Mobile display array

• US 10,303,415 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2015
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ananthanarayanan, Peruvemba Ranganathan Sai, Chan, Danny, Dron, Anuj, Napoles, Adrian, Sammeta, Rohit, Wilkins, Steven James
• Primary Examiner(s): Berona, Kimberly S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whalen, Michael F
• Application Number:
  US14/670,255
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/24 for use as flying displays, e.g. advertising or billboards
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• 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: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• 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 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/04 Display device controller operating with a plurality of display units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/02 Networking aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP

Abstract

A plurality of UAVs may be operated in a fleet, each of the UAVs in the fleet being configured to work collectively to achieve one or more functions, such as to create a display or implement an antenna array. The fleet of UAVs may operate individually and/or may be coupled to one another to operate as a collective unit. In some embodiments, one or more UAVs in the fleet may operate individually, while two or more UAVs in the fleet may be connected to one another. In such embodiments, the individual UAVs and the connected UAVs may together comprise the fleet.

Claims

1. A system including a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the system comprising:

a first UAV comprising;

a first airframe comprising a first coupling mechanism, wherein the first coupling mechanism comprises a removable connector that, when installed, is configured to couple to a second coupling mechanism;

a first display screen coupled to the first airframe;

a third coupling mechanism coupled to the first display screen;

a first propulsion system coupled to the first airframe;

a first control management system coupled to the first airframe and configured to send first signals to the first propulsion system to maintain a first flight plan, wherein the first control management system is further configured to receive sensor data from a sensor of a second UAV to stabilize a flight of the fleet of UAVs; and

a first display management system coupled to the first airframe and configured to process data and cause a first part of an image to be displayed on the first display screen; and

the second UAV comprising;

a second airframe comprising the second coupling mechanism;

the sensor, coupled to the second airframe, configured to collect the sensor data and transmit the sensor data to the first UAV, the sensor comprising one or more of an accelerometer or a gyroscope;

a second display screen coupled to the second airframe;

a fourth coupling mechanism coupled to the second display screen, the fourth coupling mechanism configured to couple to the third coupling mechanism;

a second propulsion system coupled to the second airframe;

a second control management system coupled to the second airframe and configured to send second signals to the second propulsion system to maintain a second flight plan; and

a second display management system coupled to the second airframe and configured to process data and cause a second part of the image to be displayed on the second display screen.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first UAV is a master UAV configured to receive the first flight plan from a controller, and wherein the second UAV is a servant of the master UAV and is configured to implement the second flight plan based at least in part on instructions received from the master UAV.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first control management system is further configured to receive the first flight plan from a remote computing device; and

the second control management system is further configured to receive the second flight plan from the first control management system.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first display management system is further configured to receive the first part of the image from a remote computing device; and

the second display management system is further configured to receive the second part of the image from the first display management system.

5. A fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) comprising:

a first group of UAVs comprising;

a first UAV comprising;

a first airframe comprising a first coupling mechanism, wherein the first coupling mechanism is configured to couple to a second coupling mechanism of a second airframe of the fleet of UAVs;

a first display screen coupled to the first airframe;

a third coupling mechanism coupled to the first display screen;

a first propulsion system coupled to the first airframe; and

a first control management system configured to send first signals to the first propulsion system to maintain a first collective flight plan, to send second signals to a second UAV of the first group of UAVs to share battery power data or flight duration data, and to receive sensor data from a sensor of the second UAV to stabilize a flight of the first group of UAVs wherein the first collective flight plan is based at least in part on the first group of UAVs flying proximate to one another such that each individual ones of display screens create a first display array; and

the second UAV comprising;

the second airframe comprising the second coupling mechanism;

the sensor, coupled to the second airframe, configured to collect the sensor data and transmit the sensor data to the first UAV, the sensor comprising one or more of an accelerometer or a gyroscope;

a second display screen;

a fourth coupling mechanism coupled to the second display screen, the fourth coupling mechanism configured to couple to the third coupling mechanism;

a second propulsion system; and

a second control management system configured to send third signals to the second propulsion system to maintain a second collective flight plan and to send fourth signals to at least the first UAV to share one of battery power data or flight duration data.

6. The fleet of UAVs as recited in claim 5, wherein the first UAV has a greater battery charge than the second UAV, and wherein the first control management system is further configured to transfer battery power from the first UAV to the second UAV via the first coupling mechanism and the second coupling mechanism.

7. The fleet of UAVs as recited in claim 5, wherein at least the first control management system is further configured to:

process data to be presented on the first display screen, wherein a presentation on each display screen of the first group of UAVs comprises a portion of an image presented on the first display array.

8. The fleet of UAVs as recited in claim 7, wherein the first control management system is further configured to:

send fifth signals to the first propulsion system to maintain a third collective flight plan, wherein the third collective flight plan causes a second group of UAVs to;

separate from the first group of UAVs;

fly proximate to one another such that individual ones of display screens of the second group of UAVs create a second display array; and

maintain a plurality of distances from the first group of UAVs;

wherein a first portion of the image is presented on the first display array and a second portion of the image is presented on the second display array.

9. The fleet of UAVs as recited in claim 5, wherein the first control management system is further configured to receive a media plan from a remote computing device.

10. The fleet of UAVs as recited in claim 5, wherein the first display screen comprises one or more apertures to allow air to flow laterally through the first display screen.

11. The fleet of UAVs as recited in claim 5, wherein the individual ones of the first group of UAVs further comprises a fifth coupling mechanism configured to couple to at least another display screen.

12. The fleet of UAVs as recited in claim 11, wherein the fifth coupling mechanism is located on an outer edge of a corresponding display screen, and comprises one or more of:

a magnetic connector;

a latch connector;

or

a snap fit connector.

13. The fleet of UAVs as recited in claim 5, wherein the first coupling mechanism comprises an extendable arm comprising one or more of:

a magnetic connector;

a ball and socket connector;

or

a snap fit connector.

14. The fleet of UAVs as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a second group of UAVs, wherein individual ones of the second group of UAVs comprise;

a third airframe;

a third display screen coupled to the third airframe;

a third propulsion system coupled to the third airframe; and

a third control management system coupled to the third airframe and configured to;

send fourth signals to the third propulsion system to maintain a third collective flight plan, wherein the third collective flight plan is based at least in part on the second group of UAVs flying proximate to one another such that each of the individual ones of corresponding display screens create a second display array; and

cause a presentation of data on the second display array.

15. The fleet of UAVs as claim 5 recites, wherein the first UAV comprises:

a speaker system coupled to the first airframe to output an audio presentation based at least in part on a visual presentation depicted on the first display array.

16. A method comprising:

maintaining a first distance between a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a second UAV, the first distance being a distance in which a first display on the first UAV and a second display on the second UAV combine for a visual effect of a first display array;

coupling the first UAV to the second UAV by extending a first coupling mechanism of the first UAV to an extended position such that a first connector of the first coupling mechanism couples to a second connector of a second coupling mechanism of the second UAV;

coupling the first display of the first UAV to the second display of the second UAV by coupling a third coupling mechanism of the first UAV to a fourth coupling mechanism of the second UAV;

presenting a first portion of an image on the first display;

presenting a second portion of the image on the second display, wherein the first portion of the image and the second portion of the image combine to create a presentation of the image on the first display array;

causing sensor data captured by a sensor of the second UAV to be sent from the second UAV to the first UAV, the sensor comprising one or more of an accelerometer or a gyroscope;

determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, a flight adjustment to maintain a flight plan;

causing, based at least in part on the flight adjustment, a stabilization of a flight of the first UAV and the second UAV; and

sending, from the first UAV to the second UAV, a signal to instruct the second UAV, the signal comprising at least one of malfunction data, battery power data, or flight duration data associated with the first UAV.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

transferring data between the first UAV and the second UAV via the first connector and the second connector.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

deploying a third UAV and a fourth UAV;

maintaining a second distance between the third UAV and the fourth UAV, wherein a third display of the third UAV and the fourth display of the fourth UAV combine for a visual effect of a second display array;

presenting at least a first portion of a second image on the third display; and

presenting at least a second portion of the second image on the fourth display, wherein the second image on the second display array corresponds to the presentation on the first display array.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

positioning the third UAV and the fourth UAV to maintain the first distance between;

the first UAV and the third UAV; and

the second UAV and the fourth UAV,

wherein the first display, the second display, the third display, and the fourth display combine for a visual effect of a third display array.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the battery power data, whether the first UAV has a greater battery charge than the second UAV; and

transferring, based at least in part on determining the first UAV has a greater battery charge than the second UAV, battery power from the first UAV to the second UAV via the first coupling mechanism and the second coupling mechanism.