Weather based object protection using drones

• US 10,606,267 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Evelyn R., Bender, Michael, Childress, Rhonda L., Jan, Ea-Ee
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US15/626,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20180364714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• 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: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• 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 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• 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 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/1062 specially adapted for avoiding bad weather conditions

Abstract

A tool for protecting outdoor objects from weather related damage. Responsive to a registration request, the tool registers an object and an originating location where the object is currently located. The tool determines whether a risk threshold for the object is exceeded based, at least in part, on weather conditions at the originating location. Responsive to a determination that the risk threshold for the object is exceeded, the tool instructs one or more drones to relocate the object from an originating location to a protected location that is protected from the weather conditions.

Claims

1. A method for transporting objects responsive to weather data, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a registration request, registering, by one or more computer processors, an object and an originating location where the object is currently located;

determining, by the one or more computer processors, that a risk threshold for the object is exceeded based, at least in part, on a plurality of weather conditions at the originating location; and

responsive to the determination that the risk threshold for the object is exceeded, instructing, by the one or more computer processors, one or more drones to move the object from the originating location to a protected location that is protected from the plurality of weather conditions, including;

instructing, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more drones to deploy to the originating location, and

identifying, by the one or more computer processors, the object at the originating location including;

instructing, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more drones to search near the originating location to locate the object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating, by the one or more computer processors, a risk assessment for the object, based, at least in part, on a damage profile of the object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

monitoring, by the one or more computer processors, the plurality of weather conditions at the originating location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the object further comprises:

determining, by the one or more computer processors, the risk threshold for the object based, at least in part, on a plurality of weather condition information for a plurality of similar objects.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

determining, by the one or more computer processors, that the risk threshold for the object is not exceeded based, at least in part, on changes in the plurality of weather conditions indicating an abatement of weather conditions that exceeded the risk threshold for the object; and

responsive to the determination that the risk threshold for the object is not exceeded, instructing, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more drones to move the object from the protected location to the originating location.

6. A computer program product comprising:

a machine readable storage device; and

computer code stored on the machine readable storage device, with the computer code including instructions for causing a processor(s) set to perform operations including the following;

responsive to receiving a registration request, registering, by one or more computer processors, an object and an originating location where the object is currently located,

determining, by the one or more computer processors, that a risk threshold for the object is exceeded based, at least in part, on a plurality of weather conditions at the originating location, and

responsive to the determination that the risk threshold for the object is exceeded, instructing, by the one or more computer processors, one or more drones to move the object from the originating location to a protected location that is protected from the plurality of weather conditions, including;

instructing, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more drones to deploy to the originating location, and

identifying, by the one or more computer processors, the object at the originating location including;

instructing, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more drones to search near the originating location to locate the object.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform the following operations:

updating, by the one or more computer processors, a risk assessment for the object, based, at least in part, on a damage profile of the object.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform the following operations:

monitoring, by the one or more computer processors, the plurality of weather conditions at the originating location.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein registering the object further comprises:

determining, by the one or more computer processors, the risk threshold for the object based, at least in part, on a plurality of weather condition information for a plurality of similar objects.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform the following operations:

determining, by the one or more computer processors, that the risk threshold for the object is not exceeded based, at least in part, on changes in the plurality of weather conditions indicating an abatement of weather conditions that exceeded the risk threshold for the object; and

responsive to the determination that the risk threshold for the object is not exceeded, instructing, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more drones to move the object from the protected location to the originating location.

11. A computer system comprising:

a processor(s) set;

a machine readable storage device; and

computer code stored on the machine readable storage device, with the computer code including instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform operations including the following;

responsive to receiving a registration request, registering, by one or more computer processors, an object and an originating location where the object is currently located,

determining, by the one or more computer processors, that a risk threshold for the object is exceeded based, at least in part, on a plurality of weather conditions at the originating location, and

responsive to the determination that the risk threshold for the object is exceeded, instructing, by the one or more computer processors, one or more drones to move the object from the originating location to a protected location that is protected from the plurality of weather conditions, including;

instructing, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more drones to deploy to the originating location, and

identifying, by the one or more computer processors, the object at the originating location including;

instructing, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more drones to search near the originating location to locate the object.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform the following operations:

updating, by the one or more computer processors, a risk assessment for the object, based, at least in part, on a damage profile of the object.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein

monitoring, by the one or more computer processors, the plurality of weather conditions at the originating location.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein registering the object further comprises:

determining, by the one or more computer processors, the risk threshold for the object based, at least in part, on a plurality of weather condition information for a plurality of similar objects.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform the following operations:

determining, by the one or more computer processors, that the risk threshold for the object is not exceeded based, at least in part, on changes in the plurality of weather conditions indicating an abatement of weather conditions that exceeded the risk threshold for the object; and

responsive to the determination that the risk threshold for the object is not exceeded, instructing, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more drones to move the object from the protected location to the originating location.