SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADJUSTING A PICK UP SCHEDULE FOR AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

• US 20170323257A1
• Filed: 05/06/2016
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cheatham, III, Jesse R., Chin, Hon Wah, Duncan, Jr., William David, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Pan, Tony S., Petroski, Robert C., Tegreene, Clarence T., Tuckerman, David B., Urzhumov, Yaroslav A., Weaver, Thomas Allan, Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Application Number:
  US15/148,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20170323257A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may be used to deliver a package. The UAV may include a communication interface configured to receive a request to transport a package from a customer and a navigation unit configured to direct the UAV to the package. The UAV may also include a sensor configured to determine at least one of a weight and a plurality of dimensions of the package and a schedule unit configured to adjust a pick up schedule for a one or more other packages based on at least one of the weight and the plurality of dimensions of the package.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a request to transport a package from a customer;

a navigation unit configured to direct the UAV to the package;

a sensor configured to determine at least one of a weight and a plurality of dimensions of the package; and

a schedule unit configured to adjust a pick up schedule for one or more other packages based on at least one of the weight and the plurality of dimensions of the package.

2. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the schedule unit is further configured to track at least one of an available weight and available dimensions for the UAV to determine whether to accept future packages.

3. The UAV of claim 2, wherein the schedule unit is further configured to provide the available weight and the available dimensions to a server to describe an availability of the UAV to transport packages.

5. The UAV of claim 2, wherein the schedule unit is further configured to adjust a pick up time for at least one of the one or more other packages based on the available weight and the available dimensions.

6. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the pick up time for the at least one of the one or more other packages is adjusted due to a change in a route used by the UAV to arrive at each of the one or more other packages.

7. The UAV of claim 6, wherein the route is changed by removing a scheduled pickup of at least one package from the plurality of other packages that is unable to be accommodated due to at least one of the available weight and the available dimensions.

8. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the pickup time for the at least one of the one or more other packages is adjusted due to a flight speed.

9. The UAV of claim 8, wherein the flight speed is based on at least one of the weight and the plurality of dimensions of the package.

18. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an image sensor.

19. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the image sensor comprises a camera.

20. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a radiation transmitter and a radiation receiver.

21. The UAV of claim 20, wherein the sensor comprises a range sensor.

22. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a contact sensor.

4. The UAV of claim 4, wherein the schedule unit is further configured to rearrange an order in which the one or more other packages are picked up based on the available weight and available dimensions.

10-17. -17. (canceled)

23. A method for transporting a package via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

receiving, via a communication interface, a request to transport a package from a server;

directing, via a navigation unit, the UAV to the package;

determining, via a sensor, at least one of a weight and a plurality of dimensions of the package;

providing, via the communication interface, the at least one of the weight and the plurality of dimensions of the package to the server; and

receiving, via the communication interface, an adjusted pick up schedule for one or more other packages based on the at least one of the weight and the plurality of dimensions of the package.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising tracking at least one of an available weight and available dimensions for the UAV to determine whether to accept future packages.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing the available weight and the available dimensions to a server to describe an availability of the UAV to transport packages.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising rearranging an order in which the one or more other packages are picked up based on the available weight and available dimensions.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising adjusting a pick up time for at least one of the one or more other packages is based on the available weight and the available dimensions.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising lifting the package to determine the weight of the package.

33. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining a lift-energy required to lift the package to determine the weight of the package.

34. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining a motion of the UAV with the package in response to a specified force to determine the weight of the package.

35. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining a motion of the UAV with the package in response to a specified torque to determine the weight of the package.

36. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining a difference between a first lift-energy required to lift the UAV without the package and a second lift-energy required to lift the UAV with the package to determine the weight of the package.

28-31. -31. (canceled)

37. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program code configured to cause a processor to perform a method for transporting a package via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

receiving, via a communication interface, a request to transport a package from a server;

directing, via a navigation unit, the UAV to the package;

determining, via a sensor, at least one of a weight and a plurality of dimensions of the package;

providing, via the communication interface, the at least one of the weight and the plurality of dimensions of the package to the server; and

receiving, via the communication interface, an adjusted pick up schedule for a one or more other packages based on the at least one of the weight and the plurality of dimensions of the package.

38. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, further comprising tracking, via a schedule unit, at least one of an available weight and available dimensions for the UAV to determine whether to accept future packages.

39. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 38, further comprising providing, via the schedule unit, the available weight and the available dimensions to a server to describe an availability of the UAV to transport packages.

40. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 38, further comprising rearranging, via the schedule unit, an order in which the one or more other packages are picked up based on the available weight and available dimensions.

41. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 38, further comprising adjusting, via the schedule unit, a pick up time for at least one of the one or more other packages t based on the available weight and the available dimensions.

42. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the pick up time for the at least one of the one or more other packages is adjusted due to a change in a route used by the UAV to arrive at each of the one or more other packages.

43. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 42, wherein the route is changed by removing a scheduled pickup of at least one package from the one or more other packages that is unable to be accommodated due to at least one of the available weight and the available dimensions.

44. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the pickup time for the at least one of the one or more other packages is adjusted due to a flight speed.

45. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 44, wherein the flight speed is based on at least one of the weight and the plurality of dimensions of the package.

46. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the sensor comprises a force sensor.

47. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the sensor comprises a load cell sensor.

48. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the sensor comprises a torque cell sensor.

49. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the sensor determines the weight of the package in response to the UAV lifting the package.

50. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the sensor determines the weight of the package based on lift-energy required to lift the package.

51. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the sensor determines the weight of the package based on motion of the UAV with the package in response to a specified force.

52. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the sensor determines the weight of the package based on motion of the UAV with the package in response to a specified torque.

53. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the sensor determines the weight of the package based on a difference between a first lift-energy required to lift the UAV without the package and a second lift-energy required to lift the UAV with the package.

54-58. -58. (canceled)