Unmanned aircraft systems and methods

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a system to identify geographic zones into which unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are inhibited from flying. In some instances, the system detects, while the UAS is in flight and traveling along a flight path to a delivery location where the UAS is scheduled to deliver a package, a no fly zone (NFZ) into which the UAS is to avoid flying; obtains a revised flight path to the delivery location that includes a detour route around the no fly zone; directs the motor controller to control the motors to implement the revised flight path; and detects when the UAS is at a threshold distance from the delivery location and initiate delivery of the package.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system to identify geographic zones into which unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are inhibited from flying, comprising:
 a transceiver of an UAS;   a control circuit communicatively coupled with the transceiver; and   a memory coupled to the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to perform the steps of:
 detect, while the UAS is in flight and traveling along a flight path to a delivery location where the UAS is scheduled to deliver a package, a no fly zone (NFZ) into which the UAS is to avoid flying; 
 obtain a revised flight path to the delivery location that includes a detour route around the no fly zone; 
 direct the UAS to implement the revised flight path; and 
 detect when the UAS is at a threshold distance from the delivery location and initiate delivery of the package. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a beacon detector of the UAS coupled with the control circuit and configured to detect a wireless beacon signal indicative of the no fly zone and communicate a detection of a beacon signal to the control circuit;   wherein the control circuit, in obtaining the revised flight path, determines the detour route based on a type of beacon signal detected by the beacon detector.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a beacon detector of the UAS coupled with the control circuit and configured to detect wireless beacon signals indicative of the no fly zone and communicate a detection of a beacon signal to the control circuit;   wherein the control circuit, in detecting the no fly zone, is further configured to determine a portion of a boundary of the no fly zone based on a detection by the beacon detector of a first beacon signal from a first beacon generator.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to alter the direction of flight by the UAS away from the flight path based on the detection of the first beacon signal, receive a subsequent notification from the beacon detector of a detection of a second beacon signal, and determine at least the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone based on the first beacon signal and the second beacon signal. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the control circuit, in determining the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone, is configured to determine the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone based on a signal strength of the first beacon signal. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a camera on the UAS;   wherein the control circuit, in detecting the no fly zone, identifies the no fly zone based on a detection of a visual indicator identifying the no fly zone from image processing of images captured by the camera; and   wherein the control circuit implements the detour route based on the detected visual indicator of the no fly zone.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a no fly zone registration circuit communicatively coupled with a distributed communication network, wherein the no fly zone registration circuit is configured to:
 receive, over the distributed communication network from an identified user, a property identification of a geographically bounded property and a request to designate a geographic zone over the identified property as a no fly zone; 
 authenticate the user as being authorized to specify the identified property as a no fly zone; and 
 register the identified property as a no fly zone property in response to authenticating the user as authorized to specify the identified property as a no fly zone. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a UAS routing system separate from the UAS and configured to:
 receive a launch location and the destination location; 
 identify that the identified property registered as a no fly zone property is located between the launch location and the destination location; 
 determine the flight path for the UAS between the launch location and the destination location that includes avoiding flying over the registered identified property. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the no fly zone registration circuit in authenticating the user is further configured to access a customer database maintained by a retail entity of customers registered with the retail entity, and confirm that the customer database associates the user with the identified property. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the no fly zone registration circuit, in authenticating the user, is further configured to access government records and confirm that the government records associates the user with the identified property. 
     
     
         11 . A method to identify geographic zones into which unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are inhibited from flying, comprising:
 detecting, based on sensor data captured by a sensor of the UAS while the UAS is in flight and traveling along a flight path to a delivery location where the UAS is scheduled to deliver a package, a no fly zone (NFZ) into which the UAS is to avoid flying;   obtaining a revised flight path to the delivery location that includes a detour route around the no fly zone;   directing the UAS to implement the revised flight path; and   detecting when the UAS is at a threshold distance from the delivery location and initiate delivery of the package.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 detecting, through a beacon detector of the UAS, a wireless beacon signal indicative of the no fly zone; and   wherein the obtaining the revised flight path comprises determining the detour route based on a type of beacon signal detected by the beacon detector.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 detecting, through a beacon detector of the UAS, a first beacon signal from a first beacon generator indicative of the no fly zone;   wherein the detecting the no fly zone further comprises determining a portion of a boundary of the no fly zone based on the detection by the beacon detector of the first beacon signal from a first beacon generator.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the implementing the revised flight path comprises:
 altering the direction of flight by the UAS away from the flight path;   receiving a subsequent notification from the beacon detector of a detection of a second beacon signal;   wherein the determining the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone comprises determining at least the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone based on the first beacon signal and the second beacon signal.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the determining the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone comprises determining the portion of the boundary of the no fly zone based on a signal strength of the first beacon signal. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the detecting the no fly zone comprises detecting a visual indicator identifying the no fly zone based on image processing of images captured by a camera on the UAS; and
 implementing the detour route based on the detected visual indicator of the no fly zone.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving, from over a distributed communication network from an identified user, a property identification of a geographically bounded property and a request to designate a geographic zone over the identified property as a no fly zone;   authenticating the user as being authorized to specify the identified property as a no fly zone; and   registering the identified property as a no fly zone property in response to authenticating the user as authorized to specify the identified property as a no fly zone.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 determining, through a UAS routing system that is separate from the UAS, the flight path comprising:   receiving a launch location and the destination location;   identifying that the identified property registered as a no fly zone property is located between the launch location and the destination location; and   determining the flight path for the UAS between the launch location and the destination location that includes avoiding flying over the registered identified property.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the authenticating the user comprises accessing a customer database maintained by a retail entity of customers registered with the retail entity, and confirming that the customer database associates the user with the identified property. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the authenticating the user comprises accessing government records, and confirming that the government records associates the user with the identified property.