Automated mobile vehicle power management and relief planning

• US 10,045,400 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Worley, III, William Spencer, Clayton, Eric Mathew
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, Mcdieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/663,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20170347393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/26 Details; Accessories drive mechanisms A63H29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 1/00 Stage arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An automated mobile vehicle configured to autonomously provide coverage for inoperable infrastructure components at various locations. In accordance with implementations, a plurality of automated mobile vehicles are deployed to provide emergency lighting, a wireless network, audio, video, etc., at an indoor and/or outdoor event area.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a processor, a remaining power of a first automated mobile vehicle (“

AMV”

) that is operating and at a first location;

determining, by the processor, a recovery location;

determining at least one of;

a last departure time by which the first AMV must depart the first location to travel to the recovery location without having insufficient power to travel the recover location, or

a minimum power level needed by the first AMV to travel from the first location to the recovery location without having insufficient power to travel to the recovery location; and

causing, prior to at least one of the last departure time or the minimum power level being reached, the first AMV to depart the first location and travel toward the recovery location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recovery location includes receiving an identifier that includes location information and capabilities of the recovery location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending to at least a second AMV, a relief instruction indicating that the second AMV is to arrive at the first location before at least one of the last departure time or before the first AMV reaches the minimum power level.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining that the second AMV has arrived at the first location; and

wherein causing the first AMV to depart the first location is based at least in part on determining that the second AMV has arrived at the first location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one the last departure time, further includes determining at least one of an amount of power required by the first AMV to travel to the first location, a distance traveled by the first AMV to reach the first location, a rate at which power is being consumed by the first AMV, a distance to be traveled by the first AMV from the first location to the recovery location, or an amount of power anticipated to be consumed by the first AMV to travel from the first location to the recovery location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one of the minimum power level, further includes determining at least one of a rate at which power is consumed by the AMV when in transit or a distance between the first location and the recovery location.

7. A system, comprising:

a first AMV operating at a first location;

an AMV management system configured to at least;

determine, by a processor, a remaining power of the first AMV;

determine, by the processor, a recovery location;

determine, by the processor, at least one of;

a last departure time by which the first AMV must depart the first location to travel to the recovery location without having insufficient power to travel to the recovery location, or

a minimum power level needed by the first AMV to travel from the first location to the recovery location without having insufficient power to travel to the recovery location; and

send instructions to the first AMV that cause the first AMV to, prior to at least one of the last departure time or the minimum power level being reached, depart the first location and travel toward the recovery location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the AMV management system is further configured to at least:

determine a second AMV that is available to travel to the first location and remain at the first location when the first AMV departs the first location.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first AMV is at least one of an aerial vehicle, a ground based vehicle, or a water based vehicle.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the AMV management system is further configured to at least:

send instructions to a second AMV to cause the second AMV to travel to the first location;

determine that the second AMV has arrived at the first location; and

wherein the instructions that cause the first AMV to depart from the first location are initiated based at least in part on a determination that the second AMV has arrived at the first location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the AMV management system is further configured to at least:

send instructions that cause the second AMV to provide a coverage at the first location.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the AMV management system is further configured to at least:

determine an event area boundary within which a coverage is to be provided, wherein the first location is within the event area boundary;

determine event area information corresponding to an event area within the event area boundary;

determine a number of AMVs to deploy into the event area to provide the coverage;

determine a plurality of locations to which AMVs are to be positioned to provide the coverage, wherein the first location is one of the plurality of locations; and

send instructions to each of a plurality of AMVs to cause the AMVs to travel to a respective location of the plurality of locations and provide the coverage while at the respective locations.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the coverage is at least one of lighting, audio input, audio output, video input, video output, a wireless network, or a wireless network access point.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the event area information includes one or more of a coverage currently being provided by other AMVs in the event area, a coverage to be provided in the event area, an area within the event area boundary with poor coverage, weather within the event area, a location of other AMVs in the event area, a relief request from a second AMV in the event area, or a dangerous area within the event area.

15. A system comprising:

a first AMV operating at a first location;

a second AMV;

the first AMV including;

one or more processors; and

a memory storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least;

determine at least one of;

a last departure time by which the first AMV must depart the first location to travel to a recovery location without having insufficient power to travel to the recovery location, or

a minimum power level needed by the first AMV to travel from the first location to the recovery location without having insufficient power to travel to the recovery location;

send an instruction to the second AMV, instructing the second AMV to travel to the first location and arrive at the first location prior to at least one of the last departure time or the minimum power level being reached;

determine that at least one of the second AMV has arrived at the first location, the minimum power level has been reached, or the last departure time has been reached; and

in response to the determination, cause the first AMV to travel to the recovery location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to at least:

activate a component coupled with the first AMV to cause the component to provide a coverage at the first location while the first AMV is at the first location.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to at least:

determine a location of the recovery location based on one or more of recovery location information maintained in the memory of the first AMV, or an identifier received from the recovery location that identifies the location of the recovery location.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the instructions are sent to a plurality of AMVs; and

the second AMV responds to the instructions.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to at least:

receive from an AMV management system, an indication of the first location;

cause the first AMV to travel to the first location; and

determine, subsequent to arriving at the first location, a remaining power of the first AMV.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first location is one of a plurality of locations within an event area at which an AMV is to be positioned and provide a coverage.