Unmanned aerial vehicles and related methods and systems

• US 10,507,916 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2017
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gomez Gutierrez, David, De La Guardia Gonzalez, Rafael, Parra Vilchis, Jose I., Aldana Lopez, Rodrigo
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/639,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20190002103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/05 for sports or gaming, e.g. drone racing
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles include a processor to determine whether a first location of an unmanned vehicle and a second location of a virtual event is within a threshold distance; and a game experience controller to: control the unmanned vehicle based on a first command associated with a non-augmented state of the unmanned vehicle in response to the first location of the unmanned vehicle and the second location of the virtual event being outside of the threshold distance; and in response to the first location of the unmanned vehicle and the second location of the virtual event being within the threshold distance, control the unmanned vehicle based on a second command associated with an augmented state of the unmanned vehicle to simulate the unmanned vehicle being affected by the virtual event.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with an unmanned vehicle, comprising:

a processor to determine whether a first physical location of an unmanned vehicle is within a threshold distance of a second physical location, the second physical location corresponding to a virtual event; and

a game experience controller to;

control the unmanned vehicle based on a first command associated with a non-augmented state of the unmanned vehicle in response to the first physical location of the unmanned vehicle being more than the threshold distance away from the second physical location; and

in response to the first physical location of the unmanned vehicle being within the threshold distance of the second physical location, control the unmanned vehicle based on a second command associated with an augmented state of the unmanned vehicle to simulate the unmanned vehicle being affected by the virtual event.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the game experience controller is further to execute at least one of an audio command or a visual command to simulate the unmanned vehicle being affected by the virtual event in response to the first physical location of the unmanned vehicle being within the threshold distance of the second physical location.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second command is not associated with user input.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second command is associated with the virtual event.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the game experience controller is to control the unmanned vehicle based on the second command for a threshold amount of time.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein, in response to lapse of the threshold amount, the game experience controller is to control the unmanned vehicle based on a third command associated with the non-augmented state of the unmanned vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the virtual event includes at least one of a virtual viscous area, virtual smoke, a virtual tractor beam, a virtual acceleration track, a virtual bullet, a virtual propeller disabling ray, a virtual attractive hole, or a virtual protective shield.

8. A method of using an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

identifying, by executing an instruction with at least one processor, a first physical location corresponding to a virtual event;

identifying, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a second physical location of the unmanned vehicle;

in response to the first physical location being within a threshold distance of the second physical location, controlling, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the unmanned vehicle based on a first command to simulate the unmanned vehicle being affected by the virtual event; and

in response to the first physical location not being within the threshold distance of the second physical location, controlling, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the unmanned vehicle based on a second command associated with the unmanned vehicle being unaffected by the virtual event.

9. The method of claim 8, further including, in response to the first physical location and the second physical location being within the threshold distance, initiating at least one of a visual affect or an audio effect at the unmanned vehicle to simulate the unmanned vehicle being affected by the virtual event.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second command is associated with a non-augmented state of the unmanned vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first command is associated with an augmented state of the unmanned vehicle.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the controlling of the unmanned vehicle based on the first command includes controlling the unmanned vehicle based on the first command for a threshold amount of time.

13. The method of claim 12, further including, in response to the threshold amount of time lapsing, controlling the unmanned vehicle based on a third command associated with a non-augmented state of the unmanned vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third command is associated with user input.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the controlling of the unmanned vehicle based on the first command includes autonomously controlling the unmanned vehicle for a threshold amount of time to simulate the unmanned vehicle being affected by the virtual event.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the first physical location corresponding to the virtual event is determined by determining a virtual location of the virtual event and identifying the first physical location, the first physical location associated with the first virtual location of the virtual event.

17. A tangible computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

identify a first physical location corresponding to a virtual event;

identify a second physical location of an unmanned vehicle;

in response to the first physical location being within a threshold distance of the second physical location, control the unmanned vehicle based on a first command to simulate the unmanned vehicle being affected by the virtual event; and

in response to the first physical location not being within the threshold distance of the second physical location, control the unmanned vehicle based on a second command associated with the unmanned vehicle being unaffected by the virtual event.

18. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein in response to the first physical location and the second physical location being within the threshold distance, the instructions, when executed, are to further cause the processor to initiate at least one of a visual affect or an audio effect at the unmanned vehicle to simulate the unmanned vehicle being affected by the virtual event.

19. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17,

wherein the second command is associated with a non-augmented state of the unmanned vehicle.

20. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the first command is associated with an augmented state of the unmanned vehicle.

21. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the controlling of the unmanned vehicle based on the first command is to cause the processor to control the unmanned vehicle based on the first command for a threshold amount of time.

22. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to control the unmanned vehicle based on a third command associated with a non-augmented state of the unmanned vehicle in response to the threshold amount of time lapsing.

23. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 22, wherein the third command is associated with user input.

24. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to simulate the unmanned vehicle being affected by the virtual event by autonomously controlling the unmanned vehicle for a threshold amount of time.

25. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to determine the first physical location corresponding to the virtual event by determining a virtual location of the virtual event and identifying the first physical location, the first physical location associated with the virtual location of the virtual event.