Stabilized airborne drop delivery

• US 10,450,065 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buchmueller, Daniel, LeGrand, III, Louis LeRoi, Erdozain, Jr., Jack, Koller, Scarlett Elizabeth, Riehl, Eric Alexander, Walker, Trevor Barr
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M
• Application Number:
  US15/595,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20170247109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 15/14 the jets being other than main propulsion jets jet flaps B64C9/38
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/12 Releasing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/67 the UAVs comprising tethers for lowering the goods
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

Stabilized delivery using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is described. In one embodiment, the UAV includes a flight controller configured to control a flight path of the UAV, a winch mechanism secured to an underside of the UAV, a platform tethered to and extendable from the winch mechanism, and a ballast system configured to stabilize the platform. The winch mechanism may be relied upon to drop an item for delivery without landing the UAV. The winch mechanism can include a first winch mechanism secured to the UAV at a first orientation and a second winch mechanism secured to the UAV at a second orientation. Because the winch mechanism may give rise to certain design and operating considerations, various active and passive flight and/or ballast control systems are described. These systems maintain an orientation of the UAV, the platform, and/or the item during one or more stages of airborne drop delivery.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

navigating, by at least one computing device of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a flight path of the UAV to deliver an item;

positioning, by the at least one computing device, the UAV over a delivery zone to deliver the item;

actuating, by the at least one computing device, a winch mechanism of the UAV to extend at least one tether to deliver the item, the winch mechanism comprising a first winch mechanism secured to the UAV at a first orientation and a second winch mechanism secured to the UAV at a second orientation; and

monitoring, by the at least one computing device, at least one of a height of the UAV or the item above a landing surface within the delivery zone, wherein;

the at least one tether comprises a first tether of the first winch mechanism and a second tether of the second winch mechanism;

the first tether flexes in a first direction and resists flexing in a second direction; and

the second tether flexes in the second direction and resists flexing in the first direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the item is secured to a distal end of the first tether and to a distal end of the second tether using an attachment mechanism; and

the method further comprises releasing, by the at least one computing device, the attachment mechanism to deliver the item based on the monitoring.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises at least one of a clamp, a magnet, or a solenoid.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the at least one computing device, whether at least one of the height of the UAV or the item is less than a predetermined drop height above the landing surface at the delivery zone;

receiving, by the at least one computing device, an instruction to release the item via a communications interface of the UAV; and

releasing, by the at least one computing device, the item for delivery.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by the at least one computing device, a relative position between the UAV and the landing surface while actuating the winch mechanism; and

adjusting, by the at least one computing device, a position of the UAV over the delivery zone while monitoring the relative position.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the UAV further comprises a platform secured to a distal end of the at least one tether; and

the platform comprises at least one thrust generator and at least one orientation sensor.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

sensing, by the at least one computing device, a shift in orientation of the platform using the orientation sensor; and

controlling, by the at least one computing device, the at least one thrust generator based on the sensing.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing, by the at least one computing device, tension in at least one of the first tether or the second tether; and

disconnecting, by the at least one computing device, at least a portion of the winch mechanism based on the tension.

9. A method, comprising:

navigating, by at least one computing device of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), the UAV over a delivery zone to deliver an item; and

actuating, by the at least one computing device, a winch mechanism of the UAV to extend at least one tether to deliver the item, the winch mechanism comprising at least two winch mechanisms secured to the UAV at different locations and orientations, wherein;

the at least one tether comprises a first tether and a second tether;

the first tether flexes in a first direction and resists flexing in a second direction; and

the second tether flexes in the second direction and resists flexing in the first direction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the winch mechanism comprises a first winch mechanism and a second winch mechanism; and

the first winch mechanism is secured to the UAV at a first orientation and the second winch mechanism is secured to the UAV at a second orientation different than the first orientation.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the item is secured to a distal end of the first tether and to a distal end of the second tether using an attachment mechanism; and

the method further comprises;

monitoring, by the at least one computing device, at least one of a height of the UAV or the item above a landing surface within the delivery zone; and

releasing, by the at least one computing device, the attachment mechanism to deliver the item based on the monitoring.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring, by the at least one computing device, a relative position between the UAV and a landing surface at the delivery zone while actuating the winch mechanism; and

adjusting, by the at least one computing device, a position of the UAV over the delivery zone while monitoring the relative position.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the UAV further comprises a platform tethered to a distal end of the at least one tether; and

the platform comprises at least one thrust generator and at least one orientation sensor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sensing, by the at least one computing device, a shift in orientation of the platform using the orientation sensor; and

controlling, by the at least one computing device, the at least one thrust generator based on the sensing.

15. A method, comprising:

navigating, by at least one computing device of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), the UAV over a delivery zone; and

actuating, by the at least one computing device, a winch mechanism of the UAV to extend at least one tether, wherein;

the winch mechanism comprises a first winch mechanism and a second winch mechanism; and

the first winch mechanism is secured to the UAV at a first orientation and the second winch mechanism is secured to the UAV at a second orientation different than the first orientation, wherein;

the at least one tether comprises a first tether and a second tether;

the first tether flexes in a first direction and resists flexing in a second direction; and

the second tether flexes in the second direction and resists flexing in the first direction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

an item is secured to a distal end of the first tether and to a distal end of the second using an attachment mechanism; and

the method further comprises;

monitoring, by the at least one computing device, at least one of a height of the UAV or the item above a landing surface within the delivery zone; and

releasing, by the at least one computing device, the attachment mechanism to deliver the item based on the monitoring.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring, by the at least one computing device, a relative position between the UAV and a landing surface at the delivery zone while actuating the winch mechanism; and

adjusting, by the at least one computing device, a position of the UAV over the delivery zone while monitoring the relative position.