Systems and methods for autonomous drone navigation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10378906-B2
Application number	US-201715723889-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2017
Priority date	Oct 4, 2016
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to an indoor drone system including an autonomous drone configured for autonomous navigation, and a computing system in communication with the autonomous drone. The autonomous drone includes an optical code reader and at least one navigational sensor. The computing system includes a verification module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drone system comprising:
an autonomous drone configured for autonomous navigation through an indoor facility having a plurality of storage units, each storage unit including an optically readable identifier, the autonomous drone including:
an optical code reader, and
at least one navigational sensor; and

a computing system in communication with the autonomous drone, the computing system including a verification module,

wherein the autonomous drone is configured to operate the optical code reader to scan a first optical machine-readable label containing an identifier that is affixed to a selected storage unit of the plurality of storage units in the indoor facility and to scan a second optical machine readable label affixed to a selected storage case on the selected storage unit, the second optical machine readable label including an identifier for the storage case, the autonomous drone further configured to sense data via the at least one navigational sensor and determine its current location within the indoor facility based on the sensed navigational data; and
wherein the computing system is configured to communicate with a database holding a set of records of assigned storage unit-storage case combinations, and the verification module is configured to:
receive the identifier for the selected storage unit and the identifier for the selected storage case from the autonomous drone,
verify whether the received identifier for the selected storage unit and identifier for the selected storage case is absent as an assigned storage unit-storage case combination in the set of records, and
generate a notification indicative of the absence in the event the storage unit-storage case combination is absent in the set of records, wherein a location of the storage unit-storage case combination scanned by the autonomous drone is also recorded.

2. The drone system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous drone is coupled to an image capturing device.

3. The drone system of claim 2 , wherein the autonomous drone is configured to operate the image capturing device to capture an image of a pattern on a floor of the indoor facility, and the computing system is configured to determine the location of the autonomous drone based on the pattern in the image.

4. The drone system of claim 2 , wherein the autonomous drone is configured to capture images and video via the image capturing device while navigating the indoor facility.

5. The drone system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous drone is coupled to an infrared sensor to detect obstacles in the indoor facility during navigation.

6. The drone system of claim 1 wherein the notification is transmitted to a designated individual.

7. The drone system of claim 6 , wherein the notification is logged in a database.

8. The drone system of claim 1 , wherein the drone is configured to:
receive a provided storage case identifier communicated from the computing system,
autonomously navigate the indoor facility and scan one or more optical machine-readable labels affixed to one or more of a plurality of storage cases to locate an optical machine-readable label corresponding to the provided storage case identifier, and
store, upon locating the provided storage case identifier, a location of the optical machine-readable label corresponding to the provided storage case identifier.

9. A method for autonomous drone navigation:
navigating an autonomous drone through an indoor facility having a plurality of storage units, each storage unit including an optical readable identifier, the autonomous drone including an optical code reader and at least one navigational sensor;
operating the optical code reader to scan a first optical machine-readable label containing an identifier affixed to a selected storage unit of the plurality of storage units in the indoor facility, and to scan a second optical machine readable label affixed to a selected storage case on the selected storage unit, the second optical machine readable label including an identifier for the storage case,
sensing data via the at least one navigational sensor;
determining the drone's current location within the indoor facility based on the sensed navigational data;
receiving the identifier for the selected storage unit and the identifier for the selected storage case from the autonomous drone at a verification module included in a computing system in communication with the autonomous drone;
verifying at the verification module whether the received identifier for the selected storage unit and identifier for the selected storage case is absent as an assigned storage unit-storage case combination in a set of records of a database in communication with the computing system; and
generating a notification indicative of the absence in the event the storage unit-storage case combination is absent in the set of records, wherein a location of the storage unit-storage case combination scanned by the autonomous drone is also recorded.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the autonomous drone is coupled to an image capturing device.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
operating the image capturing device to capture an image of a pattern on a floor of the indoor facility; and
determining the location of the autonomous drone based on the pattern in the image.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
capturing images and video via the image capturing device while navigating the indoor facility.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the autonomous drone is coupled to an infrared sensor to detect obstacles in the indoor facility during navigation.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the notification is transmitted to a designated individual.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising logging the notification in a database.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, with the autonomous drone, a provided storage case identifier communicated from the computing system;
autonomously navigating the autonomous drone through the indoor facility and scanning one or more optical machine-readable labels affixed to one or more of the plurality of storage cases to locate an optical machine-readable label corresponding to the provided storage case identifier; and
storing, upon locating the provided storage case identifier, a location of the optical machine-readable label corresponding to the provided storage case identifier.

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• O'Brien John Jeremiah
• High Donald
• Natarajan Chandrashekar
• Jones Nathan Glenn

Classifications

• G06K7/10821

  further details of bar or optical code scanning devices · CPC title

• G06K7/10722

  Photodetector array or CCD scanning · CPC title

• G06T2207/30252

  Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle · CPC title

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G06K19/06009

  with optically detectable marking (G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence) · CPC title