Systems, Devices, and Methods for Providing Drone Assistance

• US 20180081375A1
• Filed: 09/19/2017
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Robert James, Jones, Matthew Allen, Vasgaard, Aaron, Jones, Nicholaus Adam
• Application Number:
  US15/708,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20180081375A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/25 for manufacturing or servicing
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/005 by providing the operator with signals other than visual, e.g. acoustic, haptic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

A technique for providing drone assistance is discussed. A computing device is in wireless communication with a mobile electronic device and an aerial drone. The computing device can control the aerial drone to travel to the location of a user of the mobile electronic device in response to a request for assistance received via the user'"'"'s mobile electronic device. Once the aerial drone has arrived at the location of the user, the computing device can also control the aerial drone to provide price verification of a user-specified object or to provide navigation assistance via the aerial drone to guide the user to the user-specified object.

Claims

1. A system for providing drone assistance comprising:

an aerial drone;

a mobile electronic device operated by a user; and

a computing device equipped with a processor and in communication with the aerial drone and the mobile electronic device, wherein the computing device is configured to execute;

a drone summoning module, the drone summoning module configured to receive a request for assistance from the mobile electronic device and, in response to the request, instruct the aerial drone to travel to a location of the user operating the mobile electronic device; and

a drone assistance module, the drone assistance module configured to control the aerial drone to provide a price verification of a user-specified object or to provide navigation assistance via the aerial drone to the user to enable the user to navigate to the user-specified object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic device associated with the user includes a personal device operated by the user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigation assistance includes a visual projection or an audio output from the aerial drone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the price verification includes a visual projection or an audio output from the aerial drone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to communicate with the mobile electronic device to provide navigation assistance to the user via the mobile electronic device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to execute a drone return module, the drone return module configured to command the aerial drone to return to a specified location after executing the drone assistance module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to execute a drone control module, the drone control module configured to prevent collisions between a plurality of aerial drones controlled by the computing device.

8. A method for providing aerial drone assistance, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device in communication with an aerial drone and a mobile electronic device operated by a user, a request for assistance from the mobile electronic device;

controlling the aerial drone, using a drone summoning module, to travel to a location of the user operating the mobile electronic device; and

controlling the aerial drone, using a drone assistance module, to provide a price verification of a user-specified object or to provide navigation assistance via the aerial drone to the user to enable the user to navigate to the user-specified object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile electronic device associated with the user includes a personal device operated by the user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the navigation assistance to the user-specified object is provided by the aerial drone using a visual projection or an audio output.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the price verification of the user-specified object is provided by the aerial drone using a visual projection or an audio output.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

communicating navigation assistance from the computing device to the mobile electronic device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

commanding the aerial drone, using a drone return module, to return to a specified location after the aerial drone provides a price verification of the user-specified object or provides navigation assistance that enables the user to navigate to the user-specified object.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

controlling the aerial drone, using a drone control module, to prevent collisions between a plurality of aerial drones controlled by the computing device.

15. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions executable by a processing device, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processing device to implement a method for providing aerial drone assistance, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device in communication with an aerial drone and an mobile electronic device operated by a user, a request for assistance from the mobile electronic device;

controlling the aerial drone, using a drone summoning module, to travel to a location of the user operating the mobile electronic device; and

controlling the aerial drone, using a drone assistance module, to provide a price verification of a user-specified object or to provide navigation assistance via the aerial drone to the user to enable the user to navigate to the user-specified object.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the mobile electronic device associated with the user includes a personal device operated by the user.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the navigation assistance to the user-specified object is provided by the aerial drone using a visual projection or an audio output.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the price verification of the user-specified object is provided by the aerial drone using a visual projection or an audio output.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the computing device to communicate navigation assistance to the mobile electronic device.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processing device to control the aerial drone, using a drone return module, to return to a specified location after the aerial drone provides a price verification of the user-specified object or provides navigation assistance that enables the user to navigate to the user-specified object.

21. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processing device to control the aerial drone, using a drone control module, to prevent collisions between a plurality of aerial drones controlled by the computing device.