Piggybacking unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 9,704,409 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Prakash, Arjun, Ceribelli, Marcelo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAVERAS, KENNY ABEL
• Application Number:
  US14/817,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20160196756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 35/02 specially adapted for specific power plants
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/00 Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations specially adapted for captive aircraft B64F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/38 by wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/95 Means for guiding the landing UAV towards the platform, e.g. lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

Various embodiments include methods for piggybacking an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on a vehicle (e.g., motor vehicles and trailers coupled to motor vehicles) to reach a destination. Various embodiments may include determining whether to dock on a vehicle. One or more candidate vehicles may be identified for docking. Travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles may be identified. A first vehicle may be selected from the one or more candidate vehicles based on one or more travel profile characteristics that assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination. The UAV may dock with the first vehicle. While docked to the first vehicle the UAV may charge an onboard battery via an electrical connection in a docking structure or by harvesting energy in the wind caused by movement of the vehicle by configuring the UAV rotors to charge the battery.

Claims

1. A method of operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

determining, by a processor of the UAV, whether to dock on a vehicle to reach a UAV destination;

identifying, by the processor, one or more candidate vehicles for docking in response to determining to dock on the vehicle;

determining, by the processor, travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles, wherein the travel profile characteristics of each of the one or more candidate vehicles identify at least a vehicle destination of a respective candidate vehicle or a vehicle route to the vehicle destination;

selecting, from among the one or more candidate vehicles, a first vehicle having the vehicle destination or the vehicle route that is compatible with the UAV destination or a UAV route to the UAV destination, respectively; and

docking the UAV with the first vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to dock on the vehicle comprises:

determining, by the processor, whether a charge level of an onboard battery of the UAV is sufficient to meet a mission power requirement for reaching the UAV destination; and

determining to dock on the vehicle is in response to determining that the charge level of the onboard battery of the UAV is insufficient to meet the mission power requirement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to dock on the vehicle comprises:

determining, by the processor, a first cost associated with reaching the UAV destination without docking on the vehicle and a second cost associated with reaching the UAV destination by docking on the vehicle; and

determining, by the processor, whether the first cost is less than the second cost.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the processor, the travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles comprises:

receiving from each of the one or more candidate vehicles one or more of the travel profile characteristics via an established communication link.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the processor, travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles comprises:

receiving from a server computing device one or more of the travel profile characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more candidate vehicles for docking comprises:

receiving an approval to dock from each of the one or more candidate vehicles.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more candidate vehicles for docking comprises:

receiving an approval to dock from a vehicle that does not include a docking mechanism specifically for receiving the UAV.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the travel profile characteristics include information selected from a group consisting of a current speed of the one or more candidate vehicles, a type of docking station with which the one or more candidate vehicles is equipped, whether the one or more candidate vehicles is willing to take small deviations from a course or route to allow the UAV to dock, whether the one or more candidate vehicles is willing to slow down to allow the UAV to dock, a maximum UAV weight the candidate vehicle may accept, a maximum UAV size the candidate vehicle can accept, traffic conditions, a location of the one or more candidate vehicles, a designated destination of the one or more candidate vehicles, a designated route of the one or more candidate vehicles, and contextual information from which a determined destination or route may be obtained by the processor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first vehicle from the one or more candidate vehicles is based on one or more of:

a first proximity of the first vehicle to the UAV;

a second proximity of a designated destination of the first vehicle to the UAV destination; and

an average speed of the first vehicle toward the designated destination of the first vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting, from among the one or more candidate vehicles, the first vehicle having the vehicle destination or the vehicle route that is compatible with the UAV destination or the UAV route to the UAV destination comprises:

estimating a docking duration that the UAV will be able to remain docked with each of the one or more candidate vehicles based on the vehicle destination of each of the candidate vehicles; and

selecting the first vehicle based at least in part on whether the estimated docking duration enables the UAV to recharge an onboard battery to a level meeting mission power requirements that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting, from among the one or more candidate vehicles, the first vehicle having one or more travel profile characteristics that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination comprises:

estimating a quantity of energy that may be harvested once docked with the first vehicle; and

selecting the first vehicle based at least in part on whether the estimated quantity of energy enables the UAV to recharge an onboard battery to a level meeting mission power parameters that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting, from among the one or more candidate vehicles the first vehicle having one or more travel profile characteristics that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination comprises:

determining a net recharge quantity of an onboard battery is estimated to be recharged once docked with the first vehicle, wherein the net recharge quantity takes into account an energy expenditure associated with the UAV completing a course deviation to reach the first vehicle; and

selecting the first vehicle based at least in part on whether the net recharge quantity enables the UAV to recharge the onboard battery to a level meeting mission power parameters that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting, from among the one or more candidate vehicles, the first vehicle having one or more travel profile characteristics that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination comprises:

determining a ranking associated with each of the one or more candidate vehicles; and

selecting the first vehicle based at least in part on the determined ranking.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein docking the UAV to the first vehicle comprises:

flying the UAV to within a predetermined proximity of a docking mechanism of the first vehicle; and

engaging a latching mechanism on the docking mechanism with a structure of the UAV.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising charging an onboard battery of the UAV via a power connection or wireless charging mechanism on the docking mechanism while the UAV is docked to the first vehicle.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging an onboard battery of the UAV by using rotors to harvest energy from wind caused by vehicle movement while docked with the first vehicle.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by the processor, progress toward the UAV destination while docked to the first vehicle;

determining, by the processor, whether to undock from the first vehicle based on progress toward the UAV destination; and

undocking the UAV from the first vehicle in response to determining to undock from the first vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether to undock from the first vehicle is based on an identification of a more suitable vehicle with new travel profile characteristics that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by the processor, a level that an onboard battery has been recharged while docked to the first vehicle;

and

undocking the UAV from the first vehicle in response to the level that the onboard battery has been recharged meets a mission power parameter.

20. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a memory; and

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

determine whether to dock on a vehicle to reach a UAV destination;

identify one or more candidate vehicles for docking in response to determining that the UAV should dock on the vehicle;

determine travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles, wherein the travel profile characteristics of each of the one or more candidate vehicles identify at least a vehicle destination of a respective candidate vehicle or a vehicle route to the vehicle destination;

select from among the one or more candidate vehicles a first vehicle having the vehicle destination or the vehicle route that is compatible with the UAV destination or a UAV route to the UAV destination, respectively; and

dock the UAV with the first vehicle.

21. The UAV of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to determine whether to dock on the vehicle by:

determining whether a charge level of an onboard battery of the UAV is sufficient to meet a mission power requirement for reaching the UAV destination; and

determining to dock on the vehicle is in response to determining that the charge level of the onboard battery of the UAV is insufficient to meet the mission power requirement.

22. The UAV of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to identifying the one or more candidate vehicles for docking by:

receiving an approval to dock from a vehicle that does not include a docking mechanism specifically for receiving the UAV.

23. The UAV of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to determine the first vehicle from the one or more candidate vehicles by:

receiving an approval to dock from a vehicle that does not include a docking mechanism specifically for receiving the UAV.

24. The UAV of claim 20, further comprising:

an onboard battery coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to determine the first vehicle from the one or more candidate vehicles by;

estimating a docking duration the UAV will be able to remain docked with the first vehicle based on a designated destination of the first vehicle; and

selecting the first vehicle based at least in part on whether the estimated docking duration enables the UAV to recharge the onboard battery to a level meeting mission power parameters that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination.

25. The UAV of claim 20, further comprising:

an onboard battery coupled to the processor; and

rotors coupled to the onboard battery,

wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to harvest energy from wind caused by vehicle movement by configuring the rotors to charge the onboard battery while docked with the first vehicle.

26. The UAV of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to:

monitor progress toward the UAV destination while docked to the first vehicle;

determine whether to undock from the first vehicle based on progress toward the UAV destination; and

undock the UAV from the first vehicle in response to determining to undock from the first vehicle.

27. The UAV of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured with the processor-executable instructions to:

monitor charging of an onboard battery while docked to the first vehicle;

determine whether to undock from the first vehicle based on whether the UAV has recharged the onboard battery to a predetermined level; and

undock the UAV from the first vehicle in response to determining to undock from the first vehicle.

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

means for determining whether to dock on a vehicle to reach a UAV destination;

means for identifying one or more candidate vehicles for docking in response to determining to dock on the vehicle;

means for determining, by the processor, travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles, wherein the travel profile characteristics of each of the one or more candidate vehicles identify at least a vehicle destination of a respective candidate vehicle or a vehicle route to the vehicle destination;

means for selecting from among the one or more candidate vehicles a first vehicle having the vehicle destination or the vehicle route that is compatible with the UAV destination or a UAV route to the UAV destination, respectively; and

means for docking the UAV with the first vehicle.

29. 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 whether to dock on a vehicle to reach a UAV destination;

identifying one or more candidate vehicles for docking in response to determining to dock on the vehicle;

determining travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles, wherein the travel profile characteristics of each of the one or more candidate vehicles identify at least a vehicle destination of a respective candidate vehicle or a vehicle route to the vehicle destination;

selecting from among the one or more candidate vehicles a first vehicle having the vehicle destination or the vehicle route that is compatible with the UAV destination or a UAV route to the UAV destination, respectively; and

docking the UAV with the first vehicle.