Payload-release device and operation thereof

• US 9,174,733 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Burgess, James Ryan, Cohen, Joanna
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US14/584,181
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 701/7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/12 Releasing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/00 Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like emergency equipment B64D17/00, B64D19/00, B64D25/00; structures integral with fuselage to facilitate loading, fuselage floors specially adapted for freight, steps mounted on and retractable within aircraft B64C; ground installations B64F
• 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 2101/67 the UAVs comprising tethers for lowering the goods

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is disclosed that includes a retractable payload delivery system. The payload delivery system can lower a payload to the ground using a delivery device that secures the payload during descent and releases the payload upon reaching the ground. The delivery device can include a channel in which a payload mount attachment for a payload can be inserted. The payload mount attachment can include an aperture for receiving a retaining rod to secure the attachment, and thus the payload, to the delivery device. The retaining rod can assume either an engaged position, in which a portion of the retaining rod engages the payload mount attachment while the payload mount attachment is inserted in the channel, or a disengaged position, in which the retaining rod does not engage the payload mount attachment.

Claims

1. A delivery device comprising:

a housing including;

(i) a channel configured to receive a payload mount attachment of a payload, and (ii) a tether anchor configured to couple the housing to a tether operable to suspend the housing via the tether;

a retaining rod coupled to the housing, wherein the retaining rod is configured to be positioned in;

(i) a first position in which a portion of the retaining rod engages the payload mount attachment when the payload mount attachment is inserted in the channel, and (ii) a second position in which the retaining rod does not engage the payload mount attachment;

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon; and

a processor operable to execute the program instructions to;

(i) during a delivery operation in which the delivery device is lowered to the ground via the tether, position the retaining rod in the first position to engage the payload mount attachment and secure the payload to the delivery device;

(ii) determine that the delivery device is at or near the ground; and

(iii) in response to determining that the delivery device is at or near the ground, move the retaining rod from the first position to the second position such that the payload is released from the delivery device.

2. The delivery device of claim 1, further comprising an actuator mechanically coupled to the retaining rod, and wherein the movement of the retaining rod from the first position to the second position comprises application of force to the retaining rod so as to move the retaining rod.

3. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the determination that the delivery device is at or near the ground comprises:

(i) determining that the delivery device is within a threshold distance of the ground,

(ii) in response to determining that the delivery device is within the threshold distance of the ground, determining that an instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device exceeds a first threshold; and

(iii) subsequent to determining that the instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device exceeds the threshold, determining that the instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device is less than or equal to a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is lower than the first threshold.

4. The delivery device of claim 3, further comprising one or more sensors arranged on or within the delivery device, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to generate sensor data indicative of a location of the delivery device, and wherein the process is operable to execute the program instructions to receive sensor data from the one or more sensors and base one or more of the determination that the delivery device is within the threshold distance of the ground, the determination that the instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device exceeds the first threshold, and the determination that the instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device is less than the second threshold on the received sensor data.

5. The delivery device of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an accelerometer or an altimeter.

6. The delivery device of claim 3, further comprising a physical communication interface configured to receive information from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) coupled to the delivery device via the tether, and wherein the processor is configured to execute the program instructions to use the received information as at least a partial basis for one or more of the determination that the delivery device is within the threshold distance of the ground, the determination that the instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device exceeds the first threshold, and the determination that the instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device is less than the second threshold.

7. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the retaining rod comprises a hook mounted to the housing so as to rotate about an axis of rotation, and wherein the retaining rod moving from the first position to the second position comprises the hook rotating about the axis of rotation.

8. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the retaining rod is configured such that, while in the first position, at least a portion of the retaining rod intersects respective planes defined by opposing sidewalls of the channel, and while in the disengaged position, the retaining rod does not intersect at least one of the respective planes.

9. The delivery device of claim 8, wherein the retaining rod is configured such that, when in the first position, the retaining rod is situated within the channel of the housing.

10. The delivery device of claim 8, wherein the retaining rod is configured such that, when in the first position, at least a portion of the retaining rod is situated along an exterior surface of the housing adjacent the channel.

11. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the payload mount attachment comprises a tab having a substrate with an aperture formed therein, wherein the aperture is bounded by an interior rim, wherein the tab is configured such that, while the tab is inserted into the channel, the aperture is aligned so as to receive the retaining rod while the retaining rod is in the first position so as to secure the tab to the delivery device via contact between the retaining rod and the interior rim.

12. A method comprising:

while a delivery device is being lowered from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) via a tether coupled to the delivery device and the UAV, receiving sensor data that is generated by one or more sensors arranged on or within the delivery device, wherein the sensor data is indicative of a location of the delivery device;

determining that the delivery device is at or near the ground, wherein determining that the delivery device is at or near the ground comprises;

(i) determining, based at least in part on the received sensor data, that the delivery device is within a threshold distance of the ground;

(ii) in response to determining that the delivery device is within the threshold distance of the ground, determining, based at least in part on the received sensor data, that an instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device exceeds a first threshold; and

(iii) subsequent to determining that the instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device exceeds the first threshold, determining, based at least in part on the received sensor data, that the instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device is less than a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is lower than the first threshold; and

in response to determining that the delivery device is at or near the ground, releasing a payload from the delivery device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an accelerometer or an altimeter.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the delivery device receiving information from the UAV via a communication system, and wherein determining that the delivery device is at or near the ground is based at least partially on the received information.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising positioning a retaining rod in a first position while the delivery device is being lowered from the UAV such that the payload is secured to the delivery device, wherein the delivery device comprises a housing and the retaining rod is coupled to the housing, wherein the housing has a channel configured to receive a payload mount attachment of the payload, wherein the retaining rod is configured to be positioned in:

(i) the first position in which a portion of the retaining rod engages the payload mount attachment when the payload mount attachment is inserted in the channel, and (ii) a second position in which the retaining rod does not engage the payload mount attachment, the method; and

wherein releasing the payload from the delivery device comprises moving the retaining rod from the first position to the second position such that the payload is released from the delivery device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the delivery device further comprises an actuator mechanically coupled to the retaining rod, and wherein moving the retaining rod from the first position to the second position comprises causing the actuator to apply force to the retaining rod such that the retaining rod moves from the first position to the second position.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the retaining rod is configured such that, when in the first position, at least a portion of the retaining rod intersects respective planes defined by opposing sidewalls of the channel, and, when in the second position, the retaining rod does not intersect at least one of the respective planes.

18. A system comprising:

a retractable delivery system comprising;

(i) a delivery device releasably coupled to a payload;

(ii) one or more sensors arranged on or within the delivery device, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to generate sensor data indicative of a location of the delivery device;

(iii) a tether coupled to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and the delivery device; and

(iv) a retraction system coupled to the tether and operable to lower the delivery device from the UAV;

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon; and

a processor operable to execute the program instructions to;

(i) while the UAV hovers over a delivery location, use the retractable delivery system to initiate delivery, wherein initiating delivery comprises, while the delivery device is secured to the payload, lowering the delivery device from the UAV such that the payload descends from the UAV;

(ii) receive sensor data from the one or more sensors;

(iii) determine that the delivery device is at or near the ground based at least in part on the received sensor data, wherein determining that the delivery device is at or near the ground comprises;

(a) determining, based at least in part on the received sensor data, that the delivery device is within a threshold distance of the ground;

(b) in response to determining that the delivery device is within the threshold distance of the ground, determining, based at least in part on the received sensor data, that an instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device exceeds a first threshold; and

(c) subsequent to determining that the instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device exceeds the first threshold, determining, based at least in part on the received sensor data, that the instantaneous acceleration of the delivery device is less than a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is lower than the first threshold; and

(iv) in response to determining that the payload is at or near the ground, cause the retractable delivery system to release the payload from the delivery device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the delivery device further comprises a physical communication interface configured to receive information from the UAV, and wherein the processor is operable to execute the program instructions to use the received information as at least a partial basis to determine that the delivery device is at or near the ground.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the delivery device comprises a housing and a retaining rod coupled to the housing, wherein the housing has a channel configured to receive a payload mount attachment, wherein the retaining rod is configured to be positioned in:

(i) a first position in which a portion of the retaining rod engages the payload mount attachment while the payload mount attachment is inserted in the channel, and (ii) a second position in which the retaining rod does not engage the payload mount attachment; and

wherein the release of the payload from the delivery device moves the retaining rod from the first position to the second position and such that the payload is released from the delivery device.