Autonomous resupply system and method

• US 9,120,568 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Herman, Carl, Rude, Dennis, Spura, Thomas, Kupst, Shirley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): ODEH, NADEEM N
• Application Number:
  US13/493,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 414/495
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/007 Helicopter portable landing pads
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/125 Mooring or ground handling devices for helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/32 for handling freight
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/17 Helicopters flying platforms B64U10/13
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/95 Means for guiding the landing UAV towards the platform, e.g. lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Some embodiments relate to a system and method of automatically transporting cargo from a loading station to an unloading station using a vehicle. Loading and unloading of cargo may be accomplished automatically without the need for human operators of either the loading station, the unloading station, or the vehicle. The unloading and loading station each comprise guide rails and a plurality of directional signal sources used by the vehicle to control its current position so that it may retrieve and deliver a target load. The vehicle comprises at least one sensor for detecting modulated directional signals and a controller to control the current position of the vehicle based on the received signals.

Claims

1. A vehicle for transporting at least one load, the vehicle comprising:

at least one sensor configured to receive a first modulated directional signal from a plurality of beacons attached to at least two guide rails of a loading station, wherein the first modulated directional signal comprises load information pertaining to the at least one load;

at least one load line configured to carry the at least one load; and

at least one controller configured to;

receive at least one output from the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one output comprises the load information;

determine a direction from which the first modulated directional signal was received based on the at least one output;

control a current position of the vehicle based on the determined direction from which the first modulated directional signal was received, wherein the current position is controlled to move the at least one load line such that the at least two guide rails of the loading station cooperate to funnel the load line to accurately retrieve the at least one load; and

determine a destination unloading station for the load based on the load information.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is further configured to receive a second modulated directional signal from the destination unloading station, wherein the second modulated directional signal comprises unloading information pertaining to the type of cargo that may be unloaded at the destination unloading station.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one output received by the controller further comprises the unloading information and wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a direction from which the second modulated directional signal was received based on the at least one output; and

control a current position of the vehicle based on the determined direction from which the second modulated directional signal was received.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is at least one of an unmanned vehicle and an autonomous vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the load information comprises information obtained using an identification number associated with an identifier of the at least one load.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the load information comprises information describing the contents of the at least one load.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the load information is selected from the group consisting of a quantity, a weight, a set of dimensions, a geometrical description, a batch number, a content description, a destination location and an identification number.

8. A base station comprising:

a cargo zone for at least one load;

at least two guide rails for funneling a load line to the cargo zone to accurately retrieve or deliver the at least one load, wherein the load line is attached to a vehicle and is configured to carry the at least one load; and

a plurality of beacons attached to the at least two guide rails, each of the plurality of beacons attached to one of the at least two guide rails and configured to send at least one directional signal to the vehicle, wherein each of the plurality of beacons modulates the at least one directional signal to encode information.

9. The base station of claim 8, further comprising:

an automatic feed configured to direct the at least one load towards or away from the cargo zone.

10. The base station of claim 9, further comprising:

a scanner configured to scan an identifier of the at least one load to obtain an identification number of the at least one load.

11. The base station of claim 10, further comprising:

a controller configured to obtain load information pertaining to the at least one load based on the identification number of the at least one load.

12. The base station of claim 11, wherein:

the base station is a loading station;

the cargo zone is a loading zone;

the automatic feed is configured to direct the at least one load towards the loading zone;

the controller is configured to transmit at least one of the load information and the identification number to the plurality of beacons; and

each of the plurality of beacons modulates the at least one directional signal to encode at least one of the identification number and the load information.

13. The base station of claim 12, wherein the load information is selected from the group consisting of a quantity, a weight, a set of dimensions, a geometrical description, a batch number, a content description, a destination location and an identification number.

14. The base station of claim 11, wherein:

the base station is an unloading station;

the cargo zone is an unloading zone;

the automatic feed is configured to direct the at least one load away from the unloading zone;

the controller is configured to transmit unloading information pertaining to the unloading station to the plurality of beacons; and

each of the plurality of beacons modulates the at least one directional signal to encode the unloading information.

15. The base station of claim 14, wherein the unloading information is selected from the group consisting of a type of load that may be received by the unloading station, a status of the unloading station, a maximum weight that may be received by the unloading station, and maximum dimensions of a load that may be received by the unloading station.

16. The base station of claim 10, wherein the identifier is a radio frequency identification tag.

17. A method of automatically transporting at least one load using a vehicle, the method comprising:

sending, from a first plurality of beacons attached to a first pair of guide rails at a loading station, a first modulated directional signal to the vehicle, wherein the first modulated directional signal comprises load information pertaining to the at least one load;

receiving, at the vehicle, the first modulated directional signal;

controlling a current position of the vehicle based on the first modulated directional signal received from each of the first plurality of beacons, wherein the current position is controlled to move at least one load line of the vehicle such that the first pair of guide rails of the loading station cooperate to funnel the load line to accurately retrieve the at least one load from the loading station;

determining a destination location for the at least one load based on the load information;

transporting, by the vehicle, the at least one load from the loading station to an unloading station located at the destination location;

sending, from a second plurality of beacons attached to a second pair of guide rails at an unloading station, a second modulated directional signal to the vehicle, wherein the second modulated directional signal comprises information pertaining to the unloading station; and

controlling the current position of the vehicle based on the second modulated directional signal received from each of the second plurality of beacons, wherein the current position is controlled to move the at least one load line such that the second pair of guide rails cooperate to funnel the load line to accurately deliver the at least one load to the unloading station.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

scanning an identifier of the at least one load to ascertain an identification number of the at least one load; and

determining the load information from the identification number.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the load information comprises the identification number of the at least one load; and

determining the destination location is achieved by communicating the identification number to a management system and receiving the destination location from the management system.