Patent ID: 11879745
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  B  H | IPC B  G  H

Claim 0:
1. A method comprising:
capturing, with a user device, a first image of an area to be traversed by an individual with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or a terrestrial robot during a final leg of a journey of the individual;
evaluating the first image with the user device to identify a hindrance;
determining a pre-emptive action to be carried out for overcoming the hindrance;
executing the pre-emptive action prior to reaching an intermediate location within the area;
receiving, by the UAV or the terrestrial robot, a summoning command from a device of the individual, the summoning command indicating that the UAV or the terrestrial robot should traverse to the intermediate location;
evaluating one or more characteristics of an item from the individual that is to be transported by the UAV or the terrestrial robot over the area during the final leg of the journey of the individual, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise a weight and a size of the item;
determining that the item is a package;
executing the pre-emptive action to either: a) select the UAV or the terrestrial robot from a plurality of UAVs and a plurality of terrestrial robots because the UAV or the terrestrial robot is particularly configured for the package and the other of the plurality of UAVs and the plurality of the terrestrial robots are not configured for the package because the weight of the package is too heavy, or b) decline to use the UAV or the terrestrial robot because the weight of the package is too heavy for the UAV or the terrestrial robot; and
if executing the pre-emptive action is a):
securing the package from the individual to the UAV or the terrestrial robot; and
traversing, by the UAV or the terrestrial robot, the final leg of the journey of the individual along with the individual starting from the intermediate location, wherein the package is transported by the UAV or the terrestrial robot during the final leg of the journey of the individual.