VEHICLE INSPECTION

• US 20190064836A1
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Published: 02/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Buttolo, Pietro, Salter, Stuart C., Huebner, Annette Lynn, Young, Brent
• Granted Patent: US 10,585,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• 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 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• 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 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks

Abstract

A system includes a computer that is programmed to receive, from an aerial drone, image data that identifies a vehicle, a vehicle location, and a vehicle status; and based on the received image data, transmit an instruction to the vehicle to actuate a vehicle component.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computer, programmed to:

receive, from an aerial drone, image data that identifies a vehicle, a vehicle location, and a vehicle status; and

based on the received image data, transmit an instruction to the vehicle to actuate a vehicle component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to

identify the vehicle based on the received image data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to

receive, via the aerial drone, a vehicle wireless signal;

and

determine the status of the vehicle based on the received vehicle wireless signal and the received image data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

receive, via the aerial drone, a plurality of vehicle wireless signals from a plurality of vehicles; and

identify the respective vehicle wireless signal of the vehicle from the plurality of wireless signals based on the received image data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to

identify the vehicle based on at least one a vehicle identifier, a vehicle model, and a vehicle color included in the received image.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the vehicle identifier includes a graphical pattern on a body of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to actuate the vehicle component by:

determining a destination based on the received status of the vehicle; and

navigating the vehicle to the determined destination by at least one of accelerating, steering, and braking.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

deploy the aerial drone to fly over a plurality of vehicles;

generate an image including the plurality of vehicles, and

overlaying a respective vehicle status of each of the vehicles on the generated image.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein overlaying the respective vehicle status includes displaying one of an approved and deficient status for each of the plurality of vehicles.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein deploying the drone to fly over the plurality of vehicles further includes:

determining a flight route based on location coordinates of the plurality of vehicles; and

actuating the drone to fly based on the determined flight route.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

receive a handheld device location; and

superimpose the handheld device location on the generated image.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

receive a criterion, wherein the criterion includes at least one of approved vehicles, deficient vehicles, low fuel vehicles, and next shipping batch of vehicles; and

actuate a vehicle exterior light based on the received criterion.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second computer included in the aerial drone, programmed to determine the location of the vehicle based on at least one of vehicle sensor data and drone sensor data.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a criterion, wherein the criterion includes at least one of approved vehicles, deficient vehicles, low fuel vehicles, and next shipping batch of vehicles; and

actuating a vehicle exterior light based on the received criterion.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, from an aerial drone, image data that identifies a vehicle, a vehicle location, and a vehicle status; and

based on the received image data, transmitting an instruction to the vehicle to actuate a vehicle component.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising identifying the vehicle based on the received image data.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, via the aerial drone, a vehicle wireless signal; and

determining the status of the vehicle based on the received vehicle wireless signal and the received image data.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising identifying the vehicle based on at least one a vehicle identifier, a vehicle model, and a vehicle color included in the received image.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

deploying the aerial drone to fly over a plurality of vehicles;

generating an image including the plurality of vehicles, and

overlaying a respective vehicle status of each of the vehicles on the generated image.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein deploying the drone to fly over the plurality of vehicles further includes:

determining a flight route based on location coordinates of the plurality of vehicles; and

actuating the drone to fly based on the determined flight route.