WO2017198696A2

WO2017198696A2 - Intelligent autonomous drone fleet management

Info

Publication number: WO2017198696A2
Application number: PCT/EP2017/061812
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kumardev CHATTERJEE
Original assignee: Unmanned Systems Ltd.
Priority date: 2016-05-18
Filing date: 2017-05-17
Publication date: 2017-11-23
Also published as: GB201609135D0; GB201608744D0

Abstract

Embodiments described herein include an intelligent autonomous unmanned system having unmanned aerial vehicles (102) and unmanned ground vehicles capable of moving or, unmanned ground vehicles capable of moving (103) and a software platform (101) for control and monitoring. A moving ground station provides a location for interfacing between the unmanned aerial vehicles (102) or packages carried by the vehicles. In certain embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicles (102) autonomously navigate from one moving unmanned ground vehicle (103) to another.

Description

INTELLIGENT AUTONOMOUS DRONE FLEET MANAGEMENT

Priority

The present application claims priority to UK Patent Application. GB1608744.7 filed by Unmanned Systems Ltd the 18^th May 2016, Intelligent Autonomous Unmanned System and GB1609135.7 filed by Intelligent Autonomous Unmanned Sorting

System the 24 May 2016, claiming priority from GB1608744.7.

Background Information

[0001 ] The present subject matter relates to the technical field of computer- implemented logistics by providing an intelligent autonomous unmanned system. The technical field therefore is related to artificial intelligence and autonomous system architecture.

[0002] The present invention is a major step towards enabling multiple industrial and commercial use-cases such as autonomous inventory management or autonomous sorting of warehouses.

[0003] The inventory management is achieved by a combination of a software platform, unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with grippers or other hardware components with specific uses (e.g. cameras) and a plurality of sensors and unmanned ground vehicles that are capable of moving autonomously by following a route and further are capable of carrying at least one and up to four unmanned aerial vehicles or packages.

[0004] The fact that the ground station can move autonomously (no need of a human carrier if required to be moved) means that it can always be in the proximity of unmanned aerial vehicles. Therefore, the distance between a ground station (103) and a UAV (102) is reduced and can be optimised as required, which renders the system more efficient, robust and flexible and reduces battery consumption of the unmanned aerial vehicle. One of the key challenges faced by unmanned aerial vehicles is that of short flight times due to limited battery technology. Therefore increasing the efficiency of allocation of the limited battery life has a substantial impact on productivity.

[0005] For example, the unmanned ground vehicle can follow an unmanned aerial vehicle or, in case an unmanned aerial vehicle requires to land, both can move simultaneously towards the landing location, which may significantly reduce the required flying time.

[0006] Furthermore, moving ground stations allows for failover management. In case a moving ground station has a technical problem or is saturated (e.g. all landing positions are occupied), any neighbouring moving ground stations can replace it autonomously. The replacement is controlled by the software platform, which knows the position and landing capacity of all physical entities in the system and can perform the failover mechanism autonomously. In addition, moving ground stations allow for dynamic systems management - the moving ground stations can carry all the elements required to manage the drones - sensors to detect their position, communications unit to communicate with them and control them, battery backup power to re-charge them and, most of all, space for them to land and take off.

[0007] The technical problem solved by the present invention may therefore be regarded as how to provide a more flexible and efficient, on-demand, autonomous inventory management system that implements autonomous inventory management.

[0008] The objective of the present invention is therefore an intelligent autonomous unmanned system capable of performing autonomous inventory management comprising:

i. Autonomous mapping of a given inventory storage location (indoors and outdoors).

ii. Autonomous inventory asset management using an image and pattern recognition platform.

iii. Physical intervention in the storage location autonomously, on-demand.

iv. Autonomous data collection and monitoring.

[0009] Therefore, the proposed solution has the following advantages:

• The system makes use of unmanned moving ground vehicles instead of ground stations with fixed locations such as in the disclosure of US20140032034. The particular advantage of moving ground vehicles (following a predefined path in the warehouse) is that the objects can be transported to specific locations more easily (such a vehicle can carry many objects) and, when the landing of an UAV (102) on an UGV (103) is required, the distance between an UAV (102) and an unmanned ground vehicle is reduced as both are moving towards each other. This has the further advantage of reduced flight time of the UAV (102), thus increasing the UAV's operational capacity through battery savings. Furthermore, failover is implicit and therefore the system is more scalable.

• In addition, moving ground stations allow for dynamic systems management - the moving ground stations may carry all the elements required to manage the drones - sensors to detect their position, communications unit to communicate with them and control them, battery backup power and the capability to re-charge them and, most of all, space for them to land and take off. This technical difference has several further technical effects:

- This makes a much higher use of the logistics space with very little space or resources having to be set aside for the system implementation, much less density of electronic noise and significantly lower costs. - It creates an on-demand, flexible and scalable infrastructure for autonomous inventory management.

• The system does not require human intervention. All components are unmanned and the software platform (101 ) manages and controls the entire system.

Summary of the Invention

[0010] The present invention is an intelligent autonomous unmanned system comprising a software platform stored on a server, unmanned aerial vehicles (102) and unmanned ground vehicles (103). The software platform (101 ) may receive input data comprising information about objects in a warehouse and a plan of a

warehouse. The software platform (101 ) may then deploy the unmanned ground vehicles (103) and unmanned aerial vehicles (102) to perform several tasks in the warehouse comprising autonomous inventory management consisting of:

i. Autonomous mapping of a given inventory storage location (indoors and outdoors), comprising the use of a camera installed on the unmanned aerial vehicles to read the number of objects of a given category and update corresponding records in a database.

ii. Autonomous inventory asset management.

iii. Physical intervention in the storage location autonomously.

iv. Autonomous data collection and monitoring of indicators relevant to the data captured using the sensors on said UAVs or UGVs and storage of the collected data in a database for data analysis purposes (e.g. revenue stream analysis, financial projections, predictions of sales).

The unmanned ground vehicles (UGV, 103), representing ground stations for the unmanned aerial vehicles (102), are equipped with a series of features that enable their autonomous moving, such as at least 3 wheels and a propulsive system that can receive control commands, such as a speed and a direction as well as a communications interface configured to communicate with the one or more

unmanned aerial vehicles (102) and at least one additional unmanned ground vehicle (103) and a server. The unmanned ground vehicles (UGV, 103) may also comprise sensors and systems for collision avoidance, battery power systems including backup battery power for the UAVs and charging systems to charge the UAVs when they are on-board, induction system for re-charging the on-board battery systems on the go, data collection equipment, imaging cameras and sensors and ground safety control equipment.

Furthermore, a landing mechanism enables the landing of the unmanned aerial vehicles (102) on the moving unmanned ground vehicles (103). This landing is controlled by a software platform (101 ), that has knowledge about the position of each device deployed in the warehouse. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle on one of a plurality of moveable unmanned ground vehicles, the method comprising: computing a set of approximate landing locations for the unmanned aerial vehicle; receiving at least one parameter related to the unmanned ground vehicles; selecting one of the approximate landing locations as the most appropriate approximate landing location based on the at least one parameter and selection criteria; instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to navigate to the selected approximate landing location; monitoring the trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned ground vehicle as they approach said selected approximate landing location; and, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of detecting the unmanned ground vehicle, instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to land on the unmanned ground vehicle using a close-range landing mechanism.

A particular aspect of the landing method consists in switching to auto-pilot mode (from a server-controlled mode), when the unmanned aerial vehicle is close to the unmanned ground vehicle, and using the sensors on the UGV to correctly position itself on the landing platform of the unmanned ground vehicle (102).

This mechanism is performed by first determining that the unmanned aerial vehicle forms a stable set with the unmanned ground vehicle. Stable set within this invention means that an unmanned ground vehicle moves together with an unmanned aerial vehicle within a predetermined stability threshold which allows it to land within the required safety parameters.

The at least one parameter may include the location of one of the plurality of unmanned ground vehicles. The selection criteria may include selecting the closest landing distance from the unmanned aerial vehicle. The selection criteria may include selecting the safest landing trajectory for the unmanned aerial vehicle. The at least one parameter may include the number of unmanned aerial vehicles currently landed on one of the plurality of unmanned ground vehicle. The at least one parameter may include the current available landing space for unmanned aerial vehicles on said unmanned ground vehicle. The current available landing space may indicate the number of unmanned aerial vehicles that are currently able to land on said unmanned ground vehicle. The selection criteria may include selecting an unmanned ground vehicle with available landing space. The method may comprise detecting a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and each of the unmanned ground vehicles.

The method may comprise continuously monitoring the trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned ground vehicle as they approach said selected approximate landing location. The method may comprise instructing the unmanned ground vehicle to navigate to the selected approximate landing location. The unmanned ground vehicle may be configured to move autonomously based on a predefined route and the selected approximate landing location is part of that predefined route. The selection of one of the approximate landing locations as the most appropriate approximate landing location may be based on heuristics. The close-range landing mechanism may comprise the unmanned aerial vehicle detecting at least one of but not limited to, a QR code, an IR code, a directed audio signal, a directed audio located on the unmanned ground vehicle. The close-range landing mechanism may comprise the unmanned aerial vehicle detecting using at least one of but not limited to, a camera, or an on board sensor(s) comprising an IR sensor, or an audio sensor. Said close-range landing mechanism may use the sensors in a specific order to refine the landing.

The method may comprise instructing the unmanned ground vehicle to activate a magnetic field centering device on the unmanned ground vehicle that uses a light magnetic field created by an electromagnet at the center of the landing area surface when the unmanned aerial vehicle is about to drop an object or land. Computing a set of approximate landing locations for the unmanned aerial vehicle may comprise computing the set of approximate landing locations based on movement paths of the unmanned ground vehicles and the current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a movable unmanned ground vehicle for use in transporting unmanned aerial vehicles, the unmanned ground vehicle comprising: a landing location configured to receive, for landing and carrying, at least one unmanned aerial vehicle; a guidance measure configured to assist the one or more unmanned aerial vehicle(s) in locating a landing location on said movable unmanned ground vehicle; and a communications interface configured to communicate with one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and a server; wherein said unmanned ground vehicle is configured to move autonomously based on a predefined route received from the server and said unmanned ground vehicle represents a moving ground base station for a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles and is controlled by said server.

The landing location may be configured to receive, for landing and carrying, a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles. The landing location may be configured to receive, for landing and carrying, up to four unmanned aerial vehicles. The predefined route may be received from a software component of the server. The communications interface may be configured to communicate with at least one additional unmanned ground vehicle. Said unmanned ground vehicle may be configured to communicate at least one parameter associated with the unmanned ground vehicle to the server. The at least one parameter may include the location of the unmanned ground vehicle. The at least one parameter may include the number of unmanned aerial vehicles currently landed on said unmanned ground vehicle. The at least one parameter may include the current available landing space for unmanned aerial vehicles on said unmanned ground vehicle. The current available landing space may indicate the number of unmanned aerial vehicles that are currently able to land on said unmanned ground vehicle.

The movable unmanned ground vehicle may further comprise but is not limited to, any combination of the following features: sensors and systems for collision avoidance; battery power systems including backup battery power for the UAVs and I charging systems to charge the UAVs_when they are on-board; induction system for re-charging on-board battery systems on the go; data collection equipment; imaging cameras and sensors; and ground safety control equipment. I According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a system comprising of: a server including a first software component that represents an interface to external third-party software platforms and that is configured to receive and store data that describes objects of a warehouse; a second software component configured to control a plurality of devices using a telecommunication network, said plurality of devices comprising at least a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles and a plurality of unmanned ground vehicles; the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles configured to operate based on a predefined route received from the second software component, or a route constructed on the fly by any of the previous physical devices or the intelligent software platform or a modification of an existing planned route on the fly; and a plurality of unmanned ground vehicles that are configured to be capable of carrying at least one unmanned aerial vehicles and can move autonomously based on a predefined route received from said second software component..

At least one of the plurality of unmanned ground vehicles may be configured to be capable of carrying up to four unmanned aerial vehicles. Said unmanned aerial vehicles further comprises means for collision avoidance. Said unmanned aerial vehicles further comprises means for flight safety control. Said unmanned aerial vehicles further comprises means for precision take off from and landing on said moving unmanned ground vehicle.

Said unmanned aerial vehicles further comprises means for on-demand object pickup and drop-off. Said means for on-demand object pick-up and drop-off may be a gripper that can be remotely controlled. Said unmanned aerial vehicles further comprises means for speed/direction/depth analysis using a combination of advanced software, hardware and sensors. Said unmanned ground vehicles comprises a means to perform their own recharging.

Said unmanned ground vehicles, which represent moving base stations for said unmanned aerial vehicle(s), may comprise a means of performing data collection, imaging, ground safety control, collision avoidance. A subset of unmanned ground vehicles may be capable of moving and a second subset of unmanned ground vehicles may have pre-determined fixed position(s). The system may be a system for autonomous inventory management.

Said autonomous inventory management may comprise at least one of: autonomous mapping of a given inventory storage location (indoors and outdoors); autonomous inventory asset management using a database; physical intervention in the storage location autonomously; autonomous data collection and monitoring of indicators relevant to the data captured using the sensors on said unmanned aerial vehicles or I unmanned ground vehicles^storage of the collected data in a database for data analysis purposes; or any combination thereof.

The system may further comprise: a computing engine that can simulate the entire systems of UGV and UAV within a logistics space, with a view to being able to check for potential conflicts before and during systems operations; and/or a machine- learning interface to continuously improve the performance of the system, utilising algorithms to collect, analyse and act on systems performance data; and/or an advanced user interface (Ul) with multiple facets: such as a facet for the business user to manage the system, including extracting performance reports and tuning performance parameters, a facet for a technical user to operate the system on a daily basis and a facet for an advanced systems engineer to configure the system, analyse its performance and make modifications and perform software controlled repairs or any combination of the above mentioned components.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a system comprising: at least one unmanned aerial vehicle; a plurality of unmanned ground vehicles that are configured to receive, for landing and carrying, at least one unmanned aerial vehicle; a vehicle management system configured to: (i) instruct at least one of the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly according to a first route defined by the vehicle controller; (ii) instruct the plurality of unmanned ground vehicles to move according to respective second routes defined by the vehicle controller; and (iii) control the landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle on one of the unmanned ground vehicles by: computing a set of approximate landing locations for the unmanned aerial vehicle; receiving parameters related to the unmanned ground vehicles from the respective unmanned vehicles; selecting one of the approximate landing locations as the most appropriate approximate landing location based on the parameters and selection criteria; instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to navigate to the selected approximate landing location; monitoring the trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned ground vehicle as they approach said selected approximate landing location; and instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to land on the unmanned ground vehicle using a close-range landing mechanism when the unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of detecting the unmanned ground vehicle.

Computing a set of approximate landing locations for the unmanned aerial vehicle may comprise computing the set of approximate landing locations based on the second routes of the unmanned ground vehicles and the current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Detailed Description of the Embodiments

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an example system as described herein.

Figure 2 shows an example unmanned aerial vehicle with a gripper.

Figure 3 shows an example unmanned moving ground vehicle.

Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of elements of the system and the

communication pathways there between.

Figure 5 shows a flow chart of steps included in a method for landing a unmanned aerial vehicle.

The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

[001 1 ] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and systems for inventory management using autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (102) and autonomous unmanned moving ground vehicles (103). In particular, the system includes the following components (Fig. 1 ):

• autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (102) comprising a mesh of sensors,

• autonomous moving unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) serving as moving ground stations and comprising a mesh of sensors,

• a server comprising a software platform (101 ) that operates and controls the system, and

• a telecommunication network that allows the exchange of messages between the aforementioned entities (104)

[0012] The intelligent system (see Fig. 1 ) comprises one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (Fig 2 - 102) configured for autonomous navigation configured further to communicate with the software platform (101 ) and a plurality of unmanned moving ground vehicles (Fig 3- 103) configured to communicate with the software platform (101 ). Furthermore, the UAV and UGV have means to communicate with each other.

[0013] The unmanned aerial vehicles may comprise fixed propellers (4 such propellers are shown in Fig. 2) and one or more rotors as well as a gripper

configured to lift and hold an object and further release it (Fig. 1 ). Furthermore, they comprise a plurality of sensors that perform different tasks. Furthermore, they also comprise a processor and a memory unit capable of executing program code.

[0014] The unmanned ground vehicles have wheels that provide the moving capacity and comprise a platform with up to 4 landing locations. Specific embodiments may require more landing locations. Furthermore, they also comprise sensors, a processor and a memory unit capable of storing and executing program code.

[0015] The software platform (101 ) receives input data from an external IT system regarding the configuration of a warehouse. This can be e.g. the external IT system of the owner of the warehouse.

[0016] The software platform comprises an interface to external IT systems for the reception of data that describes objects and their features (e.g. size of objects in the warehouse, used to perform the configuration of the gripper). [0017] The software platform (101 ) comprises software components that control the unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles. This control comprises sending and receiving their coordinates and sending control commands to the unmanned aerial/ground vehicles.

[0018] The aerial vehicles comprise a package interface capable of accepting a package for transport.

[0019] In certain embodiments, the aerial vehicles comprise a gripper allowing them to transport an object of a given size and shape (such a gripper is shown in Fig. 2). The gripper allows pick-up and drop-off of objects and may be controlled by the unmanned aerial vehicle. For example, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is close to an object, the gripper may open to perform the pick-up. In another embodiment the gripper may use suction or magnetism or another means of articulating the object.

[0020] In certain embodiments, the aerial vehicles comprise safety measures for protecting the package.

[0021 ] In certain embodiments, the safety measures include one or more of a parachute, an airbag, or other safety feature that may be activated according to circumstances (e.g. the software platform (101 ) is unable to control the unmanned aerial vehicle).

[0022] The plurality of moving ground stations stores and charges the plurality of batteries for the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles.

[0023] A moving ground station (103) is used. Said ground stations comprise up to four landing locations configured to receive one or more unmanned aerial vehicles for landing, a communication interface configured to communicate with the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and a guidance measure configured to assist the one or more unmanned vehicles in locating the landing location. In certain embodiments, the guidance measure comprises a pattern printed on the landing location (e.g. QR code). Said ground stations may further comprise sensors and systems for collision avoidance, battery power systems including backup battery power for the UAVs and charging systems to charge the UAVs when they are onboard, induction system for re-charging on-board battery systems on the go, data collection equipment, imaging cameras and sensors and ground safety control equipment.

In an embodiment, the guidance measure comprises an ultra-wideband beacon, an audio beacon, or an infrared beacon. In an embodiment, the landing location comprises a cavity capable of physically containing a package dropped by the gripper of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0024] The intelligent software platform (101 ) manages a delivery system of unmanned aerial vehicles (102) and unmanned ground vehicles (103) comprising one or more hardware processors in communication with a computer readable medium, storing software modules including instructions that are executable by the one or more hardware processors, the software modules including at least: • a vehicle tracking module that provides the current location of one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and one or more unmanned ground vehicles

• provision of a route for the UAV (102) s and UGVs (103)

• control interfaces configured to manage a plurality of physical intelligent devices though telecommunication networks, such as unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs (102) and unmanned ground vehicles UGVs (103) and environmental systems relevant to the environment of said physical devices

• an interface to external IT systems for the reception and provision of data that describes objects and their features

• an interface to external devices (e.g. mobile telecommunication devices) for the display of analysis results or display of data related to the inventory.

• a computing engine that can simulate the entire system of UGV(s) and UAV(s) within a logistics space with a view to being able to check for potential conflicts before and during systems operations.

• a machine-learning interface to continuously improve the performance of the system, utilising algorithms to collect, analyse and act on systems performance data.

• an advanced user interface with multiple facets: such as a facet for the business user to manage the system, including extracting performance reports and tuning performance parameters,; a facet for a technical user to operate the system on a daily basis; and a facet for an advanced systems engineer to configure the system, analyse its performance, make modifications and perform software-controlled repairs

[0025] The unmanned aerial vehicles (102) and unmanned ground vehicles (103) may perform collision avoidance and flight safety management (e.g. keep a safety distance to other UAVs) and perform precision take off from a landing platform of a moving UGV and landing on a landing platform of a moving UGV and perform on- demand object pick-up/drop-off and speed/direction/depth analysis using a

combination of advanced software, hardware and sensors.

[0026] The UGVs, which represent moving base stations, may be configured to carry up to 4 UAV (102) s, perform data collection, imaging, ground safety control, collision avoidance, perform their own recharging and perform the recharging of UAV(s) (102), said UAV(s) (102) as defined before and said UAV(s) (102) being carried by said UGV(s).

Landing UAVs on UGVs [0027] In an embodiment, a method for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (102) on a moving unmanned ground vehicle (103) comprises:

- Computing, by the server and in particular the software platform, a set of

approximate landing locations based on data received from the UGV(s) (103) and UAV(s) (102) by

• receiving the parameters related to the location of moving UGV(s), navigating the UAV (102) according to said parameters,

• detecting a distance between the UAV (102) and the UGVs,

• choosing the most appropriate landing location from said set based on specific criteria such as shortest distance or safest trajectory and

• continuously monitoring the trajectory of the UGV (103) and the UAV (102) as they approach said appropriate landing locations.

• When the UAV (102) is within a close range of said appropriate landing location (e.g. up to 30 cm), the UAV (102) performs a landing on a specific area of the surface of the UGV (103) by detecting, for example, a QR code_A an IR code or a directed audio signal (beacon) on the UGV (103) using a camera or using the on board sensors such as camera, IR sensor and audio sensors. Various sensors can be combined to perform a precise landing. For example, one of the sensors can be used first, which has a longer range (e.g. a QR code that can be detected from distance). The more the UAV approaches the landing location, other sensors can be activated to further refine the landing position.

• In an embodiment, after landing, the gripper releases the object.

[0028] The UGV (103) comprises a magnetic field centering device that uses a light magnetic field created by an electromagnet at the centre of the landing area surface when the UAV (102) is about to drop the object.

[0029] The software platform (101 ) receives input data from an external IT system regarding the configuration of a warehouse. This can be e.g. the external IT system of the owner of the warehouse. The software platform (101 ) may further receive a request to perform a mapping of a given inventory storage location. The software platform (101 ) may further receive a request to perform inventory asset management using a database. This may comprise the UAV (102) s reading the number of objects at specific locations in the location and updating records in a database in an autonomous manner. The update may comprise upsert operations (e.g. the number of items representing a specific product has decreased, therefore the software platform (101 ) will update the corresponding record in the database). The database may be any known database system with a corresponding index. The software platform (101 ) may further receive a request to perform physical intervention in the storage location autonomously comprising a request to pick up an object and drop it off on an UGV (103) or elsewhere. The operation will be autonomously carried out by the UAV (102) s and the UGVs based on a configuration calculated by the software platform. The software platform (101 ) may further receive a request to perform autonomous data collection and monitoring of indicators relevant to the data captured using the sensors on said UAV (102) s or UGVs and storage of the collected data in a database for data analysis and performance management purposes.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

[0030] One of the components of the disclosed inventory management system is an unmanned aerial vehicle shown in Figs. 1 and 2 (UAV (102)).

[0031 ] One popular type of UAV (102), also commonly referred to as a drone, is a rotorcraft or multirotor. The most commonly found of these is a quadcopter, which is an aerial rotorcraft that is propelled by four motors and four rotors. Other frequently occurring rotorcraft type UAV include, but are not limited to: octocopters, with eight rotors; coaxial quadcopters (X8), which have eight rotors arranged coaxially so as to resemble a quadcopter; hexacopters, with six rotors; tricopters, with three rotors; and coaxial tricopters (Y6), with six rotors arranged coaxially so as to resemble a tricopter. Configurations with a greater number of rotors are also possible. In addition to rotorcraft, the term UAV also includes, but is not limited to, fixed wing aircraft that use a lifting surface to generate some or all of the lift and hybrid vehicles that combine the attributes of multirotors and fixed wing aircraft to combine vertical takeoff and landing capability with a lifting surface, distinct from the UAV's rotors, that provides some or all of the lift.

[0032] UAVs (102) suitable for use in the disclosed delivery system can be autonomous or remotely piloted. For example, a UAV (102) can be remotely piloted on a route in order to provide flight data for subsequent autonomous flights.

Similarly, should weather, environmental, or other issues develop during an autonomous flight, a remote pilot can take over the operation of the UAV (102). A UAV (102) can also be switched from remote pilot operation to autonomous flight. For example, a remote pilot may operate on a portion of the route and then switch I the UAV (102) to autonomous operation.

[0033] In an embodiment, a UAV (102) has artificial intelligence that prevents the UAV (102) from hitting a person if the UAV (102) experiences a problem using the proximity sensors and/or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging).

Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV)

[0034] Another component of the disclosed delivery system is a moving ground station shown in Fig. 3 represented by an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV - 103).

[0035] An unmanned ground vehicle (UGV - 103) is a vehicle that operates while in contact with the ground and without an on-board human presence. Generally, the vehicle will have a set of sensors to observe the environment, and will either autonomously make decisions about its behaviour, receive instructions

autonomously from the remote software, or pass the information to a human operator at a different location who will control the vehicle through teleoperation. I [0036] The moving ground stations can serve as automatic take-off and landing locations for the UAVs (102) in certain embodiments. The ground stations also can serve as charging, refuelling, or battery swapping locations for the UAV (102) s. In certain embodiments, the ground stations store charged batteries or fuel for the UAV (102) s that supply power to the UAV (102) s. In addition, the ground station can optionally perform package buffering by having the capability to store packages in transit. The ground station and the software platform (101 ) can communicate to exchange data such as remaining capacity, package information, battery status, time, route information, or the like. The UAV (102) and logistics system can also communicate directly. In certain embodiments, the ground station comprises a portion of the logistics system. For example, the ground station can include or house one or more servers that perform methods or contain modules for use in the logistics system, as more fully described with respect to the logistics system. In an

embodiment, the ground stations comprise the logistics system for a delivery system. The ground station can also interface with external interfaces such as, for example, the Internet, a cellular network, a data network, a Wi-Fi network, satellite, radio, or other suitable external interfaces. As previously described, the ground station can

I include a portion or all of the logistics system. _The ground station can also include sensors and systems for collision avoidance, battery power systems including backup battery power for the UAVs and charging systems to charge the UAVs when they are on-board, induction system for re-charging on-board battery systems on the go, data collection equipment, imaging cameras and sensors and ground safety control equipment to assist with the control of the UAV (102).

[0037] In an embodiment, the UAV (102) landing is assisted by the ground station. Once the UAV (102) is within a relatively short range of the destination ground station, the UAV (102) begins receiving guidance information from the ground station. Fig. 5 shows the different steps of the landing on a UGV. At step 201 , a set of approximate landing locations are computed by the software platform. At step 202 parameters related to the moving UGVs are received by the software platform. At step 203, the UAV receives instructions to navigate to said parameters by first detecting a distance between itself and all moving UGVs (step 204), further selecting a landing location based on a heuristics, such as closest landing distance or safest landing distance (step 205), continuously monitoring the trajectory of the UGV and the UAV by the software platform (step 206) and when the UAV is at short distance, detecting, for example, a sensor or image on the landing platform, switching to a landing controlled by the processor of the UAV and landing on the UGV (step 208).

This can be provided, for example, through the use of a UWB beacon located at the ground station. The ground station can also communicate guidance data to the UAV (102) to more actively control its landing. In an embodiment, the ground station includes a sensor array capable of detecting the position of a UAV (102). The sensor array can also provide movement data for the UAV (102) to determine how it is moving in response to controls and to adjust its control. The sensor array can include, for example, tactile sensors, sonar, infrared arrays, radar, or the like to help obtain information relevant to control the landing of a UAV (102). The sensors can also detect local environmental data such as wind speed, temperature, humidity, precipitation, and the like to assist in controlling the landing of a UAV (102). The ground station can also use cameras for machine vision to further guide the UAV (102) to land at the ground station. Such a sensor array and/or machine vision can be used to aid in take off of the UAV (102) as well. The ground station can also obtain data, such as environmental data, from external sources. For example, local weather conditions can be obtained from external sources such as weather stations, other ground stations, or other sources. Using these techniques, the UAV (102) can be guided to a much more accurate landing that allows for smaller landing areas and decreases the risk of a collision.

[0038] The ground station can include one or more docks for landing and take off of UAVs (102). By doing so, the ground station can provide a known location for interaction with the UAVs (102). The ground station also can provide a safe environment for the UAVs (102) when they are not flying between stations. In certain embodiments, the ground station can also include one or more bays such as a battery storage bay, a packet or package storing bay (for payloads), and UAV (102) storage bays. The ground station can maintain information about the bays such as, for example, number of bays, location, capacity, current status, dimensions, or other suitable information. The battery storage bays can provide for storage, charging, conditioning, or analysis of batteries. The ground station can maintain information about the batteries (including those located in the storage bays) that can be provided upon request to the logistics system or a user. The information about the battery can include, for example, capacity, age, technical specifications, rating, number of charge cycles, temperature, weight, dimensions, number of missions, or other relevant information. The information in the ground station can also be stored in or backed up to the logistics system or elsewhere in the system. The data can also be sent to the servers of the logistics system from either the ground station or the UAV (102).

[0039] The ground station can service multiple UAVs (102) simultaneously, up to four. The ground station can be charged by autonomous induction charging at a charging location.

Software Platform

[0040] In certain embodiments, a software platform (101 ) receives input data from an external IT system regarding the configuration of a warehouse. This can be e.g. the external IT system of the owner of the warehouse. The software platform (101 ) may further receive a request to perform a mapping of a given inventory storage location. The software platform (101 ) may further receive a request to perform inventory asset management using an image and pattern recognition platform (105). This may comprise the UAV (102) s reading the number of objects at specific locations in the location and updating records in a database and updating the status of the platform in an autonomous manner. The update may comprise upsert operations (e.g. the number of items representing a specific product has decreased, therefore the software platform (101 ) will update the corresponding record in the database). The database may be any known database system. The software platform (101 ) may further receive a request to perform physical intervention in the storage location autonomously, for example, comprising of a request to pick up an object and drop it off on a UGV. The operation will be autonomously carried out by the UAV (102) s and the UGVs based on a configuration calculated by the software platform. The software platform (101 ) may further receive a request to perform autonomous data collection and monitoring of indicators relevant to the data captured using the sensors on said UAV (102) s or UGVs and storage of the collected data in a database for data analysis purposes. The software platform may further comprise a computing engine that can simulate the entire systems of UGV and UAV within a logistics space with a view to being able to check for potential conflicts before and during systems operations, a machine-learning interface to continuously improve the performance of the system, utilising algorithms to collect, analyse and act on systems performance data and an advanced user interface with multiple facets: such as a facet for the business user to manage the system, including extracting performance reports and tuning performance parameters, a facet for a technical user to operate the system on a daily basis and a facet for an advanced systems engineer to configure the system, analyse its performance and make modifications and perform software-controlled repairs.

Further Comments

[0041 ] Although the disclosure has been described in detail with particular reference to these preferred embodiments, other embodiments can achieve the same results. Variations and modifications of the present disclosure will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover all such modifications and equivalents that remain within the scope of the claims.

[0042] Embodiments have been described in connection with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the figures are not drawn to scale. Distances, angles, etc. are merely illustrative and do not necessarily bear an exact relationship to actual dimensions and layout of the devices illustrated. In addition, the foregoing embodiments have been described at a level of detail to allow one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the devices, systems, etc. described herein. A wide variety of variation is possible. Components, elements, and/or steps can be altered, added, removed, or rearranged. While certain embodiments have been explicitly described, other embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art based on this disclosure.

[0043] Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, "can," "could," "might," "may," "e.g.," and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Conjunctive language such as the phrase "at least one of X, Y and Z," unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at least one of Y and at least one of Z to each be present. [0044] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or

performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array

(FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller,

microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a

microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

The blocks of the methods and algorithms described in connection with the

embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory,

EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of computer-readable storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The ASIC can reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium can reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

[0045] While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices or algorithms illustrated can be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As will be recognized, certain embodiments of the inventions described herein can be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features can be used or practiced separately from others. The scope of certain inventions disclosed herein is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Accordingly, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the recitation of the preferred embodiments.

The applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature described herein and any combination of two or more such features, to the extent that such features or combinations are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art, irrespective of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problems disclosed herein, and without limitation to the scope of the claims. The applicant indicates that aspects of the present invention may consist of any such individual feature or combination of features. In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1 . A computer-implemented method for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on one of a plurality of moveable unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), the method comprising:

(i) receiving parameters related to the unmanned ground vehicles, wherein the parameters include at least the location of the one of the plurality of unmanned ground vehicles, the current available landing space for unmanned aerial vehicles on said unmanned ground vehicle, wherein said available landing space indicates the number of unmanned aerial vehicles that are currently able to land on said unmanned ground vehicle,

(ii) computing a list of coordinates of approximate landing locations represented by specific areas on top of one or more of said plurality of moveable unmanned ground vehicles for the unmanned aerial vehicle; receiving a selection criteria from a supervisory system, wherein the selection criteria includes selecting the closest landing distance from the unmanned aerial vehicle to one of said approximate landing locations or selecting the safest landing trajectory from the unmanned aerial vehicle or a combination of the previous ones,

(iii) selecting one of the approximate landing locations as the most appropriate landing location;

(iv) instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to navigate to the selected approximate landing location,

(v) continuously monitoring the trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned ground vehicle as the unmanned aerial vehicle approaches said selected approximate landing location;

(vi) receiving an alert that the unmanned aerial vehicle is within a safe range of the unmanned ground vehicle, wherein safe range represents a distance defined by a predefined threshold that indicates a stable pairing between the unmanned ground and aerial vehicles for a preset time period, and

(vii) determining whether the unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned ground vehicle form a stable set, meaning that they move together within a predetermined stability threshold which allows the unmanned aerial vehicle to land within required safety parameters and,

(viii) if the determination is positive, instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to land on the unmanned ground vehicle using a close-range landing mechanism comprising:

initiating a close-range landing mechanism, wherein the close-range landing mechanism comprises the unmanned aerial vehicle detecting an indicator comprising at least one of a QR code, an IR code, a directed audio signal, a directed audio located on the unmanned ground vehicle, GPS, a laser or composite image or beacons using a range of location- identification technologies and

(ix) selecting one or more of the detected indicators for landing and landing on the unmanned ground vehicle and sending an alert that landing has been successful,

(x) if the determination is negative, disable the pairing and restart server- controlled landing.

2. The method as claimed in any of claims 1 , wherein continuously monitoring the trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned ground vehicle as they approach said selected approximate landing location, comprises detecting a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and each of the unmanned ground vehicles.

3. The method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 2, wherein the unmanned ground vehicle is configured to move autonomously based on a predefined route and the selected approximate landing location is part of that predefined route.

4. The method as claimed in any of claim 1 to 3, wherein multiple stable sets are determined in parallel.

5. The method of claim 1 or 4, wherein said close-range landing mechanism uses the sensors in a specific preconfigured order to refine the landing.

7. The method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein computing a set of approximate landing locations for the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises computing the set of approximate landing locations based on movement paths of the unmanned ground vehicles and the current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. A system comprising:

at least one unmanned aerial vehicle;

a plurality of unmanned ground vehicles that are configured to receive, for landing and carrying, up to four unmanned aerial vehicles;

a software platform configured to: (i) instruct at least one unmanned aerial vehicle to fly according to a first route defined by the system and executed by a vehicle controller on the unmanned aerial vehicle; (ii) instruct the plurality of unmanned ground vehicles to move according to respective second routes defined and executed in the same manner; and (iii) control the landing of a plurality of UAVs according to any of the claims 1 -7 wherein the software platform comprises:

a computing engine that can simulate the entire systems of UGV and UAV within a logistics space with a view to be able to check for potential conflicts before and during systems operations; and/or

a machine-learning interface to continuously improve the performance of the system, utilising algorithms to collect, analyse and act on systems performance data; and/or

an advanced Ul with multiple facets: such as a facet for the business user to manage the system, including extracting performance reports and tuning performance parameters, a facet for a technical user to operate the system on a daily basis and a facet for an advanced systems engineer to configure the system, analyse its performance and make modifications and perform software controlled repairs or any combination of the above mentioned components.

9. The movable unmanned ground vehicle of claim 8 for use in transporting one or more unmanned aerial vehicles, the unmanned ground vehicle comprising:

a landing location configured to receive, for landing and carrying, one or more unmanned aerial vehicles;

a mechanism to carry a payload received from an UAV,

a guidance measure configured to assist the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles in locating a landing location on said movable unmanned ground vehicle; and

a communications interface configured to communicate at least one parameter including , its location, the number of unmanned aerial vehicles currently landed and the current available landing space for unmanned aerial vehicles on said unmanned ground vehicle, with one or more unmanned aerial vehicles, a server, and and at least one additional unmanned ground vehicle;

wherein said unmanned ground vehicle is configured to move autonomously based on a predefined route received from a software component of the server and said unmanned ground vehicle represents a moving ground station for one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and is controlled by said server and

wherein the movable unmanned ground vehicle further comprises any combination of the following features:

sensors and systems for collision avoidance;

battery power systems including backup battery power for the UAVs and charging systems to charge the UAVs when they are on-board;

induction system for re-charging on-board battery systems on the go;

data collection equipment;

imaging cameras and sensors; and

ground safety control equipment.

10. The movable unmanned ground vehicle of claim 8 for use in transporting one or more unmanned aerial vehicles, the unmanned ground vehicle comprising: a landing location configured to receive, for landing and carrying, one or more unmanned aerial vehicles;

a mechanism to carry a payload received from an UAV,

sensors and systems for collision avoidance;

induction system for re-charging on-board battery systems on the go;

data collection equipment;

imaging cameras and sensors; and

ground safety control equipment.

1 1 . The moveable unmanned ground vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the moveable unmanned ground vehicle comprises an electromagnet at the centre of the landing area to create a light magnetic field to aid the centering of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. The system of claims 8-12 for autonomous inventory management further comprising: a server including

a first software component that represents an interface to external third- party software platforms and that is configured to receive and store data that describes objects of a warehouse; and

a second software component configured to control a plurality of devices using a telecommunication network, said plurality of devices comprising at least one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and a plurality of unmanned ground vehicles;

the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles configured to operate based on a predefined route received from the second software component, or a route constructed on the fly by any of the previous physical devices or the intelligent software platform, or a modification of an existing planned route on the fly and comprising means for collision avoidance or means for flight safety control or means for precision take off from and landing on said moving unmanned ground vehicle and means for on-demand object pickup and drop-off in the form of a remotely controlled gripper or means for speed/direction/depth analysis using a combination of advanced software, hardware and sensors or any combination thereof; and

a plurality of unmanned ground vehicles that are configured to be capable of carrying at least one unmanned aerial vehicle and can move autonomously based on a predefined route received from said second software component or have a fixed position and comprise a means to perform their own recharging and means to perform data collection, imaging, ground safety control, collision avoidance and which represent moving stations for said unmanned aerial vehicle(s).