Unmanned aerial vehicle for hazard detection

• US 9,463,875 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slingshot IOT LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abuelsaad, Kelly, Boss, Gregory J., McConnell, Kevin C., McElligott, Shane B.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US14/476,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/24, 701/117, 701/120, 701/122, 701/408, 701/409, 701/412, 701/431, 701/416, 244/190, 244/189, 244/175, 244/76.R, 244/75.1, 455/456.1, 348/117, 345/419
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• 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 1/096766 where the system is characterised by the origin of the information transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

In an approach to hazard detection, one or more computer processors determine whether an obstruction of view for a user in a first vehicle is detected. Responsive to determining the obstruction is detected, the one or more computer processors deploy a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) associated with the first vehicle. The one or more computer processors determine whether one or more hazards associated with a path of the first vehicle are detected.

Claims

1. A method for hazard detection, the method comprising:

monitoring, by one or more computer processors, for a first vehicle user'"'"'s obstructed view of a road;

detecting, by the one or more computer processors, the first vehicle user'"'"'s obstructed view;

responsive to detecting the first vehicle user'"'"'s obstructed view, determining, by the one or more computer processors, whether the obstructed view will persist for a pre-defined threshold of time;

responsive to determining the obstructed view will persist for a pre-defined threshold of time, deploying, by the one or more computer processors, a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) associated with the first vehicle; and

determining, by the one more computer processors, whether one or more hazards associated with a path of the first vehicle are detected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more hazards associated with the path of the first vehicle includes at least:

a debris on a road, a traffic jam, a traffic accident, a presence of an emergency vehicle, and a weather related road condition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to determining one or more hazards associated with the path of the first vehicle are detected, notifying, by the one or more computer processors, the user of the one or more hazards, wherein notifying includes sending, by the one or more computer processors, an audio or visual cue.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein notifying the user of the one or more hazards includes advisory information regarding how the user should respond for the user to avoid the one or more hazards.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein notifying the user of the one or more hazards further comprises interacting, by the one or more computer processors, with a safety system of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle user'"'"'s obstructed view is a condition that prevents the user from viewing one or more hazards associated with the path of the first vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring includes utilizing, by the one or more computer processors, a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least:

a camera, a radar, and infrared.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying, by the one or more computer processors, a user of a second vehicle of the one or more hazards.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the one or more computer processors, one or more additional deployed unmanned aerial vehicles in a pre-defined radius; and

communicating, by the one or more computer processors, with the one or more additional deployed unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor for one or more hazards associated with a path of the first vehicle.

10. A computer program product for hazard detection, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to monitor for a first vehicle user'"'"'s obstructed view of a road;

program instructions to detect the first vehicle user'"'"'s obstructed view;

responsive to detecting the first vehicle user'"'"'s obstructed view, program instructions to determine whether the obstructed view will persist for a pre-defined threshold of time;

responsive to determining the obstructed view will persist for a pre-defined threshold of time, program instructions to deploy a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) associated with the first vehicle; and

program instructions to determine whether one or more hazards associated with a path of the first vehicle are detected.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising, responsive to determining one or more hazards associated with the path of the first vehicle are detected, program instructions to notify the user of the one or more hazards, wherein program instructions to notify includes program instructions to send an audio or visual cue.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising program instructions to notify a user of a second vehicle of the one or more hazards.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

program instructions to detect one or more additional deployed unmanned aerial vehicles in a pre-defined radius; and

program instructions to communicate with the one or more additional deployed unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor for one or more hazards associated with a path of the first vehicle.

14. A computer system for hazard detection, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to monitor for a first vehicle user'"'"'s obstructed view of a road;

program instructions to detect the first vehicle user'"'"'s obstructed view;

responsive to detecting the first vehicle user'"'"'s obstructed view, program instructions to determine whether the obstructed view will persist for a pre-defined threshold of time;

responsive to determining the obstructed view will persist for a pre-defined threshold of time, program instructions to deploy a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) associated with the first vehicle; and

program instructions to determine whether one or more hazards associated with a path of the first vehicle are detected.

15. The computer system of claim 14, further comprising, responsive to determining one or more hazards associated with the path of the first vehicle are detected, program instructions to notify the user of the one or more hazards, wherein program instructions to notify includes program instructions to send an audio or visual cue.

16. The computer system of claim 14, further comprising program instructions to notify a user of a second vehicle of the one or more hazards.

17. The computer system of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions to detect one or more additional deployed unmanned aerial vehicles in a pre-defined radius; and

program instructions to communicate with the one or more additional deployed unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor for one or more hazards associated with a path of the first vehicle.