ACCOMMODATING MOBILE DESTINATIONS FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

• US 20160196525A1
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: KANTOR, Igor, Srivastava, Ashok N., Pasko, Douglas M., Batla, Hani, Ubhi, Gurpreet
• Granted Patent: US 9,875,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• 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 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A device receives a request for a flight path for a UAV to travel from a location to an anticipated location associated with a mobile device, and determines capability information for the UAV based on component information associated with the UAV. The device receives information associated with a current location, a direction of travel, and a speed of the mobile device, and calculates the flight path from the location to the anticipated location associated with the mobile device based on the capability information and based on the information associated with the current location, the direction of travel, and the speed of the mobile device. The device generates flight path instructions for the flight path, and provides the flight path instructions to the UAV to permit the UAV to travel from the location to the anticipated location associated with the mobile device, based on the flight path instructions.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, a request for a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from a geographical location to an anticipated geographical location associated with a mobile device;

determining, by the device, capability information for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on component information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle;

receiving, by the device, information associated with a current location, a direction of travel, and a speed of the mobile device;

calculating, by the device, the flight path from the geographical location to the anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device based on the capability information and based on the information associated with the current location, the direction of travel, and the speed of the mobile device;

generating, by the device, flight path instructions for the flight path; and

providing, by the device, the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel, from the geographical location to the anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device, based on the flight path instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information associated with a change to one of the direction of travel or the speed of the mobile device; and

determining whether to modify the flight path based on the information associated with the change to the one of the direction of travel or the speed of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

calculating, when the flight path is to be modified, a modified flight path to a new anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device, based on the information associated with the change to the one of the direction of travel or the speed of the mobile device;

generating modified flight path instructions for the modified flight path; and

providing the modified flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel to the new anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device based on the modified flight path instructions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, to the mobile device, information associated with a current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle in relation to the current location of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, where calculating the flight path comprises:

determining a meeting location for the unmanned aerial vehicle and the mobile device based on the information associated with the current location, the direction of travel, and the speed of the mobile device; and

calculating the flight path from the geographical location to the meeting location based on the capability information,

the meeting location corresponding to the anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, where the meeting location includes a geographical location associated with a rest stop, a retail store, a parking lot, a restaurant, a grocery store, or a convenience store.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing, to the mobile device;

information indicating the meeting location, and

one of a confirmation code or an authentication mechanism that permits the mobile device to authenticate a user of the mobile device so that the user may receive a payload of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the meeting location.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more devices to;

receive a request for a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from a geographical location to an anticipated geographical location associated with a mobile device;

determine capability information for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on component information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle;

receive information associated with a current location, a direction of travel, and a speed of the mobile device;

calculate the flight path from the geographical location to the anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device based on the capability information and based on the information associated with the current location, the direction of travel, and the speed of the mobile device;

generate flight path instructions for the flight path; and

provide the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel, from the geographical location to the anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device, based on the flight path instructions.

9. The system of claim 8, where the one or more devices are further to:

receive information associated with a change to one of the direction of travel or the speed of the mobile device; and

determine whether to modify the flight path based on the information associated with the change to the one of the direction of travel or the speed of the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9, where the one or more devices are further to:

calculate, when the flight path is to be modified, a modified flight path to a new anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device, based on the information associated with the change to the one of the direction of travel or the speed of the mobile device;

generate modified flight path instructions for the modified flight path; and

provide the modified flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel to the new anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device based on the modified flight path instructions.

11. The system of claim 8, where the one or more devices are further to:

provide, to the mobile device, information associated with a current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle in relation to the current location of the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 8, where, when calculating the flight path, the one or more devices are further to:

determine a meeting location for the unmanned aerial vehicle and the mobile device based on the information associated with the current location, the direction of travel, and the speed of the mobile device; and

calculate the flight path from the geographical location to the meeting location based on the capability information,

the meeting location corresponding to the anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 12, where the meeting location includes a geographical location associated with a retail store, a restaurant, a grocery store, or a convenience store.

14. The system of claim 13, where the one or more devices are further to:

provide, to the mobile device;

information indicating the meeting location, and

one of a confirmation code or an authentication mechanism that permits the mobile device to authenticate a user of the mobile device so that the user may receive a payload of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the meeting location.

15. A computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a request for a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from a geographical location to an anticipated geographical location associated with a mobile device;

receive information associated with a current location, a direction of travel, and a speed of the mobile device;

calculate the flight path from the geographical location to the anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device based on the information associated with the current location, the direction of travel, and the speed of the mobile device;

generate flight path instructions for the flight path; and

provide the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel, from the geographical location to the geographical location associated with the mobile device, based on the flight path instructions.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive information associated with a change to one of the direction of travel or the speed of the mobile device; and

determine whether to modify the flight path based on the information associated with the change to the one of the direction of travel or the speed of the mobile device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

calculate, when the flight path is to be modified, a modified flight path to a new anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device, based on the information associated with the change to the one of the direction of travel or the speed of the mobile device;

generate modified flight path instructions for the modified flight path; and

provide the modified flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle to permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel to the new anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device based on the modified flight path instructions.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

provide, to the mobile device, information associated with a current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle in relation to the current location of the mobile device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the instructions for calculating the flight path further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine a meeting location for the unmanned aerial vehicle and the mobile device based on the information associated with the current location, the direction of travel, and the speed of the mobile device; and

calculate the flight path from the geographical location to the meeting location based on the capability information,

the meeting location corresponding to the anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device and including a geographical location associated with a rest stop, a retail store, a parking lot, a restaurant, a grocery store, or a convenience store.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

provide, to the mobile device;

information indicating the meeting location, and

one of a confirmation code or an authentication mechanism that permits the mobile device to authenticate a user of the mobile device so that the user may receive a payload of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the meeting location.