Smart luggage system with camera installed in pull rod

• US 10,646,015 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2019
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lingdong Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lingdong Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Qi, Ou, Guo, Xudong
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US16/569,366
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2, 180 6551, 180 65, 180 191, 180167
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/262 for wheeled luggage
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/28 Combinations of handles with other devices
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 15/00 Purses, bags, luggage or other receptacles covered by groups A45C1/00 - A45C11/00, combined with other objects or articles A45C1/08, A45C3/14, A45C11/321, A45C13/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2005/148 Other arrangements of the rolling means
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/03 Suitcases
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/14 with built-in rolling means
• 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 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition

Abstract

A smart luggage system includes a piece of luggage configured to store items for transport and a handle coupled to the luggage. The handle includes a pull rod coupled to a connecting rod. One or more cameras are disposed in a top portion of the pull rod and configured to take a photograph and/or video. One or more cameras are coupled to the luggage and/or the handle and configured to take a photograph and/or video.

Claims

1. A smart luggage system, comprising:

a piece of luggage configured to store items for transport;

a handle coupled to the luggage, wherein the handle includes a pull rod coupled to a connecting rod;

an upper camera disposed in a top portion of the pull rod, wherein the upper camera is configured to take a photograph and/or video and communicate the photograph and/or video to a personal user device, and wherein movement of the piece of luggage is configured to be controlled by the personal user device while a real-time image of an object within a viewing range of the upper camera is displayed on the personal user device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the upper camera includes an auto-framing mode configured to autonomously put the same or a different object in the middle of the photograph and/or video.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the upper camera is configured to detect and record the same or a different object moving in a given direction while the luggage is in a rear follow position behind the object.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a lower camera disposed in a bottom portion of the pull rod, wherein the lower camera is configured to detect a proximity of the same or a different object relative to the luggage.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising four motorized wheel assemblies coupled to the luggage and configured to move the luggage in a side follow position along a side of the same or a different object, and wherein the upper camera is located on a side of the pull rod facing the same or the different object when the luggage is in the side follow position and is configured to take the photograph and/or video when the luggage is in the side follow position to maintain the luggage in the side follow position as the same or the different object moves in a given direction.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising four motorized wheel assemblies coupled to the luggage and configured to move the luggage in a rear follow position behind the same or a different object, and wherein the upper camera is located at a front end of the pull rod facing the same or the different object when the luggage is in the rear follow position and is configured to take the photograph and/or video when the luggage is in the rear follow position to maintain the luggage in the rear follow position as the same or the different object moves in a given direction.

7. A smart luggage system, comprising:

a piece of luggage configured to store items for transport;

a handle coupled to the luggage, wherein the handle includes a pull rod coupled to a connecting rod;

an upper camera disposed in a top portion of the pull rod, wherein the upper camera is configured to take a photograph and/or video and communicate the photograph and/or video to a personal user device as a real-time image of an object within a viewing range of the upper camera, and movement of the piece of luggage is configured to be controlled by the personal user device while the real-time image is displayed on the personal user device; and

a lower camera disposed in a bottom portion of the pull rod, wherein the lower camera is configured to detect a proximity of the same or a different object relative to the luggage to maintain the luggage in a side follow position or a rear follow position relative to the same or the different object as the same or the different object moves in a given direction.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the upper camera includes an auto-framing mode configured to autonomously put the same or the different object in the middle of the photograph and/or video.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising four motorized wheel assemblies coupled to the luggage and configured to move the luggage in the side follow position along a side of the same or the different object, and wherein the upper camera is located on a side of the pull rod facing the same or the different object when the luggage is in the side follow position and is configured to take the photograph and/or video when the luggage is in the side follow position to maintain the luggage in the side follow position as the same or the different object moves in a given direction.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising four motorized wheel assemblies coupled to the luggage and configured to move the luggage in the rear follow position behind the same or the different object, and wherein the upper camera is located at a front end of the pull rod facing the same or the different object when the luggage is in the rear follow position and is configured to take the photograph and/or video when the luggage is in the rear follow position to maintain the luggage in the rear follow position as the same or the different object moves in a given direction.

11. A method of taking a photograph and/or video using a smart luggage system, comprising:

moving a handle of the smart luggage system from a collapsed position to an extended position, wherein the handle includes a pull rod coupled to a connecting rod, and wherein a camera is disposed in a top portion of the pull rod;

viewing in real-time an object that is within a viewing range of the camera on a personal user device;

moving the smart luggage system using a control feature on the personal user device while viewing in real-time the object on the personal user device; and

taking a photograph and/or video of the object using the camera.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising operating the camera to take the photograph and/or video using the control feature on the personal user device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising activating an auto-framing mode such that the smart luggage system autonomously moves and puts the object in the middle of the photograph and/or video.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the camera is located on a side of the pull rod facing the object when the luggage is in a side follow position along a side of the object, and further comprising taking the photograph and/or video with the camera when the luggage is in the side follow position to maintain the smart luggage system in the side follow position as the object moves in a given direction.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the camera is located on a front end of the pull rod facing the object when the luggage is in a rear follow position behind the object, and further comprising taking the photograph and/or video with the camera when the luggage is in the rear follow position to maintain the smart luggage system in the rear follow position as the object moves in a given direction.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising pressing a control button on the smart luggage system to stop a people following function and start a photo/video taking process.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising pressing the control button on the smart luggage system to stop the photo/video taking process and switch back to the people following function.