Systems and methods for providing environment information using an unmanned vehicle

• US 10,188,580 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2016
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Dayal, Rajiv, Lee, Christopher P., Thackston, Allison
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiltey, Nicholas K
• Application Number:
  US15/150,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20170319426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/063 with tactile perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5048 Audio interfaces, e.g. voice or music controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5058 Sensors or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5071 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5082 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5089 Gas sensors, e.g. for oxygen or CO2
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5092 Optical sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3652 Guidance using non-audiovisual output, e.g. tactile, haptic or electric stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A system for providing, to a user, navigation directions to a point of interest. The system includes a device having an output unit configured to output the navigation directions to the point of interest. The device is configured to communicate, to an unmanned vehicle, a point of interest identification. The system also includes the unmanned vehicle having a camera configured to detect image data. The unmanned vehicle is configured to determine whether the point of interest identification is detected from the image data. The unmanned vehicle is also configured to determine a point of interest location when the point of interest identification is detected from the image data. The unmanned vehicle is also configured to determine point of interest navigation data based on the point of interest location. The unmanned vehicle is also configured to communicate, to the device, the point of interest navigation data.

Claims

1. A system for providing, to a user, navigation directions to a destination at a destination location, the system comprising:

a device worn around a neck of the user and configured to receive an identification of the destination from the user, search for the destination location, and communicate, to an unmanned vehicle, the identification of the destination when the device is unable to determine the destination location; and

the unmanned vehicle for determining the destination location when the device is unable to determine the destination location, the unmanned vehicle having a camera configured to detect image data, and being configured to;

determine an information collecting location,

automatically move to the information collecting location,

detect the image data at the information collecting location,

determine whether the destination is detected from the image data at the information collecting location,

determine the destination location when the destination is detected from the image data at the information collecting location, and

communicate, to the device, the destination location,

wherein the device is further configured to determine and output the navigation directions to guide the user from a current location of the user to the destination location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned vehicle is further configured to adjust the information collecting location when the destination location is not determined based on the image data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned vehicle includes a memory comprising map data and the information collecting location is determined based on the map data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the map data includes a plurality of stored information collecting locations, each having a latitude, a longitude, and an elevation where the unmanned vehicle has previously detected image data used to determine the destination location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the information collecting location is within a communication range of the device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned vehicle is further configured to automatically move within a communication range of the device to communicate the destination location when the information collecting location is outside the communication range of the device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned vehicle is further configured to determine an orientation of the user and wherein the destination location is relative to the orientation of the user.

9. A device for providing, to a user, navigation directions to a destination at a destination location, the device comprising:

an input unit configured to receive a destination identification associated with the destination;

a device camera configured to detect image data;

a transceiver configured to communicate with an unmanned vehicle;

a device control unit configured to;

determine whether the destination is detected from the image data,

communicate, to the unmanned vehicle, the destination identification when the destination is not detected from the image data, and

receive, from the unmanned vehicle, the destination location, the unmanned vehicle configured to determine an information collecting location, automatically move to the information collecting location, and determine the destination location based on detected image data at the information collecting location; and

an output unit configured to output the navigation directions to the destination based on the destination location received from the unmanned vehicle.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the device is a wearable device worn by the user.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the output unit is further configured to output an indication that the unmanned vehicle is being used to determine the navigation directions when the destination is not detected from the image data.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the unmanned vehicle is within a communication range of the device.

13. A method for providing, to a user, navigation directions to a destination at a destination location, the method comprising:

receiving, by a device worn around a neck of the user, an identification of the destination from the user;

searching, by the device, for the destination location;

communicating, by a device to an unmanned vehicle, the identification of the destination when the device is unable to determine the destination location;

determining, by the unmanned vehicle, an information collecting location;

detecting, by the unmanned vehicle, image data at the information collecting location;

determining, by the unmanned vehicle, whether the destination is detected from the image data at the information collecting location;

determining, by the unmanned vehicle, the destination location when the destination is detected from the image data at the information collecting location;

communicating, by the unmanned vehicle to the device, the destination location; and

outputting, by the device, the navigation directions to the destination based on the destination location received from the unmanned vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting, by the unmanned vehicle, the information collecting location to detect additional image data when the destination location is not determined based on the image data.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining, by the unmanned vehicle, the information collecting location based on map data stored in an unmanned vehicle memory.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the map data includes a plurality of stored information collecting locations, each having a latitude, a longitude, and an elevation where the unmanned vehicle has previously detected image data used to determine the destination location.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically moving, by the unmanned vehicle, within a communication range of the device to communicate the destination location when the information collecting location is outside the communication range of the device.