Unmanned aerial vehicle for collaboration

• US 9,409,645 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sopper, Clark, Woodworth, Adam, Bavor, Clayton Woodward Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US14/635,492
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/08 with two or more rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/29 Constructional aspects of rotors or rotor supports; Arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2222 Prompting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A mobile telepresence system may include a frame, a propulsion system operably coupled to the frame to propel the frame through a designated space, a screen movably coupled to the frame, and an image output device coupled to the frame. The frame may include a central body defining a longitudinal axis of the frame, a first arm at a first end portion of the central body, and a second arm at a second end portion of the central body, opposite the first end portion of the central body. The propulsion system may include rotors at opposite end portions of the first and second arms which propel the frame in response to an external command. The image output device may project an image onto the screen in response to an external command.

Claims

1. A mobile telepresence system, comprising:

a frame, including;

a central body defining a longitudinal axis of the frame, the central body having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion;

a first arm extending outward from the first end portion of the central body, oriented substantially perpendicular to the central body, with a central portion of the first arm joining the first end portion of the central body; and

a second arm extending outward from the second end portion of the central body, oriented substantially perpendicular to the central body and substantially parallel to the first arm, with a central portion of the second arm joining the second end portion of the central body;

a propulsion system operably coupled to the frame and configured to propel the frame in response to an external command;

a screen pivotably coupled to the first arm; and

an image output device coupled to the frame.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the central body, first arm and second arm are arranged in an ‘

H’

shape.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the propulsion system includes a plurality of rotors, the plurality of rotors including:

a first rotor at a first end portion of the first arm;

a second rotor at a second end portion of the first arm;

a third rotor at a first end portion of the second arm; and

a fourth rotor at a second end portion of the second arm.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a coupling device that movably couples the screen to the first arm, at a portion of the first arm between the first and second rotors, the first arm being located at a forward end of the frame.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the coupling device includes at least one hinge, the at least one hinge including:

a first bracket fixed to the first arm;

a second bracket fixed to a top end of the screen;

a shaft extending through the first bracket and the second bracket to couple the first bracket and the second bracket such that the screen is rotatable about the shaft relative to the first arm; and

a stop mechanism that limits an amount of rotation of the screen about the shaft.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the image output device includes a projector coupled to an aft end portion of the frame, opposite the screen coupled to the first arm at a forward end portion of the frame, the projector being configured to project an image onto the screen, the image including at least one of a still image or a moving image generated based on image data received from an external device at a remote location.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising an audio output device operably coupled to the frame and configured to output audio information based on audio data received from an external device at a remote location.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio input device operably coupled to the frame and configured to receive audio input from a current location of the system;

an image input device operably coupled to the frame and configured to receive image inputs from a current location of the system; and

a communication module configured to transmit inputs received by the audio input device and the image input device from the current location of the system to an external device at a remote location.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the screen has a unitary structure made of a foam material, including a semi-translucent, perforated display area surrounded by a rigid outer frame, a thickness of the display area being less than a thickness of the rigid outer frame.

10. A mobile telepresence system, comprising:

a frame, including;

a forward arm;

an aft arm; and

a central body having a forward end portion coupled to a central portion of the forward arm and an aft end portion coupled to a central portion of the aft arm, the central body defining a longitudinal axis of the frame;

a plurality of rotors operably coupled to the frame and configured to propel the frame in response to an external command;

a screen movably coupled to the first arm at a forward end portion of the frame;

an output device operably coupled to the frame and configured to project an image onto the screen; and

a controller including a communication module configured to receive signals from a remote location and transmit signals to the remote location.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a coupling device that movably couples the screen to the first arm, the coupling device including:

a first bracket fixed to the first arm;

a second bracket fixed to the second arm;

a shaft extending through the first bracket and the second bracket to couple the first bracket and the second bracket such that the screen is rotatable about the shaft relative to the first arm; and

a rotation limiter included on one of the first bracket or the second bracket and configured to limit an amount of rotation of the screen to within a predetermined range.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein, in a neutral position the screen is oriented substantially vertically, and in a first position the screen is rotated in a first direction about the shaft such that an aft facing surface of the screen is rotated toward a bottom surface of the central body and positioned at a first side of the neutral position, and in a second position the screen is rotated in a second direction about the shaft, the second direction being opposite the first direction, such that a forward facing surface of the screen is rotated upward and positioned at a second side of the neutral position, wherein the predetermined range extends from the first position to the second position.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the output device includes:

a projector configured to project the image received from an external device at the remote location onto the screen; and

a speaker configured to output an audio signal received from an external device at the remote location.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising an input device operably coupled to the frame, the input device including:

a microphone configured to receive an audio input; and

a camera configured to capture an image input.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to control the communication module to transmit image inputs received by the camera at a current location of the system and audio inputs received by the microphone at the current location of the system to the remote location in real time, the remote location being different from the current location, and to control the projector and the speaker to output audio data and video data received from the remote location via the communication module in real time.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the projector is coupled to the frame at a location at which the central body joins the aft arm, the projector projecting the image received from the remote location toward an aft facing surface of the screen, a display area of the screen being semi-translucent such that the projected image is visible on a forward surface of the screen.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the projector is movably coupled to the frame such that the projector moves in response to movement of the frame and corresponding movement of the screen.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the output device includes a projector coupled to a top end portion of the screen, the projector projecting an image down onto the screen.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the output device includes a projector movably coupled to a bottom portion of the frame, wherein the projector is coupled to the screen such that the projector moves in response to movement of the screen.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the aft arm and the forward arm are each oriented substantially perpendicular to the central body such that the frame has an ‘

H’

shape.