APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MONITORING PREMISES

• US 20170185849A1
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Winkle, David C., Atchley, Michael D.
• Application Number:
  US15/388,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20170185849A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/17 taken from planes or by drones
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/10 for generating image signals from different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/23 from thermal infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein for providing monitoring premises. In one embodiment, a system for monitoring premises comprises: an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a three dimension (3D) scanner, a baseline model database, and a control circuit comprising a communication device for communicating with the UAV. The control circuit being configured to: instruct the UAV to travel to a monitored premises and perform a 3D scan with the 3D scanner to obtain a 3D point cloud of the monitored premises, compare a current state of the one or more features in the 3D point cloud of the monitored premises with a baseline state in a baseline state model, and identify a deviation of the current state of the one or more features of the monitored premises from the baseline state.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring premises, comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a three dimension (3D) scanner;

a baseline model database; and

a control circuit comprising a communication device for communicating with the UAV and configured to;

instruct the UAV to travel to monitored premises and perform a 3D scan with the 3D scanner to obtain a 3D point cloud of the monitored premises;

retrieve a baseline state model of the monitored premises from the baseline model database, the baseline state model comprises a baseline state of one or more features of the monitored premises;

compare a current state of the one or more features in the 3D point cloud of the monitored premises with the baseline state of the one or more features in the baseline state model; and

identify a deviation of the current state of the one or more features of the monitored premises from the baseline state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the UAV further comprises an image sensor, and the current state of the one or more features are determined based on data captured by one or more of the 3D scanner and the image sensor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the image sensor comprises one or more of:

a color image sensor and a thermal image sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more features of the monitored premises comprise one or more of:

a door, a gate, a window, an electrical box, and a security camera.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the baseline state of the one or more features of the monitored premises comprises one or more of a gap width between a door and a door frame, a gap width between door panels, a gap width between a window and a window frame, and a gap width between window panels.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the baseline state of the one or more features of the monitored premises comprises one or more of a presence and an orientation of a security camera.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to instruct the UAV or a second UAV to travel to the monitored premises and perform a 3D scan to obtain a 3D point cloud to form the baseline state model.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the UAV further comprises a short-range wireless communication device configured to communicate with one or more stationary devices on the monitored premises.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more stationary devices comprise one or more of a door sensor, a window sensor, a motion sensor, a security camera, a gas sensor, and an appliance.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate a security improvement recommendation based on one or more of the baseline state model and the 3D point cloud of the monitored premises.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate an alert to a user based on the deviation of the current state of the current state of the one or more features of the monitored premises.

12. A method for monitoring premises, comprising:

instructing, with a control circuit, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a three dimension (3D) scanner to travel to monitored premises and perform a 3D scan with the 3D scanner to obtain a 3D point cloud of the monitored premises;

retrieving a baseline state model of the monitored premises from a baseline model database, the baseline state model comprises a baseline state of one or more features of the monitored premises;

comparing, with the control circuit, a current state of the one or more features in the 3D point cloud of the monitored premises with the baseline state of the one or more features in the baseline state model; and

identifying a deviation of the current state of the one or more features of the monitored premises from the baseline state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the UAV further comprises an image sensor, and the current state of the one or more features are determined based on data captured by one or more of the 3D scanner and the image sensor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the image sensor comprises one or more of:

a color image sensor and a thermal image sensor.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more features of the monitored premises comprise one or more of:

a door, a gate, a window, an electrical box, and a security camera.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the baseline state of the one or more features of the monitored premises comprises one or more of a gap width between a door and a door frame, a gap width between door panels, a gap width between a window and a window frame, and a gap width between window panels.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the baseline state of the one or more features of the monitored premises comprises one or more of a presence and an orientation of a security camera.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

instructing the UAV or a second UAV to travel to the monitored premises and perform a 3D scan to obtain a 3D point cloud to form the baseline state model.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the UAV further comprises a short-range wireless communication device configured to communicate with one or more stationary devices on the monitored premises.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more stationary devices comprise one or more of a door sensor, a window sensor, a motion sensor, a security camera, a gas sensor, and an appliance.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating a security improvement recommendation based on one or more of the baseline state model and the 3D point cloud of the monitored premises.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating an alert to a user based on the deviation of the current state of the current state of the one or more features of the monitored premises.

23. An apparatus for monitoring premises, comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium storing a set of computer readable instructions; and

a control circuit configured to execute the set of computer readable instructions which causes to the control circuit to;

instruct an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a three dimension (3D) scanner to travel to monitored premises and perform a 3D scan with the 3D scanner to obtain a 3D point cloud of the monitored premises;

retrieve a baseline state model of the monitored premises from a baseline model database, the baseline state model comprises a baseline state of one or more features of the monitored premises;

compare, with the control circuit, a current state of the one or more features in the 3D point cloud of the monitored premises with the baseline state of the one or more features in the baseline state model; and

identify a deviation of the current state of the one or more features of the monitored premises from the baseline state.