Unmanned aircraft systems and methods

• US 10,269,255 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Winkle, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam M
• Application Number:
  US15/460,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20170270803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/26 for manufacturing, inspections or repairs
• 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 2201/10 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: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a system to identify geographic zones into which unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are inhibited from flying. In some instances, the system detects, while the UAS is in flight and traveling along a flight path to a delivery location where the UAS is scheduled to deliver a package, a no fly zone (NFZ) into which the UAS is to avoid flying; obtains a revised flight path to the delivery location that includes a detour route around the no fly zone; directs the motor controller to control the motors to implement the revised flight path; and detects when the UAS is at a threshold distance from the delivery location and initiate delivery of the package.

Claims

1. A system to identify geographic zones into which unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are inhibited from flying, comprising:

a transceiver of an UAS;

one or more motor controllers of the UAS coupled with motors that each drive a propeller to control flight of the UAS;

a control circuit coupled with the transceiver; and

a beacon detector of the UAS coupled with the control circuit and configured to detect wireless beacon signals indicative of the no fly zone and communicate a detection of a beacon signal to the control circuit;

wherein the control circuit, in detecting the no fly zone, is further configured to determine, based on a detection by the beacon detector of a first beacon from a first beacon generator, at least a portion of a boundary of the no fly zone based on an estimated location of the first beacon generator; and

wherein the control circuit, in detecting the no fly zone, is further configured to alter the direction of flight by the UAS away from the flight path based on the detection of the first beacon, receive a subsequent notification from the beacon detector of a second bacon signal from a second beacon generator, and determine at least the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone based on the estimated location of the first beacon generator and an estimated location of the second beacon generator; and

a memory coupled to the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to perform the steps of;

detect, while the UAS is in flight and traveling along a flight path to a delivery location where the UAS is scheduled to deliver a package, a no fly zone (NFZ) into which the UAS is to avoid flying;

obtain a revised flight path to the delivery location that includes a detour route around the no fly zone;

direct the motor controller to control the motors to implement the revised flight path; and

detect when the UAS is at a threshold distance from the delivery location and initiate delivery of the package.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein the control circuit, in obtaining the revised flight path, determines the detour route based on a type of beacon signal detected by the beacon detector.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit, in determining the at least the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone, determines the at least the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone based on a signal strength of the first beacon signal.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera on the UAS;

wherein the control circuit, in detecting the no fly zone, identifies the no fly zone based on a detection of a visual indicator identifying the no fly zone from image processing of images captured by the camera; and

wherein the control circuit, in obtaining the revised flight path, determines the detour route based on the detected visual indicator of the no fly zone.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a no fly zone registration circuit communicatively coupled with a distributed communication network, wherein the no fly zone registration circuit is configured to;

receive, over the distributed communication network from an identified user, a property identification of a geographically bounded property and a request to designate a geographic zone over the identified property as a no fly zone;

authenticate the user as being authorized to specify the identified property as a no fly zone; and

register the identified property as a no fly zone property.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a UAS routing system configured to;

receive a launch location and a destination location;

identify that the identified property registered as a no fly zone property is located between the launch location and a destination location; and

determine a flight path for a UAS between the launch location and the destination location that includes avoiding flying over the registered identified property.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the no fly zone registration circuit in authenticating the user is further configured to access a customer database maintained by a retail entity of customers registered with the retail entity, and confirm that the customer database associates the user with the identified property.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the no fly zone registration circuit, in authenticating the user, is further configured to access government records and confirm that the government records associates the user with the identified property.

9. A method to identify geographic zones into which unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are inhibited from flying, comprising:

detecting, based on sensor data captured by a sensor of the UAS while the UAS is in flight and traveling along a flight path to a delivery location where the UAS is scheduled to deliver a package, a no fly zone (NFZ) into which the UAS is to avoid flying;

detecting, through a beacon detector of the UAS, a first beacon signal from a first beacon generator indicative of the no fly zone;

wherein the detecting the no fly zone further comprises determining, based on the detection by the beacon detector of the first beacon signal, at least a portion of a boundary of the no fly zone based on an estimated location of the first beacon generator; and

wherein the implementing the revised flight path comprises;

altering the direction of flight by the UAS away from the flight path;

receiving a subsequent notification from the beacon detector of a second beacon signal from a second beacon generator;

wherein the determining at least the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone comprises determining at least the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone based on the estimated location of the first beacon generator and an estimated location of the second beacon generator;

obtaining a revised flight path to the delivery location that includes a detour route around the no fly zone;

directing the motor controller to control the motors to implement the revised flight path; and

detecting when the UAS is at a threshold distance from the delivery location and initiate delivery of the package.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein the obtaining the revised flight path comprises determining the detour route based on a type of beacon signal detected by the beacon detector.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the at least the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone comprises determining the at least the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone based on a signal strength of the first beacon signal.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the detecting the no fly zone comprises detecting a visual indicator identifying the no fly zone based on image processing of images captured by a camera on the UAS;

identifying the no fly zone based on the detecting the visual indicator identifying the no fly zone; and

wherein the obtaining the revised flight path comprises determining the detour route based on the detected visual indicator of the no fly zone.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, from over a distributed communication network from an identified user, a property identification of a geographically bounded property and a request to designate a geographic zone over the identified property as a no fly zone;

authenticating the user as being authorized to specify the identified property as a no fly zone; and

registering the identified property as a no fly zone property.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining, through a UAS routing system, the flight path comprising;

receiving a launch location and a destination location;

identifying that the identified property registered as a no fly zone property is located between the launch location and a destination location; and

determining the flight path for the UAS between the launch location and the destination location that includes avoiding flying over the registered identified property.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the authenticating the user comprises accessing a customer database maintained by a retail entity of customers registered with the retail entity, and confirming that the customer database associates the user with the identified property.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the authenticating the user comprises accessing government records, and confirming that the government records associates the user with the identified property.