Accommodating mobile destinations for unmanned aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9875454-B2
Application number	US-201414282456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A device receives a request for a flight path for a UAV to travel from a location to an anticipated location associated with a mobile device, and determines capability information for the UAV based on component information associated with the UAV. The device receives information associated with a current location, a direction of travel, and a speed of the mobile device, and calculates the flight path from the location to the anticipated location associated with the mobile device based on the capability information and based on the information associated with the current location, the direction of travel, and the speed of the mobile device. The device generates flight path instructions for the flight path, and provides the flight path instructions to the UAV to permit the UAV to travel from the location to the anticipated location associated with the mobile device, based on the flight path instructions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a device, a request for a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from a geographical location to a first anticipated geographical location associated with a mobile device;
determining, by the device, capability information for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on component information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle;
receiving, by the device, information associated with a first location, a first direction of travel, and a first speed of the mobile device,
the first location being a current location of the mobile device;

calculating, by the device, the flight path from the geographical location to the first anticipated geographical location based on the capability information and based on the information associated with the first location, the first direction of travel, and the first speed of the mobile device;
generating, by the device, flight path instructions for the flight path;
providing, by the device, the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle,
the unmanned aerial vehicle travelling from the geographical location to the first anticipated geographical location, based on the flight path instructions;

receiving, by the device, first feedback information from the unmanned aerial vehicle,
the first feedback information including a weather condition;

receiving, by the device, second feedback information from the mobile device,
the second feedback information including information associated with:
a second location of the mobile device,
the second location being an updated location with respect to the first location,

a second direction of travel of the mobile device,
the second direction of travel being an updated direction of travel with respect to the first direction of travel, and

a second speed of the mobile device,
the second speed of the mobile device being an updated speed of the mobile device with respect to the first speed of the mobile device;

determining, by the device and based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, whether the unmanned aerial vehicle is able to travel to the first anticipated geographical location;
modifying, by the device, the flight path instructions for a modified flight path based on determining that the unmanned aerial vehicle is unable to travel to the first anticipated geographical location; and
providing, by the device, modified flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle,
the unmanned aerial vehicle travelling towards a second anticipated geographical location, associated with the mobile device, based on the modified flight path instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the modified flight path includes information identifying the second anticipated geographical location;
where the method further comprises:
calculating, based on determining that the unmanned aerial vehicle is unable to travel to the first anticipated geographical location, the modified flight path; and

where modifying the flight path instructions for the modified flight path comprises:
modifying the flight path instructions based on calculating the modified flight path.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing, to the mobile device, information associated with a current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle in relation to the second location of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a meeting location for the unmanned aerial vehicle and the mobile device based on the information associated with the second location, the second direction of travel, and the second speed of the mobile device; and
calculating the modified flight path from the geographical location to the meeting location based on the capability information,
the meeting location corresponding to the second anticipated geographical location associated with the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4 , where the meeting location includes a geographical location associated with a rest stop, a retail store, a parking lot, a restaurant, a grocery store, or a convenience store.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
providing to the mobile device:
information indicating the meeting location, and
at least one of a confirmation code or an authentication mechanism that permits the mobile device to authenticate a user of the mobile device so that the user may receive a payload of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the meeting location.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing, to the mobile device and for display, navigation information to the second anticipated geographic location.

8. A system, comprising:
one or more devices to:
receive a request for a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from a geographical location to a first anticipated geographical location associated with a mobile device;
determine capability information for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on component information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle;
receive information associated with a first location, a first direction of travel, and a first speed of the mobile device,
the first location being a current location of the mobile device;

calculate the flight path from the geographical location to the first anticipated geographical location based on the capability information and based on the information associated with the first location, the first direction of travel, and the first speed of the mobile device;
generate flight path instructions for the flight path;
provide the flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle,
the unmanned aerial vehicle travelling from the geographical location to the first anticipated geographical location based on the flight path instructions;

receive first feedback information from the unmanned aerial vehicle,
the first feedback information including a weather condition;

receive second feedback information from the mobile device,
the second feedback information including information associated with:
a second location of the mobile device,
 the second location being an updated location with respect to the first location,
a second direction of travel of the mobile device,
 the second direction of travel being an updated direction of travel with respect to the first direction of travel, and
a second speed of the mobile device,
 the second speed of the mobile device being an updated speed of the mobile device with respect to the first speed of the mobile device;

determine, based on the first feedback information and the second feedback information, whether the unmanned aerial vehicle is able to travel to the first anticipated geographical location;
modify the flight path instructions for a modified flight path based on determining that the unmanned aerial vehicle is unable to travel to the first anticipated geographical location; and
provide modified flight path instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle,
the unmanned aerial vehicle travelling towards a second anticipated geographic location, associated with the mobile device, based on the modified flight path instructions.

9. The system of claim 8 , where the modified flight path includes information identifying the second anticipated geographical location;
where the one or more devices are further to:
calculate, based on determining that unmanned aerial vehicle is unable to travel to the first anticipated geographical location, the modified flight path; and

where the one or more devices, when modifying the flight path instructions for the modified flight path, are to:
modify the flight path instructions based on calculating the modified flight path.

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Kantor Igor
• Srivastava Ashok N
• Pasko Douglas M
• Batla Hani
• Ubhi Gurpreet

Classifications

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04W4/027

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title

• H04W4/024

  Guidance services · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title