Drone device for monitoring animals and vegetation

• US 10,061,318 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2018
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucas Myslinski
• Original Assignee: Lucas Myslinski
• Inventors: Myslinski, Lucas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US15/868,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20180157259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 229 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 5/00 Aircraft transported by aircraft, e.g. for release or reberthing during flight flying units formed by separate aircraft B64C37/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/10 for stealth, e.g. reduction of cross-section detectable by radars
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/50 Foldable or collapsible UAVs with frangible components B64U20/30
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 : Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 : Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 : Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 : Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 : Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 : Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 : Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 : Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 : Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 : Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/40 : in video content extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 : Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 : Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 : Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 : the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 : Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A fact checking system utilizes social networking information and analyzes and determines the factual accuracy of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with source information. The social networking fact checking system automatically monitors information, processes the information, fact checks the information and/or provides a status of the information, including automatically modifying a web page to include the fact check results. The fact checking system is able to be implemented utilizing a drone device. The drone device is able to be implemented in conjunction with a security system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a. monitoring one or more animals or vegetation using a security system, wherein the security system includes a nested aerial drone device including a first aerial drone device and a second aerial drone device, wherein the first aerial drone device is configured to physically nest within the second aerial drone device, wherein the first aerial drone device or the second aerial drone device are configured to have an appearance of the one or more animals, the vegetation, another animal or another vegetation; and

b. taking an action comprising triggering a notification or tracking the one or more animals or vegetation based on the one or more animals or vegetation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring the one or more animals or vegetation includes detecting a wireless tag in or on the one or more animals or vegetation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring the one or more animals or vegetation includes automatically moving the nested aerial drone device so that the one or more animals or vegetation are within the view of a camera of the nested aerial drone device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring the one or more animals or vegetation includes tracking movement of the one or more animals or vegetation with the security system, wherein at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device is configured to track the one or more animals or vegetation and transmit tracking location information to the security system or another device, wherein the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device track the one or more animals or vegetation by acquiring image data of the one or more animals or vegetation and maintaining the image data of the one or more animals or vegetation within a view of the camera of the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein taking the action includes triggering the notification when the one or more animals or vegetation move more than a threshold amount, wherein determining if the one or more animals or vegetation move more than the threshold amount is based on a depth map and comparing a depth of the one or more animals or vegetation in successive images.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first aerial drone device only tracks within a first specified zone and the second aerial drone device only tracks within a second specified zone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein taking the action includes coaxing the one or more animals or a second set of one or more animals toward or away from a location using the nested aerial drone device, including using light or noise to do the coaxing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring the one or more animals or vegetation includes flying the nested aerial drone device in a designated flight path using an invisible tracking system.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein taking the action includes sending content to an external device, wherein the external device displays one or more representations for the one or more animals or vegetation.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the nested aerial drone device is preemptively positioned within the vegetation, and preemptively re-positions itself based on the one or more animals or vegetation.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring the one or more animals or vegetation to obtain measurements, wherein the measurements are used for determining taking the action, wherein at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device are configured to utilize image processing analysis including object comparison analysis to determine size information of the one or more animals or vegetation captured within content by comparing known objects in the content with the one or more animals or vegetation captured within the content.

12. An aerial drone device comprising:

c. a first device body;

d. a second device body configured for physically separating from the first device body and flying independently of the first body, wherein the first device body or the second device body are configured to have an appearance of one or more animals, vegetation, another animal or another vegetation;

e. a plurality of information acquisition components coupled to the first device body, wherein a first information acquisition component of the plurality of information acquisition components is positioned in an opposite direction of a second information acquisition component of the plurality of information acquisition components;

f. a memory configured for storing an application, the application for;

i. acquiring content using the plurality of information acquisition components;

ii. processing the content or external information;

iii. directing the aerial drone device to patrol an area based on the processed content or external information; and

g. a processor configured for processing the application.

13. The aerial drone device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of information acquisition components are configured to determine a location of a source of a sound by calculating a difference in timing for the sound to reach each information acquisition component of the plurality of information acquisition components.

14. The aerial drone device of claim 12 wherein the first device body or the second device body are configured to appear as the one or more animals, the vegetation, another animal or another vegetation.

15. A system comprising:

h. a security system;

i. a first aerial drone device configured for acquiring content related to one or more animals or vegetation and communicating with the security system including receiving trigger location information from the security system; and

j. a second aerial drone device configured for acquiring the content related to the one or more animals or vegetation and communicating with the security system including receiving the trigger location information from the security system, wherein the first aerial drone device is configured to physically nest within the second aerial drone device, wherein the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device are each configured to acquire separate information by traveling in different directions, wherein the first aerial drone device or the second aerial drone device are configured to have an appearance of the one or more animals, the vegetation, another animal or another vegetation.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device is configured to acquire an image of the one or more animals or vegetation based on a database of template targets, including scanning an area and comparing the one or more animals or vegetation in the area with the database of template targets to determine whether to acquire the image of the one or more animals or vegetation.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device includes:

i. a storage compartment configured to store a net, paint, pepper spray or a tracking device, wherein the tracking device is deployed by the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device by dropping the tracking device onto one or more animals or vegetation and tracking the tracking device; and

ii. a shielding component configured to protect the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device, wherein the shielding component includes one or more extendible wings.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the security system is configured to detect a breach and send a signal to the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device, wherein when the breach is detected, the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device is configured to move to a location of the breach based on the trigger location information, further wherein the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device records video and takes pictures at the location of the breach, including a zoomed in image.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device is configured to locate the one or more animals or vegetation based on where the breach occurred and by detecting the one or more animals or vegetation, using a camera of the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device and object recognition.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device is configured to fly in a variable pattern when patrolling the area, further wherein the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device includes a display device positioned under a body of the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device, wherein the display device is configured to camouflage the at least one of the first aerial drone device and the second aerial drone device.