Control aerial movement of drone based on line-of-sight of humans using devices

Abstract

Examples disclosed herein relate to control of a drone. In one example, aerial movement of the drone is controlled. In the example, it is determined, based on a plurality of devices, whether the drone is within a line-of-sight with at least a respective one of a plurality of humans within a physical proximity to a respective one of the devices. In the example, the devices are used by the drone to track the humans. In the example, when the drone is determined to lack the line-of-sight, aerial movement of the drone is controlled to move the drone to become within the line-of-sight.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing system, subscription information associated with a device, wherein the device is registrable on a database based on the subscription information;   determining, by the computing system, that one or more drones are to be dispatched to the device;   determining, by the computing system, a location of the device; and   dispatching, by the computing system, the one or more drones to the location.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 registering, by the computing system, a reference associated with the device in the database;   determining, by the computing system, that a criterion associated with an alert and the device is satisfied; and   causing, by the computing system, the alert to be sent to the reference.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the criterion is a boundary criterion including a set of location coordinates, wherein the determining that the one or more drones are to be dispatched to the device comprises determining that the device is outside of a boundary associated with the set of location coordinates. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a global positioning system (GPS) sensor capable of providing a coordinate associated with the device, wherein the determining the location of the device comprises:
 determining the location of the device based on the coordinate.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the dispatching the one or more drones to the location comprises:
 dispatching the one or more drones to the coordinate associated with the device; and   establishing a line-of-sight between the one or more drones and the device based on an infrared beacon associated with the device.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the dispatching the one or more drones to the location comprises:
 dispatching the one or more drones to the coordinate associated with the device;   searching for a human associated with the device at the location based on image data from at least one optical sensor of the one or more drones; and   establishing a line-of-sight to the human.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the establishing a line-of-sight to the human comprises:
 determining a three-dimensional map of the location, wherein the three-dimensional map is determined based on sensor data captured by the one or more drones; and   using the three-dimensional map to determine whether the one or more drones have the line-of-sight to the human.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a beacon, wherein the determining the location of the device comprises:
 determining the location of the device based on location information about the beacon from one or more sensors of the one or more drones.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the beacon is at least one of a radio beacon, an infrared beacon, or a Wi-Fi beacon, wherein the determining the location of the device further comprises:
 using triangulation based on the location information about the beacon.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the device is a wearable device worn by a wearer, wherein the determining that one or more drones are to be dispatched to the device comprises:
 receiving an indication of anomalous behavior associated with the wearer, wherein the anomalous behavior is determined based on a comparison of sensor data from the wearable device to a profile or a function.   
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a method comprising:
 receiving subscription information associated with a device, wherein the device is registrable on a database based on the subscription information; 
 determining that one or more drones are to be dispatched to the device; 
 determining a location of the device; and 
 dispatching the one or more drones to the location. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the system to perform the method further comprising:
 registering a reference associated with the device in the database;   determining that a criterion associated with an alert and the device is satisfied; and   causing the alert to be sent to the reference.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the criterion is a boundary criterion including a set of location coordinates, wherein the determining that the one or more drones are to be dispatched to the device comprises determining that the device is outside of a boundary associated with the set of location coordinates. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the device comprises a global positioning system (GPS) sensor capable of providing a coordinate associated with the device, wherein the determining the location of the device comprises:
 determining the location of the device based on the coordinate.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the dispatching the one or more drones to the location comprises:
 dispatching the one or more drones to the coordinate associated with the device; and   establishing a line-of-sight between the one or more drones and the device based on an infrared beacon associated with the device.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising:
 receiving subscription information associated with a device, wherein the device is registrable on a database based on the subscription information;   determining that one or more drones are to be dispatched to the device;   determining a location of the device; and   dispatching the one or more drones to the location.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the computing system to perform the method further comprising:
 registering a reference associated with the device in the database;   determining that a criterion associated with an alert and the device is satisfied; and   causing the alert to be sent to the reference.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the criterion is a boundary criterion including a set of location coordinates, wherein the determining that the one or more drones are to be dispatched to the device comprises determining that the device is outside of a boundary associated with the set of location coordinates. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the device comprises a global positioning system (GPS) sensor capable of providing a coordinate associated with the device, wherein the determining the location of the device comprises:
 determining the location of the device based on the coordinate.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the dispatching the one or more drones to the location comprises:
 dispatching the one or more drones to the coordinate associated with the device; and   establishing a line-of-sight between the one or more drones and the device based on an infrared beacon associated with the device.