Systems and methods to allocate unmanned aircraft systems

• US 10,229,605 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2017
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Taylor, Robert C., Winkle, David C., Thompson, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Application Number:
  US15/427,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20170236428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• 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: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0004 Transmission of traffic-related information to or from an aircraft airborne radio transmission systems in general H04B7/185; airborne wireless networks H04W84/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0017 Arrangements for implementing traffic-related aircraft activities, e.g. arrangements for generating, displaying, acquiring or managing traffic information head-up displays G02B27/01; ground or aircraft-carrier-deck-installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to allocate unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Some embodiments, provide UAS allocation systems, comprising: a UAS database that stores for each registered UAS an identifier and corresponding operational capabilities; an allocation control circuit configured to: obtain a first set of multiple task parameters specified by a first customer and corresponding to a requested first predefined task that the customer is requesting a UAS be allocated to perform; identify, from the UAS database, a first UAS having operational capabilities to perform the first set of task parameters while implementing the first task; and cause an allocation notification to be communicated to a first UAS provider, of the multiple UAS providers, associated with the first UAS requesting the first UAS provider to allocate the identified first UAS to implement the first task.

Claims

1. An unmanned aircraft system (UAS) allocation system, comprising:

a UAS database of multiple registered different UASs owned and operated by multiple different unassociated UAS providers, wherein the UAS database stores for each of the registered different UASs an identifier and corresponding operational capabilities, wherein multiple of the registered different UASs have different operational capabilities;

an allocation control circuit coupled with the UAS database and memory storing computer instructions that when executed by the allocation control circuit cause the allocation control circuit to;

obtain a first set of multiple task parameters specified by a first customer and corresponding to a requested first predefined task that the customer is requesting a UAS be allocated to perform;

identify, from the UAS database, a first UAS having operational capabilities to perform the first set of task parameters while implementing the first task; and

cause an allocation notification to be communicated to a first UAS provider, of the multiple UAS providers, associated with the first UAS requesting the first UAS provider to allocate the identified first UAS to implement the first task; and

an interface system configured to distribute user interface information over a communication network to a plurality of geographically distributed and unassociated customers, wherein the user interface information is configured to populate, with respect to each of the plurality of customers, a request user interface corresponding to at least one of multiple different predefined tasks for which at least one of the registered UASs are capable of performing.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the interface system comprising an interface control circuit coupled with interface memory storing computer instructions that when executed by the interface control circuit cause the interface control circuit to;

communicate the user interface information to customer computer systems associated with each of the plurality of customers and configured to populate at each customer computer system the request user interface comprising predefined fields to receive task parameters corresponding to one of the multiple predefined tasks; and

receive, from each of the plurality of customer computer systems through the request user interface, corresponding sets of task parameters to be performed by a UAS to complete a corresponding identified task.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the allocation control circuit is further configured to cause the first set of task parameters to be communicated to the first UAS provider to be utilized by the first UAS provider in controlling the first UAS in implementing the first predefined task in accordance with the first set of task parameters.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first set of task parameters define a location where the first predefine task is to be performed and functions to be performed by the first UAS in completing the first predefined task.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a registration control circuit coupled with registration memory that stores computer instructions to be executed by the registration control circuit, wherein the registration control circuit is configured to;

obtain an identifier of each of the multiple different UASs that one of the UAS providers are authorizing to be allocated to implement one or more tasks requested by a plurality of different customers who are unassociated with the UAS providers;

obtain the operational capabilities of each of the multiple different UASs; and

register each of the multiple different UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, each identifier of the multiple different UASs, and store in relation to a corresponding one of the UAS identifiers the operational capabilities of the corresponding one of the multiple different UASs.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the registration control circuit is further configured to:

receive a request from a second UAS provider to define a second task that the second UAS provider is authorizing a UAS to perform;

receive a set of defined task parameters defining characteristics of the second task; and

register the second task comprising storing, in a task database, a second task identifier and the set of task parameters associated with the second task identifier.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a registration control circuit coupled with registration memory that stores computer instructions to be executed by the registration control circuit, wherein the registration control circuit is configured to;

receive a request from a second UAS provider to define a second task that the second UAS provider is authorizing a UAS to perform;

receive a set of defined task parameters defining characteristics of the second task; and

register the second task comprising storing, in a task database, a second task identifier and the set of task parameters associated with the second task identifier.

8. An unmanned aircraft system (UAS) allocation system, comprising:

a UAS database of multiple registered different UASs owned and operated by multiple different unassociated UAS providers, wherein the UAS database stores for each of the registered different UASs an identifier and corresponding operational capabilities, wherein multiple of the registered different UASs have different operational capabilities;

an allocation control circuit coupled with the UAS database and memory storing computer instructions that when executed by the allocation control circuit cause the allocation control circuit to;

obtain a first set of multiple task parameters specified by a first customer and corresponding to a requested first predefined task that the customer is requesting a UAS be allocated to perform;

identify, from the UAS database, a first UAS having operational capabilities to perform the first set of task parameters while implementing the first task; and

cause an allocation notification to be communicated to a first UAS provider, of the multiple UAS providers, associated with the first UAS requesting the first UAS provider to allocate the identified first UAS to implement the first task; and

a registration control circuit coupled with registration memory that stores computer instructions that when executed by the registration control circuit cause the registration control circuit to;

obtain an identifier of each of the multiple different UASs that one of the UAS providers are authorizing to be allocated to implement one or more tasks requested by a plurality of different customers who are unassociated with the UAS providers;

obtain the operational capabilities of each of the multiple different UASs; and

register each of the multiple different UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, each identifier of the multiple different UASs, and store in relation to a corresponding one of the UAS identifiers the operational capabilities of the corresponding one of the multiple different UASs.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the registration control circuit is further configured to associate each of the multiple different UASs with at least one of the predefined tasks based on a relationship between operational capabilities of each of the multiple different UASs and sets of predefined task parameters that are associated with sets of task parameters received from customers.

10. An unmanned aircraft system (UAS) allocation system, comprising:

a UAS database of multiple registered different UASs owned and operated by multiple different unassociated UAS providers, wherein the UAS database stores for each of the registered different UASs an identifier and corresponding operational capabilities, wherein multiple of the registered different UASs have different operational capabilities;

an allocation control circuit coupled with the UAS database and memory storing computer instructions that when executed by the allocation control circuit cause the allocation control circuit to;

obtain a first set of multiple task parameters specified by a first customer and corresponding to a requested first predefined task that the customer is requesting a UAS be allocated to perform;

identify, from the UAS database, a first UAS having operational capabilities to perform the first set of task parameters while implementing the first task; and

cause an allocation notification to be communicated to a first UAS provider, of the multiple UAS providers, associated with the first UAS requesting the first UAS provider to allocate the identified first UAS to implement the first task; and

a registration control circuit coupled with registration memory that stores computer instructions that when executed by the registration control circuit cause the registration control circuit to;

receive a request from a second UAS provider to define a second task that the second UAS provider is authorizing a UAS to perform;

receive a set of defined task parameters defining characteristics of the second task; and

register the second task comprising storing, in a task database, a second task identifier and the set of task parameters associated with the second task identifier.

11. A method of allocating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), comprising:

obtaining, through an allocation control circuit, a first set of multiple task parameters specified by a first customer and corresponding to a requested first predefined task that the customer is requesting a UAS be allocated to perform;

identifying, from a UAS database of multiple registered different UASs owned and operated by multiple different unassociated UAS providers with each registered UAS having corresponding operational capabilities, a first UAS having operational capabilities to perform the first set of task parameters while implementing the first task;

causing an allocation notification to be communicated to a first UAS provider, of the multiple UAS providers, associated with the first UAS requesting the first UAS provider to allocate the identified first UAS to implement the first task; and

distributing user interface information over a distributed communication network to a plurality of geographically distributed and unassociated customers, wherein the user interface information populates, with respect to each of the plurality of customers, a request user interface corresponding to at least one of multiple different predefined tasks for which at least one of the registered UASs are capable of performing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the distributing user interface information comprises:

communicating the user interface information to customer computer systems associated with each of the plurality of customers, wherein the user interface information is configured to populate at each customer computer system the request user interface comprising predefined fields to receive task parameters corresponding to one of the multiple predefined tasks; and

receiving, from each of the plurality of customer computer systems through the request user interface, corresponding sets of task parameters to be performed by a UAS to complete a corresponding identified task.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing the first set of task parameters to be communicated to the first UAS provider to be utilized by the first UAS provider in controlling the first UAS in implementing the first predefined task in accordance with the first set of task parameters.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first set of task parameters define a location where the first predefine task is to be performed and functions to be performed by the first UAS in completing the first predefined task.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining an identifier of each of the multiple different UASs that one of the UAS providers are authorizing to be allocated to implement one or more tasks requested by a plurality of different customers who are unassociated with the UAS providers;

obtaining the operational capabilities of each of the multiple different UASs; and

registering each of the multiple different UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, each identifier of the multiple different UASs, and storing in relation to a corresponding one of the UAS identifiers the operational capabilities of the corresponding one of the multiple different UASs.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a request from a second UAS provider to define a second task that the second UAS provider is authorizing a UAS to perform;

receiving a set of defined task parameters defining characteristics of the second task; and

registering the second task comprising storing, in a task database, a second task identifier and the set of task parameters associated with the second task identifier.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a request from a second UAS provider to define a second task that the second UAS provider is authorizing a UAS to perform;

receiving a set of defined task parameters defining characteristics of the second task; and

registering the second task comprising storing, in a task database, a second task identifier and the set of task parameters associated with the second task identifier.

18. A method of allocating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), comprising:

obtaining, through an allocation control circuit, a first set of multiple task parameters specified by a first customer and corresponding to a requested first predefined task that the customer is requesting a UAS be allocated to perform;

identifying, from a UAS database of multiple registered different UASs owned and operated by multiple different unassociated UAS providers with each registered UAS having corresponding operational capabilities, a first UAS having operational capabilities to perform the first set of task parameters while implementing the first task;

causing an allocation notification to be communicated to a first UAS provider, of the multiple UAS providers, associated with the first UAS requesting the first UAS provider to allocate the identified first UAS to implement the first task;

obtaining an identifier of each of the multiple different UASs that one of the UAS providers are authorizing to be allocated to implement one or more tasks requested by a plurality of different customers who are unassociated with the UAS providers;

obtaining the operational capabilities of each of the multiple different UASs; and

registering each of the multiple different UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, each identifier of the multiple different UASs, and storing in relation to a corresponding one of the UAS identifiers the operational capabilities of the corresponding one of the multiple different UASs.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

associating each of the multiple different UASs with at least one of the predefined tasks based on a relationship between operational capabilities of each of the multiple different UASs and sets of predefined task parameters that are associated with sets of task parameters received from different customers in submitting a request for an allocation of a UAS.

20. A method of allocating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), comprising:

obtaining, through an allocation control circuit, a first set of multiple task parameters specified by a first customer and corresponding to a requested first predefined task that the customer is requesting a UAS be allocated to perform;

identifying, from a UAS database of multiple registered different UASs owned and operated by multiple different unassociated UAS providers with each registered UAS having corresponding operational capabilities, a first UAS having operational capabilities to perform the first set of task parameters while implementing the first task;

causing an allocation notification to be communicated to a first UAS provider, of the multiple UAS providers, associated with the first UAS requesting the first UAS provider to allocate the identified first UAS to implement the first task;

receiving a request from a second UAS provider to define a second task that the second UAS provider is authorizing a UAS to perform;

receiving a set of defined task parameters defining characteristics of the second task; and

registering the second task comprising storing, in a task database, a second task identifier and the set of task parameters associated with the second task identifier.