Methods and systems for raising and lowering a payload

• US 10,232,940 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Shannon, Trevor, Prager, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Melton, Todd M
• Application Number:
  US15/389,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20180072422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/12 Releasing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/66 for retrieving parcels
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/67 the UAVs comprising tethers for lowering the goods
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/12 incorporating electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/485 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/60 adapted for special purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 2700/0141 Electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/46 Control of position or course in three dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

Described herein are methods and systems for picking up, transporting, and lowering a payload coupled to a tether of a winch system arranged on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). For example, the winch system may include a motor for winding and unwinding the tether from a spool, and the UAV'"'"'s control system may operate the motor to lower the tether toward the ground so a payload may be attached to the tether. The control system may monitor an electric current supplied to the motor to determine whether the payload has been attached to the tether. In another example, when lowering a payload, the control system may monitor the motor current to determine that the payload has reached the ground and responsively operate the motor to detach the payload from the tether. The control system may then monitor the motor current to determine whether the payload has detached from the tether.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a tether disposed on a spool;

a motor arranged in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein operating the motor in a first mode and a second mode respectively counters and assists unwinding of the tether due to gravity;

a payload coupling apparatus structured to mechanically couple the tether to a payload;

a payload latch switchable between a closed position that prevents the payload from being lowered from the UAV and an open position that allows the payload to be lowered from the UAV; and

a control system configured to determine that the UAV is located at a pickup location and responsively operate in a payload pickup mode, wherein during operation in the payload pickup mode the control system is configured to;

open the payload latch;

operate the motor to unwind a predetermined length of the tether corresponding to an expected payload attachment altitude for the payload coupling apparatus;

after unwinding the predetermined length of the tether and waiting for a predetermined payload attachment period, operate the motor in the first mode for a predetermined attachment verification period;

determine, based at least in part on motor current during the predetermined attachment verification period, that the payload coupling apparatus is mechanically coupled to the payload;

responsive to the determination that the payload coupling apparatus is mechanically coupled to the payload, operate the motor to retract the tether;

while retracting the tether, determine that both;

(a) an unwound length of the tether is less than a threshold length and (b) motor current during the retraction of the tether is greater than a threshold current, and responsively operate the motor to pull the payload into a receptacle on a lower surface of the UAV; and

after operation of the motor to pull the payload into the receptacle, close the payload latch to secure the payload in the receptacle.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an encoder configured to output encoder data providing a measure of motor rotation.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein operating the motor in both the first and second modes comprises:

determining, based on the encoder data, a rotational speed of the motor; and

based on (i) the determined rotational speed of the motor and (ii) a desired rotational speed, controlling the motor current.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein determining that the unwound length of tether is less than the threshold length comprises:

determining, based on the encoder data, a number of rotations of the spool; and

based on the determined number of rotations of the spool, determining that the unwound length of tether is less than the threshold length.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the expected payload attachment altitude for the payload coupling apparatus is less than two meters above ground level.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein waiting for the predetermined payload attachment period comprises operating the motor such that the payload coupling apparatus maintains a substantially constant altitude during the predetermined payload attachment period.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the payload coupling apparatus is mechanically coupled to the payload comprises determining that the motor current during the predetermined attachment verification period is greater than a second threshold current.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein operating the motor to pull the payload into the receptacle on the lower surface of the UAV comprises increasing the motor current for a predetermined period to pull the payload into, and orient the payload within, the receptacle on the lower surface of the UAV.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the payload coupling apparatus is further structured to mechanically release the payload when contact between the payload and another surface fixes the payload while allowing the payload coupling apparatus to continue descending until the payload coupling apparatus separates from the payload.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein operating the motor in the first mode drives the spool in a first direction and operating the motor in the second mode drives the spool in a second direction opposite the first direction.

11. A system comprising:

a tether disposed on a spool;

a motor arranged in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein operating the motor in a first mode and a second mode respectively counters and assists unwinding of the tether due to gravity;

a payload coupling apparatus structured to mechanically couple the tether to a payload;

a control system configured to determine that the UAV is located at a target location and responsively operate in a delivery mode, wherein during operation in the delivery mode the control system is configured to;

operate the motor to unwind the tether according to a predetermined descent profile;

determine that an unwound length of the tether is greater than a threshold length and responsively operate in a pre-touchdown mode, wherein the threshold length corresponds to a predetermined near-ground altitude of the payload;

wherein operating in the pre-touchdown mode comprises;

(a) operating the motor such that the tether continues to unwind according to the predetermined descent profile,

(b) monitoring both motor current and motor speed, and

(c) determining that (i) the motor current is less than a predetermined payload-uncoupling current and (ii) the motor speed is less than a predetermined payload-uncoupling speed, and responsively switch to operation in a possible-touchdown mode;

during operation in the possible-touchdown mode, analyze the motor current to verify touchdown of the payload; and

upon verifying touchdown of the payload, operate the motor in the second mode such that over-run of the tether and payload coupling apparatus occurs.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control system is further configured to, when the over-run period ends, switch to operation in a release-verification mode.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein operation in the release-verification mode comprises:

operating the motor in the first mode for a release-verification period;

determining, based at least in part on motor current during the release-verification period, that the payload is separated from the payload coupling apparatus; and

responsive to determining that the payload is separated from the payload coupling apparatus, continuing to operate the motor in the first mode to retract the tether and to secure the tether and payload coupling apparatus to the UAV.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a payload latch switchable between a closed position that prevents the payload from being lowered from the UAV and an open position that allows the payload to be lowered from the UAV.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein, before operating the motor to unwind the tether according to the predetermined descent profile, the control system is further configured to:

operate the motor in the first mode to wind the tether a predetermined amount; and

open the payload latch.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein, after opening the payload latch and before operating the motor to unwind the tether according to the predetermined descent profile, the control system is further configured to operate the motor to prevent rotation of the spool for a pre-delivery wait period.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising an encoder configured to output encoder data providing a measure of motor rotation.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein operating the motor in both the first and second modes comprises:

determining, based on the encoder data, a rotational speed of the motor; and

based on (i) the determined rotational speed of the motor and (ii) a desired rotational speed, controlling the motor current.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein analyzing the motor current to verify touchdown of the payload comprises:

determining that the motor current is less than a predetermined possible-touchdown current for a threshold amount of time and responsively verifying touchdown of the payload.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the payload coupling apparatus is further structured to mechanically release the payload when over-run of the tether and payload coupling apparatus occurs, and wherein over-run of the tether and payload coupling apparatus occurs when contact between the payload and another surface fixes the payload while allowing the payload coupling apparatus to continue descending until the payload coupling apparatus separates from the payload.