ROUTE PLANNING FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

• US 20160284221A1
• Filed: 03/25/2016
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matternet, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Matternet, Inc.
• Inventors: HINKLE, Christopher, RAPTOPOULOS, Andreas, LARSEN, Kendall, BARUCHIN, Ido
• Application Number:
  US15/081,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20160284221A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/00 Type of UAV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/70 Constructional aspects of the UAV body
• 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 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/83 using parachutes, balloons or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• 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

A system and process for dynamically determining a route for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided. In one example, at a computer system including one or more processors and memory, the process includes receiving a route request, the route request including an origin location and destination location for a UAV, receiving geospatial information associated with the origin location and the destination location, the geospatial information comprising at least one of physical obstacles and no-fly zones, determining a route of the UAV from the origin location to the destination location based at least in part on the geo-spatial information, and causing the route to be communicated to the UAV.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) logistics system, comprising:

a computer system comprising at least one processor and memory, the at least one processor configured to;

receive a route request, the route request including an origin location and destination location for a UAV;

receive geospatial information associated with the origin location and the destination location, the geospatial information comprising at least one of physical obstacles and no-fly zones;

determine a route of the UAV from the origin location to the destination location based at least in part on the geo-spatial information; and

cause the route to be communicated to the UAV.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the geospatial information is received from a cloud service application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the route is communicated to the UAV via a wireless communication.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the route is communicated to the UAV via a cloud service application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the route is determined at a mobile electronic device and communicated to the UAV.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the route is determined by a remote application and communicated to the UAV.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the geospatial information includes vertical information and horizontal information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a horizontal route based on the geospatial information and determine a vertical route based on the geo-spatial information and the horizontal route.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the geospatial information includes a minimum and maximum altitude for the route relative to ground.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the process is further configured to generate an obstacle avoidance shape for the route based on the geospatial information.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive information from the UAV during flight and determine if the route should be altered.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein determining if the route should be altered, includes causing the UAV perform a controlled landing.

13. A computer-implemented method for dynamically determining a route for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

at a computer system including one or more processors and memory,

receiving a route request, the route request including an origin location and destination location for a UAV;

receiving geospatial information associated with the origin location and the destination location, the geospatial information comprising at least one of physical obstacles and no-fly zones;

determining a route of the UAV from the origin location to the destination location based at least in part on the geo-spatial information; and

and causing the route to be communicated to the UAV.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the geospatial information is received from a cloud service application.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the route is communicated to the UAV via a wireless communication.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the route is communicated to the UAV via a cloud service application.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the route is determined at a mobile electronic device and communicated to the UAV.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the route is determined by a remote application and communicated to the UAV.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the geospatial information includes vertical information and horizontal information.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a horizontal route based on the geospatial information and then determining a vertical route based on the geo-spatial information and the horizontal route.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the geospatial information includes a minimum and maximum altitude for the route relative to ground.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a route request, the route request including an origin location and destination location for a UAV;

receiving geospatial information associated with the origin location and the destination location, the geospatial information comprising at least one of physical obstacles and no-fly zones;

determining a route of the UAV from the origin location to the destination location based at least in part on the geo-spatial information; and

and causing the route to be communicated to the UAV.