Managing drones in vehicular system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11513537-B2
Application number	US-201916408349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2019
Priority date	May 9, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

In an example, a method may assign a first drone of a drone network a first task, the first task may instruct the first drone to transport a first package to a first destination in a geographic area. The method may receive roadway traffic data for a plurality of roadway vehicles in the geographic area; determine, based on the roadway traffic data and during transit of the first package to the first destination by the first drone, to transfer the first package to a second drone in the drone network; and transfer the first package to the second drone in the drone network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
assigning a first drone of a drone network a first task, the first task instructing the first drone to transport a first package to a first destination in a geographic area;
receiving roadway traffic data for a plurality of roadway vehicles in the geographic area;
determining, based on the roadway traffic data for the plurality of roadway vehicles, a vehicle route of a first roadway vehicle of the plurality of roadway vehicles, and during transit of the first package to the first destination by the first drone, to transfer the first package to a second drone in the drone network, the first drone being docked on the first roadway vehicle that is traveling towards the first destination on at least part of the vehicle route of the first roadway vehicle;
determining to transfer the first package to the second drone based on a range of the first drone and the vehicle route of the first roadway vehicle; and
transferring the first package to the second drone in the drone network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
assigning the second drone of the drone network a second task, the second task instructing the second drone to transport a second package to a second destination in the geographic area;
reassigning the first task to the second drone and the second task to the first drone;
transferring the first package from the first drone to the first roadway vehicle;
transferring the second package from the second drone to a second roadway vehicle;
navigating the first drone from the first roadway vehicle to the second roadway vehicle having the second package; and
navigating the second drone from the second roadway vehicle to the first roadway vehicle having the first package, wherein transferring the first package to the second drone includes:
transferring the first package from the first drone to the first roadway vehicle; and
transferring the first package from the first roadway vehicle to the second drone.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein reassigning the first task to the second drone and the second task to the first drone is based on one or more of:
a task priority;
a battery level of the first drone;
a battery level of the second drone;
a traffic condition associated with the vehicle route of the first roadway vehicle; and
a traffic condition associated with a vehicle route of the second roadway vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second drone is docked on a second roadway vehicle that is traveling towards the first destination in the geographic area;
determining to transfer the first package to the second drone includes:
determining a vehicle route of the second roadway vehicle based on the roadway traffic data; and
selecting, from the drone network, the second drone based on the vehicle route of the second roadway vehicle; and

transferring the first package to the second drone includes:
reassigning the first task to the second drone, the reassigned first task instructing the second drone to transport the first package to the first destination in the geographic area; and
coordinating a package handover of the first package from the first drone to the second drone.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein selecting the second drone includes:
determining, based on an assigned task of the second drone, an available range of the second drone;
determining, based on the available range of the second drone and the vehicle route of the second roadway vehicle, that the first destination will be reachable by the second drone; and
selecting the second drone from the drone network based on the first destination being reachable by the second drone.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein selecting the second drone includes:
determining, based on a proximate traffic condition, that a traffic flow of one or more roadway vehicles is sufficient for transporting the second drone to within a drop-off region of the first destination; and
selecting the second drone from the drone network based on the traffic flow being sufficient.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining to transfer the first package to the second drone includes:
determining, based on the range of the first drone and the vehicle route of the first roadway vehicle, that the first destination is unreachable by the first drone;
determining, based on a proximate traffic condition, that a traffic flow of one or more roadway vehicles is insufficient for transporting the first drone to within a drop-off region of the first destination; and
determining to transfer the first package to the second drone based on the first destination being unreachable and the traffic flow being insufficient.

8. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
assign a first drone of a drone network a first task, the first task instructing the first drone to transport a first package to a first destination in a geographic area;
receive roadway traffic data for a plurality of roadway vehicles in the geographic area;
determine, based on the roadway traffic data for the plurality of roadway vehicles, a vehicle route of a first roadway vehicle of the plurality of roadway vehicles, and during transit of the first package to the first destination by the first drone, to transfer the first package to a second drone in the drone network, the first drone being docked on the first roadway vehicle that is traveling towards the first destination on at least part of the vehicle route of the first roadway vehicle;
determine to transfer the first package to the second drone based on a range of the first drone and the vehicle route of the first roadway vehicle; and
transfer the first package to the second drone in the drone network.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:
assign the second drone of the drone network a second task, the second task instructing the second drone to transport a second package to a second destination in the geographic area;
reassign the first task to the second drone and the second task to the first drone;
transfer the first package from the first drone to the first roadway vehicle;
transfer the second package from the second drone to a second roadway vehicle;
navigate the first drone from the first roadway vehicle to the second roadway vehicle having the second package; and
navigate the second drone from the second roadway vehicle to the first roadway vehicle having the first package, wherein transferring the first package to the second drone includes:
transferring the first package from the first drone to the first roadway vehicle; and
transferring the first package from the first roadway vehicle to the second drone.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein reassigning the first task to the second drone and the second task to the first drone is based on one or more of:
a task priority;
a battery level of the first drone;
a battery level of the second drone;
a traffic condition associated with the vehicle route of the first roadway vehicle; and
a traffic condition associated with a vehicle route of the second roadway vehicle.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining to transfer the first package to the second drone includes:
determining, based on the range of the first drone and the vehicle route of the first roadway vehicle, that the first destination is unreachable by the first drone;
determining, based on a proximate traffic condition, that a traffic flow of one or more roadway vehicles is insufficient for transpor

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America
• Toyota Motor Eng & Mfg North America Inc

Inventors

• Uçar Seyhan
• Hoh Baik
• Oguchi Kentaro

Classifications

• B64U80/86

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• B64U2201/102

  adapted for flying in formations · CPC title

• B64U10/13

  Flying platforms · CPC title

• B60P3/11

  for carrying aircraft · CPC title

• G08G1/0125

  Traffic data processing · CPC title