CN118071231A

CN118071231A - Unmanned aerial vehicle distribution method, unmanned aerial vehicle, dispatching center and system for terminal user

Info

Publication number: CN118071231A
Application number: CN202410465682.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 黄凤彬; 李果; 李天航; 赵晓勇; 王君瑶; 高梦姣
Original assignee: Zhuhai Huafa Habitat Life Research Institute Co Ltd
Current assignee: Zhuhai Huafa Habitat Life Research Institute Co Ltd
Priority date: 2024-04-18
Filing date: 2024-04-18
Publication date: 2024-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 2044-04-18
Also published as: CN118071231B

Abstract

The invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle distribution method, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a dispatching center and a system of a terminal user, wherein the method is applied to a target unmanned aerial vehicle and comprises the following steps: the target unmanned aerial vehicle receives the goods distribution information, the flight route information and the target distribution information sent by the dispatching center; the target unmanned aerial vehicle loads goods to be distributed in the distribution station according to the goods distribution information; the target unmanned aerial vehicle flies to a target range according to the flight route information; within the target range, the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies a target terminal user according to the target delivery information; the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains the lifting space according to the positioning device arranged on the balcony of the target terminal user, and falls to the balcony according to the lifting space and unloads goods to be distributed on the balcony, the positioning device comprises a first positioning device and a second positioning device, the first positioning device is arranged on the ceiling of the balcony, and the second positioning device is arranged on the floor of the balcony. The method can realize unmanned aerial vehicle distribution of the terminal user.

Description

Unmanned aerial vehicle distribution method, unmanned aerial vehicle, dispatching center and system for terminal user

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of logistics, in particular to an unmanned aerial vehicle distribution method, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a dispatching center and a system for terminal users.

Background

With the development of information technology, the internet and unmanned aerial vehicle technology, unmanned aerial vehicle distribution has become an industry hotspot. Unmanned aerial vehicle delivery is the low altitude economy new business state that combines commodity circulation and low altitude economy closely developed.

In the prior art, unmanned plane delivery is mainly used for realizing delivery among logistics sites, such as delivery from a logistics total station to a logistics substation and the like. However, in practical application, the pain point of express delivery and logistics delivery is the delivery of 'last hundred meters', namely, the way from the logistics substation to the consumer/end user is the way, and the problem of 'last hundred meters' delivery is solved by adopting unmanned aerial vehicles in the prior art rarely.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the technical problems or at least partially solve the technical problems, the invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle distribution method, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a dispatching center and a system for an end user.

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for delivering unmanned aerial vehicles of end users, the method being applied to target unmanned aerial vehicles, the method comprising:

The target unmanned aerial vehicle receives the goods distribution information, the flight route information and the target distribution information sent by the dispatching center;

The target unmanned aerial vehicle loads goods to be distributed in a distribution station according to the goods distribution information;

the target unmanned aerial vehicle flies to a target range according to the flight route information;

Within the target range, the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies a target terminal user according to the target delivery information;

the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a lifting space according to a positioning device arranged on a balcony of the target terminal user and descends to the balcony according to the lifting space, the positioning device comprises a first positioning device and a second positioning device, the first positioning device is arranged on a balcony ceiling, and the second positioning device is arranged on a floor of the balcony;

and unloading the goods to be distributed on the balcony by the target unmanned aerial vehicle.

Optionally, after the target unmanned aerial vehicle unloads the goods to be delivered on the balcony, the method further includes:

The target unmanned aerial vehicle leaves the balcony;

and returning the target unmanned aerial vehicle to the distribution station.

Optionally, the target delivery information includes target building information and target end user information,

The target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies a target terminal user according to the target delivery information, and comprises the following steps:

The target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies the target building according to the target building information;

And the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies the target terminal user according to the target terminal user information.

Optionally, the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies the target building according to the target building information, including:

The target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies the target building according to a first identification device arranged in the target range; or (b)

The target unmanned aerial vehicle recognizes the target building according to the first recognition device disposed within the destination range and a plurality of other range second recognition devices disposed near the destination range.

Optionally, the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies a target terminal user according to the target terminal user information, including:

the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies the target terminal user according to a third identification device arranged on a balcony of the target terminal user; or (b)

The target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies the target terminal user according to a third identification device arranged on a balcony of the target terminal user, and a fourth identification device arranged on a balcony of a plurality of other terminal users within a preset range near the balcony of the target terminal user.

Optionally, the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies a target terminal user according to the target delivery information, including:

The target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies the target terminal user according to a first identification device arranged in the target range; or (b)

The target drone identifies the target end user from the first identification device disposed within the destination range and a plurality of other range second identification devices disposed proximate to the destination range.

Optionally, the landing space comprises a first landing space and a second landing space, the positioning device further comprises a third positioning device,

The first positioning device is arranged at a position on the balcony ceiling, which is closest to the floor in a vertical distance, the second positioning device is arranged at a position on the balcony floor, which is closest to the ceiling in a vertical distance, and the third positioning device is arranged at the highest position of the balcony guardrail;

The target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a lifting space according to a positioning device arranged on a balcony of the target terminal user, and falls to the balcony according to the lifting space, and the target unmanned aerial vehicle comprises:

The target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a first landing space in the balcony according to the first positioning device and the third positioning device;

the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a second lifting space in the balcony according to the second positioning device and the third positioning device;

The target unmanned aerial vehicle enters the first landing space from outside the balcony;

The target unmanned aerial vehicle falls from the first landing space to the second landing space;

in the second landing space, the target unmanned aerial vehicle lands according to the second positioning device.

Optionally, the landing space comprises a first landing space and a second landing space,

The first positioning device is arranged at a position on the balcony ceiling, which is closest to the floor in a vertical distance, and the second positioning device is arranged at a position on the balcony floor, which is closest to the ceiling in a vertical distance;

The target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a complete take-off and landing space according to the first positioning device and the second positioning device;

The target unmanned aerial vehicle divides the complete lifting space into a first lifting space and a second lifting space according to the preset balcony guardrail height;

Optionally, the target unmanned aerial vehicle leaves the balcony, including:

the target unmanned aerial vehicle flies from the second landing space and rises to the first landing space;

The target unmanned aerial vehicle leaves the balcony from the first landing space.

Optionally, after the target unmanned aerial vehicle leaves the balcony, the method further comprises:

and the target unmanned aerial vehicle sends the distribution completion information to a dispatching center, so that the dispatching center sends the distribution completion information to a target terminal user.

In a second aspect, there is provided a method for unmanned aerial vehicle delivery of an end user, the method being applied to a dispatch center, the method comprising:

The dispatching center distributes the target unmanned aerial vehicle and the corresponding goods to be distributed according to the goods identification information to be distributed, the goods address information to be distributed and the idle unmanned aerial vehicle information to generate the goods distribution information;

the dispatching center sends the goods information to a dispatching station and the target unmanned aerial vehicle, so that the target unmanned aerial vehicle loads the goods to be dispatched in the dispatching station;

the dispatching center generates flight route information and target delivery information of the target unmanned aerial vehicle according to the airspace information, the to-be-delivered cargo address information and the delivery station information;

The dispatching center sends the flight route information and the target delivery information to the target unmanned aerial vehicle, so that the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a take-off and landing space according to a positioning device arranged on a balcony of a target terminal user, and drops to the balcony according to the take-off and landing space to unload the goods to be delivered;

The positioning device comprises a first positioning device and a second positioning device, wherein the first positioning device is arranged on a balcony ceiling, and the second positioning device is arranged on a floor of the balcony.

In a third aspect, there is provided a drone, the drone comprising:

the receiving unit is used for receiving the goods distribution information, the flight route information and the target distribution information sent by the dispatching center;

The cargo carrying unit is used for loading cargoes to be distributed in the distribution station according to the cargo distribution information;

The power unit is used for flying to a target range according to the flight route information;

an identifying unit, configured to identify a target terminal user according to the target delivery information within the target range;

the identification unit is also used for acquiring a lifting space according to a positioning device arranged on a balcony of a target terminal user;

the power unit is also used for falling to the balcony according to the lifting space;

The cargo unit is also used for unloading the goods to be distributed on the balcony;

In a fourth aspect, there is provided a dispatch center comprising:

the control center is used for distributing the target unmanned aerial vehicle and the corresponding goods to be distributed according to the goods identification information to be distributed, the goods address information to be distributed and the idle unmanned aerial vehicle information to generate the goods distribution information;

the information center is used for sending the goods to be delivered to a delivery station and the target unmanned aerial vehicle so that the target unmanned aerial vehicle loads the goods to be delivered in the delivery station;

The control center is also used for generating flight route information and target delivery information of the target unmanned aerial vehicle according to the airspace information, the to-be-delivered cargo address information and the delivery station information;

The information center is further used for sending the flight route information and the target delivery information to the target unmanned aerial vehicle, so that the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a take-off and landing space according to a positioning device arranged on a balcony of a target terminal user, and drops to the balcony according to the take-off and landing space to unload the goods to be delivered;

In a fifth aspect, there is provided a unmanned aerial vehicle distribution system comprising a dispatch center as described above and a unmanned aerial vehicle as described above.

The invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle distribution method of a terminal user, which is applied to a target unmanned aerial vehicle, and comprises the following steps: the target unmanned aerial vehicle receives the goods distribution information, the flight route information and the target distribution information sent by the dispatching center; the target unmanned aerial vehicle loads goods to be distributed in a distribution station according to the goods distribution information; the target unmanned aerial vehicle flies to a target range according to the flight route information; within the target range, the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies a target terminal user according to the target delivery information; the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a lifting space according to a positioning device arranged on a balcony of the target terminal user and descends to the balcony according to the lifting space, the positioning device comprises a first positioning device and a second positioning device, the first positioning device is arranged on a balcony ceiling, and the second positioning device is arranged on a floor of the balcony; and unloading the goods to be distributed on the balcony by the target unmanned aerial vehicle. In the embodiment of the invention, the distribution place is the balcony of the terminal user, and the balcony is usually a space which is independent of the terminal user, so that the distribution to the balcony of the terminal user can prevent articles from being lost and is convenient for the user to take the articles. Furthermore, balconies are typically open and semi-open spaces, which can be delivered by an unmanned aerial vehicle even if the end user is not at home, independent of whether the end user is at home. According to the embodiment of the invention, the positioning device is arranged on the balcony, the target unmanned aerial vehicle can acquire the lifting space in the balcony through the positioning device, and the unmanned aerial vehicle can drop to the balcony of the terminal user according to the lifting space to realize distribution.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the invention or the technical solutions of the prior art, the drawings which are used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described, and it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without inventive effort.

Fig. 1 is an application environment diagram of a unmanned aerial vehicle delivery method of an end user according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a flow chart of a unmanned aerial vehicle delivery method of an end user according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an end user balcony according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a landing space and positioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a landing space and positioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a landing space and positioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 7 is a flow chart of a unmanned aerial vehicle delivery method of an end user according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

For the purpose of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more apparent, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is apparent that the described embodiments are some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments, which can be made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 is an application environment diagram of an end user drone delivery method in one embodiment. Referring to fig. 1, the method is applied to a target unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle distribution method of the end user is applied to an unmanned aerial vehicle distribution system, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle distribution system comprises a target unmanned aerial vehicle and a dispatching center (not shown in fig. 1), and the unmanned aerial vehicle distribution system is used for unmanned aerial vehicle distribution of the end user.

In the embodiment of the invention, the end user can be a consumer for online shopping, or can be a receiver of goods to be distributed, or can be a resident, family, etc. acquired by the goods to be distributed, or can be a temporary storage of the goods to be distributed, and the destination of unmanned aerial vehicle distribution of the end user can be a residential building or can be an office building. In the embodiment of the invention, the terminal user can also refer to other users outside a logistics station and a professional logistics receiving field.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the "balcony" is a broad concept, and may be a balcony of a narrow user's home, as shown in fig. 1; the floor can also be a semi-open and open area such as a terrace, a home garden, a roof garden and the like; or a region which is changed from a closed space to a semi-open one by opening a window, an entrance door, a solar house roof, etc.

In the embodiment of the invention, the dispatching center is used for controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to deliver the goods, and the dispatching center can comprise a control center for controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle and the goods, a logistics station for collecting and transferring the goods, a delivery station for loading the goods by the unmanned aerial vehicle, an apron for parking the unmanned aerial vehicle and the like, which are not described herein.

In embodiments of the present invention, the control center in the dispatch center and the logistics stations, distribution stations, tarmac may be geographically separated, while the distances between the logistics stations, distribution stations and tarmac are typically relatively close for ease of distribution and cost savings.

In the embodiment of the invention, a city can be divided into a plurality of areas, and each area is provided with a dispatching center to realize the cargo distribution of the corresponding area. In other embodiments of the invention, a city is divided into a plurality of tiles, each having a respective logistics station, distribution station and tarmac, but the plurality of tiles share a control center.

The unmanned aerial vehicle distribution method of the end user is applied to a target unmanned aerial vehicle, and as shown in fig. 2, the method comprises the following steps:

in step 210, the target unmanned aerial vehicle receives the cargo delivery information, the flight path information and the target delivery information sent by the dispatch center.

In embodiments of the present invention, the dispatch center may control a number of drones, where a particular idle drone is selected for delivery to a particular end user, which in embodiments of the present invention is referred to as a target drone. In the embodiment of the invention, the target unmanned aerial vehicle is only one unmanned aerial vehicle controlled by a dispatching center, and the description is only convenient and is not limited to a certain unmanned aerial vehicle; the method, configuration, scheduling, planning and the like applicable to the target unmanned aerial vehicle are applicable to all unmanned aerial vehicles which can be controlled by the scheduling center in the embodiment of the invention.

In step 220, the target unmanned aerial vehicle loads the goods to be delivered in the delivery station according to the goods delivery information.

In the embodiment of the invention, the information of the delivered goods can include the size of the delivered goods, the destination of the delivery, the time of delivering the goods expected by the user and the like.

The flight route information is relevant information required by all unmanned aerial vehicles between the unmanned aerial vehicle from the delivery station to the terminal users and between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the unmanned aerial vehicle from the terminal users to the delivery station, and can comprise departure places, destinations, returning destination, intermediate transit places, departure moments of the delivery station, flight heights, flight routes, flight speeds, avoidance strategies in flight, real-time reset/planning strategies of routes in flight, avoidance strategies of extreme weather in flight, possible airspace control avoidance strategies in flight, safe avoidance stopping places in flight and the like.

In the embodiment of the invention, the target delivery information can comprise target building information and target terminal user information. The target building information and the target end user information are information required by the unmanned aerial vehicle to accurately distribute goods to the end users, and are information required by the unmanned aerial vehicle to identify different end users.

The target building information may include administrative areas, streets, cells, building numbers, location information, identification information, location information of nearby buildings, identification information of nearby buildings, destination ranges, and the like, where the target building is located.

The destination end user information may include a floor where the destination end user is located, a house number, balcony positioning information of the destination end user, balcony height information of the destination end user, identification information of the destination end user, positioning information of a nearby floor, identification information of a nearby floor, and the like.

According to the embodiment of the invention, the unmanned aerial vehicle can find the target building according to the target building information, and then find the target terminal user according to the target terminal user information. In other embodiments of the present invention, the target delivery information may be information that can be directly located to the target end user, and may be considered as a set of the target building information, the target end user information, and other information, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle may also directly find the target end user according to the target delivery information.

In the embodiment of the invention, the cargo delivery information, the flight path information and the target delivery information are all generated by a dispatching center and sent to the unmanned aerial vehicle. The flight route information is generated by consuming a large amount of system resources, and the information is generated by a dispatching center, so that a complex and powerful processor is not required to be arranged on the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the cost, weight and volume of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be reduced; meanwhile, if the number of the terminal users and the goods to be distributed are more, more unmanned aerial vehicles are needed, the cost of a single unmanned aerial vehicle is reduced, and the cost of the whole system can be saved.

In step 230, the target unmanned aerial vehicle flies to the destination range according to the flight route information.

In the embodiment of the invention, the target range refers to a preset range near the target building and near the target terminal user, and in order to ensure certain safety, a range can be set according to the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the building characteristics of the target building and the target terminal user, for example, the target range can be more than 10 meters on the roof or a temporary safety stop near the target building.

In the embodiment of the invention, the flight route information and the like are generated by the dispatching center, the unmanned aerial vehicle flies to the target range according to the information, but the unmanned aerial vehicle still has certain autonomous capability, for example, the flight speed and the flight height are adjusted according to the real-time air flow in the middle of flying, or the flight height and the flight speed are adjusted according to the occasional obstacles such as birds and the like, and the details are not repeated here.

And step 240, identifying a target terminal user by the target unmanned aerial vehicle according to the target delivery information within the target range.

Step 250, the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a lifting space according to a positioning device arranged on a balcony of the target terminal user, and drops to the balcony according to the lifting space.

Step 260, the target unmanned aerial vehicle unloads the goods to be distributed on the balcony.

Because the unmanned aerial vehicle takes off and land and is different from a common medium-sized and large-sized civil aircraft, the unmanned aerial vehicle cannot land in a sliding way. The unmanned aerial vehicle takes off and land in a similar way to a helicopter, can only fly in the air, and takes off and land vertically. In the embodiment of the application, the first positioning device is arranged on the balcony ceiling, the second positioning device is arranged on the floor of the balcony pair, the lifting space can be constructed through the first positioning device and the second positioning device, and the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly into the balcony inner space through the lifting space and then vertically land on the balcony.

In the embodiment of the invention, the lifting space is located in the balcony and can be all floors where target terminal users are located; or may be an outdoor space where a portion of the take-off and landing space is at the floor where the target end user is located and another portion extends to the previous floor; or it may be that the projection of the landing space on the ground is located within the end user balcony floor.

In the embodiment of the invention, the take-off and landing space is a virtual space constructed by the positioning device, and does not need to have a physical frame, a physical boundary or the like.

In the embodiment of the invention, the positioning device comprises a first positioning device and a second positioning device, wherein the first positioning device is arranged on a balcony ceiling, and the second positioning device is arranged on a floor of the balcony.

The goods are delivered at the places where the goods are required to be delivered, and can be delivered directly to the hands of the end user, or the places such as the home gate of the end user, or the regional fixed-point temporary storage station. The direct delivery to the end user requires the end user to be at home, but the end user is easy to lose when placed at a home gate, and the end user still needs to take home by himself when placed at an area fixed point temporary storage station, which is very inconvenient.

In the embodiment of the invention, the target unmanned aerial vehicle receives the goods delivery information, the flight route information and the target delivery information sent by the dispatching center, loads goods to be delivered in the delivery station according to the various information, flies to a target range, identifies a target terminal user, and drops and unloads the goods to be delivered on a balcony of the target terminal user. The method of the embodiment of the invention can realize the distribution to the terminal users.

In the embodiment of the invention, the distribution place is the balcony of the terminal user, and the balcony is usually a space which is independent of the terminal user, so that the distribution to the balcony of the terminal user can prevent articles from being lost and is convenient for the user to take the articles. Furthermore, balconies are typically open and semi-open spaces, which can be delivered by an unmanned aerial vehicle even if the end user is not at home, independent of whether the end user is at home. According to the embodiment of the invention, the positioning device is arranged on the balcony, the target unmanned aerial vehicle can acquire the lifting space in the balcony through the positioning device, and the unmanned aerial vehicle can drop to the balcony of the terminal user according to the lifting space to realize distribution.

In this embodiment of the present invention, after step 260, after the target unmanned aerial vehicle unloads the goods to be delivered on the balcony, the method further includes:

The target unmanned aerial vehicle leaves the balcony;

and returning the target unmanned aerial vehicle to the distribution station.

After the target unmanned aerial vehicle returns to the delivery station, the target unmanned aerial vehicle becomes an idle unmanned aerial vehicle, and can execute the next delivery task.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the target delivery information includes target building information and target terminal user information, and in step 240, the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies a target terminal user according to the target delivery information, including:

In another embodiment of the present invention, in step 240, the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies a target end user according to the target delivery information, including:

In the embodiment of the invention, two methods for identifying the terminal user are provided, wherein the first method is to identify the target building first and then identify the target terminal user; the second is to directly identify the target end user.

The first way, in which the target building is identified and then the target end user is identified, is described below.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies the target building according to the target building information, including:

In the embodiment of the invention, the first identification device can be directly arranged on the target building; the first recognition device can also be arranged on other buildings or directly arranged somewhere on the ground; it is also possible that a plurality of buildings share one first identification means, but at least one first identification means is provided in one area, e.g. only one building in a densely populated cell.

In the embodiment of the invention, the identification of the unmanned aerial vehicle is a generalized concept, and can be identified according to the identification information, the identification ID and the like in the identification device; or can be the positioning which is recognized to the position of each recognition device according to the positioning information in the recognition device, such as GPS positioning information, beidou positioning information, altitude information and the like; or may be identified and/or located based on both the identification and location information above. At this time, the unmanned aerial vehicle can 'recognize' the building by means of the first recognition device without configuring a camera or the like.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the first recognition device may be a specific character, a specific pattern identifier, or an external appearance feature of the building, where the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured with a device such as a camera, and may recognize the target building through the specific character, the specific pattern, or the specific character identifier of the building.

In the embodiment of the invention, the target unmanned aerial vehicle can not only recognize the target building according to the first recognition device arranged in the target range, but also recognize the target building according to the first recognition device arranged in the target range and a plurality of second recognition devices arranged in other ranges near the target range, thereby improving the accuracy and precision of recognition.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the first identifying device and the second identifying device may be the same device, or may be different devices, which are not described herein.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the target unmanned aerial vehicle identifies a target terminal user according to the target terminal user information, including:

In the embodiment of the present invention, the third identifying device is disposed on the balcony of the target terminal user, the fourth identifying device may be disposed on the balcony of the other terminal user, and the third identifying device and the fourth identifying device may be any feasible identifying device or positioning device, and the third identifying device and the fourth identifying device may be the same, similar or different, and are not described herein again.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the balcony position of the target terminal user may be calculated by the height of each floor of the target building, the direction of each terminal user, and the like, without providing the identification device on the balcony of the target terminal user.

In other embodiments of the invention, the third identification means may be either integrated with the positioning means below or multiplexed by the positioning means as third identification means.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the drone may directly identify the target end user directly from the target delivery information.

At this time, the first recognition device and the second recognition device may be RTK (Real-TIME KINEMATIC) devices, and the RTK technology is a Real-time dynamic measurement technology, which can improve the positioning accuracy of the GPS, and implement centimeter-level high-accuracy positioning.

In the embodiment of the invention, the landing space comprises a first landing space and a second landing space.

In the embodiment of the invention, the positioning device further comprises a third positioning device, and the third positioning device is arranged on the balcony guardrail.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the first positioning device may be a set of positioning devices including at least one positioning device, and similarly, the second positioning device and the third positioning device may also be a set of positioning devices, where each set of positioning devices includes a plurality of positioning devices.

Various embodiments for acquiring a landing space from a positioning device will be described in detail below.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of an end user balcony according to an embodiment of the present invention, 310 being a balcony ceiling, 320 being a balcony floor, 330 being a balcony railing.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a lifting space and a positioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in fig. 4, the positioning device includes a set of first positioning devices 410, a set of second positioning devices 420, and a set of third positioning devices 430, where the first positioning devices 410 are disposed on the balcony ceiling at a position closest to the floor vertically, the second positioning devices 420 are disposed on the balcony floor closest to the ceiling vertically, and the third positioning devices 430 are disposed on the balcony guardrail at a highest position.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a set of positioning devices may include only one positioning device. The more positioning devices each group of positioning devices comprises, the higher the accuracy and precision, taking into account both cost and accuracy, typically each group of positioning devices comprises 1 to 4 positioning devices. In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, each set of positioning means comprises 4 positioning means, and typically when a set of positioning means comprises a plurality of positioning means, the same set of positioning means is arranged on the same horizontal plane.

In practical applications, the balcony ceiling is not flat, may have a building beam of a building itself, and may also have an illumination lamp, an ornament, a clothes hanger, etc., so in the embodiment of the invention, the first positioning device 410 is disposed on the balcony ceiling at a position closest to the vertical distance of the floor, so as to ensure that the first positioning device 410 is not blocked, and ensure that the unmanned aerial vehicle is not blocked when entering the terminal user's balcony.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the second positioning device 420 is disposed on the floor of the balcony at a position closest to the ceiling vertically. The floor of the balcony is typically relatively horizontal and the second positioning device 420 may be provided directly on the floor of the balcony. However, if there is a step or other protrusion on the floor, the second positioning device 420 is positioned on the floor of the balcony at a vertical distance from the ceiling.

In the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 4, a set of first positioning devices 410, a set of second positioning devices 420, and a set of third positioning devices 430 may form a three-dimensional space. In order to prevent the unmanned aerial vehicle from impacting the obstacle on the balcony and improve the safety performance, the positioning device is arranged to form a first descending space and completely avoid the obstacle between the space outside the balcony; meanwhile, when the second positioning device is arranged, the second lifting space is required to be completely free of obstacles.

In the embodiment of the present invention, in step 250, the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a landing space according to a positioning device disposed on a balcony of the target terminal user, and drops to the balcony according to the landing space, including:

the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a first landing space in the balcony according to the first positioning device 410 and the third positioning device 430;

the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a second lifting space in the balcony according to the second positioning device 420 and the third positioning device 430;

Because the unmanned aerial vehicle takes off and land and is different from a common medium-sized and large-sized civil aircraft, the unmanned aerial vehicle cannot land in a sliding way. The unmanned aerial vehicle takes off and land in a similar way to a helicopter, can only fly in the air, and takes off and land vertically. Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle needs to fly into the internal space of the balcony and then vertically land on the balcony.

As shown by the arrow in fig. 4, the target unmanned aerial vehicle enters the first landing space from the balcony, then vertically drops to the second landing space, and then drops in the second landing space.

The route of the unmanned aerial vehicle into the first landing space may be horizontal as shown in fig. 4 or inclined, which is not limited by the present invention.

If the second positioning device is arranged on the floor, the target unmanned aerial vehicle can land according to the floor marked by the second positioning device; if the second positioning means is not arranged directly on the floor but on a projection of the floor, the target drone may need to first detect the actual distance from the landing floor and then land.

In the embodiment of the invention, when the target unmanned aerial vehicle leaves the balcony, the direction of the target unmanned aerial vehicle is opposite to the direction shown by an arrow in fig. 4, namely, the target unmanned aerial vehicle takes off in the second take-off and landing space, rises to the first take-off and landing space, and leaves the balcony from the first take-off and landing space.

In the embodiment of the invention, the projections of the first landing space and the second landing space on the floor are generally coincident or basically coincident so as to facilitate the vertical landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle. Ideally, the unmanned aerial vehicle can vertically descend from any position in the first landing space to enter the second landing space; or at least any position of the drone from the second landing space, a vertical ascent may enter the first landing space.

In the embodiment of the invention, the actual installation positions of the corresponding positioning devices are not necessarily on the same vertical line, for example, in the balcony in fig. 3, because the projection of the ceiling on the floor cannot cover all or most of the floor, that is, the ceiling is retracted into the building, the first positioning device installed on the ceiling cannot be on the same vertical plane as the third positioning device on the guardrail due to the physical position relationship, and at this time, the target unmanned aerial vehicle can automatically construct a first landing space and a second landing space with the projection overlapping or basically overlapping according to an algorithm when acquiring the landing space. When the first landing space and the second landing space are constructed, the conditions of vertical ascending and descending of the unmanned aerial vehicle need to be met, and no obstacle can exist in the landing spaces.

However, the actual state of the balcony space of the terminal user is not completely consistent, and the heights of different unmanned aerial vehicles are different, so that a certain redundancy amount can be reserved when the landing space is acquired according to the positioning device, namely, the actual landing space is smaller than the three-dimensional space at the direct frame of the positioning device.

In order to adapt to the complex construction state of the balcony of the terminal user, in order to improve the safety performance, the unmanned aerial vehicle can be arranged to start descending near the relatively central position of the first descending space after entering the first descending space.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in fig. 5, each set of positioning means comprises 4 positioning means, and in other embodiments of the present invention, each set of positioning means may comprise only 2 positioning means, which are disposed at the edges of the corresponding positions of the balcony, as shown in fig. 4, the first positioning means 411 and 412 are disposed on the beams of the balcony ceiling, which are located in the outside space of the balcony, the second positioning means 421 and 422 are disposed on the ground, which is located in the outside space of the balcony, and the third positioning means 431 and 432 are disposed on the balcony rails.

When the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains the lifting space according to the first positioning devices 411 and 412, the second positioning devices 421 and 422 and the third positioning devices 431 and 432, the target unmanned aerial vehicle can still be constructed as a cube as shown in fig. 5 after determining the position of the other vertical construction surface of the lifting space according to the positioning devices and the safety distance.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the balcony is limited in height, but the ceiling of the balcony is small, i.e. the projection of the ceiling on the ground cannot cover most of the floor, and the first positioning devices 411 and 412 arranged on the ceiling are close to the room and the projection of the other positioning devices on the ground are far away, as shown in fig. 6, so that when the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains the lifting space according to the first positioning devices 411 and 412, the second positioning devices 421 and 422 and the third positioning devices 431 and 432, the target unmanned aerial vehicle can still be constructed as a cube as shown in fig. 6 after confirming the missing construction surface of the three-dimensional space by calculating the positioning devices.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the positioning device includes a set of first positioning devices and a set of second positioning devices, where the same set of positioning devices are disposed on the same horizontal plane, the first positioning devices are disposed on the balcony ceiling at a position closest to the floor in a vertical distance, and the second positioning devices are disposed on the balcony floor at a position closest to the ceiling in a vertical distance;

Acquiring a complete lifting space according to the first positioning device and the second positioning device;

Dividing the complete lifting space into a first lifting space and a second lifting space according to the preset balcony guardrail height;

Since the height of the balcony guardrail is required according to the requirements of the building construction standard, for example, the height is usually required to be not lower than 1.2 meters, in the embodiment of the invention, only one group of first positioning devices and one group of second positioning devices can be arranged, and the positioning devices are not required to be arranged on the balcony guardrail. In the application scene, the target unmanned aerial vehicle constructs a first landing space and a second landing space according to the positioning device and the preset height of the balcony guardrail.

That is, as shown in fig. 4, if the third positioning device 430 provided on the balcony guardrail is not provided, the first landing space and the second landing space as shown in fig. 4 can be constructed according to the preset guardrail height.

In practical application, in the embodiment shown in fig. 4 of the present invention, 12 positioning devices are provided to more accurately construct the lifting space, but the number of the positioning devices may be adjusted according to the actual structure, cost requirement or other requirements of the balcony of the end user, and only a part of the positioning devices are provided. In the application scene, the unmanned aerial vehicle can construct the take-off and landing space by itself after supplementing other positioning devices according to the set positioning devices and the three-dimensional structure shown in fig. 4, or the unmanned aerial vehicle can construct the take-off and landing space directly according to the set positioning devices and a preset strategy. Only a part of the positioning means is provided and the way of constructing the landing gear according to the part of the positioning means is shown with reference to fig. 5 and 6.

In the embodiment of the invention, the positioning device can be UWB (Ultra Wide Band) equipment, and the equipment can provide accurate and reliable positioning by using Ultra wideband wireless carrier communication, and the positioning precision can reach centimeter-level high precision. In the embodiment of the present invention, the positioning device may also be other devices, which are not described herein.

In the embodiment of the invention, besides positioning, the positioning device can also be provided with a built-in identification mark, the positioning device can carry the identification mark in the interaction information with the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the positioning device can be multiplexed into a third identification device through the identification mark, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle can position the target terminal user or assist the unmanned aerial vehicle to position the target terminal user.

In the embodiment of the application, as described above, the take-off and landing space is a virtual space constructed by using the positioning device as a boundary or boundary point, and is not a space formed by a solid frame and a solid boundary. The landing space of the present application does not exclude solid boundaries, for example, a portion of the boundary of the landing space may coincide with a balcony ceiling, a balcony floor, a balcony wall, etc.

In the embodiment of the invention, the positioning device is arranged at the positions of a ceiling, the ground, a railing and the like of a balcony, and a lifting space constructed by the positioning device is arranged inside the balcony space instead of outside the balcony. In addition, the positioning device in the embodiment of the invention has small volume and can be arranged on a balcony, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle can directly enter the balcony of the target terminal user for unloading, and the unmanned aerial vehicle can realize the distribution of the target terminal user without the need of an additional receiving device and/or receiving equipment arranged outside and/or inside the balcony for docking with the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the target unmanned aerial vehicle leaves the balcony, including:

In the embodiment of the present invention, after the target unmanned aerial vehicle leaves the balcony, the method further includes:

And sending the distribution completion information to the target terminal user, so that the target terminal user can collect goods in time, and the satisfaction degree of the user is improved.

According to the method provided by the embodiment of the invention, the safe take-off and landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be realized through the positioning device arranged on the balcony of the terminal user, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle can deliver goods on the balcony of the terminal user, the unmanned aerial vehicle distribution of the terminal user is realized, and the satisfaction degree of the user is improved.

The embodiment of the invention also provides a unmanned aerial vehicle distribution method of the terminal user, which is applied to a dispatching center, as shown in fig. 7, and comprises the following steps:

Step 710, the dispatching center distributes the target unmanned aerial vehicle and the corresponding goods to be distributed according to the goods identification information to be distributed, the goods address information to be distributed and the idle unmanned aerial vehicle information, and generates the goods distribution information;

Step 720, the dispatch center sends the goods information to a delivery station and the target unmanned aerial vehicle, so that the target unmanned aerial vehicle loads the goods to be delivered in the delivery station;

Step 730, the dispatching center generates flight route information and target delivery information of the target unmanned aerial vehicle according to the airspace information, the to-be-delivered cargo address information and the delivery station information;

step 740, the dispatching center sends the flight route information and the target delivery information to the target unmanned aerial vehicle, so that the target unmanned aerial vehicle obtains a take-off and landing space according to a positioning device arranged on a balcony of a target terminal user, and drops to the balcony according to the take-off and landing space to unload the goods to be delivered;

The method provided by the embodiment of the invention realizes unmanned aerial vehicle distribution of the terminal user, and improves the satisfaction degree of the user.

The present invention also provides an unmanned aerial vehicle, as shown in fig. 8, the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

A receiving unit 810 for receiving the delivery goods information, the flight path information and the target delivery information transmitted by the dispatch center;

a cargo unit 820 for loading the cargo to be delivered in the delivery station according to the delivery cargo information;

a power unit 830 for flying to a destination range according to the flight path information;

an identifying unit 840 for identifying a target end user based on the target delivery information within the destination range;

the identifying unit 840 is further configured to obtain a landing space according to a positioning device disposed on a balcony of the target terminal user;

the power unit 830 is further configured to drop to the balcony according to the lifting space;

The cargo unit 820 is also used for unloading the goods to be distributed on the balcony;

In an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit 830 is further configured to:

leaving the balcony;

and returning to the distribution station.

In the embodiment of the invention, the target delivery information comprises target building information and target terminal user information,

The identifying unit 840 is further configured to:

identifying the target building according to the target building information;

and identifying the target terminal user according to the target terminal user information.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the identifying unit 840 is further configured to:

identifying the target building according to a first identification device arranged in the target range; or (b)

The target building is identified based on the first identification device disposed within the destination range and a plurality of other range second identification devices disposed in proximity to the destination range.

Identifying the target terminal user according to a third identification device arranged on a balcony of the target terminal user; or (b)

The target terminal user is identified based on a third identification device provided on a balcony of the target terminal user, and a fourth identification device provided on a balcony of a plurality of other terminal users within a preset range in the vicinity of the balcony of the target terminal user.

identifying the target end user according to a first identification means arranged within the destination range; or (b)

The target end user is identified based on the first identification means disposed within the destination range and a plurality of other range second identification means disposed in proximity to the destination range.

In the embodiment of the invention, the positioning device comprises a first positioning device and a second positioning device, wherein the positioning device is arranged on a balcony ceiling, and the positioning device is arranged on a floor of the balcony.

In the embodiment of the invention, the landing space comprises a first landing space and a second landing space,

acquiring a first landing space in the balcony according to the first positioning device and the third positioning device;

Acquiring a second lifting space in the balcony according to the second positioning device and the third positioning device;

The power unit 830 is further configured to:

entering the first landing space from outside the balcony;

landing from the first landing space to the second landing space;

In the second landing space, landing according to the second positioning device.

The positioning device comprises a first positioning device and a second positioning device, wherein the first positioning device is arranged at a position on the balcony ceiling, which is closest to the floor, and the second positioning device is arranged at a position on the balcony floor, which is closest to the ceiling;

The power unit 830 is further configured to:

entering the first landing space from outside the balcony;

landing from the first landing space to the second landing space;

lifting from the second lifting space to the first lifting space;

And leaving the balcony from the first landing space.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a sending unit, configured to send the distribution completion information to a dispatch center, so that the dispatch center sends the distribution completion information to a target terminal user.

The invention also provides a dispatching center, which comprises:

The embodiment of the invention also provides an unmanned aerial vehicle distribution system, which comprises the dispatching center and an unmanned aerial vehicle.

According to the dispatching center and the unmanned aerial vehicle distribution system, unmanned aerial vehicle distribution of a terminal user is achieved, and satisfaction of the user is improved.

Fig. 2 and 7 are schematic flow diagrams of a method for delivering unmanned aerial vehicles to end users in one embodiment. It should be understood that, although the steps in the flowcharts of fig. 2 and 7 are shown in order as indicated by the arrows, these steps are not necessarily performed in order as indicated by the arrows. The steps are not strictly limited to the order of execution unless explicitly recited herein, and the steps may be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some of the steps in fig. 2 and 7 may include multiple sub-steps or stages that are not necessarily performed at the same time, but may be performed at different times, nor does the order in which the sub-steps or stages are performed necessarily occur in sequence, but may be performed alternately or alternately with at least a portion of the sub-steps or stages of other steps or other steps.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments may be implemented by a computer program for instructing relevant hardware, where the program may be stored in a non-volatile computer readable storage medium, and where the program, when executed, may include processes in the embodiments of the methods described above. Any reference to memory, storage, database, or other medium used in embodiments provided herein may include non-volatile and/or volatile memory. The nonvolatile memory can include Read Only Memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically Programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can include Random Access Memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in a variety of forms such as Static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double Data Rate SDRAM (DDRSDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link (SYNCHLINK) DRAM (SLDRAM), memory bus (Rambus) direct RAM (RDRAM), direct memory bus dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and memory bus dynamic RAM (RDRAM), among others.

It should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" and the like are used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one … …" does not exclude the presence of other like elements in a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

The foregoing is only a specific embodiment of the invention to enable those skilled in the art to understand or practice the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An end user unmanned aerial vehicle delivery method, wherein the method is applied to a target unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein after the target drone unloads the cargo to be dispensed on the balcony, the method further comprises:

The target unmanned aerial vehicle leaves the balcony;

and returning the target unmanned aerial vehicle to the distribution station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target delivery information comprises target building information and target end user information,

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the target drone identifies the target building from the target building information, comprising:

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the target drone identifies the target end user from the target end user information, comprising:

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the target drone identifies a target end user from the target delivery information, comprising:

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the landing space comprises a first landing space and a second landing space, the positioning device further comprises a third positioning device,

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the take-off and landing space comprises a first take-off and landing space and a second take-off and landing space,

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein the target drone exits the balcony, comprising:

10. The method of claim 1, wherein after the target drone exits the balcony, the method further comprises:

11. An unmanned aerial vehicle delivery method for an end user, the method being applied to a dispatch center, the method comprising:

12. An unmanned aerial vehicle, characterized in that the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises:

13. A dispatch center, the dispatch center comprising:

14. A drone distribution system comprising a dispatch center according to claim 13 and a plurality of drones according to claim 12.