公开(公告)号：US12099370B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-24

申请号：US17673612

申请日：2022-02-16

申请人： WING Aviation LLC

发明人： Damien Jourdan ,  Brandon Jones ,  Richard Roberts

IPC分类号： G05D1/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64U10/13 ,  G06K7/10 ,  G06K7/14 ,  G06K19/06 ,  G06T7/73

CPC分类号： G05D1/042 ,  B64C39/024 ,  G05D1/12 ,  G06K7/10722 ,  G06K7/1417 ,  G06K19/06037 ,  G06T7/73 ,  B64U10/13 ,  B64U2201/10 ,  G06T2207/10032 ,  G06T2207/30204

摘要： Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation systems include a UAV charging pad positioned at a storage facility, a plurality of fiducial markers positioned at the storage facility, and a UAV. Each of the fiducial markers is associated with a fiducial dataset storing a position of the corresponding fiducial marker, and the fiducial datasets are stored in a fiducial map. The UAV includes a camera and logic that when executed causes the UAV to image a first fiducial marker, to access from the fiducial map a first fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker, and to navigate based upon the first fiducial dataset.

公开(公告)号：US11507115B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-22

申请号：US16597338

申请日：2019-10-09

申请人： WING Aviation LLC

发明人： Kevin Jenkins ,  Brandon Jones

IPC分类号： G05D1/10 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G05D1/08

摘要： A technique for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes monitoring a sensed airspeed of the UAV, obtaining a commanded speed for the UAV, wherein the commanded speed representing a command to fly the UAV at a given speed relative to an airmass or to Earth, and when the commanded speed is greater than the sensed airspeed, using the commanded speed in lieu of the sensed airspeed to inform flight control decisions of the UAV.

公开(公告)号：US20200301445A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-24

申请号：US16360952

申请日：2019-03-21

申请人： WING Aviation LLC

发明人： Damien Jourdan ,  Brandon Jones ,  Richard Roberts

IPC分类号： G05D1/04 ,  G05D1/12 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G06T7/73 ,  G06K7/14 ,  G06K19/06 ,  G06K7/10

摘要： Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation systems include a UAV charging pad positioned at a storage facility, a plurality of fiducial markers positioned at the storage facility, and a UAV. Each fiducial marker is associated with a fiducial dataset storing a position of the fiducial marker, and each fiducial dataset is stored in a fiducial map. The UAV has a navigation system that includes a camera, a fiducial navigation sub-system, a non-fiducial navigation sub-system, and logic that when executed causes the UAV to image a first fiducial marker with the camera, to transition from a non-fiducial navigation mode to a fiducial navigation mode, to access from the fiducial map the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker, and to navigate based upon the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker, into alignment with and land on the UAV charging pad.

公开(公告)号：US11481720B2

公开(公告)日：2022-10-25

申请号：US16703170

申请日：2019-12-04

申请人： WING Aviation LLC

发明人： Dinuka Abeywardena ,  Jesse Blake ,  James R. Burgess ,  Marco Caflisch ,  Brandon Jones ,  Damien Jourdan ,  Kyle Krafka ,  James Schmalzried

IPC分类号： G06Q10/00 ,  G06Q10/08 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G05D1/06 ,  G06V10/22 ,  G06V20/10

摘要： A technique for validating a balcony to receive delivery of a parcel via a UAV includes obtaining a first identification of a general location of the balcony; generating a first image representing a building including the balcony where the first image is selected based upon the location identified; obtaining a second identification or a confirmation of a precise location of the balcony in the building where the second identification or the confirmation are received in response to an end-user interaction with the first image; determining a deliverability score based at least in part on the precise location of the balcony; and indicating an enrollment status to the end-user where the enrollment status is generated based upon the deliverability score.

公开(公告)号：US11370555B2

公开(公告)日：2022-06-28

申请号：US16729167

申请日：2019-12-27

申请人： Wing Aviation LLC

发明人： Kevin Jenkins ,  André Prager ,  Brandon Jones ,  John FitzSimons

IPC分类号： B64D27/24 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64C27/68 ,  H01R4/56

摘要： A method is provided that includes causing an operational member of a system to move. The method includes driving a power or control signal through a conductive coupling member. The conductive coupling member is connected between a first terminal and a second terminal in a power circuit, and the coupling member secures the operational member to a structural member of the system. The method includes detecting an electrical disconnect between the first terminal and a second terminal. The method includes determining a mechanical break associated with the coupling member based on the electrical disconnect between the first terminal and the second terminal. The method includes causing the operational member of the system to stop moving based on determining the mechanical break associated with the coupling member.

公开(公告)号：US20210109550A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-15

申请号：US16597338

申请日：2019-10-09

申请人： WING Aviation LLC

发明人： Kevin Jenkins ,  Brandon Jones

IPC分类号： G05D1/10 ,  G05D1/08 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64C39/02

摘要： A technique for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes monitoring a sensed airspeed of the UAV, obtaining a commanded speed for the UAV, wherein the commanded speed representing a command to fly the UAV at a given speed relative to an airmass or to Earth, and when the commanded speed is greater than the sensed airspeed, using the commanded speed in lieu of the sensed airspeed to inform flight control decisions of the UAV.

公开(公告)号：US11287835B2

公开(公告)日：2022-03-29

申请号：US16360952

申请日：2019-03-21

申请人： WING Aviation LLC

发明人： Damien Jourdan ,  Brandon Jones ,  Richard Roberts

IPC分类号： G05D1/04 ,  G05D1/12 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G06T7/73 ,  G06K7/14 ,  G06K7/10 ,  G06K19/06

摘要： Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation systems include a UAV charging pad positioned at a storage facility, a plurality of fiducial markers positioned at the storage facility, and a UAV. Each fiducial marker is associated with a fiducial dataset storing a position of the fiducial marker, and each fiducial dataset is stored in a fiducial map. The UAV has a navigation system that includes a camera, a fiducial navigation sub-system, a non-fiducial navigation sub-system, and logic that when executed causes the UAV to image a first fiducial marker with the camera, to transition from a non-fiducial navigation mode to a fiducial navigation mode, to access from the fiducial map the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker, and to navigate based upon the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker, into alignment with and land on the UAV charging pad.

公开(公告)号：US20210197977A1

公开(公告)日：2021-07-01

申请号：US16729167

申请日：2019-12-27

申请人： Wing Aviation LLC

发明人： Kevin Jenkins ,  André Prager ,  Brandon Jones ,  John FitzSimons

IPC分类号： B64D27/24 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64C27/68

摘要： A method is provided that includes causing an operational member of a system to move. The method includes driving a power or control signal through a conductive coupling member. The conductive coupling member is connected between a first terminal and a second terminal in a power circuit, and the coupling member secures the operational member to a structural member of the system. The method includes detecting an electrical disconnect between the first terminal and a second terminal. The method includes determining a mechanical break associated with the coupling member based on the electrical disconnect between the first terminal and the second terminal. The method includes causing the operational member of the system to stop moving based on determining the mechanical break associated with the coupling member.

公开(公告)号：US11912432B2

公开(公告)日：2024-02-27

申请号：US17118530

申请日：2020-12-10

申请人： Wing Aviation LLC

发明人： Brandon Jones ,  Kevin Jenkins ,  Damien Jourdan ,  André Prager

IPC分类号： B64C39/02 ,  B64D45/00 ,  G08G5/00

CPC分类号： B64D45/00 ,  B64C39/024 ,  G08G5/0013 ,  B64D2045/0085 ,  B64U2201/10 ,  B64U2201/20

摘要： A method includes determining an operational condition associated with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The method includes, responsive to determining the operational condition, causing the UAV to perform a pre-flight check. The pre-flight check includes hovering the UAV above a takeoff location. The pre-flight check includes, while hovering the UAV, moving one or more controllable components of the UAV in accordance with a predetermined sequence of movements. The pre-flight check includes obtaining, by one or more sensors of the UAV, sensor data indicative of a flight response of the UAV to moving the one or more controllable components while hovering the UAV. The pre-flight check includes comparing the sensor data to expected sensor data associated with an expected flight response to the predetermined sequence of movements while hovering the UAV. The pre-flight check includes, based on comparing the sensor data to the expected sensor data, evaluating performance of the UAV.

公开(公告)号：US11905014B2

公开(公告)日：2024-02-20

申请号：US17076506

申请日：2020-10-21

申请人： WING Aviation LLC

发明人： James Schmalzried ,  Benjamin Jacobs ,  Brandon Jones ,  Stephen Lacy ,  Jonathan Lesser ,  Aditya Undurti ,  André Prager

IPC分类号： B64C39/02 ,  G05D1/10 ,  G05D1/06 ,  B64U50/19 ,  B64U50/34 ,  B64U101/30 ,  B64U101/60 ,  G05D1/00

CPC分类号： B64C39/024 ,  G05D1/0653 ,  G05D1/104 ,  G05D1/106 ,  B64U50/19 ,  B64U50/34 ,  B64U2101/30 ,  B64U2101/60

摘要： A technique for operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a terminal area from which the UAVs are staged includes charging a plurality of the UAVs on charging pads disposed in a staging array at the terminal area. Merchant facilities for preparing packages for delivery by the UAVs are disposed about a periphery of the staging array. The UAVs are relocated under their own propulsion from interior charging pads to peripheral loading pads of the staging array as the peripheral loading pads become available and the UAVs are deemed sufficiently charged and ready for delivery missions.