System and method for safe landing of delivery aerial vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for positioning an aerial vehicle (502) at a geographic location, the system comprising an aerial vehicle (502) having one or more infrared (IR) detectors and a positioning beacon (504) located at the geographic location, the positioning beacon (504) configured to wirelessly transmit a landing identifier for detection by the aerial vehicle (502), and the positioning beacon (504) comprises one or more emitters or reflectors configured to emit an infrared signal or reflect an infrared signal, respectively, where the aerial vehicle (502) is configured to receive a landing identifier and the emitted or reflected infrared signal to compare the received landing identifier to a stored unique identifier, and if the received landing identifier does not exceed the stored unique identifier, the aerial vehicle (502) is configured to receive the landing identifier and the emitted or reflected infrared signal. If the received landing identifier matches the stored unique identifier, the transmitted signal or the reflected signal is used to control movement of the aerial vehicle (502) relative to the positioning beacon.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for safely, timely, and reliably landing a delivery aerial vehicle at its intended location. More specifically, although not exclusively, the present disclosure aims to improve or relate to systems and methods for safely landing an autonomous drone or unmanned aerial vehicle during the autonomous or semi-autonomous landing phase of flight at its intended destination, where they are to collect and / or deliver goods for an individual or organization. These improvements ensure that drone delivery can reliably reach the vast majority, if not all, types of destinations that occur in populated urban and town environments as well as more rural or remote locations, and reach mobile landing sites. Additionally, drone delivery trips may or may not be associated with local, regional, national, or international air traffic management systems. It should be understood that while the present disclosure primarily relates to the provision of delivery aerial vehicles, it is also contemplated that for a variety of purposes, the present disclosure is equally applicable to any aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] For several years, the continued development and significant investment in delivery drone technology have been driven by the need to utilize the new capabilities offered by autonomous drones to increase delivery speed, reduce order-to-delivery time, and lower the cost and environmental footprint of delivering small shipments to customers. The cost of local drone delivery is estimated to be 10% of the cost of road delivery. Shifting to drone delivery will accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to electrified transportation. Delivery times of less than 5 minutes enable local suppliers to more effectively compete with regional and national suppliers, further reducing transportation costs and emissions. The economic and environmental benefits of drones over trucks, vans, and minivans for transporting small shipments over short distances have been widely recognized, from food and beverages to mobile phones and pharmaceuticals.

[0003] To safely, reliably, and timely complete such drone deliveries, the drone must locate and land at the intended collection location where the supplier loads the shipment, and then locate and land at the intended delivery location to unload the shipment to the customer. Landing is the most dangerous of all normal operations for any aerial vehicle, even when directly controlled by an on-board or remote pilot with the support of an independent air traffic control service, and landing is at a dedicated airport, landing runway, or landing pad equipped with sophisticated landing assistance technology. In the case of drone deliveries to homes, businesses, or other customers, most of the current supporting technologies and systems are not available, and drone design and autonomous landing have encountered several challenges, including how to accommodate the infinite variety of potential landing sites and conditions, how to cope with malicious interference, and how to ensure that the identified landing site is the intended landing site.

[0004] Many early trials of drone delivery services involved drones being controlled by remote pilots with the support of on-board sensors, such as downward-facing cameras that were linked in real time to the remote pilot. The expected scale of demand for the delivery of light payloads by drones makes this option extremely labour-intensive and thus expensive. There are also technical difficulties in maintaining a safe communication and control link between the drone and the remote pilot within realistic flight ranges. This has led to research and development focusing on autonomous drones that are pre-programmed or programmed in flight to collect and deliver locations and are equipped with lightweight navigation systems that include global positioning systems (GPS) and inertial navigation systems (INS).

[0005] This approach can provide reliable autonomous flight in low-altitude airspace (below 400 feet is the normal space for drone operations) between collection and delivery locations in areas where GPS performance is reliable. However, in most buildings, especially high-rise buildings, towns and urban environments, it is well known that GPS is unreliable and can be affected by satellite line-of-sight obstruction, multipath reflection, etc. Even when supplemented by INS, the achievable navigation and positioning accuracy can only enable the drone to reach an approximate location where there may be several potential delivery locations or addresses, and during busy periods, two or more of them may have ordered a delivery.

[0006] In addition, even where GPS / INS works, using GPS / INS alone for positioning and navigation cannot address the challenge of identifying the correct landing location with high confidence and ensuring a safe and reliable landing at a very precise location that is usually freely available to the delivery customer. The accuracy and reliability of GPS / INS positioning and navigation are not sufficient to provide the accuracy required for a safe landing of drone delivery. Therefore, recent developments tend to serve more rural locations that have relatively large and safe private garden or land areas.

[0007] At the delivery location, the methods of unloading mainly focus on two alternative strategies. First, complete the landing of the drone on site before automatically or manually releasing the goods. Second, equip the drone with a mechanism that will lower the payload on a cable when the drone hovers above and then release it once the payload has landed at the delivery location. The hovering strategy requires more power from the drone's battery. At the collection location, either strategy can be adopted for the goods receiving installation.

[0008] Among all the existing technologies discovered so far, these automatic delivery strategies rely on drones being equipped with multiple sensors that can automatically survey countless potential landing site hazards (people, animals, water, overhead cables, obstacles...). These sensors are derived from a range of technologies including radar (RADAR, radio detection and ranging), lidar (LIDAR, light imaging, detection and ranging), and electro-optics (EO, electro-optical). All of these technologies can be integrated and used in combination on drones to provide some situational awareness in terms of reducing mass, size, power consumption, heat output, and sensitivity to environmental hazards such as mechanical shock, vibration, and electromagnetic interference. However, in safety-critical applications of drone landing, the complexity of all such situational awareness methods based on multiple sensors potentially supported by artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensor fusion is quite significant. This complexity inevitably increases the weight and cost of the vehicle, thus raising the practicality of the method and making it unable to rely on reducing the risk of safety hazards to an acceptable level.

[0009] The various positions, situations, conditions, and threats that a drone may encounter at and around the landing site have made the mass-market delivery landing challenge difficult so far. Typically, the flight path of a GPS / INS-navigated drone is informed and supplemented with pre-flight information about static hazards such as masts, buildings, power lines, trees, etc. However, once the drone reaches the vicinity of the GPS / INS approximate latitude and longitude coordinates of the landing site, as the drone descends into an urban environment, the reliability and accuracy of the navigation may decrease significantly, and thus the precision of any pre-flight information becomes irrelevant. Additionally, even if the challenges of local and potentially temporary hazard identification are successfully mitigated, the presence of things such as children, pets, or wild animals cannot be addressed by these technologies in terms of uniquely identifying the intended landing site from several candidate locations.

[0010] If drone deliveries are to be made commercially available to most private and commercial customers, then delivery to landing sites in towns and urban environments must be convenient, practical, safe, and reliable. Typical ground-level landing sites are private land, including small gardens, courtyards, driveways, fences, etc. Landing sites above ground level include private balconies and rooftops. There may also be shared or public locations at ground level or on buildings. Many of these locations are small, with limited access from above and restricted by surrounding structures. Based on the typical dimensions of a home backyard, balcony, etc., a delivery aerial vehicle must be able to land precisely within one square meter, either vertically from above or, in the case of a balcony, by performing a tight horizontal-to-vertical maneuver just above the landing area. None of this is possible due to the inaccurate positioning and navigation of known technologies such as GPS / INS, enhanced GPS, or other systems [Ref. 1]. In addition, deliveries need to be made in daylight or darkness, in clear or inclement weather. At the time of landing, the landing site must be free of foreign objects such as people and animals, and the system and method must support clear legal liability for the parties involved. Finally, the landed delivery needs to be collected by the intended recipient and not susceptible to theft or malicious interference. Theft is also a risk for drones. In short, drones must be able to land cargo safely and securely, posing acceptably low risks to people, animals, property and themselves.

[0011] Despite significant investments by several technology companies in commercial drones over the past decade, progress has been slow, with little regulatory approval. The limited progress that has been made has been with tethered landing drones, with remote pilot support, and only in more remote and open locations. The challenge of addressing the mass market for lightweight delivery has yet to be met.

[0012] It is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0013] According to a first aspect of the present embodiment, a system for locating an aerial vehicle at a geographic location is provided. The system includes an aerial vehicle having one or more infrared (IR) detectors and a positioning beacon located at the geographic location. The positioning beacon is configured to wirelessly transmit a landing identifier for detection by the aerial vehicle, and includes one or more transmitters or reflectors configured to transmit IR signals or reflect IR signals, respectively. The aerial vehicle is configured to receive the landing identifier and the transmitted or reflected IR signal to compare the received landing identifier with a stored unique identifier, and if the received landing identifier matches the stored unique identifier, the transmitted signal or the reflected signal is used to control the movement of the aerial vehicle relative to the positioning beacon.

[0014] In some embodiments, the movement of an aerial vehicle is controlled based on stored positioning data that includes data indicating the expected position of the aerial vehicle relative to IR radiation emitted or reflected from one or more transmitters or reflectors of a positioning beacon. In such embodiments, the aerial vehicle may further include a payload storage system configured to enable the aerial vehicle to carry a load, and wherein the aerial vehicle is configured to operate the payload storage system to receive or release the load when located at the expected position.

[0015] In some related embodiments, the aerial vehicle further includes a GPS navigation system, and wherein the aerial vehicle is further configured to use stored GPS coordinates indicating a general position of a geographical location to control the aerial vehicle to move towards the general position of the geographical location.

[0016] In some embodiments, the aerial vehicle further includes a GPS navigation system, and wherein the aerial vehicle is further configured to use stored GPS coordinates indicating a general position of a geographical location to control the aerial vehicle to move towards the general position of the geographical location, and the system further includes a second positioning beacon located at a second geographical location, the second positioning beacon being configured to wirelessly transmit a landing identifier for the aerial vehicle to detect, and the second positioning beacon including one or more second transmitters or second reflectors configured to respectively emit or reflect IR signals. In these embodiments, the aerial vehicle is further configured to use stored GPS coordinates indicating a general position of the second geographical location to control the aerial vehicle to move towards the general position of the second geographical location, and wherein the movement of the aerial vehicle is controlled based on stored positioning data that includes data indicating a first expected position and a second expected position of the aerial vehicle relative to IR radiation emitted or reflected from one or more transmitters or reflectors of a positioning beacon and one or more second transmitters or second reflectors of a positioning beacon, respectively. The aerial vehicle further includes a payload storage system configured to enable the aerial vehicle to carry a load, and wherein the aerial vehicle is configured to operate the payload storage system to receive the load when located at the first expected position and release the load when located at the second expected position.

[0017] In further embodiments, one or more transmitters or reflectors include one or more transmitters, and the positioning beacon is further configured to transmit a landing identifier for the aerial vehicle to detect by appropriately modulating the IR radiation emitted from at least one transmitter.

[0018] In a further embodiment, one or more transmitters or reflectors include one or more transmitters, one or more IR detectors are configured to be activated when located at a geographical location, and one or more transmitters are configured to be activated during a portion of the time that one or more IR detectors are activated.

[0019] In some embodiments, one or more transmitters or reflectors include one or more reflectors, wherein at least one of the one or more reflectors includes a two-dimensional (QR) code or bar code or other pattern containing a landing identifier, and the transmission of the landing identifier includes the reflection signal received by one or more IR detectors from one or more reflectors being recognized by the aerial vehicle. In such an embodiment, the aerial vehicle may further include one or more transmitters configured to direct IR radiation towards one or more reflectors of the positioning beacon. In the case where the aerial vehicle includes such transmitters, one or more transmitters of the aerial vehicle may be configured to be activated when located at a geographical location. Additionally, in the case where the aerial vehicle includes such transmitters, one or more IR detectors may be configured to be activated when located at a geographical location, and one or more transmitters of the aerial vehicle may be configured to be activated during a portion of the time that one or more IR detectors are activated.

[0020] In a further related embodiment, one or more transmitters or reflectors are configured to respectively emit or reflect near infra-red (NIR) radiation.

[0021] In some embodiments, one or more transmitters or reflectors are configured to respectively emit or reflect narrowband NIR.

[0022] In a further embodiment, the aerial vehicle or the positioning beacon includes a receiver, and the aerial vehicle or the positioning beacon is configured to receive unique identification data to be stored in a corresponding data store via the receiver from an external communication network.

[0023] In some related embodiments, the aerial vehicle or the positioning beacon includes a data input device, and the aerial vehicle or the positioning beacon is configured to receive unique identification data to be stored in a corresponding data store from information input via the input device.

[0024] In a further related embodiment, the aerial vehicle is configured to land in a landing area, the location of the landing area being defined by a detected transmitted or reflected signal. In such an embodiment, the positioning beacon may include at least two transmitters or reflectors, and the at least two transmitters or reflectors are arranged in a known geometric form relative to each other and the landing area. If this is the case, the positioning beacon may include three transmitters or reflectors arranged in an L shape.

[0025] In some embodiments, the aerial vehicle is configured to land at a landing area, the location of which is defined by a detected transmitted or reflected signal, wherein the positioning beacon includes at least two transmitters or reflectors, and the at least two transmitters or reflectors are arranged in a known geometric form relative to each other and the landing area, the positioning beacon includes three or more transmitters or reflectors, and the positioning beacon is located on a moving surface.

[0026] In a further embodiment, one or more transmitters or reflectors are configured to emit or reflect IR radiation substantially vertically.

[0027] In some embodiments, the positioning beacon includes one or more transmitters, and the one or more transmitters are configured to emit IR radiation according to an indicated time interval stored in the positioning beacon.

[0028] In certain embodiments, one or more IR detectors operate at a frequency between 25 Hz and 200 Hz. In this case, one or more IR detectors may operate at a frequency of 60 Hz.

[0029] In a further embodiment, the positioning beacon includes a mobile telecommunications device, such as a smartphone, etc.

[0030] In an embodiment in this regard, one or more transmitters or reflectors are configured to be attached to a mobile telecommunications device, such as a smartphone, etc.

[0031] In some embodiments, the positioning beacon further includes a transmitter configured to send a landing identifier.

[0032] In a further embodiment in this regard, the aerial vehicle includes at least one or more IR detectors, wherein the IR detectors are arranged to have complementary fields of view, the positioning beacon includes at least four transmitters or reflectors arranged in pairs, and at least one pair is arranged to emit or reflect infrared signals within each of the complementary fields of view.

[0033] In another aspect of the present embodiment, an aerial vehicle configured to be positioned at a geographical location is provided. The aerial vehicle includes one or more infrared (IR) detectors for receiving IR signals transmitted or reflected from a positioning beacon provided at the geographical location. The aerial vehicle is configured to: receive a landing identifier wirelessly transmitted by the positioning beacon to the aerial vehicle, compare the received landing identifier with a stored unique identifier, and if the received landing identifier matches the stored unique identifier, use the transmitted signal or the reflected signal to control the movement of the aerial vehicle towards the positioning beacon. It should be understood that, where applicable, this aspect of the invention may be combined with any of the modifications described above with respect to the first aspect of the invention.

[0034] In yet another aspect of the present embodiment, a positioning beacon for positioning an aerial vehicle according to the foregoing aspect is provided. The positioning beacon includes one or more infrared (IR) transmitters or reflectors and a generator, the one or more infrared transmitters or reflectors being configured to transmit or reflect IR signals respectively for controlling the movement of the aerial vehicle towards the positioning beacon, and the generator being configured to generate a signal including a landing identifier of the positioning beacon. The positioning beacon is configured to wirelessly transmit a signal including the landing identifier for the aerial vehicle to uniquely detect the positioning beacon. It should be understood that, where applicable, this aspect of the invention may be combined with any of the modifications described above with respect to the previous aspects of the invention.

[0035] In another aspect of the present embodiment, a method for positioning an aerial vehicle at a geographical location is provided. The method includes wirelessly transmitting a landing identifier for detection by the aerial vehicle from a positioning beacon at the geographical location, receiving at one or more IR detectors of the aerial vehicle an infrared IR signal transmitted or reflected from the positioning beacon, receiving the landing identifier at the aerial vehicle, comparing the landing identifier with a stored unique identifier, and using the transmitted or reflected signal to control the movement of the aerial vehicle relative to the positioning beacon in the case where the landing identifier and the stored unique identifier match. It should be understood that, where applicable, this aspect of the invention may be combined with any of the modifications described above with respect to the previous aspects of the invention.

[0036] In some embodiments in this regard, the method further includes wirelessly transmitting a landing identifier for detection by an aerial vehicle from a second positioning beacon at a second geographical location; controlling the movement of the aerial vehicle using a GPS navigation system to move towards a general location of the geographical location using first stored GPS coordinates; when located at the general location of the geographical location, controlling the movement of the aerial vehicle according to stored positioning data, the stored positioning data including data indicating a first expected position of the aerial vehicle relative to IR radiation received from the positioning beacon; when located at the first expected position, receiving a load into a payload storage system of the aerial vehicle; once the load is received, controlling the movement of the aerial vehicle using the GPS navigation system to move towards a general location of a second geographical location using second stored GPS coordinates; when located at the general location of the second geographical location, receiving at one or more IR detectors of the aerial vehicle an IR signal or a reflected IR signal transmitted from the second positioning beacon; controlling the movement of the aerial vehicle according to stored positioning data, the stored positioning data including data indicating a second expected position of the aerial vehicle relative to the IR radiation transmitted from or reflected by the second positioning beacon; and, when located at the second expected position, releasing the load from the payload storage system of the aerial vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] To facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0038] Figure 1 is an isometric schematic view of the present embodiment, showing the entire drone landing system in a usage scenario;

[0039] Figure 2 is an isometric schematic view and system diagram of the present embodiment, showing Figure 1 the landing beacon in a usage scenario;

[0040] Figure 3 is an isometric schematic view and system diagram of the present embodiment, showing Figure 1 the drone in a usage scenario;

[0041] Figure 4 is an isometric view of the present embodiment, showing the drone and the landing beacon in an alternative usage scenario;

[0042] Figure 5 is an isometric view of the present embodiment, showing the drone and the landing beacon in another alternative usage scenario;

[0043] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the present embodiment, showing Figures 1 to 3 the operation method of the drone landing system;

[0044] Figure 7is a schematic diagram and system diagram of the present embodiment, showing a general usage scenario of an aerial vehicle and a positioning beacon system;

[0045] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram and system diagram of the present embodiment, showing Figure 7 the aerial vehicle in the scenario;

[0046] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram and system diagram of the present embodiment, showing Figure 7 the positioning beacon in the scenario; and

[0047] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the present embodiment, showing Figure 7 the operation method of the system of. Detailed implementation manners

[0048] The feature of the present disclosure is that it overturns the approach taken by most of the existing technologies found so far, which focuses on airborne system technologies to address challenges, and adopts a more extensive perspective system of interest to provide a tightly integrated system and method, achieving the dual functions of uniquely identifying a landing location and precisely landing a drone at that point.

[0049] The embodiments described herein include simplified airborne drone technologies, as well as key functions within intelligent and sensitive infrastructure, which together form an overall system solution to address the challenges. These embodiments employ the same specific sensor type described in International Application WO2022 / 003343 (the content of which is incorporated herein by reference), namely the infrared (IR) type, and in some embodiments, more specifically the near-infrared (NIR) technology, which provides self-positioning and self-tracking of precise drone movement to achieve high-precision drone landing during the day or at night and has significant tolerance to adverse weather conditions. It is not feasible to equip the drone landing locations for households and small businesses with the complex air traffic control and landing assistance infrastructure systems required for large aerial vehicles, but the architecture and method of the present disclosure only involve a simple and affordable ground active near-infrared landing beacon, which can be automatically and remotely pre-programmed by a supplier or a drone operating company or a user, using a one-time delivery code obtained from a shipping supplier or a non-aircraft operating company, or alternatively linked to a dedicated software application on a customer's mobile phone or home communication device, all of which are combined with the near-infrared sensor system on the drone and work in coordination with the flight control system of the drone.

[0050] There are many existing technologies in the field of precise landing assistance devices for autonomous drones, including the use of infrared sensors on the drones and beacons on the ground [see, for example, reference 2]. Due to the favorable characteristics of infrared light transmission at the relatively short distances involved in drone landing and under various atmospheric day and night conditions, the use of infrared tracking has many advantages and in principle enables precise drone landing in an unobtrusive manner with minimal light pollution under various weather conditions and at night, and can also achieve precise drone landing during the day or in sunny conditions. The method described in WO2022 / 003343 is improved here, including the use of narrowband near-infrared light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the landing beacon and a compatible narrowband infrared filter within the infrared sensor of the drone, enabling the entire system to perform precise drone maneuvering and landing from a typical drone cruising altitude of about 100 meters to the landing area, a range far exceeding other known systems.

[0051] In addition, in combination with precise landing from transit altitude, what is needed is a method for uniquely identifying the intended landing site in a crowded urban environment where there may be many addresses nearby and perhaps more than one of them expecting drone deliveries. Combining precise landing technology with the goods ordering process and its associated technologies to form a system and method for customer, supplier, and drone operator interaction is the subject of this disclosure and has great advantages for commercial drone operations, enabling cities, towns, and rural and more remote locations to participate in safe and reliable drone collection and delivery, whether the drone is manned, semi-autonomous, or fully autonomous.

[0052] Accordingly, a further feature of the present disclosure is that the ground-based NIR beacon is active and can be used to send a code to an approaching drone, which code uniquely identifies the landing beacon as the intended location for collecting or delivering goods. The code can be manually entered (e.g., using a numeric keypad) into the beacon, or the beacon can be connected to and used in conjunction with a local communication infrastructure (e.g., home WiFi), such that the order identification data is automatically sent to the beacon during the ordering process between the customer and the supplier, enabling the beacon to emit NIR radiation in a pulsed and coded manner. NIR light-emitting diode transmitters (LEDs) are characterized by their ability to turn on and off in short rise and fall times and are thus suitable for sending data to a suitable NIR receiving sensor, each operating at a compatible narrowband frequency. Other technologies or combinations of technologies, such as radio frequency technology, may also prove suitable for sending and receiving unique order codes (such as one-time passwords) between the ground-based precision landing aid and the delivery aerial vehicle. In this way, and with a system that enables the drone to navigate precisely and land at the collection or delivery location (or hover at the delivery location), the system ensures that the drone can autonomously identify the correct collection or delivery location before transferring the goods on or off the aircraft.

[0053] Another feature of the present disclosure is that the system on the drone is not intended to be equipped with complex sensors, computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or other advanced technologies capable of autonomously assessing the condition, status, or occupancy of the landing site. The broader system of interest perspective taken by the present disclosure ensures that the delivery customer owns and is responsible for the landing site, as is the supplier of the collection point. The NIR landing beacon is placed by the supplier or the customer at a designated location at the landing site and is manually or automatically turned on and provided with the order identification code when the drone arrives. Accordingly, the shipper or customer of the goods is responsible for the condition, status, and occupancy of the landing site during collection or delivery. The customer is also responsible for preparing the landing site for delivery in their absence. In this case, the customer is responsible for the security of the site to prevent a change in its status or occupancy prior to landing. The foreseeable exception is the entry of wildlife, although the arrival of the drone is likely to scare them away.

[0054] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a drone landing system for assisting in autonomously, semi-autonomously or manually loading or unloading goods onto or from a drone at a fixed geographical location. Drone delivery is part of the response to an order placed by a customer or supplier for a small consignment suitable for drone transportation. The drone landing system includes: an active NIR landing beacon placed on the ground at or near the delivery location, the beacon comprising at least one active NIR transmitter, or at least one passive NIR transmitter and an alternative technology transmitter, the at least one NIR transmitter having an illumination field and configured to: when the delivery drone is approximately approaching a position near the delivery landing location (possibly determined according to the expected / planned arrival time), emit narrowband NIR radiation towards the delivery drone at an appropriate intensity, and the active NIR radiation or the alternative technology radiation is encoded with unique identification data associated with the planned delivery; one or more compatible narrowband NIR sensors mounted on the drone, having a field of view and sensitivity suitable for detecting one or more NIR transmitters on the landing beacon, and configured to receive data from the active NIR transmitter or from the alternative technology transmitter that uniquely identifies the planned collection or delivery landing location; one or more processors on the drone, configured to calculate (usually continuously) the position of the drone relative to the ground beacon based on the IR radiation detected by the one or more IR sensors, and control the flight trajectory of the drone to approach and land near the ground landing aid, or to approach and hover above the landing aid when the goods are descending and released; a device installed with application software, such as a mobile telecommunications device (phone or computer), etc., which allows a customer to place an order with a supplier, and the order is delivered by a drone. Unique order identifiers such as a scheduled landing time window (LTW) and other data are to be communicated to both the drone and the ground landing beacon simultaneously, so that the landing beacon can send the order identification data for the correct delivery drone to receive and identify, enabling the correct delivery drone to identify the correct landing location.

[0055] In some embodiments, and in all subsequent embodiments, the NIR sensors and transmitters can be replaced by IR devices operating in different infrared bands (such as short-wave, mid-wave or long-wave infrared, the latter two being referred to as thermal infrared), or by electromagnetic sensors and transmitters operating in other parts of the spectrum. The main advantage of NIR sensors and transmitters lies in cost, and typically thermal sensors and transmitters with similar performance and resolution are 20 - 30 times more expensive. Thermal sensors will be able to detect stray animals and humans more effectively, but unfortunately, they will cause a huge weight and cost penalty to the drone - however, they are not excluded as additional sensors to the NIR architecture described in the main embodiment.

[0056] In some embodiments, the landing beacon can be a development or enhancement of a standard mobile phone, where the NIR emitter is an integral part of the mobile phone, and the whole is used as a landing beacon and placed at the intended landing site. For very small payloads, the customer can stand at the landing site, holding the landing beacon in one hand and the payload receipt in the other hand.

[0057] In a further embodiment, the drone can use a suitable technology such as a radio transmitter to send a delivery request message to a potential landing beacon, and the landing beacon is equipped with corresponding technology to receive the delivery request and respond with an acknowledgment NIR active LED transmission. In the case where the landing beacon actively uses the NIR emitter to send a unique order delivery code, the advantage is that the NIR emitter is only turned on when a request is sent, thus reducing the power and battery capacity required for the landing beacon.

[0058] In a further embodiment, the NIR sensor can be part of a landing assistance device on the ground, the NIR emitter can be on the drone, and the drone tracking information is relayed continuously and in real time from the ground equipment to the drone. In this transposed architecture, it is clear how the intelligent infrastructure aspects of the present disclosure would be interpreted. This is more similar to the architectural and systematic approach taken in WO2022 / 003343 for a drone transportation network. However, in the case of a drone landing system, apart from assisting the drone in landing, there are limited other uses for the drone tracking information, so it is optimal to place the sensors and tracking calculations on the drone itself. Additionally, in the case of commercial drone delivery, the ground infrastructure would have to be replicated at every home and business. Therefore, the ground landing assistance device is a system component that ideally needs to be as simple, affordable, and durable as a satellite broadcast dish.

[0059] In another embodiment, an active NIR landing beacon is placed near the collection point at the supplier's business location so that the delivery aerial vehicle can land in a similar manner as described above to collect the delivery payload. The landing beacon and the drone operate with each other in a similar way to ensure that the drone lands accurately at the landing site, in which case the supplier is responsible for preparing the landing site. In some embodiments, the drone delivery service can be provided by a specialized drone operating company that serves several suppliers and customers within a geographical area. Therefore, the order identification data is transmitted to the supplier's landing beacon and the drone so that the drones dispatched by the drone operating company can correctly identify and land at the supplier's location.

[0060] In some embodiments of the above aspects, the NIR landing beacon has two or more NIR emitters fixed to its structure, with a standard spacing distance between them. These standard distances enable the downward-looking NIR sensor of the drone and the associated calculations on the drone to calculate at least the altitude and latitude / longitude offset of the drone from the landing beacon by simply comparing the detected apparent spacing distance with the actual standard spacing distance stored as a constant parameter in the drone's calculation memory, thereby enabling precise navigation and precise landing near the landing beacon without the need for additional sensors on the drone, such as for measuring altitude. In other arrangements, the NIR landing beacon has only one NIR emitter fixed to its structure, and the drone uses this emitter to calculate latitude / longitude and uses an on-board sensor such as a radar altimeter to measure altitude. The precise pitch, yaw, and roll conditions of the drone are known to the drone's flight control system and can be used in calculations in cases where the drone's orientation is not sufficiently stable.

[0061] In embodiments where more than two NIR emitters are fixed to the landing beacon in a standardized arrangement, the drone can perform more complex self-positioning and self-tracking geometric calculations. Only one NIR emitter on the landing beacon needs to be configured to send order identification data, although more than one NIR emitter can be enabled for reliability / availability reasons.

[0062] In some embodiments, the NIR emitter is replaced by an NIR retroreflector. This embodiment is used in cases where the drone is equipped with one or more NIR emitters or lights configured to emit NIR radiation towards the landing beacon, where the NIR radiation is retroreflected back to the drone and detected by the NIR sensor there and used to assist in tracking and landing, as described above. In this embodiment, the drone's ability to receive information from the ground beacon and verify the correctness of the landing location is limited. For example, the retroreflector can be designed to embody a QR code or barcode or other pattern recognized by the drone system's programming. However, the cost of the landing beacon will be significantly reduced, which may be advantageous in certain markets or situations. Additionally, the NIR emitters on the drone can be synchronized with the NIR sensors such that they only emit infrared radiation for a very short period when the sensors are activated to absorb infrared radiation, thereby reducing the power demand on the drone. In this case, the duty cycle is typically only 5%. In a further embodiment where the NIR emitter is located on the landing beacon, the NIR emitter and NIR sensor on the drone can be synchronized similarly. Examples of how to achieve this synchronization include sending appropriately configured radio frequency (RF) signals between the drone and the beacon and using synchronized clocks (such as using GPS received time) on each beacon and drone.

[0063] In some embodiments, the NIR emitter on the landing beacon is replaced by a filament bulb, which typically has good IR illumination across the entire IR band.

[0064] In some embodiments, the drone landing or the landing location does not need to be on the ground or on top of a building, but can be on a moving vehicle, such as a truck, car, van, train, ship, boat, a second drone, etc. This enables the transfer of the payload between different modes of transportation or between drones or other aircraft. In such an arrangement, the rough positioning of the delivery / collection drone is again achieved by standard means such as GPS / INS, and the receiving vehicle sends its position to the delivery drone at regular intervals. In the case where the receiving vehicle may not have the necessary standard positioning equipment, as described above, the drone landing beacon itself can include GPS / INS or other standard tracking equipment and equipment for sending its position to the delivery drone. As described above, in these arrangements, an accurate "landing" of the drone on the moving vehicle is achieved.

[0065] Although the above embodiments are based on delivering goods as part of a commercial transaction, they are equally applicable to other scenarios, such as delivering medications from a healthcare provider or delivering essential supplies in emergency or humanitarian relief situations. They are applicable to all situations where a drone needs or has the opportunity to uniquely identify the correct collection and delivery locations and land accurately, safely, and reliably at the correct receiving and delivery locations, whether static or on other vehicles or moving entities.

[0066] It should be understood that the drones mentioned herein can refer to various mobile flying objects of any scale or size. By way of non-exhaustive example, these flying objects can include drones, airplanes, lighter-than-air vehicles, air taxis, and flying cars of any size. These flying objects can additionally be configured to be manually operated by a user, or can be configured to be autonomous, or a combination of both, i.e., semi-autonomous. In the case where the vehicle is non-autonomous, sensor and navigation data can be transmitted from the vehicle to a remote pilot in real time.

[0067] The above features of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined in different ways, and can be added if not specifically described in the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0068] Specific embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0069] First, turn to Figure 1 , which shows an overview of a complete system deployed for ordering, dispatching, and delivering small payloads from a supplier to a customer by a drone. In the following description, for ease of reference, the term "drone" is used, but it should be understood that the drone can be replaced by any aerial vehicle suitable for use with the described features. Reference should also be made toFigure 6 , Figure 6 is a flowchart depicting the main functions and operation methods of the relevant system. The customer site includes an area 1 suitable for a drone to land or hover above and deliver a shipment. Customers typically use their own communication devices 5 (computers, phones, etc.) and place orders with the supplier via a communication network. Assuming the supplier has an arrangement with a drone operating company, the supplier uses its communication device 105 to send a drone request, dispatch a drone from the drone operating company's base 200, and perform a round trip 301 → 302 → 303. In instances where such an arrangement is not in place, the supplier may seek to obtain a temporary or permanent arrangement to request a drone upon receiving an order. In some instances, the supplier may operate its own drones. In such instances, the supplier does not need to make a request and can simply operate its own drones for a round trip as described below.

[0070] The supplier assigns a unique identification code, such as a six-digit one-time password (OTP), to the customer order and transmits the code to the assigned drone 10, the supplier landing beacon 102, and the customer landing beacon 2, all of which are configured to typically receive such data via wireless communication. However, the landing beacons 2 and 102 can also provide means for entering the order code via wired communication or manually via a keyboard. In some embodiments, a unique identification code may be provided to identify a particular customer rather than a particular customer order. This may be beneficial in instances where repeated deliveries to the same customer at the same location are anticipated. In such instances, it may be more procedurally efficient to provide an identification code for the customer location, which is used for each customer order to be delivered to that customer location. If a single customer is associated with multiple customer locations, a unique identification code may be provided for each associated location.

[0071] In addition to the unique identification code, other data such as the expected landing time window (LTW) and GPS approximate coordinates (GAC) of the two landing sites may be provided to the assigned drone 10. The LTW data will also be communicated to the supplier and the customer via the communication network and their own communication devices 5 so that the supplier can prepare the goods and the landing site 101 at the appropriate time and the customer can prepare the landing site 1.

[0072] The drone 10 is configured to receive a unique order identification code, LTW, and GAC, and use standard equipment such as GPS / INS to navigate along route 301 to the GAC of the supplier landing location 101 at its transportation altitude. This navigation can be autonomously achieved by using a properly configured self-guidance system on the drone 10. Alternatively, the navigation can be manually achieved, and the drone pilot remotely navigates the drone 10 to the GAC of the supplier landing location 101. In some embodiments, a combination of autonomous and manual navigation can be used to send the drone to the GAC of the supplier landing location 101.

[0073] When the drone is positioned approximately vertically above location 101, the drone uses its generally downward-facing NIR sensor 11 to correctly identify and track three NIR transmitters 103 and 104 (in this example) within the sensor field of view 12. The transmitters 103, 104 are part of the landing beacon 102, which the supplier positions near the supplier's landing area 101. In this case, the L-shaped arrangement of the transmitters 103 and 104 uniquely identifies the location of the square landing site, which can be a standard size (e.g., 1 square meter), which is a fixed parameter in the memory of the drone's on-board computer system. It should be understood that the example of the square landing site is provided only for illustration, and any appropriately configured size of a compatible landing site can be used. Additionally, the use of the L-shaped arrangement of the transmitters is also provided only as an illustrative example, and any configuration that uniquely identifies the location of the landing site (landing area) can be used.

[0074] If the landing beacon has only 2 NIR transmitters, then the established convention might be that the device is always placed on the north side edge (assuming), so that the drone can land precisely within area 101. If the landing beacon has only one NIR transmitter, then the convention might be the northeast corner (assuming). These positions are provided only as examples, and any appropriately configured position convention can be used. Regardless of the number of transmitters, at least one is configured to send the unique order identification code (in this embodiment) by modulating its NIR signal, so that the drone can receive the code, compare it with the stored code, and confirm the landing location 101. The modulated signal can be detected and received by the same sensor on the drone 10 used for locating and tracking the beacon transmitter, or by a separate and independent sensor. In another embodiment, alternative techniques can be used for this communication as described above. Additionally, tracking the transmitters 103 and 104 provides the real-time data required for the navigation system on the drone to control its descent and land precisely within the landing area 101.

[0075] Then, the payload 13 can be manually loaded onto the landed drone. The precision provided by this landing method is very accurate, enabling the drone 10 to be configured with an automatic collection mechanism, such as a hatch and latch arrangement. Then, the drone 10 can descend onto the payload 13, which has been placed in an exact and standardized position within the landing area 101, and then secure the payload 13 and leave, completing the entire collection process autonomously. Then, the drone takes off and flies along route 302 to the GAC of customer delivery landing area 1. When it is positioned roughly vertically above the location, it uses its downward-facing NIR sensor 11 to correctly identify and track three NIR transmitters 3 and 4 (in this example) within the sensor field of view 12. The transmitters are part of the landing beacon 2 placed by the customer near customer landing area 1. The arrangement of the transmitters 3, 4 of the landing beacon 2 again defines the landing area 1 of the drone 10. Another precise landing operation is performed at the customer location, which has been prepared and protected by the customer. Then, the drone autonomously releases the payload 13 and returns to base 200 along route 303. It should be understood that the transportation of the drone 10 to the customer GAC is similar to the transportation of the drone to the supplier GAC, and according to the above description, this can be achieved autonomously, manually, or a combination of both.

[0076] In some usage scenarios of the described system, the drone can be simply configured to reach a specific landing area without collecting or delivering the payload 13.

[0077] If the drone arrives at the supplier's GAC with an appropriate LTW and does not detect a landing beacon with the correct identification code, it returns to base. If the drone collects the payload from the supplier and then arrives at the customer's GAC with an appropriate LTW and does not detect a landing beacon with the correct identification code, then it either returns the payload to the supplier and returns to base, or takes the goods back to base or other intermediate storage locations until the delivery can be rescheduled and returns to base. Each of these transports can be achieved similar to the transports to the supplier and customer GACs described above.

[0078] Now refer to Figure 2 , where it is shown in more detail in relation to Figure 1View of the same scenario, but focused on the customer landing site and customer landing beacon 2. The landing beacon first includes a receiver 20, which is configured to receive incoming data according to the above embodiments. Specifically, according to the above embodiments, the receiver 20 is configured to receive unique delivery identification data related to one or more delivery orders made by the customer at least from a supplier or a drone delivery company or a supplier company. The unique delivery data includes at least a unique delivery code and may include a planned landing time window (LTW) for the drone delivery. The receiver 20 may be configured to receive this data via radio frequency communication. Alternatively, the receiver 20 may receive this data using any suitable form of communication, which enables the reception of data from the drone company or the supplier. In some embodiments, the receiver 20 is configured to receive data by wired communication or manually input data through a keyboard when appropriate.

[0079] The landing beacon 2 of the current embodiment further includes a data memory 21 and a processor 22. The processor 22 is communicatively coupled to the data memory 21 and may be coupled to the receiver 20 or a data input keyboard 26. According to the above embodiments, the processor 22 may be configured to receive data (such as the unique delivery code and LTW, etc.) received by the receiver 20 or the keyboard 26 and store it in the data memory 21. The processor 22 is configured to control the NIR LEDs 3 and 4 using an appropriate driver circuit 23 such that the passive LED 3 is continuously activated and the active LED 4 is activated and modulated by the unique order code 14 once the order data is received or only within the LTW of the expected drone delivery, which may be triggered by a delivery request signal from the drone, as described above. In terms of NIR transmission communication, the unique 6-bit order code requires 20 bits of data, which can be repeatedly transmitted once per second and received by the NIR sensor on the drone operating at 60HZ, while still ensuring that the transmitter illuminates continuously two-thirds of the time per second to support the tracking function. In certain instances, the sensor may be configured to operate at any frequency between 25Hz and 200Hz. Using higher frequency NIR sensors and NIR transmitters in other embodiments reduces the proportion of modulation time. The illumination field 6 of each upward-facing NIR LED is generally a cone with a cone angle such that, at the flight altitude before the drone starts to descend to the landing area, the area of the illumination circle at this altitude is larger than the uncertainty of the navigation accuracy of the standard navigation system (such as GPS / INS) on the drone, that is, the uncertainty of the GAC navigated by the drone. In this way, the drone can use its on-board standard navigation system to approach the GAC of the landing site and then use the illumination of the landing beacon 2 to accurately guide it to the landing area 1.

[0080] If there are multiple potential landing addresses within the general location area where standard navigation techniques can achieve, and there are multiple landing sites expecting drone deliveries, the unique code sent by the correct landing beacon ensures correct delivery. The same principle also applies to the correct selection of a nearby supplier collection landing area, especially in urban areas where many suppliers may be located within the GAC of any single supplier.

[0081] Now refer to Figure 3 , which more particularly shows a view of the same scenario as Figure 1 and Figure 2 , but focused on drone 10 above customer landing site 1 and showing a schematic of the drone's on-board system. According to the above embodiments, the drone first includes a receiver 16, which is configured to wirelessly receive incoming data. Similarly, the drone can receive this data through other mechanisms (such as wired communication or manual data input, etc.). In particular, similar to the landing beacon, the receiver 16 is configured to receive unique delivery data related to one or more delivery orders made by the customer from at least a supplier or a drone delivery company. The unique delivery data at least includes a unique delivery code and may include a planned time window for drone delivery (landing time window (LTW)). The receiver 16 can be configured to receive this data via radio frequency communication. The unique delivery data may also include the GACs of the supplier and the customer landing site to enable the drone to autonomously (or otherwise) navigate to the appropriate general location.

[0082] The drone of the current embodiment also includes a data memory 17 and a processor 18, and the processor 18 is communicatively coupled to the data memory 17, the receiver 16, and an optional keyboard 19. The processor 18 can be configured to receive the data received by the receiver 16 or the keyboard 19 and store it in the data memory 17. The processor 18 is configured to receive images from the NIR sensor 11 at a frequency suitable for closed-loop precise flight control (usually 50 Hz or higher). According to the above embodiments, the drone has used its standard navigation system, such as GPS / INS, to be in such a general position and orientation relative to the landing beacon 2 that the images of the IR transmitters 3, 4 on the landing beacon 2 are within the field of view of the NIR sensor 11. In some embodiments, this is achieved by providing the GAC of the relevant landing site to the drone 10 according to the above embodiments. Then, the processor analyzes these images, which is achieved by a matching combination of the narrowband NIR transmitters on the landing beacon and one or more NIR filters on the drone NIR sensor, which provides a high signal-to-noise ratio and signal-to-clutter ratio in NIR imaging. The on-board system uses the known and standardized spacing of the NIR transmitters 3, 4 (see Figure 2) These intervals are stored as constant parameters in the local memory of the processor, possibly together with information about the current attitude (e.g., pitch, yaw, roll) of the drone 10 itself, to determine the precise current position of the drone in three-dimensional space relative to the landing beacon 2. Such altitude information can be achieved by providing appropriately configured sensors on the drone 10, or can be provided to the drone 10 by the receiver 16 (or a separate receiver). In the case where there is only one NIR emitter on the landing beacon 2, the drone uses its imaging of the emitter and data from other sensors (such as a radar altimeter) to perform the same position determination. This processing is done at a high enough frequency and low enough latency such that the processor 18 can transmit the precise current position to the flight control system of the drone, enabling it to precisely maneuver the drone along a flight path to land at a desired position relative to the landing beacon.

[0083] Now refer to Figure 4 , which shows a view of the drone and the landing beacon in another usage scenario, where the drone has to perform precise maneuvers to transition from a horizontal mode to a short vertical descent, or hover while the payload is descending, to reach the precise landing location 1 on a high-rise building balcony. This is achieved by equipping the drone with two complementary NIR sensors 11 and 111, which have fields of view 12 and 121 suitable for detecting the NIR LEDs on the landing beacon 2, and these LEDs are arranged in pairs with complementary illumination fields to facilitate the maneuvers in an obvious way.

[0084] At least one of the NIR LEDs facing the horizontal plane operates in an active manner, enabling the drone to correctly identify the landing location using the unique code 14 before starting to approach the building. This is a special case where standard positioning techniques such as GPS may be very inaccurate or unreliable, and there may be several potential landing locations nearby from which the correct landing location must be determined.

[0085] Now refer to Figure 5 , which shows a view of the drone and the landing beacon in another alternative usage scenario as an example of a continuously moving landing site. In this case, the precise landing location 59 is surrounded by at least three NIR LED landing transmitters (four are shown here, 56 - 59), where at least one is an active LED transmitter, or there is another communication technology on board that can send a unique identifier code to the drone. At least three landing transmitters are required so that the drone can simultaneously calculate the direction of the ship's deck and the relative position of the drone with respect to the deck. In this way, a drone or a large aircraft, such as a helicopter or a vertical landing aircraft, can calculate and perform the landing maneuvers in real time, ensuring that the aircraft and the moving deck are in the appropriate relative positions and appropriate relative orientations for a safe landing.

[0086] The above description is provided in the context of a usage scenario where a drone is configured to transport a payload to a predefined location. Now refer to Figure 7 A further description of a general usage scenario of the above technology is provided. Specifically, the figure shows a general system 500 provided for precisely positioning an aerial vehicle. It should be understood that the features and methods described in the above embodiments can also be used in combination with the general system.

[0087] Refer to Figure 7 , which shows a system 500 for positioning an aerial vehicle. The system 500 includes an aerial vehicle 502 to be positioned and one or more positioning beacons 504 configured to guide the aerial vehicle 502 to a precise location. Specifically, the one or more positioning beacons 504 are configured to enable the aerial vehicle 502 to precisely position itself relative to the one or more positioning beacons 502 by hovering in the air or landing on a nearby surface. Both the aerial vehicle 502 and the one or more positioning beacons 504 can be configured to be able to communicate with an external communication network 506. This configuration enables the aerial vehicle 502 and the one or more positioning beacons 504 to receive data from and provide data to devices external to the system 500. This can implement additional functions of the system 500. In some embodiments, the aerial vehicle 502 and the one or more positioning beacons 504 can also be communicatively coupled either directly between them or via the external communication network 506. It should be understood that, where appropriate, communication via the external communication network 506 can be achieved wirelessly or by wired means.

[0088] Figure 8Shows a schematic diagram of an aerial vehicle of the general system 500. The aerial vehicle 502 is first equipped with a receiver 510. The receiver 510 can be configured to receive unique identification data from an external communication network 506. The identification data provides a way for the aerial vehicle 502 to confirm that the aerial vehicle 502 is in the correct general location (although perhaps not in the exact location required) where it is intended to be located via a positioning beacon 504. Generally, the identification data will include a unique identifier in the form that identifies the specific positioning beacon 504 relative to which the aerial vehicle 502 is to be located. According to the embodiments discussed above and below, the relevant positioning beacon 504 is configured to send a landing identifier, which is then received by the aerial vehicle 502. The aerial vehicle 502 is then configured to compare the landing identifier received from the positioning beacon 504 with the unique identifier received from the external communication network 506. The landing identifier is provided so that the aerial vehicle 502 can determine the correct positioning beacon 504 it is to be located relative to. Specifically, the unique identifier provided to the aerial vehicle 502 will be configured to match the landing identifier sent by the positioning beacon 504, and the aerial vehicle 502 is configured to position itself relative to the positioning beacon 504. After comparing the unique identifier and the landing identifier, if the two identifiers match, the aerial vehicle 502 determines that it will be located relative to that specific positioning beacon 504. In some embodiments, there may be multiple beacons 504, each sending a different landing identifier. In these cases, if the aerial vehicle 502 receives a landing identifier that does not match the unique identifier received from the external communication network 506, it will determine that it should not position itself relative to the beacon 504 that provided the non-matching landing identifier. According to the above embodiments, the unique identifier and the corresponding landing identifier may include OTP. Alternatively, the data may include any form of information that enables the aerial vehicle to confirm its location at a general expected location via the positioning beacon 504.

[0089] Providing such identification data may be particularly advantageous in situations where there are many areas with beacons 504 of the type described. For example, in a town area that includes many properties, each property can be provided with a beacon 504 to enable the aerial vehicle 502 to position itself relative to it, for example, in the case where the aerial vehicle is configured to deliver items to each property. In the absence of providing identification data, it may be difficult to determine which beacon 504 the aerial vehicle 502 should be located relative to, since each beacon may otherwise be substantially the same. In addition, in a town area where reception is unreliable, existing systems that identify general locations (such as GPS coordinates) may be inaccurate or not precise enough relative to the spacing between properties. When identification is provided and then confirmed, the aerial vehicle 502 can accurately identify which beacon 504 it should position itself relative to in a more accurate manner than known systems.

[0090] The receiver 510 is communicatively coupled to the data memory 512. The data memory 512 is configured to receive identification data from the receiver 510 and retain the data in a suitable format for subsequent retrieval. The aerial vehicle 502 is also equipped with one or more sensors 514, which are configured to detect electromagnetic radiation transmitted or reflected from one or more positioning beacons 504. According to the above embodiments, the electromagnetic radiation can be in the infrared spectrum. More specifically, the radiation can be near-infrared (NIR), and in some instances, narrowband NIR can be used. The one or more sensors 514 are suitably configured to detect the specific radiation transmitted from the one or more positioning beacons 504. For example, in the case where the transmitted radiation is in the form of NIR, the one or more sensors 514 can be equipped with NIR filters in order to reduce noise and maximize the signal-to-noise ratio from the detected beacons when detecting the transmitted radiation. In particular, the one or more sensors 514 are configured to detect electromagnetic radiation and also to detect the directionality of the received radiation. This directionality can enable the aerial vehicle 502 to precisely position itself relative to the one or more positioning beacons 504, as will be described in detail below. In embodiments using NIR and / or narrowband NIR in a system with suitably configured filters, the system can advantageously achieve a detection range of up to approximately 100 meters in height. These ranges are generally not achievable when using other radiation bands due to the inaccuracies associated with the relevant wavelength ranges. This detection range is particularly advantageous because 100 meters is the typical cruising altitude of certain types of aerial vehicles in urban areas, and thus no specialized maneuvers are required for the aerial vehicle 502 to detect the radiation emitted from the positioning beacon 504. In some embodiments, the information from the sensors 514 is stored in the data memory 512.

[0091] In addition, the receiver 510 can be configured to receive positioning data from an external communication network 506. The positioning data can provide an indication of where the aerial vehicle 502 should be located relative to the source of the transmitted or reflected electromagnetic radiation (i.e., from the respective one or more positioning beacons 504). This can be achieved by pattern recognition of the transmitted or reflected electromagnetic radiation and / or by providing supplementary data. This will be discussed in more detail below with reference to the description of one or more positioning beacons 504. Similar to the identification data, the positioning data can be stored in the data memory 512 in a suitable form for subsequent retrieval. In some instances, the positioning data indicates a mid-air position where the aerial vehicle 502 should be located relative to the source of the transmitted or reflected electromagnetic radiation. In other instances, the positioning data indicates a position on a surface (e.g., the ground) where the aerial vehicle 502 should be located relative to the source of the transmitted or reflected electromagnetic radiation. In some embodiments, the aerial vehicle 502 can be configured to land on a surface, but will be provided with a mid-air position where the aerial vehicle 502 should be located relative to the source of the transmitted or reflected electromagnetic radiation. Once at that position at a particular altitude, the aerial vehicle 502 can be configured to simply descend (i.e., lower its altitude) while maintaining the same latitude and longitude coordinates. Alternatively, the positioning data can provide information about the position of the aerial vehicle at multiple altitudes relative to the source of the transmitted or reflected electromagnetic radiation to ensure position accuracy as the aerial vehicle 502 changes altitude. The combination of the provided positioning data and the monitoring of the transmitted or reflected electromagnetic radiation (especially using NIR or narrowband NIR) can enable the aerial vehicle 502 to both maneuver itself towards an area of approximately 1 square meter and accurately position itself.

[0092] The aerial vehicle 502 is also equipped with a flight control system 516. The flight control system 516 includes a suitably configured propulsion system that enables the aerial vehicle to hover, maneuver, land, and take off. The flight control system 516 is also configured to receive commands that direct how the flight control system 516 should maneuver the aerial vehicle 502. In some embodiments, the flight control system 516 can be communicatively coupled to the receiver 510 and can be configured to receive commands via the external communication network 506 to maneuver the aerial vehicle 502.

[0093] The aerial vehicle 502 may also be equipped with a processor 518. The processor may be communicatively coupled to a data memory 512 and one or more sensors 514. The processor 518 is configured to utilize the information stored in the data memory 512 to be able to locate the aerial vehicle 502 relative to one or more positioning beacons 504 based on the positioning data stored in the data memory 512. To achieve this, the processor 518 may be configured to first receive identification data (including a landing identifier) from one or more positioning beacons 504. The information received from one or more positioning beacons 504 is configured to have the same format as the unique identification data (including a unique identifier) stored in the data memory 512. In some embodiments, one or more positioning beacons 504 provide the landing identification data in a form configured to be received by the receiver 510. In other embodiments, the landing identification data is provided through appropriate communication between one or more positioning beacons 504 and the aerial vehicle 502 via an external communication network 506. In still other embodiments, the landing identification data is provided by appropriately modulated electromagnetic radiation from one or more positioning beacons 504, which electromagnetic radiation is emitted from or reflected by one or more positioning beacons 504 according to the above embodiments. In such embodiments, the landing identification data is thus received via one or more sensors 514, where one or more sensors 514 are configured to identify data from the received electromagnetic radiation in addition to detecting the radiation and the directionality of the radiation.

[0094] The processor 518 is configured to compare the landing identification data received from one or more positioning beacons 504 with the corresponding unique identification information in the data memory 512 to determine if they match. If they do not match, the processor 518 identifies that it is in the wrong location and may be configured to stop any further positioning functions. Then, the aerial vehicle 502 may be configured to perform further actions, such as returning to the home location or waiting for further instructions via the external communication network 506. If they do match, the processor 518 may be configured to perform precise positioning of the aerial vehicle 502.

[0095] In this example, the processor 518 receives information about the detected electromagnetic radiation and its directionality from one or more sensors 514 (or retrieves this information from the data memory 512). Then, the processor 518 retrieves the previously received positioning data from the data memory 512. The processor 518 is configured to compare the above-mentioned information from one or more sensors 514 with the received positioning data in order to determine whether the aerial vehicle 502 is correctly positioned based on the positioning data. If it is determined that the position is incorrect, the processor 518 is configured to determine a set of maneuver actions that can be sent to the flight control system 516 to correctly position the aerial vehicle 502. In some embodiments, the processor may not directly instruct the flight control system 516, but may instead provide a recommended set of maneuvers to a remote pilot via an external communication network 506, which enables the aerial vehicle 502 to be correctly positioned relative to one or more positioning beacons 504.

[0096] In some alternative embodiments, the aerial vehicle 502 is equipped with an electromagnetic (EM) radiation transmitter 520, which is configured to direct electromagnetic radiation in the direction of one or more positioning beacons 504. In these embodiments, one or more positioning beacons 504 are equipped with reflectors, which are configured to reflect the received electromagnetic radiation back to the aerial vehicle 502. Then, the reflected radiation can be used in accordance with the above-described embodiments.

[0097] In a further alternative embodiment, the aerial vehicle 502 is equipped with a transmitter 522. According to the above-described embodiments, the transmitter 522 can be configured to transmit any desired information. In particular, the transmitter 522 can be used to transfer data to an external pilot of the aerial vehicle 502, enabling them to control the aerial vehicle 502 and position it as needed. Additionally, in some embodiments, the transmitter 522 can be configured to continuously transmit unique identification data to be received by one or more positioning beacons 504. After receiving the unique identification data, one or more positioning beacons can send a receipt of the data to the aerial vehicle 502, which is received by the receiver 510 of the aerial vehicle 502. Then, this receipt can be used in a manner similar to the reception of the identification data described in the above embodiments.

[0098] In a further embodiment, the aerial vehicle 502 may also be equipped with a payload storage system 524. The payload storage system 524 is configured to enable the aerial vehicle 502 to carry a load during operation. This can be used in embodiments such as those described above, where the aerial vehicle 502 is used as part of a payload delivery system. The payload storage system 524 may include any suitably adapted system that enables the aerial vehicle to carry an appropriate load. In some instances, the payload storage system 524 also includes a system that enables the aerial vehicle 502 to autonomously receive and deliver a load based on the position of the aerial vehicle 502. In these cases, when the aerial vehicle 502 is correctly positioned according to the above-described embodiments, the processor 518 is configured to operate the payload storage system 524 to collect or deliver the load. This can be achieved according to the above description.

[0099] In some embodiments, the aerial vehicle 502 may be equipped with a direct means of inputting unique identification data via an input device 530. The aerial vehicle 502 is configured to store the data provided by the input device 530 in the data memory 512. For example, according to the above-described embodiments, the input device 530 may include a keyboard, and the unique identification data may include a unique code.

[0100] In some instances, the aerial vehicle 502 may be equipped with at least two sensors 514 having different fields of view. For example, in certain instances, this can be utilized where one or more positioning beacons 504 are configured to emit or reflect electromagnetic radiation in substantially different directions. An example of such an instance is Figure 4 shown, as described above.

[0101] In some embodiments, the aerial vehicle 502 also includes a GPS navigation system 532. The GPS navigation system 532 can be used to navigate the aerial vehicle 502 to a general location close to the positioning data before the aerial vehicle 502 is precisely positioned relative to one or more positioning beacons 504. In these embodiments, before departure, GPS coordinates indicating the general location to travel to can be provided to the aerial vehicle 502. These coordinates can be provided in a manner similar to the provision of the above-described positioning data and / or unique identification data. Then, these can be stored in the data memory 512. In some cases, the processor 518 may be configured to retrieve these coordinates and instruct the flight control system 516 to navigate to these coordinates in an autonomous manner. In other instances, the aerial vehicle 502 can be controlled by a remote pilot to achieve the same effect.

[0102] Now turning to Figure 9, which shows a schematic diagram of the positioning beacon 504. The beacon 504 is equipped with a receiver 550. The receiver 550 can be configured to receive landing identification data from an external communication network 506 in a manner similar to that of the above-described aerial vehicle 502. The landing identification data provides a way for the beacon 504 to confirm with the aerial vehicle 502 that the aerial vehicle 502 is located at its expected correct approximate position (although perhaps not at the desired exact position). As discussed above with reference to the aerial vehicle 502, the landing identification data typically includes the landing identifier of the beacon 504, which identifies the beacon as the beacon relative to which the aerial vehicle 502 should position itself. This can include the OTP according to the above embodiments. Alternatively, the data can include any form of information that enables the aerial vehicle 502 to confirm with the positioning beacon 5·04 that it is located at the approximate expected position, i.e., it is positioning itself relative to the expected beacon 504.

[0103] The receiver 550 is communicatively coupled to a data memory 552. The data memory 552 is configured to receive the landing identification data from the receiver 550 and retain the data in a suitable form for subsequent retrieval.

[0104] In some embodiments, a direct way of inputting identification data via an input device 554 can be provided to one or more positioning beacons 504. The beacon 504 is configured to store the data provided by the input device 554 in the data memory 552. For example, according to the above embodiments, the input device 554 can include a keyboard, and the identification data can include a unique code.

[0105] In the above embodiments, the identification data provided to both the aerial vehicle 502 and the beacon 504 can be provided for a single instance of the positioning operation of the aerial vehicle 502. In some embodiments of the present system, it may be desirable for the identification data of a particular beacon to be static, such that when the aerial vehicle 502 performs repeated positioning operations on the same beacon 504, the identification data is the same. In such embodiments, each of one or more positioning beacons 504 can include a static unique landing identifier of the particular beacon 504 inherent to the beacon 504 (e.g., the serial number of the beacon) instead of providing identification data either through direct input or via the external communication network 506. In such embodiments, it is not necessary to provide landing identification data to the beacon 504 for each usage instance, but it is still necessary to provide landing identification information to the aerial vehicle 502 for each usage instance. For example, according to the above embodiments, before the aerial vehicle 502 departs towards a positioning beacon 504 having a static unique landing identifier, the corresponding unique identifier can be provided to the aerial vehicle 502. Later, if the aerial vehicle 502 departs towards the same positioning beacon 504 again, it may be necessary to provide the corresponding unique identifier to it again in order to be able to perform positioning as designed.

[0106] One or more positioning beacons 504 are also provided with one or more transmitters or reflectors 556 to direct electromagnetic radiation towards the aerial vehicle 502. According to the above embodiments, the electromagnetic radiation can be in the infrared spectrum. More specifically, the radiation can be near-infrared (NIR). The one or more transmitters or reflectors 556 are suitably configured to direct the specific radiation towards the aerial vehicle 502. According to the above embodiments, the one or more transmitters or detectors 556 are configured to direct the electromagnetic radiation in a manner that enables the aerial vehicle to ascertain the directionality of the emitted or reflected radiation. This directionality can enable the aerial vehicle 502 to precisely position itself relative to the one or more positioning beacons 504. An example of a transmitter 556 that can be used is an LED, which is configured to emit the type of electromagnetic radiation that is designed to be detected by the aerial vehicle 502.

[0107] According to the above embodiments, the number and arrangement of one or more transmitters or reflectors 556 can be adjusted so that the aerial vehicle 502 can be precisely positioned relative to the beacon 504. The positioning data provided to the aerial vehicle 502 (e.g., via the external communication network 506 as described above) is appropriately configured according to the number and arrangement of one or more transmitters or reflectors 556. For example, in some examples, each beacon 504 can be equipped with three transmitters or reflectors 556 arranged in a different pattern (e.g., an L-shape). The positioning data provided (e.g., provided via the external communication network 506 as described above) to the aerial vehicle 502 can include an indication of the pattern, including the relative positions and distances of the transmitters or reflectors 556 from each other. When the aerial vehicle 502 is positioned at the correct precise location, the positioning data can also indicate the apparent relative positions and distances of the transmitters or reflectors 556 from each other. The aerial vehicle 502 can then be maneuvered to the correct precise location such that the radiation received from the transmitters or reflectors 556 matches the positions in the positioning data. In embodiments where the intended location is static, precise positioning can be achieved using three transmitters or reflectors 556. In embodiments where the intended location is moving (e.g., the beacon 504 is on a moving vehicle), four or more transmitters or reflectors 556 may be required. In some embodiments, fewer than three transmitters or reflectors 556 can be used in addition to the supplementary information provided to the aerial vehicle 502. The supplementary information can include information indicating where the transmitters or reflectors 556 are positioned relative to the intended location of the aerial vehicle 502. The supplementary information can also include information indicating the intended height of the aerial vehicle relative to the transmitters or reflectors 556. In some embodiments, the spacing distance between the transmitters or reflectors 556 can be standardized for each of the beacons 504 (i.e., for multiple beacons 504, it can be a predefined and known quantity, such as a known geometry, etc.). In such a case, it may not be necessary to provide information related to the relative positions and distances between the transmitters or reflectors 556 as part of the position data to the aerial vehicle 502. Instead, it may only be necessary to indicate how the aerial vehicle 502 should be positioned relative to the transmitted or reflected radiation.

[0108] The transmitter 556 can also be provided with appropriate driver circuitry to enable control of the transmitter to achieve the functions described herein.

[0109] One or more positioning beacons 504 may also be equipped with a transmitter 558 to provide an indication of the stored landing identification data to the aerial vehicle 502. The information provided from the transmitter 558 is configured to have the same form as the unique identification data stored in the data memory 512 of the aerial vehicle 502. In some embodiments, one or more positioning beacons 504 provide the landing identification data from the transmitter 558 in a form configured to be received by the receiver 510 of the aerial vehicle 502. In other embodiments, the landing identification data is provided through appropriate communication between one or more positioning beacons 504 and the aerial vehicle 502 via the external communication network 506. In other embodiments where it is not necessary to provide a transmitter 558, according to the above embodiments, the landing identification data is provided by appropriately modulated electromagnetic radiation from one or more positioning beacons 504, which is emitted from or reflected by one or more positioning beacons 504. This may include one or more transmitters 556 configured to modulate the emitted radiation to provide an indication of the landing identification data. In other embodiments using reflectors 556, the reflectors may be designed to embody QR codes or barcodes or other patterns that the aerial vehicle 502 is programmed to use to identify the landing identification data.

[0110] In some embodiments using transmitters, the transmitter may be configured to be passive (i.e., the transmitter is always on and emits radiation) or active (i.e., the transmitter is configured to emit radiation only selectively). Generally, according to the above embodiments, a passive transmitter will be used for the purpose of the aerial vehicle positioning itself relative to the beacon 504, and an active transmitter will be used for this purpose and for transmitting the landing identification data. The active transmitter may be configured to start transmitting according to manual activation. Additionally or alternatively, the active transmitter may be configured to start transmitting within a time window when the aerial vehicle is expected to be near the beacon 504. This information may be provided in a manner similar to the original provision of the position identification data. Further, the active transmitter may be configured to start activation at any time when an aerial vehicle 502 is detected nearby (whether or not it is intended to be near the relevant beacon). This may be achieved by using an appropriately adapted proximity sensor or by receiving a broadcast signal from the aerial vehicle, the proximity sensor being included as part of the beacon 504.

[0111] Information indicating an approximate time when the aerial vehicle 502 is expected to approach the corresponding beacon 504 may also be provided to one or more positioning beacons 504. In this case, the relevant beacon 504 may be configured to transmit only the identification data according to the above embodiments within the indicated approximate time. This may advantageously enable the beacon 504 to save power by transmitting only during the time when the aerial vehicle 502 is expected to be present.

[0112] According to the above embodiments, the positioning beacon may also be equipped with a processor 564. The processor 564 may be configured to operate the positioning beacon 504 according to the described embodiments. Specifically, the processor may receive inputs from the receiver 550 and communicate with the data memory 552. Similarly, the processor 564 may be configured to determine the transmissions to be made, the timing of these transmissions, and when the transmitter 556 should be activated.

[0113] Both the aerial vehicle 502 and the beacon 504 may each be equipped with rechargeable batteries 560, 562. The aerial vehicle 502 and the beacon 504 may be designed to operate independently of a power source and may thus require batteries to operate. In appropriate cases, the aerial vehicle 502 and the beacon 504 may be equipped with means for charging the batteries, such as solar panels, connectors capable of connecting to a power source, and the like.

[0114] In some cases, it may be beneficial for multiple beacons 504 to communicate with each other. This can be used to effectively exchange relevant information. For example, according to some of the above embodiments, one beacon may receive transmissions from an aerial vehicle 502 in its vicinity and may notify other nearby beacons of the aerial vehicle 502. In the case of providing an active transmitter, this can provide an indication for the active transmitter to start transmitting. In such an instance, each of the beacons 504 may be configured to communicate with each other via the provided receiver 550 and transmitter 558 via an external communication network 506. Although one example has been provided, it should be understood that the positioning beacon may be configured to convey various relevant information to assist in the operation of the system. These may include, but are not limited to, landing identification data and positioning data. This may be useful in instances where long-range communication channels are unreliable and it is more reliable to pass information along the chain of positioning beacons 504 than to use the external communication network 506. In such embodiments, any data passed between the beacons may be encrypted and configured to be decrypted only at the intended recipient beacon that is relevant to the data.

[0115] In the above example, a centralized management system 570 may also be provided (such as Figure 7As shown, it is configured to manage the operations of the aerial vehicle 502 and one or more positioning beacons 504 during positioning operations. The centralized management system 570 can be configured to provide the unique identification data, landing identification data, position data, and any other relevant information described in the above embodiments via an external communication network 506 (or otherwise). Specifically, the centralized management system 570 can be operated by a user to input the required information to be sent to the aerial vehicle 502 and one or more positioning beacons 504 to achieve the above functions. To achieve this, the centralized management system 570 can be equipped with one or more processors 572, a memory 574, a receiver 576, and a transmitter 578 to implement this function. The centralized management system 570 can also be configured to receive input from a user via one or more input devices.

[0116] Now referring to Figure 10 , an operating method 600 of the above general system 500 is shown.

[0117] The method 600 proceeds. At step 602, the aerial vehicle 502 and one or more positioning beacons 504 respectively receive unique identification information and a landing identification. This can be received via the external communication network 506 and can be received from the centralized management system 570. In some embodiments, the landing identification has been stored in one or more positioning beacons 504. In such embodiments, this step can be skipped for the positioning beacon 504. Then, at step 604, the corresponding identification information is respectively stored in the data memory 512 of the aerial vehicle 502 and the data memory 552 of one or more positioning beacons 504 (if not already stored there). After this, the method proceeds. At step 606, according to the above embodiments, the aerial vehicle receives position data. Specifically, the position data provides information indicating how the aerial vehicle 502 should be positioned relative to the relevant positioning beacon 504. The position data can be in the form of any of the above embodiments. At step 608, the position data is then stored in the data memory 512 of the aerial vehicle 502.

[0118] The method continues. At step 610, one or more positioning beacons 504 transmit the previously stored landing identification information. According to the above embodiments, this can be continuously performed after receiving the landing identification information or can be performed on a restricted basis. The restricted basis can be, for example, during a time window when the aerial vehicle 502 is expected to be near the relevant beacon 504.

[0119] After that, at step 612, the aerial vehicle 502 receives landing identification data transmitted by one or more positioning beacons 504. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the aerial vehicle 502 may first be configured to travel to the approximate location of the beacon it intends to travel to. This can be achieved by providing the GPS coordinates (or any other suitable means) equipped on the aerial vehicle 502. Once the transmitted identification data is received by the aerial vehicle 502, at step 614, the aerial vehicle continues to compare the received landing identification data with the unique identification data stored in the data memory 512. If it is determined that the information data does not match, the method proceeds to step 616, where no further action is taken. In some embodiments, the aerial vehicle 502 may be configured to return to a predetermined starting point. In further embodiments, the aerial vehicle 502 may be configured to adjust its position and wait for further identification data from an alternative beacon 504. This may be particularly useful in embodiments where there are several beacons in a relatively small area (such as in an urban environment).

[0120] Returning to step 614, if it is determined that the identification data is a match, the method continues by the aerial vehicle 502 retrieving position data from the data memory 512 at step 618. In some embodiments, the aerial vehicle 502 may simply be configured to move towards the received radiation without the need for additional position data. In such cases, the steps related to using the position data receipt may be skipped. After this retrieval, according to the above embodiments, at step 620, the aerial vehicle receives the radiation emitted or reflected by the beacon 504. In embodiments where the aerial vehicle 502 is configured to emit the radiation to be received, when the aerial vehicle 502 matches the identification data as described above, it may start emitting. Additionally, in embodiments where the radiation is emitted from the beacon 504, the emission may be continuous or may be configured to emit only at certain times, such as during an expected time window when the aerial vehicle 502 is expected to approach the beacon 504.

[0121] Thereafter, at step 622, the aerial vehicle 502 determines whether it is correctly positioned relative to the beacon 504 based on the position data. This is achieved by comparing the position data with the radiation received in step 620. This can be accomplished through a pattern recognition algorithm. If it is determined that the aerial vehicle 502 is not properly positioned, the method proceeds to step 624, where the aerial vehicle adjusts its position based on the received radiation and the position data. Specifically, the aerial vehicle is configured to algorithmically adjust its position to bring the aerial vehicle 502 to the desired position based on the position data. Once these adjustments are made, the method returns to step 622, where the received radiation is again compared with the position data. This process continues until it is determined that it is correctly positioned (or within a tolerable error range in some embodiments) relative to the beacon 504 based on the position data. Once this occurs, the method proceeds to step 626 to end.

[0122] It should be understood that modifications to the above method can be implemented according to other alternative embodiments described herein.

[0123] After having described in detail several exemplary embodiments of the present embodiment and the implementation of the different functions of the device, it should be understood that those skilled in the art will be able to easily adjust the basic configuration of the system to perform the described functions without the need for a detailed explanation of how to achieve this. Therefore, in this specification, several functions of the system are described in different places without explaining the detailed implementation required, as this is unnecessary considering the ability of those skilled in the art to implement the functions into the system.

[0124] Furthermore, it should be understood that, where the context permits, the features, advantages, and functions of the different embodiments described herein can be combined.

[0125] References

[0126] 1. GPS Dependencies in the Transportation Sector DOT-VNTSC-NOAA-16-01 US Department of Transportation (Transportation Sector's GPS Dependencies DOT-VNTSC-NOAA-16-01, US Department of Transportation)

[0127] 2.Robust Precision Landing for Autonomous Drones Combining Vision-based and Infrared Sensors Giannis Badakis et al 2021 IEEE Sensors Applications Symposium (Combining vision and infrared sensors for autonomous drone's robust precision landing, Giannis Badakis et al, 2021 IEEE Sensors Applications Symposium)

Claims

1. A system for positioning an aerial vehicle at a geographical location, the system comprising: an aerial vehicle having one or more infrared (IR) detectors; and a positioning beacon located at the geographical location, the positioning beacon being configured to wirelessly transmit a landing identifier for detection by the aerial vehicle, and the positioning beacon including one or more transmitters or reflectors configured to respectively emit or reflect infrared signals; wherein the aerial vehicle is configured to receive the landing identifier and the emitted or reflected infrared signal, compare the received landing identifier with a stored unique identifier, and if the received landing identifier matches the stored unique identifier, use the emitted or reflected signal to control the movement of the aerial vehicle relative to the positioning beacon.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the aerial vehicle is controlled according to stored positioning data including data indicating an expected position of the aerial vehicle relative to infrared radiation emitted or reflected by one or more transmitters or reflectors of the positioning beacon.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the aerial vehicle further includes a payload storage system configured to enable the aerial vehicle to carry a load, and wherein the aerial vehicle is configured to, when at the expected position, operate the payload storage system to receive or release the load.

4. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aerial vehicle further includes a GPS navigation system, and wherein the aerial vehicle is further configured to use stored GPS coordinates indicating a general position of the geographical location to control the aerial vehicle to move towards the general position of the geographical location.

5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a second positioning beacon located at a second geographical location, the second positioning beacon being configured to wirelessly transmit the landing identifier for detection by the aerial vehicle, and the second positioning beacon comprising: one or more second transmitters or second reflectors configured to respectively emit or reflect infrared signals; wherein the aerial vehicle is further configured to use stored GPS coordinates indicating a general position of the second geographical location to control the aerial vehicle to move towards the general position of the second geographical location, and wherein the movement of the aerial vehicle is controlled according to stored positioning data including data indicating a first expected position and a second expected position of the aerial vehicle relative to infrared radiation respectively emitted or reflected by one or more transmitters or reflectors of the positioning beacon and respectively emitted or reflected by one or more second transmitters or second reflectors of the positioning beacon, and the aerial vehicle further includes: A payload storage system configured to enable the aerial vehicle to carry a load, and wherein the aerial vehicle is configured to: operate the payload storage system to receive the load when located at the first expected position and release the load when located at the second expected position.

6. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the one or more transmitters or reflectors include one or more transmitters, and the positioning beacon is further configured to transmit the landing identifier for detection by the aerial vehicle by appropriately modulating infrared radiation emitted from at least one of the one or more transmitters.

7. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the one or more transmitters or reflectors include one or more transmitters, the one or more infrared detectors are configured to be activated when located at the geographical location, and the one or more transmitters are configured to be activated for a portion of the time when the one or more infrared detectors are activated.

8. The system according to claims 1 to 5, wherein, the one or more transmitters or reflectors include one or more reflectors, wherein at least one of the one or more reflectors includes a QR code or a bar code or other pattern containing the landing identifier, and the transmission of the landing identifier includes the reflected signal from the one or more reflectors received by the one or more infrared detectors being recognized by the aerial vehicle.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein, the aerial vehicle further includes one or more transmitters configured to direct infrared radiation towards the one or more reflectors of the positioning beacon.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein, the one or more transmitters of the aerial vehicle are configured to be activated when located at the geographical location.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein, the one or more infrared detectors are configured to be activated when located at the geographical location, and the one or more transmitters of the aerial vehicle are configured to be activated for a portion of the time when the one or more infrared detectors are activated.

12. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the one or more transmitters or reflectors are configured to respectively emit or reflect near-infrared (NIR) radiation.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein, the one or more transmitters or reflectors are configured to respectively emit or reflect a narrowband near-infrared spectrum.

14. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the aerial vehicle or the positioning beacon includes a receiver, and the aerial vehicle or the positioning beacon is configured to receive unique identification data to be stored in a corresponding data memory from an external communication network via the receiver.

15. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The aerial vehicle or the positioning beacon includes a data input device, and the aerial vehicle or the positioning beacon is configured to receive unique identification data to be stored in a corresponding data memory from information input via the input device.

16. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the aerial vehicle is configured to land in a landing area, the position of which is defined by a detected transmitted signal or a reflected signal.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein, the positioning beacon includes at least two transmitters or reflectors, and the at least two transmitters or reflectors are arranged in a known geometric form relative to each other and the landing area.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein, the positioning beacon includes three transmitters or reflectors arranged in an L shape.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein, the positioning beacon includes three or more transmitters or reflectors, and the positioning beacon is located on a moving surface.

20. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the one or more transmitters or reflectors are configured to emit infrared radiation or reflect infrared radiation substantially vertically.

21. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the positioning beacon includes one or more transmitters, and the one or more transmitters are configured to emit infrared radiation according to an indicated time interval stored in the positioning beacon.

22. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the one or more infrared detectors operate at a frequency between 25 Hz and 200 Hz.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein, the one or more infrared detectors operate at a frequency of 60 Hz.

24. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the positioning beacon includes a mobile telecommunications device, such as a smartphone, etc.

25. The system according to claims 1 to 23, wherein, the one or more transmitters or reflectors are configured to be attached to a mobile telecommunications device, such as a smartphone, etc.

26. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, the positioning beacon further includes a transmitter configured to transmit the landing identifier.

27. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, the aerial vehicle includes at least one or more infrared detectors, wherein, the infrared detectors are arranged to have complementary fields of view, and the positioning beacon includes at least four transmitters or reflectors arranged in pairs, with at least one pair arranged to emit infrared signals or reflect infrared signals within each of the complementary fields of view.

28. An aerial vehicle configured to be positioned at a geographical location, the aerial vehicle comprises: one or more infrared (IR) detectors for receiving infrared signals emitted or reflected from a positioning beacon provided at the geographical location; wherein, the aerial vehicle is configured to: receive a landing identifier wirelessly transmitted by the positioning beacon to the aerial vehicle; Compare the received landing identifier with the stored unique identifier; and If the received landing identifier matches the stored unique identifier, use the transmitted signal or the reflected signal to control the movement of the aerial vehicle towards the positioning beacon.

29. The positioning beacon for positioning an aerial vehicle according to claim 28, the positioning beacon comprises: One or more infrared (IR) transmitters or reflectors configured to respectively transmit or reflect infrared signals for controlling the movement of the aerial vehicle towards the positioning beacon; and A generator for generating a signal including the landing identifier of the positioning beacon; wherein the positioning beacon is configured to wirelessly transmit a signal including the landing identifier for the aerial vehicle to uniquely detect the positioning beacon.

30. A method for positioning an aerial vehicle at a geographical location, the method comprises: Wirelessly transmit a landing identifier for the aerial vehicle to detect from a positioning beacon located at the geographical location; Receive at one or more infrared detectors of the aerial vehicle an infrared (IR) signal transmitted or reflected from the positioning beacon; Receive the landing identifier at the aerial vehicle; Compare the landing identifier with the stored unique identifier; and In the case where the landing identifier and the stored unique identifier match, use the transmitted or reflected signal to control the movement of the aerial vehicle relative to the positioning beacon.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprises: Wirelessly transmit the landing identifier for the aerial vehicle to detect from a second positioning beacon at a second geographical location; Control the movement of the aerial vehicle using a GPS navigation system to move towards the approximate location of the geographical location using first stored GPS coordinates; When located at the approximate location of the geographical location, control the movement of the aerial vehicle according to stored positioning data, the stored positioning data including data indicating a first expected position of the aerial vehicle relative to the infrared radiation received from the positioning beacon; When located at the first expected position, receive a load into the load storage system of the aerial vehicle; Once the load is received, control the movement of the aerial vehicle using the GPS navigation system to move towards the approximate location of the second geographical location using second stored GPS coordinates; When located at the approximate location of the second geographical location, receive at one or more infrared detectors of the aerial vehicle an infrared signal transmitted or reflected from the second positioning beacon; Control the movement of the aerial vehicle according to the stored positioning data, the stored positioning data including data indicating a second expected position of the aerial vehicle relative to the infrared radiation transmitted or reflected from the second positioning beacon; and When located at the second expected position, release the load from the load storage system of the aerial vehicle.

Images