Systems and methods for walking pets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11246289-B2
Application number	US-202016984037-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2020
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A method of using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to guide a target includes receiving a location signal from one or more sensors of the UAV, receiving an input signal from a user device for guiding the target that defines at least one of a travel route, a permissible region, or an impermissible region, comparing the location signal to the input signal to determine whether the target is deviating from the travel route, exiting the permissible region, or entering the impermissible region, and initiating, via the UAV or an attachment mechanism coupled between the UAV and the target, a deterrent mechanism in response to determining that the target is deviating from the travel route, exiting the permissible region, or entering the impermissible region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to guide a target, comprising:
receiving a location signal from one or more sensors of the UAV;
receiving an input signal from a user device for guiding the target, the input signal defining at least one of a travel route, a permissible region, or an impermissible region;
comparing the location signal to the input signal to determine whether the target is deviating from the travel route, exiting the permissible region, or entering the impermissible region; and
initiating, via the UAV or an attachment mechanism coupled between the UAV and the target, a deterrent mechanism in response to determining that the target is deviating from the travel route, exiting the permissible region, or entering the impermissible region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein input signal defines the at least one of the travel route, the permissible region, or the impermissible region by defining at least one of a boundary, a geographic radius, a geographic radial center, global coordinates, or local coordinates.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user device comprises a user interface and the at least one of the travel route, the permissible region, or the impermissible region is defined by user setting geographic coordinates of routes or regions by entering or clicking points on the user interface, drawing routes or regions on the user interface, or communicating with the user interface through a tactile or audio command.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target is determined to be deviating from the travel route, exiting the permissible region, or entering the impermissible region based on a distance, a direction, or a speed of the target detected by the one or more sensors of the UAV.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target is determined to be deviating from the travel route in response to determining that the target is about to change a travel direction to deviate from the travel route, or in response to determining that the target is already away from the travel route over a threshold distance.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target is determined to be exiting the permissible region or entering the impermissible region in response to determining that the target is about to approach a boundary of the permissible region or the impermissible region within a threshold distance, or in response to determining that the target has passed the boundary of the permissible region or the impermissible region over a threshold distance.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deterrent mechanism includes providing an alert signal to the user device, the alert signal including at least one of an audio signal, a visual signal, or a tactile signal.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deterrent mechanism includes providing an attractor by the UAV to guide the target.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the attractor includes at least one of an edible treat, a selected scent, or a real-time or pre-recorded sound, image, or video to attract the target.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deterrent mechanism includes controlling flight of the UAV to control movement of the target.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deterrent mechanism includes providing sufficient forces by the attachment mechanism to control movement of the target, wherein the attachment mechanism is extendible or retractable when the UAV is in flight.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
recognizing the target based on an identifier coupled to and uniquely identifying the target, wherein the identifier includes a visual pattern, a symbol, or a combination of numbers or letters for locating the target.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors of the UAV comprise vision sensors, range sensors, or location sensors.

14. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
one or more propulsion mechanisms configured to permit flight of the UAV;
one or more sensors configured to generate a location signal;
a communication unit configured to receive an input signal from a user device for guiding the target, the input signal defining at least one of a travel route, a permissible region, or an impermissible region; and
one or more processors, individually or collectively, configured to:
compare the location signal received from the one or more sensors to the input signal received from the communication unit to determine whether the target is deviating from the travel route, exiting the permissible region, or entering the impermissible region; and
initiate, via the UAV or an attachment mechanism coupled between the UAV and the target, a deterrent mechanism in response to determining that the target is deviating from the travel route, exiting the permissible region, or entering the impermissible region.

15. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein input signal defined the at least one of the travel route, the permissible region, or the impermissible region by defining at least one of a boundary, a geographic radius, a geographic radial center, global coordinates, or local coordinates.

16. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the target is determined to be deviating from the travel route, exiting the permissible region, or entering the impermissible region based on a distance, a direction, or a speed of the target detected by the one or more sensors of the UAV.

17. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the deterrent mechanism includes providing an attractor by the UAV to guide the target.

18. The UAV of claim 17 , wherein the attractor includes at least one of an edible treat, a selected scent, or a real-time or pre-recorded sound, image, or video to attract the target.

19. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the deterrent mechanism includes controlling the one or more propulsion mechanisms of the UAV to control movement of the target, or providing sufficient forces by the attachment mechanism to control movement of the target, wherein the attachment mechanism is extendible or retractable when the UAV is in flight.

20. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the one or more sensors of the UAV comprise vision sensors, range sensors, or location sensors.

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shen Yu
• Liu Ang
• Zhou Guyue

Classifications

• B64U10/10

  Rotorcrafts · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• G05D1/12

  Target-seeking control · CPC title

• G05D1/0094

  involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target · CPC title

• G05D1/106

  Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones · CPC title