UNMANNED DEVICE UTILIZATION METHODS AND SYSTEMS

• US 20140025235A1
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,125,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/00 Type of UAV
• 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 2101/26 for manufacturing, inspections or repairs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• 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 50/32 generated by fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/76 Arrangements for rearranging, permuting or selecting data according to predetermined rules, independently of the content of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Structures and protocols are presented for configuring an unmanned aerial device to perform a task, alone or in combination with other entities, or for using data resulting from such a configuration or performance.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including

circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task; and

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize an alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than a primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to perform a first observation of a particular task in a first zone and a second unmanned aerial device to perform a second observation of the particular task in a second zone, the particular task being the first task.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to perform a first observation of a particular task in a first zone and a second unmanned aerial device to perform a second observation of the particular task in a second zone, the particular task being the first task, the first zone and the second zone sharing a common boundary.

7. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to capture normalcy-indicative data relating to a human subject as a component of the first task, at least some of the normalcy-indicative data being indicative of a speech rate or a movement rate of the human subject.

9. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for transmitting a wireless signal indicative of a delivery of a package to a device associated with a recipient of the package, the wireless signal indicating at least one of the first unmanned aerial device or the package or a sender of the package, the first task including the delivery of the package to the recipient of the package.

10. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for presenting navigation guidance via a display aboard the first unmanned aerial device while a primary motor of the first unmanned aerial device is not moving the first unmanned aerial device.

12. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for identifying an operating mode of the first unmanned aerial device audibly or visibly while a primary motor of the first unmanned aerial device is not moving the first unmanned aerial device.

13. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for causing another unmanned aerial device to capture delivery data relating to the first unmanned aerial device.

16. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device not to be equipped with any light sensors, the circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device not to be equipped with any light sensors being operably coupled with a releasable mechanical linkage, the releasable mechanical linkage being configured to support a data handling unit, the data handling unit including at least one light sensor.

17. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for causing a data handling device aboard the first unmanned aerial device to contain a task schedule indicating a first future delivery of a first object to a first destination and a second future delivery of a second object to a second destination.

19. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for determining whether or not an operator of the first unmanned aerial device has indicated a tracking mode of the first unmanned aerial device.

20. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for overriding a second task being performed by the first unmanned aerial device by transmitting a wireless signal indicative of the first task to the first unmanned aerial device.

23. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize an alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than a primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device, comprises:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to reserve a specific resource by associating the specific resource with the first unmanned aerial device or with a specific person.

24. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize an alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than a primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device, comprises:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to reserve a specific resource by associating the specific resource with the first unmanned aerial device or with a specific person, the decision being an affirmative decision to reserve the specific resource, the specific resource including at least one of a space or a material.

28. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize an alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than a primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device, comprises:

circuitry for causing a modular observation unit to be lifted and activated within at most about an hour of the modular observation unit becoming part of the first unmanned aerial device.

29. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize an alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than a primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device, comprises:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to configure the first unmanned aerial device to continue observing a first person responsive to a prior observation of the first person, the prior observation of the first person having resulted from the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task.

32. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize an alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than a primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device, comprises:

circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to execute a delivery of a particular object to a human recipient contemporaneously with an image capture of a portion of the human recipient, the first task including the delivery of the particular object to the human recipient.

34. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture comprise:

the first unmanned aerial device, including circuitry for responding to a determination of whether or not a received signal expresses a first name of the first unmanned aerial device and whether or not the received signal expresses a second name of the first unmanned aerial device, the first name of the unmanned aerial device being the primary digital identifier, the second name of the unmanned aerial device being the alias.

39. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture further comprise:

a vehicle having one or more wheels, the vehicle configured to support the circuitry for signaling the decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize the alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as the automatic and conditional response to the indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than the primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device.

114. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for overriding a second task being performed by the first unmanned aerial device by transmitting a wireless signal indicative of the first task to the first unmanned aerial device;

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to capture normalcy-indicative data relating to a human subject as a component of the first task, at least some of the normalcy-indicative data being indicative of a biometric, the biometric being an abnormal or normal rate, the abnormal or normal rate being a respiration rate or a heart rate of the human subject;

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to perform a first observation of a particular task in a first zone and a second unmanned aerial device to perform a second observation of the particular task in a second zone, the particular task being the first task, the first zone and the second zone sharing a common boundary; and

circuitry for determining whether or not an operator of the first unmanned aerial device has indicated a tracking mode of the first unmanned aerial device.

115. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture comprise:

a handheld device, including the circuitry for indicating the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task and including the circuitry for signaling the decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize the alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as the automatic and conditional response to the indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than the primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device, in which the circuitry for signaling the decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize the alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as the automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task includes

circuitry for configuring the first unmanned aerial device to execute a delivery of a particular material to a vicinity of another device within one minute of an image capture of the vicinity of the other device, the first task including the delivery of the particular material to the vicinity of the other device; and

circuitry for responding to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device becoming within a proximity of the other device by signaling the decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize the alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as the automatic and conditional response to the indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the indication of the first unmanned aerial device becoming within a proximity of the other device including an indication of the first unmanned aerial device being close enough to the other device to be detected by the other device.

116. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more articles of manufacture comprise:

circuitry for causing a modular observation unit to be lifted and activated within at most about an hour of the modular observation unit becoming part of the first unmanned aerial device;

circuitry for responding to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device becoming within a proximity of a mobile device by signaling the decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize the alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as the automatic and conditional response to the indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the first unmanned aerial device having a sensor, the indication of the first unmanned aerial device becoming within a proximity of a mobile device including an indication of the mobile device being close enough to the sensor to be detected by the sensor;

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to reserve a specific resource by associating the specific resource with the first unmanned aerial device or with a human recipient, the specific resource including a particular object;

circuitry for causing the first unmanned aerial device to execute a delivery of the particular object to the human recipient contemporaneously with an image capture of a portion of the human recipient, the first task including the delivery of the particular object to the human recipient; and

circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to configure the first unmanned aerial device to continue observing a first person responsive to a prior observation of the first person, the prior observation of the first person having resulted from the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the first person being the human recipient.

117. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task comprises:

circuitry for causing a data handling device aboard the first unmanned aerial device to contain a task schedule indicating a first future delivery of a first object to a first destination and a second future delivery of a second object to a second destination, the data handling device aboard the first unmanned aerial device comprising at least one of a disk drive or a volatile memory;

circuitry for transmitting navigation guidance via a speaker of the first unmanned aerial device while a primary motor of the first unmanned aerial device is not moving the first unmanned aerial device;

circuitry for identifying an operating mode of the first unmanned aerial device audibly or visibly while the primary motor of the first unmanned aerial device is not moving the first unmanned aerial device;

circuitry for transmitting a wireless signal indicative of a delivery of a package to a device associated with a recipient of the package, the wireless signal indicating at least one of the first unmanned aerial device or the package or a sender of the package, the package including the first object, the first task including the delivery of the package to the recipient;

circuitry for causing another unmanned aerial device to capture delivery data relating to the first unmanned aerial device, the delivery data relating to the first unmanned aerial device depicting at least one of the first unmanned aerial device or a vicinity of the first unmanned aerial device; and

circuitry for causing the other unmanned aerial device to undertake a performance observation task of a job that includes a performance task and the performance observation task, the performance task including the first task.

4-6. -6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

14-15. -15. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

21-22. -22. (canceled)

25-27. -27. (canceled)

30-31. -31. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

35-38. -38. (canceled)

40. A system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including means for indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task; and

means for signaling a decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize an alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than a primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device.

63. The system of claim 40 in which the one or more articles of manufacture comprise:

the first unmanned aerial device, including means for responding to a determination of whether or not a received signal expresses a first name of the first unmanned aerial device and whether or not the received signal expresses a second name of the first unmanned aerial device, the first name of the unmanned aerial device being the primary digital identifier, the second name of the unmanned aerial device being the alias.

41-62. -62. (canceled)

64-68. -68. (canceled)

69. A method comprising:

indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task; and

invoking circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize an alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than a primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device.

101. The method of claim 69 in which the invoking circuitry for signaling a decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize an alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than a primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device, comprises:

causing the first unmanned aerial device to execute a delivery of a single dose of a therapeutic material to a human hand within one minute of an image capture of a portion of the human hand, the first task including the delivery of the single dose of the therapeutic material.

70-100. -100. (canceled)

102-109. -109. (canceled)

110. An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media configured to bear a device-detectable implementation of a method including at least

indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task; and

signaling a decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize an alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than a primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device.

111. The article of manufacture of claim 110 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more signal-bearing media configured to transmit one or more instructions for

causing the first unmanned aerial device to undertake a performance observation task of a job that includes a performance task and the performance observation task.

112. An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable outcome indicating an occurrence of

indicating a first unmanned aerial device participating in a first task; and

signaling a decision whether or not to cause the first unmanned aerial device to recognize an alias identifying the first unmanned aerial device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of the first unmanned aerial device participating in the first task, the alias being different than a primary digital identifier of the first unmanned aerial device.

113. The article of manufacture of claim 112 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output indicating an occurrence of

signaling a decision whether or not to configure the first unmanned aerial device to continue observing a first person responsive to a prior observation of the first person.