Systems and methods for walking pets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10159218-B2
Application number	US-201715827787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for guiding a target object with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in an environment. The UAV may be able to recognize and locate the target object. The UAV can be configured to communicate the actions and behavior of the target object to a user through a user device in communication with the UAV. The UAV can provide positive and negative stimuli to the target object to encourage an action or behavior. The UAV can be configured to recognize and manage waste generated by the target object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of guiding a target comprising:
receiving, through a user device, a user input indicating a travel route for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to guide the target;
guiding the target using the UAV by flying the UAV along the travel route while the target is in motion, wherein a location of the UAV is known;
receiving, through the user device while the UAV is guiding the target along the travel route, a change to the travel route to provide an updated travel route; and
guiding the target by flying the UAV along the updated travel route.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the user input comprises global coordinates that define the travel route, or
the change to the travel route comprises changed ones of the global coordinates, the changed ones of the global coordinates and unchanged ones of the global coordinates defining the updated travel route.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target is an animal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UAV guides the target by being physically attached to the target through an attachment mechanism.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
comparing, with aid of one or more processors on board the UAV, a calculation of a target motion and a UAV motion to determine one or more parameters with which the UAV pulls on the attachment mechanism.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UAV guides the target by displaying an attractor to the target with an attractor display mechanism.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining, with aid of one or more vision sensors on board the UAV, a location of the target relative to the UAV; and
adjusting or maintaining, with aid of one or more processors on board the UAV, a flight speed of the UAV to keep the UAV within a proximity of the target that is sufficiently close for the target to perceive the attractor.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
capturing, with aid of one or more vision sensors on board the UAV, one or more images of the target; and
detecting, with aid of one or more processors on board the UAV, whether the target is deviating from the travel route or the updated travel route based on the one or more images of the target.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising playing a voice to the target when the target is deviating from the travel route or the updated travel route.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the voice is transmitted from the user device to the UAV in real-time.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising delivering an electric shock to the target when the target deviates from the travel route or the updated travel route beyond a predetermined distance.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the user input comprises at least one image or one line on a map defining the travel route, or
the change to the travel route comprises at least one updated image or one updated line on the map defining the updated travel route.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UAV is a rotorcraft comprising a plurality of rotors that permit the UAV to take off and/or land vertically.

14. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
one or more propulsion mechanisms configured to permit flight of the UAV;
a communication system configured to communicate with a user device to receive a user input indicating a travel route for the UAV to guide a target; and
one or more processors configured to control the one or more propulsion mechanisms to effect the UAV to fly along the travel route while the target is in motion;
wherein:
the communication system is further configured to communicate with the user device to receive a change to the travel route indicating an updated travel route, and
the one or more processors are further configured to control the one or more propulsion mechanisms to effect the UAV to guide the target along the updated travel route.

15. The UAV of claim 14 , further comprising:
one or more vision sensors configured to determine a location of the target relative to the UAV;
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to control the one or more propulsion mechanisms to adjust or maintain a flight speed of the UAV to keep the UAV within a proximity of the target that is sufficiently close for the UAV to guide the target.

16. The UAV of claim 14 , further comprising:
one or more vision sensors configured to capture one or more images of the target,
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to detect whether the target is deviating from the travel route or the updated travel route based on the one or more images of the target.

17. The UAV of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
instruct a speaker to play a voice to the target when the target is deviating from the travel route or the updated travel route, or
instruct an electric shock collar to deliver an electric shock to the target when the target deviates from the travel route or the updated travel route beyond a predetermined distance.

18. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein:
the user input comprises global coordinates that define the travel route, or
the change to the travel route comprises changed ones of the global coordinates, the changed ones of the global coordinates and unchanged ones of the global coordinates defining the updated travel route.

19. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein:
the user input comprises at least one image or one line on a map defining the travel route, or
the change to the travel route comprises at least one updated image or one updated line on the map defining the updated travel route.

20. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the UAV guides the target by being physically attached to the target through an attachment mechanism, or by displaying an attractor to the target with an attractor display mechanism.

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shen Yu
• Liu Ang
• Zhou Guyue

Classifications

• A01K15/021 Primary

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• A01K15/027

  Exercising equipment, e.g. tread mills, carousels · CPC title

• A01K15/04

  Devices for impeding movement; Devices for impeding passage through fencing {, e.g. hobbles or the like; Anti-kicking devices (impeding passage under fences A01K15/006)} · CPC title

• A01K15/023

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• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title