vehicle identification code;   a wireless transmitter coupled to the first memory on the vehicle and structured to transmit the vehicle identification code and the sensor data;   an authorized mobile device having a receiver structured to receive the vehicle identification code and the sensor data from the wireless transmitter on the vehicle, a second memory that stores authorization credentials for the authorized mobile device, and a display structured to display the sensor data and the information about the owner or operator of the vehicle, the authorized mobile device structured to transmit the vehicle identification code and the sensor data;   a remote computing device that includes a processor and a third memory containing computer instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the remote computing device to:
 maintain a database of authorization credentials for a plurality of authorized mobile devices, vehicle identification codes for a plurality of vehicles, and information about the owner or operator of each of the plurality of vehicles; 
 receive and save the authorization credentials, the vehicle identification code, and the sensor data from the authorized mobile device; 
 obtain the information about the owner or operator of the vehicle based on a query of the database using the identification code; and 
 transmit the information about the owner or operator associated with the identification code to the authorized mobile device; and 
   an unauthorized mobile device that lacks authorization credentials for the remote computing device and is configured to receive the vehicle identification code and the sensor data from the vehicle and to provide a notification on the unauthorized mobile device that the unauthorized mobile device is in proximity to the vehicle in response to receiving the vehicle identification code and the sensor data from the vehicle and to display the received vehicle identification code and the sensor data on the unauthorized mobile device, the unauthorized mobile device further structured to transmit the vehicle identification code and the sensor data to the authorized mobile device.   
     
     
       19. A network for identifying an owner or operator of a vehicle through the use of a vehicle identification code that includes information about the owner or operator of the vehicle, the vehicle having at least one sensor that provides sensor data that includes at least one from among global positioning coordinates, altitude, speed, time, date, direction, and other telemetry data, the network comprising:
 a plurality of authorized communication devices, each authorized communication device having a receiver structured to receive the vehicle identification code and sensor data from the vehicle, a memory that stores authorization credentials for the authorized communication device, and an output device structured to output at least one of a visual display and an audible sound of the sensor data and the information about the owner or operator of the vehicle, the authorized communication device having a transmitter structured to transmit the vehicle identification code and sensor data;   a plurality of unauthorized communication devices, each unauthorized communication device lacks authorization credentials for a database and is configured to receive the vehicle identification code and sensor data and to provide a notification on the unauthorized communication device that the unauthorized communication device is in proximity to the vehicle in response to receiving the vehicle identification code and sensor data from the vehicle, and an output device to output at least one of a visual display and an audible sound of the received vehicle identification code and sensor data on the unauthorized communication device, the unauthorized communication device further structured to transmit the vehicle identification code and sensor data;   at least one remote processor that includes a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the at last one remote processor to:
 maintain the database of authorization credentials, vehicle identification codes, and information about the owner or operator of the vehicle; 
 receive and save the authorization credentials, vehicle identification codes, and sensor data from the plurality of unauthorized communication devices and plurality of authorized communication devices; 
 look up the vehicle identification code and match the vehicle identification code with the vehicle and information about the owner or operator of the vehicle; and 
 transmit the information identifying the vehicle owner or operator associated with the vehicle identification code. 
   
     
     
       20. A system, comprising:
 a first non-transitory computer-readable medium storing first computer instructions that, when executed by at least one first processor of an authorized mobile device, cause the at least one first processor to perform first actions, the first actions including:
 receive a vehicle identification code of a vehicle and sensor data captured by the vehicle, the sensor data including at least one from among global positioning coordinates, altitude, speed, time, date, direction, and other telemetry data; 
 transmit the vehicle identification code, the sensor data, and authorization credentials of the authorized mobile device to a remote computing device; 
 receive information about a responsible entity of the vehicle from the remote computing device; and 
 present the vehicle identification code of the vehicle, the sensor data captured by the vehicle, and the information about the responsible entity of the vehicle received from the remote computing device to a user of the authorized mobile device; 
   a second non-transitory computer-readable medium storing second computer instructions that, when executed by at least one second processor of an unauthorized mobile device, cause the at least one second processor to perform second actions, the second actions including:
 receive the vehicle identification code of the vehicle and the sensor data captured by the vehicle; 
 transmit the vehicle identification code and the sensor data to the authorized mobile device; and 
 present the vehicle identification code of the vehicle and the sensor data captured by the vehicle to a user of the unauthorized mobile device; and 
   a third non-transitory computer-readable medium storing third computer instructions that, when executed by at least one third processor of the remote computing device, cause the at least one third processor to perform third actions, the third actions including:
 receive the vehicle identification code, the sensor data, and the authorization credentials from the authorized mobile device; 
 query a database for a match between the vehicle identification code and a stored vehicle identification code based on a positive authentication of the authorized mobile device using the authorization credentials; and 
 in response to a match between the vehicle identification code and the stored vehicle identification code, transmit the information about the responsible entity of the vehicle that corresponds to the stored vehicle identification code to the authorized mobile device; 
   wherein the unauthorized mobile device lacks authorization credentials for the database and lacks access to the database.