Communicate An Alert Via An Unmanned Vehicle

• US 20160164619A1
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne A., Musgrove, Charles Peter, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 10,097,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses may use an unmanned vehicle to communicate an alert, such as an emergency alert, to a region, such as one affected by a natural disaster. A method may include receiving a message, which may comprise an alert and information associated with a region, from an alert originator. The message may then be transmitted, via a communication access device, to an unmanned vehicle. After receiving the message, the unmanned vehicle may travel to the region. Upon reaching the region, the unmanned vehicle may communicate the alert, whereby individuals'"'"' reception devices within the region may receive the alert.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving a message pertaining to an event;

receiving an indication of a geographical first region associated with the event;

determining that an unmanned vehicle is within range of the geographical first region; and

responsive to determining that the unmanned vehicle is within range of the geographical region, providing a first instruction to provide an indication of the event,

wherein an intended recipient of the first instruction is equipment of the unmanned vehicle and wherein an intended recipient of the indication of the event is a reception device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unmanned vehicle facilitates communications of the indication of the event to the reception device, the reception device not mechanically connected with the unmanned vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the unmanned vehicle comprising an inflight unmanned vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to receiving the indication of the geographical region, providing a second instruction to move the unmanned vehicle towards the geographical region,

wherein an intended recipient of the second instruction is the equipment of the unmanned vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the unmanned vehicle is within range of a second geographical region, providing a third instruction to provide the indication of the event, wherein an intended recipient of the third instruction is the equipment of the unmanned vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a sub-region of the geographical region based on information associated with a device within the geographical region;

providing a second instruction to move the unmanned vehicle towards the sub-region,

wherein an intended recipient of the second instruction is the equipment of the unmanned vehicle; and

providing a third instruction to provide the indication of the event to the sub-region,

wherein an intended recipient of the third instruction is the equipment of the unmanned vehicle and wherein an intended recipient of the indication of the event is the reception device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the information comprises an indication of a quantity of devices within the sub-region.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the information comprises an identification of the device as a priority device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the equipment of the unmanned vehicle comprises a radio transmitter, a television transmitter, or a mobile base station.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is situated on the unmanned vehicle.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor, the processor configured to communicate with and be incorporated into an unmanned vehicle;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving a message, the message pertaining to an event;

receiving an indication of a geographical region associated with the event;

determining that the unmanned vehicle is within range of the geographical region; and

responsive to determining that the unmanned vehicle is within range of the geographical region, providing an indication of the event, wherein an intended recipient of the indication of the event is a reception device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the unmanned vehicle comprises an inflight unmanned vehicle.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to receiving the indication of the geographical region, moving the unmanned vehicle towards the geographical region.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on information associated with a device within the geographical region, determining a sub-region of the geographical region;

moving the unmanned vehicle towards the sub-region;

determining that the unmanned vehicle is within range of the sub-region; and

providing the indication of the event to the sub-region, wherein an intended recipient of the indication of the event is a reception device within the sub-region.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the information comprises an indication of a quantity of devices within the sub-region.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the information comprises an identification of the device as a priority device.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the message comprises an indication of a severity level pertaining to the indication of the event.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing the indication of the event via at least one of;

a radio transmitter, a television transmitter, or a mobile base station.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the unmanned vehicle comprises an autonomous unmanned vehicle.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by a processor of an apparatus cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving, by the apparatus, a first message pertaining to an event, the apparatus configured to communicate with and be incorporated into an autonomous unmanned vehicle;

receiving, by the apparatus, an indication of a geographical region associated with the event;

determining that the autonomous unmanned vehicle is proximate to the geographical region; and

upon the determination that the autonomous unmanned vehicle is proximate to the geographical region, providing a second message pertaining to the event.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, the operations further comprising:

responsive to receiving the indication of the geographical region, monitoring a location of the autonomous unmanned vehicle to determine when the autonomous unmanned vehicle is proximate to the geographical region.