Application program interface for weight and balance metrics

• US 9,891,631 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanlon, Jon T.
• Primary Examiner(s): McPherson, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/734,997
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• 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: G01M 1/125 of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0816 to ensure stability
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

An application program interface may be used to collect and disseminate physical metrics of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A weight distribution associated with a UAV may be determined prior to dispatch of the UAV and/or after the UAV returns from operation (e.g., a flight). In some embodiments, one or more UAVs may be placed on or proximate to a physical metrics acquisition (PMA) device to determine a distribution of weight of the UAV at three or more points associated with the UAV. The distribution of weight may be used generate analytics, which may include a total weight of a vehicle, a center of mass of the vehicle (in two or more dimensions), power requirements of the UAV for a given flight task (e.g., how much battery power the UAV requires, etc.), and/or other analytics. In various embodiments, the PMA device may perform moment of inertia tests for the UAV.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, performs acts as an application program interface (API) to facilitate communications between a plurality of systems associated with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a physical metrics acquisition (PMA) device, the API comprising:

an initial routine configured to receive an optical signal, from the PMA device, based at least in part on a determination that that the UAV is in contact with the PMA device;

an identification routine configured to perform image analysis on the optical signal to identify the UAV, determine a type of the UAV, and receive a unique identifier of the UAV;

a data routine to receive flight task data for the UAV based on the unique identifier, the flight task data indicating at least a flight path;

a weight routine configured to;

receive, from the PMA device, signals that are each associated with a weight measured at one or more locations on the UAV;

calculate a total weight of the UAV and a center of mass of the UAV based on the signals; and

determine power consumption estimation based at least in part on the total weight of the UAV and the flight task data;

a data structure configured to store the total weight, the power consumption estimation, the type of the UAV, and the center of mass associated with the UAV; and

a transmit routine configured to transmit the data structure to at least a control system of the UAV, wherein the data structure is utilized by at least the control system of the UAV to control flight or operation of the UAV.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the data structure is further configured to store the unique identifier of the UAV in association with the total weight and the center of mass.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the transmit routine is further configured to transmit the power consumption estimation to a power manager for selection of a power source type for the UAV based at least partially on a determination that the power consumption estimation exceeds current power capacity for the UAV.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the weight routine is further configured to update the total weight and the center of mass associated with the UAV in response to a subsequent receipt of signals from the PMA device.

5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions of an application program interface (API), comprising:

an initial routine configured to receive an optical signal, from a physical metrics acquisition (PMA) device, based on a determination by the PMA device that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is in contact with the PMA device;

an identification routine configured to perform image analysis on the optical signal to identify the UAV and receive a unique identifier of the UAV;

a task routine to receive flight data for the UAV based on the unique identifier, the flight data including at least a travel distance;

a data routine configured to receive signals each associated with a weight measured at a location on the UAV;

a weight routine configured to calculate a total weight of the UAV and a center of mass of the UAV based at least partially on the signals, and determine power requirements for the UAV based at least partially on the total weight and the flight data; and

a first data structure configured to store the total weight, the power requirements, and the center of mass associated with the UAV, the total weight and center of mass being accessible via the first data structure by at least one other system associated with the UAV, wherein the first data structure is utilized by the at least one other system associated with the UAV to control flight or operation of the UAV.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the API further comprises a transmit routine configured to transmit the total weight of the UAV and the center of mass of the UAV to the at least one other system associated with the UAV.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the signals include at least one of a current, voltage, or frequency, and wherein the weight routine converts the signals to a weight.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the weight routine derives location information from a unique identifier associated with a load cell that generated the signals.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the weight routine derives location information based on movement of scale components that engage one or more known locations of the UAV.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the identification routine is further configured to receive communication data from a sensor, the communication data being analyzed to determine at least a type of the UAV.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the identification routine is further configured to determine a footprint associated with the UAV based on each location associated with a signal, the footprint used to determine at least a type of the UAV.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the API further comprises a second data structure to store a moment of inertia of associated with the UAV, the moment of inertia determined from signals generated by an inertia device that rotates the UAV to simulate at least one of roll, pitch, or yaw.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the API further comprises a transmit routine configured to transmit the total weight and the center of mass of the UAV to a control system of the UAV.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the transmit routine is further configured to transmit the total weight, power requirements, and the center of mass of the UAV to a power manager for selection of a power source type for the UAV based as least in part on the power requirements.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the initial routine receives the signals from a load cell grid that includes a plurality of load cells that generate the signals.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the initial routine receives the signals from a configurable scale device that includes a plurality of movable scales that generate the signals.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions of an application program interface (API), comprising:

an initial routine configured to receive signals from a load cell grid based on a determination that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is in contact with the load cell grid, the load cell grid comprising a plurality of load cells, each load cell of the plurality of load cells having known coordinates within the load cell grid;

a data routine configured to calculate a total weight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a center of mass of the UAV based on the signals from the load cell grid, each signal associated with a weight measured at a location on the UAV, and to determine power requirements for the UAV based at least partially on an assigned flight task;

an identification routine configured to determine a type of the UAV based at least in part on known footprints associated with the UAV, the signals from the load cell grid, and the known coordinates;

a data structure configured to store the type of the UAV, the total weight, the power requirements, and the center of mass associated with the UAV, the data structure being accessible by at least one other system associated with the UAV and is utilized by the at least one other system associated with the UAV to control flight or operation of the UAV; and

a transmit routine configured to transmit the power requirements to a power manager.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the transmit routine is further configured to transmit the data structure to the at least one other system associated with the UAV.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the data routine associates the signals with the UAV while the load cell grid concurrently outputs signals associated with a different UAV.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the data routine is further configured to calculate a moment of inertia of the UAV based on data received from an inertia device, and wherein the data structure is further configured to store the moment of inertia associated with the UAV.