Terminal area operation of UAVs for package delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11905014-B2
Application number	US-202017076506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2020
Priority date	Oct 21, 2020
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A technique for operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a terminal area from which the UAVs are staged includes charging a plurality of the UAVs on charging pads disposed in a staging array at the terminal area. Merchant facilities for preparing packages for delivery by the UAVs are disposed about a periphery of the staging array. The UAVs are relocated under their own propulsion from interior charging pads to peripheral loading pads of the staging array as the peripheral loading pads become available and the UAVs are deemed sufficiently charged and ready for delivery missions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating at a terminal area from which the UAVs are staged, the method comprising:
charging a plurality of the UAVs on charging pads disposed in a staging array at the terminal area, wherein merchant facilities adapted for preparing packages for delivery by the UAVs are disposed peripheral to the staging array along one or more sides of the staging array; and
relocating the UAVs under their own propulsion from interior charging pads of the charging pads in the staging array to peripheral loading pads of the staging array as the peripheral loading pads are deemed available to receive the UAVs and the UAVs reach one or more threshold charge levels associated with readiness for delivery missions, wherein the relocating for a corresponding one of the UAVs is after the corresponding one of the UAVs receives an initial charge at one of the interior charging pads and prior to the corresponding one of the UAVs commencing one of the delivery missions, wherein the peripheral loading pads also include charging circuitry for charging the UAVs.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to one of the merchant facilities indicating that a first package of the packages is deemed ready for delivery, identifying a first UAV of the UAVs disposed on one of the peripheral loading pads, wherein the first UAV is assigned to accept the first package for delivery; and
synchronizing a takeoff of the first UAV with an approach of a merchant attendant that loads the first UAV with the first package.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying to the merchant attendant the first UAV of the UAVs comprises at least one of:
illuminating a first light on the first UAV;
illuminating a second light associated with the one of the peripheral loading pads upon which the first UAV is positioned; or
displaying an augmented reality image from a head wearable display worn by the merchant attendant, the augmented reality image visually identifying the first UAV from others of the UAVs.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein synchronizing the takeoff of the first UAV with the approach of the merchant attendant comprises:
sensing a proximity of the merchant attendant to the first UAV; and
executing the takeoff of the first UAV when the merchant attendant comes within a threshold proximity of the first UAV.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
deploying a line and a connection point for connecting to the first package from the first UAV with an onboard winch as the first UAV ascends during the takeoff from the one of the peripheral loading pads, wherein the line is dispensed at a rate that matches an ascending rate of the first UAV so as to maintain the connection point at a constant height as the first UAV ascends.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
scanning a code disposed in or on the first package to match or validate a first delivery mission for the first package to the first UAV, wherein the code is associated with the first delivery mission.

7. The method of 6 , wherein scanning the code comprises one of:
scanning an optical code adhered to the first package with an onboard camera disposed on the first UAV after the first package is attached to the first UAV; or
scanning a radio frequency identifier (RFID) disposed in or on the first package with an RFID reader disposed on the first UAV.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
reserving flight altitude slices over the terminal area for incoming UAV traffic, outgoing UAV traffic, and intra-facility UAV traffic; and
dynamically adjusting the flight altitude slices between the incoming UAV traffic, the outgoing UAV traffic, and the intra-facility UAV traffic based upon demand by the UAVs.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein dynamically adjusting the flight altitude slices comprises expanding a first one of the flight altitude slices assigned to outgoing UAV traffic at a beginning of a predetermined period or expanding a second one of the flight altitude slices assigned to the incoming UAV traffic at an ending of the predetermined period.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
assigning a first delivery mission of the delivery missions to a first UAV of the UAVs, wherein the first delivery mission includes an assignment of a first charging pad of the charging pads to the first UAV for charging the first UAV upon return of the first UAV to the terminal area after delivering the first package;
reassigning the first UAV to another charging pad of the charging pads different from the first charging pad, while the first UAV is approaching the terminal area or after arrival at the terminal area, if the first charging pad becomes at least partially obstructed subsequent to assigning the first delivery mission to the first UAV.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
identifying by the first UAV upon return to the terminal area that a visual pattern on the first charging pad is obscured such that the first charging pad is deemed obstructed, wherein the first UAV uses an onboard camera for the identifying; and
selecting or requesting by the first UAV a second charging pad of the charging pads different from the first charging pad, in response to identifying that the visual pattern is visually obscured such that the first charging pad is deemed obstructed.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
landing the first UAV on a first charging pad of the charging pads upon return to the terminal array after delivery of the first package; and
pulsing one or more vertical lift motors of the first UAV to wiggle the first UAV on the first charging pad, if an electrical connection between the first UAV and the first charging pad is not sufficiently established upon landing to commence charging of the first UAV from the first charging pad.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
driving the one or more vertical lift motors to hop the first UAV up and down on the first charging pad if wiggling the first UAV does not sufficiently establish the electrical connection to commence the charging of the first UAV.

14. At least one non-transitory machine-accessible storage medium that provides instructions that, when executed by one or more machines, will cause the one or more machines to perform operations comprising:
charging a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on charging pads disposed in a staging array at a terminal area from which the UAVs are staged, wherein merchant facilities adapted for preparing packages for delivery by the UAVs are disposed peripheral to the staging array along one or more sides of the staging array; and
relocating the UAVs under their own propulsion from interior charging pads of the charging pads in the staging array to peripheral loading pads of the staging array as the peripheral loading pads are deemed available to receive the UAVs and the UAVs reach one or more threshold charge levels associated with readiness for delivery missions, wherein the relocating for a corresponding one of the UAVs is after the corresponding one of the UAVs receives an initial charge at one of the interior charging pads and prior to the corresponding one of the UAVs commencing one of the delivery missions.

15. The at least one non-transitory machine-accessible storage medium of claim 14 , further providing instructions that, when executed by the one or more machines, will cause the one or more machines to perform further operations, comprising:
in response to one of the merchant facilities indicating that a first package of the packages is deeme

Assignees

• Wing Aviation Llc

Inventors

• Schmalzried James
• Jacobs Benjamin
• Jones Brandon
• Lacy Stephen
• Lesser Jonathan
• Undurti Aditya
• Prager André

Classifications

• G05D2107/85

  Airports · CPC title

• G05D1/485

  Control of rate of change of altitude or depth · CPC title

• G05D1/672

  Positioning of towed, pushed or suspended implements, e.g. ploughs · CPC title

• G05D1/6987

  by centralised control off-board any of the vehicles · CPC title

• G05D2109/254

  Flying platforms, e.g. multicopters · CPC title