AUTONOMOUS DATA MACHINES AND SYSTEMS

• US 20150205298A1
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knightscope, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Knightscope, Inc.
• Inventors: Stoschek, Arne, Wong, Phillip, Li, William Santana, Stephens, Stacy Dean, Soria-Li, Mercedes, Lehnhardt, Aaron J., Villa, Dominic A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,329,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Autonomous data machines and systems may be provided, which may be deployed in an environment. The machines may roam within the environment and collect data with aid of one or more sensors. The data may be sent to a control center, which may optionally receive information from additional data sources, such as other on-site sensors, existing static data, or real-time social data. The control center may send instructions to the machines to perform one or more reaction based on the received information. The autonomous data machines may be capable of reacting autonomously to one or more detected condition. In some instances, the autonomous data machines may be employed for security or surveillance.

Claims

1. An autonomous data machine comprising:

one or more propulsion units configured to permit the autonomous data machine to traverse an environment;

a power supply configured to provided power to the one or more propulsion units;

one or more sensors configured to collect data about the environment; and

a control unit comprising a one or more processors configured to receive and analyze data collected by the one or more sensors and execute program instructions stored in a memory unit to analyze the sensor data and initiate a response based on the analysis of the sensor data by the one or more processors, wherein the response mitigates abuse of the autonomous data machine from a human in the environment.

2. The autonomous data machine of claim 1, wherein the power supply is a rechargeable battery.

3. The autonomous data machine of claim 1, wherein the response mitigates abuse the autonomous data machine by the human by producing an audible alarm.

4. The autonomous data machine of claim 1, wherein the response mitigates abuse the autonomous data machine by the human by transmitting an alarm notification to control center.

5. The autonomous data machine of claim 1, wherein the abuse of the autonomous data machine from the human comprises vandalism of the autonomous data machine by the human.

6. The autonomous data machine of claim 1, wherein the abuse of the autonomous data machine from a human in the environment comprises an attempt to deactivate the autonomous data machine by the human.

7. The autonomous data machine of claim 1, the abuse of the autonomous data machine from a human is sensed and recorded by one or more vision sensors of the autonomous data machine.

8. The autonomous data machine of claim 1, wherein the data machine further comprises an interface configured to enable communication with the human in the environment.

9. The autonomous data machine of claim 8, wherein the interface comprises a display screen.

10. The autonomous data machine of claim 1, wherein the autonomous data machine is in communication with a control center off-board the autonomous data machine.

11. The autonomous data machine of claim 10, wherein the autonomous data machine transmits at least a fraction of the data collected by the one or more sensors to the control center.

12. An autonomous data machine comprising:

one or more propulsion units configured to permit the autonomous data machine to traverse an environment;

a power supply configured to provided power to the one or more propulsion units;

one or more sensors configured to detect a human in the environment and collect data about the human in the environment; and

a control unit comprising a one or more processors configured to receive and analyze data from the one or more sensors and execute program instructions stored in a memory unit to identify an emotional state of the human in the environment.

13. The autonomous data machine of claim 12, wherein the autonomous data machine further determines an identity of the human based on facial recognition analysis of one or more images of the human collected by the one or more sensors.

14. The autonomous data machine of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors comprise vision sensors that are configured to detect one or more gestures performed by the human in the environment.

15. The autonomous data machine of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors comprise audio sensors configured to collect audio signals from the human in the environment.

16. The autonomous data machine of claim 12, wherein the memory unit further comprises previous data about the environment collected by the one or more sensors.

17. The autonomous data machine of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors are further configured to detect two or more humans in the environment and collect data about an interaction between the humans in the environment.

18. The autonomous data machine of claim 17, wherein the control unit comprising a one or more processors configured to receive and analyze data from the one or more sensors and execute program instructions stored in a memory unit to identify an emotional state of at least one of the humans engaged in the interaction.

19. The autonomous data machine of claim 12, wherein the autonomous data machine is in communication with a control center off-board the autonomous data machine.

20. The autonomous data machine of claim 12, wherein the one autonomous data machine traverses an environment within a defined boundary.