Google Inc.

X Development LLC

Waymo LLC

Wing Aviation LLC

Loon LLC

William Graham Patrick

Eric Teller

Eric Peeters

Johnny Hsienchow Lee

James Ryan Burgess

Andrew J Conrad

Sergey Brin

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.

Balloon clumping to provide bandwidth requested in advance

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.

Multi-part navigation process by an unmanned aerial vehicle for navigation

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.

Mechanisms for lowering a payload to the ground from a UAV

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.

Providing services using unmanned aerial vehicles

A method and apparatus for gesture interaction with a photo-active painted surface is described. The method may include driving a spatial electromagnetic modulator to emit electromagnetic stimulation in the form of an image to cause photo-active paint to display the image. The method may also include capturing, with at least a camera of a painted surface display system, image data of the image displayed on the photo-active paint applied to a surface and a user motion performed relative to the image. The method may also include analyzing the captured image data to determine a sequence of one or more physical movements of the user relative to the image displayed on the photo-active paint. The method may also include determining, based on the analysis, that the user motion is indicative of a gesture, and driving the spatial electromagnetic modulator to update.

Method and apparatus for gesture interaction with a photo-active painted surface

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.

Responsive navigation of an unmanned aerial vehicle to a remedial facility

An image generating system includes an electromagnetic ('EM') modulator, a camera module and a logic engine. The EM modulator is positioned to direct EM waves to a photoactive surface to stimulate the photoactive surface to generate an image. The camera module is positioned to monitor the photoactive surface to generate image data. The logic engine is communicatively coupled to the camera module and configured to receive the image data from the camera module and analyze the image data. The logic engine is communicatively coupled to the EM modulator to command the EM modulator where to direct the EM waves in response to the image data.

System and method of generating images on photoactive surfaces

A method and apparatus for gesture interaction with an image displayed on a painted wall is described. The method may include capturing image data of the image displayed on the painted wall and a user motion performed relative to the image. The method may also include analyzing the captured image data to determine a sequence of one or more physical movements of the user relative to the image displayed on the painted wall. The method may also include determining, based on the analysis, that the user motion is indicative of a gesture associated with the image displayed on the painted wall, and controlling a connected system in response to the gesture.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

William Graham Patrick