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US 11,531,337 B2Granted
Systems and methods for surveillance
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorWilliam Robert Bosworth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example system for flying to a target location is provided, comprising a parent aerial vehicle and at least one child vehicle releasably coupled to the parent vehicle. The parent vehicle is configured to transport the at least one child aerial vehicle to a region containing a target location, uncouple from the at least one child aerial vehicle, and transmit information to the at least one child aerial vehicle relevant to operation of the child aerial vehicle. The child aerial vehicle comprises at least one sensor for surveillance at the target location.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a parent aerial vehicle comprising a first set of sensors;
- and
- at least one child aerial vehicle comprising a second set of sensors configured for surveillance of an environment at a target location of the at least one child aerial vehicle, wherein the at least one child aerial vehicle is releasably coupled to the parent aerial vehicle;
- wherein the parent aerial vehicle is configured to:
- transport the at least one child aerial vehicle to a region containing the target location,
- uncouple from the at least one child aerial vehicle,
- after uncoupling from the at least one child aerial vehicle, remotely control the at least one child aerial vehicle by transmitting control instructions to the at least one child aerial vehicle for the at least one child aerial vehicle to (i) navigate to the target location (ii) operate the second set of sensors to conduct the surveillance at the target location and (iii) after the at least one child aerial vehicle conducts the surveillance at the target location, navigate back to the parent aerial vehicle for the parent aerial vehicle to recouple to the at least one child aerial vehicle,
- after uncoupling from the at least one child aerial vehicle, determine that the at least one child aerial vehicle has reached the target location;
- in response to determining that the at least one child aerial vehicle has reached the target location, return to a launch port of a transport device while the at least one child aerial vehicle is conducting the surveillance at the target location, and
- in response to determining that the at least one child aerial vehicle has completed conducting the surveillance at the target location, return to the region containing the target location to navigate the at least one child aerial vehicle back to the parent aerial vehicle for the parent aerial vehicle to recouple to the at least one child aerial vehicle.
7 more elements
A parent aerial vehicle comprising:
- a housing configured to carry a child aerial vehicle;
- a release mechanism to release the child aerial vehicle from the housing;
- one or more sensors for detecting one or more conditions in an environment;
- and
- instructions stored in memory that are executed by a processor to perform the functions of:
- determining that the parent aerial vehicle is hovering above a region containing a target location;
- receiving data providing geolocation and environment information for the region;
- determining a flight path for the child aerial vehicle based on the received data providing geolocation and environment information for the region;
- determining that the parent vehicle is hovering above the region containing the target location;
- in response to determining that the parent aerial vehicle is hovering above the region containing the target location, operating the release mechanism to release the child aerial vehicle;
- after releasing the child aerial vehicle, remotely controlling the child aerial vehicle by transmitting control instructions to the child aerial vehicle for the child aerial vehicle to (i) navigate to the target location (ii) operate a set of sensors to conduct surveillance at the target location and (iii) after the child aerial vehicle conducts the surveillance at the target location, navigate back to the parent aerial vehicle and recouple to the housing of the parent aerial vehicle, wherein the control instructions include the flight path
- after releasing the child aerial vehicle, determining that the child aerial vehicle has reached the target location;
- in response to determining that the child aerial vehicle has reached the target location, returning to a launch port of a transport device while the child aerial vehicle is conducting the surveillance at the target location;
- and
- in response to determining that the child aerial vehicle has completed conducting the surveillance at the target location, returning to the region containing the target location to navigate the child aerial vehicle to the parent aerial vehicle for the parent aerial vehicle to recouple to the child aerial vehicle.
12 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving instructions at a parent aerial vehicle to fly to a region containing a target location;
- receiving data providing at least one of geolocation or environment information for the region;
- determining a flight path for a child aerial vehicle based on the received data providing at least one of geolocation and environment information for the region;
- determining that the parent aerial vehicle is hovering above the region;
- in response to determining that the parent aerial vehicle is hovering above the region containing the target location, operating a release mechanism to release the child aerial vehicle from the parent aerial vehicle;
- and
- after releasing the child aerial vehicle, remotely controlling the child aerial vehicle by transmitting control instructions to the child aerial vehicle for the child aerial vehicle to (i) navigate to the target location (ii) operate a set of sensors to conduct surveillance at the target location and (iii) after the child aerial vehicle conducts the surveillance at the target location, navigate back to the parent aerial vehicle and recouple to a housing of the parent aerial vehicle, wherein the control instructions include the flight path,
- after releasing the child aerial vehicle, determining that the child aerial vehicle has reached the target location;
- in response to determining that the child aerial vehicle has reached the target location, returning to a launch port of a transport device while the child aerial vehicle is conducting the surveillance at the target location;
- and
- in response to determining that the child aerial vehicle has completed conducting the surveillance at the target location, returning to the region containing the target location to navigate the child aerial vehicle to the parent aerial vehicle for the parent aerial vehicle to recouple to the child aerial vehicle.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.