Method and apparatus for dynamically determining a destination of a drone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020312161-A1
Application number	US-201916363380-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 25, 2019
Priority date	Mar 25, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided in order to dynamically determine the destination for a drone. In the context of a method, location-related data may be collected with a drone. After having collected at least some of the location-related data, a destination for the drone is determined based at least in part upon a location of the drone. The drone is then caused to travel from the location to the destination. In some instances, the drone may travel toward the destination by being carried by a vehicle that is traveling along a route toward the destination.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1 . A method comprising:
collecting location-related data, wherein collecting location-related data comprises collecting location-related data with a drone that accompanies an entity in motion as the entity travels; while the drone accompanies the entity as the entity travels, determining a destination for the drone based at least in part upon a location of the drone during travel of the drone; and causing the drone to deviate from the entity to travel to the destination.

2 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the entity in motion is a person or a vehicle, and wherein the drone follows the person or the vehicle.

3 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the entity in motion is a vehicle, and wherein the drone is located on the vehicle while collecting location-related data.

4 . A method according to claim 1 wherein determining the destination comprises determining the destination with reference to information defining respective locations of a plurality of candidate destinations.

5 . A method according to claim 4 wherein the plurality of candidate destinations comprise one or more of disposal sites, recycling stations, recharging stations or collection sites.

6 . A method according to claim 1 wherein determining the destination comprises determining the destination based at least in part upon a remaining range of the drone.

7 . A method according to claim 6 wherein causing the drone to deviate from the entity in motion comprises causing the drone to deviate from the entity while the destination is within the remaining range of the drone.

8 . A method according to claim 1 wherein collecting data with the drone comprises collecting the location-related data with the drone that travels along with the entity in motion such that the location of the drone is dependent upon a route of the entity and is unknown to the drone in advance.

9 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code instructions stored therein, the computer program code instructions configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
collect location-related data with a drone; after having collected at least some of the location-related data, determine a destination for the drone based at least in part upon a location of the drone; and cause the drone to travel from the location to the destination.

10 . An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the computer program code instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine the destination by determining the destination with reference to information defining respective locations of a plurality of candidate destinations, wherein the plurality of candidate destinations comprise one or more of disposal sites, recycling stations, recharging stations or collection sites.

11 . An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the computer program code instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine the destination by determining the destination based at least in part upon a remaining range of the drone.

12 . An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause the drone to travel along a route while collecting the location-related data, and wherein the computer program code instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the drone to travel from the location to the destination by causing the drone to deviate from the route while the destination is within the remaining range of the drone.

13 . An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine a remaining supply of energy for the drone, and wherein, in an instance in which the remaining supply of energy for the drone is determined to be no greater than a threshold amount of energy, the computer program code instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine the destination for the drone.

14 . A method comprising:
determining that a vehicle is traveling along a route at least partly towards a destination; causing a drone to be carried by the vehicle along at least a portion of the route toward the destination; and after having been carried by the vehicle along at least the portion of the route, causing the drone to depart from the vehicle and proceed toward the destination.

15 . A method according to claim 14 wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling along the route comprises determining the route of the vehicle based at least in part upon a location of the drone.

16 . A method according to claim 14 wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling along the route comprises determining the route of the vehicle based upon information defining respective routes of a plurality of vehicles.

17 . A method according to claim 14 wherein the destination is one of a plurality of destinations, and wherein determining that a vehicle is traveling along a route at least partly towards a destination further comprises selecting one destination of the plurality of destinations based on a current location of the drone and routes of vehicles traveling toward at least some of the plurality of destinations.

18 . A method according to claim 14 wherein the drone is caused to be carried by and to subsequently depart from the vehicle such that a remaining range of the drone while being carried by the vehicle is sufficient to reach the destination following departure from the vehicle.

19 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code instructions stored therein, the computer program code instructions configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
determine that a vehicle is traveling along a route at least partly towards a destination; cause a drone to be carried by the vehicle along at least a portion of the route toward the destination; and after having been carried by the vehicle along at least the portion of the route, cause the drone to depart from the vehicle and proceed toward the destination.

20 . An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the computer program code instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine that the vehicle is traveling along the route by determining the route of the vehicle based at least in part upon a location of the drone.

21 . An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the computer program code instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine that the vehicle is traveling along the route by determining the route of the vehicle based upon information defining respective routes of a plurality of vehicles.

22 . An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the drone is caused to be carried by and to subsequently depart from the vehicle such that a remaining range of the drone while being carried by the vehicle is sufficient to reach the destination following departure from the vehicle.

Assignees

• Here Global Bv

Inventors

• Dorum Ole Henry
• Kozak Frank

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

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

• G08G5/34

  for flight plan modification · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/55 Primary

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/53

  for cruising · CPC title