Unmanned aerial vehicle routing using real-time weather data
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorTy Loren Carlson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Weather data is used to create and/or update a flight plan prior to and/or during flight by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The weather data may be received using sensors onboard the UAV and/or the weather data may be received from other sources, such as weather aggregators, other UAVs, other vehicles, and/or local weather stations. In some embodiments, a UAV may be prematurely grounded after initiating flight toward a destination in response to some weather conditions identified in near real-time weather data, such as heavy winds and/or heavy precipitation. In various embodiments, the UAVs may leverage air stream information included in the weather data to cause flight along with an air stream, and thereby reduce power resources used to fly to a destination.
Claims20
An item distribution system comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
- receive an order for an item to be delivered to a destination;
- determine a weather forecast for an area that includes routes to the destination;
- provide delivery options based at least in part on the weather forecast and the item, the delivery options including transit by at least an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a ground vehicle having different time windows for estimated delivery of the item;
- receive a delivery selection of one of the delivery options, the delivery selection being delivery by the UAV;
- create a first flight plan for the UAV based on the delivery selection;
- deploy the UAV to deliver the item using the first flight plan;
- receive near-real-time weather data during flight of the UAV;
- and
- instruct the UAV to execute a second flight plan based on the near-real-time weather data.
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
- a flight controller;
- and
- memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the flight controller to:
- receive a flight plan prior to deployment of the UAV;
- initiate flight toward a destination included in the flight plan;
- receive first weather data from sensors onboard the UAV;
- determine to ground the UAV prior to reaching the destination based at least in part on the first weather data;
- determine whether to perform an expedited landing based at least in part on the first weather data, the expedited landing being a UAV landing with a shortened time threshold;
- transmit a notification of a delay in response to occurrence of the expedited landing;
- receive second local weather data from at least one of sensors onboard the UAV or from an external data source while the UAV is grounded;
- and
- resume flight based at least in part on the second local weather data.
A method to control an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:
- receiving a first flight plan;
- initiating flight, using the first flight plan, toward a destination included in the first flight plan;
- determining an estimated arrival time;
- receiving first weather data from a different UAV that collects weather data during flight;
- capturing second weather data from sensors onboard the UAV;
- determining whether to change the destination based on the first weather data and the second weather data;
- determining a second, different flight plan based on the first weather data and the second weather data;
- and
- transmitting a notification indicating a delayed arrival time in response to use of the second flight plan.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.