Propeller safety for automated aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10780988-B2
Application number	US-201414491215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2014
Priority date	Aug 11, 2014
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

An automated aerial vehicle (AAV) and system for automatically detecting a contact or an imminent contact between a propeller of the AAV and an object (e.g., human, pet, or other animal) are described. A safety profile for the AAV may be selected based on various factors including a position or configuration of the AAV. When a contact or an imminent contact is detected, the selected safety profile may be executed to reduce or avoid any potential harm to the object and/or the AAV. For example, if a contact with a propeller of the AAV by an object is detected, the rotation of the propeller may be stopped to avoid harming the object. Likewise, an object detection component may be used to detect an object that is nearing a propeller, stop the rotation of the propeller, and/or navigate the AAV away from the detected object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automated aerial vehicle, comprising:
a frame;
a motor coupled to the frame;
a propeller coupled to and rotated by the motor;
a controller configured to at least:
determine a position of the automated aerial vehicle, wherein the position is based at least in part on an altitude of the automated aerial vehicle or an area surrounding the automated aerial vehicle;
select a safety profile from a plurality of safety profiles based at least in part on the determined position, each safety profile being associated with a respective safety perimeter of the propeller;
detect an object within a selected respective safety perimeter associated with the selected safety profile of the propeller; and
stop the propeller in response to detecting the object within the selected respective safety perimeter of the propeller.

2. The automated aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to stop the propeller by at least one of removing a current from the motor, reversing a polarity of the current to the motor, deploying a stop bar into a rotor of the motor, or disengaging the propeller from the motor.

3. The automated aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the object within the selected respective safety perimeter of the propeller by detecting a contact between the propeller and the object.

4. The automated aerial vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the contact based at least in part on a change in an electrical current through the propeller or a change in a capacitance of the propeller.

5. A computer-implemented method for stopping a rotation of a propeller of an automated aerial vehicle, comprising:
under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,
determining a position of the automated aerial vehicle, wherein the position is based at least in part on an altitude of the automated aerial vehicle or an area surrounding the automated aerial vehicle;
selecting a safety profile from a plurality of safety profiles based at least in part on the determined position, each safety profile being associated with a respective safety perimeter of the propeller;
detecting an object entering a selected respective safety perimeter associated with the selected safety profile of the propeller of the automated aerial vehicle; and
executing the selected safety profile in response to detecting the object entering the selected respective safety perimeter, wherein executing the selected safety profile includes stopping the rotation of the propeller.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the selected safety profile is based at least in part on a configuration of the automated aerial vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the automated aerial vehicle includes a plurality of propellers, and wherein executing the selected safety profile further includes at least one of stopping a second rotation of a second propeller adjacent to the propeller, stopping all propellers of the plurality of propellers of the automated aerial vehicle, landing the automated aerial vehicle, notifying an automated aerial vehicle control system that the selected safety profile has been executed, aborting a mission, or navigating to a defined location.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising:
under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,
detecting the object prior to the object entering the selected respective safety perimeter associated with the selected safety profile of the propeller of the automated aerial vehicle; and
executing an avoidance maneuver to move the automated aerial vehicle away from the object.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the automated aerial vehicle includes a plurality of propellers, each of the plurality of propellers including a corresponding safety perimeter associated with the selected safety profile; and further comprising:
under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,
detecting the object entering the corresponding safety perimeter of a respective one of the plurality of propellers of the automated aerial vehicle.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the rotation of the propeller is stopped by at least one of removing a current from a motor connected with the propeller, reversing a polarity of the current to the motor connected with the propeller, deploying a stop bar into a rotor of the motor connected with the propeller, or disengaging the propeller from the motor connected with the propeller.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
a motor having a rotating shaft;
a rotating member coupled to the rotating shaft;
a navigation component configured to determine a position of the apparatus, wherein the position is based at least in part on an altitude of the apparatus or an area surrounding the apparatus;
a safety profile component configured to select a safety profile from a plurality of safety profiles based at least in part on the determined position, each safety profile being associated with a respective safety perimeter of the rotating member;
an object detection component configured to detect a presence of an object within a selected respective safety perimeter associated with the selected safety profile of the rotating member; and
a stopping member for stopping the rotating member prior to a contact between the object and the rotating member in response to detecting the presence of the object within the selected respective safety perimeter of the rotating member.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the stopping member is at least one of a clutch configured to disengage a connection between the rotating member and the rotating shaft, a stop bar configured to extend from a retracted position to an extended position, or a current control configured to remove a current from the motor or reverse a current to the motor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the stop bar engages with and stops a rotation of the rotating shaft when the stop bar is in the extended position.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the stop bar is moved from the retracted position to the extended position using at least one of an electromagnet, a spring, a piston, or a carbon dioxide cartridge.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the stop bar is deployed from a stator of the motor into a rotor of the motor.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the stop bar is deployed from an arm of the apparatus coupled to the motor.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Buchmueller Daniel
• Beckman Brian C
• Navot Amir
• Porter Brandon William
• Kimchi Gur
• Bezos Jeffrey P
• Schaffalitzky Frederik

Classifications

• B64U2101/60

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

• B64U10/00 Primary

  Type of UAV · CPC title

• G08G5/80

  Anti-collision systems · CPC title

• B64U50/19

  using electrically powered motors · CPC title

• B64U30/20

  Rotors; Rotor supports · CPC title