Trigger agents in video streams from drones

• US 9,714,089 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Louw, David Brian, Silk, Robert James
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramesh, Krishnan
• Application Number:
  US14/866,770
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• 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 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target

Abstract

Techniques are provided for analyzing data obtained while delivering items with unmanned aerial vehicles. For example, instructions may be provided to an unmanned aerial vehicle to deliver an item. The unmanned aerial vehicle may be configured to record data while delivering the item. In embodiments, the captured data may be received by a computer system and properties about a destination for the delivery may be identified by analyzing the data. A recommendation may be generated based at least in part on the identified properties.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

) comprising;

an image capturing device associated with the UAV and configured to capture image data;

memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to at least;

execute a management system in communication at least with the image capturing device, the management system comprising;

an image recognition module for identifying properties included in the image data and maintaining a policy associated with the identified properties, the policy indicating a trigger for capturing the image data with the image capturing device;

receive instructions to deliver an item;

instruct the image capturing device to capture the image data while delivering the item and after delivering the item based at least in part on the policy and a location of the UAV upon returning to a source location and a geo-fence associated with a user location corresponding to delivery of the item; and

provide the captured image data to a computer system.

2. The UAV of claim 1, wherein instructing the image capturing device to capture the image data is further based at least in part on the trigger of the policy exceeding a threshold associated with the policy.

3. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the trigger for capturing the image data with the image capturing device is based at least in part on the geo-fence associated with the user location corresponding to delivery of the item.

4. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store the captured image data in the memory of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The UAV of claim 1, wherein providing the captured image data to the computer system includes relaying the captured image data to one or more other unmanned aerial vehicles that are delivering one or more items.

6. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the providing the captured image data to the computer system includes providing the captured image data to a user device of a user that is a recipient of the item.

7. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

maintaining, by a first computer system of an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

), a policy that indicates a trigger for capturing image data with an image capturing device of the UAV;

identifying, by the first computer system utilizing an image recognition module, properties included in the image data;

receiving, by the first computer system, instructions to deliver an item;

instructing, by the first computer system, the image capturing device to capture the image data while delivering the item and after delivering the item based at least in part on the policy and a location of the UAV upon returning to a source location and a geo-fence associated with a user location corresponding to delivery of the item; and

providing, by the first computer system, the captured image data to a second computer system.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein instructing the image capturing device to capture the image data is further based at least in part on the trigger of the policy exceeding a threshold associated with the policy.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the trigger for capturing the image data with the image capturing device is based at least in part on the geo-fence associated with the user location corresponding to delivery of the item.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising storing, in memory of the first computer system, the captured image data.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein providing the captured image data to the second computer system includes providing the captured image data to a user device of a user that is a recipient of the item.

12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more computer systems of an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

), configure the one or more computer systems to perform operations comprising;

maintaining a policy that indicates a trigger for capturing image data with an image capturing device of the UAV;

identifying, utilizing an image recognition module, properties included in the image data;

receiving instructions to deliver an item;

instructing the image capturing device to capture the image data while delivering the item and after delivering the item based at least in part on the policy and a location of the UAV upon returning to a source location and a geo-fence associated with a user location corresponding to delivery of the item; and

providing the captured image data to a computer system.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the trigger for capturing the image data with the image capturing device is based at least in part on the geo-fence associated with the user location corresponding to delivery of the item.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein instructing the image capturing device to capture the image data is further based at least in part on the trigger of the policy exceeding a threshold associated with the policy.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the instructions further configure the one or more computer systems to perform operations comprising storing the captured image data.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein providing the captured image data to the computer system includes providing the captured image data to a user device of a user that is a recipient of the item.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein providing the captured image data to the computer system includes relaying the captured image data to one or more other unmanned aerial vehicles that are delivering one or more items.