Deployable delivery guidance
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
- an airframe;
a guidance vehicle coupled to the airframe;
one or more processors coupled to the airframe; and
one or more memories coupled to the airframe, the one or more memories storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;
sending a signal to a guidance vehicle to activate a lift system that at least one of generates lift or controls a rate of descent of the guidance vehicle;
decoupling the guidance vehicle from the airframe;
causing the guidance vehicle to be positioned at a distance from the UAV;
receiving one or more images from the guidance vehicle;
identifying a delivery location based at least in part on the one or more images; and
determining a flight path to the delivery location based at least in part on the one or more images.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Delivery area guidance may be provided to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) via one or more delivery area guidance vehicles. For example, a UAV may be programmed to fly to a delivery area (e.g., a neighborhood, a block, a large residential or commercial property, and/or another area associated with landing and/or a delivery). Approaching the delivery area, the UAV may deploy one or more delivery area guidance vehicles. A guidance vehicle may be configured to maneuver a distance from the UAV, and to assist in guiding the UAV into the delivery area to the UAV.
93 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
-
an airframe; a guidance vehicle coupled to the airframe; one or more processors coupled to the airframe; and one or more memories coupled to the airframe, the one or more memories storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform acts comprising; sending a signal to a guidance vehicle to activate a lift system that at least one of generates lift or controls a rate of descent of the guidance vehicle; decoupling the guidance vehicle from the airframe; causing the guidance vehicle to be positioned at a distance from the UAV; receiving one or more images from the guidance vehicle; identifying a delivery location based at least in part on the one or more images; and determining a flight path to the delivery location based at least in part on the one or more images. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method comprising:
-
identifying, by a computing system of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a delivery area; causing, by the computing system of the UAV, a guidance vehicle to be deployed; receiving, at the computing system of the UAV, input from the guidance vehicle; and delivering, by the UAV, a package to the delivery area based at least in part on the input. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A system comprising:
-
one or more processors; and memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising; identifying, by a computing system of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a delivery area; causing a plurality of guidance vehicles to deploy based at least in part on an identification of the delivery area; receiving, by the computing system of the UAV, a plurality of images from the plurality of guidance vehicles; identifying a delivery location in the delivery area based at least in part on the plurality of images; and delivering, by the UAV, a package to the delivery location. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification