US 11,854,414 B2
UAV delivery control system for UAV delivery of packages
Jay Ratajczak, Maineville, OH (US); Scott Wilson, Maineville, OH (US); Wei Wei, Mason, OH (US); and Thaddeus M. Bort, Jr., Loveland, OH (US)
Assigned to Workhorse Group Inc., Sharonville, OH (US)
Filed by Workhorse Group Inc., Sharonville, OH (US)
Filed on Oct. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/963,730.
Application 17/963,730 is a continuation of application No. 16/934,906, filed on Jul. 21, 2020, granted, now 11,538,347.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/038,456, filed on Jun. 12, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0037502 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. G08G 5/00 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); G06Q 10/00 (2023.01); G06Q 10/0832 (2023.01); G06Q 10/0835 (2023.01); B64U 80/86 (2023.01); B64U 101/60 (2023.01)
CPC G08G 5/0069 (2013.01) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); G06Q 10/0832 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08355 (2013.01); G08G 5/0013 (2013.01); G08G 5/0039 (2013.01); B64U 80/86 (2023.01); B64U 2101/60 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivery control system to automatically manage an operation of an UAV as the UAV operates to deliver a package to a delivery location, comprising:
at least one sensor associated with the UAV that maneuvers on an airborne delivery route that is configured to detect at least one operation parameter associated with the UAV as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route to deliver the package to the delivery location, wherein the at least one operation parameter is indicative to an operation of the UAV as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route; and
an UAV operation controller configured to:
determine an operation threshold that the UAV is currently operating as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route to deliver the package to the delivery location based on the at least one operation parameter, wherein the operation threshold is the operation of the UAV that is maintained within an overall airborne operation radius of the UAV from an initial return destination that the UAV is returning to after completing the delivery of the package thereby enabling the UAV to execute the delivery of the package along the airborne delivery route and to return the initial return destination,
determine when the operation threshold of the UAV is currently operating as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route exceeds the overall airborne operation radius of the UAV from the initial return destination that the UAV is returning to after completing the delivery of the package based on the at least one operation parameter, wherein the operation threshold exceeds the overall airborne operation radius of the UAV when the at least one operation parameter is indicative that the UAV is not capable of returning to the initial return destination after completing the delivery of the package, and
automatically adjust the operation of the UAV as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route to return to a second return destination that differs from the initial return destination when the operation threshold of the UAV is currently operating exceeds the overall airborne operation radius of the UAV from the initial return destination, wherein the second return destination maintains the UAV within the operation threshold within the overall airborne operation radius of the UAV to the second return destination.