Granted Patent B2

US 12,230,117 · App. 18/175,366 · Granted Feb 18, 2025

Inventors: Jordan Anthony Metzner (Los Angeles, CA); Michael Edward James Paterson (Lafayette, CA); Benjamin Wild (Seattle, WA); James Wyatt Siminoff (Pacific Palisades, CA)

Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

G08B21/12B64U10/13B64U30/294G08B21/182B64U50/19B64U80/25B64U2101/00B64U2201/10B64U2201/20

Abstract

Claims (105)

1. An aerial vehicle comprising:

a frame having a first height and a first rounded square cross-section, wherein the frame comprises four sides having the first height that are joined at four rounded corners to define a cross-section having a shape of a rounded square;

a housing coupled to the frame, wherein at least a first portion of the housing extends below the frame, wherein the first portion of the housing extending below the frame comprises four sides that define a cross-section having a shape of a rectangle, and wherein each of the four sides of the first portion of the housing is parallel to one of the four sides of the frame;

a plurality of struts, wherein each of the struts has a proximal end joined to an external surface of a portion of the housing within the frame;

a plurality of propulsion motors, wherein each of the propulsion motors is a direct current motor coupled to a distal end of one of the plurality of struts, and wherein each of the propulsion motors is configured to rotate a propeller within a space between an upper edge of the frame and a lower edge of the frame at one or more rotational speeds;

a first sensor associated with the frame;

a second sensor associated with the first portion of the housing;

at least one charging contact associated with the housing;

at least one memory component provided within the housing;

at least one transceiver provided within the housing; and

at least one computer processor provided within the housing,

wherein the at least one computer processor is in communication with each of the plurality of propulsion motors, the first sensor, the second sensor, the at least one memory component and the at least one transceiver.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first cover provided at the upper edge of the frame, wherein the first cover comprises a plurality of bars aligned in parallel; and

a second cover provided at the lower edge of the frame, wherein the second cover comprises a second plurality of bars aligned in parallel,

wherein the first portion of the frame extends through an opening in the second cover.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is a first one of a barometer, a camera, a carbon monoxide detector, a carbon dioxide detector, a heat sensor, a hygrometer, a light sensor, a microphone, or a water sensor, and

wherein the second sensor is a second one of a barometer, a camera, a carbon monoxide detector, a carbon dioxide detector, a heat sensor, a hygrometer, a light sensor, a microphone, or a water sensor.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory component is programmed with one or more sets of instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer processor, cause the aerial vehicle to execute a method comprising:

receiving, from at least one computer system, first data corresponding to a first event, wherein the first data identifies a first space within the facility; and

in response to receiving the first data,

selecting a first location within the first space;

determining a second location of a first vehicle;

determining a path from the second location to the first location;

causing the first vehicle to travel from the second location to the first location via the path;

capturing second data by one of the first sensor or the second sensor, wherein the second data is captured by the second sensor with the first vehicle within the first space; and

determining, based at least in part on the second data, one of:

that the first event is not occurring in the first space; or

that the first event is occurring in the first space;

transmitting, to the at least one computer system, third data comprising an indication of the one of:

that the first event is not occurring in the first space; or

that the first event is occurring in the first space.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the third data further comprises at least a portion of the second data.

6. An aerial vehicle comprising:

a frame having four sides, wherein the frame defines a cross-section having a shape of a rounded square;

a housing having four sides, wherein the housing is joined to the frame, wherein at least two of the four sides of the frame are parallel to two of the four sides of the housing, and wherein at least a portion of the housing extends below the frame;

a plurality of propulsion motors, wherein each of the propulsion motors is an electric motor coupled to a distal end of one of a plurality of struts extending from the housing, and wherein each of the propulsion motors is configured to rotate a propeller within the frame at one or more rotational speeds;

a first sensor associated with the frame;

a second sensor associated with the portion of the housing extending below the frame;

at least one charging contact associated with the housing;

at least one memory component;

at least one transceiver; and

at least one computer processor.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one memory component is programmed with one or more sets of instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer processor, cause the aerial vehicle to execute a method comprising:

capturing, by one of the first sensor or the second sensor, a first image with the aerial vehicle in a first position within a facility and a first orientation about a yaw axis; and

causing, by at least one of the plurality of propulsion motors, a movement of the aerial vehicle from the first position to a second position within the facility or from the first orientation about the yaw axis to a second orientation about the yaw axis; and

capturing, by the one of the first sensor or the second sensor, a second image with the aerial vehicle in the second position or the second orientation about the yaw axis.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting at least one of the first image or the second image to a mobile device of an individual associated with the facility.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one memory component is programmed with one or more sets of instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer processor, cause the aerial vehicle to execute a method comprising:

capturing, by one of the first sensor or the second sensor, a first image with the aerial vehicle in a first position within a facility and a first orientation about a yaw axis; and

determining, by the at least one processor, that the first image depicts at least a portion of a person within the facility.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one memory component is programmed with one or more sets of instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer processor, cause the aerial vehicle to execute a method comprising:

capturing, by one of the first sensor or the second sensor, data regarding temperatures within at least a portion of a facility; and

determining, based at least in part on the data regarding the temperatures, that a person is present within the portion of the facility.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one memory component is programmed with one or more sets of instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer processor, cause the aerial vehicle to execute a method comprising:

causing the aerial vehicle to travel on a first course, at a first speed, and at a first altitude;

capturing, by one of the first sensor or the second sensor, a first image with the aerial vehicle in a first position within a facility and a first orientation about a yaw axis;

determining, by the at least one computer processor, that the first image depicts an obstacle;

in response to determining that the first image depicts the obstacle,

selecting at least one of a second course, a second speed or a second altitude; and

causing the aerial vehicle to travel on the second course, at the second speed or at the second altitude.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one memory component is programmed with one or more sets of instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer processor, cause the aerial vehicle to execute a method comprising:

receiving, from at least one computer system, first data corresponding to a first event, wherein the first data identifies a first space within the facility; and

in response to receiving the first data,

selecting a first location within the first space;

determining a second location of a first vehicle;

determining a path from the second location to the first location;

causing the first vehicle to travel from the second location to the first location via the path;

capturing second data by one of the first sensor or the second sensor, wherein the second data is captured by the second sensor with the first vehicle within the first space; and

determining, based at least in part on the second data, one of:

that the first event is not occurring in the first space; or

that the first event is occurring in the first space;

transmitting, to the at least one computer system, third data comprising an indication of the one of:

that the first event is not occurring in the first space; or

that the first event is occurring in the first space.

13. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one charging contact is provided on at least one surface of the housing.

14. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the second sensor is embedded within a first surface of the portion of the housing extending below the frame.

15. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the frame comprises a first cover mounted to an upper edge of the frame and a second cover mounted to a lower edge of the frame,

wherein the first cover comprises a first plurality of bars aligned in parallel, and

wherein the second cover comprises a second plurality of bars aligned in parallel.

16. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the first sensor is a first one of a barometer, a camera, a carbon monoxide detector, a carbon dioxide detector, a heat sensor, a hygrometer, a light sensor, a microphone, or a water sensor, and

wherein the second sensor is a second one of a barometer, a camera, a carbon monoxide detector, a carbon dioxide detector, a heat sensor, a hygrometer, a light sensor, a microphone, or a water sensor.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first sensor provided in a first space of a facility, first data corresponding to a first event; and

in response to receiving the first data,

selecting a first location within the first space;

determining a second location of a first vehicle;

determining a path from the second location to the first location;

causing the first vehicle to travel from the second location to the first location via the path;

receiving, from the first vehicle, second data captured by a second sensor provided aboard the first vehicle, wherein the second data is captured by the second sensor with the first vehicle within the first space; and

determining, based at least in part on the second data, whether the first event is occurring within the first space.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first vehicle comprises:

a frame comprising four sides having a first height that are joined at four rounded corners to define a cross-section having a shape of a rounded square;

a housing coupled to the frame, wherein at least a first portion of the housing extends below the frame, wherein the first portion of the housing extending below the frame comprises four sides that define a cross-section having a shape of a rectangle, and wherein each of the four sides of the first portion of the housing is parallel to one of the four sides of the frame;

a plurality of struts, wherein each of the struts has a proximal end joined to an external surface of a portion of the housing within the frame;

a plurality of propulsion motors, wherein each of the propulsion motors is a direct current motor coupled to a distal end of one of the plurality of struts, and wherein each of the propulsion motors is configured to rotate a propeller within a space between an upper edge of the frame and a lower edge of the frame at one or more rotational speeds;

at least one charging contact associated with the housing;

at least one memory component provided within the housing;

at least one transceiver provided within the housing; and

at least one computer processor provided within the housing,

wherein the second sensor is associated with one of the frame or the first portion of the housing.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second sensor is one of a barometer, a camera, a carbon monoxide detector, a carbon dioxide detector, a heat sensor, a hygrometer, a light sensor, a microphone, or a water sensor.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

transmitting at least a portion of the second data to a mobile device of an individual associated with the facility.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (400)