IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,415,989
Granted Patent B2
US 11,415,989 · App. 16/487,481 · Granted Aug 16, 2022

Drone-based tracking

Inventors: Brian Bennie (Sterling Heights, MI); Cynthia M. Neubecker (Westland, MI); Brad Alan Ignaczak (Canton, MI); Somak Datta Gupta (Canton, MI)
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
G05D1/0094B05B13/005B64C39/024B64D1/18G01S17/66H04W4/029B64C2201/12B64C2201/141B64C2201/208
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,415,989
App. No.
16/487,481
Granted
Aug 16, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computer is programmed to determine a trajectory of a moving target based on data from one or more vehicle sensors. The computer is programmed to deploy an aerial drone from the vehicle to track the moving target based on the determined trajectory.

Claims (44)

1. A computer, programmed to:

determine a trajectory of a moving target based on data from one or more vehicle sensors; and

deploy an aerial drone from the vehicle to track the moving target based on the determined trajectory.

2. The computer of claim 1 , further programmed to:

determine a current location of the target based on the data from the one or more vehicle sensors; and

send an instruction to the aerial drone to fly to a destination based on the determined current location.

3. The computer of claim 1 , further programmed to:

determine a location based on the determined trajectory; and

actuate the drone to fly to the determined location.

4. The computer of claim 1 , further programmed to track the target by:

determining a current location of the target based on aerial drone sensor data; and

actuating the drone to fly within a specified distance from the target while the target moves.

5. The computer of claim 4 , further programmed to track the target based on a current trajectory of the target determined based on the aerial drone sensor data.

6. The computer of claim 1 , further programmed to:

determine that the target entered an area that is inaccessible for the drone; and

transmit a last determined location and trajectory of the moving target to a remote computer.

7. The computer of claim 1 , further programmed to:

detect a second vehicle based on the data from the one or more vehicle sensors; and

detect the moving target when the moving target departs the second vehicle.

8. The computer of claim 7 , further programmed to detect the moving target upon determining that a door of the second vehicle is open.

9. The computer of claim 1 , further programmed to actuate a drone actuator to spray ink on the moving target.

10. The computer of claim 1 , further programmed to track the moving target by detecting a specific ink on the moving target.

11. A method, comprising:

determining a trajectory of a moving target based on data from one or more vehicle sensors; and

deploying an aerial drone from the vehicle to track the moving target based on the determined trajectory.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining a current location of the target based on the data from the one or more vehicle sensors; and

sending an instruction to the aerial drone to fly to a destination based on the determined current location.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining a location based on the determined trajectory; and

actuating the drone to fly to the determined location.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising tracking the target by:

determining a current location of the target based on aerial drone sensor data; and

actuating the drone to fly within a specified distance from the target while the target moves.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising tracking the target based on a current trajectory of the target determined based on the aerial drone sensor data.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining that the target entered an area that is inaccessible for the drone; and

transmitting a last determined location and trajectory of the moving target to a remote computer.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

detecting a second vehicle based on the data from the one or more vehicle sensors; and

detecting the moving target when the moving target departs the second vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein detecting the moving target is performed only upon determining that a door of the second vehicle is open.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising actuating a drone actuator to spray ink on the moving target.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein tracking the moving target further includes detecting a specific ink on the moving target.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2019
From: BENNIE, BRIAN; NEUBECKER, CYNTHIA M.; IGNACZAK, BRAD ALAN; DATTA GUPTA, SOMAK
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 050112/0990 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200057445A1 · Feb 20, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,608,020