Landing of unmanned aerial vehicles on transportation vehicles for transport

• US 9,809,305 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buchmueller, Daniel, Green, Scott A., Kalyan, Atishkumar, Kimchi, Gur
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Worden, Tommy
• Application Number:
  US14/635,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20160257401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/297 Tilting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/93 for use on a land or nautical vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/00 Transport or storage specially adapted for UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• 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: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 : in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0065 : for taking-off
• 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

Unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAVs”) which fly to destinations (e.g., for delivering items) may land on transportation vehicles (e.g., delivery trucks, etc.) for temporary transport. An agreement with the owner of the transportation vehicles (e.g., a shipping carrier) may be made for obtaining consent and determining compensation for landings, and the associated transportation vehicles that are available for landings may be identified by markers on the roof or other identification techniques. The routes of the transportation vehicles may be known and utilized to determine locations where UAVs will land on and take off from the transportation vehicles, and in cases of emergencies (e.g., due to low batteries, mechanical issues, etc.) the UAVs may land on the transportation vehicles for later retrieval.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method to temporarily transport an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

) on a transportation vehicle, the method comprising;

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions, sending instructions to the UAV to begin flying toward a destination of the UAV;

evaluating known routes that a plurality of transportation vehicles are travelling along, wherein the evaluating of each Known route includes evaluating at least one of a timing factor or an energy savings factor for the travel of the UAV, which includes comparing an expected timeframe for the UAV to reach the destination using each known route to a required timeframe for the UAV to reach the destination, and the plurality of transportation vehicles includes at least a first transportation vehicle and a second transportation vehicle;

selecting the first transportation vehicle for the UAV to land on from the plurality of transportation vehicles based at least in part on the evaluation of the known route of the first transportation vehicle;

not selecting the second transportation vehicle from the plurality of transportation vehicles based at least in part on the evaluation of the known route of the second transportation vehicle;

sending instructions to the UAV to fly to a meeting location and to land on the first transportation vehicle for transport during a portion of the known route of the first transportation vehicle to bring the UAV to a departure location that is closer in distance than the meeting location to the destination of the UAV;

sending instructions to the UAV to take off from the first transportation vehicle at the departure location along the known route that the first transportation vehicle continues to travel along; and

sending instructions to the UAV to fly from the departure location toward the destination of the UAV.

2. The method of claim 1, further including sending a notification indicating that an emergency landing of the UAV has occurred on the first transportation vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transportation vehicle is at least one of a truck, an automobile, a train, an aircraft, or a watercraft and the known route of the first transportation vehicle is for transporting at least one of items or passengers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first entity owns the UAV and a second entity that is different from the first entity owns the first transportation vehicle, and further including providing compensation to the second entity for the landing of the UAV on the first transportation vehicle.

5. A system for utilizing transportation vehicles for transport, the system comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

), including;

a propulsion system;

a power module for storing energy with a corresponding energy level, the power module connected to the propulsion system and configured to provide energy to the propulsion system to fly the UAV; and

a computing system, including;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to at least;

fly the UAV toward a travel destination for the UAV;

evaluate a known route for each of a plurality of transportation vehicles relative to the travel destination of the UAV, wherein the evaluating of each known route includes evaluating at least one of a timing factor or an energy savings factor for the travel of the UAV, which includes comparing an expected timeframe for the UAV to reach the travel destination using each known route to a required timeframe for the UAV to reach the travel destination, and the plurality of transportation vehicles includes at least a first transportation vehicle and a second transportation vehicle;

select the first transportation vehicle from the plurality of transportation vehicles for the UAV to land on to bring the UAV closer in distance to the travel destination based at least in part on the evaluation of the known route of the first transportation vehicle;

not select the second transportation vehicle from the plurality of transportation vehicles based at least in part on the evaluation of the known route of the second transportation vehicle;

fly the UAV to land on the first transportation vehicle that is traveling alone the respective known route for the first transportation vehicle; and

remain on the first transportation vehicle for a portion of the known route that will bring the UAV closer in distance to the travel destination of the UAV.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the UAV further includes a securing component to maintain the UAV on the first transportation vehicle while the first transportation vehicle is in motion.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the propulsion system of the UAV includes at least one propeller that is configured to generate electricity from an airflow around the first transportation vehicle while the first transportation vehicle is moving.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the first transportation vehicle further includes a charging component to re-charge the power module while the UAV is on the first transportation vehicle.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to fly the UAV to land on the first transportation vehicle, further cause the processor to at least:

determine that the energy level of the power module is below a threshold.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the UAV further comprises an imaging sensor configured to at least one of determine an identification of the first transportation vehicle or assist with landing the UAV on the first transportation vehicle.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the UAV further includes a navigation system configured to determine a location of the UAV as part of the flying of the UAV to land on the first transportation vehicle.

12. A computer implemented method, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions, evaluating a route for each of a plurality of transportation vehicles relative to a travel destination of an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

), wherein the evaluating of each route includes evaluating at least one of a timing factor or an energy savings factor for the travel of the UAV, which includes comparing an expected timeframe for the UAV to reach the destination using each known route to a required timeframe for the UAV to reach the destination, and the plurality of transportation vehicles includes at least a first transportation vehicle and a second transportation vehicle;

selecting the first transportation vehicle for the UAV to land on to bring the UAV closer in distance to the travel destination based at least in part on the evaluation of the route of the first transportation vehicle;

not selecting the second transportation vehicle based at least in part on the evaluation of the route of the second transportation vehicle;

selecting a meeting location that the UAV will fly to and land on the first transportation vehicle for transport during a portion of the route of the first transportation vehicle to bring the UAV closer in distance to the travel destination of the UAV; and

sending instructions to the UAV to fly to the meeting location and to land on the first transportation vehicle for transport during the portion of the known route of the first transportation vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, further including estimating a departure location where the UAV will depart from the first transportation vehicle and fly toward the travel destination.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the evaluating of the route of the second transportation vehicle includes:

evaluating a timing factor for the travel of the UAV which includes comparing a timing of the route of the second transportation vehicle to a delivery deadline of the UAV; and

not selecting the second transportation vehicle based at least in part on the comparison which indicates that the timing of the route for the second transportation vehicle would not transport the UAV quickly enough to meet the delivery deadline of the UAV.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of transportation vehicles further includes a third transportation vehicle and the evaluating of the route for the third transportation vehicle includes:

estimating a travel speed of the third transportation vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the estimated travel speed, that the third transportation vehicle will be moving too quickly for the UAV to safely land on the third transportation vehicle; and

not selecting the third transportation vehicle based at least in part on the determination that the third transportation vehicle will be moving too quickly for the UAV to safely land on the third transportation vehicle.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the selection of the meeting location that the UAV will fly to and land on the first transportation vehicle is based at least in part on GPS information regarding a current location of the first transportation vehicle.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the landing of the UAV on the first transportation vehicle is performed as part of an emergency maneuver.

18. The method of claim 12, further including providing compensation to an owner of the first transportation vehicle for the landing of the UAV on the first transportation vehicle.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the evaluating of the route for each of the plurality of transportation vehicles includes evaluating an energy savings factor which includes evaluating for each of the plurality of transportation vehicles whether a landing on the transportation vehicle would result in a net energy savings for the UAV.