Interactive transport services provided by unmanned aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10853755-B2
Application number	US-201916580767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2019
Priority date	Jun 28, 2016
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments relate to a client-facing application for interacting with a transport service that transports items via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An example graphic interface may allow a user to order items to specific delivery areas associated with their larger delivery location, and may dynamically provide status updates and other functionality during the process of fulfilling a UAV transport request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a client computing device, a transport request for transport of one or more items by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to a target delivery location, wherein a geographic area is defined by a property line of the target delivery location;
responsive to receiving the transport request, the client computing device:
(i) determining that two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas are associated with the target delivery location, wherein each UAV-accessible sub-area: (a) is within the geographic area and at least the threshold distance from the property line and (b) includes an unobstructed path from an aerial position above the UAV-accessible sub-area to a ground surface in the UAV-accessible sub-area; and
(ii) displaying, on a graphic display, a graphic map interface indicating the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas for the target delivery location, wherein each UAV-accessible sub-area is selectable via the graphic map interface;

receiving, via the graphic map interface of the client computing device, a selection of a first of the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas; and
responsive to receiving the selection, the client computing device causing the UAV to transport the one or more items to the first UAV-accessible sub-area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UAV is adapted to lower the one or more items from the UAV by a tether, and wherein the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas comprise two or more tether-accessible sub-areas.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas are associated with the target delivery location comprises:
determining a weather condition corresponding to a first sub-area associated with the target delivery location; and
based on (i) the first sub-area being at least the threshold distance from the property line and (ii) the determined weather condition, determining that the first sub-area is one of the UAV-accessible sub-areas.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas are associated with the target delivery location comprises:
determining that a first sub-area of the geographic area does not include a hazard; and
based on (i) the first sub-area being at least the threshold distance from the property line and (ii) the first sub-area not including the hazard, determining that the first sub-area is the first UAV-accessible sub-area.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas are associated with the target delivery location comprises:
determining a surface feature of a first sub-area within the geographic area, wherein the surface feature comprises at least one of a water surface, a ground surface, or a building surface; and
based on (i) the first sub-area being at least the threshold distance from the property line and (ii) the determined surface feature, determining that the first sub-area is the first UAV-accessible sub-area.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas are associated with the target delivery location further comprises:
determining that a first sub-area within the geographic area is at least a threshold distance from a property line; and
based on the first sub-area being at least the threshold distance from the property line and the first sub-area having the unobstructed vertical path, determining that the first sub-area is the first UAV-accessible sub-area.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic area associated with the client computing device is determined based on a location of the client computing device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic area associated with the client computing device is determined based on a location identified by a user through a user interface of the client computing device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic area associated with the client computing device includes a location based on an order history of a user.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic area associated with the client computing device comprises a predicted future location of the client computing device based on one or more movement patterns of the client computing device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic area associated with the client computing device comprises a real estate property, and wherein the first UAV-accessible sub-area is located on at least one of a backyard, a front yard, a driveway, or a patio of the real estate property.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving the selection of the first of the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas comprises:
receiving a selection of one of the backyard, the front yard, the driveway, or the patio of the real estate property; and
receiving a selection of the first UAV-accessible sub-area located on the selected one of the backyard, the front yard, the driveway, or the patio of the real estate property.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the graphic map interface indicating the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas comprises:
displaying a graphic map interface of the geographic area; and
displaying on the graphic map interface a boundary of each of the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the UAV to transport the one or more items to the selected UAV-accessible sub-area comprises:
determining that a weight of the one or more items exceeds a threshold weight; and
responsive to determining that the weight of the one or more items exceeds the threshold weight, causing the UAV and at least one other UAV to transport the one or more items to the first UAV-accessible sub-area.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphic map interface includes an overhead view of the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphic map interface includes an oblique view of the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the two or more UAV-accessible sub-areas for the target delivery location further comprises:
determining that the first UAV-accessible sub-area is UAV-accessible for the transport request based on a comparison of one or more characteristics of the first UAV-accessible sub-area and one or more characteristics of the one or more items.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that a first sub-area and a second sub-area of the geographic area each include a respective unobstructed vertical path between a respective ground surface and a respective sky area above the sub-area;
determining that the first sub-area and the second sub-area are at least a threshold distance from the property line; and
based at least in part on (i) the determination that the first and second sub-areas being at least the threshold distance from the property line and (ii) the determination that the first and second sub-areas having the unobstructed vertical path between the ground and the sky, identifying the first and second sub-areas as the first and second UAV-accessible sub-areas associated with the target delivery location.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
receiving a transport request for transport of one or more items by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to a target delivery location, wherein a geographic area is defined by a property lin

Assignees

• Wing Aviation Llc

Inventors

• Lesser Jonathan
• Bauerly Michael
• Burgess James Ryan
• Cheng May
• Song Rue

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

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

• G01C21/1652

  with ranging devices, e.g. LIDAR or RADAR · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title

• B64U2101/67

  the UAVs comprising tethers for lowering the goods · CPC title