GEOGRAPHIC AREA MONITORING SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF COOPERATIVELY UTILIZING MULTIPLE UNMANNED VEHICLES

• US 20180072416A1
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas 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.
• Application Number:
  US15/699,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20180072416A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• 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 2101/25 for manufacturing or servicing
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/40 for agriculture or forestry operations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/37 Charging when not in flight
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/20 for releasing or capturing UAVs in flight by another aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• 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 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• 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

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 UAV to move itself; and wherein a first UAV control circuit of a first UAV of the multiple UAVs, when implementing code stored in memory, is configured to identify, based at least in part on a first task performed using a first tool system temporarily coupled with the first UAV, a set of at least one task to be cooperatively performed by the first UAV and at least a second UAV of the multiple UAVs.

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 UAV to move itself; and

wherein a first UAV control circuit of a first UAV of the multiple UAVs, when implementing code stored in memory, is configured to identify, based at least in part on a first task performed using a first tool system temporarily coupled with the first UAV, a set of at least one task to be cooperatively performed by the first UAV and at least a second UAV of the multiple UAVs.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first UAV control circuit is further configured to:

obtain sensor data and based on the sensor data identify a geographic area within which the set of at least one task is to be implemented;

identify a set of UAVs to be cooperatively utilized to each implement a portion of the set of at least one task at a respective sub-area of the geographic area within a threshold period of time; and

cause a notification to be communicated to each of the set of UAVs to respectively implement at least a portion of the set of at least one task relative to one of the sub-areas.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the UAV control circuit is further configured to cause separate routing information to be communicated to each of the set of UAVs to be followed while implementing the respective portions of the set of at least one task.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a UAV database storing UAV capability data defining operational capabilities of each of the multiple UAVs, wherein the UAV control circuit is configured to access at least some of the UAV capability data and select, based on the UAV capability data corresponding to a set of UAVs, the first UAV and the second UAV to cooperatively perform the set of at least one task.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a tool system database storing tool system parameters associated with each of a plurality of tool systems defining at least a function that is performed by a corresponding one of the plurality of tool systems, wherein the UAV control circuit is configured to access at least some of the tool system parameters to select, for each based on the tool system parameters, at least one tool system that is to be cooperated with each UAV of the set of UAVs to be used by the set of UAVs to implement respective portions of the set of at least one task.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first UAV control circuit is configured to identify that multiple tool systems are to be used to implement the set of at least one task, to select from multiple available tool systems a set of tool systems, and to select from the multiple UAVs a first set of UAVs, comprising at least the first UAV and the second UAV, to each temporarily cooperate with at least one of the multiple tool systems to be used in cooperatively performing the set of at least one task.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first UAV control circuit is configured to identify at least one UAV in each of multiple geographic areas and communicate instructions to each of the identified at least one UAV in each of multiple geographic areas directing each of the identified at least one UAV in each of multiple geographic areas to perform the set of at least one task within a respective one of the multiple geographic areas.

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

accessing, at a first UAV control circuit of a first UAV of the multiple UAVs, data obtained through a first tool system temporarily coupled with the first UAV while performing a first task using the first tool system;

identifying, through the first UAV control circuit and based at least in part on the data, a set of at least one task to be cooperatively performed; and

identifying, through the first UAV control circuit, a second UAV of the multiple UAVs to be activated to perform the set of at least one task in cooperation with the first UAV.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

accessing sensor data and identifying, based on the sensor data, a geographic area within which the set of at least one task is to be implemented;

identifying a set of UAVs to be cooperatively utilized to each implement a portion of the set of at least one task at a respective sub-area of the geographic area within a threshold period of time; and

causing a notification to be communicated to each of the set of UAVs to respectively implement at least a portion of the set of at least one task relative to one of the sub-areas.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

causing separate routing information to be communicated to each of the UAVs of the set of UAVs to be followed while implementing the respective portions of the set of at least one task.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

accessing at least some of UAV capability data maintained in a UAV database storing and defining operational capabilities of each of the multiple UAVs;

selecting, based on the UAV capability data corresponding to a set of UAVs, the first UAV and the second UAV to cooperatively perform the set of at least one task.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

access at least some of tool system parameters maintained in a tool system database associating the storing tool system parameters with each of a plurality of tool systems defining at least a function that is performed by a corresponding one of the plurality of tool systems; and

selecting, for each of the first UAV and the second UAV based on the tool system parameters, at least one tool system that is to be cooperated with one of the first UAV and the second UAV to be used to implement respective portions of the set of at least one task.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying that multiple tool systems are to be used to implement the set of at least one task;

selecting from multiple available tool systems a set of tool systems; and

selecting from the multiple UAVs a first set of UAVs, comprising at least the first UAV and the second UAV, to each temporarily cooperate with at least one of the multiple tool systems to be used in cooperatively performing the set of at least one task.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying at least one UAV in each of multiple geographic areas; and

communicating instructions to each of the identified at least one UAV in each of multiple geographic areas directing each of the identified at least one UAV in each of multiple geographic areas to perform the set of at least one task within a respective one of the multiple geographic areas.