Ambulatory route management based on a personal drone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9734725-B2
Application number	US-201514967673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Jul 14, 2015
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for route planning and management with a drone. Aspects include receiving a destination for an individual and determining multiple routes between a position of the individual and the destination. Aspects further include deploying the drone to determine safety and accessibility risks associated with the multiple routes and determining a preferred route from the multiple routes based on the safety and accessibility risks associated with the multiple routes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for route planning and management with a drone, the method comprising:
receiving a destination for an individual;
determining, by a processor, multiple routes between a position of the individual and the destination;
deploying the drone to determine one or more of safety and accessibility risks associated with the multiple routes; and
determining, by the processor, a preferred route from the multiple routes based on the safety and accessibility risks associated with the multiple routes; and
providing route guidance along the preferred route to the individual by one or more of audio signals, visual signal, or tactile signals to the individual.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the preferred route is further based on a profile of the individual that includes medical information of the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a determination to deploy the drone is automatic and is based on an estimate of likely risk along the multiple routes.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drone is configured to attach to a mobility device of the individual.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the safety and accessibility risks include one or more of: steps, holes, snow, ice, cracks in sidewalks, crowds, fire, smoke, and sun glare.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drone is configured to attach to the individual.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Gordon Michael S
• Kozloski James R
• Malkin Peter K
• Pickover Clifford A

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• G01C21/3461

  Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types or segments such as motorways, toll roads or ferries · CPC title

• G08G5/0069 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01C21/3407

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• B64C39/024

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