Identification and position sensor for payload bay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179657-B1
Application number	US-201715815533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 16, 2017
Priority date	Sep 23, 2016
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

A system including a payload bay having at least one sensor configured to determine the identity of an object being transported in the payload bay and verify that the object is properly seated within the payload bay. As an object is inserted into the payload bay of the vehicle, the sensor(s) detects a pattern located on the side of the object. As the sensor(s) detects the pattern, it transmits information that enables the system to determine both the identity of the object and position of the object within the payload bay. In this way, the sensor(s) enables the system to identify when a wrong object is loaded into the payload bay, and/or when the object is improperly seated within the payload bay.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a payload bay;
a payload image sensor located proximate to the payload bay and configured to capture imagery of at least a portion of the payload bay;
one or more processors; and
memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, performs acts comprising:
receiving, from the payload image sensor and by the one or more processors, pattern data corresponding to at least a portion of a pattern located on or affixed to an object; and
determining, based at least in part on the portion of the pattern sensed by the payload image sensor, a position and orientation of the object in the payload bay.

2. The UAV as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pattern comprises at least one of a barcode or a two-dimensional (2D) barcode repeated at least once on the object, and wherein determining the position and orientation of the object comprises accessing information corresponding to a first instance of the at least one of the barcode or the 2D barcode.

3. The UAV as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pattern comprises at least one of a barcode or a two-dimensional (2D) barcode repeated at least once on the object, and wherein the acts further comprise:
counting instances of the at least one of the barcode or the 2D barcode,
determining the position of the object based at least in part on the counting of the instances of the at least one of the barcode or the 2D barcode; and
determining that the object is properly seated in the payload bay based at least in part on determining the position of the object.

4. The UAV as recited in claim 1 , wherein the object is a first object, the pattern is a first pattern, the pattern data is first pattern data, and the acts further comprise:
receiving, from the payload image sensor and by the one or more processors, second pattern data corresponding to a first portion of a second pattern located on or affixed to a second object; and
determining, based at least in part on a second portion of the second pattern sensed by the payload image sensor, a position and orientation of the second object in the payload bay.

5. A method comprising:
detecting, by a sensor, a pattern located on or affixed to an object that has been inserted into a storage location; and
determining, based at least in part on at least one of a location of the pattern relative to the storage location or an amount of the pattern sensed by the sensor, at least one of a position or an orientation of the object in the storage location.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the pattern comprises at least one of a barcode or a two-dimensional (2D) barcode repeated one or more times, and wherein determining the position or the orientation of the object comprises accessing information corresponding to a first instance of the at least one of the barcode or the 2D barcode.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the pattern is positioned on the object so as to be detected by the sensor when the object is properly seated in the storage location.

8. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the pattern is a first pattern, and wherein determining at least one of a position or the orientation of the object comprises:
detecting a second pattern located on or affixed to the object;
determining one or more relationships between the first pattern and the second pattern; and
determining, based on the one or more relationships, a spatial relationship between the sensor and the object.

9. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the sensor is a Hall effect sensor, and the pattern comprises at least one of magnetic ink printed on the object or magnetic materials coupled to the object.

10. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the sensor comprises a micro-switch sensor, the pattern comprises an embossed pattern, and wherein the object being inserted into the storage location causes the micro-switch sensor to detect the embossed pattern.

11. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the at least one of the position or the orientation of the object is at least one of a first position or a first orientation in the storage location, the object is a first object, the pattern is a first pattern, and further comprising:
detecting, by the sensor, that a second object has been inserted into the storage location;
detecting, by the sensor, a second pattern located on or affixed to a second object that has been inserted into the storage location; and
determining, based at least in part on the second pattern, at least one of a second position and a second orientation of the second object in the storage location.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, based at least in part on the second pattern, at least one of a third position and a third orientation of the first object in the storage location.

13. The method as recited it claim 5 , wherein detecting the pattern comprises detecting first characteristics of the pattern located on or affixed to the object, and wherein determining the at least one of the position or the orientation of the object comprises:
accessing information associated with second characteristics of the pattern; and
determining the at least one of the position or the orientation of the object based at least in part on the first characteristics and the second characteristics.

14. A vehicle comprising:
a payload bay;
a sensor located proximate to the payload bay;
one or more processors; and
memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, performs acts comprising:
transmitting, by the sensor and to the one or more processors, pattern data corresponding to a pattern located on or affixed to an object inserted into the payload bay; and
determining, based at least in part on the pattern data, at least one of a position or an orientation of the object in the payload bay.

15. The vehicle as recited in claim 14 , wherein the pattern is a first pattern, and wherein determining the at least one of a position or an orientation of the object in the payload bay comprises:
comparing the pattern data to a second pattern located on or affixed to the object,
generating a comparison based on comparing the pattern data to the second pattern, and
determining the position or the orientation of the object based at least in part on the comparison.

16. The vehicle as recited in claim 14 , wherein the sensor is a Hall effect sensor, and the pattern comprises at least one of magnetic ink printed on the object or magnetic materials coupled to the object.

17. The vehicle as recited in claim 14 , wherein the object is a first object, the pattern is a first pattern, the pattern data is first pattern data, and the acts further comprise:
transmitting, by the sensor and to the one or more processors, second pattern data corresponding to a second pattern located on or affixed to a second object inserted into the payload bay; and
determining, based at least in part on the second pattern data, at least one of a second position or a second orientation of the second object in the payload bay.

18. The vehicle as recited in claim 14 , the acts further comprising:
causing the object to be removed from the payload bay;
detecting, by the sensor and while the object is being removed, a pattern located on or affixed to the object;
transmitting, by the sensor and to the one or more processors, pattern data corresponding to the pattern; and
determining, based at least i

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Gill Ramsey
• Robb Walker Chamberlain

Classifications

• B64U2201/104

  using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• B64U2101/60

  for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons · CPC title

• G06K7/10722

  Photodetector array or CCD scanning · CPC title

• B64C2201/128

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title