KR-102963564-B1 - Apparatus and Method for Relaying Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data with Heterogeneous Protocol Support

Abstract

A data relay device and method for an unmanned aerial vehicle supporting heterogeneous protocols are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present embodiment, a relay device is provided that communicates with an unmanned aerial vehicle, an information exchange device, and a flight management device using a pre-configured protocol, and comprises a communication unit that receives flight plan and identification data from the unmanned aerial vehicle or transmits identification data converted in format to the information exchange device or the flight management device, a data analysis unit that analyzes identification data received from the unmanned aerial vehicle, a data conversion unit that converts flight plan and identification data into a second format to be transmitted to the information exchange device or the flight management device using mapping rules based on the received flight plan and the results analyzed by the data analysis unit, and a memory unit that stores mapping rules for converting flight plan and identification data into a second format.

Inventors

• 최현식

Assignees

• 주식회사 팔네트웍스

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20250827

Claims (10)

1. A communication unit that receives flight plan and identification data written in JSON format using the MQTT protocol with an unmanned aerial vehicle, or transmits identification data written in XML format using the AMQP protocol to an information exchange device or flight management device; A data analysis unit that analyzes identification data received from the above unmanned aerial vehicle to extract an operator identifier, an aircraft identifier, a communication equipment identifier, location information, and status information; A data conversion unit that, based on the received flight plan and the results analyzed by the data analysis unit, forms a header in accordance with the XML format and forms a payload in accordance with the XML format using a unique identifier for uniquely identifying the flight plan, a flight identifier for the flight plan, an aircraft identifier, an operator identifier, location information, flight plan and status information; A buffer for temporarily storing flight plan and identification data of an unmanned aerial vehicle so that the above data analysis unit and the above data conversion unit can perform operations; A multiplexer that multiplexes the data converted into XML format by the above-mentioned data conversion unit into a protocol form used by the final receiving end; An encryption unit that encrypts all channels communicated by the above-mentioned communication unit and allows only authorized devices to access the channels; A monitoring unit that requests the data conversion unit to add content that allows the data to be tracked within the XML data converted by the data conversion unit, and monitors the data transmission process or time until the XML data with the added content is transmitted by the communication unit and received by the receiving unit; A tracking management unit that determines the signal strength, reception frequency, and consistency with the flight plan for identification data received from each unmanned aerial vehicle, and assigns reliability to each unmanned aerial vehicle; and A memory unit that stores mapping rules for converting flight plan and identification data into XML format A relay device characterized by including
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9. In paragraph 1, The above memory unit is, A relay device characterized by being able to add or modify mapping rules.
10. In Paragraph 9, The above data conversion unit is, A relay device characterized by converting the format of flight plan and identification data using mapping rules added or modified within the memory unit.

Description

Apparatus and Method for Relaying Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data with Heterogeneous Protocol Support The present embodiment relates to a relay device that processes protocols between heterogeneous types to relay data transmission and reception between an unmanned aerial vehicle and an information exchange device within an unmanned aerial vehicle management system. This patent is the result of research conducted with the support of Incheon Technopark in 2025 (Project Name: 2025 Incheon PAV Industry Development Project, Task Name: PAV Component Technology Development Support Project, Company Task Name: SWIM TI Function Design for PAV, Project Performing Organization: Pal Networks Co., Ltd.). The content described in this section merely provides background information regarding the present embodiment and does not constitute prior art. Recently, the need for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in environments where human operation is difficult has been increasing. The applications of UAVs are also expanding significantly, ranging from acquiring aerial imagery and inspecting power lines in hard-to-reach disaster areas to performing various missions in battlefield situations. Furthermore, UAV flights are also on the rise in the civilian sector as recreational activities, such as piloting or photography. As the applications and flights of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) increase, the number and frequency of multiple UAVs operating simultaneously are expected to rise rapidly, potentially increasing the risk of collisions between them. Furthermore, as UAV flights increase indiscriminately in the civilian sector, flights within no-fly zones are also anticipated to rise. Accordingly, flight management devices such as government (FIMS: Flight Information Management System) or private operators (USS: UAS Service Supplier) within the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) system intend to manage such unmanned aircraft using an unmanned aircraft management system. However, in conventional unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) management systems, both the UAV and the flight management unit communicated using data written in different formats and different protocols. While the UAV primarily communicated data written in JSON format using the MQTT protocol, the flight management unit communicated data written in XML formats such as FIXM, AIXM, and IWXXM using SWIM TI (System-Wide Information Management Technical Infrastructure) via AMQP, more specifically the AMQP 1.0 protocol. Consequently, direct communication between the UAV and flight management unit within the UAV management system was difficult, and data transmitted from either the UAV or the flight management unit had to be converted into each other's formats for mutual communication. However, given the substantial volume of UAVs managed by the flight management unit, it was practically difficult to convert and communicate data transmitted from the UAV in real time. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a relay device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a timing chart illustrating the process of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention converting the format of data received from an unmanned aerial vehicle and transmitting it to an information exchange device. FIG. 4 is a timing chart illustrating the process of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention converting the format of data received from an unmanned aerial vehicle and transmitting it to a flight management device. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method in which a relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention converts the format of data received from an unmanned aerial vehicle and transmits it to an information exchange device. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method in which a relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention converts the format of data received from an unmanned aerial vehicle and transmits it to a flight management device. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method in which a relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention verifies the legality and reliability of the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle within an unmanned aerial vehicle management system and assigns reliability to each unmanned aerial vehicle. The present invention is susceptible to various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. Similar reference numerals have been used for similar components in the de