Surveillance drone including gas-filled container and propellers for aerial mobility

• US 10,486,788 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Avigilon Corporation (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Piette, Kevin, Russo, Pietro, Yu, Bo Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Bergin, James S
• Application Number:
  US15/493,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20180304981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 244 31, 244114 R, 244115
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/22 Arrangement of cabins or gondolas
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/30 Arrangement of propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/40 Balloons B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/66 Mooring attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/14 Towers or masts for mooring airships or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/30 Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/83 using parachutes, balloons or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 : Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 : Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A surveillance drone is disclosed. The surveillance drone includes a gas-filled container and propellers for aerial mobility. The surveillance drone also includes an electronic surveillance sensing device positioned below the gas-filled container. The gas-filled container may be filled with a lighter than air gas such as, for example, helium.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a drone including;

a container capable of being filled with a gaseous fluid;

a mating region located on a top side of the drone;

a plurality of motor-driven propellers configured to control movement of the drone when aerially mobile;

an electronic surveillance sensing device positioned below the container; and

a rechargeable power source configured to power at least the electronic surveillance sensing device; and

a docking station including;

a drone-receiving port, wherein the drone is configured to dock with the docking station when the mating region of the drone engages the drone-receiving port; and

a charger configured to charge the rechargeable power source when the drone is docked thereto, and

wherein the docking station is configured to be installed on a surface that affords a downwards orientation for the drone-receiving port such that the drone will be below the docking station when docked thereto.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drone further comprises a gondola body having the motor-driven propellers and the container attached thereto.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the gondola body is positioned below the container.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the electronic surveillance sensing device is attached to the gondola body.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the electronic surveillance sensing device includes a housing and a top side of the housing is attached to a bottom side of the gondola body.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rechargeable power source is configured to deliver charge via an electrical communications path that becomes established when the drone is docked to the docking station, and becomes disconnected when the drone becomes undocked from the docking station.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronic surveillance sensing device is a camera.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the camera is a Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the camera is capable of tilt and zoom movements, but not pan movement.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface is an indoor ceiling of a building.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronic surveillance sensing device, when in a powered on state, captures surveillance video.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the drone further includes communication circuitry which, when the drone is aerially mobile, transmits the captured surveillance video wirelessly to a computing device over a network.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the container is made from biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BoPET).

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the docking station further includes a dispenser configured to dispense additional gaseous fluid into the container when:

i) pressure in the container is below a threshold; and

ii) the drone is docked to the docking station.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the docking station further includes a probe and transducer device configured to determine whether gas pressure in the container is above or below a threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the probe and transducer device includes a movable probe configured to periodically perturb the container when the drone is docked to the docking station.