US 12,133,028 B1
Enhancing zooming capabilities of a security camera by automatically employing a multicopter
Alexander S. Pachikov, San Carlos, CA (US); and Phil Libin, Bentonville, AR (US)
Assigned to Sunflower Labs Inc., San Carlos, CA (US)
Filed by Sunflower Labs Inc., San Carlos, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/994,869.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/285,121, filed on Dec. 2, 2021.
Int. Cl. H04N 7/18 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64D 47/08 (2006.01); H04N 23/69 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 7/183 (2013.01) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64D 47/08 (2013.01); H04N 23/69 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of viewing an object detected within a property perimeter, comprising:
using a fixed camera to view the object;
adjusting at least one of: optical zoom and digital zoom of the fixed camera in response to an initial image of the object from the fixed camera being of insufficient quality to fully assess the unknown object;
using different zoom levels of the fixed camera to determine a satisfactory zoom level based on a relationship between zoom level, image quality, and security threat forecast;
dispatching a multicopter with a camera to a location of the unknown object in response to the fixed camera being unable to reach the satisfactory zoom level; and
providing an image of the unknown object from the camera of the multicopter, wherein the relationship between zoom level and values of image quality, and security threat is provided using a forecast line corresponding to points on a two-dimensional surface in a three-dimensional space having axes corresponding to the zoom level and the values of the image quality and the security threat, and wherein the points correspond to specific pairs of values for security threat and image quality at different zoom levels.