METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING AN UNMANNED ROBOTIC VEHICLE

• US 20170193828A1
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Serfaty, Salomon, Holtzman, Guy, Hason, Baruh
• Granted Patent: US 10,198,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• 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 50/11 using internal combustion piston engines
• 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 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/17 taken from planes or by drones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for positioning an unmanned robotic vehicle (URV). The URV captures a set of one or more of image and non-image information of an object while positioned at a first position, provides the set of image/non-image information to a server entity, in response to providing the set of image/non-image information, receives a three-dimensional (3D) model associated with the object, autonomously determines a second position based on the 3D model, and autonomously navigates to the second position. At the second position, the URV may capture further image and/or non-image information and, based on the further captured image/non-image information, autonomously determine, and navigate to, a third position. The steps of capturing further image and/or non-image information and, based on the captured image and/or non-image information, autonomously determining and navigating to further positions may be repeated indefinitely, or until otherwise instructed.

Claims

1. A method for positioning an unmanned robotic vehicle (URV), the method comprising:

capturing, by the URV, a set of one or more of image and non-image information associated with an object while positioned at a first position;

providing, by the URV, the set of one or more of image and non-image information to a server entity;

in response to providing the set of one or more of image and non-image information, receiving, by the URV, a three-dimensional model associated with the object;

autonomously determining, by the URV, a second position based on the three-dimensional model; and

autonomously navigating the URV to the second position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server entity is a component of the unmanned robotic vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the server entity is one of a vehicle-based server and an infrastructure-based server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of one or more of image and non-image information associated with an object comprises an image of a license plate and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, by the server, a vehicle make and model based on the set of one or more of image and non-image information;

obtaining, by the server, the three-dimensional model based on the vehicle make and model; and

conveying, by the server to the unmanned robotic vehicle, the three-dimensional model.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a vehicle and the set of one or more of image and non-image information associated with the object comprises one or more of a three-dimensional image of the vehicle, a two-dimensional image of the vehicle, and an image of a license plate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein autonomously determining a second position based on the three-dimensional model comprises determining a second position for capturing an image of one or more of the license plate and a vehicle occupant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein autonomously determining a second position comprises selecting, from among a plurality of behaviors, a behavior of the plurality of behaviors and wherein the selected behavior comprises autonomously navigating the unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) to the second position.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more of image and non-image information is a first set of one or more of image and non-image information, wherein the three-dimensional model is first information associated with the object, and wherein the method further comprises:

capturing, by the unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) while at the second position, a second set of one or more of image and non-image information associated with the object; and

conveying, by the URV to the server entity, the second set of one or more of image and non-image information;

in response to conveying the second set of one or more of image and non-image information, receiving, by the URV, second information associated with the object;

autonomously determining, by the URV, a third position based on the second information associated with the object; and

autonomously navigating the URV to the third position.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more of image and non-image information is a first set of one or more of image and non-image information, wherein the three-dimensional model is first information associated with the object, and wherein the method further comprises:

capturing, by the unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) while at the second position, a second set of one or more of image and non-image information associated with the object; and

conveying, by the URV to one or more of a public safety agency and a public safety responder, the second set of one or more of image and non-image information; and

in response to conveying the second set of one or more of image and non-image information, receiving, by the URV from one or more of the public safety agency and the public safety responder, an instruction regarding a next behavior for the URV.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the unmanned robotic vehicle (URV), a conflict between one or more images captured by the URV and information determined based on the one or more images; and

in response to determining the conflict, performing one or more of;

conveying an alert to one or more of one or more of a public safety agency and a public safety responder; and

autonomously altering a behavior that is one of being performed or is planned to be subsequently performed.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the by the unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) while at the second position, one or more of a weapon, an explosive device, an environmental condition, and a physical substance; and

conveying, by the URV to one or more of one or more of a public safety agency and a public safety responder, information concerning the detected one or more of the weapon, the explosive device, the environmental condition, and the physical substance.

12. An unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) comprising:

a processor;

a propulsion system;

one or more wireless interfaces;

one or more sensors;

an image capturing device; and

an at least one memory device that is configured to store a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following functions;

capture, via one or more of the image capture device and the one or more sensors, a set of one or more of image and non-image information associated with an object while positioned at a first position;

provide the set of one or more of image and non-image information to a server entity;

in response to providing the set of one or more of image and non-image information, receive a three-dimensional model associated with the object;

autonomously determine a second position based on the three-dimensional model; and

autonomously navigate, via the propulsion system, the URV to the second position.

13. The unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) of claim 12, wherein the URV further comprises the server entity, wherein the set of one or more of image and non-image information associated with an object comprises an image of a license plate, and wherein the server is configured to:

determining a vehicle make and model based on the set of one or more of image and non-image information;

obtain the three-dimensional model based on the vehicle make and model.

14. The unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) of claim 12, wherein the object is a vehicle and the set of one or more of image and non-image information associated with the object comprises one or more of a three dimensional image of the vehicle, a two-dimensional image of the vehicle, and an image of a license plate.

15. The unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) of claim 14, wherein the at least one memory device is configured to store a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to autonomously determine a second position based on the three-dimensional model by determining a second position for capturing an image of one or more of the license plate and a vehicle occupant.

16. The unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory device is configured to store a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to autonomously determine a second position by selecting, from among a plurality of behaviors, a behavior of the plurality of behaviors and wherein the selected behavior comprises autonomously navigating the unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) to the second position.

17. The unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) of claim 12, wherein the set of one or more of image and non-image information is a first set of one or more of image and non-image information, wherein the three-dimensional model is first information associated with the object, and wherein the at least one memory device is configured to store a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following functions:

capture, while at the second position, a second set of one or more of image and non-image information associated with the object; and

convey the second set of one or more of image and non-image information to the server entity;

in response to conveying the second set of one or more of image and non-image information, receive second information associated with the object;

autonomously determine a third position based on the second information associated with the object; and

autonomously navigate the unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) to the third position.

18. The unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) of claim 12, wherein the set of one or more of image and non-image information is a first set of one or more of image and non-image information, wherein the three-dimensional model is first information associated with the object, and wherein the at least one memory device is configured to store a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following functions:

capture, while at the second position, a second set of one or more of image and non-image information associated with the object; and

convey, to one or more of a public safety agency and a public safety responder, the second set of one or more of image and non-image information; and

in response to conveying the second set of one or more of image and non-image information, receive, from one or more of the public safety agency and the public safety responder, an instruction regarding a next behavior for the URV.

19. The unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory device is configured to store a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following functions:

determine a conflict between one or more images captured by the URV and information determined based on the one or more images; and

in response to determining the conflict, perform one or more of;

convey an alert to one or more of one or more of a public safety agency and a public safety responder; and

autonomously alter a behavior that is one of being performed or is planned to be subsequently performed.

20. The unmanned robotic vehicle (URV) of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory device is configured to store a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following functions:

detect, while at the second position, one or more of one or more of a weapon, an explosive device, an environmental condition, and a physical substance; and

convey, to one or more of one or more of a public safety agency and a public safety responder, information concerning the detected one or more of the weapon, the explosive device, the environmental condition, and the physical substance.