BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to drone management. In a more particular example, the disclosure relates to technologies for managing drones in a vehicular system.

Drones are popularly used in a wide variety of areas for data collection, telecommunication, package delivery, security, and surveillance, etc. However, the drones often have limited operation range because they can only travel a limited distance due to their limited power source. Today, some modern systems rely on optimal placement of charging stations to extend the operation range of the drones. However, these existing solutions are usually inflexible and inefficient because the drones may fly to and from various locations and the charging stations may not exist in their travel routes. Other existing systems generally select a vehicle to carry the drone closer to the destination associated with the assigned task of the drone. However, there may not be a vehicle that can carry the drone towards the destination among the vehicles available on the roads. Even if there is a vehicle that can carry the drone to a point closer to the destination, the distance between that point and the destination may still be longer than the distance that the drone can fly, given its remaining power source. Therefore, it is generally impractical or impossible for these existing systems to guarantee that the assigned task of the drone is successfully completed.

SUMMARY

The subject matter described in this disclosure overcomes the deficiencies and limitations of the existing solutions by providing novel technology for managing drones in a vehicular system.

According to one innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure, a computer-implemented method comprises: assigning a first drone of a drone network a first task, the first task instructing the first drone to transport a first package to a first destination in a geographic area; receiving roadway traffic data for a plurality of roadway vehicles in the geographic area; determining, based on the roadway traffic data and during transit of the first package to the first destination by the first drone, to transfer the first package to a second drone in the drone network; and transferring the first package to the second drone in the drone network.

In general, another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be embodied in computer-implemented methods comprising: receiving, at a first drone of a drone network, a first task to transport a first package to a first destination in a geographic area; receiving roadway traffic data for the geographic area; determining, based on the roadway traffic data and during transit of the first package to the first destination by the first drone, to transfer the first package to a second drone of the drone network; wirelessly communicating a request to transfer the first package to the second drone; wirelessly receiving a response to the request accepting the transfer of the first package; and transferring the first package to the second drone.

In general, another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be embodied in systems comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to: assign a first drone of a drone network a first task, the first task instructing the first drone to transport a first package to a first destination in a geographic area; receive roadway traffic data for a plurality of roadway vehicles in the geographic area; determine, based on the roadway traffic data and during transit of the first package to the first destination by the first drone, to transfer the first package to a second drone in the drone network; and transfer the first package to the second drone in the drone network.

These and other implementations may each optionally include one or more of the following features: that determining a vehicle route of a first roadway vehicle based on the roadway traffic data, wherein the first drone is docked on the first roadway vehicle that is traveling towards the first destination in the geographic area, and determining to transfer the first package to the second drone is based on a range of the first drone and the vehicle route of the first roadway vehicle; that determining to transfer the first package to the second drone includes determining, based on the range of the first drone and the vehicle route of the first roadway vehicle, that the first destination is unreachable by the first drone, determining, based on a proximate traffic condition, that a traffic flow of one or more roadway vehicles is insufficient for transporting the first drone to within a drop-off region of the first destination, and determining to transfer the first package to the second drone based on the first destination being unreachable and the traffic flow being insufficient; that the second drone is docked on a second roadway vehicle that is traveling towards the first destination in the geographic area, determining to transfer the first package to the second drone includes determining a vehicle route of the second roadway vehicle based on the roadway traffic data, selecting, from the drone network, the second drone based on the vehicle route of the second roadway vehicle, and transferring the first package to the second drone includes reassigning the first task to the second drone, the reassigned first task instructing the second drone to transport the first package to the first destination in the geographic area, and coordinating a package handover of the first package from the first drone to the second drone; that selecting the second drone includes determining, based on an assigned task of the second drone, an available range of the second drone, determining, based on the available range of the second drone and the vehicle route of the second roadway vehicle, that the first destination will be reachable by the second drone, and selecting the second drone from the drone network based on the first destination being reachable by the second drone; that selecting the second drone includes determining, based on a proximate traffic condition, that a traffic flow of one or more roadway vehicles is sufficient for transporting the second drone to within a drop-off region of the first destination, and selecting the second drone from the drone network based on the traffic flow being sufficient; that assigning the second drone of the drone network a second task, the second task instructing the second drone to transport a second package to a second destination in the geographic area, reassigning the first task to the second drone and the second task to the first drone, transferring the first package from the first drone to a first roadway vehicle, transferring the second package from the second drone to a second roadway vehicle, navigating the first drone from the first roadway vehicle to the second roadway vehicle having the second package, and navigating the second drone from the second roadway vehicle to the first roadway vehicle having the first package, wherein transferring the first package to the second drone includes transferring the first package from the first drone to the first roadway vehicle, and transferring the first package from the first roadway vehicle to the second drone; that reassigning the first task to the second drone and the second task to the first drone is based on one or more of a task priority, a battery level of the first drone, a battery level of the second drone, a traffic condition associated with a vehicle route of the first roadway vehicle, and a traffic condition associated with a vehicle route of the second roadway vehicle.

These and other implementations may each optionally include one or more of the following features: that the second drone is docked on a second roadway vehicle that is traveling towards the first destination in the geographic area, wirelessly communicating the request to transfer the first package to the second drone includes reassigning the first task to the second drone, the reassigned first task instructing the second drone to transport the first package to the first destination in the geographic area, and transferring the first package to the second drone includes navigating to the second roadway vehicle, and performing a package handover of the first package from the first drone to the second drone; that the second drone is assigned a second task, the second task instructing the second drone to transport a second package to a second destination in the geographic area, wirelessly communicating the request to transfer the first package to the second drone includes reassigning the first task to the second drone and the second task to the first drone, and transferring the first package to the second drone includes transferring the first package from the first drone to a first roadway vehicle, navigating from the first roadway vehicle to a second roadway vehicle having the second package, the second package being transferred from the second drone to the second roadway vehicle, and transferring the second package from the second roadway vehicle to the first drone; that selecting the second drone from the drone network based on one or more of a range of the first drone, a range of the second drone, a traffic condition associated with a vehicle route of a first roadway vehicle, the first drone is docked on the first roadway vehicle, a traffic condition associated with a vehicle route of a second roadway vehicle, and that the second drone is docked on the second roadway vehicle.

Other implementations of one or more of these and other aspects include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer programs, configured to perform the actions of methods, encoded on non-transitory computer storage devices.

The novel technology for managing drones in a vehicular system presented in this disclosure is particularly advantageous in a number of respects. For example, the technology described herein is capable of enabling the drones to collaboratively form a drone network, in which the first drone can hand over or switch its drone task with a second drone of the drone network based on the roadway traffic data (e.g., roadway data of road segments, vehicle data of roadway vehicles, etc.) and/or other factors (e.g., range of the drones, destination point, subsequent stop point of the drones, urgency level of drone task, etc.). For example, in the package delivery system, if the first drone is incapable of reaching a first destination to deliver a first package due to its limited flight range, the first drone may hand over the first package to the second drone docked on the second roadway vehicle, and the second drone may transport the first package of the first drone in addition to its own package. In another example, the first drone docked on the first roadway vehicle and the second drone docked on the second roadway vehicle may release their packages and switch to dock on the other roadway vehicle that previously transported the other drone, thereby exchanging their drone tasks with one another. Due to the collaboration among the drones in the drone network, the present technology can significantly improve the likelihood that the drone tasks are successfully completed.

Furthermore, the technology described herein can take advantage of the roadway vehicles present on the roads to transport the drones. As a result, the present technology can maximize the overall utilization of these roadway vehicles and eliminate the need to introduce more roadway vehicles on the roads, thereby avoid intensifying vehicular emission and traffic congestion. In addition, the technology described herein can use the drones with limited operation range to perform the drone tasks without increasing the potential risk of task failure, and thus the security concern can be addressed. The present technology is advantageously applicable in various systems that utilize the drones to deliver packages, detect traffic accidents, surveil crime scenes, facilitate transportation with the drones being implemented as mobile roadside units, etc. It should be understood that the foregoing advantages are provided by way of example and that the technology may have numerous other advantages and benefits.

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals are used to refer to similar elements.

