UAV delivery control system for UAV delivery of packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11538347-B2
Application number	US-202016934906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2020
Priority date	Jun 12, 2020
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A UAV delivery control system is disclosed. Sensors detect operation parameters associated with the UAV as the UAV maneuvers along an airborne delivery route. A UAV operation controller monitors UAV route parameters as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route. The UAV route parameters are indicative as to a current environment of the airborne delivery route that the UAV is encountering. The UAV operation controller automatically adjusts the operation of the UAV to maintain the operation of the UAV within an operation threshold based on the operation parameters and the UAV route parameters. The operation threshold is the operation of the UAV that is maintained within an overall airborne operation radius of the UAV from a return destination thereby enabling the UAV to execute the delivery of the package along the airborne delivery route and to return to the return destination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivery control system to automatically manage an operation of an UAV as the UAV operates to deliver a package to a delivery location, comprising:
at least one sensor associated with the UAV that maneuvers on an airborne delivery route that is configured to detect at least one operation parameter associated with the UAV as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route to deliver the package to the delivery location, wherein the at least one operation parameter is indicative to an operation of the UAV as the UAV maneuvers on the airborne delivery route;
an UAV operation controller configured to:
monitor at least one UAV route parameter associated with the airborne delivery route as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route, wherein the at least one UAV route parameter is indicative as to a current environment of the airborne delivery route that the UAV is encountering as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route to deliver the package, and
automatically adjust the operation of the UAV as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route to maintain the operation of the UAV within an operation threshold based on the at least one operation parameter and the at least one UAV route parameter, wherein the operation threshold is the operation of the UAV that is maintained within an overall airborne operation radius of the UAV from a return destination that the UAV is returning to after completing the delivery of the package thereby enabling the UAV to execute the delivery of the package along the airborne delivery route and to return to the return destination.

2. The UAV delivery control system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a delivery truck control unit associated with at least one delivery truck that is configured to detect at least one delivery truck parameter associated with an operation of the at least one delivery truck as the at least one delivery truck maneuvers along a roadway to execute a roadway delivery route, wherein the at least one delivery truck parameter are generated from the operation of the at least one delivery truck as the at least one delivery truck executes the roadway delivery route.

3. The UAV delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the UAV operation controller is further configured to:
monitor at least one delivery truck parameter associated with the at least one delivery truck as at least one delivery truck maneuvers along the roadway delivery route and the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route and a return destination route, wherein the UAV initiates the airborne delivery route from the at least one delivery truck and returns to the return destination of the at least one delivery truck via the return destination route after completing the airborne delivery route; and
automatically adjust the operation of the UAV as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route to maintain the operation of the UAV within the operation threshold based on the at least one operation parameter, the at least one UAV route parameter, and the at least one delivery truck parameter, wherein the operation threshold of the UAV is maintained within the overall airborne operation radius of the UAV from the return destination of the at least one delivery truck that the UAV is launched from to execute the airborne delivery route thereby enabling the UAV to execute the delivery of the package along the airborne delivery route and return to the at least one delivery truck via the return destination route.

4. The UAV delivery system of claim 3 , wherein the UAV operation controller is further configured to:
automatically adjust the operation of the UAV as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route to deliver the package to the delivery location when the UAV launches from the at least one delivery truck positioned at a first location to maintain the operation of the UAV within the operation threshold based on the at least one operation parameter, the at least one UAV route parameter, and the at least one delivery truck parameter; and
automatically adjust the operation of the UAV as the UAV maneuvers along a return destination route to return to the return destination of the at least one delivery truck after the UAV delivers the package to the delivery location to maintain the operation of the UAV within the operation threshold, wherein the return destination of the at least one delivery truck is positioned at a second location after the UAV delivers the package to the delivery location that differs from the at least one delivery truck positioned at the first location when the UAV launched from the at least one delivery truck to deliver the package to the delivery location.

5. The UAV delivery system of claim 4 , wherein the UAV operation controller is further configured to:
automatically alert the delivery truck control unit when a current location of the UAV is beyond the overall airborne operation radius of the UAV from the return destination of the at least one delivery truck, wherein the UAV is not capable of returning to the return the destination of the at least one delivery truck when the current location of the UAV is beyond the overall airborne operation radius of the UAV.

6. The UAV delivery system of claim 5 , wherein the UAV operation controller is further configured to:
automatically adjust the operation of a first UAV as the first UAV maneuvers along a first airborne delivery route to deliver a first package to a first delivery location when the first UAV launches from the at least one delivery truck positioned at the first location and as the first UAV maneuvers along a first return destination route to return to the return destination of the at least one delivery truck as the at least one delivery truck maneuvers along the roadway delivery route;
automatically adjust the operation of a second UAV as the second UAV maneuvers along a second airborne delivery route to deliver a second package to a second delivery location when the second UAV launches from the at least one delivery truck positioned at the first location and as the second UAV maneuvers along a second return destination route to return to the return destination of the at least one delivery truck as the at least one delivery truck maneuvers along the roadway delivery route, wherein the first UAV and the second UAV launch from the at least one delivery truck to execute the first delivery route and the second delivery route and return to the return destination of the at least one delivery truck as the at least one delivery truck maneuvers along the roadway delivery route; and
automatically alert the delivery truck control unit when a first current location of first UAV is beyond a first overall airborne operation radius of the first UAV from the return destination of the at least one delivery truck and when a second current location of the second UAV is beyond a second overall airborne operation radius of the second UAV from the return destination of the at least one delivery truck, wherein the first operation radius of the first UAV differs from the second operation radius of the second UAV based on the first current location of the first UAV and the second current location of the second UAV.

7. The UAV delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the UAV operation controller is further configured to:
automatically adjust the overall airborne operation radius of the UAV from the return destination based on the at least one operation parameter and the at least one UAV route parameter as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route, wherein the overall airborne operation radius is increased or decreased based on the at least one operation parameter and the at least one UAV route parameter.

8.

Assignees

• Workhorse Group Inc

Inventors

• Ratajczak Jay
• Wilson Scott
• Wei Wei
• Bort Jr Thaddeus M

Classifications

• G06Q10/0832 Primary

  Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods · CPC title

• G06Q10/083

  Shipping · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

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

• B64U2101/60

  for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons · CPC title

• G06Q10/08355

  Routing methods · CPC title