Systems and methods for utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor hazards for users

• US 10,351,237 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Baruch, Doron
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney A
• Application Number:
  US15/221,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20180029706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/80 Arrangement of on-board electronics, e.g. avionics systems or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/17 for detecting, disrupting or countering communications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/55 for life-saving or rescue operations; for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/294 Rotors arranged in the UAV body
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/23 with each propulsion means having an individual motor
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/30 Supply or distribution of electrical power
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 : with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 : specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 : using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 : including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Various methods for utilizing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to monitor hazards for a user may include maintaining the UAV at a monitoring position relative to the user, monitoring an area surrounding the user for approaching objects, detecting an approaching object, determining whether the approaching object poses a danger to the user, and performing one or more actions to mitigate the danger of the approaching object in response to determining that the approaching object poses a danger to the user.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to monitor hazards for a user, the method comprising:

maintaining the UAV at a monitoring position relative to the user;

monitoring, by the UAV, an area surrounding the user for approaching objects;

determining, by the UAV, whether a detected approaching object poses a danger to the user; and

performing, by the UAV, one or more actions to mitigate the danger of the approaching object in response to determining that the approaching object poses the danger to the user, wherein performing the one or more actions comprises sending a warning to the approaching object that poses the danger to the user using device-to-device communication through a bi-directional wireless communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the UAV at the monitoring position relative to the user comprises:

determining, by the UAV, one or more attributes of the user; and

determining, by the UAV, the monitoring position based on the one or more attributes of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the one or more attributes of the user comprises determining at least one of a position, a velocity, or a height of the user.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, by the UAV, one or more attributes of one or more additional people with the user,

wherein determining the monitoring position is further based on the one or more attributes of the one or more additional people.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, by the UAV, one or more environmental conditions;

wherein determining the monitoring position is further based on the one or more environmental conditions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining one or more environmental conditions comprises determining at least one of a height of one or more stationary objects surrounding the user, a lighting condition, a weather condition, or a current time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the area surrounding the user for approaching objects comprises:

estimating, by the UAV, a travel path for the user;

determining, by the UAV, an area to scan based on the estimated travel path for the user;

scanning, by the UAV, the determined area to detect objects;

estimating, by the UAV, a travel path for a detected object; and

determining, by the UAV, whether the estimated travel path of the user intersects the estimated travel path of the detected object by at least a predetermined probability.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

estimating the travel path of the user comprises estimating the travel path of the user based on at least a position and a velocity of the user; and

estimating the travel path of the detected object comprises estimating the travel path of the detected object based on at least a position and a velocity of the detected object.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined probability is specified by the user.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the estimated travel path of the user and the estimated travel path of the detected object are estimated over a specified time frame.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the area to scan comprises determining an area within a distance from all points of the estimated travel path of the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the distance is specified by the user.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the area to scan further comprises determining at least one of a specified radius surrounding the user and an area within a distance from all points of a prior travel path of the user.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a probability of accuracy of each of the estimated travel path of the user and the estimated travel path of the detected object.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein scanning the determined area to detect objects comprises communicating with one or more objects through device-to-device or cellular communications.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the approaching object poses the danger to the user comprises:

determining, by the UAV, one or more attributes for the approaching object;

comparing, by the UAV, the one or more attributes to one or more thresholds;

determining, by the UAV, whether the one or more attributes of the approaching object exceeds at least one of the one or more thresholds; and

determining, by the UAV, that the approaching object poses the danger to the user in response to determining that the one or more attributes of the approaching object exceeds at least one of the one or more thresholds.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more attributes comprises one or more of a position of the approaching object, a velocity of the approaching object, a size of the approaching object, a type of the approaching object and a hazardous characteristic of the approaching object.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more thresholds are specified by the user.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more attributes are obtained through device-to-device or cellular communications with the approaching object.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the one or more actions further comprises at least one of generating a visual warning, sounding an audio warning, sending a warning to a wireless communication device carried by the user, escorting the user past the danger, blocking a travel path of the user, or blocking a travel path of the approaching object.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the UAV, whether the approaching object still poses the danger to the user; and

continuing, by the UAV, the one or more actions in response to determining that the approaching object still poses the danger to the user.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining whether the approaching object still poses the danger to the user comprises at least one of:

estimating, by the UAV, a travel path of the user and a travel path of the approaching object; and

comparing, by the UAV, one or more attributes of the approaching object to one or more thresholds.

23. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to;

maintain the UAV at a monitoring position relative to a user;

monitor an area surrounding the user for approaching objects;

determine whether a detected approaching object poses a danger to the user; and

perform one or more actions to mitigate the danger of the approaching object in response to determining that the approaching object poses the danger to the user, wherein performing the one or more actions comprises sending a warning to the approaching object that poses the danger to the user using device-to-device communication through a bi-directional wireless communication link.

24. The UAV of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to maintain the UAV at the monitoring position relative to the user by:

determining one or more attributes of the user; and

determining the monitoring position based on the one or more attributes of the user.

25. The UAV of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to determine one or more attributes of the user comprising at least one of a position, a velocity, or a height of the user.

26. The UAV of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

determine one or more attributes of one or more additional people with the user,

wherein determining the monitoring position is further based on the one or more attributes of the one or more additional people.

27. The UAV of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

determine one or more environmental conditions;

wherein determining the monitoring position is further based on the one or more environmental conditions.

28. The UAV of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to determine one or more environmental conditions comprising at least one of a height of one or more stationary objects surrounding the user, a lighting condition, a weather condition, or a current time.

29. The UAV of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to monitor the area surrounding the user for approaching objects by:

estimating a travel path for the user;

determining an area to scan based on the estimated travel path for the user;

scanning the determined area to detect objects;

estimating a travel path for a detected object; and

determining whether the estimated travel path of the user intersects the estimated travel path of the detected object by at least a predetermined probability.

30. The UAV of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

estimate the travel path of the user based on at least a position and a velocity of the user; and

estimate the travel path of the detected object based on at least a position and a velocity of the detected object.

31. The UAV of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to estimate the travel path of the user and estimate the travel path of the detected object over a specified time frame.

32. The UAV of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to determine the area to scan including an area within a distance from all points of the estimated travel path of the user.

33. The UAV of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to determine the area to scan including at least one of a specified radius surrounding the user and an area within a distance from all points of a prior travel path of the user.

34. The UAV of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to scan the determined area to detect objects by communicating with one or more objects through device-to-device or cellular communications.

35. The UAV of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to determine whether the approaching object poses the danger to the user by:

determining one or more attributes for the approaching object;

comparing the one or more attributes to one or more thresholds;

determining whether the one or more attributes of the approaching object exceeds at least one of the one or more thresholds; and

determining that the approaching object poses the danger to the user in response to determining that the one or more attributes of the approaching object exceeds at least one of the one or more thresholds.

36. The UAV of claim 35, wherein the one or more attributes comprises one or more of a position of the approaching object, a velocity of the approaching object, a size of the approaching object, a type of the approaching object or a hazardous characteristic of the approaching object.

37. The UAV of claim 23, wherein the one or more actions further comprise at least one of generating a visual warning, sounding an audio warning, sending a warning to a wireless communication device carried by the user, escorting the user past the danger, blocking a travel path of the user, or blocking a travel path of the approaching object.

38. The UAV of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

determine whether the approaching object still poses the danger to the user; and

continue the one or more actions in response to determining that the approaching object still poses the danger to the user.

39. The UAV of claim 38, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to determine whether the approaching object still poses the danger to the user comprises at least one of:

estimating a travel path of the user and a travel path of the approaching object; and

comparing one or more attributes of the approaching object to one or more thresholds.

40. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform operations comprising:

maintaining the UAV at a monitoring position relative to a user;

monitoring an area surrounding the user for approaching objects;

determining whether a detected approaching object poses a danger to the user; and

performing one or more actions to mitigate the danger of the approaching object in response to determining that the approaching object poses the danger to the user, wherein performing the one or more actions comprises sending a warning to the approaching object that poses the danger to the user using device-to-device communication through a bi-directional wireless communication link.

41. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

means for maintaining the UAV at a monitoring position relative to a user;

means for monitoring an area surrounding the user for approaching objects;

means for determining whether a detected approaching object poses a danger to the user; and

means for performing one or more actions to mitigate the danger of the approaching object in response to determining that the approaching object poses the danger to the user, wherein performing the one or more actions comprises means for sending a warning to the approaching object that poses the danger to the user using device-to-device communication using means for linking bi-directional wireless communication.