Systems and methods for controlling communication capabilities of unmanned vehicles via intermediate communication devices

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided that provide for monitoring and controlling communication capabilities of unmanned transport vehicles that via one or more intermediate communication devices that provide relay communications between the unmanned transport vehicles and a control station device when the unmanned transport vehicles travel through areas where the network quality does not permit direct communication between the unmanned transport vehicles and the control station device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for monitoring and controlling communication capabilities a plurality of unmanned vehicles, the system comprising:
 a plurality of unmanned vehicles each including a processor-based control circuit and configured to transport commercial retail products and goods not for sale along predetermined mission routes;   a computing device including a processor-based control unit and configured to communicate with the unmanned vehicles via a wireless communication network;   an electronic database in communication over the wireless network with the computing device and the at least one of the unmanned vehicles, the electronic database being configured to store data including:
 route data indicating the predetermined mission routes of the unmanned vehicles; 
 bandwidth data indicating bandwidth available to the unmanned vehicles during their travel along the predetermined mission routes; and 
 weather data indicating predicted weather during the travel of the unmanned vehicles along the predetermined mission routes;
 wherein the control circuit of at least one of the unmanned vehicles is configured to: analyze the route data associated with the unmanned vehicles in view of the bandwidth data and the weather data to determine whether the at least one of the unmanned vehicles will be out of direct communication with the computing device when traveling along one or more segments of the predetermined mission route; 
 in response to a determination by the control circuit that the at least one of the unmanned vehicles will be out of direct communication with the computing device when traveling along the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route, identify an intermediate communication device configured to relay communications between the computing device and the at least one of the unmanned vehicles when the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is traveling along the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route where the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is out of direct communication with the computing device; and 
 
 transmit a control signal to the intermediate communication device, the control signal identifying the at least one of the unmanned vehicles to the intermediate communication device and instructing the intermediate communication device to relay communication signals between the computing device and the at least one of the unmanned vehicles; 
   wherein the intermediate communication device is configured, in response to a receipt of the control signal transmitted by the at least one of the unmanned vehicles, to relay communication signals between the computing device and the at least one of the unmanned vehicles while the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is traveling along the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route where the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is out of direct communication with the computing device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unmanned vehicles comprise at least one of an unmanned aerial vehicle and an unmanned ground vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate communication device comprises another one of the plurality of unmanned vehicles, a third-party Wi-Fi network, a third-party unmanned vehicle, a third-party stationary wireless communication relay-enabled station, and a third-party mobile wireless communication relay-enabled station. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is configured to obtain, from the electronic database and over the wireless communication network, electronic data indicating a list of intermediate communication devices available to provide relay communications between the computing device and the at least one of the unmanned vehicles when the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is traveling along the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route where the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is out of direct communication with the computing device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is further configured to analyze coordinates of the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route where the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is out of direct communication with the computing device, coordinates of the intermediate communication devices on the list, the bandwidth data, and the weather data to determine an availability ranking and a cost ranking for each of the intermediate communication devices on the list. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is further configured to select the intermediate communication device determined by the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles to:
 have a highest availability ranking, the highest availability ranking being based on a determination by the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles that the selected intermediate communication device would provide a strongest relay communication signal between the computing device and the at least one of the unmanned vehicles as compared to other intermediate communication devices on the list; and   have a highest cost ranking, the highest cost ranking being based on a determination by the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles that the selected intermediate communication device is associated with a lowest cost of use as compared to other intermediate communication devices on the list.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the unmanned vehicles includes at least one sensor configured to detect a present location of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles along the predetermined mission routes, at least one sensor configured to detect real-time weather at the present location, at least one sensor configured to detect a quality of the wireless communication network at the present location of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles along the predetermined mission routes, and at least one sensor configured to detect a proximity to the at least one of the unmanned vehicles of one or more of another unmanned vehicle and the intermediate communication device. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein each of the intermediate communication devices includes at least one sensor configured to detect a present location of the intermediate communication device and wherein the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is further configured to, based on location data obtained from the at least one sensor of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles and based on location data obtained from the at least one sensor of the intermediate communication devices, to identify the intermediate communication device that is located closest to the at least one of the unmanned vehicles when the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is located at the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route where the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is out of direct communication with the computing device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit of the at least one unmanned vehicle is configured to:
 authenticate the intermediate communication device attempting to communicate with the at least one unmanned vehicle; and   permit the intermediate communication device to communicate with the unmanned vehicle only after the intermediate communication device transmits an authenticated electronic access key to the unmanned vehicle.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to:
 authenticate the intermediate communication device attempting to communicate with the computing device; and   permit the intermediate communication device to communicate with the computing device only after the intermediate communication device transmits an authenticated electronic access key to the computing device.   
     
     
         11 . A method for monitoring and controlling communication capabilities a plurality of unmanned vehicles, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of unmanned vehicles each including a processor-based control circuit and configured to transport commercial retail products and goods not for sale along predetermined mission routes;   providing a computing device including a processor-based control unit and configured to communicate with the unmanned vehicles via a wireless communication network;   providing an electronic database in communication over the wireless network with the computing device and the at least one of the unmanned vehicles, the electronic database being configured to store data including:
 route data indicating the predetermined misison routes of the unmanned vehicles; 
 bandwidth data indicating bandwidth available to the unmanned vehicles during their travel along the predetermined mission routes; and 
 weather data indicating predicted weather during the travel of the unmanned vehicles along the predetermined mission routes; 
   analyzing, via the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles, the route data associated with the unmanned vehicles in view of the bandwidth data and the weather data to determine whether at least one of the unmanned vehicles will be out of direct communication with the computing device when traveling along one or more segments of the predetermined mission route;   in response to a determination by the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles that the at least one of the unmanned vehicles will be out of direct communication with the computing device when traveling along the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route, identifying, via the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles, an intermediate communication device configured to relay communications between the computing device and the at least one of the unmanned vehicles when the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is traveling along the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route where the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is out of direct communication with the computing device;   transmitting, via the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles, a control signal to the intermediate communication device, the control signal identifying the at least one of the unmanned vehicles to the intermediate communication device and instructing the intermediate communication device to relay communication signals between the at least one of the unmanned vehicles and the computing device;   in response to a receipt of the control signal by the intermediate communication device, permitting the at least one of the unmanned vehicles to communicate with the computing device via the intermediate communication device while the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is traveling along the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route where the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is out of direct communication with the computing device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of unmanned vehicles comprise at least one of an unmanned aerial vehicle and an unmanned ground vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the intermediate communication device comprises another one of the plurality of unmanned vehicles, a third-party Wi-Fi network, a third-party unmanned vehicle, a third-party stationary wireless communication relay-enabled station, and a third-party mobile wireless communication relay-enabled station. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising obtaining, via the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles and from the electronic database and over the wireless communication network, electronic data indicating a list of intermediate communication devices available to provide relay communications between the computing device and the at least one of the unmanned vehicles when the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is traveling along the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route where the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is out of direct communication with the computing device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising analyzing, via the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles, coordinates of the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route where the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is out of direct communication with the computing device, coordinates of the intermediate communication devices on the list, the bandwidth data, and the weather data to determine an availability ranking and a cost ranking for each of the intermediate communication devices on the list. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising selecting, via the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles, the intermediate communication device determined by the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles to:
 have a highest availability ranking, the highest availability ranking being based on a determination by the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles that the selected intermediate communication device would provide a strongest relay communication signal between the computing device and the at least one of the unmanned vehicles as compared to other intermediate communication devices on the list; and   have a highest cost ranking, the highest cost ranking being based on a determination by the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles that the selected intermediate communication device is associated with a lowest cost of use as compared to other intermediate communication devices on the list.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising providing each of the unmanned vehicles with at least one sensor configured to detect a present location of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles along the predetermined mission routes, at least one sensor configured to detect real-time weather at the present location, at least one sensor configured to transmit over the wireless communication network a quality of the wireless communication network at the present location of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles along the predetermined mission routes, and at least one sensor detecting a proximity to the at least one of the unmanned vehicles. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 providing each of the intermediate communication devices with at least one sensor configured to transmit over the wireless communication network a present location of the intermediate communication device; and   identifying, via the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles and based on location data obtained from the at least one sensor of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles and based on location data obtained from the at least one sensor of the intermediate communication devices, the intermediate communication device that is located closest to the at least one of the unmanned vehicles when the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is located at the one or more segments of the predetermined mission route where the at least one of the unmanned vehicles is out of direct communication with the computing device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 authenticating, via the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles, the intermediate communication device attempting to communicate with the at least one of the unmanned vehicles; and   permitting, via the control circuit of the at least one of the unmanned vehicles, the intermediate communication device to communicate with the at least one of the unmanned vehicles only after the intermediate communication device transmits an authenticated electronic access key to the at least one of the unmanned vehicles.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 authenticating, via the control unit of the computing device, the intermediate communication device attempting to communicate with the computing device; and   permitting the intermediate communication device to communicate with the computing device only after the intermediate communication device transmits an authenticated electronic access key to the computing device.