Unlocking mobile-device and/or unmanned aerial vehicle capability in an emergency situation

• US 8,983,682 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Peeters, Eric, Teller, Eric, Patrick, William Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/730,189
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/26 characterised by provision of fixed wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

An illustrative emergency-support system may include multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are configured to provide emergency support for a number of different emergency situations. Further, the emergency-support system may be configured to: (a) identify a request for assistance in a remote emergency situation, (b) identify a remote device associated with the request for assistance, (c) determine a target location corresponding to the emergency situation, (d) control a UAV to travel to the target location to provide emergency support, and (e) enable an otherwise restricted capability of one or more of the remote device or the UAV after controlling the UAV to travel to the target location, wherein the capability is enabled to help provide emergency support in the remote emergency situation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying, by a computing device, a request for assistance at a remote emergency situation, wherein the request is associated with a remote device;

identifying the remote device that is associated with the request for assistance;

determining a target location corresponding to the emergency situation;

controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to travel to the target location to provide emergency support; and

enabling an otherwise restricted capability of one or more of the remote device or the UAV after controlling the UAV to travel to the target location, wherein the capability is a communication capability that is enabled to help provide emergency support in the remote emergency situation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, via a short-range communication protocol, that the UAV is in a nearby vicinity of the remote device;

and enabling another otherwise restricted capability of one or more of the remote device or the UAV in response to determining that the UAV is in the nearby vicinity of the remote device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the UAV is in a nearby vicinity of the remote device comprises the UAV communicating with the remote device via the short-range communication protocol to determine that the UAV is within 50 meters of the remote device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication capability is a short-range, less than 50 meter, communication capability between the UAV and the remote device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication capability is emitting a beacon signal from the remote device, wherein the beacon signal is detectable by the UAV to determine a location of the remote device, and wherein the beacon signal is selected from the group consisting of a radio frequency signal, a light signal, and an audio signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication capability is selected from the group consisting of communicating in an otherwise restricted bandwidth range, communicating above an otherwise restricted power level, and utilizing an otherwise restricted communication network or protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the capability further comprises authorizing access to otherwise restricted information regarding one or more of a person identified by the remote device or the remote device itself.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received through a communication that originated from the remote device, wherein the method further comprises identifying the remote emergency situation based on information provided by the communication, and wherein the communication comprises at least one of:

(a) a phone call, (b) a text-message, or (c) an electronic message generated by an application of the remote device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV is selected from a plurality of UAVs that are configured to provide emergency support for a plurality of emergency situations, and wherein the selection of the UAV is based at least in part on a determination that the selected UAV is configured for the identified emergency situation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the capability further comprises authorizing the UAV to provide assistance for the emergency situation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the authorized assistance is selected from the group consisting of providing information to assist in the emergency situation, providing an item to assist in the emergency situation, and enabling an operational function of the UAV to assist in the emergency situation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the capability further comprises authorizing the remote device to request access to a computing capability of another device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause a computing device to perform functions comprising:

identifying a request for assistance at a remote emergency situation;

identifying a remote device that is associated with the request for assistance;

determining a target location corresponding to the emergency situation;

controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to travel to the target location to provide emergency support;

enabling an otherwise restricted capability of one or more of the remote device or the UAV after controlling the UAV to travel to the target location, wherein the capability is enabled to help provide emergency support in the remote emergency situation;

determining, via a short-range communication protocol, that the UAV is in a nearby vicinity of the remote device; and

enabling another otherwise restricted capability of one or more of the remote device or the UAV in response to determining that the UAV is in the nearby vicinity of the remote device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining that the UAV is in a nearby vicinity of the remote device comprises controlling the UAV to communicate with the remote device to determine that the UAV is within 50 meters of the remote device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein enabling at least one of the otherwise restricted capability or the other otherwise restricted capability comprises enabling an otherwise restricted communication capability.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein enabling at least one of the otherwise restricted capability or the other otherwise restricted capability comprises authorizing access to otherwise restricted information regarding one or more of a person identified by the remote device or the remote device itself.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein enabling at least one of the otherwise restricted capability or the other otherwise restricted capability comprises authorizing the UAV to provide assistance for the emergency situation.

18. An emergency-support system comprising:

a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), wherein the plurality of UAVs are configured to provide emergency support for a plurality of emergency situations; and

at least one component that is configured to;

identify a request for assistance at a remote emergency situation;

identify a remote device that is associated with the request for assistance;

determine a target location corresponding to the emergency situation;

control at least one UAV of the plurality of UAVs to travel to the target location to provide emergency support;

enable an otherwise restricted capability of one or more of the remote device or the UAV after controlling the UAV to travel to the target location, wherein the capability is enabled to help provide emergency support in the remote emergency situation; and

enable access to otherwise restricted information regarding one or more of a person identified by the remote device or the remote device itself.

19. The emergency-support system of claim 18, wherein the at least one component is further configured to determine, via a short-range communication protocol, that the UAV is in a nearby vicinity of the remote device;

and enable another otherwise restricted capability of one or more of the remote device or the UAV in response to determining that the UAV is in the nearby vicinity of the remote device.

20. The emergency-support system of claim 19, wherein the at least one component is further configured to control the UAV to communicate with the remote device to determine that the UAV is within 50 meters of the remote device.

21. The emergency-support system of claim 18, wherein the at least one component comprises a component of a UAV.

22. The emergency-support system of claim 18, wherein the at least one component is further configured to enable an otherwise restricted communication capability of one or more of the remote device or the UAV.

23. The emergency-support system of claim 18, wherein the at least one component is further configured to enable the UAV to provide assistance for the emergency situation.