Capturing environmental information

• US 8,818,705 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Spata, Gregory P.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/451,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20120271491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/3, 701/4, 701/10, 701/408, 701/300, 701/514, 455/456.5
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/35 for science, e.g. meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/08 Adaptations of balloons, missiles, or aircraft for meteorological purposes; Radiosondes transmission of measurements G01D; transmitting circuits H04B; balloons in general B64B; aeroplanes in general B64D; missiles in general F42B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 2001/006 Main server receiving weather information from several sub-stations
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

In general, a method performed on a vehicle includes determining that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of a beacon, the beacon being associated with a beacon identification, navigating the vehicle to a first location based on determining that the vehicle is located with the predetermined range, generating a first report based on determining that the vehicle is located at the first location, the generating including: specifying the beacon identification, recording navigation data that includes an altitude, a distance from the beacon, and a bearing relative to the beacon, and recording environmental data. The method further includes transmitting the first report from the vehicle to a base station, the first report including the beacon identification, the navigation data, and the environmental data.

Claims

1. A method performed on a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a pilot signal associated with a beacon located inside an indoor data center;

navigating, based on a predetermined flight path, towards the beacon;

determining, based on the pilot signal, that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon, the beacon being associated with a beacon identification;

conducting a monitoring pass based on determining that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon, wherein conducting the monitoring pass comprises navigating the vehicle to a first location based on determining that the vehicle is located within the predetermined range;

determining that the vehicle is located at the first location;

generating a first report based on determining that the vehicle is located at the first location, the generating comprising;

specifying the beacon identification;

recording navigation data that comprises an altitude, a distance from the beacon, and a bearing relative to the beacon; and

recording environmental data comprising one or more of a temperature or a level of humidity of the first location; and

transmitting the first report from the vehicle to a base station, the first report comprising the beacon identification, the navigation data, and the environmental data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein navigating the vehicle to the first location comprises navigating the vehicle according to a predetermined pattern of movement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein navigating the vehicle to the first location comprises avoiding obstacles based on data provided by one or more obstacle sensors associated with the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more obstacle sensors comprise one or more of an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, an altimeter, and one or more contact switches.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the beacon broadcasts the beacon identification;

the method further comprising receiving the beacon identification broadcast by the beacon.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising navigating the vehicle to one or more subsequent locations and generating respective reports for the subsequent locations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting the monitoring pass further comprises activating one or more sensors.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of an altimeter, a compass, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a rotary wing aerial vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle comprises a quad-rotor aerial vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining environmental qualities of one or more locations within a data center based at least in part on the first report.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an initial report based on determining that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon; and

transmitting the initial report from the vehicle to a base station prior to navigating the vehicle to the first location;

wherein the initial report comprises the beacon identification, initial navigation data, and initial environmental data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the initial report comprises:

specifying the beacon identification;

recording the initial navigation data that comprises an initial altitude, an initial distance from the beacon, and an initial bearing relative to the beacon; and

recording the initial environmental data.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing visual data using one or more cameras associated with the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the visual data comprises one or more of an image or a video.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising capturing the visual data based on a determination that one or more events has occurred.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determination comprises determining that at least a portion of the environmental data satisfies a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined pattern of movement comprises a spiral pattern of movement at a fixed altitude above ground level or a spiral pattern of movement with a descending altitude above ground level.

20. A method performed on a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a pilot signal associated with a beacon located inside an indoor data center;

navigating, based on a predetermined flight path, towards the beacon;

determining, based on the pilot signal, that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon, the beacon being associated with a beacon identification;

generating an initial report based on determining that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon, the generating comprising;

specifying the beacon identification;

recording navigation data that comprises an altitude, a distance from the beacon, and a bearing relative to the beacon; and

recording environmental data;

transmitting the initial report from the vehicle to a base station, the initial report comprising the beacon identification, the navigation data, and the environmental data; and

conducting a monitoring pass based on determining that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon, wherein conducting the monitoring pass comprises navigating the vehicle to a first location.

21. A method performed on a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a pilot signal associated with a beacon located inside an indoor data center;

navigating, based on a predetermined flight path, towards the beacon;

determining, based on the pilot signal, that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon, the beacon being associated with a beacon identification;

conducting a monitoring pass based on determining that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon, wherein conducting the monitoring pass comprises navigating the vehicle to a first location based on determining that the vehicle is located within the predetermined range;

determining that the vehicle is located at the first location; and

generating a first report based on determining that the vehicle is located at the first location, the first report comprising the beacon identification, navigation data that comprises an altitude, a distance from the beacon, and a bearing relative to the beacon, and environmental data, wherein the environmental data comprises measurements of one or more of a temperature or a level of humidity of the first location.

22. A method performed on a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal associated with a first protocol;

navigating a vehicle toward a beacon based on the first signal and a predetermined flight path, the beacon being associated with a beacon identification;

receiving a second signal associated with a second protocol;

navigating the vehicle toward a first location based at least in part on the second signal;

determining that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the first location based on the second signal; and

generating a first report based on determining that the vehicle is located within the predetermined range, the first report comprising the beacon identification, navigation data that comprises an altitude, a distance from the beacon, and a bearing relative to the beacon, and environmental data.

23. A vehicle comprising:

one or more first sensors configured to provide location information associated with a location of the vehicle;

one or more second sensors configured to provide environmental data; and

one or more memory devices and one or more processing devices in communication with the one or more first sensors and the one or more second sensors, the one or more memory devices and the one or more processing devices being configured to;

detect a pilot signal associated with a beacon located inside an indoor data center;

navigate, based on a predetermined flight path, towards the beacon;

determine, based on the pilot signal, that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon based on the location information, the beacon being associated with a beacon identification;

conduct a monitoring pass based on determining that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon, wherein conducting the monitoring pass comprises navigating the vehicle to a first location based on determining that the vehicle is located within the predetermined range; and

generate, based on the environmental data, a first report based on determining that the vehicle is located at the first location, the first report comprising the beacon identification, navigation data that comprises an altitude, a distance from the beacon, and a bearing relative to the beacon, and the environmental data.

24. A computer storage device configured to store executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processing devices associated with a vehicle to perform operations comprising:

detecting a pilot signal associated with a beacon located inside an indoor data center;

navigating, based on a predetermined flight path, towards the beacon;

determining, based on the pilot signal, that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon, the beacon being associated with a beacon identification;

conducting a monitoring pass based on determining that the vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the beacon, wherein conducting the monitoring pass comprises navigating the vehicle to a first location based on determining that the vehicle is located within the predetermined range;

determining that the vehicle is located at the first location; and

generating a first report based on determining that the vehicle is located at the first location, the first report comprising the beacon identification, navigation data that comprises an altitude, a distance from the beacon, and a bearing relative to the beacon, and environmental data.