Multiple energy source guidance system and method for drones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018370654-A1
Application number	US-201815994593-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	Jun 21, 2017
Publication date	Dec 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

When a first laser beam and a second laser beam are directed to the volume of space, an aerial drone is configured to lock onto the first laser beam using a first sensor, and to utilize the first laser beam to guide the drone to an accurate landing at a landing site. The aerial drone is further configured to lock onto the second laser beam using a second sensor, to determine a relationship between the first laser beam and the second laser beam, and to utilize the relationship to adjust the tilt of the aerial drone, the orientation of the aerial drone, the speed differential between the aerial drone and the landing site, and/or the alignment of a portion of the drone with a portion of the landing site when making the landing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A retail product delivery system that is configured to guide an aerial drone configured to deliver one or more commercial products to a customer through the use of two or more lasers, the system comprising:
a first laser device that is configured to transmit a first laser beam, and a second laser device configured to transmit a second laser beam; an aerial drone including a first sensor and a second sensor and configured to carry and deliver the one or more commercial products to the customer; a control circuit, the control circuit configured to:
transmit first instructions to the aerial drone, the first instructions being effective to guide the aerial drone to become positioned within a selected volume of space that is within a predetermined distance of a landing site; and
when the aerial drone becomes positioned within the selected volume of space, transmit second instructions to the first laser device to direct the first laser beam within the volume of space and to transmit third instructions to the second laser device to direct the second laser beam within the volume of space;
when the first laser beam and the second laser beam are directed to the volume of space, the aerial drone is configured to:
lock onto the first laser beam using the first sensor, and to utilize the first laser beam to guide the drone to an accurate landing at the landing site;
lock onto the second laser beam using the second sensor; and
determine a relationship between the first laser beam and the second laser beam, and utilize the relationship to adjust one or more of: a tilt of the aerial drone when making a landing at the landing site, an orientation of the aerial drone when making the landing, a speed differential between the aerial drone and the landing site when making the landing, and an alignment of a portion of the drone with a portion of the landing site when making the landing.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the relationship comprises a distance and angular relation between the first sensor and the second sensor.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the landing site is one of: the ground, a runway on a vehicle, or a second aerial drone.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the alignment of a portion of the drone with a portion of the landing site comprises an alignment between a first docking port on the aerial drone with a second docking port on a second aerial drone.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein communications are exchanged between the aerial drone and the control circuit, the communications being effective to coordinate locating the first laser beam and the second laser beam when the control circuit at the landing site is aware of the aerial drone, but the aerial drone has not yet found the landing site.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein communications are exchanged between the aerial drone and the control circuit, the communications being effective to coordinate locating the first laser beam and the second laser beam when the aerial drone is aware of the landing site, but the control circuit has not yet found the aerial drone.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first laser beam has a first frequency and the second laser beam has a second frequency, and the first frequency is different from the second frequency.

8 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first laser beam comprises first encoded information and the second laser beam comprises second encoded information.

9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the sensors comprise a device selected from the group consisting of a matrix sensor, and sensors on a ring.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is disposed at a location selected from the group consisting of: a central processing location, the aerial drone, and both at the aerial drone and at a central processing location.

11 . A method of guiding an aerial drone using two or more lasers, the method comprising:
configuring a first laser device to transmit a first laser beam, and a second laser device to transmit a second laser beam; configuring an aerial drone with a first sensor and a second sensor; transmitting first instructions from a control circuit to the aerial drone, the first instructions being effective to guide the aerial drone to become positioned within a selected volume of space that is within a predetermined distance of a landing site; when the drone becomes positioned within the selected volume of space, transmitting second instructions from the control circuit to the first laser device to direct the first laser beam within the volume of space and to transmit third instructions to the second laser device to direct the second laser beam within the volume of space; when the first laser beam and the second laser beam are directed to the volume of space, the aerial drone is configured to lock onto the first laser beam using the first sensor, and to utilize the first laser beam to guide the drone to an accurate landing at the landing site, the aerial drone being further configured to lock onto the second laser beam using the second sensor, the aerial drone being further configured to determine a relationship between the first laser beam and the second laser beam, and to utilize the relationship to adjust one or more of: a tilt of the aerial drone when making a landing at the landing site, an orientation of the aerial drone when making the landing, a speed differential between the aerial drone and the landing site when making the landing, and an alignment of a portion of the drone with a portion of the landing site when making the landing.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the relationship comprises a distance and angular relation between the first sensor and the second sensor.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the landing site is one of: the ground, a runway on a vehicle, or a second aerial drone.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the alignment of a portion of the drone with a portion of the landing site comprises an alignment between a first docking port on the aerial drone with a second docking port on a second aerial drone.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising exchanging communications between the aerial drone and the control circuit, the communications being effective to coordinate locating the first laser beam and the second laser beam when the control circuit at the landing site is aware of the aerial drone, but the aerial drone has not yet found the landing site.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising exchanging communications between the aerial drone and the control circuit, the communications being effective to coordinate locating the first laser beam and the second laser beam when the aerial drone is aware of the landing site, but the control circuit has not yet found the aerial drone.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first laser beam has a first frequency and the second laser beam has a second frequency, and the first frequency is different from the second frequency.

18 . The method of claim 11 wherein the first laser beam comprises first encoded information and the second laser beam comprises second encoded information.

19 . The method of claim 11 wherein the sensors comprise a device selected from the group consisting of a matrix sensor, and sensors on a ring.

20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is disposed at a location selected from the group consisting of: a central processing location, the aerial drone, and both at the aerial drone an

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Cantrell Robert L
• High Donald R
• Mchale Brian G
• Winkle David C
• Atchley Michael D
• O'Brien John J
• Jones Nathan G

Classifications

• B64U80/86

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• B64U70/60

  Take-off or landing of UAVs from a runway using their own power · CPC title

• G01S3/789

  using rotating or oscillating beam systems, e.g. using mirrors, prisms · CPC title

• G01S17/933

  of aircraft or spacecraft · CPC title

• B64F1/20 Primary

  Arrangement of optical beacons · CPC title