Messaging-Enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

• US 20180011484A1
• Filed: 02/01/2017
• Published: 01/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ya-Ting, Robins, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 10,698,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carries a camera, sends data from the camera, and receives commands. The UAV is connected to a messaging platform. Pictures or video clips received from the UAV are selected and placed in messages broadcast by an account associated with the UAV. Video footage from the camera is live-streamed in a card-type message. Account holders of the messaging platform may control the UAV with commands embedded in messages and directed towards an account associated with the UAV. Controllable elements of the UAV include UAV location, camera orientation, camera subject, UAV-mounted lighting, a UAV-mounted display, a UAV-mounted projector, UAV-mounted speakers, and a detachable payload. UAV control may be determined through democratic means. Some UAV functionality may be triggered through aggregated engagements on the messaging platform. The UAV may include a display screen and/or a microphone to provide for telepresence or interview functionality.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method comprising:

receiving a message at an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the message authored by a client device associated with an account of a messaging platform;

determining, by a UAV controller, a set of commands for the UAV from the message;

selecting, by the UAV controller, a command from the set of commands; and

executing the selected command, UAV configured to respond to the selected command such that the command controls the UAV.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein determining the set of commands for the UAV controller comprises decoding commands within the received message.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein decoding commands within the received message comprises:

comparing the text of the message to a list of possible commands stored in a command repository; and

selecting text from the message that is included in the list of possible commands as the set of commands.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein decoding commands within the received message comprises:

identifying text of the message that is preceded, succeeded, or bracketed by special characters, the special characters indicating the presence of a command.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the special character is a hashtag.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein decoding commands within the received messages comprises:

identifying commands using speech-to-text processing to recognize commands in messages that include embedded audio.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein decoding commands within the received messages comprises:

identifying commands using optical character recognition to recognize commands in messages that include images or video.

28. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

selecting the received message from a plurality of messages authored by a plurality of client devices associated with user accounts of the messaging platform.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the selection is based on an identifier for the UAV included in the message.

30. The method of claim 21 wherein the selection is based on the user account authoring the message.

31. The method of claim 21 wherein executing the selected command causes the UAV to change any of:

position, velocity, acceleration, and altitude.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

determining, by a policy module, that the executed command is advisable, appropriate, legal, or safe in the area that the UAV is operating.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the executing the command further comprises obtaining a location boundary for the UAV and ensuring that UAV operates within the location boundary.

34. The method of claim 21 wherein selecting a command from the set of commands is based on a set of allowable commands stored in a command repository.

35. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium product comprising computer program instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

receive a message at an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the message authored by a client device associated with an account of a messaging platform;

determine, by a UAV controller, a set of commands for the UAV from the message;

select, by the UAV controller, a command from the set of commands; and

execute the selected command, UAV configured to respond to the selected command such that the command controls the UAV.

36. The computer readable storage medium product of claim 35, wherein the computer program instructions that determine a set of commands when executed by the processor further cause the processor to decode commands within the received message.

37. The computer readable storage medium product of claim 36, wherein the computer program instructions that cause the processor to decode commands within the message further comprise computer program instructions that cause the processor to perform one of:

compare the text of the message to a list of possible commands store in a command repository and select text from the message that is included in the list of possible commands as the set of commands;

identify text of the message that is preceded, succeeded, or bracketed by special characters, the special characters indicating the presence of a command;

identify commands using speech-to-text processing to recognize commands in messages that include embedded audio; and

identify commands using optical character recognition to recognize commands in messages that include images or video.

38. The computer readable storage medium product of claim 35, wherein the computer program instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to select the received message from a plurality of messages authored by a plurality of client devices associated with user accounts of the messaging platform.

39. The computer readable storage medium product of claim 38, wherein the selection is based on any of an identifier for the UAV included in the message or the user account authoring the message.

40. The computer readable storage medium product of claim 35, wherein the computer program instructions that execute the selected command when executed by the processor further cause the processor to change any of:

position, velocity, acceleration, and altitude of the UAV.

41. The computer readable storage medium of claim 40, wherein the computer program instructions that execute the selected command when executed by the processor further cause the processor to obtain a location boundary for the UAV and ensure that the UAV operates within the location boundary.

42. The computer readable storage medium product of claim 35, wherein the computer program instructions that selects a command from the set of commands is based on a set of allowable commands stored in a command repository.

43. A system comprising a processor and a memory storing computer program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

receive a message at an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the message authored by a client device associated with an account of a messaging platform;

determine, by a UAV controller, a set of commands for the UAV from the message;

select, by the UAV controller, a command from the set of commands; and

execute the selected command, UAV configured to respond to the selected command such that the command controls the UAV.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the computer program instructions that determine a set of commands when executed by the processor further cause the processor to decode commands within the received message.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the computer program instructions that cause the processor to decode commands within the message further comprise computer program instructions that cause the processor to perform one of:

compare the text of the message to a list of possible commands store in a command repository and select text from the message that is included in the list of possible commands as the set of commands;

identify text of the message that is preceded, succeeded, or bracketed by special characters, the special characters indicating the presence of a command;

identify commands using speech-to-text processing to recognize commands in messages that include embedded audio; and

identify commands using optical character recognition to recognize commands in messages that include images or video.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the computer program instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to select the received message from a plurality of messages authored by a plurality of client devices associated with user accounts of the messaging platform.

47. The computer readable storage medium product of claim 44, wherein the selection is based on any of an identifier for the UAV included in the message or the user account authoring the message.

48. The computer readable storage medium product of claim 43, wherein the computer program instructions that execute the selected command when executed by the processor further cause the processor to change any of:

position, velocity, acceleration, and altitude of the UAV.

49. The computer readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the computer program instructions that execute the selected command when executed by the processor further cause the processor to obtain a location boundary for the UAV and ensure that the UAV operates within the location boundary.

50. The computer readable storage medium product of claim 43, wherein the computer program instructions that selects a command from the set of commands is based on a set of allowable commands stored in a command repository.