Request apparatus for delivery of medical support implement by UAV

• US 9,307,383 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Patrick, William Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yi, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US13/916,328
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 340/3.1, 340/573.1, 235/375, 370/401, 600/300, 600/301, 606/1, 700/80, 709/201, 726/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• 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 30/299 Rotor guards ducted or shrouded rotors B64U30/26; guards used as ground propulsion B64U60/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

An illustrative apparatus may include a UAV request apparatus having a housing with at least one interface configured to accept one or more inputs that are each indicative of a particular type of medical situation. A control system may be configured to receive, via the interface, a first input that corresponds to a first type of medical situation in which a defibrillator is configured to provide medical support; and send, via a first network interface to an access system for a network of UAVs, a medical support request including a unique electronic identifier for the apparatus and an indication of the first type of medical situation, such that a UAV delivers a defibrillator to a location associated with the unique electronic identifier.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing having at least one interface configured to accept one or more inputs that are each indicative of a particular type of medical situation, wherein the housing is fixedly installable at a known location;

a first network interface disposed in the housing, wherein the first network interface is operable, when the housing is fixedly installed, to communicate with an access system for a network of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are configured for providing medical support, based, at least in part, on medical information from an associated user-account, wherein at least one of the autonomous UAVs is configured to deliver a defibrillator; and

a control system disposed in the housing, wherein the control system is configured, when the housing is fixedly installed, to;

receive, via the at least one interface, a first input that corresponds to a first type of medical situation in which a defibrillator is configured to provide medical support; and

in response to receipt of the first input, send a medical-support request to the access system via the first network interface, wherein the medical-support request comprises a unique electronic identifier for the apparatus, wherein the unique electronic identifier is indicated by the user-account, and a request for delivery of medical support by an autonomous UAV at a location associated with the unique electronic identifier according to the user-account, wherein the medical support includes a defibrillator and is based, at least in part, on the medical information and a payment-based service level from the associated user-account.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one interface comprises one or more mechanical interface features.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the mechanical interface features comprise one or more of:

a button, a knob, a lever, a switch, and a dial.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one display disposed on the housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one display comprises a touch-screen display.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least one display is detachable from the housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the detachable display is configured to be locked to the housing until receipt of a first input by the control system.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said detachable display is a handheld computing device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a data storage, the data storage containing information for communication to a user including instructions for providing medical support for the input medical situation.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the information includes instructions for using the defibrillator delivered by a UAV.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause a control system to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via an interface of an apparatus comprising a housing fixedly installed at a known location, a first input that corresponds to a first type of medical situation in which a defibrillator is configured to provide medical support; and

in response to receipt of the first input, sending, via a network interface, a medical-support request to an access system for a network of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are configured for providing medical support based, at least in part, on medical information from an associated user account, wherein the medical-support request comprises;

a unique electronic identifier for the apparatus, wherein the unique electronic identifier is indicated by the associated user-account;

an indication of the first type of medical situation; and

a request for delivery of medical support by an autonomous UAV to a location associated with the unique electronic identifier according to the user-account, wherein the medical support provides a defibrillator and is based, at least in part, on the medical information and a payment-based service level from the associated user-account, and wherein the unique electronic identifier is associated with a fixed location of the apparatus.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the interface is configured to accept one or more inputs that are each indicative of a particular type of medical situation.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a housing having at least one interface configured to accept one or more inputs that are each indicative of a different type of medical situation, wherein the housing is fixedly installable at a known location;

a first network interface disposed in the housing, wherein the first network interface is operable, when the housing is fixedly installed, to communicate with an access system for a network of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are configured for providing medical support based, at least in part, on medical information from an associated user-account; and

a control system disposed in the housing, wherein the control system is configured, when the housing is fixedly installed, to;

receive, via the at least one interface, one or more inputs that each correspond to a different type of medical situation; and

in response to receipt of the one or more inputs, send a medical-support request to the access system via the first network interface, wherein the medical-support request comprises a unique electronic identifier for the apparatus, wherein the unique electronic identifier is indicated by the associated user-account, and a request for delivery of medical support by an autonomous UAV at a location associated with the unique electronic identifier according to the user account, wherein the medical support provides one or more medical support implements configured to provide support for the received inputs corresponding to different types of medical situations and based, at least in part, on the medical information and a payment-based service level from the associated user-account.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a data storage, the data storage containing information for communication to a user including instructions for providing medical support for the input medical situation.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a user interface configured to accept one or more inputs each indicative of a health parameter of a person suffering from a medical condition.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an interactive instruction module, said module configured to communicate instructions for providing medical support for the input medical situation, said instructions based at least in part on said one or more inputs each indicative of a health parameter.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a communication system configured to provide communication between a user of said apparatus and an emergency medical technician at a remote location.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said communication system comprises one or more of a microphone, a camera, a speaker and a display.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said control system is further configured to execute instructions for performing one or more self-diagnostic tests.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said one or more self-diagnostic tests comprise one of verifying system functionality of the apparatus, verifying connectivity of the apparatus with the first network interface, and verifying functionality of the at least one interface.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a second network connection configured to communicate instructions for performing one or more self-diagnostic tests from a remote computing device to the apparatus.