Methods and systems for operating a moving platform to determine data associated with a target person or object

Abstract

Methods and systems for operating a moving platform to determine an identity of an unidentified target are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes a step of receiving an indication to determine an identity of a target. The method also includes a step of causing to move a first moving platform configured with a first sensor to an area associated with the target. The method also includes a step of causing to move a second moving platform configured with a second sensor to the area. The move may be based on a difference between a flight profile of the first moving platform and a flight profile of the second moving platform. The flight profile may include one or more of a maximum altitude, a minimum altitude, speed and night flight capability. The method further includes a step of attempting to determine or determining, via the second moving platform and data captured by the second sensor, the identity of the target.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving an indication to determine an identity of a target;   causing to move a first moving platform configured with a first sensor to an area associated with the target;   causing to move a second moving platform configured with a second sensor to the area, where the move is based on a difference between a flight profile of the first moving platform and a flight profile of the second moving platform, and where the flight profile includes one or more of a maximum altitude, a minimum altitude, speed and night flight capability; and   attempting to determine or determining, via the second moving platform and data captured by the second sensor, the identity of the target.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second moving platform is caused to move to the area based on the first moving platform being unable to determine the identity of the target. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving data from the first moving platform about one or more of the area and the target.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 causing the first moving platform to transmit the data to the second moving platform.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the attempt to determine or the determination is based on the second moving platform being at a position in the area different from a position of the first moving platform in the area. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein
 the attempt to determine or the determination is based on plural images captured via the second moving platform and the second sensor, and   at least two of the plural images are captured from different angles with respect to the target.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing to move a third moving platform configured with a third sensor to the area; and   attempting to determine or determining the identity of the target via the third moving platform.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to the target moving from a first location to a second location in the area, causing the second moving platform to move within a pre-determined distance of the target.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the causing to move the second moving platform to the area is further based on one or more of a difference between a power profile of the first moving platform and a power profile of the second moving platform, and a difference between a communication profile of the first moving platform and a communication profile of the second moving platform. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first sensor or the second sensor comprises one or more of a visible light camera, a thermal imaging camera, a night-vision camera, a microphone and a radio frequency (RF) sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second sensors are different. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the determination is based on one or more images captured by the second sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more images comprises at least two images captured from different angles with respect to the target. 
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer readable medium including program instructions that when executed by a processor effectuate:
 receiving an indication to determine an identity of a target;   causing to move a first moving platform configured with a first sensor toward an area associated with the target;   causing to move a second moving platform configured with a second sensor toward the area, where the move is based on a difference between a flight profile of the first moving platform and a flight profile of the second moving platform, and where the flight profile includes one or more of a maximum altitude, a minimum altitude, speed and night flight capability; and   attempting to determine or determining, via the second moving platform and data captured by the second sensor, the identity of the target.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the program instructions when executed by the processor effectuate receiving data from the first moving platform about one or more of the area and the target. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the second moving platform is caused to move to the area based on the first moving platform being unable to determine the identity of the target. 
     
     
         17 . A moving platform comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, effectuate operations comprising:
 receiving, at the moving platform configured with a first sensor via another moving platform, an indication of an unidentifiable target in an area; 
 moving towards the area based upon the received indication and based on an observed difference in flight profiles between the moving platform and the other moving platform, where the flight profile includes one or more of a maximum altitude, a minimum altitude, speed and night flight capability; 
 capturing, via the first sensor, data associated with the target; and 
 attempting to determine or determining an identity of the target based upon the captured data. 
   
     
     
         18 . The moving platform of  claim 17 , wherein
 the attempt to determine or the determination is based on plural images captured via the moving platform, and   at least two of the plural images are captured from different angles with respect to the target.   
     
     
         19 . The moving platform of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of moving within a pre-determined distance of the target in response to the target moving from a first location to second location in the area. 
     
     
         20 . The moving platform of  claim 17 , wherein
 the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of receiving data from the other moving platform about one or more of the area and the target; and   the moving platform is caused to move to the area based on the other moving platform being unable to determine the identity of the target.