Systems, devices and methods delivering energy using an uncrewed autonomous vehicle

• US 9,778,653 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: McClintock, Jon Arron, Buchmueller, Daniel, Gopalakrishnan, Varadarajan, Hensel, Fabian, Johansson, Jesper Mikael, Porter, Brandon William, Roths, Andrew Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Kleinman, Lail
• Application Number:
  US14/318,373
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/32 by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0459 by interrogating a transponder
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0463 optically
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0465 by GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0469 by interrogating a transponder
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0473 optically
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0401 arrangements for automatically fuelling vehicles, i.e. without human intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/08 Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/145 by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0684 on a moving platform, e.g. aircraft carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Devices such as vehicles, remote sensors, and so forth consume energy during operation. Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for transferring energy from an uncrewed autonomous vehicle to a vehicle such as a car. The uncrewed autonomous vehicle may locate the vehicle at a rendezvous location, and connect with the vehicle while the vehicle moves. Once the uncrewed autonomous vehicle connects to the vehicle, the uncrewed autonomous vehicle may transfer the energy to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a vehicle including a rechargeable battery and an optical target, wherein the vehicle is configured to;

determine that an amount of energy in the rechargeable battery is equal to or less than a threshold amount, wherein the threshold amount represents an amount of energy needed for the vehicle to reach a designated destination;

generate a request for energy; and

provide the request to a server;

receive an uncrewed autonomous vehicle identification (“

UAV ID”

) from the server, wherein the UAV ID is associated with an uncrewed autonomous vehicle (“

UAV”

);

execute a first authentication using wireless communication between the vehicle and the UAV that includes determining that the UAV ID is included within a UAV ID datastore;

receive, from the UAV, a transfer of energy for the rechargeable battery of the vehicle;

the server configured to;

determine a speed of the vehicle;

determine docking speeds supported by a plurality of UAVs;

select the UAV based on correspondence between a docking speed supported by the UAV and the speed of the vehicle; and

provide control data to the UAV, the control data representing instructions for the UAV to transfer energy to the rechargeable battery at a rendezvous location;

confirm an amount of the energy received for the rechargeable battery; and

the UAV includes an energy storage device and an optical scanner, wherein the UAV is configured to;

receive the control data from the server;

determine, using the wireless communication between the vehicle and the UAV, that the vehicle includes one or more components capable of receiving energy from the UAV;

travel to the rendezvous location;

locate the vehicle proximate to the rendezvous location;

read, using the optical scanner of the UAV, the optical target of the vehicle;

execute a second authentication of the vehicle based on the read of the optical target;

dock with the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion, wherein the dock includes establishment of wired communication between the vehicle and the UAV using one or more electrical conductors;

execute a third authentication using the wired communication between the vehicle and the UAV that includes determining that a vehicle identification (“

ID”

) is included within a vehicle ID datastore; and

transfer, using the energy storage device of the UAV, energy to the rechargeable battery of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the UAV is configured to couple to the vehicle using the one or more electrical conductors when docked;

the vehicle is configured to provide heartbeat signals to the UAV using the one or more electrical conductors; and

the UAV is configured to determine a quantity of energy transferred to the rechargeable battery of the vehicle based on receiving a predetermined number of the heartbeat signals from the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the UAV includes;

a first UAV connector that includes a first upper side, a first lower side, and a first contact; and

a second UAV connector that includes a second upper side, a second lower side, and a second contact; and

the vehicle includes a docking mechanism including;

a first base portion and a first vehicle clamp engaged with the first base portion, wherein the first vehicle clamp is configured to move between a first open position and a first closed position to attach to the first contact, wherein the first vehicle clamp is connected to the rechargeable battery, and wherein in the first closed position, the first base portion contacts the first lower side and restricts movement of the first UAV connector toward the vehicle and the first vehicle clamp encloses the first upper side and restricts movement of the first UAV connector away from the vehicle; and

a second base portion and a second vehicle clamp engaged with the second base portion, wherein the second vehicle clamp is configured to move between a second open position and a second closed position to attach to the second contact, wherein the second vehicle clamp is connected to the rechargeable battery, and wherein in the second closed position, the second base portion contacts the second lower side and restricts movement of the second UAV connector toward the vehicle and the second vehicle clamp encloses the second upper side and restricts movement of the second UAV connector away from the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing historical energy consumption data for the vehicle, the historical energy consumption data indicating information about quantities of energy consumed by the vehicle during one or more periods of time, and wherein the vehicle further configured to determine the threshold amount based on the historical energy consumption data and the designated destination.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical target includes one or more of:

at least one light source configured to generate light having one or more of a pattern, a shape, or a sequence;

or

machine-readable optical code attached to the vehicle; and

wherein the optical scanner of the UAV is configured to detect the one or more of the pattern, the shape, the sequence, or the machine-readable optical code.

4. An uncrewed autonomous vehicle (“

UAV”

) comprising;

an energy storage device configured to store energy;

a communication interface;

a memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

a processor in communication with the communication interface and the memory,

the processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive, using the communication interface, an instruction to transfer energy between the energy storage device and a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is proximate to a rendezvous location;

execute a first authentication process to authenticate one or more of the vehicle or the UAV using wireless communication, wherein the first authentication process determines correspondence between a speed of the vehicle and a docking speed supported by the UAV;

navigate the UAV to the rendezvous location;

determine location and motion information associated with the vehicle;

execute a second authentication process by detecting an optical target on the vehicle;

dock with the vehicle, wherein the dock includes establishment of a wired connection between the vehicle and the UAV using one or more of electrical conductors;

execute a third authentication process to authenticate the vehicle using the wired connection between the vehicle and the UAV; and

responsive to success with the first, second, and third authentication process, transfer at least one of;

a portion of the energy stored in the energy storage device to the vehicle;

or

a portion of energy stored in the vehicle to the energy storage device.

5. The UAV of claim 4, wherein the optical target includes a machine-readable optical code attached to the vehicle and the processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

execute the second authentication process by;

acquiring, using an optical scanner, vehicle identification information from the machine-readable optical code; and

querying a datastore storing a plurality of vehicle identification information to determine that the acquired vehicle identification information is included within the datastore.

6. The UAV of claim 4, wherein:

the optical target includes one or more lights configured to generate one or more of an optical pattern, an optical shape, or an optical sequence; and

the processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to authenticate the vehicle by determining that the one or more of the optical pattern, the optical shape, or the optical sequence corresponds to a predetermined optical target.

7. The UAV of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive vehicle location data from the vehicle, the vehicle location data indicating an expected route of the vehicle;

receive movement data indicative of a speed of the vehicle;

generate UAV location data indicating a location of the UAV; and

determine the rendezvous location using the vehicle location data, the movement data, and the UAV location data.

8. The UAV of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive environment data from the vehicle, the environment data comprising information indicating an existence of objects proximate to the vehicle; and

navigate the UAV to avoid the objects while docking the UAV to the vehicle.

9. The UAV of claim 4, wherein the processor is

configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive vehicle movement data from the vehicle, the vehicle movement data indicative of the speed of the vehicle; and

determine one or more docking speeds supported by the UAV.

10. The UAV of claim 4, wherein:

the UAV is configured to connect to the vehicle using an electrical conductor associated with a docking mechanism comprising an elongate member, wherein the elongate member is parallel to and configured for receipt within a channel formed in a vehicle connector attached to the vehicle, wherein the channel encloses the elongate member to limit movement of the UAV toward or away from the vehicle, and wherein placement of the elongate member within the channel places the energy storage device of the UAV into electrical communication with the vehicle; and

transferring the portion of the energy to the vehicle includes transferring the energy from the energy storage device to the vehicle as a flow of electrical current using the electrical conductor, wherein the energy storage device remains with the UAV.

13. The UAV of claim 4, wherein the first authentication process, the second authentication process, and the third authentication process use one or more cryptographic keys.

18. The UAV of claim 4, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

execute a fourth authentication process prior to docking with the vehicle, wherein the fourth authentication process includes providing information from the UAV to the vehicle to authenticate the UAV to the vehicle.

19. The UAV of claim 18, wherein providing the information from the UAV to the vehicle includes moving the UAV in a movement pattern for authentication by the vehicle.

11. A method comprising:

generating, using a device, an energy request;

providing the energy request to a server configured to select a first uncrewed autonomous vehicle (“

UAV”

), wherein;

the first UAV is selected from a plurality of different UAVs; and

the first UAV includes energy for the device;

performing, before dispatch of the first UAV, a first authentication between the server and the first UAV using wireless communication;

performing a second authentication between the first UAV and the device using the wireless communication, wherein one or more of the first authentication or the second authentication includes determining correspondence between a speed of the device and a docking speed supported by the first UAV;

docking the device with the first UAV;

performing a third authentication between the first UAV and the device using a wired connection between the first UAV and the device; and

transferring energy between the device and the first UAV.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

accessing recharging location data representative of a first location of a recharging apparatus, wherein the device comprises a vehicle;

accessing historical energy consumption data comprising information about an amount of energy consumed by the vehicle during one or more designated periods of time;

generating vehicle location data indicative of a second location of the vehicle at a current time; and

based on the historical energy consumption data, determining that an amount of energy is insufficient to enable the vehicle to move from the second location to the first location, wherein the energy request is generated responsive to the determining that the amount of energy is insufficient to enable the vehicle to move from the second location to the first location.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting an optical target on the device using an optical scanner of the first UAV, wherein the optical target includes one or more of:

at least one light source configured to generate light having one or more of a pattern, a shape, or a sequence;

or

machine-readable optical code attached to the device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein docking the device with the first UAV includes:

positioning a lower side of a first UAV electrical contact of the first UAV in communication with a first base portion of the device, wherein the first base portion includes a first device electrical contact;

positioning a lower side of a second UAV electrical contact of the first UAV in communication with a second base portion of the device, wherein the second base portion includes a second device electrical contact;

moving a first clamp of the device, attached to the first base portion, from an open position to a closed position, wherein in the closed position, the first base portion limits movement of the first UAV toward the device and the first clamp encloses an upper side of the first UAV electrical contact and limits movement of the first UAV electrical contact of the first UAV away from the first device electrical contact of the device; and

moving a second clamp of the device, attached to the second base portion, from an open position to a closed position, wherein in the closed position, the second base portion limits movement of the first UAV toward the device and the second clamp encloses an upper side of the second UAV electrical contact and limits movement of the second UAV electrical contact of the second UAV away from the second device electrical contact of the device.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the correspondence between the speed of the device and the docking speed supported by the first UAV by:

determining the speed of the vehicle;

determine docking speeds supported by a plurality of UAVs; and

determining that the first UAV supports a docking speed greater than or equal to a speed of the device.