Responsive navigation of an unmanned aerial vehicle to a remedial facility

• US 9,671,781 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Peeters, Eric, Teller, Eric, Patrick, William Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US14/542,203
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• 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: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a deployment system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In one aspect, an illustrative deployment system includes a communication system configured for receiving diagnostic data corresponding to an object included in a UAV, wherein the UAV has an expiration condition; and a logic module configured for (i) determining that the expiration condition has been satisfied based, at least in part, on the received diagnostic data, and (ii) responsive to determining that the expiration condition has been satisfied, initiating an action that includes sending to the UAV both (a) navigation data relating to a remedial facility, and (b) instructions to navigate to the remedial facility based, at least in part, on the navigation data.

Claims

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

at least one flight-related component corresponding to a wing, a propeller, a rotor, a stabilizer, a landing gear, or a propulsion unit;

a diagnostic system including at least one of a sensor or an imaging system for determining diagnostic data relating to the at least one flight-related component, the diagnostic system establishing a communication link via at least one near-field communication (NFC) tag to identify the at least one flight-related component and determine the diagnostic data, wherein the diagnostic data includes any one of a historical or current property, condition, setting, and action of the UAV, and wherein the at least one NFC tag is included in or affixed to the at least one flight-related component; and

one or more processors configured to execute computer-executable program instructions stored on a non-transitory data storage to;

(i) determine whether an expiration condition relating to the at least one flight-related component has been satisfied, and

(ii) responsive to determining that the expiration condition has been satisfied, initiate an action that comprises providing for the UAV;

(a) navigation data relating to a remedial facility configured to service or replace the at least one flight-related component, and

(b) instructions to navigate to the remedial facility based, at least in part, on the navigation data.

2. The UAV system of claim 1, wherein the initiated action further comprises launching the UAV.

3. The UAV system of claim 1, wherein the expiration condition is satisfied when a threshold number of hours for using the at least one flight-related component has been exceeded or the diagnostic data provided by the diagnostic system indicates wear or damage to the at least one flight-related component.

4. The UAV system of claim 1, further comprising a navigation module, wherein the instructions to navigate to the remedial facility include instructions to navigate via the navigation module.

5. The UAV system of claim 1, further comprising a communication system configured for receiving the diagnostic data from the diagnostic system.

6. The UAV system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors initiate the action by sending to the UAV, via a communication system, the navigation data and the instructions to navigate to the remedial facility.

7. A method comprising:

determining, with a diagnostic system, diagnostic data relating to at least one flight-related component of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the at least one flight-related component corresponding to a wing, a propeller, a rotor, a stabilizer, a landing gear component, or a propulsion unit, the diagnostic system including at least one of a sensor or an imaging system for determining the diagnostic data, the diagnostic system establishing a communication link via at least one near-field communication (NFC) tag to identify the at least one flight-related component and determine the diagnostic data, wherein the diagnostic data includes any one of a historical or current property, condition, setting, and action of the UAV, and wherein the at least one NFC tag is included in or affixed to the at least one flight-related component;

determining, with one or more processors configured to execute computer-executable program instructions stored on a non-transitory data storage, whether an expiration condition relating to the at least one flight-related component has been satisfied; and

responsive to determining that the expiration condition has been satisfied, initiating, with the one or more processors, an action that comprises providing for the UAV;

(a) navigation data relating to a remedial facility configured to service or replace the at least one flight-related component, and

(b) instructions to navigate to the remedial facility based, at least in part, on the navigation data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the initiated action further comprises launching the UAV.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the expiration condition is satisfied when a threshold number of hours for using the at least one flight-related component has been exceeded or the diagnostic data provided by the diagnostic system indicates wear or damage to the at least one flight-related component.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the diagnostic data includes receiving the diagnostic data from the diagnostic system via a communication system.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein initiating the action comprises sending to the UAV, via a communication system, the navigation data and the instructions to navigate to the remedial facility.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause performance of a set of functions, the set including:

receiving, from a diagnostic system, diagnostic data relating to at least one flight-related component of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the at least one flight-related component corresponding to a wing, a propeller, a rotor, a stabilizer, a landing gear, or a propulsion unit, the diagnostic system including at least one of a sensor or an imaging system for determining the diagnostic data, the diagnostic system establishing a communication link via at least one near-field communication (NFC) tag to identify the at least one flight-related component and determine the diagnostic data, wherein the diagnostic data includes any one of a historical or current property, condition, setting, and action of the UAV, and wherein the at least one NFC tag is included in or affixed to the at least one flight-related component;

determining whether an expiration condition relating to the at least one flight-related component has been satisfied; and

responsive to determining that the expiration condition has been satisfied, initiating an action that comprises providing for the UAV;

(a) navigation data relating to a remedial facility configured to service or replace the at least one flight-related component, and

(b) instructions to navigate to the remedial facility based, at least in part, on the navigation data.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the initiated action further comprises launching the UAV.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the expiration condition is satisfied when a threshold number of hours for using the at least one flight-related component has been exceeded or the diagnostic data provided by the diagnostic system indicates wear or damage to the at least one flight-related component.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein receiving the diagnostic data includes receiving the diagnostic data from the diagnostic system via a communication system.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein initiating the action comprises sending to the UAV, via a communication system, the navigation data and the instructions to navigate to the remedial facility.