Water Area Management System

• US 20140111332A1
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Przybylko, Joshua, Vian, John Lyle
• Granted Patent: US 9,443,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• 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: 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: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/08 responsive to the presence of persons in a body of water, e.g. a swimming pool; responsive to an abnormal condition of a body of water

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing a recreational water area. A recreational water area management system comprises a water area manager. The water area manager is configured to receive information about a recreational water area from a group of autonomous vehicles, analyze the information to identify an event, and coordinate the group of autonomous vehicles to perform a mission in the recreational water area based on the event.

Claims

1. A recreational water area management system comprising:

a water area manager configured to receive information about a recreational water area from a group of autonomous vehicles, analyze the information to identify an event, and coordinate the group of autonomous vehicles to perform a mission in the recreational water area based on the event.

2. The recreational water area management system of claim 1 further comprising:

a sensor system configured to generate a portion of the information about the recreational water area.

3. The recreational water area management system of claim 1, wherein the mission is selected from one of an information collection mission, a rescue mission, a warning mission, and a search mission.

4. The recreational water area management system of claim 3, wherein the water area manager is configured to run a simulation to identify a potential condition in the recreational water area that requires at least one of the information collection mission, the rescue mission, and the warning mission.

5. The recreational water area management system of claim 1, wherein the event is an individual needing assistance and the mission is a rescue mission.

6. The recreational water area management system of claim 5, wherein operation of the group of autonomous vehicles is configured to perform a number of tasks in the rescue mission for the individual, wherein the number of tasks is selected from at least one of identifying information about the individual, marking a location of the individual, delivering a buoyancy device to the individual, dropping a tracking buoy at the location of the individual, carrying a number of rescue personnel to the location of the individual, and guiding a number of personnel to the location of the individual.

7. The recreational water area management system of claim 1, wherein 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.

8. The recreational water area management system of claim 7, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to deploy at least one of a buoyancy device and a tracking buoy.

9. The recreational water area management system of claim 1, wherein the event is selected from one of an individual drowning in water, an individual located outside an allowed zone, an individual having a cardiac condition, an individual choking, a fight between individuals, a presence of a rip current, a swimmer within a selected distance to a cliff face, a swimmer greater than a selected distance from a shore, a thunder storm within a selected distance to the recreational water area, lightening within a selected distance to the recreational water area, waves having a greater than desired height within a selected distance to the recreational water area, a shark within a selected distance to the recreational water area, a jelly fish within the recreational water area, an individual on land having a medical condition, an individual swept into the water, and a water vehicle disabled in the recreational water area.

10. The recreational water area management system of claim 1, wherein a portion of the information is received from at least one of a sensor system, a satellite, and personnel.

11. The recreational water area management system of claim 1, wherein the recreational water area is selected from one of an ocean, a beach, a river, and a lake.

12. A method for managing a recreational water area, the method comprising:

receiving information about the recreational water area from a group of autonomous vehicles;

analyzing the information to identify an event; and

coordinating the group of autonomous vehicles to perform a mission based on the event.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

generating a portion of the information about the recreational water area using a sensor system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the mission is selected from one of an information collection mission, a rescue mission, a warning mission, and a search mission.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

running a simulation to identify a potential condition in the recreational water area that requires at least one of the information collection mission, the rescue mission, and the warning mission.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the event is an individual needing assistance and the mission is a rescue mission.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein an operation of the group of autonomous vehicles is configured to perform a number of tasks in the rescue mission for the individual by selecting from at least one of identifying information about the individual, marking a location of the individual, delivering a buoyancy device to the individual, dropping a tracking buoy at the location of the individual, carrying a number of rescue personnel to the location of the individual, and guiding a number of personnel to the location of the individual.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein 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.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to deploy at least one of a buoyancy device and a tracking buoy.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the event is selected from one of an individual drowning in water, an individual located outside an allowed zone, an individual having a cardiac condition, an individual choking, a fight between individuals, a presence of a rip current, a swimmer within a selected distance to a cliff face, a swimmer greater than a selected distance from a shore, a thunder storm within a selected distance to the recreational water area, lightening within a selected distance to the recreational water area, waves having a greater than desired height within a selected distance to the recreational water area, a shark within a selected distance to the recreational water area, a jelly fish within the recreational water area, an individual on land having a medical condition, an individual swept into the water, and a water vehicle disabled in the recreational water area.