Using aerial imaging to provide supplemental information about a location

• US 9,948,898 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2014
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Barfield, Jr., James Ronald, Taylor, Thomas Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy T
• Application Number:
  US14/466,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20160093212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

Aerial images, such as images from satellites or other aerial imaging devices, may be used to assist in responding to the occurrence of events (such as vehicle accidents or other emergency events) or conditions. In one implementation, an alert may be received indicating a condition or event associated with a user device. In response, an aerial image associated with the location of the user device may be requested. The alert may be responded to based on the received image. Aerial imaging may also provide views of the road ahead of a driver that terrain, topography, or darkness may otherwise impede. Image recognition may provide analysis of a hazard, condition, or occurrence at a scene that the aerial imaging system has captured and transmitted in response to a request.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by one or more computing devices, comprising:

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, an alert indicating a condition or event associated with a user device, the alert identifying a location of the user device;

identifying a particular aerial imaging device, from a plurality of aerial imaging devices, as an aerial imaging device that is capable of capturing an aerial image associated with the location of the user device;

requesting, by the one or more computing devices and from the particular aerial imaging device, the aerial image associated with the location of the user device;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, the requested aerial image; and

responding, by the one or more computing devices, to the alert based on the received image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition or event includes an emergency situation, and wherein responding to the alert further includes:

outputting the image to an emergency call center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting of the aerial image and the receiving of the requested aerial image are performed in real-time or near real-time relative to the receiving of the alert.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition or event is automatically generated by the user device based on data received via one or more sensors associated with the user device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user device includes a vehicle telematics device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aerial imaging device includes a satellite or an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device includes a vehicle telematics device and the condition or event includes:

a road pothole.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device includes a mobile device carried by a user and the condition or event includes:

a medical emergency condition of the user;

or

a condition or event that is manually input, into the user device, by the user.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device includes a vehicle telematics device and the condition or event includes an automatically detected emergency situation of the vehicle associated with the vehicle telematics device, and wherein the method further comprises:

automatically outputting the particular aerial image to an emergency call center.

9. A server device including:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the program instructions to;

receive an alert indicating a condition or event associated with a user device, the alert identifying a location of the user device;

identify a particular aerial imaging device, from a plurality of aerial imaging devices, as an aerial imaging device that is capable of capturing an aerial image associated with the location of the user device;

request, from the particular aerial imaging device, the aerial image associated with the location of the user device;

receive the requested aerial image; and

respond to the alert based on the received image.

10. The server device of claim 9, wherein the condition or event includes an emergency situation, and wherein the processing circuitry is further to:

process the alert by outputting the image to an emergency call center.

11. The server device claim 9, wherein the requesting of the aerial image and the receiving of the requested aerial image is performed in real-time or near real-time relative to the receiving of the alert.

12. The server device of claim 9, wherein the user device includes a vehicle telematics device and the condition or event includes:

a road pothole.

13. The server device of claim 9, wherein the user device includes a mobile device carried by a user and the condition or event includes:

a medical emergency condition of the user;

or

a condition or event that is manually input, into the user device, by the user.

20. The server device of claim 9, wherein the user device includes a vehicle telematics device and the condition or event includes an automatically detected emergency situation of the vehicle associated with the vehicle telematics device, and wherein the one or more processors are further to execute the program instructions to:

automatically output the particular aerial image to an emergency call center.

14. A device comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the program instructions to;

receive, from a vehicle telematics device associated with a vehicle, an indication of a request for emergency assistance associated with the vehicle and a location of the vehicle;

identify, based on the location of the vehicle, an aerial imaging device, from among a plurality of potential aerial imaging devices, capable of capturing an image of an area associated with the location;

request, from the identified aerial imaging device, an aerial image associated with the location;

receive the requested aerial image; and

output the received aerial image to an emergency response entity.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the request is generated automatically by the vehicle telematics device based on sensor data generated by the vehicle telematics device.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the request for emergency assistance indicates a potential collision of the vehicle.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the request for emergency assistance indicates a breakdown of the vehicle.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the aerial imaging device includes a satellite, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), or a blimp.