Patent Application
20230386350
An uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) is a machine capable of flight without a human pilot on board. UAVs may be operated through various means, such as by remote control, autonomously through onboard computers, and/or the like. UAVs have applications in a variety of fields, such as military, scientific, recreational, and commercial sectors.
The following detailed description of example implementations refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.
UAVs, such as drones, are used in various indoor applications (e.g., scanning and/or moving inventory) and/or outdoor applications (e.g., delivering goods). Existing UAV software relies heavily on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), such as Global Positioning System (GPS), for localization, path planning, and waypoint flight in three-dimensional space. However, GPS is generally unavailable for indoor flight, and as a result, the existing UAV software experiences challenges with such localization, path planning, and waypoint flight for the indoor applications (e.g., inaccurate flight paths, unaccounted—for objects and/or obstructions in the indoor space, or the like). Techniques exist for determining relative altitude of the UAV and for maintaining a fixed position of the UAV in indoor environments. However, UAVs do not have onboard systems for accurately tracking movement in the x-y (horizontal) plane, or to move to a new position within the indoor space. Externally mounted cameras may be used to track the indoor movement of UAVs. However, such a solution requires more equipment and calibration, and therefore more computing resources. Accordingly, it is desirable for a system that may utilize existing UAV software to accurately plan and track UAV flight in an indoor environment.
Some implementations herein provide a positioning system that is capable of generating GPS-based indoor flight paths for a UAV. The positioning system may generate a digital map of an indoor environment (e.g., an interior of a building) based on received spatial data, such as from a sensor device (e.g., a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device). From the digital map, the positioning system may generate a geographic coordinate map of the indoor environment. The positioning system may localize the UAV on the geographic coordinate map, after which the positioning system may generate geographic coordinates for the indoor environment and from which an indoor flight path for the UAV may be generated. The geographic coordinates may be formatted in GPS coordinate format and National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) format.
In this way, the existing UAV software may be utilized to implement the generated indoor flight path as if it were an outdoor flight path. Accordingly, the positioning system may accurately and efficiently generate a flight path and guide the UAV to various waypoints in the indoor environment, and therefore conserve computing resources (e.g., processing resources, memory resources, communication resources, and/or the like) of the positioning system and the onboard systems of the UAV, networking resources, and/or the like that would otherwise be wasted in providing inaccurate and/or imprecise waypoints and/or flight paths to the waypoints, and then correcting the inaccurate/imprecise waypoints/flight paths in one or more iterations.
The positioning system 110 may including a network computing system, which is discussed in more detail below in connection with
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The interior of the building may have one or more movable or unmovable objects. Movable objects may include objects that are identified as temporary installments, nonfixed objects, and/or objects likely to move within a threshold period of time. For example, movable objects may include objects such as boxes, crates, and/or shelves. In some implementations, a movable object may have a property, such as a color of the object (e.g., color of a wall) that may be subject to change at a particular frequency, within a particular threshold of time, periodically, and/or the like. Unmovable objects may include objects that are typically considered permanent fixtures in a building, fixtures that are unlikely to change or move within a threshold distance (e.g., although some unmovable objects may rotate or move around, such as chairs) or period of time (e.g., a year, a decade, and/or the like), and/or fixtures that are unlikely to change at a particular frequency. For example, unmovable objects may include doors, windows, walls, support beams, and/or the like. The examples listed above are not intended to limit or restrict the concept of a movable and/or unmovable object, and are merely intended to illustrate the concepts. In some implementations, the concept of a movable and/or unmovable object may be particular to a type of setting, building, and/or the like. That is, movable objects in one setting may be considered unmovable objects in another setting.
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In some implementations, the positioning system 110 may store the digital map. For example, the positioning system 110 may store the digital map in a local data structure accessible over a local network, as described in more detail below. Additionally, or alternatively, the positioning system 110 may store the digital map in a network computing environment that is accessible over a low latency wireless network.
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Additionally, the positioning system 110 may determine a bearing of the UAV 130, which may be included in the flight path data. The positioning system 110 may determine the bearing of the UAV 130 based on an orientation of the sensor mounted on the UAV and/or on the geographic coordinate map. For example, in implementations in which the sensor is a LIDAR sensor, the LIDAR sensor may have angles of beams included in the sensor data transmitted to the positioning system 110. The positioning system 110 may be able to determine the bearing of the UAV 130 based on the angles of beams indicated in the sensor data.
As explained above, the positioning system 110 may generate a map of the interior of a building based on the geographic coordinate system. The positioning system 110 may generate an indoor flight path that includes waypoints with geographic coordinates formatted in GPS coordinate format and NMEA format. As a result, existing UAV software may be utilized to implement the generated indoor flight path as if it were an outdoor flight path. Accordingly, the processing system may accurately and efficiently generate an indoor flight path and guide the UAV 130 to various waypoints in an indoor environment, and therefore conserve computing resources (e.g., processing resources, memory resources, communication resources, and/or the like) of the positioning system 110 and the onboard systems of the UAV 130, networking resources, and/or the like that would otherwise be wasted in providing inaccurate and/or imprecise waypoints and/or flight paths to the waypoints, and then correcting the inaccurate/imprecise waypoints/flight paths in one or more iterations.
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The sensor device 105 includes one or more wired or wireless devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, transmitting, processing, detecting, and/or providing information associated with indoor positioning of a UAV, as described elsewhere herein. For example, the sensor device 105 may include a spatial sensor (e.g., a LIDAR sensor and/or device), a light sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a positioning sensor, an infrared sensor, an active sensor (e.g., a sensor that requires an external power signal), a passive sensor (e.g., a sensor that does not require an external power signal), a radioactive sensor, a magnetic sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, an analog sensor, and/or a digital sensor, among other examples. The sensor device 105 may sense or detect a condition or information and transmit, using a wired or wireless communication interface, an indication of the detected condition or information to other devices in the environment 200.
UAV 130 includes an autonomous aerial vehicle capable of autonomous flight and receiving, generating, storing, transmitting, processing, and/or providing information associated with traversing a flight path to perform a service. For example, UAV 130 may include an aerial vehicular device equipped with communication and/or computing equipment, such as an uncrewed aerial vehicle (e.g., a drone or a quadcopter), and/or the like. In some implementations, UAV 130 may include an aircraft that has an area for at least one human passenger but is uncrewed by way of the control of the aircraft being autonomous and not performed by a human.
UAV 130 may include one or more sensors configured to determine the location and/or route of the UAV 130 for navigating UAV 130 to perform a service. For example, UAV 130 may include GNSS receivers, including receivers for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and/or other satellite systems. In some implementations, UAV 130 may be equipped with a LIDAR device and/or sensor (e.g., a 360 degree LIDAR sensor or a 180 degree LIDAR sensor). UAV 130 may be programmed with travel routes, coordinates, and/or the like.
The network computing system 202 includes computing hardware 203, a resource management component 204, a host operating system (OS) 205, and/or one or more virtual computing systems 206. The network computing system 202 may execute on, for example, an Amazon Web Services platform, a Microsoft Azure platform, or a Snowflake platform. The resource management component 204 may perform virtualization (e.g., abstraction) of computing hardware 203 to create the one or more virtual computing systems 206. Using virtualization, the resource management component 204 enables a single computing device (e.g., a computer or a server) to operate like multiple computing devices, such as by creating multiple isolated virtual computing systems 206 from computing hardware 203 of the single computing device. In this way, computing hardware 203 can operate more efficiently, with lower power consumption, higher reliability, higher availability, higher utilization, greater flexibility, and lower cost than using separate computing devices. In some implementations, the network computing system 202 may be or may incorporate a MEC environment. In some implementations, the network computing system 202 may be or may incorporate a cloud computing environment.
Computing hardware 203 includes hardware and corresponding resources from one or more computing devices. For example, computing hardware 203 may include hardware from a single computing device (e.g., a single server) or from multiple computing devices (e.g., multiple servers), such as multiple computing devices in one or more data centers. As shown, computing hardware 203 may include one or more processors 207, one or more memories 208, and/or one or more networking components 209. Examples of a processor, a memory, and a networking component (e.g., a communication component) are described elsewhere herein.
The resource management component 204 includes a virtualization application (e.g., executing on hardware, such as computing hardware 203) capable of virtualizing computing hardware 203 to start, stop, and/or manage one or more virtual computing systems 206. For example, the resource management component 204 may include a hypervisor (e.g., a bare-metal or Type 1 hypervisor, a hosted or Type 2 hypervisor, or another type of hypervisor) or a virtual machine monitor, such as when the virtual computing systems 206 are virtual machines 210. Additionally, or alternatively, the resource management component 204 may include a container manager, such as when the virtual computing systems 206 are containers 211. In some implementations, the resource management component 204 executes within and/or in coordination with a host operating system 205.
A virtual computing system 206 includes a virtual environment that enables cloud-based execution of operations and/or processes described herein using computing hardware 203. As shown, a virtual computing system 206 may include a virtual machine 210, a container 211, or a hybrid environment 212 that includes a virtual machine and a container, among other examples. A virtual computing system 206 may execute one or more applications using a file system that includes binary files, software libraries, and/or other resources required to execute applications on a guest operating system (e.g., within the virtual computing system 206) or the host operating system 205.
Although the positioning system 201 may include one or more elements 203-212 of the network computing system 202, may execute within the network computing system 202, and/or may be hosted within the network computing system 202, in some implementations, the positioning system 201 may not be cloud-based (e.g., may be implemented outside of a network computing system) or may be partially cloud-based. For example, the positioning system 201 may include one or more devices that are not part of the network computing system 202, such as device 300 of
Network 220 includes one or more wired and/or wireless networks. For example, network 220 may include a low latency wireless network, a cellular network, a public land mobile network (PLMN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a private network, the Internet, and/or a combination of these or other types of networks. The network 220 enables communication among the devices of environment 200.
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Bus 310 includes one or more components that enable wired and/or wireless communication among the components of device 300. Bus 310 may couple together two or more components of
Memory 330 includes volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. For example, memory 330 may include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive, and/or another type of memory (e.g., a flash memory, a magnetic memory, and/or an optical memory). Memory 330 may include internal memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, or a hard disk drive) and/or removable memory (e.g., removable via a universal serial bus connection). Memory 330 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Memory 330 stores information, instructions, and/or software (e.g., one or more software applications) related to the operation of device 300. In some implementations, memory 330 includes one or more memories that are coupled to one or more processors (e.g., processor 320), such as via bus 310.
Input component 340 enables device 300 to receive input, such as user input and/or sensed input. For example, input component 340 may include a touch screen, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a button, a microphone, a switch, a sensor, a global positioning system sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and/or an actuator. Output component 350 enables device 300 to provide output, such as via a display, a speaker, and/or a light-emitting diode. Communication component 360 enables device 300 to communicate with other devices via a wired connection and/or a wireless connection. For example, communication component 360 may include a receiver, a transmitter, a transceiver, a modem, a network interface card, and/or an antenna.
Device 300 may perform one or more operations or processes described herein. For example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 330) may store a set of instructions (e.g., one or more instructions or code) for execution by processor 320. Processor 320 may execute the set of instructions to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. In some implementations, execution of the set of instructions, by one or more processors 320, causes the one or more processors 320 and/or the device 300 to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. In some implementations, hardwired circuitry is used instead of or in combination with the instructions to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. Additionally, or alternatively, processor 320 may be configured to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. Thus, implementations described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.
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In some implementations, process 400 includes determining a flight path for the UAV. The flight path may include a plurality of waypoints, and the plurality of waypoints may correspond to a subset of the plurality of geographic coordinates. Transmitting the at least a subset of the coordinate data may include transmitting, to the controller of the UAV, flight path data indicating the flight path.
In some implementations, process 400 includes receiving, from an altitude sensor of the UAV, altitude data corresponding to an altitude of the UAV. The plurality of waypoints, of the flight path, may include an altitude component.
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As used herein, the term “component” is intended to be broadly construed as hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. It will be apparent that systems and/or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, and/or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and/or methods is not limiting of the implementations. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and/or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code—it being understood that software and hardware can be used to implement the systems and/or methods based on the description herein.
As used herein, satisfying a threshold may, depending on the context, refer to a value being greater than the threshold, greater than or equal to the threshold, less than the threshold, less than or equal to the threshold, equal to the threshold, not equal to the threshold, or the like.
To the extent the aforementioned implementations collect, store, or employ personal information of individuals, it should be understood that such information shall be used in accordance with all applicable laws concerning protection of personal information. Additionally, the collection, storage, and use of such information can be subject to consent of the individual to such activity, for example, through well known “opt-in” or “opt-out” processes as can be appropriate for the situation and type of information. Storage and use of personal information can be in an appropriately secure manner reflective of the type of information, for example, through various encryption and anonymization techniques for particularly sensitive information.
Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of various implementations. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may directly depend on only one claim, the disclosure of various implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set. As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c, as well as any combination with multiple of the same item.
No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles “a” and “an” are intended to include one or more items, and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Further, as used herein, the article “the” is intended to include one or more items referenced in connection with the article “the” and may be used interchangeably with “the one or more.” Furthermore, as used herein, the term “set” is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, or a combination of related and unrelated items), and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Where only one item is intended, the phrase “only one” or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” or the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Also, as used herein, the term “or” is intended to be inclusive when used in a series and may be used interchangeably with “and/or,” unless explicitly stated otherwise (e.g., if used in combination with “either” or “only one of”).
In the preceding specification, various example embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.
