Modular drone and methods for use

• US 9,533,759 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Azure Sky Group LLC.
• Original Assignee: Azure Sky Group LLC.
• Inventors: Jones, Adam, Valin, Jason Van, Komla, Paul K., Luther, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US14/620,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20150266577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/2, 701/22, 701/408, 701/412, 705/14.58, 244/190, 244/63
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/40 Modular UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/92 of avionics
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/24 for use as flying displays, e.g. advertising or billboards
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/35 by wireless transmission, e.g. by induction
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform

Abstract

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a drone. The drone may include: a navigation unit configured to determine the location of the drone and navigate the drone to designated locations; a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader configured to read RFID tag information from RFID tags; and a wireless network transceiver configured to periodically transmit the location of the drone and RFID tag information to an inventory management system. Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by a drone. The method may include: receiving navigation path information; navigating the drone along the navigation path based on satellite location signals; determining current position information based on the satellite location signals; reading RFID tag information from a first RFID tag; and transmitting the RFID tag information and the current position information via a wireless client to a central computing system.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium encoded with instructions for execution by a drone device, the non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising:

instructions for receiving, via a wireless network, location information indicating the location of a human customer of a shopping area, wherein the location information was provided by a social networking application which the human customer enabled to be provided;

instructions for causing the drone device to move to an position near the human customer within the shopping area based on the location information; and

instructions for causing a message output device of the drone device to present a message to the human customer when the drone device arrives at the position near the human customer.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the location information comprises at least one waypoint indicating a position en route to the position near the human customer; and

the instructions for causing the drone device to move comprise instructions for causing the drone device to move to the at least one waypoint prior to arriving at the position near the human customer.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions for receiving message data via the wireless network, wherein the instructions for causing a message output device to present a message to the human customer comprise instructions for causing the message output device to present a message based on the received message data.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for causing a message output device of the drone device to present a message to the human customer comprise instructions for presenting a physical item to the human user.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the instructions for presenting a physical item to the human user comprise instructions for causing a printer of the message output device to print a coupon for presentation to the human user.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for causing a message output device of the drone device to present a message to the human customer comprise instructions for outputting an audio message to the human customer.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for causing a message output device of the drone device to present a message to the human customer comprise instructions for outputting a video message to the human customer.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for, after presenting the message to the human customer, causing the drone device to move to a second position near a point of interest to the human customer, wherein the second position is determined based on point of interest information received via the wireless network, whereby the drone device follows a path that is capable of being followed by the human customer.

9. An aerial drone device comprising:

at least one rotor capable of providing lift to the drone device;

a wireless communications device capable of communicating via a wireless network;

a message output device; and

a processor configured to;

receive, via the wireless communications device, location information indicating the location of a human customer of a shopping area, wherein the location information was provided by a social networking application which the human customer enabled to be provided;

cause the at least one rotor to move the drone device to an position near the human customer within the shopping area based on the location information; and

cause the message output device of the drone device to present a message to the human customer when the drone device arrives at the position near the human customer.

10. The aerial drone device of claim 9, wherein:

the location information comprises at least one waypoint indicating a position en route to the position near the human customer; and

the instructions for causing the at least one rotor to move comprise instructions for causing the at least one rotor to move the drone device to the at least one waypoint prior to arriving at the position near the human customer.

11. The aerial drone device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to receive message data via the wireless communications device, wherein in causing the message output device to present the message to the human customer, the processor is configured to cause the message output device to present a message based on the received message data.

12. The aerial drone device of claim 9, wherein in causing the message output device of the drone device to present a message to the human customer the processor is configured to present a physical item to the human user.

13. The aerial drone device of claim 12, wherein the message output device comprises a printer, and in presenting a physical item to the human user, the processor is configured to cause the printer of the message output device to print a coupon for presentation to the human user.

14. The aerial drone device of claim 9, wherein the message output device comprises a speaker and in causing a message output device of the drone device to present a message to the human customer, the processor is configured to cause the speaker to output an audio message to the human customer.

15. The aerial drone device of claim 9, wherein the message output device comprises at least one of a video screen and a video projector, and in causing a message output device of the drone device to present a message to the human customer, the processor is configured to output a video message to the human customer via the message output device.

16. The aerial drone device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

after presenting the message to the human customer, cause the at least one rotor to move the drone device to a second position near a point of interest to the human customer, wherein the second position is determined based on point of interest information received via the wireless communications device, whereby the drone device follows a path that is capable of being followed by the human customer.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium encoded with instructions for execution by an application server, the non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising:

instructions for receiving an indication of a location of a human customer of a shopping area based on activity of the human customer, wherein the activity includes enabling the location to be provided by a social networking application;

instructions for determining a message to be presented to the human customer;

instructions for transmitting, to a drone device via a wireless network, location information based on the indication of the human customer location within the shopping area and message data based on the determined message.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions for receiving an indication of a human customer location comprise instructions for receiving, via an application programmer interface (API) of a social network server, an indication of the human customer location.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions for determining a message to be presented to the human customer comprise:

instructions for obtaining preference data related to the human customer;

instructions for identifying a relevant offer to the human customer based on the obtained preference data;

instructions for retrieving message data associated with the relevant offer.

20. A drone-based customer messaging system comprising:

a non-transitory machine-readable medium encoded with instructions for execution by an application server, the non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising;

instructions for receiving an indication of a location of a human customer of a shopping area based on activity of the human customer;

instructions for determining a message to be presented to the human customer;

instructions for transmitting, to a drone device via a wireless network, location information based on the indication of the human customer location and message data based on the determined message; and

an aerial drone device comprising;

at least one rotor capable of providing lift to the drone device;

a wireless communications device capable of communicating via a wireless network;

a message output device; and

a processor configured to;

receive, via the wireless communications device, the location information indicating the location of the human customer within the shopping area;

cause the at least one rotor to move the drone device to an position near the human customer based on the location information; and

cause the message output device of the drone device to present a message to the human customer when the drone device arrives at the position near the human customer.