Determining landing locations

• US 10,192,452 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Willison, Jason Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jha, Abdhesh K
• Application Number:
  US15/595,591
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/61 for transporting passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/005 specially adapted for use in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/913 for landing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/06 using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 : Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 : Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform

Abstract

In some examples, a landing location within a region for an aerial vehicle may be determined. The landing location may be determined by comparing a first digital elevation dataset and a second digital elevation dataset to identify open areas within the region. Information about the landing location can be shared with the aerial vehicle.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an aerial vehicle configured to deliver a payload to one of a plurality of delivery locations; and

a delivery management service configured with at least a non-transitory memory and a processor configured to;

access a first digital elevation dataset corresponding to a geographic region and collected according to a first collection procedure using a first collection device;

access a second digital elevation dataset corresponding to the geographic region and collected according to a second collection procedure using the first collection device or a second collection device, the second collection procedure being distinct from the first collection procedure;

determine a delivery location for the aerial vehicle by at least comparing the second digital elevation dataset with the first digital elevation dataset to identify an open area within the geographic region, first elevation values of the first digital elevation dataset in the open area and second elevation values of the second elevation dataset in the open area being within a threshold of similarity; and

provide the delivery location to the aerial vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first collection procedure comprises collecting the first digital elevation dataset via a first flight and the second collection procedure comprises collecting the second digital elevation dataset via a second flight.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second collection procedure is distinct from the first collection procedure based at least in part on a type of collection device used for collection, an elevation of the collection device used for collection, an operator of the collection device, or software used to process data collected by the collection device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery location comprises a patch of land within the geographic region, the patch of land comprising an unobstructed column of airspace extending upwards, an area value meeting or exceeding an area threshold, and no slope value exceeding a slope threshold.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic region corresponds to at least one of a city, a county, a district, a street, or a neighborhood.

6. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

accessing a first digital elevation dataset collected according to a first collection procedure using a first collection device and a second digital elevation dataset collected according to a second collection procedure using the first collection device or a second collection device, each of the first digital elevation dataset and the second digital elevation dataset corresponding to a geographic region;

the first collection procedure is distinct from the second collection procedure;

determining a landing location for an aerial vehicle within the geographic region by at least comparing the first digital elevation dataset with the second digital elevation dataset, first elevation values of the first digital elevation dataset at the landing location and second elevation values of the second elevation dataset at the landing location being within a threshold of similarity, differential elevation values exceeding the threshold of similarity being indicative of one or more obstacles present at the landing location;

storing the landing location in a database; and

providing information about the landing location to the aerial vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein comparing the first digital elevation dataset with the second digital elevation dataset comprises:

subtracting the first digital elevation dataset from the second digital elevation dataset to identify a differential digital elevation dataset;

converting the differential digital elevation dataset to a differential binary dataset; and

determining the landing location based at least in part on the differential binary dataset, the landing location being open to the sky and free of obstacles.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising accessing parcel data corresponding to the geographic region, and wherein determining the landing location is based at least in part on the parcel data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining one or more slope values of an area of land within the geographic region; and

identifying, from the one or more slope values, slope values that fall within a slope threshold corresponding to a maximum slope on which the aerial vehicle can land, and wherein determining the landing location is based at least in part on the identified slope values.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein comparing the first digital elevation dataset with the second digital elevation dataset determines one or more areas within the geographic region that fall within an area threshold, the area threshold corresponding to a minimum area of ground to accommodate landing of the aerial vehicle.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the geographic region is divided into parcels comprising a residential parcel on which a home is located, and wherein the landing location is within a front yard relative to the home or within a back yard relative to the home.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the geographic region is divided into parcels comprising a residential parcel, and the landing location comprises a patch of land within the residential parcel, the patch of land comprising an unobstructed column of airspace extending upwards from the patch of land, an area value meeting or exceeding an area threshold, and no slope value exceeding a slope threshold.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the first digital elevation dataset and the second digital elevation dataset have about equal resolution and about equal margins of error, and wherein the first digital elevation dataset and the second digital elevation dataset are each collected within a first time period.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 6;

wherein the landing location comprises an emergency landing location for landing the aerial vehicle in case of an emergency.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the second collection procedure is distinct from the first collection procedure based at least in part on a type of collection device used for collection, an elevation of the collection device used for collection, an operator of the collection device, or software used to process data collected by the collection device.

16. One or more computer-readable storage devices for storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more computer systems, configure the one or more computer systems to perform operations comprising:

accessing a first digital elevation dataset corresponding to a geographic region and collected according to a first collection procedure using a first collection device;

accessing a second digital elevation dataset corresponding to the geographic region and collected according to a second collection procedure using the first collection device or a second collection device, the second collection procedure being distinct from the first collection procedure;

identifying one or more positions in the geographic region at which elevation values of the first digital elevation dataset and the second digital elevation dataset are within some threshold of similarity;

determining at least one possible delivery location for an aerial vehicle based on the identified one or more positions; and

enabling the aerial vehicle to access information about the at least one possible delivery location.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 16, wherein the at least one possible delivery location is stored in a database accessible by the aerial vehicle.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 16, wherein the one or more computer-readable storage devices are executed by the one or more computer systems within a geographic information system (MS) mapping execution environment.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 16, wherein the at least one possible delivery location comprises a patch of land within the geographic region, the patch of land comprising an unobstructed column of airspace extending upwards, an area value meeting or exceeding an area threshold, and no slope value exceeding a slope threshold.