Systems, methods and devices for determining lift heights for launching unmanned aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420729-B2
Application number	US-201916420006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2019
Priority date	May 22, 2019
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining a vehicle elevation height for launching an unmanned aerial vehicle may include performing a quantitative balancing analysis using baseline factors, establishing optimal values for operational goals of a vehicle based on the quantitative balancing analysis, determining a vehicle elevation height that achieves the established optimal values for the operational goals of the vehicle by evaluating vehicle delivery parameters using normalized values, and initiating on a winch system elevation of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the determined vehicle elevation height for launching.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for determining lift heights for launching an unmanned aerial vehicle, the system comprising:
at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and
at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
perform a quantitative balancing analysis using one or more received baseline factors;
determine optimal values for one or more operational goals of the vehicle based on the quantitative balancing analysis;
determine a vehicle elevation height for launching the vehicle that achieves the determined optimal values for the one or more operational goals of the vehicle by evaluating vehicle delivery parameters using multipliers associated with each of the one or more operational goals of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle delivery parameters include i) distance to customer, ii) wind direction, iii) wind speed, iv) package weight, v) package size, vi) vehicle battery charge or fuel level, vii) vehicle type, viii) customer delivery urgency, and ix) vehicle defect; and
cause a lift control unit on a lift system to elevate the vehicle to the determined vehicle elevation height, and wherein the vehicle includes an unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more baseline factors include at least one from the group comprising i) a vehicle energy efficiency weighting factor, ii) a vehicle range factor, and iii) a vehicle delivery time factor.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operational goals of the vehicle include at least one from the group comprising i) efficiency, ii) range, and iii) time.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the quantitative balancing analysis is performed by multiplying each of the one or more baseline factors with the multipliers (x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x7, x8) associated with the each of the one or more operational goals of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the multipliers (x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x7, x8) associated with the each of the one or more operational goals of the vehicle are varied to achieve multiple possible results, wherein each of the multiple possible results is configured for one operational goal of the one or more operational goals.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the optimal values for each of the one or more operational goals of the vehicle are established by selecting a corresponding highest value from the multiple possible results.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle delivery parameters are evaluated using the multipliers based on equation (vehicle elevation height=x1*distance to customer+x2*wind direction+x3*package weight+x4*package size+x5*drone battery charge+x6*drone type+x7*customer delivery urgency+x8*drone defect).

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the determination of the vehicle elevation height includes assessing delivery operational rules for the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the delivery operational rules for the vehicle include i) lower the vehicle elevation height for a shorter delivery distance, ii) lower the vehicle elevation height for a lighter weight package, iii) lower the vehicle elevation height for packages needing to be delivered in a fast time.

10. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a processor, one or more baseline factors;
performing, by the processor, a quantitative balancing analysis using the one or more received baseline factors;
determining, by the processor, optimal values for one or more operational goals of a vehicle based on the quantitative balancing analysis;
determining, by the processor, a vehicle elevation height for launching the vehicle that achieves the established optimal values for the one or more operational goals of the vehicle by evaluating vehicle delivery parameters using multipliers associated with each of the one or more operational goals of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle delivery parameters include i) distance to customer, ii) wind direction, iii) wind speed, iv) package weight, v) package size, vi) vehicle battery charge or fuel level, vii) vehicle type, viii) customer delivery urgency, and ix) vehicle defect; and
initiating, on a lift system, elevation of the vehicle to the determined vehicle elevation height.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of prioritizing an order of elevating a first vehicle and a second vehicle for efficiency in terms of delivery time and energy consumption.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more baseline factors include at least one from the group comprising i) a vehicle energy efficiency weighting factor, ii) a vehicle range factor, and iii) a vehicle delivery time factor.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more operational goals of the vehicle include at least one from the group comprising i) efficiency, ii) range, and iii) time.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the quantitative balancing analysis is performed by multiplying each of the one or more baseline factors with the multipliers (x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x7, x8) associated with the each of the one or more operational goals of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the multipliers (x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x7, x8) associated with the each of the one or more operational goals of the vehicle are varied to achieve multiple possible results, wherein each of the multiple possible results is configured for one operational goal of the one or more operational goals.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the optimal values for each of the one or more operational goals of the vehicle are established by selecting a corresponding highest value from the multiple possible results.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the vehicle delivery parameters are evaluated using the multipliers based on equation (vehicle elevation height=x1*distance to customer+x2*wind direction+x3*package weight+x4*package size+x5*drone battery charge+x6*drone type+x7*customer delivery urgency+x8*drone defect).

18. A system, comprising:
a lift height engine (“LHE”) comprising:
a processor;
a memory storage area;
a vehicle height metric module, in the memory storage area, having program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
perform a quantitative balancing analysis using one or more received baseline factors;
establish optimal values for one or more operational goals of a vehicle based on the quantitative balancing analysis;
determine a vehicle elevation height for launching the vehicle that achieves the established optimal values for the one or more operational goals of the vehicle by evaluating vehicle delivery parameters using multipliers associated with each of the one or more operational goals of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle delivery parameters include i) distance to customer, ii) wind direction, iii) wind speed, iv) package weight, v) package size, vi) vehicle battery charge or fuel level, vii) vehicle type, viii) customer delivery urgency, and ix) vehicle defect; and

a lift control unit configured to cause the elevation of the vehicle to the determined vehicle elevation height.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Leone Thomas
• Miller Kenneth
• Dudar Aed M

Classifications

• B64U70/20

  for releasing or capturing UAVs in flight by another aircraft · CPC title

• B64U10/30

  Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft · CPC title

• B64C19/00 Primary

  Aircraft control not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G01C5/00

  Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels (G01C3/20, G01C3/30 take precedence) · CPC title

• B64B1/50

  Captive balloons · CPC title