Drone air traffic control over wireless networks for multiple package pickups and deliveries
Drone systems and methods for pickup and delivery of multiple packages include communicating to one or more UAVs over one or more wireless networks; receiving multiple delivery requests, each delivery request specifying any of a pickup location, one or more packages, and a delivery location for each package; determining whether multiple packages including a first package for delivery at a first delivery location and a second package for delivery at a second delivery location are deliverable in a single flight of a UAV; selecting a UAV of the one or more UAVs for delivering the multiple packages; and directing the UAV to pick up the multiple packages, and deliver the first package at the first delivery location and the second package at the second delivery location, wherein the air traffic control system provides a flight plan to the UAV based on the first and second delivery locations.
1. A drone method for pickup and delivery of multiple packages, comprising:
in an air traffic control system configured to manage Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight in a geographic region, communicating to one or more UAVs over one or more wireless networks;
receiving multiple delivery requests including for a first package and a second package, each delivery request specifying any of a pickup location, one or more packages, and a delivery location for each package;
directing a UAV to travel to each respective pickup location, scan for and identify a respective package, and upon confirming an identity of the respective package, pick up the respective package; and
directing the UAV to deliver the first package for delivery at a first delivery location and the second package for delivery at a second delivery location via a flight plan provided to the UAV based on the first delivery location and the second delivery location, wherein multiple packages include the first package and the second package.
2. The drone method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether multiple packages including the first package for delivery at the first delivery location and the second package for delivery at the second delivery location are deliverable in a single flight of the UAV; and
selecting the UAV of the one or more UAVs for delivering the multiple packages.
3. The drone method of claim 1 , wherein the flight plan is optimized based on the pickup location and the delivery location for each package.
4. The drone method of claim 1 , wherein the air traffic control system directs the UAV to deliver the first package before picking up the second package.
5. The drone method of claim 1 , wherein a number of the multiple packages selected for delivery by the UAV is based on pickup locations, delivery locations, weight of each package, and a range of the UAV.
6. A drone air traffic control system comprising:
a processor and a network interface communicatively coupled to one another; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
communicate to one or more UAVs over one or more wireless networks;
receive multiple delivery requests including a first package and a second package, each delivery request specifying any of a pickup location, one or more packages, and a delivery location for each package;
direct a UAV to travel to each respective pickup location, scan for and identify a respective package, and upon confirming an identity of the respective package, pick up the respective package; and
direct the UAV to deliver the first package for delivery at a first delivery location and the second package for delivery at a second delivery location via a flight plan provided to the UAV based on the first delivery location and the second delivery location, wherein multiple packages include the first package and the second package.
7. The drone air traffic control system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to:
determine whether multiple packages including the first package for delivery at the first delivery location and the second package for delivery at the second delivery location are deliverable in a single flight of the UAV; and
select the UAV of the one or more UAVs for delivering the multiple packages.
8. The drone air traffic control system of claim 6 , wherein the flight plan is optimized based on the pickup location and the delivery location for each package.
9. The drone air traffic control system of claim 6 , wherein the air traffic control system directs the UAV to deliver the first package before picking up the second package.
10. The drone air traffic control system of claim 6 , wherein a number of the multiple packages selected for delivery by the UAV is based on pickup locations, delivery locations, weight of each package, and a range of the UAV.
11. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for delivering multiple packages, the UAV comprising:
hardware and antennas configured to communicate with one or more wireless networks;
a processor communicatively coupled to the hardware and antennas; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
communicate with an air traffic control system via one or more wireless networks;
obtain and send data to the air traffic control system in association with a flight of the UAV during delivery of the multiple packages;
receive instructions from the air traffic control system to pick up the multiple packages including a first package and a second package;
pick up the multiple packages by traveling to each respective pickup location, scanning for and identifying a respective package at each respective pickup location, and upon confirmation of an identity of the respective package, picking up the respective package; and
deliver the first package at a first delivery location and the second package at a second delivery location based on instructions received from the air traffic control system, wherein the instructions include a flight plan based on the first and second delivery locations.
12. The UAV of claim 11 , wherein the flight plan is optimized based on the pickup location and the delivery location for each package.
13. The UAV of claim 11 , wherein the UAV delivers the first package before picking up the second package.