Providing emergency medical services using unmanned aerial vehicles
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- identifying, by a processor, a remote medical situation;
determining, by the processor, a target location corresponding to the identified remote medical situation;
selecting, by the processor, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a plurality of UAVs that are configured to provide medical support for a plurality of medical situations, wherein the plurality of UAVs comprises at least a first UAV configured to provide medical support for a first medical situation and a second UAV configured to provide medical support for a second medical situation, and wherein the selection of the UAV is based at least in part on a determination that the selected UAV is configured to provide medical support for the identified remote medical situation; and
causing the selected UAV to;
(a) travel to the target location in a forward-flight mode to provide medical support for the identified remote medical situation, (b) transition to a hover flight mode when the UAV is located at or near to the target location, and (c) while in the hover flight mode at or near to the target location, provide at least some medical support for the remote medical situation, wherein, to provide at least some medical support for the remote medical situation while in the hover flight mode, the UAV uses a winch to lower one or more medical-support items to a ground at or near the target location.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments described herein may help to provide medical support via a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An illustrative medical-support system may include multiple UAVs, which are configured to provide medical support for a number of different medical situations. Further, the medical-support system may be configured to: (a) identify a remote medical situation, (b) determine a target location corresponding to the medical situation, (c) select a UAV from the fleet of UAVs, where the selection of the UAV is based on a determination that the selected UAV is configured for the identified medical situation, and (d) cause the selected UAV to travel to the target location to provide medical support.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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identifying, by a processor, a remote medical situation; determining, by the processor, a target location corresponding to the identified remote medical situation; selecting, by the processor, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a plurality of UAVs that are configured to provide medical support for a plurality of medical situations, wherein the plurality of UAVs comprises at least a first UAV configured to provide medical support for a first medical situation and a second UAV configured to provide medical support for a second medical situation, and wherein the selection of the UAV is based at least in part on a determination that the selected UAV is configured to provide medical support for the identified remote medical situation; and causing the selected UAV to;
(a) travel to the target location in a forward-flight mode to provide medical support for the identified remote medical situation, (b) transition to a hover flight mode when the UAV is located at or near to the target location, and (c) while in the hover flight mode at or near to the target location, provide at least some medical support for the remote medical situation, wherein, to provide at least some medical support for the remote medical situation while in the hover flight mode, the UAV uses a winch to lower one or more medical-support items to a ground at or near the target location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause a processor to perform functions comprising:
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identifying a remote medical situation; determining a target location corresponding to the remote medical situation; selecting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a plurality of UAVs that are configured to provide medical support for a plurality of medical situations, wherein the plurality of UAVs comprises at least a first UAV configured to provide medical support for a first medical situation and a second UAV configured to provide medical support for a second medical situation, and wherein the selection of the UAV is based at least in part on a determination that the selected UAV is configured to provide medial support for the identified remote medical situation; and causing the selected UAV to;
(a) travel in a forward-flight mode to the target location to provide medical support for the identified remote medical situation, (b) transition to a hover flight mode when the UAV is located at or near to the target location, and (c) while in the hover flight mode at or near to the target location, provide at least some medical support for the remote medical situation, wherein, to provide at least some medical support for the remote medical situation while in the hover flight mode, the UAV uses a winch to lower one or more medical-support items to a ground at or near the target location. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A medical-support system comprising:
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at least one non-transitory computer readable medium in at least one component of the system; and program instructions stored in the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by at least one processor to; identify a remote medical situation; determine a target location corresponding to the identified remote medical situation; unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a plurality of UAVs that are configured to provide medical support for a plurality of remote medical situations, wherein the plurality of UAVs comprises at least a first UAV configured to provide medical support for a first medical situation and a second UAV configured to provide medical support for a second medical situation, and wherein the selection of the UAV is based at least in part on a determination that the selected UAV is configured to provide medial support for the identified remote medical situation; and causes the selected UAV to;
(a) travel in a forward-flight mode to the target location to provide medical support for the identified remote medical situation, (b) transition to a hover flight mode when the UAV is located at or near to the target location, and (c) while in the hover flight mode, provide at least some medical support for the remote medical situation, wherein, to provide at least some medical support for the remote medical situation while in the hover flight mode, the UAV uses a winch to lower one or more medical-support items to a ground at or near the target location. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A medical-support system comprising:
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a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), wherein the plurality of UAVs are configured to provide medical support for a plurality of medical situations, and wherein the plurality of UAVs comprises at least a first UAV configured to provide medical support for a first medical situation and a second UAV configured to provide medical support for a second medical situation; and at least one component that is configured to; identify a remote medical situation; determine a target location corresponding to the identified remote medical situation; select an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a plurality of UAVs, wherein the selection of the UAV is based at least in part on a determination that the selected UAV is configured to provide medial support for the identified remote medical situation; and cause the selected UAV to;
(a) travel in a forward-flight mode to the target location to provide medical support for the identified remote medical situation, (b) transition to a hover flight mode when the UAV is located at or near to the target location, and (c) while in the hover flight mode, provide at least some medical support for the remote medical situation, wherein, to provide at least some medical support for the remote medical situation while in the hover flight mode, the UAV uses a winch to lower one or more medical-support items to a ground at or near the target location. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification