Collaborative relationship between a UAV and an automobile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420770-B2
Application number	US-201916561644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2019
Priority date	Sep 5, 2019
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to a collaborative relationship between a UAV and an automobile. In a first exemplary method, a data capture system is provided in a UAV. The data capture system may be used to capture data when the UAV is in flight. A first computer in the UAV determines one or more limitations associated with wirelessly transmitting some or all of the data from the UAV to an automobile. The first computer may be further used to withhold wireless transmission of a portion of the data to the automobile due to the one or more limitations. The portion of data is transferred to a second computer in the automobile after landing the UAV on the automobile. In a second exemplary method, the UAV includes a communication relay system for relaying to an automobile, signals received from a satellite or a cellular base station.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a data capture system and a lighting system in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
utilizing the data capture system to capture data when the UAV is in flight, wherein, when the UAV is in flight, the lighting system is configured for illuminating a selected area, and wherein at least an illumination pattern of the lighting system is predefined by a user;
determining, by a first computer in the UAV, one or more limitations associated with wirelessly transmitting some or all the data from the UAV to a vehicle;
withholding, by the first computer, wireless transmission of a first portion of the data to the vehicle due, at least in part, to the one or more limitations or due to a security concern;
landing the UAV on the vehicle; and
transferring the first portion of the data to a second computer in the vehicle after landing the UAV on the vehicle,
wherein the UAV further comprises a pedestrian guidance system, and wherein the UAV is configured to cooperate with a handheld device of a pedestrian for providing guidance to the pedestrian to reach the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more limitations associated with wirelessly transmitting the data from the UAV to the vehicle comprise at least one of a transmission bandwidth limitation, a data size limitation, a time limitation, or a battery limitation.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
wirelessly transmitting, by the first computer to the vehicle, a second portion of the data prior to landing the UAV on the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining, by the first computer in the UAV, one or more limitations associated with wirelessly transmitting some or all the data from the UAV to the vehicle comprises:
setting a threshold for each of the transmission bandwidth limitation, the data size limitation, the time limitation, and the battery limitation; and
comparing the transmission bandwidth limitation, the data size limitation, the time limitation, and the battery limitation to the threshold.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the data capture system comprises at least one of a sensor, an imaging device, or a recording device, and wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first portion of the data comprises at least one of an image captured by the imaging device or a video recording captured by the recording device.

7. A method comprising:
providing, a communication relay system and a lighting system in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
placing the UAV in flight, wherein, when the UAV is in flight, the lighting system is configured for illuminating a selected area, and wherein at least an illumination pattern of the lighting system is predefined by a user;
receiving, in the communication relay system of the UAV, from one of a satellite or a cellular base station, at least a first signal; and
relaying, by the communication relay system of the UAV, to a vehicle, at least one of the first signal or a first message that is generated by utilizing the first signal,
wherein the UAV further comprises a pedestrian guidance system, and wherein the UAV is configured to cooperate with a handheld device of a pedestrian for providing guidance to the pedestrian to reach the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first signal is a global position system (GPS) signal and the first message is a navigation instruction that is generated by utilizing the GPS signal.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
providing, a data capture system in the UAV;
utilizing the data capture system to capture data when the UAV is in flight;
determining, by a first computer in the UAV, one or more limitations associated with wirelessly transmitting some or all the data from the UAV to the vehicle;
withholding, by the first computer, wireless transmission of a first portion of the data to the vehicle;
landing the UAV on the vehicle; and
transferring, to a second computer in the vehicle, after landing the UAV on the vehicle, the first portion of the data.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle and wherein the data captured by the data capture system comprises at least one of an image or a video recording.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one of the image or the video is associated with detecting an emergency situation or a crowd condition that is not within a line of sight of the vehicle.

12. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a lighting system configured to illuminate a selected area when the UAV is in flight, and wherein at least an illumination pattern of the lighting system is predefined by a user;
a data capture system configured to capture data when the UAV is in flight;
a first computer comprising at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions, the first computer configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to at least:
determine one or more limitations associated with wirelessly transmitting some or all the data from the UAV to a vehicle;
withhold wireless transmission of a first portion of the data to the vehicle; and
transfer, to a second computer in the vehicle, the first portion of the data after the UAV has landed on the vehicle,

wherein the UAV further comprises a pedestrian guidance system, and wherein the UAV is configured to cooperate with a handheld device of a pedestrian for providing guidance to the pedestrian to reach the vehicle.

13. The UAV of claim 12 , wherein the data capture system comprises at least one of a sensor, an imaging device, or a recording device, and wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

14. The UAV of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is an image sensor configured to capture at least one of an image or a video detecting an emergency situation or a crowd condition that is not within a line of sight of the vehicle.

15. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the UAV further includes a wireless transceiver configured to transmit the at least one of the image or the video to the autonomous vehicle.

16. The UAV of claim 15 , wherein the sensor is an audio transducer configured to detect an audible signal emitted by an emergency vehicle not within the line of sight of the autonomous vehicle and wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to transmit to the autonomous vehicle, a message indicative of a presence of the emergency vehicle.

17. The UAV of claim 15 , wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to transmit to the autonomous vehicle, a second portion of the data prior to the UAV landing on the vehicle.

18. The UAV of claim 12 , wherein the first computer in the UAV is configured to cooperate with the second computer to operate the lighting system for illuminating a portion of a travel path of the autonomous vehicle.

19. The UAV of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, and wherein the first computer in the UAV is configured to cooperate with a third computer in the handheld device of the pedestrian for providing guidance to the pedestrian to reach the autonomous vehicle.

20. The UAV of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle and the UAV further comprises a communication relay system, the communication relay system configured to receive from one of a satellite or a cellular base station, at least a first signal and relay to the autonomous vehicle, at least one of the first signal or a first message that is generat

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ahmed Nayaz Khalid
• Morris Phillip
• Boston Daniel
• Elhadeedy Ahmed

Classifications

• G06V20/17

  taken from planes or by drones · CPC title

• G06V20/56

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title

• G06V20/13

  Satellite images · CPC title

• B64U2201/104

  using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title