Unmanned aerial vehicle assistant for monitoring of user activity

• US 9,973,737 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkins, Steven James
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler
• Application Number:
  US15/265,073
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/028 Micro-sized aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• 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 10/80 UAVs characterised by their small size, e.g. micro air vehicles [MAV]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/50 Foldable or collapsible UAVs with frangible components B64U20/30
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/60 by wearable objects, e.g. garments or helmets
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 : associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 : characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 : involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 : specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 : Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 : Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 : Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

Techniques and systems for providing miniaturized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are disclosed. The techniques and systems can include significant off-board processing support for the UAVs to enable the UAVs to be smaller, lighter, and less expensive than conventional UAVs. The techniques and systems can include routines to provide enhanced support for police during routine traffic stops. The techniques and systems can also include routines to locate objects or people including, for example, locating a lost child in a crowd or a lost vehicle in a parking lot. The miniaturized UAVs can provide enhances perception for the user to enable the user to over and around objects for improved visibility and safety, among other things.

Claims

1. A method to review user activity using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

activating the UAV such that the UAV begins flying;

activating a camera on the UAV;

monitoring, directly by the UAV, a position of the UAV with respect to a user, wherein the position of the UAV with respect to the user is monitored directly by the UAV via at last one of processing at least one of signals received from a camera on the UAV, signals received from a microphone on the UAV, signals received from a proximity sensor on the UAV, location information received from a radio-frequency identification (“

RFD”

) tag or a transponder carried by the user;

based at least in part on the monitoring, in response to movements of the user, following, by the UAV, the user; and

recording, with the camera, a video image related to activity of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a command to record at least a portion of the video image in slow motion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the UAV comprises receiving a voice command from the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the voice command comprises receiving a voice command comprising one of (i) hover, (ii) record or (iii) follow me.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the UAV comprises receiving a signal from a device separate from the UAV.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the device comprises one of (i) a computer, (ii) a key fob or (iii) a phone.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating a microphone on the UAV, wherein recording a video image related to activity of the user comprises recording, with the microphone, sound corresponding to at least a portion of the video image.

14. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising a microphone to record sound corresponding to at least a portion of the video image.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein activating the UAV comprises receiving a voice command from the user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the voice command comprises receiving a voice command comprising one of (i) hover, (ii) record or (iii) follow me.

8. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a processor to execute one or more instructions;

a command interpreter to receive commands from a user;

a propulsion system;

a location module to monitor, directly by the UAV, a position of the UAV with respect to the user and provide navigation to the UAV to follow movements of the user while the propulsion system moves the UAV, wherein the position of the UAV with respect to the user is monitored directly by the UAV via at last one of processing at least one of signals received from a camera on the UAV, signals received from a microphone on the UAV, signals received from a proximity sensor on the UAV, location information received from a radio-frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag or a transponder carried by the user; and

the camera to record a video image related to activity of the user while the UAV follows movements of the user.

9. The UAV of claim 8 further comprising an output module to create an output of the video image.

10. The UAV of claim 8, wherein the command interpreter is configured to interpret a command to record at least a portion of the video image in slow motion.

11. The UAV of claim 8, wherein the command interpreter is configured to interpret a voice command comprising one of (i) hover, (ii) record or (iii) follow me.

12. The UAV of claim 8, wherein the command interpreter is configured to interpret a command received as a signal from a device separate from the UAV.

13. The UAV of claim 12, wherein the device comprises one of (i) a computer, (ii) a key fob or (iii) a phone.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to

activate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) such that the UAV begins flying,

activate a camera on the UAV,

monitor, directly by the UAV, a position of the UAV with respect to a user, wherein the position of the UAV with respect to the user is monitored directly by the UAV via at last one of processing at least one of signals received from a camera on the UAV, signals received from a microphone on the UAV, signals received from a proximity sensor on the UAV, location information received from a radio-frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag or a transponder carried by the user,

based at least in part on the monitoring, in response to movements of the user, follow the user, and

record, with the camera, a video image related to activity of the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to receive a command to record at least a portion of the video image in slow motion.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein activating the UAV comprises receiving a signal from a device separate from the UAV, wherein the device comprises one of (i) a computer, (ii) a key fob or (iii) a phone.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to activate a microphone on the UAV, wherein recording a video image related to activity of the user comprises recording, with the microphone, sound corresponding to at least a portion of the video image.