目前尚不清楚蘋果是否有一天會將其高性能和無比酷的產(chǎn)品范圍擴展到無人機這一不容小覷的潛力市場。然而，一個由美國專利商標局認證的專利讓這一誘人的發(fā)展前景更加趨近于一個可想象的目標。

It’s still unknown whether Apple will one day expand its range of high performing and incomparably cool products to the not-exactly-chopped-liver world of drones, but a patent granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office takes that tantalizing prospect one step closer to imaginable. 

負責監(jiān)督產(chǎn)品權(quán)利和商標事務的美國組織授權(quán)了蘋果一個有關(guān)無人機控制器的應用專利。作為該特定領(lǐng)域的必備條件，批準中的陳述與最初申請中的一樣主旨游移不定，但總的來說是其總部庫比蒂諾已經(jīng)開發(fā)了用于配對和解配對無人機控制器的系統(tǒng)，以及用于飛行器跟蹤應用的系統(tǒng)。

The US organization overseeing product rights and trademark matters granted Apple a patent for its application regarding drone controllers. As de rigueur in that particular art, the language in the approval is just as seriously wonky as that of the initial application, but its general thrust is that the Cupertino giant has developed systems for pairing and unpairing UAV controllers, and for craft tracking applications. 

該研發(fā)缺少足以投入無人機量產(chǎn)的理由。但是不可否認的事實是蘋果一直都在投資創(chuàng)造專利性控制器技術(shù)，并且該技術(shù)讓許多愛好者能夠夢想有一天公司能發(fā)明一款消費級無人機，打入無人機市場。

That research and development is dramatically short of a full-throated entry into the activity of drone production, of course. But the mere fact Apple is spending time and money to create and patent controller tech is enough for some enthusiasts to dream of a day the company takes a consumer UAV to market.

蘋果的發(fā)明也包括用于轉(zhuǎn)換無人機信號連接的技術(shù)，當距離太遠而無法維持聯(lián)系時或者無人機進入障礙重重的區(qū)域，堵塞已成問題時，可用控制器直接連接蜂窩網(wǎng)絡(luò)。

The Apple invention also involves tech used to switch signals connecting a drone from direct transmission from the controller to cellular networks when distances become too great to maintain contact, or UAVs enter obstacle-heavy areas where blockage becomes a problem. 

該技術(shù)還涵蓋了其他“實施例”，如計算機化追蹤，或其他需要信號轉(zhuǎn)換或重連的內(nèi)置系統(tǒng)。

It also covers other “embodiments” like computerized tracking or other interfacing systems that may necessitate signal swaps and reconnection.

授權(quán)書中寫道，“里面闡釋的技術(shù)可用于各種不同類型的設(shè)備，包括但不僅限于無人機（UAVs）、無人機控制器(UACs)、城市空中交通服務器、基站、存取點、便攜式手機、臺式電腦、可穿戴計算機設(shè)備、便攜式媒體播放器以及其他各種計算機設(shè)備。”

“The techniques described herein may be implemented in and/or used with a number of different types of devices, including but not limited to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned aerial controllers (UACs), a UTM server, base stations, access points, cellular phones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, and any of various other computing devices,” the grant reads.

無人機控制器專利以授權(quán)碼 US 20210352558 A1授權(quán)給蘋果公司，該授權(quán)碼的公開是供給所有想要查看該專利的讀者，因為網(wǎng)頁連接失效。

The drone controller patent was issued to Apple under grant number US 20210352558 A1, which is being provided in full here for any curious readers who want to look it up at after following link to the page fails to function (per its design).

最初的申請書是于2020年5月份在新加坡登記，隨后在去年于美國歸檔。以上流程以及專利授權(quán)，首次由Patently Apple公布。蘋果公司的這一應用展示了無人機將信號從一個控制器轉(zhuǎn)到另一控制器的技術(shù)。

The original petition was registered in Singapore in May of 2020, then filed in the US last year. That activity, as well as yesterday’s patent grant, was first reported by Patently Apple, whose reproduction of the illustration from Apple’s application shows the signal handover between the drone from one controller to another.

根據(jù)蘋果公司的草案總結(jié)，無人機控制器系統(tǒng)應用于以下設(shè)備：

According to the Apple-drafted summary, the drone controller system applies to:

對無人機和無人機控制器進行配對和解配的裝置、系統(tǒng)和方案。一架無人機和/或一臺無人機控制器基于觸發(fā)條件可進行UAV和主UAC間的配對和解配，并且通過網(wǎng)絡(luò)接受配置更新，確認UAV和主UAC的配對和解配。觸發(fā)條件包括至少一架無人機，其目的地是由UAC控制設(shè)定的地點，飛往主UAC限制控制主UAV地點的UAV,以及失去捕捉型號的主UAC。配置更新包括至少一個原因代碼、一個連接UAV的標識符、連接主UAC的標識符、連接無人機系統(tǒng)的標識符。

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for pairing/unpairing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to/from UAV controllers (UACs). A UAV and/or a UAC may initiate, based on a triggering condition, a paring/unpairing of the UAV to/from a host UAC and receive, from a network, a configuration update that may confirm the paring/unpairing of the UAV to/from the host UAC. The triggering condition may include at least one of the UAV moving from a location designated as controlled by the host UAC, the UAV moving into a location in which the host UAC is restricted from controlling the host UAV, and/or the host UAC losing signaling capabilities. The configuration update may include at least one of a cause code, an identifier associated with the UAV, an identifier associated with the host UAC, an identifier associated with an unmanned aerial system (UAS).