Systems and methods for delivering climate controlled product

• US 10,486,883 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2018
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Winkle, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Claude J
• Application Number:
  US15/991,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20180346225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 244152
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 5/00 Aircraft transported by aircraft, e.g. for release or reberthing during flight flying units formed by separate aircraft B64C37/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• 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 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/82 Airborne vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/18 providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient with thermal insulation B65D81/38; ice-boxes with cooling means F25D
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to delivering climate controlled product. In some embodiments, there is provided a system for delivering climate controlled product via at least one autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS) that self-evaluates power sufficiency based on temperature tolerance of at least one product including: an autonomous UAS and at least one climate controlled product chamber. The UAS comprising: a control circuit, at least one rotor; a power supply, and a package coupler. The product chamber comprising: a chamber, at least one product reader, and a temperature control mechanism. The control circuit configured to: receive product identifier data; determine at least one climate threshold value; determine a confidence value of sufficient power remaining; compare whether the confidence value is within a risk threshold probability that a first mission will be completed; and initiate supply of power to the at least one rotor.

Claims

1. A system for delivering climate controlled product via at least one autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS) that self-evaluates power sufficiency based on temperature tolerance of at least one product, the system comprising:

an autonomous UAS comprising;

a control circuit configured to operate the autonomous UAS;

at least one rotor that provides lift to enable the autonomous UAS to fly;

a power supply configured to supply power to at least one of climate controlled product chamber and the at least one rotor; and

a package coupler; and

the at least one climate controlled product chamber detachably connectable to the package coupler, the at least one climate controlled product chamber comprising;

a chamber having a volume configured to hold at least one product;

at least one product reader configured to capture product identifier data associated with the at least one product; and

a temperature control mechanism coupled to the power supply when the at least one climate controlled product chamber is connected to the package coupler, the temperature control mechanism configured to maintain a temperature of the volume of the chamber;

wherein the control circuit is configured to;

receive the product identifier data from the at least one product reader;

determine at least one climate threshold value associated with the product identifier data;

determine a confidence value of sufficient power remaining based at least on power usage expected by the temperature control mechanism to maintain the temperature of the volume of the chamber within the at least one climate threshold value during a delivery to a delivery location based on flight plan data;

compare whether the confidence value of sufficient power remaining is within a risk threshold probability that a first mission of the autonomous UAS will be completed; and

initiate supply of power to the at least one rotor based on the confidence value of sufficient power remaining being within the risk threshold probability.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the risk threshold probability is based on a business criteria received from a central control circuit communicatively coupled with and external to the autonomous UAS.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine a power requirement for each of a plurality of remediation options in response to the comparison that the confidence value of sufficient power remaining is not within the risk threshold probability; and

determine which particular remediation option of the plurality of remediation options provides a second confidence value of sufficient power remaining that falls within the risk threshold probability, wherein the second confidence value of sufficient power remaining is based at least on the power required by the temperature control mechanism in maintaining the temperature of the volume of the chamber within the at least one climate threshold value.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

in response to determining that the particular remediation option is not available, provide a no-go signal to a central control circuit communicatively coupled and external to the autonomous UAS;

receive a second mission from the central control circuit;

replace the first mission with the second mission in response to a determination that the second confidence value of sufficient power remaining is within the risk threshold probability, wherein the determination is based at least on power required by the temperature control mechanism to maintain the temperature of the volume of the chamber within a second climate threshold value of one or more products associated with the second mission; and

initiate supply of power to the at least one rotor in response to the replacement of the first mission with the second mission.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous UAS further comprises a wireless transceiver coupled to the control circuit, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine temperature control data based on the at least one climate threshold value associated with the product identifier data; and

transmit, via the wireless transceiver, the temperature control data to the temperature control mechanism of the at least one climate controlled product chamber to instruct the temperature control mechanism to maintain climate of the at least one climate controlled product chamber within the at least one climate threshold value.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

periodically determine a voltage level of the power supply during a delivery of the at least one product;

determine a second confidence value of sufficient power remaining based on the voltage level; and

compare whether the second confidence value of sufficient power remaining is within the risk threshold probability that the first mission of the autonomous UAS will be completed.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is further configured to initiate intermittent supply of power to the temperature control mechanism to conserve power usage of the autonomous UAS.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the intermittent supply of power is initiated based on the temperature of the volume of the chamber reaching a particular temperature threshold.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the autonomous UAS further comprises a plurality of solar panels configured to provide additional power to the power required by the temperature control mechanism to maintain the temperature of the volume of the chamber within the at least one climate threshold value in response to the second confidence value of sufficient power remaining not being within the risk threshold probability.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising a mothership UAS communicatively coupled to the autonomous UAS, the mothership UAS comprising a docking bay configured to receive and couple the autonomous UAS to the mothership UAS, wherein mothership UAS is configured to recharge the power supply of the autonomous UAS when the autonomous UAS is at the docking bay in response to the second confidence value of sufficient power remaining not being within the risk threshold probability.

11. A method for delivering climate controlled product by an autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS), the autonomous UAS configured to self-evaluate power sufficiency based on temperature tolerance of at least one product comprising:

receiving product identifier data of at least one product from at least one product reader of at least one climate detachable controlled product chamber, wherein the at least one climate detachable controlled product chamber comprising a chamber having a volume configured to hold the at least one product;

determining at least one climate threshold value associated with the product identifier data;

determining a confidence value of sufficient power remaining based at least on power usage expected by a temperature control mechanism of the at least one climate detachable controlled product chamber to maintain a temperature of the volume of the chamber within the at least one climate threshold value during delivery to a delivery location;

comparing whether the confidence value of sufficient power remaining is within a risk threshold probability that a first mission of an autonomous UAS will be completed; and

initiating supply of power to at least one rotor of the autonomous UAS based on the confidence value of sufficient power remaining being within the risk threshold probability.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the risk threshold probability is based on a business criteria received from a central control circuit communicatively coupled with and external to the autonomous UAS.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a power requirement for each of a plurality of remediation options in response to the comparison that the confidence value of sufficient power remaining is not within the risk threshold probability; and

determining which particular remediation option of the plurality of remediation options provides a second confidence value of sufficient power remaining that falls within the risk threshold probability, wherein the second confidence value of sufficient power remaining is based at least on the power required by the temperature control mechanism in maintaining the temperature of the volume of the chamber within the at least one climate threshold value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

in response to determining that the particular remediation option is not available, providing a no-go signal to a central control circuit that is communicatively coupled and external to the autonomous UAS;

receiving a second mission from the central control circuit;

replacing the first mission with the second mission in response to determining that the second confidence value of sufficient power remaining is within the risk threshold probability, wherein the determination is based at least on power required by the temperature control mechanism to maintain the temperature of the volume of the chamber within a second climate threshold value of one or more products associated with the second mission; and

initiating supply of power to the at least one rotor in response to the replacement of the first mission with the second mission.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining temperature control data based on the at least one climate threshold value associated with the product identifier data; and

transmitting, via a wireless transceiver of the autonomous UAS, the temperature control data to the temperature control mechanism of the at least one climate controlled product chamber instructing the temperature control mechanism to maintain climate of the at least one climate controlled product chamber within the at least one climate threshold value.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

periodically determining a voltage level of a power supply during a delivery of the at least one product;

determining a second confidence value of sufficient power remaining based on the voltage level; and

comparing whether the second confidence value of sufficient power remaining is within the risk threshold probability that the first mission of the autonomous UAS will be completed.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, in response to the second confidence value of sufficient power remaining being within the risk threshold probability, initiating intermittent supply of power to the temperature control mechanism to conserve power usage of the autonomous UAS.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the intermittent supply of power is initiated based on the temperature of the volume of the chamber reaching a particular temperature threshold.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising initiating flow of additional power from a plurality of solar panels to supply a portion of the power required by the temperature control mechanism to maintain the temperature of the volume of the chamber within the at least one climate threshold value in response to the second confidence value of sufficient power remaining not being within the risk threshold probability.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising initiating recharge of the power supply of the autonomous UAS when the autonomous UAS docks on a docking bay of a mothership UAS in response to the second confidence value of sufficient power remaining not being within the risk threshold probability.