US 12,367,777 B2
Systems and methods for autonomous hazardous area data collection
Adriaan J. Van Meeteren, East Greenwich, RI (US); Alex A. Shyshkov, Roxbury, CT (US); Ryan W. Bachiochi, Windsor Locks, CT (US); Nichole D. Fratini, Plainville, CT (US); and Pawel T. Parobek, South Windsor, CT (US)
Assigned to The Travelers Indemnity Company, Hartford, CT (US)
Filed by The Travelers Indemnity Company, Hartford, CT (US)
Filed on Jun. 5, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/329,571.
Application 18/329,571 is a division of application No. 16/870,071, filed on May 8, 2020, granted, now 11,710,411.
Prior Publication US 2023/0316930 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. G08G 5/26 (2025.01); B64U 10/60 (2023.01); B64U 101/30 (2023.01); G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G08G 5/55 (2025.01); G08G 5/57 (2025.01); H04W 4/40 (2018.01)
CPC G08G 5/26 (2025.01) [G05D 1/0022 (2013.01); G05D 1/0088 (2013.01); G05D 1/106 (2019.05); G08G 5/55 (2025.01); G08G 5/57 (2025.01); H04W 4/40 (2018.02); B64U 10/60 (2023.01); B64U 2101/30 (2023.01); B64U 2201/10 (2023.01); B64U 2201/202 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A low-cost, GPS-denied drone programmed for autonomous hazardous area data collection, comprising:
(i) a propulsion device,
(ii) an imaging device,
(iii) an electronic processing unit, and
(iv) a non-transitory memory device in communication with the electronic processing unit, wherein the non-transitory memory device stores instructions that define (a) a hazardous area data collection routine, (b) an AI image processing routine, (c) a three-dimensional mapping routine, and (d) a non-GPS locational computation routine, that when executed by the electronic processing unit, result in:
identifying known location data for a starting position of the hazardous area data collection routine, the known location data defining a first location;
acquiring, in response to an initiation of the hazardous area data collection routine by the electronic processing unit and utilizing the imaging device at the first location and at an initiation time, data descriptive of the first location;
identifying, by the electronic processing unit and utilizing the AI image processing routine to process the data descriptive of the first location, locations of a first plurality of landmarks in relation to the first location;
generating, by an execution of the three-dimensional mapping routine by the electronic processing unit and based on the identified locations of the first plurality of landmarks, a three-dimensional map descriptive of an area in which the GPS-denied drone is disposed;
navigating throughout the area in which the GPS-denied drone is disposed, wherein the navigating comprises:
(1) activating, by the GPS-denied drone and in response to an execution of the hazardous area data collection routine by the electronic processing unit, the propulsion device and thereby moving the GPS-denied drone from the first location to a new location;
(2) acquiring, in response to the execution of the hazardous area data collection routine by the electronic processing unit and utilizing the imaging device at the new location and at a new time, data descriptive of the new location;
(3) identifying, by the electronic processing unit and utilizing the AI image processing routine to process the data descriptive of the new location, locations of a new plurality of landmarks in relation to the new location;
(4) generating, by an execution of the three-dimensional mapping routine by the electronic processing unit and based on the identified locations of the new plurality of landmarks, an updated three-dimensional map descriptive of the area in which the GPS-denied drone is disposed;
(5) computing, by an execution of the non-GPS locational computation routine by the electronic processing unit and based on a comparison of the locations of the first plurality of landmarks and the locations of the new plurality of landmarks, a location of the GPS-denied drone on the updated three-dimensional map; and
(6) repeating steps (1) through (5) until a triggering event is identified.