Perimeter monitoring using autonomous drones

• US 9,734,684 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bryson, Donald L., Kline, Eric V., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, DHAVAL V
• Application Number:
  US14/987,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20170193781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 340946, 340947, 340948, 340950, 340970, 340980, 701 2, 701 3, 701120, 701467
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1965 the vehicle being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Aspects include a method, system and computer program product for monitoring a fence about an ad-hoc perimeter. The method includes defining an ad-hoc perimeter to be monitored. A number of autonomous drones are determined for creating a monitoring fence arrangement of the ad-hoc perimeter, each of the autonomous drones including a movement detection mechanism. A position is determined for each of the determined number of autonomous drones. The position is transmitted to each of the autonomous drones. A status of the autonomous drones is monitored. A signal is transmitted in response to at least one of the autonomous drones detecting a breach of the ad-hoc perimeter with the movement detection mechanism.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining an ad-hoc perimeter to be monitored, the ad-hoc perimeter having at least one curved portion;

determining a line tangent to the at least one curved portion;

determining a number of autonomous drones for creating a monitoring fence arrangement of the ad-hoc perimeter, each of the autonomous drones including a movement detection mechanism, the movement detection mechanism including a light source and a light detector;

determining a position for each of the determined number of autonomous drones, at least one position being based at least in part on the tangent line;

transmitting the position to each of the autonomous drones;

projecting a light from the light source along the tangent line;

monitoring a status of the autonomous drones;

transmitting a signal in response to at least one of the autonomous drones detecting a breach of the ad-hoc perimeter based at least in part on detecting movement by receiving with the light detector a reflection of the light by a surface along the tangent line.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the number of autonomous drones includes determining a number of tangents for the ad-hoc perimeter.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining a total power for operating the autonomous drones used in creating the monitoring fence arrangement.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein a sum of a power rating for each of the autonomous drones is equal to or greater than the total power.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the light source is a laser emitting light source.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the the light detector is an optical receiver.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a stored energy level for each of the autonomous drones, and replacing a first autonomous drone of the autonomous drones with a second autonomous drone in response to the stored energy level of the first autonomous drone being below a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

moving the ad-hoc perimeter on a periodic or aperiodic basis;

determining a new position for each of the autonomous drones based on the moving of the ad-hoc perimeter;

determining a second tangent line to an at least one second curved portion of the ad-hoc perimeter; and

transmitting the new position to each of the autonomous drones, wherein at least one of new position is at the intersection of the second tangent line and the at least one second curved portion.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising positioning at least one autonomous drone at the at least one position, wherein the at least one position is at the intersection of the tangent line and the at least one curved portion.

9. A system comprising:

a memory having computer readable instructions; and

one or more processors for executing the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions comprising;

defining an ad-hoc perimeter to be monitored, the ad-hoc perimeter having at least one curved portion;

determining a tangent line to the at least one curved portion;

determining a number of autonomous drones for creating a monitoring fence arrangement of the ad-hoc perimeter, each of the autonomous drones including a movement detection mechanism, the movement detection mechanism including a light source and a light detector;

determining a position for each of the determined number of autonomous drones, at least one position being based at least in part on the tangent line;

transmitting the position to each of the autonomous drones, wherein at least one position is located on the tangent line;

positioning at least one autonomous drone at the at least one position;

projecting a light from the light source of the at least one autonomous drone along the tangent line;

monitoring a status of the autonomous drones;

transmitting a signal in response to at least one of the autonomous drones detecting a breach of the ad-hoc perimeter based at least in part on detecting movement by receiving with the light detector of the at least one autonomous drone a reflection of the light by a surface along the tangent line.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the determining the number of autonomous drones includes determining a number of tangents for the ad-hoc perimeter and the number of autonomous drones is based at least in part on the determined number of tangents.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise determining a total power for operating the autonomous drones used in creating the monitoring fence arrangement.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein a sum of a power rating for each of the autonomous drones is equal to or greater than the total power.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the light source is a laser emitting light source.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the light detector an optical receiver.

15. The system of claim 9 further comprising determining a stored energy level for each of the autonomous drones, and replacing a first autonomous drone of the autonomous drones with a second autonomous drone in response to the stored energy level of the first autonomous drone being below a predetermined threshold.

16. A computer program product for creating a monitoring fence about an ad-hoc perimeter, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform:

defining the ad-hoc perimeter to be monitored, the ad-hoc perimeter having at least one curved portion;

determining a tangent line to the at least one curved portion;

determining a number of autonomous drones for creating a monitoring fence arrangement of the ad-hoc perimeter, each of the autonomous drones including a movement detection mechanism, the movement detection mechanism including a light source and a light detector;

determining a position for each of the determined number of autonomous drones, at least one position being based at least in part on the tangent line;

transmitting the position to each of the autonomous drones;

projecting a light from the light source of at least one autonomous drone along the tangent line;

monitoring a status of the autonomous drones; and

transmitting a signal in response to at least one of the autonomous drones detecting a breach of the ad-hoc perimeter based at least in part on detecting movement by receiving with the light detector a reflection of the light by a surface along the tangent line.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the determining the number of autonomous drones includes determining a number of tangents for the ad-hoc perimeter and the number of autonomous drones is based at least in part on the determined number of tangents.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise determining a total power for operating the autonomous drones used in creating the fence monitoring arrangement, and a sum of a power rating for operating each of the autonomous drones is equal to or greater than the total power for operating the autonomous drones used in the fence monitoring arrangement.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise determining a stored energy level for each of the autonomous drones, and replacing a first autonomous drone of the autonomous drones with a second autonomous drone in response to the stored energy level of the first autonomous drone being below a predetermined threshold.