Unmanned aerial vehicle emergency dispatch and diagnostics data apparatus, systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020346751-A1
Application number	US-202016845700-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2020
Priority date	Apr 10, 2019
Publication date	Nov 5, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A disclosed method includes monitoring a plurality of emergency event queues at an emergency network entity; determining that an emergency event in one of the emergency event queues corresponds to an emergency type that can be responded to using an unmanned aerial vehicle; determining that an unmanned aerial vehicle is available that has capabilities corresponding to the emergency type; establishing an unmanned aerial vehicle control link between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the emergency network entity; and deploying the unmanned aerial vehicle to the emergency event location and providing data from the unmanned aerial vehicle on a display of the emergency network entity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
monitoring an emergency queue at an emergency network entity; determining that an emergency in the emergency queue corresponds to an emergency type that can be responded to using an unmanned aerial vehicle; determining that an unmanned aerial vehicle is available that has capabilities corresponding to the emergency type; establishing an unmanned aerial vehicle control link between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the emergency network entity; deploying the unmanned aerial vehicle to an emergency location; and providing data from the unmanned aerial vehicle on a display of the emergency network entity.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending emergency location data to the unmanned aerial vehicle from the emergency network entity using the control link.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein deploying the unmanned aerial vehicle to the emergency location, further comprises:
auto-navigating by the unmanned aerial vehicle to the emergency location using the emergency location data and an onboard location module.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that an unmanned aerial vehicle is available that has capabilities corresponding to the emergency type, comprises:
determining that the emergency type is a medical emergency; and deploying the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a medical equipment payload to the emergency location.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein deploying the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a medical equipment payload to the emergency location, comprises:
deploying the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising the medical equipment payload having a medical equipment item selected from: an automated external defibrillator (AED) and an epinephrine auto-injector.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that an unmanned aerial vehicle is available that has capabilities corresponding to the emergency type, comprises:
determining that the emergency type requires visual surveillance; and deploying the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a camera to the emergency location.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that an unmanned aerial vehicle is available that has capabilities corresponding to the emergency type, comprises:
determining that the emergency type is a medical emergency and requires visual surveillance; deploying a first unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a medical equipment payload to the emergency location; and deploying a second unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a camera to the emergency location.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that an unmanned aerial vehicle is available that has capabilities corresponding to the emergency type, comprises:
determining that the emergency type requires location of a radio signal source; and deploying at least two unmanned aerial vehicles to a region in which to search for the radio signal source, each unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a radio receiver operative to perform a coordinated location detection operation based on detection of the radio signal.

9 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
sending emergency location data to at least two unmanned aerial vehicles from the emergency network entity using the control link, where the emergency location data was obtained from a gunshot detection system; deploying a first unmanned aerial vehicle to the emergency location specified by the emergency location data; and deploying the second unmanned aerial vehicle to a perimeter location within a predetermined distance from the emergency location.

10 . An apparatus comprising:
an emergency network manager operative to connect to at least one emergency network entity via an Internet connection, the emergency network manager operative to:
monitor an emergency queue at the at least one emergency network entity;
determine that an emergency in the emergency queue corresponds to an emergency type that can be responded to using an unmanned aerial vehicle;
determine that an unmanned aerial vehicle is available that has capabilities corresponding to the emergency type; and
an unmanned aerial vehicle dispatch controller, operatively coupled to the emergency network manager, and to an unmanned aerial vehicle radio controller, the unmanned aerial vehicle controller operative to:
establish an unmanned aerial vehicle control link between an unmanned aerial vehicle and the at least one emergency network entity via the Internet connection; and
deploy the unmanned aerial vehicle to the emergency location; and
provide data from the unmanned aerial vehicle on a display of the at least one emergency network entity.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one emergency network manager is further operative to:
send emergency location data to the unmanned aerial vehicle from the emergency network entity using the control link.

12 . A system comprising:
the apparatus of claim 11 ; and at least one unmanned aerial vehicle comprising an onboard location module, the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle operative to:
auto-navigate to the emergency location using the emergency location data and an onboard location module.

13 . A system comprising:
the apparatus of claim 10 ; at least one unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a medical equipment payload; and wherein the emergency network manager is further operative to:
determine that the emergency type is a medical emergency; and
control the unmanned aerial vehicle dispatch controller to deploy the unmanned aerial vehicle to the emergency location.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the medical equipment payload comprises a medical equipment item selected from: an automated external defibrillator (AED) and an epinephrine auto-injector.

15 . A system comprising:
the apparatus of claim 10 ; at least one unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a camera; and wherein the emergency network manager is further operative to:
determine that the emergency type requires visual surveillance; and
control the unmanned aerial vehicle dispatch controller to deploy the unmanned aerial vehicle to the emergency location.

16 . A system comprising:
the apparatus of claim 10 ; at least one unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a medical equipment payload; at least a second unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a camera; wherein the at least one emergency network manager is further operative to:
determine that the emergency type is a medical emergency and requires visual surveillance;
control the unmanned aerial vehicle dispatch controller to deploy the first unmanned aerial vehicle to the emergency location; and
control the unmanned aerial vehicle dispatch controller to deploy the second unmanned aerial vehicle to the emergency location.

17 . A system comprising:
the apparatus of claim 10 ; at least two unmanned aerial vehicles each comprising a radio receiver additional to an unmanned aerial vehicle radio control receiver, the at least two unmanned aerial vehicles operative to perform a coordinated radio signal source location detection operation based on detection of a radio signal using the radio receiver; wherein the at least one emergency network manager is further operative to:
determine that the emergency type requires locating a radio signal source; and
control the unmanned aerial vehicle dispatch controller to deploy the at least two unmanned aerial vehicles to a region in which to search for the radio signal source by performing a coordinated location detection operation based on dete

Assignees

• Rapidsos Inc

Inventors

• Horelik Nicholas Edward
• Martin Michael John

Classifications

• B64U2201/104

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

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• G05D1/46

  Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D] · CPC title

• G05D2109/20

  Aircraft, e.g. drones · CPC title