Autonomous drone with image sensor

• US 10,462,366 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bart, Gary Franklin, Caglayan, Erdal
• Primary Examiner(s): Schnurr, John R
• Application Number:
  US15/918,211
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/25 Fusion techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/80 Fusion, i.e. combining data from various sources at the sensor level, preprocessing level, feature extraction level or classification level multimodal speaker identification or verification G10L17/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property is disclosed. In one aspect, the monitoring system includes one or more sensors that are located throughout the property and that are configured to generate sensor data. The monitoring system further includes a drone that is configured to move throughout the property and generate additional sensor data. The monitoring system further includes a drone dock that is configured to receive the drone, wherein the drone is configured to continue generating the additional sensor data while the drone dock is receiving the drone. The monitoring system further includes a monitor control unit that is configured to receive the sensor data and the additional sensor data, analyze the sensor data and the additional sensor data, determine a status of the property, and provide, for output, data indicating the status of the property.

Claims

1. A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property, the monitoring system comprising:

one or more sensors that are located throughout the property and that are configured to generate sensor data;

a drone that is configured to move throughout the property and generate additional sensor data;

a drone dock that is configured to receive the drone, wherein the drone is configured to continue generating the additional sensor data while the drone dock is receiving the drone;

an additional drone dock that is configured to receive the drone, wherein the drone is configured to continue generating the additional sensor data while the additional drone dock is receiving the drone; and

a monitor control unit that is configured to;

receive the sensor data, the additional sensor data, and data indicating whether the drone dock or the additional drone dock received the drone;

analyze the sensor data, the additional sensor data, and the data indicating whether the drone dock or the additional drone dock received the drone;

based on analyzing the sensor data, the additional sensor data, and the data indicating whether the drone dock or the additional drone dock received the drone, determine a status of the property; and

provide, for output, data indicating the status of the property.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the drone dock or the additional drone dock is configured to charge a battery of the drone while the drone dock is receiving the drone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the drone includes a camera that is configured to generate image data while the drone is moving throughout the property and while the drone dock or the additional drone dock is receiving the drone, and

the monitor control unit is configured to;

receive the additional sensor data by receiving the image data;

analyze the additional sensor data by analyzing the image data; and

determine the status of the property based further on analyzing the image data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the drone is configured to magnetically couple to the drone dock or the additional drone dock.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the drone dock or the additional drone dock is configured to receive a top portion of the drone and a sensor of the drone is located on a bottom of the drone.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the drone dock or the additional drone dock includes a permanent magnet and an electromagnet that is configured to cancel a magnetic force of the permanent magnet based on the electromagnet receiving electric current, and

the drone includes a ferromagnetic material that is configured to couple to the permanent magnet.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the drone includes a mechanical release mechanism that is configured to release the drone from the permanent magnet.

8. The system of claim 1,

wherein the monitor control unit is configured to transmit, to the drone, instructions to dock at a particular one of the drone dock or the additional drone dock.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to select the particular one of the drone dock or the additional drone dock based on the status of the property.

10. The system of claim 1,

wherein the drone is configured to select a particular one of the drone dock or the additional drone dock for receiving the drone based on a status of the drone.

11. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property, sensor data from one or more sensors that are located throughout the property;

receiving, by the monitoring system and from a drone that is configured to move throughout the property and that is located on a drone dock or an additional drone dock at the property, additional sensor data;

receiving, by the monitoring system, data indicating whether the drone is located at the drone dock or the additional drone dock;

analyzing, by the monitoring system, the sensor data, the additional sensor data, and the data indicating whether the drone is located at drone dock or the additional drone dock;

based on analyzing the sensor data, the additional sensor data, and the data indicating whether the drone is located at drone dock or the additional drone dock, determining, by the monitoring system, a status of the property; and

providing, for output by the monitoring system, data indicating the status of the property.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

receiving the data indicating whether the drone is located at the drone dock or the additional drone dock comprises receiving data indicating a location of the drone dock or the additional drone dock,

analyzing the sensor data, the additional sensor data, and the data indicating whether the drone is located at drone dock or the additional drone dock comprises analyzing the sensor data, the additional sensor data, the data indicating whether the drone is located at drone dock or the additional drone dock, and the data indicating the location of the drone dock or the additional drone dock, and

determining the status of the property is based further on the data indicating the location of the drone dock.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising:

transmitting, to the drone and by the monitoring system, instructions to dock at a particular one of the drone dock or the additional drone dock.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

selecting, by the monitoring system, the particular one of the drone dock or the additional drone dock based on the status of the property.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the drone is configured to determine whether to dock at the drone dock or the additional drone dock based on a status of the drone.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the drone includes a camera that is configured to generate image data while the drone is moving throughout the property and while the drone is located on the drone dock or the additional drone dock,

receiving the additional sensor data comprises receiving the image data;

analyzing additional sensor data comprises analyzing the image data; and

determining the status of the property is based further on analyzing the image data.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving, by the monitoring system and from a drone that is configured to move throughout the property and that is located on a drone dock or the additional drone dock at the property, additional sensor data comprises:

receiving, by the monitoring system and from the drone that is magnetically coupled to the drone dock or the additional drone dock, the additional sensor data.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving, by the monitoring system and from a drone that is configured to move throughout the property and that is located on a drone dock or the additional drone dock at the property, additional sensor data comprises:

receiving, by the monitoring system and from the drone that includes a top portion that is coupled to the drone dock or the additional drone dock and a bottom sensor that includes a sensor, the additional sensor data.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving, by the monitoring system and from a drone that is configured to move throughout the property and that is located on a drone dock or the additional drone dock at the property, additional sensor data comprises:

receiving, by the monitoring system and from the drone that is coupled to the drone dock or the additional drone dock that is charging a battery of the drone, the additional sensor data.