Monitoring system and method

Abstract

The invention provides a monitoring system and method. A monitoring system is disclosed. The monitoring system may include a power source, a tether, and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The tether may include a tether proximal end and a distal end. The tether may obtain power from a power source via a tether connection unit connected to a distal end of the tether. The UAV may be removably attached to the tether proximal end and configured to obtain power from the tether. The UAV may obtain a trigger signal to follow a target object. The UAV may maneuver the UAV to move to follow the target object in response to obtaining the trigger signal. The UAV may additionally determine that a distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit may be equal to a tether length when the UAV may be following the target object. The UAV may be decoupled from the tether when the distance may be equal to the tether length.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to monitoring systems and methods, and more particularly to monitoring systems and methods that use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to perform monitoring of a geographic area. Background Art

[0002] Surveillance systems are often installed to monitor geographic areas, such as parking lots, entry or exit points of buildings, interior or exterior portions of stores, etc. Such systems often include cameras that capture images of the geographic area and transmit the images to a remote storage device or control unit. A surveillance operator can monitor the captured images and can cause the surveillance system to output an alarm if a malicious user or undesired activity may be detected in the geographic area.

[0003] Conventional monitoring systems are permanently installed in buildings, stores, etc., and therefore provide limited flexibility for operators to move or temporarily install the system. For example, if an operator wishes to temporarily install a monitoring system at a geographic area where an event (e.g., a car rally or a sporting event) is being held, conventional monitoring systems may provide limited utility.

[0004] Mobile monitoring systems are known that can be temporarily installed at a geographic area. Such mobile monitoring systems may include a camera, an onboard power source, and wheels that may enable the system to be moved from one location to another, thereby enabling an operator to conveniently move the monitoring system and install it at different locations based on operator requirements. While mobile monitoring systems may provide benefits to operators, installation of such systems may be expensive and complicated. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure describes a monitoring system and method using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or a drone. The system can be attached to or mounted on a vehicle cargo compartment. The system can include a base, one or more solar panel units or renewable energy units, a battery pack, a tether connection unit, a tether, and a UAV with a UAV camera. The solar panel unit, the battery pack, and the tether connection unit can be attached to the base. The battery pack can obtain power from a solar panel unit or a vehicle battery. The battery pack can provide power to the tether connection unit, which can transfer power to the tether. The tether can connect the tether connection unit to the UAV, and can be configured to transfer power from the tether connection unit to the UAV, thereby providing power to the UAV. When the UAV can be powered, the UAV can capture images of the geographic area where the monitoring system / vehicle may be located by using the UAV camera. The UAV can transmit the captured images to the vehicle or an external server for monitoring and analysis.

[0006] In some aspects, the UAV may be configured to fly and capture images of a wide geographic area. While the UAV may be flying, the UAV may be connected to a tether. The tether may be extendable, thereby enabling the UAV to fly a considerable distance away from the tether connection unit while still connected to the tether.

[0007] The UAV may be configured to obtain a trigger signal from a vehicle, an internal UAV image processing module, or an external server when a target object (e.g., a malicious user or a target vehicle) may be detected in a geographic area based on an image captured by the UAV camera. In response to obtaining a trigger signal, the UAV may follow the target object and capture the target object image while still connected to the tether. The UAV may also be configured to determine that the tether may be fully extended when the UAV may be following the target object (and the target object may be moving). In response to this determination, the UAV may be configured to separate from the tether and continue to follow the moving target object. When the UAV can be separated from the tether, the UAV can be powered by an onboard UAV battery. In addition, the tether connection unit may include an electric motor that can retract the tether when the UAV can be separated from the tether.

[0008] In some aspects, when the UAV may be following the target object, the vehicle may also follow the target object. In this way, the vehicle can help the UAV capture the target object image.

[0009] In additional aspects, the monitoring system may include a UAV nest that may include a base on which the UAV may rest when the UAV may not be following a target object or when the UAV may not be flying. When the UAV may rest on the base, the UAV may save power required for flight. The UAV nest may also include a telescoping mechanism that the system operator may adjust to adjust the base height and / or retract the base to near the base when the base may not be needed or when the monitoring system or vehicle may be in transit.

[0010] In other aspects, the monitoring system may be configured to be placed or mounted on a building or any other similar structure, and may not require a vehicle to operate. In this case, the monitoring system may obtain power from solar energy, its own battery bank, building / utility power, or may obtain power via a wireless charging pad or UAV nest to enable UAV operation.

[0011] The present disclosure relates to a monitoring system and method. The monitoring system can be conveniently moved and temporarily installed in any geographical location that an operator may desire to monitor. For example, an operator can install the monitoring system on a vehicle, and can move or dispatch the vehicle to any desired location and perform monitoring. In addition, since the monitoring system uses a UAV for monitoring, the monitoring is not stationary and is more efficient and safer because the UAV can easily follow the target object and transmit the target object image. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those shown in the accompanying drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0013] Figure 1 Depicted are examples of environments in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0014] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0015] Figure 3 An example of a monitoring system having an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) nest according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0016] Figure 4A Depicted is an example of a snapshot of a UAV capturing an image of a target object in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 4B An example of a UAV following a snapshot of a target object in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted.

[0018] Figure 5 Depicted is an example of a snapshot of a monitoring system installed on a building in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 6 A flow chart of an example of a monitoring method according to the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown and which are not intended to be limiting.

[0021] Figure 1An exemplary environment 100 is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. The environment 100 may include a vehicle 102, which may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as, for example, an SUV, a car, a crossover vehicle, a van, a minivan, a bus, a truck, etc. In addition, the vehicle 102 may include any powertrain, such as, for example, a gasoline engine, one or more electrically actuated motors, a hybrid powertrain, etc. In addition, the vehicle 102 may be a manually driven vehicle, and / or configured and / or programmed to operate in a fully autonomous (e.g., driverless) mode (e.g., Level 5 autonomy) or in one or more partially autonomous modes that may include driver assistance technology or remote operation guidance.

[0022] exist Figure 1 In the exemplary aspect depicted in FIG. 1 , vehicle 102 may be a truck to which a monitoring system may be attached or mounted (in Figure 2 100 is shown as monitoring system 200 in FIG. 10 ). Specifically, vehicle 102 may include a cargo compartment to which a base 104 of the monitoring system may be attached or mounted. Base 104 may include a matrix of multiple attachment connectors or apertures 106 in which multiple monitoring system components or units may be “locked” to base 104. For example, multiple monitoring system units (such as one or more solar panel cubes or units 108 or other similar renewable power supply units, one or more battery packs 110, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tether and power delivery unit 112 (hereinafter referred to as tether connection unit 112), etc.) may be locked or attached to base 104 via multiple apertures 106. Solar panel units 108, battery packs 110, and tether connection unit 112 may collectively be part of the monitoring system. The monitoring system may also include a drone or UAV 114 and a tether 116 that may connect UAV 114 to tether connection unit 112. UAV 114 may include one or more onboard UAV cameras (in Figure 2 102 ), the one or more onboard UAV cameras may capture images and / or video of a geographic area where the vehicle 102 or monitoring system may be located or a geographic area proximate to the UAV 114 .

[0023] In some aspects, the solar panel unit 108 and the battery pack 110 can be connected to each other so that the solar panel unit 108 can transfer energy or power (which the solar panel unit 108 can generate using solar energy) to the battery pack 110 for storage purposes. In an exemplary aspect, if the vehicle 102 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV), the battery pack 110 can also receive energy or power from a vehicle battery (not shown). In addition, a tether connection unit 112 can be connected to the battery pack 110 and can be configured to obtain power from the battery pack 110. The tether connection unit 112 can also be configured to transfer the power obtained from the battery pack 110 to the UAV 114 via the tether 116. In other words, the UAV 114 can be configured to receive power from the tether connection unit 112 via the tether 116.

[0024] Specifically, the tether 116 may include a tether proximal end 118 and a tether distal end 120. The tether 116 may be connected to the tether connection unit 112 via the tether distal end 120, such as Figure 1 The tether 116 may obtain power from the tether connection unit 112 via the tether distal end 120 (ie, the power obtained by the tether connection unit 112 from the battery pack 110 ). The tether 116 may transfer the obtained power to the UAV 114 via the tether proximal end 118 .

[0025] In some aspects, the UAV 114 can be removably connected or attached to the tether 116 via a tether proximal end 118, which can provide power to the UAV 114. The tether proximal end 118 can include a locking mechanism (not shown) that can enable the tether proximal end 118 to be removably attached to the UAV 114. In some aspects, the locking mechanism can be an electromagnetic locking mechanism that can be configured to inductively charge the UAV 114 or transfer power to the UAV 114 via the tether 116.

[0026] The UAV 114 may include one or more onboard components or units, including but not limited to an onboard UAV camera, a network controller (in Figure 2 The network controller 220 is shown in FIG. 1 ), the image processing module (in Figure 2 The network controller may provide wireless communication capabilities to the UAV 114 and may enable the UAV 114 to communicate with the network (in the example of FIG. 1 ). Figure 2 The image / video captured by the onboard UAV camera is transmitted to the vehicle memory (shown as network 224 in FIG. Figure 2The external server may be associated with a monitoring control room or monitoring operator who may analyze the images / videos captured by the onboard UAV camera and determine whether a malicious user may be present in the geographic area where the vehicle 102 / monitoring system may be located. The monitoring operator may additionally determine whether an unwanted activity (e.g., theft activity, attack activity, etc.) may be occurring in the geographic area based on the images / videos captured by the onboard UAV camera. The monitoring operator may transmit a trigger signal to the UAV 114 via the external server and the vehicle 102 to “follow” the malicious user or target vehicle (e.g., when the unwanted activity is associated with a stolen vehicle) upon detection of such a target user or unwanted activity. The monitoring operator may additionally transmit target user or vehicle details (e.g., user image, vehicle license plate number, user / vehicle location information, etc.) to the UAV 114 to cause the UAV 114 to follow the target user.

[0027] In some aspects, the “monitoring operator” described above may be a human operator or an artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) based computer algorithm or processor.

[0028] In response to receiving the trigger signal and the target user / vehicle details, the UAV 114 can use the image processing module to locate the target user / vehicle in the geographic area (e.g., by performing pixel analysis on the images / video captured by the onboard UAV camera), and can follow the target user / vehicle to capture the target user / vehicle image or video. In some aspects, the tether 116 can be extendable, and thus the UAV 114 can remain connected to the tether 116 and follow the target user / vehicle while the target user / vehicle may be moving (e.g., running or driving the target vehicle).

[0029] In some aspects, the UAV 114 may also be configured to determine whether the tether 116 is fully extended and the target user / vehicle may still be moving. For example, the UAV 114 may determine whether the distance between the UAV 114 and the tether connection unit 112 may be equal to the maximum tether length and the UAV 114 may still have to follow the moving target user / vehicle. In response to such a determination, the UAV 114 may detach itself from the tether 116 and continue to follow the target user / vehicle and capture images or record video of the target user / vehicle. In this case, when the UAV 114 may detach from the tether 116, the onboard UAV battery (at Figure 2 14) can power the UAV 114. In this way, the UAV 114 can capture images of the target user / vehicle or record video even when the target user / vehicle moves away from the geographic area.

[0030] As disclosed herein in the present disclosure, the monitoring system is a mobile monitoring system that can be moved from one location to another and can be temporarily installed at any location based on monitoring requirements. For example, if a user wishes to temporarily install a monitoring system in a geographic area where a sporting event may be held, the user can park a vehicle 102 including the monitoring system at a desired location in the geographic area and perform geographic area monitoring. After the sporting event is over, the user can remove the vehicle 102 including the monitoring system from the geographic area. In this way, the user can easily install the monitoring system at any location (or remove it from any location) based on monitoring requirements. In some aspects, the user can physically install (e.g., park) and / or remove the vehicle 102 from the desired location. In other aspects, the vehicle 102 can be an autonomous vehicle that itself can be parked at a desired location based on instructions transmitted remotely to the vehicle 102.

[0031] Although the above description describes the aspect of the UAV 114 following the target user / vehicle, in additional aspects, the vehicle 102 may also follow the target user / vehicle based on a trigger signal obtained from an external server, so that the UAV 114 can conveniently capture the target user / vehicle image. In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to the aspect that the UAV 114 obtains a trigger signal from an external server to follow the target user / vehicle. In some aspects, the UAV 114 may follow the target user / vehicle based on a trigger signal that may be pre-stored in the UAV memory (in Figure 2 In this case, the UAV 114 may follow the target user / vehicle based on the target user / vehicle details in the UAV memory 218 (shown in the figure as UAV memory 218). In this case, the UAV 114 may follow the target user / vehicle when the image processing module determines that the target user / vehicle may be present in the geographic area where the monitoring system may be located based on the pixel analysis of the image / video captured by the UAV camera and the target user / vehicle details that may be pre-stored in the UAV memory. For example, if vehicle "A" is known to be a stolen vehicle, the license plate information of vehicle "A" may be pre-stored in the UAV memory (e.g., by the monitoring operator or the authorities / police). When the image processing module determines that vehicle "A" may be present in the geographic area (e.g., by comparing the stored license plate information with the vehicle license plate information as determined by pixel analysis of the image / video captured by the UAV camera), the image processing module may cause the UAV 114 to follow vehicle "A".

[0032] In addition, despite Figure 1 An aspect is depicted in which the vehicle tailgate 122 is in an open state, but the monitoring system may also operate when the vehicle tailgate 122 is in a closed state (e.g. Figure 4A and Figure 4B, which will be described later in the following description). In other words, the monitoring system can operate equally effectively regardless of whether the vehicle tailgate is closed or open.

[0033] The vehicle 102 and monitoring system may be implemented and / or performed as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the vehicle owner's manual and safety guidelines.

[0034] Further structural and functional details of the monitoring system are incorporated below Figures 2 to 5 Give a description.

[0035] Figure 2 A block diagram of an exemplary monitoring system 200 according to the present disclosure is depicted. The monitoring system 200 may be combined with Figure 1 The monitoring system described in Figure 2 When you can refer to Figure 3 , Figure 4A and Figure 4B .

[0036] Monitoring system 200 may include power source 202, tether 204, tether connection unit 206, UAV 208, and UAV nest 210. Power source 202 may be a combination of the above Figure 1 1 and 1 . The tether 204 may be the same as the tether 116, the tether connection unit 206 may be the same as the tether connection unit 112, and the UAV 208 may be the same as the UAV 114. The UAV nest 210 may be a mechanical structure on which the UAV 208 may "rest" when the UAV 208 may not be following a target user / vehicle. When the UAV 208 may rest on the UAV nest 210, the UAV 208 may reduce power / energy consumption because when the UAV 208 may rest on the UAV nest 210, the power required to enable the UAV 208 to fly may be saved.

[0037] Figure 3 An exemplary snapshot of the monitoring system 200 with the UAV nest 210 is shown in FIG. Figure 3As shown, the UAV nest 210 may include an elongated body 302 having a body distal end 304 and a body proximal end 306. The body distal end 304 may be attached to the tether connection unit 206. The UAV nest 210 may also include a base 308 that may be attached to the body proximal end 306. The base 308 may be a square or rectangular plate (or a circular or any other polygonal shaped plate) or base on which the UAV 208 may rest when the UAV 208 may not be flying (e.g., when the UAV 208 may not be following a target user / vehicle). While the UAV 208 may be resting on the base 308, the UAV 208 may still capture images / video of the geographic area where the monitoring system 200 may be located by using an onboard UAV camera.

[0038] The base 308 may include one or more components or units (not shown) that may be attached to or integrated with the base 308. For example, the base 308 may include a solar panel to provide power or electricity to the battery pack 110 or to the UAV 208, a base camera disposed on the underbelly of the base to capture images / video of a geographic area near the base 308, a base light on the underbelly of the base, etc.

[0039] In some aspects, the UAV nest 210 may also include a telescoping mechanism 310 disposed on the elongated body 302 by which the system user may adjust the elongated body height based on monitoring requirements. For example, while the UAV 208 may be resting on the base 308, the user may increase the elongated body height when the user may want the UAV 208 to capture images / video of a large geographic area, and the user may decrease or lower the elongated body height when the user may want the UAV 208 to capture images / video of a relatively small geographic area. The user may further fully retract the elongated body height when the user may not want to use the UAV nest 210, or when the vehicle 226 may be in transit.

[0040] The UAV nest 210 may also include one or more ropes 312 (or cables, chains, etc.) that may connect the base 104 (or a portion of the base 104) to the elongated body 302. For example, the rope 312 may connect the base 104 to the elongated body center portion or any other portion on the elongated body 302. The rope 312 may provide support and structural integrity to the UAV nest 210 so that the UAV nest 210 may withstand different forces (e.g., gravity, wind, etc.) that may be applied to the UAV nest 210 when the monitoring system 200 may be installed or located in a geographic area. The present disclosure is not limited to the use of ropes. Cables, chains, or similar connecting devices may be used in place of ropes without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0041] The UAV 208 may include one or more components or units, including but not limited to a UAV processor 242 , one or more UAV cameras 212 (or UAV cameras 212 ), a UAV transceiver 214 , a UAV battery 216 , a UAV memory 218 , a network controller 220 , and an image processing module 222 .

[0042] The UAV processor 242 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., the UAV memory 218 and / or Figure 2 The UAV processor 242 may utilize the UAV memory 218 to store programs and / or store data in the form of code to perform various aspects of the present disclosure. The UAV memory 218 may be a non-temporary computer-readable memory that stores monitoring program code. The UAV memory 218 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM)), etc.

[0043] The UAV camera 212 may be configured to capture 360-degree images / videos of the vicinity of the UAV 208 or of a geographic area where the UAV 208 may be located. The UAV camera 212 may be an RGB camera and / or a near infrared camera (NIR camera). The UAV camera 212 may be a 1920×1080 resolution camera or one of higher resolutions. The UAV transceiver 214 may be configured to transmit / receive signals, data, images / videos, information, etc. to / from one or more external devices or storage devices via one or more networks 224.

[0044] The network 224 illustrates an exemplary communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure may communicate. The network 224 may be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Wi-Fi, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, and cellular technologies such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPDA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and Fifth Generation (5G), to name a few examples.

[0045] The UAV battery 216 may be configured to store energy or power that the UAV 208 may obtain from the tether 204, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 When the UAV 208 can detach from the tether 204 and follow the target user / vehicle, the UAV 208 can use the power stored in the UAV battery 216.

[0046] The network controller 220 may be configured to provide wireless communication capabilities to the UAV 208. The network controller 220 may also be configured to provide a wireless network or accessibility to a network 224 to a plurality of user devices that may be located in a geographic area where the monitoring system 200 may be set up. Specifically, the network controller 220 may act as a “mobile hotspot” and may enable a plurality of user devices to access the network 224 via the network controller 220.

[0047] The image processing module 222 may be an artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) based module configured to perform pixel analysis on the real-time image / video captured by the UAV camera 212 and determine whether a predefined condition may be satisfied based on the pixel analysis. In an exemplary aspect, the predefined condition may be satisfied when the target user / vehicle may be detected in the real-time image / video captured by the UAV camera 212. In this case, the UAV memory 218 may pre-store target user / vehicle details (e.g., target user image, vehicle license plate information, etc.) that the UAV 208 may have obtained from one or more external servers or authorities (e.g., the police). In the exemplary aspects described herein, the target user may be a repeat offender or a user with a history of malicious activity, and the target vehicle may be a stolen vehicle.

[0048] The image processing module 222 may obtain pre-stored target user / vehicle details from the UAV memory 218 and compare the pre-stored target user / vehicle details with details of one or more users or vehicles that may be present in the real-time image / video captured by the UAV camera 212 (as identified via pixel analysis). Based on the comparison, when the image processing module 222 detects that the target user / vehicle may be present in the real-time image / video captured by the UAV camera 212, the image processing module 222 may generate a first trigger signal and transmit the first trigger signal to the UAV processor 242 to cause the UAV 208 to follow the target user / vehicle. Aspects of the UAV 208 following the target user / vehicle are described later in the description below.

[0049] In some aspects, the monitoring system 200 can be connected to the vehicle 226 and / or one or more servers 228 via the network 224. The server 228 can be associated with a monitoring operator or a monitoring control room. The server 228 can obtain the real-time image / video captured by the UAV camera 212 directly from the UAV transceiver 214 and the network 224 or via the vehicle 226. The monitoring operator can analyze the real-time image / video and can detect the presence of the target user / vehicle in the real-time image / video based on the analysis. In response to detecting the presence of the target user / vehicle in the real-time image / video, the monitoring operator can cause the server 228 to generate a second trigger signal and transmit the second trigger signal to the UAV transceiver 214 directly via the network 224 or via the vehicle 226 to cause the UAV 208 to follow the target user / vehicle.

[0050] The vehicle 226 may be the same as the vehicle 102 and may include one or more components and units, including but not limited to a vehicle transceiver 230, a vehicle memory 232, a vehicle camera 234, a sound system 236, a vehicle microphone 238, and a vehicle network controller or a vehicle controller 240. The vehicle transceiver 230 may be configured to receive / transmit data, signals, information, images / video, etc., from / to external devices such as the UAV 208 and / or the server 228 via the network 224.

[0051] The vehicle camera 234 may be an outward-facing vehicle camera that may be configured to capture images / videos of a geographic area near the vehicle 226. The vehicle memory 232 may be configured to store data, signals, information, images / videos, etc. received by the vehicle transceiver 230 and / or images / videos captured by the vehicle camera 234. The sound system 236 may be configured to output audio or alarms based on commands or trigger signals received by the vehicle transceiver 230 from the UAV 208 and / or the server 228. The vehicle microphone 238 may be configured to capture sound signals near the vehicle 226 and transmit the sound signals to the vehicle memory 232 for storage purposes or to the UAV 208 and / or the server 228 via the vehicle transceiver 230. The vehicle controller 240 may be configured to provide the UAV 208 with a wireless network or accessibility to the network 224. For example, the UAV 208 may utilize vehicle Wi-Fi via the vehicle controller 240 (and the network controller 220).

[0052] In operation, when the server operator may detect a target user / vehicle or an undesired activity in a geographic area where the UAV 208 may be located based on the real-time image / video obtained by the server 228 from the UAV camera 212, the UAV transceiver 214 may receive a second trigger signal from the server 228. In some aspects, the UAV transceiver 214 may receive the second trigger signal directly from the server 228 via the network 224. In other aspects, the server 228 may send the second trigger signal to the vehicle transceiver 230 via the network 224, and the vehicle transceiver 230 may transmit the second trigger signal to the UAV transceiver 214. In response to receiving the second trigger signal, the UAV transceiver 214 may send the second trigger signal to the UAV processor 242.

[0053] In an additional aspect, as described above, the UAV processor 242 may obtain a first trigger signal from the image processing module 222 when the image processing module 222 detects that a target user / vehicle may be present in a real-time image / video captured by the UAV camera 212 .

[0054] In response to obtaining the first trigger signal or the second trigger signal, the UAV processor 242 may cause the UAV 208 to be lifted from the base 308 (when the UAV 208 may be resting on the base 308), and manipulate the UAV to move to follow the target user / vehicle and capture the target user / vehicle image. When the UAV 208 may not be resting on the base 308 and is flying in the air, the UAV processor 242 may directly manipulate the UAV to move to follow the target user / vehicle and capture the target user / vehicle image. Figure 4A An exemplary snapshot of UAV 208 capturing an image of a target user / vehicle is shown in FIG.

[0055] like Figure 4A As shown in , in response to obtaining the first / second trigger signal, the UAV 208 can move closer to the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 to capture the target user / vehicle image. In some aspects, the tether connection unit 206 can include a tether reel that can extend the tether length when the UAV 208 follows the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404. For example, when the UAV 208 may need to move away from the tether connection unit 206 to follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404, the UAV 208 can "pull" the tether 204 from the tether reel. In this way, the UAV 208 can travel a considerable distance away from the tether connection unit 206 (and therefore away from the vehicle 226) to follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 while still attached to the tether 204.

[0056] In some aspects, the vehicle 226 may also move closer to the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 to enable the UAV 208 to follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 and capture the target user / vehicle image (e.g., when the power of the UAV battery 216 may be below a predefined threshold). In this case, if the vehicle 226 is a manually driven vehicle and / or is configured and / or programmed to operate in one or more partially autonomous modes, the vehicle operator (not shown) may move the vehicle 226 closer to the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404. If the vehicle 226 is a fully autonomous (e.g., unmanned) vehicle, the UAV 208 and / or the server 228 may send a command signal to the vehicle 226 to move the vehicle 226 closer to the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404. When the UAV 208 may be following the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404, the vehicle and UAV movements may be synchronized to ensure that the vehicle 226 and the UAV 208 stay together.

[0057] In other aspects, the vehicle 226 may be stationary and may not move closer to the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404. In this case, only the UAV 208 may follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404.

[0058] When the UAV 208 may be following the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404, the UAV 208 may capture the target user / vehicle images via the UAV camera 212, and may transmit the captured images to the vehicle transceiver 230 via the UAV transceiver 214 and the network 224. In some aspects, the UAV 208 may also transmit the images to the vehicle 226 via the tether 204. In additional aspects, the vehicle 226 may also capture the target user / vehicle images and / or images of the geographic area proximate to the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 via the vehicle camera 234. The vehicle 226 may store the target user / vehicle images obtained from the UAV 208 (and the images captured by the vehicle camera 234) in the vehicle memory 232. The vehicle 226 may also transmit the stored target user / vehicle images to the server 228 and / or an additional server (not shown) associated with the authorities (e.g., the police) via the vehicle transceiver 230 and the network 224 for recording purposes. In an alternative aspect, the UAV 208 may transmit the target user / vehicle image directly to the server 228 and / or additional server without routing the image via the vehicle 226.

[0059] In an additional aspect, when the vehicle 226 receives the target user / vehicle image from the UAV 208, the vehicle microphone 238 may capture sound signals originating from the geographic area near the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404. In this case, the vehicle 226 can store the captured sound signals in the vehicle memory 232, and can transmit the sound signals to the server 228 and / or an additional server for recording purposes. In another aspect, when the vehicle 226 receives the target user / vehicle image from the UAV 208, or when the UAV 208 receives the first trigger signal or the second trigger signal as described above, the vehicle 226 can activate the sound system 236. In the latter case, when the UAV 208 receives the first trigger signal or the second trigger signal, the UAV 208 can send a command signal to the vehicle transceiver 230 via the UAV transceiver 214 and the network 224. The vehicle 226 may activate the sound system 236 in response to receiving a command signal from the UAV 208 , thereby alerting and indicating the presence of the target vehicle 402 and / or target user 404 to users near the vehicle 226 .

[0060] In yet another aspect, the UAV 208 and / or vehicle 226 may be wirelessly connected to a store or parking lot sound system or flashing light system (not shown) (if the monitoring system 200 is installed near the store or parking lot), and the store / parking lot sound system and / or flashing light system may be activated when the UAV 208 may be following a target vehicle 402 and / or a target user 404. The UAV 208 and / or vehicle 226 may additionally (or alternatively) activate their respective flashing light or LED systems (not shown) when the UAV 208 may be following a target vehicle 402 and / or a target user 404.

[0061] In another aspect, when the UAV 208 may be following the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404, the UAV processor 242 may be configured to determine whether the tether 204 may be fully extended from the tether roll and may not be extended further. In other words, when the UAV 208 may be following the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404, the UAV processor 242 may be configured to determine that the distance between the UAV 208 and the tether connection unit 206 may be equal to the maximum tether length. The UAV processor 242 may also be configured to determine that the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 may be moving further away from the UAV 208, and the UAV 208 may be required to continue to follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404.

[0062] In response to determining that the tether 204 may be fully extended and the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 may be moving further away from the UAV 208, the UAV processor 242 may cause the UAV 208 to detach from the tether 204 and follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404. In this case, the UAV processor 242 may unlock the electromagnetic locking mechanism disposed at the proximal end 118 of the tether in response to detecting that the tether 204 may be fully extended (as described above in conjunction with the Figure 1 Description) to enable UAV 208 to separate from tether 204.

[0063] Although the above description describes aspects in which the UAV processor 242 causes the UAV 208 to separate from the tether 204, in alternative aspects, the vehicle 226 may determine that the tether 204 may be fully extended. In this case, the vehicle 226 may unlock the electromagnetic locking mechanism (e.g., by sending / transmitting an unlock command signal to the electromagnetic locking mechanism via the vehicle transceiver 230), thereby separating the tether 204 from the UAV 208.

[0064] In some aspects, the tether connection unit 206 may also include an electric motor (not shown) that can automatically retract the tether 204 into the tether reel when the UAV 208 is separated from the tether 204.

[0065] In some aspects, the UAV processor 242 may detach the UAV 208 from the tether 204 when the UAV battery 216 may have a stored energy greater than a predefined energy threshold. If the UAV processor 242 determines that the UAV battery 216 may have a stored energy less than the predefined energy threshold, the UAV processor 242 may not detach the UAV 208 from the tether 204 until an override command signal may be obtained from the vehicle 226 or the server 228. In such a case, when the monitoring operator still wants the UAV 208 to follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 even though the UAV battery 216 may have a low stored energy, the monitoring operator may transmit the override command signal to the UAV transceiver 214 directly via the server 228 or via the vehicle 226.

[0066] Figure 4B An exemplary snapshot of UAV 208 following target vehicle 402 is shown in FIG. Figure 4BAs shown, when the target vehicle 402 may be moving away, the UAV 208 may be detached from the tether 204. While the UAV 208 may be following the target vehicle 402, the UAV 208 may continue to capture target vehicle images (or record video) and store the captured images in the UAV memory 218, and / or transmit the target vehicle images to the vehicle 226 or the server 228 (when the UAV 208 has access to the network 224). In some aspects, while the UAV 208 may be following the target vehicle 402, the UAV 208 may additionally transmit the UAV geolocation to the vehicle 226 or the server 228 via a UAV global positioning system (GPS) receiver (not shown) for recording purposes.

[0067] The UAV 208 can use the image processing module 222 and the license plate information of the target vehicle 402 (which can be provided by the server 228 or the vehicle 226, or can be pre-stored in the UAV memory 218) to "lock on" to the target vehicle 402, and continue to follow the target vehicle 402 when the target vehicle 402 may be moving. In additional aspects, when the UAV 208 may be following the target vehicle 402, the UAV 208 can use the UAV camera 212 and the image processing module 222 to capture and identify additional vehicle details. The additional vehicle details may include, for example, the vehicle model, vehicle year, brand, etc. The UAV 208 can store the additional vehicle details in the UAV memory 218, and / or transmit the additional vehicle details to the vehicle 226, the server 228, and / or a server associated with an authority (e.g., the police) via the UAV transceiver 214 and the network 224 for recording purposes.

[0068] When the UAV 208 may have completed following the target vehicle 402, the UAV 208 may return to the base 104 and rest near the tether connection unit 206. In an exemplary aspect, the UAV 208 may return to the base 104 when the battery charge of the UAV battery 216 may be below a predefined threshold, or when the UAV transceiver 214 receives a return command signal from the vehicle 226 or the server 228, or when the distance traveled by the UAV 208 may be the maximum allowable distance that the UAV 208 can fly in a detached state. The vehicle 226 may determine that the UAV 208 may have returned to the base 104 based on input received from the vehicle camera 234. In response to determining that the UAV 208 may have returned to the base 104, the vehicle 226 may reattach or relock the electromagnetic locking mechanism with the UAV 208, thereby reattaching the tether 204 to the UAV 208. When the UAV 208 can be reattached to the tether 204, the UAV 208 can be powered or energized again and the power can be stored in the UAV battery 216.

[0069] In some aspects, the vehicle 226 may also include a housing (not shown) that may be powered, may be removably attached to the base 104, and may be configured to house and secure the UAV 208 while the UAV 208 may be charged or powered or when the UAV 208 (or vehicle 226) may be transported.

[0070] In another aspect, when the vehicle 226 leaves the monitoring site (e.g., when the vehicle 226 may be moving from one monitoring site to another), the UAV 208 can fly into an interior portion of the vehicle (e.g., into the shell described above) and the UAV nest 210 can be fully retracted using the telescoping mechanism 310, thereby achieving efficient vehicle movement.

[0071] Monitoring system 200 may include additional components or units, or may perform functions not described herein. Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4A and Figure 4B 206 and / or additional operations described above. For example, in an exemplary aspect, monitoring system 200 can additionally or alternatively (e.g., as an alternative to UAV 208) include a balloon and a balloon tether. The balloon tether can have a balloon tether proximal end and a balloon tether distal end. The balloon tether distal end can be connected to tether connection unit 206, and the balloon tether proximal end can be connected to the balloon.

[0072] The balloon may include a balloon camera configured to capture images / video of a geographic area in which the balloon may be located. The balloon tether may provide power to the balloon camera, or the balloon camera may be battery operated. In the latter case, a balloon tether may not be required to deliver power to the balloon camera.

[0073] When the monitoring system 200 includes both the UAV 208 and the balloon, the balloon tether and the tether 204 may be on the same "tether roll". In this case, the balloon tether roll may be disposed below the tether roll so that the tether 204 may not break the balloon tether when the tether 204 is extended or retracted, and the balloon may continue to fly even if the UAV 208 moves and follows the target user 404 / vehicle 402. This arrangement of the balloon tether roll and the tether roll may also enable efficient management of the tether 204 when the UAV 208 may be detached from the tether 204, when the tether 204 may be retracted into the tether roll by the electric motor. For example, instead of the tether 204 falling to the ground when the UAV 208 may be detached from the tether 204, the balloon tether may "hold" the tether 204 above the ground while the electric motor may be retracting the tether 204, thereby achieving efficient retraction of the tether 204. In an additional aspect, the tether 204 may also be retracted and rolled inside the UAV body so that the tether 204 does not fall to the ground.

[0074] In further aspects, the balloon can act as an antenna when the network controller 220 can provide access to a network 224 (e.g., WiFi, cellular, UWB, Bluetooth, etc.) to multiple user devices in close proximity to the balloon or UAV 208 (e.g., in a parking lot or construction site). In other words, the balloon and UAV 208 can act as a "mobile hotspot" to enable multiple user devices in close proximity to the balloon or UAV 208 to access the network 224. In this way, the monitoring system 200 can assist with geo-fencing, asset tracking, or providing network accessibility to user devices that may not be able to access the network 224.

[0075] In additional aspects, while the UAV 208 may be following a target vehicle 402 and / or a target user 404 , if the target user 404 attempts to attack the UAV 208 , the UAV 208 may execute an invasive flight mode.

[0076] In yet another aspect, the UAV 208 may include a suction cup or electromagnetic attachment device that may attach to the target vehicle 402 when the UAV 208 may be following the target vehicle 402. In this case, the UAV 208 may save power or energy required for flight by attaching itself to the target vehicle 402 via the suction cup or electromagnetic attachment device. When the target vehicle 402 may stop moving or when the target vehicle door may open, the UAV 208 may fly again or become airborne.

[0077] In other aspects, the vehicle 226 (with the monitoring system 200) can patrol a geographic area that the monitoring operator may desire to monitor, and thus can achieve monitoring of a wide area. In some aspects, the vehicle 226 can patrol the wide area in a predetermined pattern. In other aspects, the vehicle 226 can patrol the wide area when undesirable activities (e.g., shootings) may be detected in a particular portion of the wide area. In yet another aspect, the vehicle 226 can be repositioned based on the density of vehicles in the parking lot (e.g., if the vehicle 226 is placed in the parking lot). In this case, the vehicle 226 can be repositioned to a location in the parking lot where the density of parked vehicles may be greater than a threshold density.

[0078] In addition, although Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4A , Figure 4B An aspect in which the vehicle 226 includes a single UAV 208 is depicted, but in other aspects, the vehicle 226 can be attached to more than one UAV, thereby enabling the vehicle 226 to track / monitor multiple vehicles in the parking lot at the same time, or to monitor different locations of the wide area at the same time. In this case, the vehicle 226 can automatically determine whether the vehicle 226 needs to deploy additional UAVs based on the density of vehicles entering or leaving the parking lot or the count of activities detected in the wide area within a predefined duration. The vehicle 226 can also be configured to remove the image / video from the vehicle memory 232 when the UAV transmits the captured image / video to the vehicle 226, and no motion or activity may be detected in the captured image / video. In this way, when the vehicle 226 can be attached to multiple UAVs, the vehicle 226 can save the memory in the vehicle memory 232. While the vehicle 226 may be performing surveillance of a store or shop, the vehicle 226 may selectively remove those images / videos from the vehicle memory 232 where a customer may be detected leaving the store with a smaller number of shopping items or lower value items (as detected by the vehicle camera 234 and / or the UAV camera 212). In some aspects, the vehicle 226 may deploy or retract one or more of the plurality of UAVs based on the respective charge or battery storage levels of the UAVs.

[0079] In additional aspects, the vehicle 226 (including the monitoring system 200) can be deployed in a park, home, or community to drive away unwanted animals (e.g., geese, ducks, etc.). In this case, the UAV 208 can drive away the unwanted animals when they may enter the park, community, or home perimeter.

[0080] In another aspect, the vehicle 226 (including the monitoring system 200) can be used to perform infrastructure inspections. For example, the vehicle 226 can travel (automatically or manually driven) along the highway segment to each overpass, and the UAV 208 can capture close-up views / images of the bridge structure and transmit the images to the vehicle 226 or server 228 for inspection purposes. When the image may be captured, the UAV 208 can return to the vehicle 226, and the vehicle 226 can then move to another overpass on the highway segment for inspection. The vehicle 226 (including the monitoring system 200) can similarly help inspect dams, power or telephone lines, etc.

[0081] The vehicle 226 (including the monitoring system 200) may additionally assist in worksite monitoring or inspection. For example, the vehicle 226 may be deployed at a worksite, and the UAV 208 may assist in monitoring and identifying the location of tools, equipment, machines, workers, etc. on the worksite based on images captured by the UAV camera 212. In some aspects, the UAV 208 may additionally be equipped with a magnet or "claw" at the bottom portion of the UAV that may assist in transporting tools between the vehicle 226 and workers at the worksite based on input provided by a monitoring operator.

[0082] In yet another aspect, if the vehicle 226 (including the monitoring system 200) is deployed at a store or shop, the monitoring system 200 may be enabled to identify repeat shoppers based on images of "repeat shoppers" that may be pre-stored in the UAV memory 218 or transmitted to the UAV 208 from the server 228. In this case, in response to identifying a repeat shopper based on images captured by the UAV camera 212 and by using the image processing module 222, the UAV processor 242 may transmit a pre-stored message to a user device associated with the repeat shopper (via the UAV transceiver 214, the vehicle 226, or the server 228). In this case, the contact information of the user device associated with the repeat shopper may be pre-stored in the UAV memory 218, the vehicle memory 232, and / or the server 228. The pre-stored message may include, for example, a thank you message, a targeted coupon, a discount coupon, etc. In addition, in this case, the UAV 208 may not monitor for unwanted activities against repeat shoppers, but may monitor other users near the store to detect any unwanted activities.

[0083] Although the above description describes aspects of monitoring system 200 being attached to or mounted on vehicle 226 , the present disclosure is not limited to monitoring system 200 being mounted on vehicle 226 . Figure 5 Exemplary aspects of monitoring system 200 are depicted without vehicle 226 and described below.

[0084] Figure 5 An exemplary snapshot of a monitoring system installed on a building 502 (which may be a building under construction) in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 5 The monitoring system depicted in FIG. 5 can be the same as monitoring system 200 and can include a base 504, a power supply and tether connection unit 506, and a UAV 508. Base 504 can be the same as base 104 and can be mounted on a top portion of a building (or any other building portion), such as a base 504. Figure 5 In this case, the base 504 may not be mounted on the vehicle 226, and Figure 5 The monitoring system may not require vehicle 226 to operate.

[0085] Power source and tether connection unit 506 may be the same as power source 202 and tether connection unit 206. In addition, UAV 508 may be the same as UAV 208. Figure 5 In the aspects depicted in FIG, UAV 208 can monitor and capture images of a geographic area near building 502, thereby assisting a surveillance operator in monitoring tools, personnel or workers, equipment, machinery, etc. that may be located in or near building 502.

[0086] exist Figure 5 In the aspect depicted in FIG. 5 , the power supply and tether connection unit 506 may obtain power from solar energy. In the event that the power supply and tether connection unit 506 may not be able to obtain power from solar energy (or may not obtain sufficient solar energy), the UAV 508 may only fly intermittently. In this case, the UAV 508 may fly at a predefined frequency (e.g., every 30 minutes), or may fly when unwanted activity or target users may be detected near the building 502 or when the vehicle may enter or leave the building premises or perimeter.

[0087] In other aspects, the power supply and tether connection unit 506 can obtain power from a building energy source or utility power, or can obtain power via a wireless charging pad or UAV nest 210. In this case, the UAV 508 can fly more frequently (e.g., once every 5 minutes), or can fly continuously for a preset duration (e.g., three hours, five hours, or seven hours).

[0088] The remaining components or units and their corresponding functionality are the same as those of the monitoring system 200 and are therefore not described here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness.

[0089] Figure 6 A flow chart of an exemplary monitoring method 600 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figures 1 to 5 ) to describe Figure 6The following process is exemplary and is not limited to the steps described below. Furthermore, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps shown or described herein, and may include the steps in an order different from that described in the example embodiments below.

[0090] refer to Figure 6 , at step 602, the method 600 may start. At step 604, the method 600 may include obtaining, by the UAV processor 242, a first trigger signal or a second trigger signal to follow a target object (e.g., a target user / vehicle). As described above, the UAV processor 242 may obtain the first trigger signal from the image processing module 222, and obtain the second trigger signal from the server 228 or the vehicle 226.

[0091] At step 606, the method 600 may include, in response to obtaining the first trigger signal or the second trigger signal, manipulating the UAV to move to follow the target object by the UAV processor 242. At step 608, the method 600 may include determining, by the UAV processor 242, that the distance between the UAV 208 and the tether connection unit 206 may be equal to the maximum tether length. In response to this determination, at step 610, the method 600 may include, by the UAV processor 242, detaching the UAV 208 from the tether 204, as described above.

[0092] The method 600 stops at step 612 .

[0093] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of the above disclosure, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present disclosure can be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc. in this specification indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but each embodiment may not necessarily include the specific features, structures, or characteristics. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when features, structures, or characteristics are described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures, or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0094] In addition, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed in one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and programs described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific system components. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that have different names but the same function.

[0095] It should also be understood that the word "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting in nature. More specifically, the word "example" used herein indicates one of several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the specific example described.

[0096] Computer-readable media (also referred to as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) media that participate in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions are executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0097] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes may be practiced by performing the described steps in an order different from that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of the processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0098] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Upon reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but should be determined with reference to the entire scope of the appended claims and equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and change.

[0099] Unless explicitly indicated to the contrary in this article, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meanings as understood by the skilled person described herein. Specifically, unless the claims state an explicit limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "one", "the", "said" and the like should be interpreted as describing one or more of the indicated elements. Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood in other ways within the context when used, conditional language such as, in particular, "can", "may", "can" or "may" is generally intended to express that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements and / or steps. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require each feature, element and / or step in any way.

[0100] According to an embodiment of the above invention, the tether connection unit is connected to the power source, and wherein the tether connection unit is configured to transfer power from the power source to the tether.

[0101] According to the embodiment of the above invention, obtaining the trigger signal includes obtaining the trigger signal from a server.

[0102] According to the embodiments of the above invention, the present invention is also characterized by: capturing an image of a geographic area near the UAV via a UAV camera; performing pixel analysis on the image by a UAV image processing module; and transmitting the image to an external storage device.

[0103] According to the embodiment of the above invention, the present invention is also characterized in that: the UAV image processing module determines whether a predefined condition is met based on the pixel analysis; and when the predefined condition is met, the UAV image processing module generates the trigger signal, wherein obtaining the trigger signal includes obtaining the trigger signal from the UAV image processing module.

[0104] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), cause the processor to: obtain a trigger signal to follow a target object, wherein: the UAV is removably attached to a tether proximal end of a tether, the UAV is configured to obtain power from the tether, the tether distal end of the tether is connected to a tether connection unit, and the tether is configured to obtain power from a power source via the tether connection unit; in response to obtaining the trigger signal, manipulate the UAV to move to follow the target object; when the UAV is following the target object, determine that the distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit is equal to the tether length; and separate the UAV from the tether when the distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit is equal to the tether length.

Claims

1. A monitoring system, comprising: power supply; a tether having a tether proximal end and a tether distal end, wherein the tether is configured to obtain power from the power source via a tether connection unit connected to the tether distal end; and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) removably attached to the proximal end of the tether, wherein the UAV is configured to obtain power from the tether, and wherein the UAV includes a processor configured to: Get a trigger signal to follow the target object; manipulating the UAV to move to follow the target object in response to obtaining the trigger signal; When the UAV is following the target object, determining that the distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit is equal to the tether length; and When the distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit is equal to the tether length, the UAV is separated from the tether.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring system is mounted on a vehicle.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring system is installed on a building.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a solar panel and a battery pack.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the tether connection unit is connected to the power source, and wherein the tether connection unit is configured to transfer power from the power source to the tether.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the UAV further comprises: a camera configured to capture images of a geographic area near the UAV; an image processing module, the image processing module being configured to perform pixel analysis on the image; and A transceiver is configured to transmit the image to an external storage device.

7. The monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the image processing module generates the trigger signal when the image processing module determines that a predefined condition is met based on the pixel analysis, and wherein the processor obtains the trigger signal from the image processing module.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processor obtains the trigger signal from a server.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a UAV nest, wherein the UAV nest comprises: an elongated body having a body proximal end and a body distal end, wherein the body distal end is connected to the tether connection unit; and A base is connected to the proximal end of the body, wherein the UAV is configured to rest on the base.

10. The monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the UAV nest further comprises a telescoping mechanism configured to enable a user to adjust the length of the elongated body.

11. The monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising: balloon; and a balloon tether having a balloon tether proximal end and a balloon tether distal end, wherein the balloon is connected to the balloon tether via the balloon tether proximal end, and wherein the balloon tether distal end is connected to the tether connection unit.

12. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the UAV further comprises a network controller configured to provide a wireless network to a plurality of user devices.

13. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the tether connection unit comprises an electric motor configured to retract the tether when the UAV is separated from the tether.

14. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a base, wherein the power source and the tether connection unit are attached to the base.

15. A monitoring method, comprising: A trigger signal is obtained by a processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to follow a target object, wherein: The UAV is removably attached to a tether proximal end of the tether, The UAV is configured to obtain power from the tether, The tether distal end of the tether is connected to a tether connection unit, and The tether is configured to obtain the power from a power source via the tether connection unit; In response to obtaining the trigger signal, the processor controls the UAV to move to follow the target object; When the UAV is following the target object, determining, by the processor, that a distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit is equal to a tether length; and When the distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit is equal to the length of the tether, the processor separates the UAV from the tether.

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