VEHICLE-INTEGRATED DRONE

• US 20190313228A1
• Filed: 07/07/2016
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: FERREIRA, Francisco Javier, VELAZQUEZ MONROY, Gerardo, HERNANDEZ, Joan Manuel, GARCIA DOMINGUEZ, Erick
• Granted Patent: US 11,006,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/04 the lighting devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/06 for indicating aircraft presence
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• 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 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/93 for use on a land or nautical vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A vehicle system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including receiving an alert signal, deploying a drone from a host vehicle in response to receiving the alert signal, and commanding the drone to follow the host vehicle and to present a perceptible alert.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including:

receiving an alert signal;

deploying a drone from a host vehicle in response to receiving the alert signal; and

commanding the drone to follow the host vehicle and to present a perceptible alert.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein commanding the drone to present the perceptible alert includes commanding the drone to shine a light on the host vehicle.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein commanding the drone to present the perceptible alert includes commanding the drone to turn on a siren.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1, the instructions further including:

selecting an operating mode in accordance with the alert signal; and

selecting the perceptible alert according to the operating mode.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the alert signal is received at the host vehicle via a user input provided to a user interface incorporated into the host vehicle.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the alert signal is received via at the host vehicle via a communication interface in wireless communication with a remote server.

7. The vehicle system of claim 6, wherein the remote server is associated with an emergency service provider.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1, the instructions further including:

determining a location of the host vehicle; and

commanding a communication interface to wirelessly transmit the location of the host vehicle to a remote server associated with an emergency service provider.

9. The vehicle system of claim 1, the instructions further including:

commanding a communication interface to transmit a follow command to the drone, the follow command including instructions for the drone to follow the host vehicle;

periodically determining a location of the host vehicle; and

commanding the communication interface to transmit the location of the host vehicle to the drone each time the location of the host vehicle is determined.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert signal is received via at the host vehicle via a communication interface in wireless communication with a remote server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the remote server is associated with an emergency service provider.

20. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to select an operating mode in accordance with the alert signal and select the perceptible alert according to the operating mode.

10. A method comprising:

receiving an alert signal at a host vehicle;

deploying a drone from the host vehicle in response to receiving the alert signal; and

commanding the drone to follow the host vehicle and to present a perceptible alert.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein commanding the drone to present the perceptible alert includes commanding the drone to shine a light on the host vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein commanding the drone to present the perceptible alert includes commanding the drone to turn on a siren.

13. The method of claim 10, the instructions further including:

selecting an operating mode in accordance with the alert signal; and

selecting the perceptible alert according to the operating mode.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the alert signal is received at the host vehicle via a user input provided to a user interface incorporated into the host vehicle.

17. The method of claim 10, the instructions further including:

determining a location of the host vehicle; and

commanding a communication interface to wirelessly transmit the location of the host vehicle to a remote server associated with an emergency service provider.

18. The method of claim 10, the instructions further including:

commanding a communication interface to transmit a follow command to the drone, the follow command including instructions for the drone to follow the host vehicle;

periodically determining a location of the host vehicle; and

commanding the communication interface to transmit the location of the host vehicle to the drone each time the location of the host vehicle is determined.

19. A vehicle system comprising:

a drone, deployable from a host vehicle, including a light source and a siren;

a communication interface programmed to wirelessly receive an alert signal from a remote server associated with an emergency service provider; and

a processor programmed to receive the alert signal from the communication interface, deploy the drone from the host vehicle in response to receiving the alert signal, and command the drone to follow the host vehicle and to present a perceptible alert including at least one of shining the light source on the host vehicle and turning on the siren.