Multi-part navigation process by an unmanned aerial vehicle for navigation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10345803-B2
Application number	US-201715785212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2017
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments described herein may relate to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigating to a target in order to provide medical support. An illustrative method involves a UAV (a) determining an approximate target location associated with a target, (b) using a first navigation process to navigate the UAV to the approximate target location, where the first navigation process generates flight-control signals based on the approximate target location, (c) making a determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target location, and (d) in response to the determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target location, using a second navigation process to navigate the UAV to the target, wherein the second navigation process generates flight-control signals based on real-time localization of the target.

First claim

We claim:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium; and
a control system comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is operable to execute program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium to:
determine an approximate target area associated with a target;
use a first navigation process to navigate the UAV from a first location to the approximate target location of the target, wherein the target is located at a ground location within the approximate target area, wherein the first navigation process generates first flight-control signals for the UAV based on a predetermined location of the target;
make a determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target area;
in response to the determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target area, switch to use of a second navigation process to locate, and navigate the UAV to, a position hovering above the ground location of the target, wherein the second navigation process generates second flight-control signals for the UAV using a real-time localization process that is based at least in part on real-time sensor data generated by one or more sensors on the UAV; and
determine that the UAV is positioned above the ground location of the target and responsively, while hovering above the ground location, operate a winch system to lower a payload from the UAV to the ground location of the target.

2. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the approximate target area corresponds to a geographic location of a remote device, wherein the remote device is associated with the target.

3. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the first navigation process generates the first flight-control commands based on predetermined waypoints that provide a route to the approximate target area.

4. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the real-time localization process comprises at least one of: (a) an environment-sensing localization process and (b) a beacon-sensing localization process.

5. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the real-time localization process comprises a beacon-sensing localization process to locate and navigate to a source of a beacon signal, wherein the source is a remote device that is associated with the target.

6. The UAV of claim 5 , wherein the beacon-sensing localization process comprises:
detecting the beacon signal;
determining a security key that is encoded in the beacon signal; and
determining whether or not the security key matches a predefined security key for the target, wherein navigation to the source of the beacon signal is conditioned upon the security key matching a predefined security key for the target.

7. The UAV of claim 6 , wherein the predefined security key was generated and sent to the remote device in response to a request for medical support made by the remote device.

8. A method comprising:
determining, by a computing system of a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), an approximate target area associated with a target, wherein the target is located at ground location within the approximate target area, and wherein the computing system comprises at least one processor;
using, by the computing system, a first navigation process to navigate the UAV from a first location to the approximate target area of the target, wherein the first navigation process generates first flight-control signals based on the approximate target area of the target;
making, by the computing system, a determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target area;
in response to the determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target area, using, by the computing system, a second navigation process to navigate the UAV to a position hovering above the ground location of the target, wherein the second navigation process generates second flight-control signals using a real-time localization process based at least in part on real-time sensor data generated by one or more sensors on the UAV; and
determining, by the computing system, that the UAV is positioned above the ground location of the target and responsively operating a winch system to lower a payload from the UAV to the ground location of the target.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the real-time localization process comprises at least one of: (a) an environment-sensing localization process and (b) a beacon-sensing localization process.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the real-time localization process comprises a beacon-sensing localization process for locating and navigating to a source of a beacon signal, wherein the beacon-sensing localization process comprises:
detecting the beacon signal;
determining a security key that is encoded in the beacon signal; and
determining whether or not the security key matches a predefined security key for the target, wherein navigation to the source of the beacon signal is conditioned upon the security key matching a predefined security key for the target.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second navigation process comprises:
using an autonomous real-time localization process in an effort to locate the target;
when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after initiating the real-time localization process without locating the target, then:
determining that the autonomous real-time localization is unsuccessful; and
responsively implementing a fallback process to locate and navigate to the target; and

when the predetermined period of time after initiating the real-time localization process has not elapsed, then continuing to use the autonomous real-time localization process in an effort to locate the target.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fallback process comprises at least one of: (a) causing the UAV to switch to a remote-control mode where the UAV is controllable by a remote computing system and (b) causing the UAV to switch to a local-assistance mode where the UAV seeks local assistance.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that are executable by at least one processor to cause a computing to perform functions comprising:
determining an approximate target area associated with a target, wherein the target is located at a ground location within the approximate target area;
using a first navigation process to navigate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a first location to the approximate target area of the target, wherein the first navigation process generates first flight-control signals based on the approximate target area of the target;
making a determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target area;
in response to the determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target area, using a second navigation process to navigate the UAV to a position hovering over the ground location of the target, wherein the second navigation process generates second flight-control signals using a real-time localization based on real-time sensor data generated by one or more sensors on the UAV; and
determining that the UAV is positioned over the target and responsively operating a winch system to lower a payload from the UAV to the target.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the real-time localization process comprises at least one of: (a) an environment-sensing localization process and (b) a beacon-sensing localization process.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the real-time localization process comprises a beacon-sensing localization process for locating and navigating to a source of a beacon signal, wherein the beacon-s

Assignees

• Wing Aviation Llc

Inventors

• Peeters Eric
• Teller Eric
• Patrick William Graham

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/00

  UAVs characterised by their flight controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/104

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

• G01S13/933

  of aircraft or spacecraft · CPC title

• B64C19/00

  Aircraft control not otherwise provided for · CPC title