Forestry Management System

• US 20140081479A1
• Filed: 09/19/2012
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Vian, John Lyle, Roe, George Michael, Przbylko, Josha
• Granted Patent: US 9,117,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

A method and apparatus of managing a forest. A forestry management system comprises a forestry manager. The forestry manager is configured to receive information about a forest from a group of autonomous vehicles, analyze the information to generate a result about a state of the forest from the information, and coordinate operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result.

Claims

1. A forestry management system comprising:

a forestry manager configured to receive information about a forest from a group of autonomous vehicles, analyze the information to generate a result about a state of the forest from the information, and coordinate operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result.

2. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection about at least one of forest health, forest inventory, safety risks, and illegal activity.

3. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection in at least one of a selected area in the forest, over a selected period of time, and with a selected level of detail.

4. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection about at least one of vegetation, soil conditions, wildlife, air quality, pollution, temperature, and rainfall.

5. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to generate a mission with a number of tasks and assign the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles.

6. The forestry management system of claim 5, wherein in being configured to assign the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles, the forestry manager is configured to send commands for the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles.

7. The forestry management system of claim 5, wherein in being configured to assign the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles, the forestry manager is configured to send the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles.

8. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein the group of autonomous vehicles is configured to operate as at least one of a swarm and a group of swarms.

9. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein the result is an identification of at least one of forest health, forest inventory, safety risks, and illegal activity.

10. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein the result is an identification of a number of locations that have at least one of a safety risk and an illegal activity, and wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to coordinate the group of autonomous vehicles to monitor the number of locations.

11. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to send at least one of a command and a task to the group of autonomous vehicles.

12. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein a vehicle in the group of autonomous vehicles is selected from at least one of an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, and an unmanned water vehicle.

13. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein a vehicle in the group of autonomous vehicles comprises:

a support structure;

a movement system associated with the support structure, wherein the movement system is configured to move the support structure;

a sensor system associated with the support structure, wherein the sensor system is configured to generate a portion of the information;

a controller associated with the support structure, wherein the controller is in communication with the movement system and the sensor system and is configured to control operation of the movement system and the sensor system; and

a power source connected to the movement system, the sensor system, and the controller, wherein the power source is configured to provide power to the movement system, the sensor system, and the controller.

14. The forestry management system of claim 13, wherein the power source comprises at least one of an energy harvesting system and a battery.

15. A method for managing a forest, the method comprising:

receiving information about the forest from a group of autonomous vehicles;

analyzing the information to generate a result about a state of the forest from the information; and

coordinating operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the coordinating step comprises:

coordinating the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection about at least one of forest health, forest inventory, safety risks, and illegal activity.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the coordinating step comprises:

coordinating the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection in at least one of a selected area in the forest, over a selected period of time, and with a selected level of detail.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the coordinating step comprises:

coordinating the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection about at least one of vegetation, soil conditions, wildlife, air quality, pollution, temperature, and rainfall.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the coordinating step comprises:

generating a mission with a number of tasks; and

assigning the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the assigning step comprises:

sending commands for the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the assigning step comprises:

sending the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles, wherein the group of autonomous vehicles is configured to operate as at least one of a swarm and a group of swarms.