Ion spraying apparatus, ion spraying system, and ion spraying method

• US 10,149,916 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Taoka, Hiroki, Kayama, Hiroyuki, Takei, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Regina M
• Application Number:
  US14/667,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20150290348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/14 Plasma, i.e. ionised gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/16 Mobile applications, e.g. portable devices, trailers, devices mounted on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/22 Ionisation
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• 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 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target

Abstract

A communication unit receives spraying target information indicating a spray target. A spraying target detector detects the spray target indicated in the spraying target information in space. A spray control unit is a unit that performs ion-spraying processing on the spray target at a predetermined frequency. In the ion-spraying processing, the spray control unit determines a moving direction of an ion spraying apparatus from a current location to the detected spray target, and sprays ions on the spray target when a distance between the spray target and the ion spraying apparatus is within a first threshold value. A flight control unit controls a flight of the ion spraying apparatus in the moving direction.

Claims

1. An ion spraying system comprising:

an ion spraying apparatus; and

a control apparatus,

wherein the control apparatus comprises;

a camera configured to

capture an image,

recognize objects contacted by a person based on the image captured by the camera of the control apparatus, and

measure a number of contacts made by the person for each of the recognized objects based on the image captured by the camera of the control apparatus;

a processor configured to determine a spray target that is an object on which the ion spraying apparatus is to perform ion-spraying from among the recognized objects based on the measured number of contacts, and generate spraying target information that specifies the spray target; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the spraying target information to a receiver of the ion spraying apparatus,

wherein the ion spraying apparatus comprises;

the receiver configured to receive the spraying target information from the transmitter of the control apparatus;

a camera configured to capture an image and detect the spray target indicated in the spraying target information based on the image captured by the camera of the ion spraying apparatus;

a plurality of propellers configured to cause flight of the ion spraying apparatus;

a processor configured to control the flight of the ion spraying apparatus, determine a moving direction of the ion spraying apparatus based on location information on the detected spray target, and control the ion spraying apparatus to perform ion-spraying when a distance between the spray target and the ion spraying apparatus is determined to be within a first threshold value.

2. The ion spraying system according to claim 1, wherein the processor of the control apparatus is further configured to determine, based on information provided by the camera of the control apparatus, an object having the measured number of contacts that exceeds a second threshold value during a predetermined time period as the spray target.

3. The ion spraying system according to claim 1, wherein the camera of the control apparatus is further configured to recognize a registered specific person in advance, and recognize an object contacted by the registered specific person.

4. The ion spraying system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter of the control apparatus is further configured to transmit image information, included in the spraying target information, that indicates the spray target and location information that indicates a location of the spray target.

5. The ion spraying system according to claim 1, wherein

the control apparatus further comprises a dust detector configured to detect an event and a location of dust generation,

the processor of the control apparatus is further configured to determine as high priority spray targets, from among the spray targets, each of the objects that is around the location where the event of the dust generation is detected, and generate priority information including information indicating priority of the high priority spray targets,

the transmitter of the control apparatus is further configured to transmit the priority information to the receiver of the ion spraying apparatus,

the receiver of the ion spraying apparatus is further configured to receive the priority information from the transmitter of the control apparatus, and

the camera of the ion spraying apparatus is further configured to detect with priority, from among the spray targets specified by the spraying target information, each of the high priority spray targets specified by the priority information.