Piggybacking unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9704409-B2
Application number	US-201514817395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2015
Priority date	Aug 5, 2014
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

Various embodiments include methods for piggybacking an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on a vehicle (e.g., motor vehicles and trailers coupled to motor vehicles) to reach a destination. Various embodiments may include determining whether to dock on a vehicle. One or more candidate vehicles may be identified for docking. Travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles may be identified. A first vehicle may be selected from the one or more candidate vehicles based on one or more travel profile characteristics that assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination. The UAV may dock with the first vehicle. While docked to the first vehicle the UAV may charge an onboard battery via an electrical connection in a docking structure or by harvesting energy in the wind caused by movement of the vehicle by configuring the UAV rotors to charge the battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
determining, by a processor of the UAV, whether to dock on a vehicle to reach a UAV destination;
identifying, by the processor, one or more candidate vehicles for docking in response to determining to dock on the vehicle;
determining, by the processor, travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles, wherein the travel profile characteristics of each of the one or more candidate vehicles identify at least a vehicle destination of a respective candidate vehicle or a vehicle route to the vehicle destination;
selecting, from among the one or more candidate vehicles, a first vehicle having the vehicle destination or the vehicle route that is compatible with the UAV destination or a UAV route to the UAV destination, respectively; and
docking the UAV with the first vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to dock on the vehicle comprises:
determining, by the processor, whether a charge level of an onboard battery of the UAV is sufficient to meet a mission power requirement for reaching the UAV destination; and
determining to dock on the vehicle is in response to determining that the charge level of the onboard battery of the UAV is insufficient to meet the mission power requirement.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to dock on the vehicle comprises:
determining, by the processor, a first cost associated with reaching the UAV destination without docking on the vehicle and a second cost associated with reaching the UAV destination by docking on the vehicle; and
determining, by the processor, whether the first cost is less than the second cost.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, by the processor, the travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles comprises:
receiving from each of the one or more candidate vehicles one or more of the travel profile characteristics via an established communication link.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, by the processor, travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles comprises:
receiving from a server computing device one or more of the travel profile characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more candidate vehicles for docking comprises:
receiving an approval to dock from each of the one or more candidate vehicles.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more candidate vehicles for docking comprises:
receiving an approval to dock from a vehicle that does not include a docking mechanism specifically for receiving the UAV.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the travel profile characteristics include information selected from a group consisting of a current speed of the one or more candidate vehicles, a type of docking station with which the one or more candidate vehicles is equipped, whether the one or more candidate vehicles is willing to take small deviations from a course or route to allow the UAV to dock, whether the one or more candidate vehicles is willing to slow down to allow the UAV to dock, a maximum UAV weight the candidate vehicle may accept, a maximum UAV size the candidate vehicle can accept, traffic conditions, a location of the one or more candidate vehicles, a designated destination of the one or more candidate vehicles, a designated route of the one or more candidate vehicles, and contextual information from which a determined destination or route may be obtained by the processor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the first vehicle from the one or more candidate vehicles is based on one or more of:
a first proximity of the first vehicle to the UAV;
a second proximity of a designated destination of the first vehicle to the UAV destination; and
an average speed of the first vehicle toward the designated destination of the first vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting, from among the one or more candidate vehicles, the first vehicle having the vehicle destination or the vehicle route that is compatible with the UAV destination or the UAV route to the UAV destination comprises:
estimating a docking duration that the UAV will be able to remain docked with each of the one or more candidate vehicles based on the vehicle destination of each of the candidate vehicles; and
selecting the first vehicle based at least in part on whether the estimated docking duration enables the UAV to recharge an onboard battery to a level meeting mission power requirements that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting, from among the one or more candidate vehicles, the first vehicle having one or more travel profile characteristics that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination comprises:
estimating a quantity of energy that may be harvested once docked with the first vehicle; and
selecting the first vehicle based at least in part on whether the estimated quantity of energy enables the UAV to recharge an onboard battery to a level meeting mission power parameters that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting, from among the one or more candidate vehicles the first vehicle having one or more travel profile characteristics that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination comprises:
determining a net recharge quantity of an onboard battery is estimated to be recharged once docked with the first vehicle, wherein the net recharge quantity takes into account an energy expenditure associated with the UAV completing a course deviation to reach the first vehicle; and
selecting the first vehicle based at least in part on whether the net recharge quantity enables the UAV to recharge the onboard battery to a level meeting mission power parameters that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting, from among the one or more candidate vehicles, the first vehicle having one or more travel profile characteristics that will assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination comprises:
determining a ranking associated with each of the one or more candidate vehicles; and
selecting the first vehicle based at least in part on the determined ranking.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein docking the UAV to the first vehicle comprises:
flying the UAV to within a predetermined proximity of a docking mechanism of the first vehicle; and
engaging a latching mechanism on the docking mechanism with a structure of the UAV.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising charging an onboard battery of the UAV via a power connection or wireless charging mechanism on the docking mechanism while the UAV is docked to the first vehicle.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising charging an onboard battery of the UAV by using rotors to harvest energy from wind caused by vehicle movement while docked with the first vehicle.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring, by the processor, progress toward the UAV destination while docked to the first vehicle;
determining, by the processor, whether to undock from the first vehicle based on progress toward the UAV destination; and
undocking the UAV from the first vehicle in response to determining to undock from the first vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein determining whether to undock from the first vehicle is based on an identification of a more suitable vehicle with new

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Prakash Arjun
• Ceribelli Marcelo

Classifications

• B64U50/19

  using electrically powered motors · CPC title

• G08G5/54

  for approach or landing · CPC title

• B64U80/86 Primary

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• G08G5/0069

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08G5/025 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic