UNMANNED DEVICE UTILIZATION METHODS AND SYSTEMS

• US 20140024999A1
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US13/551,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20140024999A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/66
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/00 Type of UAV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/26 for manufacturing, inspections or repairs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/32 generated by fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/76 Arrangements for rearranging, permuting or selecting data according to predetermined rules, independently of the content of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Structures and protocols are presented for configuring an unmanned aerial device to perform a task, alone or in combination with other entities, or for using data resulting from such a configuration or performance.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including

circuitry for causing a first unmanned aerial device to guide a first individual to a first destination; and

circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination comprises:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to configure the first unmanned aerial device to continue observing a second individual responsive to a prior observation of the second individual.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination comprises:

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to capture normalcy-indicative data relating to a second individual at the first destination; and

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to configure the first unmanned aerial device to continue observing the second individual responsive to a prior observation of the second individual, the prior observation of the second individual including the normalcy-indicative data relating to the second individual, the decision whether or not to configure the first unmanned aerial device to continue observing the second individual being a negative decision if the normalcy-indicative data relating to the second individual positively indicates normalcy and otherwise generally being a positive decision.

4. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to perform a first observation of a particular task in a first zone and a second unmanned aerial device to perform a second observation of the particular task in a second zone.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to perform a first observation of a particular task in a first zone and a second unmanned aerial device to perform a second observation of the particular task in a second zone, the first zone and the second zone sharing a common boundary.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to capture normalcy-indicative data relating to a second individual, at least some of the normalcy-indicative data being indicative of a biometric, the biometric being an abnormal or normal rate, the abnormal or normal rate being a respiration rate or a heart rate of the human subject.

11. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

circuitry for transmitting a wireless signal indicative of a delivery of a package to a device associated with a recipient of the package, the wireless signal indicating at least one of the first unmanned aerial device or the package or a sender of the package.

13. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

circuitry for transmitting navigation guidance via a speaker of the first unmanned aerial device while a primary motor of the first unmanned aerial device is not moving the first unmanned aerial device.

14. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

circuitry for identifying an operating mode of the first unmanned aerial device audibly or visibly while a primary motor of the first unmanned aerial device is not moving the first unmanned aerial device.

16. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

circuitry for causing another unmanned aerial device to capture delivery data relating to the first unmanned aerial device, the delivery data relating to the first unmanned aerial device depicting at least one of the first unmanned aerial device or a vicinity of the first unmanned aerial device.

18. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device not to be equipped with any light sensors, the circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device not to be equipped with any light sensors being operably coupled with a releasable mechanical linkage, the releasable mechanical linkage being configured to support a data handling unit, the data handling unit including at least one light sensor.

22. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

circuitry for overriding a first task being performed by the first unmanned aerial device by transmitting a wireless signal indicative of a second task to the first unmanned aerial device.

26. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination comprises:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to reserve a specific resource by associating the specific resource with the first unmanned aerial device or with a second individual, the decision being an affirmative decision to reserve the specific resource, the specific resource including at least one of a space or a material.

27. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination comprises:

circuitry for responding to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device becoming within a proximity of a mobile device by causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to the second destination as the automatic and conditional response to the indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination.

30. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination comprises:

circuitry for causing a modular observation unit to be lifted and activated within at most about an hour of the modular observation unit becoming part of the first unmanned aerial device.

32. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination comprises:

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to execute a delivery of a particular material to a vicinity of a portable device within one minute of an image capture of the vicinity of the portable device.

33. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination comprises:

circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to execute a delivery of a particular object to a second individual contemporaneously with an image capture of a portion of the second individual.

34. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination comprises:

circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly toward a home station in response to an indication of the first individual moving at least a threshold distance away from the first unmanned aerial device, the second destination being the home station.

37. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture comprise:

a second unmanned aerial device, including the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to guide the first individual to the first destination and including the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to the second destination as the automatic and conditional response to the indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination.

38. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture comprise:

a handheld device, including the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to guide the first individual to the first destination and including the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to the second destination as the automatic and conditional response to the indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination.

114. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination comprises:

circuitry for causing a modular observation unit to be lifted and activated within at most about an hour of the modular observation unit becoming part of the first unmanned aerial device;

circuitry for responding to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device becoming within a proximity of a mobile device by causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to the second destination as the automatic and conditional response to the indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination, the first destination comprising the proximity of the mobile device;

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to capture normalcy-indicative data relating to a second individual at the first destination;

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to configure the first unmanned aerial device to continue observing the second individual responsive to a prior observation of the second individual, the prior observation of the second individual including the normalcy-indicative data relating to the second individual, the decision whether or not to configure the first unmanned aerial device to continue observing the second individual being a negative decision if the normalcy-indicative data relating to the second individual positively indicates normalcy and otherwise generally being a positive decision; and

circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to execute a delivery of a single dose of a therapeutic material to a human hand within one minute of an image capture of a portion of the human hand.

115. The system of claim 114 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

circuitry for transmitting navigation guidance via a speaker of the first unmanned aerial device while a primary motor of the first unmanned aerial device is not moving the first unmanned aerial device;

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to capture normalcy-indicative data relating to the second individual, at least some of the normalcy-indicative data being indicative of a biometric, the biometric being an abnormal or normal rate, the abnormal or normal rate being a respiration rate or a heart rate of the second individual; and

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to perform a first observation of a particular task in a first zone and a second unmanned aerial device to perform a second observation of the particular task in a second zone, the first zone and the second zone sharing a common boundary, the particular task including the delivery of the single dose of the therapeutic material.

116. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device not to be equipped with any light sensors, the circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device not to be equipped with any light sensors being operably coupled with a releasable mechanical linkage, the releasable mechanical linkage being configured to support a data handling unit, the data handling unit including at least one light sensor;

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to transmit a wireless signal indicative of having performed a particular task and not to store any indication of having performed the particular task; and

circuitry for causing another unmanned aerial device to capture delivery data relating to the first unmanned aerial device, the delivery data relating to the first unmanned aerial device depicting at least one of the first unmanned aerial device or a vicinity of the first unmanned aerial device.

117. The system of claim 116 in which the circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination comprises:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to reserve a specific resource by associating the specific resource with the first unmanned aerial device or with the second individual, the decision being an affirmative decision to reserve the specific resource, the specific resource including at least one of a space or a material;

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to configure the first unmanned aerial device to continue observing the second individual responsive to a prior observation of the second individual; and

circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly toward a home station in response to an indication of the first individual moving at least a threshold distance away from the first unmanned aerial device, the second destination being the home station.

6-7. -7. (canceled)

9-10. -10. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

19-21. -21. (canceled)

23-25. -25. (canceled)

28-29. -29. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

35-36. -36. (canceled)

39-40. -40. (canceled)

41. A system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including means for obtaining a tracking mode of a delivery task of a first unmanned aerial device; and

means for signaling a decision whether or not to omit a record of the first unmanned aerial device completing the delivery task of the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to the tracking mode of the delivery task of the first unmanned aerial device.

42-69. -69. (canceled)

70. A method comprising:

causing a first unmanned aerial device to guide a first individual to a first destination; and

invoking circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination.

90. The method of claim 70, further comprising:

overriding a first task being performed by the first unmanned aerial device by transmitting a wireless signal indicative of a second task to the first unmanned aerial device from or via a second unmanned aerial device.

108. The method of claim 70, further comprising:

causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly toward a home station in response to an indication of the first individual moving at least a threshold distance away from the first unmanned aerial device, the second destination being the home station.

71-89. -89. (canceled)

91-107. -107. (canceled)

109. (canceled)

110. An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media configured to bear a device-detectable implementation of a method including at least

causing a first unmanned aerial device to guide a first individual to a first destination; and

causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination.

111. The article of manufacture of claim 110 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more signal-bearing media configured to transmit one or more instructions for

causing the first unmanned aerial device to undertake a performance observation task of a job that includes a performance task and the performance observation task.

112. An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable outcome indicating an occurrence of

causing a first unmanned aerial device to guide a first individual to a first destination; and

causing the first unmanned aerial device to fly to a second destination as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first individual arriving at the first destination.

113. The article of manufacture of claim 112 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output indicating an occurrence of

signaling a decision whether or not to configure the first unmanned aerial device to continue observing a second individual responsive to a prior observation of the second individual.