Systems and methods to allocate unmanned aircraft systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11062612-B2
Application number	US-201916265129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2019
Priority date	Feb 12, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to allocate unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Some embodiments, provide UAS allocation systems, comprising: a UAS database that stores for each registered UAS an identifier and corresponding operational capabilities; an allocation control circuit configured to: obtain a first set of multiple task parameters specified by a first customer and corresponding to a requested first predefined task that the customer is requesting a UAS be allocated to perform; identify, from the UAS database, a first UAS having operational capabilities to perform the first set of task parameters while implementing the first task; and cause an allocation notification to be communicated to a first UAS provider, of the multiple UAS providers, associated with the first UAS requesting the first UAS provider to allocate the identified first UAS to implement the first task.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aircraft system (UAS) allocation system, comprising:
a UAS database storing information corresponding to multiple registered different UASs, wherein each of two or more of the registered different UASs is owned and operated by a different one of multiple different unassociated UAS providers that have registered and agreed to allocate one or more UASs to perform tasks in providing third party services, wherein the UAS database stores for each of the registered different UASs an identifier and corresponding operational capabilities, wherein a plurality of the registered different UASs have different operational capabilities;
an interface system configured to distribute user interface information over a communication network to a plurality of geographically distributed and unassociated customers, wherein the user interface information is configured to populate, with respect to each of the plurality of customers, a request user interface corresponding to at least one of multiple different predefined tasks for which at least one of the registered different UASs are capable of performing; and
an allocation control circuit coupled with the UAS database and configured to direct the allocation of different UASs, of the registered different UASs, from the different UAS providers to implement requested tasks each received from one of the plurality the customers that are unassociated with the UAS providers.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the allocation control circuit is configured to:
obtain a first set of task parameters specified by a first customer and corresponding to a requested first predefined task that the first customer is requesting a UAS be allocated to perform;
identify, from the UAS database, a first UAS, of the registered different UASs, having operational capabilities to perform the first set of task parameters;
identify, from the UAS database, a first UAS provider of the UAS providers that registered and agreed to allocate the first UAS to perform tasks for third parties; and
cause an allocation notification to be communicated to the first UAS provider associated with the first UAS requesting the first UAS provider to allocate the first UAS to implement at least a portion of the first task.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the allocation control circuit in identifying the first UAS as having the operational capabilities to perform the first set of task parameters is configured to identify that one or more of the operational capabilities associated with the first UAS are each within a corresponding threshold level of correlation to at least a corresponding one of the first set of task parameters.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the interface system comprising an interface control circuit coupled with interface memory storing computer instructions that when executed by the interface control circuit cause the interface control circuit to:
communicate the user interface information to customer computer systems associated with each of the plurality of customers and configured to populate at each of the customer computer systems the request user interface comprising predefined fields to receive task parameters corresponding to one of the multiple predefined tasks; and

receive, from each of the plurality of customer computer systems through the request user interface, corresponding sets of task parameters to be performed by a UAS to complete a corresponding identified task.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the allocation control circuit is further configured to cause the first set of task parameters to be communicated to a first UAS provider to be utilized by the first UAS provider in controlling a first UAS, of the registered different UASs, in implementing a first predefined task in accordance with the first set of task parameters, wherein the first set of task parameters define a location where the first predefine task is to be performed and functions to be performed by the first UAS in completing the first predefined task.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a registration control circuit configured to:
obtain an identifier of each of the registered different UASs that one of the UAS providers are authorizing to be allocated to implement one or more tasks requested by one or more of the plurality of customers who are unassociated with the UAS providers;
obtain the operational capabilities of each of the registered different UASs; and
register each of the registered different UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, each identifier of the registered different UASs, and store in relation to a corresponding one of the UAS identifiers the operational capabilities of the corresponding one of the registered different UASs.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the registration control circuit is further configured to associate each of the registered different UASs with at least one of the multiple predefined tasks based on a relationship between operational capabilities of each of the registered different UASs and sets of predefined task parameters.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a registration control circuit configured to:
receive a request from a first UAS provider to define a first task that the first UAS provider is authorizing a set of one or more UASs associated with the first UAS provider to perform;
receive a set of defined task parameters defining characteristics of the first task; and
register the first task comprising storing, in a task database, a first task identifier and the set of task parameters associated with the first task identifier.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the registration control circuit is further configured to:
obtain an identifier of each UAS of the set of one or more UASs associated with the first UAS provider that the first UAS provider authorizes to be allocated to implement the first task;
obtain the operational capabilities of each UAS of the set of one or more UASs; and
register each UAS of the set of one or more UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, the corresponding identifier of each UAS of the set of one or more UASs, and storing in relation to a corresponding one of the UAS identifiers the operational capabilities of the corresponding one of the set of one or more UASs.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a registration control circuit is further configured to:
obtain an identifier of each UAS of a set of one or more UASs that a corresponding one of the UAS providers has authorized to be allocated to implement one or more of the multiple predefined tasks;
obtain the operational capabilities of each UAS of the set of one or more UASs;
register each UAS of the set of one or more UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, the corresponding identifier and storing in relation to a corresponding one of the UAS identifiers the operational capabilities of the corresponding one of the set of one or more UASs, and associating each of the set of one or more UASs with at least one of the multiple predefined tasks based on a relationship between the operational capabilities of each of the set of one or more UASs and sets of predefined task parameters.

11. A method of allocating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), comprising:
maintaining a UAS database storing information corresponding to registered different UASs, wherein each of two or more of the registered different UASs is owned and operated by a different on of multiple different unassociated UAS providers that have registered and agreed to allocate one or more UASs to perform tasks in providing third party services, wherein the UAS database stores for each of the registered diff

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• High Donald R
• Taylor Robert C
• Winkle David C
• Thompson John P

Classifications

• B64U2201/00

  UAVs characterised by their flight controls · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/26

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

• G08G5/22

  located on the ground · CPC title