Geographic area monitoring systems and methods that balance power usage between multiple unmanned vehicles

• US 10,520,953 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Cantrell, Robert L., Thompson, John P., Winkle, David C., Atchley, Michael D., High, Donald R., Mattingly, Todd D., McHale, Brian G., O'Brien, John J., Simon, John F., Jones, Nathan G., Taylor, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US15/699,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20180074523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/38 with automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/32 for cartography or topography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/31 generated by photovoltaics
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 : In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 : involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 : Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 : with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 : located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 : Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 : specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

In some embodiments, unmanned aerial task systems are provided that comprise multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) each comprising: a UAV control circuit; a motor; and a propulsion system coupled with the motor and configured to enable the respective UAVs to move themselves; and wherein a first UAV control circuit of a first UAV of the multiple UAVs is configured to access power level data corresponding to each of the multiple UAVs, and select a second UAV of the multiple UAVs based at least in part on a power level of the second UAV relative to a threshold power level corresponding to a first task to be performed and a predicted power usage by the second UAV while utilizing a first tool system temporarily cooperated with the second UAV in performing the first task.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial task system, comprising:

multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) each comprising;

a UAV control circuit;

a motor; and

a propulsion system coupled with the motor and configured to enable the respective UAVs to move themselves; and

multiple different types of tool systems each configured to perform at least one of multiple different types of tasks and each different tool system is further configured to couple and decouple with any one of the multiple UAVs to be utilized by the respective one of the multiple UAVs in performing a respective one of the different types of tasks;

wherein a first UAV control circuit of a first UAV of the multiple UAVs is configured to access power level data corresponding to each of the multiple UAVs, and select a second UAV of the multiple UAVs based at least in part on a power level of the second UAV relative to a threshold power level corresponding to a first task to be performed and a predicted power usage by the second UAV while utilizing a first tool system temporarily cooperated with the second UAV in performing the first task.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power level database maintaining power level data of each of the multiple UAVs, wherein the first UAV control circuit is configured to access the power level data of at least some of the multiple UAVs; and

a task predicted power usage database associating for each of the multiple UAVs predicted power usage data corresponding one of the UAVs to carry at least a selected one of the multiple tool systems to perform at least one of multiple different tasks;

wherein the first UAV control circuit is configured to access the task predicted power usage database to identify a predicted amount of power to be utilized by each of at least two or more of the multiple UAVs to perform the first task, access the power level database, and evaluate the power level data indicating a current power level of each of the two or more of the multiple UAVs relative to the predicted amount of power to be utilized.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first UAV control circuit is configured to determine a predicted amount of power the second UAV is predicted to utilize to carry the first tool system to perform the first task.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first UAV control circuit, in predicting the amount of power the second UAV is predicted to utilize, is configured to identify a predicted distance of travel by the second UAV in performing the first task.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a first set of two or more tool systems of the multiple tool systems each comprises a tool system power source separate from a power source of the multiple UAVs, and wherein the first UAV control circuit is further configured to access predicted power usage by two or more of multiple tool systems to perform the first task, access power level data of the respective tool system power source of at least the first set of tool systems, and select the first tool system of the first set of tool systems based at least in part on a power level of the tool system power source of the first tool system relative to a tool system threshold power level corresponding to the first task to be performed and a predicted power usage by the first tool system in performing the first task.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first UAV control circuit is configured to direct a cooperative operation of each of the multiple UAVs in performing a set of different tasks and rotate the two or more of the multiple UAVs between the different tasks to balance power usage between the multiple UAVs.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a central control system configured to evaluate power level usage relative to historic power level usage information in evaluating an efficiency of operation of the multiple UAVs.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first UAV is further configured to direct the second UAV to cause power to be drained from a power source of the first tool system and to be stored in a power source of the second UAV prior to the second UAV disengaging from the first tool system.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple types of tool systems comprise:

a sensor tool system comprises at least one sensor configured to capture sensor data;

a camera tool system configured to capture images;

a package securing tool system configured to retain and enable transport of a package.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first UAV control circuit of the first UAV is further configured to identify the first task to be performed;

identify a subset of two or more tool systems, of the multiple tool systems, each configured to perform the first task;

evaluate predicted power usage of each of the tool systems of the subset of two or more tool systems to perform the first task.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the multiple UAVs comprises a universal coupler comprising a coupling system configured to interchangeably couple with and decouple from one of the multiple different tool systems and secure one of multiple tool systems with the respective UAV enabling the respective one of the tasks to be performed by the respective one of the multiple tool systems is carried by the respective UAV.

9. A method of performing tasks through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), comprising:

accessing, by a first UAV control circuit of a first UAV of the multiple UAVs, power level data corresponding to each of the multiple UAVs;

evaluating the accessed power level data;

identifying a first tool system, of multiple different types of tool systems, is to be utilized by a different one of the multiple UAVs, wherein each of the multiple different types of tool systems is configured to perform at least one of multiple different types of tasks and each different tool system is further configured to couple and decouple with any one of the multiple UAVs to be utilized by the respective one of the multiple UAVs in performing a respective one of the different types of tasks;

selecting a second UAV of the multiple UAVs based at least in part on a power level of the second UAV relative to a threshold power level corresponding to a first task to be performed and a predicted power usage of the first tool system to be temporarily cooperated with the second UAV and to be used in performing the first task.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the accessing the power level data comprises:

accessing a task predicted power usage database to identify a predicted amount of power to be utilized by each of at least two or more of the multiple UAVs to perform the first task; and

accessing a power level database maintaining power level data of each of the multiple UAVs; and

wherein the evaluating the power level data comprises evaluate the power level data indicating a current power level of each of the two or more of the multiple UAVs relative to the predicted amount of power to be utilized.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a predicted amount of power the second UAV is predicted to utilize to carry the first tool system to perform the first task.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predicting the amount of power the second UAV is predicted to utilize comprises identifying a predicted distance of travel by the second UAV in performing the first task.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

accessing predicted power usage by two or more of multiple tool systems to perform the first task, wherein at least a first set of two or more tool systems of the multiple tool systems each comprises a respective tool system power source separate from a power source of the multiple UAVs, and the predicted power usage is power usage from the respective tool system power source;

access power level data of the respective tool system power source of at least the first set of tool systems;

selecting the first tool system of the first set of tool systems based at least in part on a power level of the tool system power source of the first tool system relative to a tool system threshold power level corresponding to the first task to be performed and a predicted power usage by the first tool system in performing the first task.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

directing a cooperative operation of each of the multiple UAVs in performing a set of different tasks and rotate the two or more of the multiple UAVs between the different tasks to balance power usage between the multiple UAVs.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

evaluating power level usage relative to historic power level usage information in evaluating an efficiency of operation of the multiple UAVs.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

directing the second UAV to cause power to be drained from a power source of the first tool system and to be stored in a power source of the second UAV prior to the second UAV disengaging from the first tool system.