System and method for managing a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 10,515,555 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2019
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Winkle, David, O'Brien, John J., Cantrell, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US16/264,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20190236963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• 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 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• 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: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing communication of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles. The present invention can include a central server and a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles including a master and secondary unmanned aerial vehicle. The master and secondary unmanned aerial vehicles can communicate with the central server and each other. The master and secondary unmanned aerial vehicle can deliver packages to different locations. In doing so, the master and secondary unmanned aerial vehicle can form a swarm that at least partially share a route for delivery of the packages to their destinations. The master unmanned aerial vehicle can be configured to: (i) receive delivery information for the master and secondary unmanned aerial vehicles, (ii) monitor communication between the swarm, and (iii) determine if the swarms encounters a risk.

Claims

1. A system for managing communication of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising:

a central server; and

a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles comprised of a master unmanned aerial vehicle and one or more secondary unmanned aerial vehicles,

wherein the master unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to communicate with the central server and to deliver a first package to a first location,

wherein a secondary unmanned aerial vehicle in the one or more secondary unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to;

communicate with at least one of the central server and the master unmanned aerial vehicle; and

to deliver a second package to a second location;

wherein the master unmanned aerial vehicle and the secondary unmanned aerial vehicle form a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles;

wherein the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles at least partially share a route for delivery of the first package and the second package to the first location and the second package, respectively;

wherein at least one of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is designated as a communication shield to block one or more potential threats to the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles; and

wherein the master unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to;

receive delivery information for the master unmanned aerial vehicle and the secondary unmanned aerial vehicle;

monitor communication between the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles; and

determine if the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles encounters a risk.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to select the master unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server is configured to select the master unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the master unmanned aerial vehicle is selected based on one or more of:

a mission of the master unmanned aerial vehicle and the secondary unmanned aerial vehicle;

capabilities of the master unmanned aerial vehicle and the secondary unmanned aerial vehicle; and

a route chosen by the central server for the master unmanned aerial vehicle and the secondary unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server is configured to determine a best position for master unmanned aerial vehicle in the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles based on a mission of the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to determine a current destination and location of the master unmanned aerial vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the secondary unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to break away from the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the current destination and location of the master unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles has a first path of communication and a second path of communication separate from the first path of communication.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first path of communication enables each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles to communicate with each other and the second path of communication enables each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles to communicate with the central server.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first path of communication consumes lower energy than the second path of communication.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles has a sensor configured to identify the risk.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the secondary unmanned aerial vehicle which has the sensor is configured to communicate an identification of the risk to the master unmanned aerial vehicle.

13. A system for managing communication of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising:

a central server; and

a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles in communication with the central server and configured to deliver a plurality of packages to different locations,

wherein the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles form a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles that at least partially share a route for delivery of the plurality of packages;

wherein the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles includes a first unmanned aerial vehicle and a second unmanned aerial vehicle;

wherein the first unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to;

act as a communication shield to block one or more potential threats to the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles for a first period of time during the route of the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles; and

determine if the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles encounters a risk during first period of time during the route of the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles; and

wherein the second unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to;

act as the communication shield for a second period of time during the route of the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles; and

determine if the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles encounters a risk during second period of time during the route of the swarm.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication shield is configured to filter out communication to the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles in the swarm.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication shield is configured to permit communication between the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles in the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles and between each unmanned aerial vehicle and the central server.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the unmanned aerial vehicle are located at different positions in the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles during the route.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the unmanned aerial vehicle are located at different positions in the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles during the route for the first period of time and the second period of time, respectively.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the central server provides each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles with identical functional capabilities within the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles.

19. A method for managing communication of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising:

receiving, by a central server, a first delivery destination and a second delivery destination for a first unmanned aerial vehicle and a second unmanned aerial vehicle, respectively, wherein the first delivery destination is different than the second delivery destination;

identifying, by the central server, the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the second unmanned aerial vehicle to be used in deliveries to the first delivery destination and the second delivery destination, respectively;

informing, by the central server, the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the second unmanned aerial vehicle of the first delivery destination and the second delivery destination, respectively;

informing, by the central server, the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the second unmanned aerial vehicle to form a swarm in route to the first delivery destination and the second delivery destination; and

identifying, by the central server, one of the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the second unmanned aerial vehicle as a master unmanned aerial vehicle,

wherein the master unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to act as a communication shield to block one or more potential threats to the swarm, and to determine if the swarm encounters a risk, in route to the first delivery destination and the second delivery destination.