公开(公告)号：US10106257B2

公开(公告)日：2018-10-23

申请号：US15939093

申请日：2018-03-28

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： William Graham Patrick ,  James Ryan Burgess ,  Andrew Conrad

IPC: B64D1/22 ,  B64D1/12 ,  B64C39/02

Abstract: Embodiments described herein may help to provide medical support via a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An illustrative UAV may include a housing, a payload, a line-deployment mechanism coupled to the housing and a line, and a payload-release mechanism that couples the line to the payload, wherein the payload-release mechanism is configured to release the payload from the line. The UAV may further include a control system configured to determine that the UAV is located at or near a delivery location and responsively: operate the line-deployment mechanism according to a variable deployment-rate profile to lower the payload to or near to the ground, determine that the payload is touching or is within a threshold distance from the ground, and responsively operate the payload-release mechanism to release the payload from the line.

公开(公告)号：US20180307223A1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-25

申请号：US15785212

申请日：2017-10-16

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Eric Peeters ,  Eric Teller ,  William Graham Patrick

IPC: G05D1/00 ,  G08G5/00 ,  B64C19/00 ,  G05D1/12 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G01S5/02 ,  G01S13/93 ,  G01S13/88 ,  G01S5/00 ,  G01S17/93 ,  G01S13/94 ,  G01S15/93

CPC classification number: G05D1/00 ,  B64C19/00 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/12 ,  B64C2201/14 ,  B64C2201/145 ,  B64C2201/146 ,  G01S5/00 ,  G01S5/02 ,  G01S13/882 ,  G01S13/9303 ,  G01S13/94 ,  G01S15/93 ,  G01S17/933 ,  G05D1/12 ,  G08G5/0069

Abstract: Embodiments described herein may relate to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigating to a target in order to provide medical support. An illustrative method involves a UAV (a) determining an approximate target location associated with a target, (b) using a first navigation process to navigate the UAV to the approximate target location, where the first navigation process generates flight-control signals based on the approximate target location, (c) making a determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target location, and (d) in response to the determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target location, using a second navigation process to navigate the UAV to the target, wherein the second navigation process generates flight-control signals based on real-time localization of the target.

公开(公告)号：US20180222585A1

公开(公告)日：2018-08-09

申请号：US15939093

申请日：2018-03-28

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： William Graham Patrick ,  James Ryan Burgess ,  Andrew Conrad

IPC: B64D1/12 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D1/22

CPC classification number: B64D1/12 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/128 ,  B64C2201/141 ,  B64C2201/145 ,  B64D1/22

Abstract: Embodiments described herein may help to provide medical support via a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An illustrative UAV may include a housing, a payload, a line-deployment mechanism coupled to the housing and a line, and a payload-release mechanism that couples the line to the payload, wherein the payload-release mechanism is configured to release the payload from the line. The UAV may further include a control system configured to determine that the UAV is located at or near a delivery location and responsively: operate the line-deployment mechanism according to a variable deployment-rate profile to lower the payload to or near to the ground, determine that the payload is touching or is within a threshold distance from the ground, and responsively operate the payload-release mechanism to release the payload from the line.

公开(公告)号：US09849979B2

公开(公告)日：2017-12-26

申请号：US15147762

申请日：2016-05-05

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Eric Peeters ,  Eric Teller ,  William Graham Patrick

IPC: B64C39/02 ,  B64C19/00 ,  G06Q10/08 ,  G05D1/10 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64D1/08 ,  G08G5/00

CPC classification number: B64C39/024 ,  B64C19/00 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64C2201/024 ,  B64C2201/12 ,  B64C2201/128 ,  B64C2201/14 ,  B64D1/08 ,  G05D1/102 ,  G05D1/104 ,  G06Q10/083 ,  G08G5/0069

Abstract: Embodiments described herein may help to provide support via a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An illustrative medical-support system may include multiple UAVs, which are configured to provide support for a number of different situations. Further, the medical-support system may be configured to: (a) identify a remote situation, (b) determine a target location corresponding to the situation, (c) select a UAV from the fleet of UAVs, where the selection of the UAV is based on a determination that the selected UAV is configured for the identified situation, and (d) cause the selected UAV to travel to the target location to provide support.

公开(公告)号：US09823654B2

公开(公告)日：2017-11-21

申请号：US15082205

申请日：2016-03-28

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Eric Peeters ,  Eric Teller ,  William Graham Patrick

IPC: G08G5/00 ,  G05D1/00 ,  B64C19/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G01S5/02 ,  G05D1/12 ,  G01S13/93 ,  G01S13/94

CPC classification number: G05D1/00 ,  B64C19/00 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/12 ,  B64C2201/14 ,  B64C2201/145 ,  B64C2201/146 ,  G01S5/00 ,  G01S5/02 ,  G01S13/882 ,  G01S13/9303 ,  G01S13/94 ,  G01S15/93 ,  G01S17/933 ,  G05D1/12 ,  G08G5/0069

Abstract: Embodiments described herein may relate to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigating to a target in order to provide medical support. An illustrative method involves a UAV (a) determining an approximate target location associated with a target, (b) using a first navigation process to navigate the UAV to the approximate target location, where the first navigation process generates flight-control signals based on the approximate target location, (c) making a determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target location, and (d) in response to the determination that the UAV is located at the approximate target location, using a second navigation process to navigate the UAV to the target, wherein the second navigation process generates flight-control signals based on real-time localization of the target.

公开(公告)号：US20180022456A1

公开(公告)日：2018-01-25

申请号：US15711758

申请日：2017-09-21

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： William Graham Patrick ,  James Ryan Burgess ,  Andrew Conrad

IPC: B64D1/12 ,  B64D1/22 ,  B64C39/02

CPC classification number: B64D1/12 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/128 ,  B64C2201/141 ,  B64C2201/145 ,  B64D1/22

Abstract: Embodiments described herein may help to provide medical support via a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An illustrative UAV may include a housing, a payload, a line-deployment mechanism coupled to the housing and a line, and a payload-release mechanism that couples the line to the payload, wherein the payload -release mechanism is configured to release the payload from the line. The UAV may further include a control system configured to determine that the UAV is located at or near a delivery location and responsively: operate the line-deployment mechanism according to a variable deployment-rate profile to lower the payload to or near to the ground, determine that the payload is touching or is within a threshold distance from the ground, and responsively operate the payload-release mechanism to release the payload from the line.

公开(公告)号：US09783297B2

公开(公告)日：2017-10-10

申请号：US15147766

申请日：2016-05-05

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： William Graham Patrick ,  James Ryan Burgess ,  Andrew Conrad

IPC: B64D1/12 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D1/22

CPC classification number: B64D1/12 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/128 ,  B64C2201/141 ,  B64C2201/145 ,  B64D1/22

Abstract: Embodiments described herein may help to provide medical support via a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An illustrative UAV may include a housing, a payload, a line-deployment mechanism coupled to the housing and a line, and a payload-release mechanism that couples the line to the payload, wherein the payload-release mechanism is configured to release the payload from the line. The UAV may further include a control system configured to determine that the UAV is located at or near a delivery location and responsively: operate the line-deployment mechanism according to a variable deployment-rate profile to lower the payload to or near to the ground, determine that the payload is touching or is within a threshold distance from the ground, and responsively operate the payload-release mechanism to release the payload from the line.

公开(公告)号：US09671781B1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-06

申请号：US14542203

申请日：2014-11-14

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Eric Peeters ,  Eric Teller ,  William Graham Patrick

IPC: G07C5/00 ,  G05D1/00

CPC classification number: G05D1/0011 ,  B64C2201/145 ,  B64C2201/146 ,  G05D1/0027 ,  G06F19/00 ,  G06F19/3456 ,  G07C5/006 ,  G07C5/008 ,  G08G5/0013 ,  G08G5/0026 ,  G08G5/0056 ,  G08G5/0069

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a deployment system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In one aspect, an illustrative deployment system includes a communication system configured for receiving diagnostic data corresponding to an object included in a UAV, wherein the UAV has an expiration condition; and a logic module configured for (i) determining that the expiration condition has been satisfied based, at least in part, on the received diagnostic data, and (ii) responsive to determining that the expiration condition has been satisfied, initiating an action that includes sending to the UAV both (a) navigation data relating to a remedial facility, and (b) instructions to navigate to the remedial facility based, at least in part, on the navigation data.

公开(公告)号：US09957046B2

公开(公告)日：2018-05-01

申请号：US15711758

申请日：2017-09-21

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： William Graham Patrick ,  James Ryan Burgess ,  Andrew Conrad

IPC: B64D1/12 ,  B64D1/22 ,  B64C39/02

CPC classification number: B64D1/12 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/128 ,  B64C2201/141 ,  B64C2201/145 ,  B64D1/22

Abstract: Embodiments described herein may help to provide medical support via a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An illustrative UAV may include a housing, a payload, a line-deployment mechanism coupled to the housing and a line, and a payload-release mechanism that couples the line to the payload, wherein the payload-release mechanism is configured to release the payload from the line. The UAV may further include a control system configured to determine that the UAV is located at or near a delivery location and responsively: operate the line-deployment mechanism according to a variable deployment-rate profile to lower the payload to or near to the ground, determine that the payload is touching or is within a threshold distance from the ground, and responsively operate the payload-release mechanism to release the payload from the line.

公开(公告)号：US20180054738A1

公开(公告)日：2018-02-22

申请号：US15786201

申请日：2017-10-17

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Eric Teller ,  William Graham Patrick

IPC: H04W16/04 ,  H04L12/911

CPC classification number: H04W16/04 ,  H04L47/829

Abstract: Methods and systems disclosed herein relate to determining a projected change in bandwidth demand in a specified area during a specified future time period, repositioning one or more balloons in a high-altitude balloon network based on the projected change in bandwidth demand, and providing, using the one or more balloons, at least a portion of the bandwidth demanded in the specified area during the specified future time period.