Unmanned aerial vehicle approach notification

• US 9,984,579 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harris, Scott Raymond, O'Brien, Barry James, Peacock, Jason Leonard, Watson, Joshua John, Wilcox, Scott Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam M
• Application Number:
  US15/195,695
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/06 for indicating aircraft presence
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• 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 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/90 Launching from or landing on platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/17 taken from planes or by drones
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may provide an approach notification to enable people to understand and interpret actions by the UAV, such as an intention to land or deposit a package at a particular location. The UAV may communicate a specific intention of the UAV and/or communicate a request to a person. The UAV may monitor the person or data signals for a response from the person, such as movement of the person that indicates a response. The UAV may be equipped with hardware and/or software configured to provide notifications and/or exchange information with a person at or near a destination. The UAV may include lights, a speaker, and possibly a projector to enable the UAV to project information and/or text on a surface. The UAV may control a moveable mechanism to “point” toward the person, at an object, or in another direction.

Claims

1. A method performed by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivering a package to a destination, the method comprising:

determining that a location of the UAV is within a threshold distance from a designated landing zone at the destination;

identifying a person present in or proximate to the designated landing zone;

selecting an approach indicator to communicate an operation of the UAV to the person;

transmitting a message to the person, the message including a question to be responded to by an action performed by the person;

determining that the person performed the action; and

in response to the determining that the person performed the action, landing the UAV in the designated landing zone or at another location specified by the person via the action.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitting the message to the person includes transmitting an electronic message from the UAV to a personal device associated with the person, the electronic message including an image that designates at least one possible location of the designated landing zone.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the approach indicator includes a projected display on the ground that is located proximate to the designated landing zone or creates the designated landing zone.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the approach indicator is at least one of:

a flight control of the UAV to orient a specific side of UAV toward the person,

a movement of a moveable mechanism on the UAV to direct the moveable mechanism toward the person, or

a display of one or more lights that indicate a location of an obstacle present proximate to or within the designated landing zone.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining that the person performed the action includes determining movement of the person using an object recognition algorithm that processes signals captured by an image sensor.

6. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a propulsion system;

a flight controller;

one or more processors in communication with at least the propulsion system and the flight controller; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform acts to;

determine that a location of the UAV is within a threshold distance from a destination;

detect at least one of a person or an obstacle at the destination or adjacent to the destination;

select an indicator to communicate an intention of the UAV to deposit a package at the destination based at least in part on presence of the at least one of the person or the obstacle; and

cause an output device to provide the indicator prior to deposit of the package in at the destination.

7. The UAV as recited in claim 6, further comprising a projector, and wherein the indicator is a projection of a drop zone on a surface at the destination.

8. The UAV as recited in claim 6, further comprising a projector to project content on a surface, the projector configured to project a request for the person to take a specific action.

9. The UAV as recited in claim 8, further comprising an image sensor to capture imagery of the person, and wherein the one or more processors further perform acts to monitor, via analysis of imagery obtained by the image sensor, actions performed by the person to determine performance of the action by the person.

10. The UAV as recited in claim 6, further comprising an image sensor to detect the at least one of the person or the obstacle at the destination or adjacent to the destination, and wherein the one or more processors further perform acts to determine, via analysis of imagery obtained by the image sensor, an identity of the at least one of the person or the obstacle, the identity being an input to select the indicator.

11. The UAV as recited in claim 6, further comprising a moveable mechanism coupled to the UAV that is configured to move relative the UAV, and wherein the one or more processors further perform acts to cause the moveable mechanism to move in a direction toward a location of the at least one of the person or the obstacle.

12. The UAV as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more processors further perform acts to cause the movable mechanism to track the location of the at least one of the person or the obstacle as the UAV moves relative to the person or the obstacle.

13. The UAV as recited in claim 6, further comprising a plurality of lights, and wherein the one or more processors further perform acts to cause activation of at least some lights of the plurality of lights that are facing the at least one of the person or the obstacle.

14. The UAV as recited in claim 13, wherein the one or more processors further perform acts to cause activation of other lights of the plurality of lights to track a location of the at least one of the person or the obstacle as the UAV moves relative to the person or the obstacle.

15. The UAV as recited in claim 6, wherein the one or more processors further perform acts to:

transmit a wireless message to a device associated with the person;

receive a response message from the device associated with the person; and

determine, based at least in part on the response message, at least one of a location to deposit the package or a time to deposit the package.

16. A method comprising:

determining that a location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is within a threshold distance from a destination;

detecting at least one of a person or an obstacle at the destination or adjacent to the destination;

selecting a notification to communicate an intention of the UAV to deposit a package at the destination based at least in part on presence of the at least one of the person or the obstacle;

outputting the notification to communicate the intention of the UAV to deposit the package at the destination; and

depositing the package at the destination.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the outputting is performed in part by a projector, and further comprising projecting at least one of:

a drop zone on a surface at the destination, or

a request for the person to take a specific action.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the outputting is performed in part by a moveable mechanism coupled to the UAV that the UAV moves relative to a frame of the UAV, and further comprising moving the moveable mechanism in a direction toward a location of the at least one of the person or the obstacle as the notification to communicate the intention of the UAV.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the outputting is performed in part by a plurality of lights, and further comprising activating at least some lights of the plurality of lights that are facing the at least one of the person or the obstacle as the notification to communicate the intention of the UAV.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

capturing imagery, via an image sensor, of the person or the obstacle; and

identifying the person or the obstacle using an object recognition algorithm that processes the imagery.