Drone-enhanced vehicle external lights

• US 9,987,971 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gordon, Michael S., Kozloski, James Robert, Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Application Number:
  US15/223,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20180029522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0017 Devices integrating an element dedicated to another function
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/04 the devices being headlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/44 for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/52 for indicating emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/002 Emergency driving lights in the event of failure of the principal lighting circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 7/00 Arrangement or adaptation of portable emergency signal devices on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 63/02 Motor vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/002 unmanned
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/24 for use as flying displays, e.g. advertising or billboards
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/31 generated by photovoltaics
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/32 generated by fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/80 by vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0955 transportable
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 : where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 : where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

Techniques for drone device control are provided. In one example, the technique includes monitoring, by a drone device operatively coupled to a processor and allocated to a vehicle in operation, one or more conditions associated with the vehicle. The technique also includes, in response to identifying, by the drone device, a defined condition of the one or more conditions: moving, by the drone device, to a position relative to the vehicle and determined based on the defined condition; and performing, by the drone device, an indication operation determined based on the defined condition.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

monitoring, by a drone device operatively coupled to a processor and allocated to a vehicle in operation, one or more conditions associated with the vehicle; and

in response to identifying, by the drone device, a defined condition of the one or more conditions;

moving, by the drone device, the drone device to a position relative to the vehicle and determined based on the defined condition, wherein the defined condition comprises a malfunction of an external turn indicator signal of the vehicle, and the position is a defined position relative to the external turn indicator signal; and

performing, by the drone device, an indication operation determined based on the defined condition, wherein the indication operation comprises an external turn signal indication of the vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indication operation comprises presenting a visual indication.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indication operation comprises presenting an audio indication.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indication operation comprises presenting image data associated with the defined condition on a display device for the vehicle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indication operation comprises providing an indication to a second vehicle located at a defined position relative to the vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring is performed using a sensor device coupled to the drone device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises receiving condition information from the vehicle.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the defined condition further comprises a malfunction of an external brake indicator signal of the vehicle, the defined position is also relative to the external brake indicator signal, and the indication operation further comprises an external brake indication signal of the vehicle.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the drone device is docked on the vehicle.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the defined condition further comprises a condition selected from a group consisting of a defined weather-related condition and a defined traffic-related condition.

11. A drone device, comprising:

a memory that stores computer executable components; and

a processor that executes the computer executable components stored in the memory, wherein the computer executable components comprise;

a monitoring component that determines a defined region outside a vehicle and monitors the defined region for one or more conditions; and

a response component that causes the drone device to perform one or more actions to mitigate a condition of the one or more conditions in response to detection of the condition, where the condition comprises location of a second vehicle behind the vehicle, the response component further determines a distance behind the vehicle to maintain between the vehicle and the second vehicle, and the one or more actions comprises flying in a defined pattern to indicate to the second vehicle to maintain at least the distance between the vehicle and the second vehicle.

12. The drone device of claim 11, wherein the distance is based on a weather condition.

13. The drone device of claim 12, wherein the distance is based on a determined braking capability of the second vehicle.

14. The drone device of claim 12, wherein the distance is based on a determined road condition of a road along which the vehicle is traversing.

15. The drone device of claim 12, wherein the distance is based on a determined level of visibility of an operator of the second vehicle of another defined region ahead of the second vehicle.

16. The drone device of claim 12, wherein the defined pattern is relative to the vehicle and the second vehicle.

17. A computer program product facilitating augmentation of a malfunctioning operation of an external brake light of a vehicle in operation, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a drone device to cause the drone device to:

identify the malfunctioning operation of the external brake light of the vehicle in operation;

move to a defined position relative to the external brake light of the vehicle in operation; and

perform an action to substitute a normal brake light indication operation for the malfunctioning operation of the external brake light.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the normal brake light indication operation comprises a visual braking indication function of the brake light.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the drone device further performs a second brake light indication operation that provides a visual indication of an activation of an anti-lock braking system of the vehicle in operation.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the drone device further performs a second brake light indication operation that provides a visual indication of black ice on a surface of a road on which the vehicle in operation is traversing.