Method and apparatus for ensuring the operation and integrity of a three-dimensional integrated logistical system

• US 9,824,592 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vinveli Unmanned Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vinveli Unmanned Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Anandayuvaraj, Gokul R., Qu, Yuan, Halekote, Eshan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Application Number:
  US14/861,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20160086494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/00 Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations specially adapted for captive aircraft B64F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• 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 2101/66 for retrieving parcels
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• 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

Abstract

A method for ensuring the operation and integrity of a three-dimensional integrated logistical system that includes a plurality of drones and a plurality of service stations; each of the plurality of drones having a plurality of environmental sensors and a plurality of internal sensors. The plurality of drones is routed to a destination location through a fleet management software that monitors the plurality of drones and the plurality of service stations. The fleet management software is able to detect operational issues amongst the plurality of drones and if necessary reroute the plurality of drones to the plurality of service stations in order to resolve said operational issues. A robotic service unit in each of the plurality of service stations is able to autonomously service the plurality of drones in addition to equipping the plurality of drones with a designated payload.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a fleet of drones comprising:

establishing a communication between a plurality of drones and a plurality of service stations;

receiving destination location data for a destination location;

receiving starting location data from the plurality of drones;

generating a navigation route using the starting location data and the destination location data in order to direct the plurality of drones to the destination location;

receiving environmental sensor data from each of the plurality of drones;

calculating navigable maneuvers for each of the plurality of drones using the navigation route and the environmental sensor data;

receiving internal sensor data from each of the plurality of drones;

monitoring the environmental sensor data and the internal sensor data for each of the plurality of drones;

monitoring corrective action capabilities and an availability status for each of the plurality of service stations;

computing a specific service station from the plurality of service stations if an operational issue is detected for a specific drone from the plurality of drones;

rerouting the specific drone to the specific service station;

monitoring a communication infrastructure shared by the plurality of service stations and the plurality of drones;

providing a plurality of environmental sensors for each of the plurality of drones;

receiving the environmental sensor data from the plurality of environmental sensors of each of the plurality of drones;

providing a plurality of internal sensors for each of the plurality of drones;

receiving the internal sensor data from the plurality of environmental sensors of each of the plurality of drones;

providing a robotic service unit for the specific service station from the plurality of service stations;

sending a load command for a designated payload to the robotic service unit, the robotic service unit equipping the specific drone from the plurality of drones with the designated payload;

providing a personal electronic device;

receiving a set of instructions from the personal electronic device for the specific drone from the plurality of drones;

transmitting the set of instructions to the specific drone; and

each of the plurality of drones being an aerial drone, an aquatic drone, a terrestrial drone or a space drone.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

diagnosing the operational issue from the internal sensor data of the specific drone.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

diagnosing the operational issue from the environmental sensor data of the specific drone.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

diagnosing the operational issue from the environmental sensor data of a subsequent drone from the plurality of drones.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

analyzing service location data, the corrective action capabilities, and the availability status of each of the plurality of service stations in order to compute the specific service station from the plurality of service stations.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

retrieving service location data for the specific service station;

receiving current location data from the specific drone;

generating a subsequent navigation route using the current location data and the service location data in order to direct the specific drone to the specific service station; and

calculating the navigable maneuvers for the specific drone using the subsequent navigation route and the environment sensor data of the specific drone.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

providing a robotic service unit for the specific service station; and

sending issue resolution commands to the robotic service unit in order to resolve the operational issue.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

rerouting the specific drone to the destination location,

if the specific service station resolves the operational issue.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 comprising:

generating a subsequent navigation route using the service location data and the destination location data in order to direct the specific drone to the destination location; and

calculating the navigable maneuvers for the specific drone using the subsequent navigation route and the environment sensor data of the specific drone.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

rerouting the specific drone to a subsequent drone from the plurality of drones,

if the specific service station resolves the operational issue.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 comprising:

receiving current location data for the subsequent drone;

generating a subsequent navigation route using the service location data and the current location data in order to direct the specific drone to the subsequent drone; and

calculating the navigable maneuvers for the specific drone using the subsequent navigation route and the environment sensor data of the specific drone.