Systems and methods for controlling aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10809718-B2
Application number	US-201715662940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2017
Priority date	Jul 28, 2017
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, devices, and methods for controlling an aerial vehicle. An exemplary method may include receiving data indicating a location and an altitude of the aerial vehicle, receiving prevailing wind pattern data regarding winds at the location and the altitude of the aerial vehicle, selecting a heading for the aerial vehicle based on the prevailing wind pattern data, and causing the aerial vehicle to adjust the altitude of the aerial vehicle based on the selected heading.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling an aerial vehicle, the system comprising:
an aerial vehicle, wherein the aerial vehicle is wind-influenced; and
a computing device including:
a processor; and

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:
receive data indicating a location and an altitude of the aerial vehicle;
receive prevailing wind pattern data regarding winds at the location and the altitude of the aerial vehicle;
select a heading for the aerial vehicle toward an objective based on the prevailing wind pattern data;
determine whether the aerial vehicle is moving toward the objective within a range of directions along the heading;
upon a determination that the aerial vehicle is not moving toward the objective within the range of directions along the heading, determine a first adjusted altitude for the aerial vehicle;
determine a probability that a prevailing wind pattern at the first adjusted altitude will move the aerial vehicle toward the objective within the range of directions along the heading; and
upon a determination that the probability is higher than a threshold probability, cause a controller to adjust the altitude of the aerial vehicle to a first adjusted altitude corresponding with the heading, at which the wind is expected to move the aerial vehicle toward the objective within the range of directions along the heading.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:
receive data indicating the objective of the aerial vehicle; and
determine that the aerial vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the objective.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to plan a flight path for the aerial vehicle to move towards the objective based on the prevailing wind pattern data.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to display the flight path on a map.

5. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined distance is a distance at which a speed of the aerial vehicle and a direction of movement of the aerial vehicle is weighted evenly when selecting a heading for the aerial vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:
determine that the aerial vehicle is moving towards a target point;
determine that a given speed of the aerial vehicle is greater than a threshold; and
cause the aerial vehicle to adjust the altitude of the aerial vehicle to a second adjusted altitude at which the aerial vehicle will move at a slower speed than the given speed.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the threshold is correlated to a distance between the location of the aerial vehicle and the target point.

8. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the target point is included in the data indicating the objective of the aerial vehicle.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:
determine that the aerial vehicle is not moving towards a target point; and
cause the aerial vehicle to adjust the altitude of the aerial vehicle to a third adjusted altitude at which the aerial vehicle will move towards the target point.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein determining that the aerial vehicle is not moving towards the target point includes determining that the aerial vehicle is moving in a direction that is a predetermined amount different from the range of directions of the selected heading.

11. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a position sensor,
wherein the data regarding the location and the altitude of the aerial vehicle is received from the position sensor.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the position sensor is coupled to the aerial vehicle.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the aerial vehicle is a balloon.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the prevailing wind pattern data is received from an external source.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the prevailing wind pattern data is received from a sensor included in the aerial vehicle.

16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the prevailing wind pattern data is based on a combination of data received from an external source and from a sensor included in the aerial vehicle.

17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the prevailing wind pattern data is based on wind vectors.

18. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to display the selected heading on a map.

19. A method for controlling an aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving data indicating a location and an altitude of the aerial vehicle wherein the aerial vehicle is wind-influenced;
receiving prevailing wind pattern data regarding winds at the location and the altitude of the aerial vehicle;
selecting a heading for the aerial vehicle toward an objective based on the prevailing wind pattern data;
determining whether the aerial vehicle is moving toward the objective within a range of directions along the heading;
upon determining that the aerial vehicle is not moving toward the objective within the range of directions along the heading, determining a first adjusted altitude for the aerial vehicle;
determining a probability that a prevailing wind pattern at the first adjusted altitude will move the aerial vehicle toward the objective within the range of directions along the heading; and
upon a determining that the probability is higher than a threshold probability, causing a controller to adjust the altitude of the aerial vehicle to a first adjusted altitude corresponding with the heading, at which the wind is expected to move the aerial vehicle toward the objective within the range of directions along the heading.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling an aerial vehicle, the program including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to:
receive data indicating a location and an altitude of the aerial vehicle, wherein the aerial vehicle is wind-influenced;
receive prevailing wind pattern data regarding winds at the location and the altitude of the aerial vehicle;
select a heading for the aerial vehicle toward an objective based on the prevailing wind pattern data;
determine whether the aerial vehicle is moving toward the objective within a range of directions along the heading;
upon a determination that the aerial vehicle is not moving toward the objective within the range of directions along the heading, determine a first adjusted altitude for the aerial vehicle;
determine a probability that a prevailing wind pattern at the first adjusted altitude will move the aerial vehicle toward the objective within the range of directions along the heading; and
upon a determination that the probability is higher than a threshold, cause a controller to adjust the altitude of the aerial vehicle—to a first adjusted altitude corresponding with the heading, at which the wind is expected to move the aerial vehicle toward the objective within the range of directions along the heading.

Assignees

• Loon Llc

Inventors

• Candido Salvatore J
• Ponda Sameera Sylvia

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G08G5/34

  for flight plan modification · CPC title

• G08G5/26

  Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations · CPC title

• G08G5/22

  located on the ground · CPC title