# US 2021/0343166 A1 · Systems and methods to allocate unmanned aircraft systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0343166 A1 - Document ID: US20210343166A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/372,853 - Filed: 2021-07-12 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-12 - Assignees: Walmart Apollo, LLC - Applicants: Walmart Apollo, LLC - Inventors: Donald R. High; Robert C. Taylor; David C. Winkle; John P. Thompson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210343166A1 ## CPC - G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft - B64C 39/024: {of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV} - G06F 16/22: Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083) - G08G 5/22: located on the ground - G08G 5/23: Details of user output interfaces, e.g. information presented - G08G 5/24: Details of user input interfaces, e.g. use of speech recognition or specific text formats - G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations - G08G 5/265: for managing air traffic control [ATC] clearance - G08G 5/53: for cruising - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - G08G 5/56: for two or more aircraft - G08G 5/59: in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones - B64U 2101/00: UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications - B64U 2101/30: for imaging, photography or videography - B64U 2101/64: for parcel delivery or retrieval - B64U 2201/00: UAVs characterised by their flight controls - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR ## Abstract In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to allocate unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Some embodiments, provide UAS allocation systems, comprising: a UAS database that stores for each registered UAS an identifier and corresponding operational capabilities; an allocation control circuit configured to: obtain a first set of multiple task parameters specified by a first customer and corresponding to a requested first predefined task that the customer is requesting a UAS be allocated to perform; identify, from the UAS database, a first UAS having operational capabilities to perform the first set of task parameters while implementing the first task; and cause an allocation notification to be communicated to a first UAS provider, of the multiple UAS providers, associated with the first UAS requesting the first UAS provider to allocate the identified first UAS to implement the first task. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An unmanned aircraft system (UAS) allocation system, comprising: a UAS database storing information corresponding to multiple registered different UASs, wherein each of two or more of the registered different UASs is owned and operated by a different one of multiple different unassociated UAS providers that have registered to allocate one or more UASs to perform tasks in providing third party services, wherein the UAS database stores, for each of the registered different UASs, corresponding operational capabilities, wherein a plurality of the registered different UASs have different operational capabilities; a registration control circuit coupled with the UAS database and configured to obtain the operational capabilities of each of the registered different UASs and register each of the registered different UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, the operational capabilities in association with a respective one of the multiple registered different UASs; and an allocation control circuit coupled with the UAS database and configured to allocate a respective one of the registered different UASs, based on a respective threshold correlation between one or more of the respective operational capabilities and a corresponding one of a set of one or more task parameters, to implement at least part of a respective one of multiple requested tasks that are each received from a different one of a plurality of customers that are unassociated with the UAS providers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the allocation control circuit is configured to: obtain a first set of task parameters specified by a first customer, of the plurality of customers, and corresponding to a requested first task, of the multiple requested tasks, that the first customer is requesting at least one of the registered different UASs be allocated to perform; identify a first UAS, of the registered different UASs, having the respective threshold correlation between each of one or more of the first set of task parameters and a corresponding one of a set of the operational capabilities; identify a first UAS provider, of the UAS providers, that registered and agreed to allocate the first UAS to perform tasks; and cause an allocation notification to be communicated to the first UAS provider associated with the first UAS. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: an interface system configured to distribute user interface information to each of the customers, wherein the user interface information is configured to populate, with respect to a respective one of the customers, a request user interface corresponding to at least one of multiple different predefined tasks for which at least one of the registered different UASs are capable of performing, and identify that one or more of the operational capabilities associated with the first UAS are each within a corresponding threshold level of correlation to at least a corresponding one of the first set of task parameters. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: an interface system comprising an interface control circuit configured to: communicate user interface information to customer computer systems each associated with one of the plurality of customers, wherein the user interface information is configured to populate at each of the customer computer systems a request user interface comprising predefined fields to receive task parameters corresponding to one of the multiple tasks; and receive, from each of the plurality of customer computer systems through the request user interface, corresponding sets of task parameters corresponding to one of the multiple tasks to be performed by a UAS. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the allocation control circuit is further configured to cause a first set of task parameters to be communicated to a first UAS provider to be utilized by the first UAS provider in utilizing a first UAS, of the registered different UASs, in implementing a first task in accordance with the first set of task parameters, wherein the first set of task parameters define functions to be performed by the first UAS in completing at least a portion of the first task. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the registration control circuit is configured to obtain an identifier of each of the registered different UASs that one of the UAS providers are authorizing to be allocated to implement one or more tasks requested by one or more of the plurality of customers who are unassociated with the UAS providers; and wherein the registration control circuit in registering each of the registered different UASs stores, in the UAS database, each identifier of the registered different UASs, and stores in relation to a corresponding one of the UAS identifiers the operational capabilities of the corresponding one of the registered different UASs. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the registration control circuit is further configured to associate each of the registered different UASs with at least one of multiple predefined tasks based on a relationship between the operational capabilities of each of the registered different UASs and the sets of task parameters. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the registration control circuit is configured to: receive a request from a first UAS provider to define a first task that the first UAS provider is authorizing a set of one or more UASs to perform; receive a first set of defined task parameters defining characteristics of the first task; and register the first task comprising storing, in a task database, a first task identifier and the set of task parameters associated with the first task identifier. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the registration control circuit is further configured to: obtain an identifier of each UAS of the set of one or more UASs that the first UAS provider authorizes to be allocated to implement the first task; obtain the operational capabilities of each UAS of the set of one or more UASs; and register each UAS of the set of one or more UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, the corresponding identifier of each UAS of the set of one or more UASs, and storing in relation to a corresponding one of the UAS identifiers the operational capabilities of the corresponding one of the set of one or more UASs. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the registration control circuit is further configured to associate each of the registered different UASs with at least one of multiple predefined tasks based on a threshold relationship between the operational capabilities of each UAS of the registered different UASs and sets of predefined task parameters, wherein each set of predefined task parameters corresponds to one of the multiple predefined tasks. ### Claim 11 A method of allocating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), comprising: maintaining a UAS database storing information corresponding to multiple registered different UASs, wherein each of two or more of the registered different UASs is owned and operated by a different on of multiple different unassociated UAS providers that have registered to allocate one or more UASs to perform tasks in providing third party services, wherein the UAS database stores for each of the registered different UASs, corresponding operational capabilities, wherein a plurality of the registered different UASs have different operational capabilities; obtaining the operational capabilities of each of the registered different UASs; registering each of the registered different UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, the operational capabilities in association with a respective one of the multiple registered different UASs; and directing the allocation a respective one of the registered different UASs, based on a respective threshold correlation between one or more of the respective operational capabilities and a corresponding one of a set of one or more task parameters, to implement at least part of a respective one of multiple requested tasks that are each received from a different one of a plurality of customers that are unassociated with the UAS providers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: obtaining a first set of task parameters specified by a first customer, of the plurality of customers, and corresponding to a requested first task, of the multiple requested tasks, that the first customer is requesting at least one of the registered different UASs be allocated to perform; identifying a first UAS, of the registered different UASs, having the respective threshold correlation between each of one or more of the first set of task parameters and a corresponding one of a set of the operational capabilities; and identifying a first UAS provider, of the UAS providers, that registered and agreed to allocate the first UAS to perform tasks; wherein the directing the allocation of the respective one of the different UASs from the different comprises causing an allocation notification to be communicated to the first UAS provider associated with the first UAS. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: distributing user interface information to each of the customers, wherein the user interface information is configured to populate, with respect to each of the customers, a request user interface corresponding to at least one of multiple different predefined tasks for which at least one of the registered different UASs are capable of performing; and an interface system configured to distribute user interface information to each of the customers, wherein the user interface information is configured to populate, with respect to a respective one of the customers, a request user interface corresponding to at least one of multiple different predefined tasks for which at least one of the registered different UASs are capable of performing, and identifying that one or more of the operational capabilities associated with the first UAS are each within a corresponding threshold level of correlation to at least a corresponding one of the first set of task parameters. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: communicating user interface information to customer computer systems each associated with one of the plurality of customers, wherein the user interface information is configured to populate at each of the customer computer systems a request user interface comprising predefined fields to receive task parameters corresponding to one of the multiple tasks; and receiving, from each of the plurality of customer computer systems through the request user interface, corresponding sets of task parameters corresponding to one of the multiple asks to be performed by a UAS. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: causing a first set of task parameters to be communicated to a first UAS provider to be utilized by the first UAS provider in utilizing a first UAS, of the registered different UASs, in implementing a first task in accordance with the first set of task parameters, wherein the first set of task parameters define functions to be performed by the first UAS in completing at least a portion of the first task. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: obtaining an identifier of each of the registered different UASs that one of the UAS providers are authorizing to be allocated to implement one or more tasks requested by one or more of the plurality of customers who are unassociated with the UAS providers; and wherein the registering each of the registered different UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, each identifier of the registered different UASs, and storing in relation to a corresponding one of the UAS identifiers the operational capabilities of the corresponding one of the registered different UASs. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: associating each of the registered different UASs with at least one of multiple predefined tasks based on a relationship between the operational capabilities of each of the registered different UASs and the sets of task parameters. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving a request from a first UAS provider to define a first task that the first UAS provider is authorizing a set of one or more UASs to perform; receiving a first set of defined task parameters defining characteristics of the first task; and registering the first task comprising storing, in a task database, a first task identifier and the set of task parameters associated with the first task identifier. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: obtaining an identifier of each UAS of the set of one or more UASs that the first UAS provider authorizes to be allocated to implement the first task; obtaining the operational capabilities of each UAS of the set of one or more UASs; and registering each UAS of the set of one or more UASs comprising storing, in the UAS database, the corresponding identifier of each UAS of the set of one or more UASs, and storing in relation to a corresponding one of the UAS identifiers the operational capabilities of the corresponding one of the set of one or more UASs. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: associating each of the registered different UASs with at least one of multiple predefined tasks based on a threshold relationship between the operational capabilities of each UAS of the registered different UASs and sets of predefined task parameters, wherein each set of predefined task parameters corresponds to one of the multiple predefined tasks.