Cooperative perimeter patrol system and method

• US 9,164,514 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Inventors: Avery, Paul A., Slocum, Samuel E., Towler, Jerry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US14/252,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20150293535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/400, 701/25, 701/26, 701/1, 701/23, 701/24, 701/408, 701/467, 701/468, 701/514, 701/516, 701/517, 701/519, 701/521, 701/540, 701/301, 701/302, 706/45, 706/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms

Abstract

A method of patrolling a perimeter of a geographic area, using two or more unmanned vehicles having means for locomotion along a perimeter path. Each vehicle is equipped with at least the following systems: a navigation system operable to autonomously navigate the unmanned vehicle, an anomaly detection system, a communications system, an anomaly tracking system, operable to track, visually or by following, a detected anomaly, and an alert evaluation system. Each vehicle travels the path on a predetermined route, and is operable to broadcast an alert message to all other vehicles if that vehicle detects an anomaly, to perform an evaluation of any received alert message to determine if it will travel to an anomaly based on stored evaluation rules, and to respond to an alert message based on the evaluation.

Claims

1. A method of patrolling a perimeter of a geographic area, using two or more unmanned vehicles having means for locomotion along a perimeter path, comprising:

equipping each vehicle with a navigation system operable to autonomously navigate the unmanned vehicle along the path;

equipping each vehicle with an anomaly detection system, operable to detect objects on and near the path while in a continuous detection mode;

equipping each vehicle with a communications system operable to communicate at least the following types of messages;

anomaly alert messages, anomaly update request messages, and anomaly update messages;

equipping each vehicle with an anomaly tracking system, operable to track, visually or by following, a detected anomaly;

equipping each vehicle with an alert evaluation system, the evaluation system having memory for storing evaluation rules;

wherein each vehicle is operable to;

travel the path on a predetermined route while in the continuous detection mode, broadcast an alert message to all other vehicles if that vehicle detects an anomaly, to perform an evaluation of any received alert message to determine if it will travel to an anomaly based on the evaluation rules, and to respond to an alert message based on the evaluation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each vehicle travels around the path in a continuous circuit in one direction.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising designating observation points along the path, at which vehicles stop for a time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one vehicle is further equipped with an anomaly resolution system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising equipping at least one vehicle with an enhanced locomotion system, operable to move the vehicle on interior portions of the protected region and off of the path.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising equipping at least one unmanned vehicle with an enhanced anomaly detection system having sensors not on-board other vehicles.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluation is based on stored data representing physical features of that vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert message contains data representing an identifier of the detecting vehicle, the location of the detection vehicle, an anomaly identifier, and an anomaly type.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the alert message further contains data representing the location of the anomaly.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each vehicle is operable to calculate the distance to an anomaly and wherein the evaluation is based at least in part on the distance.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluation is based on the number of other vehicles responding to the anomaly.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each vehicle is further operable to broadcast an alert update message after receiving an alert message, and wherein any vehicle detecting an anomaly is further operable to broadcast update messages.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein an update message contains a current location of the anomaly.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein an update message contains the number of vehicles responding to the anomaly.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the anomaly detection system is operable to detect a breach in a perimeter barrier.