Determining landing locations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701408-B1
Application number	US-201514739883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2015
Priority date	Jun 15, 2015
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

In some examples, a landing location within a region for an unmanned aerial vehicle may be determined. The landing location may be determined based on a first digital elevation dataset, a second digital elevation dataset, and parcel data corresponding to a region. The landing location may be determined by identifying open areas within the parcel data and performing one or more slope calculations and one or more area calculations on the open areas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an unmanned aerial vehicle configured to deliver a payload to one of a plurality of delivery locations; and
a delivery management service to determine the plurality of delivery locations, the delivery management service configured with at least a memory and a processor configured to:
access a first digital elevation dataset corresponding to a geographic region and collected according to a first collection procedure using a first collection device on a first flight, the first digital elevation dataset comprising a surface elevation model corresponding to the geographic region;
access a second digital elevation dataset corresponding to the geographic region and collected according to a second collection using a second collection device on a second flight or the first flight, the second collection device distinct from the first collection device, the second digital elevation dataset comprising a bare earth elevation model corresponding to the geographic region;
access land parcel data corresponding to the geographic region, the land parcel data including a plurality of residential land parcels;
determine the plurality of delivery locations for the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to the plurality of residential land parcels by at least:
comparing the second digital elevation dataset with the first digital elevation dataset to identify elevation similarities at overlapping positions represented by the second digital elevation dataset and the first digital elevation dataset, the elevation similarities representative of a plurality of open areas;
comparing the plurality of open areas with the land parcel data to identify a plurality of open residential land parcel areas;
identifying a first set of open residential land parcel areas of the plurality of open residential land parcel areas that have slope values that fall within a slope threshold;
identifying a second set of open residential land parcel areas of the plurality of open residential land parcel areas that have area values that fall within an area threshold that corresponds to an area required for the UAV to deliver the payload, the first set of open residential land parcel areas and the second set of open residential land parcel areas sharing at least one open land parcel residential area; and
determining, based at least in part on the first set of open residential land parcel areas and the second set of open residential land parcel areas, the plurality of delivery locations; and

provide a first delivery location of the plurality of delivery locations to the UAV for the UAV to deliver the payload at the first delivery location.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second collection procedure is distinct from the first collection procedure based at least in part on a type of collection device used for collection, an elevation of the collection device used for collection, an operator of the collection device, or software used to process data collected by the collection device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each delivery location of the plurality of delivery locations comprises a patch of land within a residential parcel, the patch of land comprising an unobstructed column of airspace extending upwards, an area value meeting or exceeding the area threshold, and no slope value exceeding the slope threshold.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the geographic region corresponds to at least one of a city, a county, a district, a street, or a neighborhood.

5. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
accessing a first digital elevation dataset collected according to a first collection procedure using a first collection device on a first flight and a second digital elevation dataset collected according to a second collection procedure using a second collection device on a second flight or the first flight, each of the first digital elevation dataset and the second digital elevation dataset corresponding to a geographic region;
accessing parcel data corresponding to the geographic region; and
determining a landing location for an unmanned aerial vehicle within a parcel of the parcel data by at least:
identifying, based at least in part on the first digital elevation dataset and the second digital elevation dataset, an open area defined as having a similar elevation at an overlapping position represented by the first digital elevation dataset and the second digital elevation dataset;
identifying, based at least in part on the open area and the parcel data, an open parcel area; and
determining, based at least in part on a slope calculation and an area calculation, the landing location within the open parcel area of the parcel data, the open parcel area within the parcel;

storing the landing location in a database; and
enabling the unmanned aerial vehicle to access the landing location for the unmanned aerial vehicle to navigate to the landing location.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein identifying the open area comprises:
subtracting the first digital elevation dataset from the second digital elevation dataset to identify a differential digital elevation dataset, the similar elevation represented in the differential digital elevation dataset;
converting the differential digital elevation dataset to a differential binary dataset; and
identifying the open area based at least in part on the differential binary dataset, the open area being open to the sky and free of obstacles.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the parcel data comprises residential parcels and non-residential parcels, and wherein identifying the open parcel area comprises masking the open area with the parcel data to exclude the non-residential parcels.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the slope calculation comprises:
determining one or more slope values within the open parcel area; and
identifying, from the one or more slope values, slope values that fall within a slope threshold corresponding to a maximum slope on which the unmanned aerial vehicle can land.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the area calculation comprises determining one or more areas within the open parcel area that fall within an area threshold, the area threshold corresponding to a minimum area of ground to accommodate landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the parcel comprises a residential parcel on which a home is located, and wherein the landing location is within a front yard relative to the home or within a back yard relative to the home.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the parcel comprises a residential parcel, and the landing location comprises a patch of land within the residential parcel, the patch of land comprising an unobstructed column of airspace extending upwards from the patch of land, an area value meeting or exceeding an area threshold, and no slope value exceeding a slope threshold.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the first digital elevation dataset and the second digital elevation dataset have about equal resolution and about equal margins of error, and wherein the first digital elevation dataset and the second digital elevation dataset are each collected within a first time period.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the landing location is an emergency landing location for landing the unmanned aerial vehicle in case of an emergency.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the second collection procedure is distinct from the firs

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Willison Jason Douglas

Classifications

• B64U2201/00

  UAVs characterised by their flight controls · CPC title

• G06V20/13

  Satellite images · CPC title

• B64C19/00

  Aircraft control not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• H04B7/18504

  Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform · CPC title

• G06F9/06

  using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs · CPC title