Methods and systems for drone based assistance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12134471-B2
Application number	US-202117545602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2021
Priority date	Dec 8, 2021
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A technique is directed to methods and systems for providing drone-based assistance to a user. Drones may be utilized to aid users in performing tasks, such as assisting a user during an activity. The assistance can include providing a cooling flow of air, spraying a cooling mist of liquid, playing music, providing guidance, providing instructions, communicating with a device(s) to seek medical aid, retrieving sporting equipment, collecting performance metrics, collecting health metrics, or any assistance action. A user can connect to the drone via a device or using a set of built-in algorithms that employ biometric recognition to identify the user. Once activated and linked to the user, the drone can take flight. The drone can fly above, in front, or behind the user at a predetermined or adjustable height and provide airflow or mist from the drone blades to cool the user.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by at least one drone, a command to perform at least one task for a user,
wherein the at least one task includes providing, by the at least one drone, assistance to the user for an activity;

identifying, based on biometric data, the user to receive the assistance for the activity;
determining one or more weather conditions of an environment of the activity;
determining an operational distance from the user for the at least one drone to provide the assistance to the user based on the one or more weather conditions;
operating the at least one drone at the operational distance from the user while providing the assistance to the user;
in response to monitoring the user during the activity, detecting at least one gesture of the user; and
modifying the at least one task based on the at least one gesture.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a type of activity of the user; and
determining a type of assistance to provide based on the type of activity.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
collecting at least one performance metric of the user during the activity; and
generating a report based on the at least one performance metric of the user during the activity.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
outputting an alert to the user to indicate instructions regarding the activity.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
collecting at least one health metric of the user during the activity; and
modifying the at least one task based on the at least one health metric.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activity is identified by at least one machine-learning algorithm, wherein the at least one machine-learning algorithm is trained based on at least one dataset associated with a past activity history.

7. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the activity is an exercising activity, and
wherein the assistance is providing a flow of cooling air or liquid to the user.

8. A computing system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to perform a process comprising:
receiving, by at least one drone, a command to perform at least one task for a user,
wherein the at least one task includes providing, by the at least one drone, assistance to the user for an activity;

identifying, based on biometric data, the user to receive the assistance for the activity;
determining one or more weather conditions of an environment of the activity;
determining an operational distance from the user for the at least one drone to provide the assistance to the user based on the one or more weather conditions;
operating the at least one drone at the operational distance from the user while providing the assistance to the user;
in response to monitoring the user during the activity, detecting at least one gesture of the user; and
modifying the at least one task based on the at least one gesture.

9. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the process further comprises:
identifying a type of activity of the user; and
determining a type of assistance to provide based on the type of activity.

10. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the process further comprises:
collecting at least one performance metric of the user during the activity; and
generating a report based on the at least one performance metric of the user during the activity.

11. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the process further comprises:
outputting an alert to the user to indicate instructions regarding the activity.

12. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the process further comprises:
collecting at least one health metric of the user during the activity; and
modifying the at least one task based on the at least one health metric.

13. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the activity is identified by at least one machine-learning algorithm, wherein the at least one machine-learning algorithm is trained based on at least one dataset associated with a past activity history.

14. The computing system of claim 8 ,
wherein the activity is an exercising activity, and
wherein the assistance is providing a flow of cooling air or liquid to the user.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by at least one drone, a command to perform at least one task for a user,
wherein the at least one task includes providing, by the at least one drone, assistance to the user for an activity;

identifying, based on biometric data, the user to receive the assistance for the activity;
determining one or more weather conditions of an environment of the activity;
determining an operational distance from the user for the at least one drone to provide the assistance to the user based on the one or more weather conditions;
operating the at least one drone at the operational distance from the user while providing the assistance to the user;
in response to monitoring the user during the activity, detecting at least one gesture of the user; and
modifying the at least one task based on the at least one gesture.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying a type of activity of the user; and
determining a type of assistance to provide based on the type of activity.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
collecting at least one performance metric of the user during the activity; and
generating a report based on the at least one performance metric of the user during the activity.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
outputting an alert to the user to indicate instructions regarding the activity.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
collecting at least one health metric of the user during the activity; and
modifying the at least one task based on the at least one health metric.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 ,
wherein the activity is identified by at least one machine-learning algorithm, wherein the at least one machine-learning algorithm is trained based on at least one dataset associated with a past activity history,
wherein the activity is an exercising activity, and
wherein the assistance is providing a flow of cooling air or liquid to the user.

Assignees

• Dish Network Llc

Inventors

• Eaton Zane C

Classifications

• B64C39/024 Primary

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title

• G05D1/683

  Intercepting moving targets (docking at a base station G05D1/661) · CPC title

• B64U2101/05

  for sports or gaming, e.g. drone racing · CPC title

• B64U2101/00

  UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title