Opportunistic unmanned autonomous vehicle energy harvesting

• US 9,679,490 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2015
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ceribelli, Marcelo, Lund, Benjamin, Pearce, Lael
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US14/817,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20170039861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 26, 414392, 2940208
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0005 with arrangements to save energy
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems of various embodiments are disclosed for exploiting opportunistic energy harvesting conditions for an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV). Various embodiments include determining mission power parameters for the UAV and accessing energy-harvesting data. A suitability of an energy-harvesting site for stationary energy harvesting by the UAV may be assessed based on the mission power parameters and the energy-harvesting data. In addition, an initial course of the UAV may be adjusted based on the assessment of the suitability of the energy-harvesting site. Stationary energy harvesting may include a process performed by the UAV that derives energy by conversion from an external power source while in a fixed position and/or in contact with an adjacent object.

Claims

1. A method for managing an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV), comprising:

determining, in a processor, mission power parameters for the UAV;

accessing energy-harvesting data with the processor;

assessing, in the processor, a suitability of an energy-harvesting site for stationary energy harvesting by the UAV based on the mission power parameters and the energy-harvesting data; and

adjusting, by the processor, an initial course of the UAV based on the assessing of the suitability of the energy-harvesting site.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stationary energy harvesting includes a process performed by the UAV that derives energy by conversion from an external power source while in a fixed position in contact with an adjacent object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the external power source includes wind energy.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the external power source includes solar power.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the suitability of the energy-harvesting site comprises:

determining whether the energy-harvesting data indicates that the energy-harvesting site meets an energy production threshold suitable for the UAV to achieve the mission power parameters.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the suitability of the energy-harvesting site comprises:

determining whether an energy harvesting potential of the energy-harvesting site, offset by an energy expenditure associated with completing a course deviation to the energy-harvesting site, is suitable for the UAV to achieve the mission power parameters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the suitability of the energy-harvesting site comprises:

determining whether an amount of time needed to harvest energy at the energy-harvesting site meets mission temporal parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the suitability of the energy-harvesting site for the stationary energy harvesting by the UAV includes determining from the energy-harvesting data at least one environmental characteristic of the energy-harvesting site selected from a group consisting of a sunlight level, a sunlight duration, a shade movement pattern, a wind level, a wind duration, a precipitation level, a precipitation duration, and a level of shelter from hostile environments.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the suitability of the energy-harvesting site for the stationary energy harvesting by the UAV includes determining a level of at least one site risk selected from a group consisting of a disturbance likelihood, an ability of the UAV to remain stable at the energy-harvesting site, an availability of reliable fixation elements at the energy-harvesting site, an irretrievability of the UAV from the energy-harvesting site, and a success rate of prior UAV visits to the energy-harvesting site.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the suitability of the energy-harvesting site for the stationary energy harvesting by the UAV includes analyzing real-time data related to the energy-harvesting site obtained by a sensor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the suitability of the energy-harvesting site for the stationary energy harvesting by the UAV includes analyzing information from a prior UAV visit to one or more sites.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the suitability of the energy-harvesting site for the stationary energy harvesting by the UAV includes determining whether at least one other UAV is currently located at the energy-harvesting site.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the energy-harvesting site from a plurality of energy-harvesting sites;

wherein adjusting the initial course of the UAV includes adjusting a travel plan of the UAV to travel to the selected energy-harvesting site.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

parking at the energy-harvesting site selected for the stationary energy harvesting prior to reaching a destination of the initial course of the UAV.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing a position of the UAV while performing the stationary energy harvesting at the energy-harvesting site.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing an orientation of the UAV while performing the stationary energy harvesting at the energy-harvesting site.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing a component configuration of the UAV for stabilizing the UAV during the stationary energy harvesting at the energy-harvesting site.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, by the processor, a parameter update to the mission power parameters for the UAV; and

reassessing, by the processor, the suitability of the energy-harvesting site for the stationary energy harvesting by the UAV based on the parameter update to the mission power parameters.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a sensor for generating an energy-harvesting update in response to reaching the energy-harvesting site; and

reassessing the suitability of the energy-harvesting site for the stationary energy harvesting by the UAV based on the energy-harvesting update.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, with the processor, an energy-harvesting update to the energy-harvesting data; and

reassessing, with the processor, the suitability of the energy-harvesting site for the stationary energy harvesting by the UAV based on the energy-harvesting update.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, in the processor, whether an available onboard power level meets the mission power parameters;

wherein the mission power parameters indicate a projected power requirement and a power reserve threshold for a mission; and

wherein accessing the energy-harvesting data is performed in response to determining that the available onboard power level does not meet the mission power parameters.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein determining mission power parameters includes determining whether the stationary energy harvesting is not permissible due to a perishable nature of a payload or the payload has too high a value.

23. An unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a memory;

an energy-harvesting component; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the energy-harvesting component and configured with processor-executable instructions to;

determine mission power parameters for the UAV;

access energy-harvesting data;

assess a suitability of an energy-harvesting site for stationary energy harvesting using the energy-harvesting component based on the mission power parameters and the energy-harvesting data; and

adjust an initial course of the UAV based on the suitability of the energy-harvesting site.

24. The UAV of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to assess the suitability of the energy-harvesting site by determining whether the energy-harvesting data indicates that the energy-harvesting site meets an energy production threshold suitable for the UAV to achieve the mission power parameters.

25. The UAV of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to assess the suitability of the energy-harvesting site by determining whether an energy harvesting potential of the energy-harvesting site, offset by an energy expenditure associated with completing a course deviation to the energy-harvesting site, is suitable for the UAV to achieve the mission power parameters.

26. The UAV of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to assess the suitability of the energy-harvesting site by determining whether an amount of time needed to harvest energy at the energy-harvesting site meets mission temporal parameters.

27. The UAV of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to assess the suitability of the energy-harvesting site for the stationary energy harvesting by the UAV by analyzing information from a prior UAV visit to one or more sites.

28. The UAV of claim 23, further comprising a sensor coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to assess the suitability of the energy-harvesting site for the stationary energy harvesting by analyzing real-time data related to the energy-harvesting site obtained by the sensor.

29. An unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV), comprising:

means for determining mission power parameters for the UAV;

means for accessing energy-harvesting data;

means for assessing a suitability of an energy-harvesting site for stationary energy harvesting by the UAV based on the mission power parameters and the energy-harvesting data; and

means for adjusting an initial course of the UAV based on the assessing of the suitability of the energy-harvesting site.

30. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) to perform operations comprising:

determining mission power parameters for the UAV;

accessing energy-harvesting data;

assessing a suitability of an energy-harvesting site for stationary energy harvesting by the UAV based on the mission power parameters and the energy-harvesting data; and

adjusting an initial course of the UAV based on the assessing of the suitability of the energy-harvesting site.