Unmanned aerial vehicles in medical applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814978-B2
Application number	US-201816005374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2018
Priority date	Jul 16, 2015
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

Technologies and implementations for using unmanned aerial vehicles in emergency applications.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A first responder unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a first capability; and
a processor having an UAV control module, the UAV control module configured to:
receive an indication of an emergency;
determine complementary capabilities to the first capability;
identify a complementary UAV having a capability of the complementary capabilities; and
transmit an instruction to deploy the complementary UAV to the emergency, the instruction transmitted from the first responder UAV to the complementary UAV.

2. The first responder UAV of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate instructions to deploy the first responder UAV in response to receiving the indication of the emergency.

3. The first responder UAV of claim 1 , wherein the first responder UAV is physically located at a different geographic location than the complementary UAV.

4. The first responder UAV of claim 1 , wherein the first responder UAV is physically located at the same geographic location as the complementary UAV.

5. The first responder UAV of claim 1 , wherein, in response to receiving the indication of the emergency, the processor is further configured to generate instructions to deploy the first responder UAV simultaneously with transmitting the instruction to deploy the complementary UAV to the emergency.

6. The first responder UAV of claim 1 , wherein, in response to receiving the indication of the emergency, the processor is further configured to generate instructions to deploy the first responder UAV to the emergency before the processor is configured to identify the complementary UAV.

7. The first responder UAV of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to sense an ambient environment characteristic and to identify the complementary UAV based, at least in part, on the ambient environment characteristic.

8. The first responder UAV of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to evaluate a scene of the emergency and to identify the complementary UAV based, at least in part, on the evaluated scene of the emergency.

9. The first responder UAV of claim 8 , wherein the UAV control module is further configured to evaluate the scene of the emergency, to identify the complementary UAV, and to transmit the instruction to deploy the complementary UAV without user intervention.

10. The first responder UAV of claim 8 , wherein the UAV control module is further configured to:
transmit the evaluation of the scene of the emergency to a remote computing device, and
receive an instruction from the remote computing device that comprises user input to help identify the complementary UAV.

11. The first responder UAV of claim 1 , wherein the UAV control module is further configured to transmit an alert to a user within an affected area of the emergency, the alert comprising information relating to the emergency.

12. The first responder UAV of claim 1 , wherein, upon receiving the indication of the emergency, the UAV control module is further configured to automatically establish a communication link with a remote computing device, the communication link configured to send and receive data relating to the emergency.

13. The first responder UAV of claim 12 , wherein the data relating to the emergency comprises instructions to a rescuer at the emergency.

14. The first responder UAV of claim 1 , further comprising an interactive user interface configured to receive user input and output data relating to the emergency.

15. The first responder UAV of claim 1 , wherein the first capability comprises video surveillance of the emergency.

16. A first responder unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a first capability; and
a processor having an UAV control module, the UAV control module configured to:
receive an indication of an emergency;
determine complementary capabilities to the first capability;
query another UAV to determine if the another UAV comprises a capability of the complementary capabilities; and
if the another UAV is determined to comprise the capability of the complementary capabilities, transmit an instruction to deploy the another UAV to the emergency.

17. The first responder UAV of claim 16 , wherein, if it is determined that the another UAV does not comprise the capability of the complementary capabilities, the processor is further configured to query additional UAVs until another UAV is identified that comprises one of the complementary capabilities.

18. The first responder UAV of claim 16 , wherein, in response to receiving the indication of the emergency, the processor is further configured to generate instructions to deploy the first responder UAV simultaneously with transmitting the instruction to deploy the another UAV to the emergency.

19. The first responder UAV of claim 16 , wherein, in response to receiving the indication of the emergency, the processor is further configured to generate instructions to deploy the first responder UAV before transmitting the instruction to deploy the another UAV to the emergency.

20. The first responder UAV of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to automatically establish a communication link with a remote computing device, the communication link configured to send and receive data relating to the emergency.

Assignees

• Physio Control Inc

Inventors

• Walker Robert G
• Smith Mitchell
• Furlan Kristina
• Daynes John
• Arbuck Michael
• Esibov Alex
• Pochop-Miller Melissa
• Skelton Dennis

Classifications

• B64U2201/102

  adapted for flying in formations · CPC title

• B64U10/13

  Flying platforms · CPC title

• B64U2101/55

  for life-saving or rescue operations; for medical use · CPC title

• B64U2101/47

  for fire fighting · CPC title

• A61B5/318

  Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG] · CPC title