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Payload delivery

  • US 9,897,417 B2
  • Filed: 12/04/2014
  • Issued: 02/20/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for delivering a load to a target, the load being releasably attached to an unmanned aircraft, the method comprising:

  • acquiring, by one or more processors, a position of the target on the ground, by;

    capturing, by a sensor mounted on the aircraft, one or more images of an area of the ground by;

    acquiring, by the one or more processors, specification of possible positions and orientations relative to the aircraft to which the sensor may be moved;

    acquiring, by the one or more processors, positional information of an area of terrain;

    acquiring, by the one or more processors, parameter values relating to the manoeuvrability of the aircraft;

    using the acquired specification of the possible positions and orientations of the sensor relative to the aircraft, the acquired specification of the area of terrain, and the acquired parameter values relating to the manoeuvrability of the aircraft, determining, by the one or more processors, an initial procedure to be performed by the aircraft;

    performing, by the aircraft, the initial procedure; and

    whilst the aircraft performs the initial procedure, capturing, by the sensor, a set of images;

    whereinthe initial procedure comprises the aircraft moving with respect to the area of terrain and the sensor moving with respect to the aircraft such that, for each point in the area of terrain, that point is coincident with a footprint of the sensor on the ground for at least some time during the initial procedure; and

    capturing the set of images is performed such that, for every point in the area of terrain, that point is present within at least one of the images in the set;

    performing, by the one or more processors, a target detection process to detect one or more targets in the captured images; and

    using the detected targets in the captured images, determining the position of the target on the ground;

    acquiring, by the one or more processors, one or more properties of the load;

    acquiring, by the one or more processors, parameter values relating to environmental conditions in which the aircraft is flying;

    using the acquired target position, the acquired load properties, and the acquired parameter values relating to the environmental conditions, determining, by the one or more processors, a position for the aircraft and a value of a velocity for the aircraft;

    using the determined position and velocity value, determining, by the one or more processors, a procedure for the aircraft;

    performing, by the aircraft, the determined procedure; and

    at a point in the procedure that the aircraft has the determined position and a velocity equal to the determined velocity value, releasing, by the aircraft, the load;

    whereinthe determined position and velocity value are such that, were the aircraft to release the load whilst located at the determined position and travelling at a velocity equal to the determined velocity value, the load would land on the ground within a predetermined distance of the target; and

    the determined procedure is such that, were the aircraft to perform that procedure, at least one instance during the procedure, the aircraft would be located at the determined position and be travelling at a velocity equal to the determined velocity value.

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