SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM AND PROCEDURES

Abstract

A surveillance system is disclosed. The surveillance system may include a power source, a tether, and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The tether may have a proximal and a distal tether end. The tether may receive power from the power source via a tether connection unit attached to the distal tether end. The UAV may be removably attached to the proximal tether end and configured to receive power from the tether. The UAV may receive a trigger signal to follow a target object. In response to receiving the trigger signal, the UAV may maneuver to follow the target object. The UAV may additionally determine that a distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit may be equivalent to one tether length if the UAV is able to follow the target object.The UAV can detach itself from the tow rope if the distance can correspond to the length of the tow rope.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0001] The present disclosure relates to surveillance systems and methods, and more particularly to surveillance systems and methods that utilize an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform surveillance of a geographic area. GENERAL STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Surveillance systems are typically installed to monitor a geographical area, such as a parking lot, building entrances or exits, interior or exterior sections of stores, etc. Such systems generally include cameras that capture images of geographical areas and transmit the images to a remote storage or control unit. A surveillance operator can monitor the captured images and can trigger the surveillance system to issue an alarm if a malicious user or unwanted activity is detected in the geographical area.

[0003] Conventional surveillance systems are permanently installed in buildings, businesses, etc., and therefore provide the operator with limited flexibility to move or temporarily install the systems. For example, if the operator wishes to temporarily install a surveillance system in a geographical area where an event (e.g., a motor racing event or a sporting event) is taking place, conventional surveillance systems may provide limited benefits.

[0004] Mobile surveillance systems are known that can be temporarily installed in geographical areas. Such mobile surveillance systems can include cameras, an on-board power source, and wheels that can allow the systems to be moved from one location to another, allowing the operator to conveniently move surveillance systems and install them at different locations based on operator requirements. While mobile surveillance systems can provide advantages to the operator, such systems can be expensive and complex to install. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present disclosure describes surveillance systems and methods using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or a drone. The system may be attached or mounted on a vehicle bed. The system may include a base, one or more solar panel units or renewable energy source units, a battery pack, a tether connection unit, a tether, and a UAV having UAV cameras. The solar panel units, the battery pack, and the tether connection unit may be attached to the base. The battery pack may obtain power from the solar panel unit or the vehicle batteries. The battery pack may provide power to the tether connection unit, and the tether connection unit may transmit the power to the tether.The tether can connect the tether connection unit to the UAV and can be configured to transmit power from the tether connection unit to the UAV, thereby powering the UAV. The UAV can capture images of a geographic area where the surveillance system / vehicle may be located using the UAV cameras, if the UAV can be powered. 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. The UAV may be connected to the tether if the UAV is capable of flying. The tether may be extendable, allowing the UAV to fly a substantial distance from the tether connection unit while remaining connected to the tether.

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

[0008] In some aspects, if the UAV can track the target object, the vehicle can also track the target object. In this way, the vehicle can assist the UAV in capturing images of the target object.

[0009] In additional aspects, the surveillance system may include a UAV nest, which may include a resting pad on which the UAV can rest when the UAV cannot track the target object or when the UAV cannot fly. The UAV can conserve power required for flight when the UAV can rest on the resting pad. The UAV nest may further include a telescoping mechanism that a system operator can adjust to adjust the height of the resting pad and / or retract the resting pad close to the base when the resting pad may not be needed or when the surveillance system or vehicle may be en route.

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

[0011] The present disclosure is directed to a surveillance system and method. The surveillance system can be conveniently moved and temporarily installed at any geographic location where an operator may desire to conduct surveillance. For example, the operator can install the surveillance system on a vehicle and move or dispatch the vehicle to any desired location and conduct surveillance. Furthermore, because the surveillance system uses a UAV for surveillance, surveillance is not stationary and is more efficient and secure because the UAV can easily follow a target object and transmit target object images. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The detailed description is presented with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical elements. Different elements and / or components than those illustrated in the drawings may be used for different embodiments, and some elements and / or components may not be present in different embodiments. The elements and / or components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout the disclosure, the singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context. Fig. 1 illustrates an example of an environment in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed in this document may be implemented. Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example monitoring system according to the present disclosure. Fig. 3 illustrates an example of a surveillance system with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) nest according to the present disclosure. Fig. 4A illustrates an example snapshot of a UAV capturing images of a target object in accordance with the present disclosure. Fig. 4B illustrates an example snapshot of a UAV following a target object according to the present disclosure. Fig. 5 illustrates an example snapshot of a monitoring system installed on a building according to the present disclosure. Fig. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an example monitoring method according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The disclosure is described in more detail below in this specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown and are not intended to be limiting.

[0014] Fig. 1 illustrates an example environment 100 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. Further, the vehicle 102 may include a powertrain, such as, for example, a gasoline engine, one or more electrically actuated motors, a hybrid system, etc. Furthermore, 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 partial autonomy modes, which may include driver assistance technologies or remote guidance.

[0015] In the Fig. 1, the vehicle 102 may be a truck on which a monitoring system (in Fig. 2 as monitoring system 200). In particular, the vehicle 102 may include a loading bed upon which a monitoring system base 104 may be attached or mounted. The base 104 may include an array of a plurality of attachment connectors or openings 106 into which a plurality of monitoring system components or units may be "locked" to the base 104. For example, a plurality of monitoring system units, such as one or more solar panel cubes or units 108 or other similar renewable power source units, one or more battery packs 110, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tethering and power delivery unit 112 (hereinafter referred to as a tether connection unit 112), etc., may be locked or attached to the base 104 via the plurality of openings 106.The solar panel unit 108, the battery pack 110, and the tether connection unit 112 may collectively be part of the surveillance system. The surveillance system may further include a drone or UAV 114 and a tether 116 that can connect the UAV 114 to the tether connection unit 112. The UAV 114 may include one or more onboard UAV cameras (in . Fig. 2 as UAV camera 212) that can capture images and / or videos of a geographical area in which the vehicle 102 or the surveillance system may be located or a geographical area near the UAV 114.

[0016] In some aspects, the solar panel units 108 and the battery pack 110 may be connected to each other so that the solar panel units 108 may transfer energy or power (which the solar panel units 108 may generate using solar energy) to the battery pack 110 for storage purposes. In an example aspect, when the vehicle 102 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV), the battery pack 110 may also receive energy or power from a vehicle battery (not shown). Further, the tether connection unit 112 may be connected to the battery pack 110 and configured to obtain power from the battery pack 110. The tether connection unit 112 may be further 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 may be configured to receive power from the tether connection unit 112 via the tether 116.

[0017] In particular, the tether 116 may include a proximal tether end 118 and a distal tether end 120. The tether 116 may be connected to the tether connection unit 112 via the distal tether end 120, as shown in Fig. 1. The tether 116 can obtain power from the tether connection unit 112 (i.e., the power that the tether connection unit 112 obtains from the battery pack 110) via the distal tether end 120. The tether 116 can transmit the obtained power to the UAV 114 via the proximal tether end 118.

[0018] In some aspects, the UAV 114 may be removably connected or attached to the tether 116 via the proximal tether end 118, which may provide power to the UAV 114. The proximal tether end 118 may include a locking mechanism (not shown) that may enable the proximal tether end 118 to be removably attached to the UAV 114. In some aspects, the locking mechanism may be an electromagnetic locking mechanism that may be configured to inductively charge the UAV 114 or to transfer power to the UAV 114 via the tether 116.

[0019] The UAV 114 may include one or more on-board components or units, including, but not limited to, the on-board UAV cameras, a network controller (in Fig. 2 as network controller 220), an image processing module (in Fig. 2 as image processing module 222), on-board light-emitting diode (LED) floodlights (not shown), on-board infrared illuminators (not shown), and / or the like. The network controller may provide wireless communication capabilities to the UAV 114 and enable the UAV 114 to send images / videos captured by the on-board UAV cameras to a vehicle memory (in Fig. 2 as vehicle memory 232) and / or one or more external servers via a network (in Fig. 2 as network 224). The external server may be associated with a surveillance control room or a surveillance operator, which may analyze the images / videos captured by the on-board UAV cameras and determine whether a malicious user may be present in the geographical area in which the vehicle 102 / surveillance system may be located. The surveillance operator may additionally determine, based on the images / videos captured by the on-board UAV cameras, whether unwanted activity (e.g., theft activity, attack activity, etc.) may be occurring in the geographical area. The surveillance operator may transmit a trigger signal to the UAV 114 via the external server and the vehicle 102 to "follow" the malicious user or a target vehicle (e.g.,, if the unwanted activity is associated with the theft of a vehicle) when such a target user or such unwanted activity is detected. The monitoring operator may additionally transmit target user or vehicle details, e.g., user images, vehicle license plate numbers, user / vehicle location information, etc., to the UAV 114 so that the UAV 114 can track the target user.

[0020] 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.

[0021] In response to receiving the trigger signal and the target user / vehicle details, the UAV 114 may use the image processing module to locate the target user / vehicle within the geographic area (e.g., by performing pixel analysis of images / videos captured by the UAV's onboard camera) and follow the target user / vehicle to capture target user / vehicle images or videos. In some aspects, the tether 116 may be extendable, and thus the UAV 114 may remain connected to the tether 116 and follow the target user / vehicle if the target user / vehicle may be moving (e.g., walking or driving the target vehicle).

[0022] In some aspects, the UAV 114 may be further configured to determine whether the tether 116 is fully extended and the target user / vehicle can still move. For example, the UAV 114 may determine whether a distance between the UAV 114 and the tether connection unit 112 may correspond to a maximum tether length and the UAV 114 may still need to follow the moving target user / vehicle. In response to such a determination, the UAV 114 may detach from the tether 116 and continue to follow the target user / vehicle and capture the target user / vehicle images or record videos. In this case, an onboard UAV battery (in Fig. 2 as UAV battery 216) can supply power to the UAV 114 when the UAV 114 can be detached from the tether 116. In this way, the UAV 114 can capture images or record videos of the target user / vehicle even if the target user / vehicle moves away from the geographic area.

[0023] The surveillance system as disclosed herein is a movable surveillance system that can be moved from one location to another and temporarily installed at any location based on surveillance requirements. For example, if a user wishes to temporarily install the surveillance system in a geographic area where a sporting event may take place, the user can park the vehicle 102 including the surveillance system at a desired location within the geographic area and perform surveillance of the geographic area. After the sporting event concludes, the user can remove the vehicle 102 including the surveillance system from the geographic area. In this way, the user can easily install (or remove) the surveillance system at any location based on surveillance requirements.In some aspects, the user may physically install (e.g., park) and / or remove the vehicle 102 from the desired location. In other aspects, the vehicle 102 may be an autonomous vehicle that can park itself at the desired location based on instructions remotely transmitted to the vehicle 102.

[0024] Although the above description describes an aspect in which the UAV 114 follows the target user / vehicle, in additional aspects, the vehicle 102 may also follow the target user / vehicle based on the trigger signal obtained from the external server to enable the UAV 114 to conveniently capture the target user / vehicle images. Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the aspect in which the UAV 114 obtains the trigger signal from the external server to follow the target user / vehicle. In some aspects, the UAV 114 may follow the target user / vehicle based on the target user / vehicle details stored in a UAV memory (in Fig. 2 as UAV memory 218). In this case, the UAV 114 may follow the target user / vehicle if the image processing module determines that the target user / vehicle may be present in the geographical area based on the pixel analysis of the images / videos captured by the UAV camera and the target user / vehicle details that may be pre-stored in the UAV memory. For example, if a vehicle "A" is known to be a stolen vehicle, the license plate information of the vehicle "A" may be pre-stored (e.g., by the surveillance operator or authorities / police) in the UAV memory. If the image processing module (e.g.,If the UAV 114 determines (by comparing the stored license plate information with vehicle license plate information as determined by pixel analysis of the images / videos captured by the UAV camera) that vehicle “A” may be present in the geographical area, the image processing module may cause the UAV 114 to follow vehicle “A”.

[0025] Furthermore, although Fig. 1 illustrates an aspect in which a vehicle tailgate 122 is in the open state, the monitoring system may also be operated when the vehicle tailgate 122 is in the closed state (as in the example snapshots of Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B, which are described later in the description below.) In other words, the monitoring system can operate equally efficiently regardless of whether the tailgate is closed or open.

[0026] The vehicle 102 and the monitoring system may implement and / or perform operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the operating instructions and safety guidelines.

[0027] Further structural and functional details of the monitoring system are given below in conjunction with Fig. 2-5 described.

[0028] Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary monitoring system 200 according to the present disclosure. The monitoring system 200 may be the same as that described in connection with Fig. 1 described monitoring system. During the description of Fig. 2 can be Fig. 3, Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B may be referred to.

[0029] The monitoring system 200 may include a power source 202, a tether 204, a tether connection unit 206, a UAV 208, and a UAV nest 210. The power source 202 may be a combination of the solar panel unit 108 and the battery pack 110 described above in connection with Fig. 1. The tether 204 may be the same tether 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 upon which the UAV 208 can "rest" when the UAV 208 cannot follow the target user / vehicle. The UAV 208 may reduce power / energy consumption when the UAV 208 can rest on the UAV nest 210, since the power required to enable the UAV 208 to fly can be conserved when the UAV 208 can rest on the UAV nest 210.

[0030] An exemplary snapshot of the surveillance system 200 with the UAV nest 210 is shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the UAV nest 210 may include an elongated body 302 having a distal body end 304 and a proximal body end 306. The distal body end 304 may be attached to the tether connection unit 206. The UAV nest 210 may further include a resting place 308 that may be attached to the proximal body end 306. The resting place 308 may be a square or rectangular plate (or a circular or any other polygonal-shaped plate) or a base upon which the UAV 208 may rest when the UAV 208 cannot fly (e.g., when the UAV 208 cannot follow the target user / vehicle). The UAV 208 can still capture images / videos of the geographical area in which the surveillance system 200 may be located by using the on-board UAV camera when the UAV 208 can rest on the resting place 308.

[0031] Resting place 308 may include one or more components or units (not shown) that may be attached to or integrated with resting place 308. For example, resting place 308 may include solar panels to provide power to battery pack 110 or UAV 208, resting place cameras disposed on an underside of the resting place to capture images / videos of a geographic area near resting place 308, resting place lights on the underside of the resting place, and / or the like.

[0032] In some aspects, the UAV nest 210 may further include a telescoping mechanism 310 disposed on the elongated body 302, through which a system user may adjust the height of the elongated body based on monitoring requirements. For example, the user may increase the height of the elongated body when the user may desire the UAV 208 to capture images / videos of a large geographical area, and may decrease or lower the height of the elongated body when the user may desire the UAV 208 to capture images / videos of a relatively smaller geographical area when the UAV 208 may be resting on the resting place 308. The user may further fully retract the height of the elongated body when the user may not desire to use the UAV nest 210 or when the vehicle 226 may be in transit.

[0033] The UAV nest 210 may further include one or more tethers 312 (or cables, chains, and / or the like) that may connect the base 104 (or a portion of the base 104) to the elongated body 302. For example, the tethers 312 may connect the base 104 to a central portion of the elongated body or any other portion on the elongated body 302. The tethers 312 may provide support and structural integrity to the UAV nest 210 so that the UAV nest 210 can withstand various forces (e.g., gravity, wind force, etc.) that may be exerted on the UAV nest 210 when the surveillance system 200 may be installed or located in the geographic area. The present disclosure is not limited to the use of tethers. Cables, chains, or similar connecting means may be used in place of tethers without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0034] 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 a UAV camera 212), a UAV transceiver 214, a UAV battery 216, a UAV memory 218, a network controller 220, and an image processing module 222.

[0035] The UAV processor 242 may be in communication with one or more storage devices (e.g., the UAV memory 218 and / or one or more external databases located in Fig. 2 are not shown). The UAV processor 242 may utilize the UAV memory 218 to store programs in code and / or data for performing aspects according to the disclosure. The UAV memory 218 may be non-transitory computer-readable memory storing monitoring program code. The UAV memory 218 may include any one or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.) and 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.).

[0036] The UAV camera 212 may be configured to capture 360-degree images / videos of a geographic area near the UAV 208 or a location where the UAV 208 may be located. The UAV camera 212 may be an RGB camera and / or a near-infrared (NIR) camera. The UAV camera 212 may be a 1920 x 1080 resolution camera or a higher resolution camera. The UAV transceiver 214 may be configured to transmit or receive signals, data, images / videos, information, etc., to or from one or more external devices or storage via one or more networks 224.

[0037] The network(s) 224 illustrate(s) an example communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of this disclosure may communicate. The network(s) 224 may be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or another configuration operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Bluetooth ® , BLE ®, Wi-Fi based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, ultra-wideband (UWB) 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 just a few.

[0038] 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 connection with Fig. 1. The UAV 208 may use the power stored in the UAV battery 216 when the UAV 208 can be detached from the tether 204 and can follow the target user / vehicle.

[0039] The network controller 220 may be configured to provide wireless communication capabilities to the UAV 208. The network controller 220 may be further configured to provide a wireless network or access to the network 224 to a plurality of user devices that may be located within the geographic area in which the surveillance system 200 may be located. In particular, the network controller 220 may function as a "mobile hotspot" and allow the plurality of user devices to access the network 224 via the network controller 220.

[0040] The image processing module 222 may be an artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML)-based module configured to perform pixel analysis of real-time images / videos captured by the UAV camera 212 and, based on the pixel analysis, determine whether a predefined condition may be met. In one example aspect, the predefined condition may be met if the target user / vehicle can be detected in the real-time images / videos captured by the UAV camera 212. In this case, the UAV storage 218 may pre-store target user / vehicle details (e.g., target user images, 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 aspect 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.

[0041] The image processing module 222 may obtain the 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 images / videos captured by the UAV camera 212 (as identified via pixel analysis). 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 if the image processing module 222 detects, based on the comparison, that the target user / vehicle may be present in the real-time images / videos captured by the UAV camera 212. The aspect of the UAV 208 following the target user / vehicle will be described later in the description below.

[0042] In some aspects, the surveillance system 200 may be connected to a vehicle 226 and / or one or more servers 228 via the network 224. The server 228 may be associated with a surveillance operator or a surveillance control room. The server 228 may obtain the real-time images / videos captured by the UAV camera 212 directly from the UAV transceiver 214 and the network 224 or via the vehicle 226. The surveillance personnel may analyze the real-time images / videos and may detect the presence of the target user / vehicle in the real-time images / videos based on the analysis.In response to detecting the presence of the target user / vehicle in the real-time images / videos, the monitoring operator may cause the server 228 to generate a second trigger signal and transmit the second trigger signal directly via the network 224 or via the vehicle 226 to the UAV transceiver 214 to cause the UAV 208 to follow the target user / vehicle.

[0043] 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, vehicle cameras 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 / videos, etc., from / to external devices, such as the UAV 208 and / or the server 228, via the network 224.

[0044] The vehicle cameras 234 may be outward-facing vehicle cameras that may be configured to capture images / videos of a geographical area proximate 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 cameras 234. The sound system 236 may be configured to output audio content or an alarm based on command 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 audio signals in the vicinity of the vehicle 226 and transmit the audio signals via the vehicle transceiver 230 to the vehicle memory 232 or to the UAV 208 and / or the server 228 for storage purposes.The vehicle controller 240 may be configured to provide the UAV 208 with a wireless network or access to the network 224. For example, the UAV 208 may utilize vehicle Wi-Fi via the vehicle controller 240 (and the network controller 220).

[0045] In operation, the UAV transceiver 214 may receive the second trigger signal from the server 228 when the server operator can detect the target user / vehicle or unwanted activity in the geographic area where the UAV 208 may be located based on the real-time images / videos obtained by the server 228 from the UAV camera 212. 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 transmit 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 transmit the second trigger signal to the UAV processor 242.

[0046] In additional aspects, the UAV processor 242 may obtain the first trigger signal from the image processing module 222 when the image processing module 222 detects that the target user / vehicle may be present in the real-time images / videos captured by the UAV camera 212, as described above.

[0047] In response to receiving the first trigger signal or the second trigger signal, the UAV processor 242 may cause the UAV 208 to take off from the resting place 308 (if the UAV 208 can rest on the resting place 308) and maneuver the UAV movement to follow the target user / vehicle and capture target user / vehicle images. If the UAV 208 cannot rest on the resting place 308 and fly in the air, the UAV processor 242 may directly maneuver the UAV movement to follow the target user / vehicle and capture target user / vehicle images. An example snapshot of the UAV 208 capturing target user / vehicle images is shown in Fig. 4A shown.

[0048] As in Fig. 4A, in response to acquiring the first / second trigger signal, the UAV 208 may move close to a target vehicle 402 and / or a target user 404 to capture the target user / vehicle images. In some aspects, the tether connection unit 206 may include a tether pulley that may extend the tether length as the UAV 208 follows the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404. For example, the UAV 208 may "pull" the tether 204 from the tether pulley when the UAV 208 may require to move away from the tether connection unit 206 to follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404. In this way, the UAV 208 can move a substantial distance from the tether connection unit 206 (and thus the vehicle 226) to follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 while still attached to the tether 204.

[0049] 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 images (e.g., if the UAV battery 216 may have a power level 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 semi-autonomous modes, a 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., driverless) vehicle, the UAV 208 and / or the server 228 may send a command signal to the vehicle 226 to cause the vehicle 226 to move closer to 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 when the UAV 208 can follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404.

[0050] In other aspects, the vehicle 226 may be stationary and 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.

[0051] The UAV 208 may capture the target user / vehicle images via the UAV camera 212 when the UAV 208 can follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404, 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 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 a geographic area proximate the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 via the vehicle cameras 234. The vehicle 226 may store the target user / vehicle images acquired by the UAV 208 (and the images captured by the vehicle cameras 234) in the vehicle memory 232.The vehicle 226 may further transmit the stored target user / vehicle images via the vehicle transceiver 230 and the network 224 to the server 228 and / or to an additional server (not shown) associated with government agencies (e.g., the police) for record-keeping purposes. In alternative aspects, the UAV 208 may transmit the target user / vehicle images directly to the server 228 and / or the additional server without routing the images through the vehicle 226.

[0052] In additional aspects, the vehicle microphone 238 may capture audio signals emanating from the geographic area proximate the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 when the vehicle 226 receives the target user / vehicle images from the UAV 208. In this case, the vehicle 226 may store the captured audio signals in the vehicle memory 232 and may transmit the audio signals to the server 228 and / or the additional server for recording purposes. In yet another aspect, the vehicle 226 may activate the audio system 236 when the vehicle 226 receives the target user / vehicle images from the UAV 208 or when the UAV 208 receives the first trigger signal or the second trigger signal, as described above. In the latter case, the UAV 208 may send a command signal to the vehicle transceiver 230 via the UAV transceiver 214 and the network 224 when the UAV 208 receives the first or second trigger signal.The vehicle 226 may activate the sound system 236 in response to receiving the command signal from the UAV 208, thereby alerting and displaying to users in the vicinity of the vehicle 226 the presence of the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404.

[0053] In yet another aspect, the UAV 208 and / or the vehicle 226 may be wirelessly connected to a store's or parking lot's audio system or flashing light system (not shown) (if the surveillance system 200 is installed near the store or parking lot) and activate the store's / parking lot's audio system and / or flashing light system when the UAV 208 can follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404. The UAV 208 and / or the vehicle 226 may additionally (or alternatively) activate their respective flashing light or LED systems (not shown) when the UAV 208 can follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404.

[0054] In further aspects, when the UAV 208 can follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404, the UAV processor 242 can be configured to determine whether the tether 204 can be fully extended from the tether reel and cannot be extended any further. In other words, the UAV processor 242 can be configured to determine that a distance between the UAV 208 and the tether connection unit 206 can correspond to a maximum tether length when the UAV 208 can follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404. The UAV processor 242 may be further configured to determine that the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 may move further away from the UAV 208 and the UAV 208 may be required to continue following the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404.

[0055] In response to determining that the tether 204 may be fully extended and the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404 may move 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, in response to detecting that the tether 204 may be fully extended, the UAV processor 242 may deactivate the electromagnetic locking mechanism (discussed above in connection with Fig. 1) located at the proximal tether end 118 to allow the UAV 208 to detach from the tether 204.

[0056] Although the above description describes an aspect in which the UAV processor 242 causes the UAV 208 to release 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 cause the electromagnetic locking mechanism to be unlocked (e.g., by sending / transmitting an unlock command signal to the electromagnetic locking mechanism via the vehicle transceiver 230), thereby releasing the tether 204 from the UAV 208.

[0057] In some aspects, the tether connection unit 206 may further include an electric motor (not shown) that can automatically retract the tether 204 into the tether reel when the UAV 208 detaches from the tether 204.

[0058] In some aspects, the UAV processor 242 may cause the UAV 208 to detach from the tether 204 if the UAV battery 216 may have a stored energy above a predefined energy threshold. If the UAV processor 242 determines that the UAV battery 216 has a stored energy below the predefined energy threshold, the UAV processor 242 may not cause the UAV 208 to detach from the tether 204 until an override command signal can be obtained from the vehicle 226 or the server 228. In this case, the monitoring operator may transmit the override command signal directly to the UAV transceiver 214 via the server 228 or via the vehicle 226 if the monitoring operator desires the UAV 208 to follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404, even if the UAV battery 216 may have low storage energy.

[0059] An example snapshot of the UAV 208 following the target vehicle 402 is shown in Fig. 4B. As shown in Fig. 4B, the UAV 208 may detach from the tether 204 when the target vehicle 402 can move away. The UAV 208 may further capture (or record video) the target vehicle images 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 (if the UAV 208 can have access to the network 224) when the UAV 208 can follow the target vehicle 402. In some aspects, the UAV 208 may additionally transmit a UAV geolocation via a UAV global positioning system (GPS) receiver (not shown) to the vehicle 226 or the server 228 for record-keeping purposes when the UAV 208 can follow the target vehicle 402.

[0060] The UAV 208 may use the image processing module 222 and the license plate information of the target vehicle 402 (which may be provided by the server 228 or the vehicle 226, or may be pre-stored in the UAV memory 218) to "dock" with the target vehicle 402 and continue to follow the target vehicle 402 if the target vehicle 402 can move. In additional aspects, the UAV 208 may use the UAV camera 212 and the image processing module 222 to capture and identify additional vehicle details if the UAV 208 can follow the target vehicle 402. The additional vehicle details may include, for example, the vehicle model, the vehicle model year, the make, and / or the like.The UAV 208 may store the additional vehicle details in the UAV memory 218 and / or transmit the additional vehicle details via the UAV transceiver 214 and the network 224 to the vehicle 226, the server 228, and / or the server associated with the authorities (e.g., the police) for record-keeping purposes.

[0061] When the UAV 208 can finish following the target vehicle 402, the UAV 208 can return to the base 104 and rest near the tether connection unit 206. In an example aspect, the UAV 208 can return to the base 104 when the UAV battery 216 can have a battery power 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 UAV 208 has traveled a distance that may be a maximum allowable distance that the UAV 208 is allowed to fly in the detached state. The vehicle 226 can determine that the UAV 208 has returned to the base 104 based on inputs received from the vehicle cameras 234.In response to determining that the UAV 208 may have returned to the base 104, the vehicle 226 may cause the electromagnetic locking mechanism to be reattached or locked to the UAV 208, thereby causing the tether 204 to be reattached to the UAV 208. The UAV 208 may be repowered and store power in the UAV battery 216 when the UAV 208 may be reattached to the tether 204.

[0062] In some aspects, the vehicle 226 may further include an enclosure (not shown) that may be powered, removably attached to the base 104, and configured to receive and secure the UAV 208 when the UAV 208 may be charging or powered, or when the UAV 208 (or the vehicle 226) may be transported.

[0063] In further aspects, when the vehicle 226 departs a surveillance location (e.g., when the vehicle 226 can be moved from one surveillance location to another), the UAV 208 can fly into a vehicle interior compartment (e.g., into the enclosure described above) and the UAV nest 210 can be fully retracted using the telescoping mechanism 310, thereby enabling efficient vehicle movement.

[0064] The monitoring system 200 may include additional components or units or perform additional operations not described in Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B and / or described above. For example, in one exemplary aspect, the monitoring system 200 may additionally or alternatively (e.g., as an alternative to the UAV 208) include a balloon and a balloon tether. The balloon tether may have a proximal balloon tether end and a distal balloon tether end. The distal balloon tether end may be connected to the tether connection unit 206, and the proximal balloon tether end may be connected to the balloon.

[0065] The balloon may include a balloon camera configured to capture images / videos 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-powered. In the latter case, the balloon tether may not be required to transmit power to the balloon camera.

[0066] When the surveillance system 200 includes both the UAV 208 and the balloon, the balloon tether and the tether 204 may be located on the same "tether reel." In this case, a balloon tether reel may be disposed below the tether reel described above, so that when the tether 204 is extended or retracted, the tether 204 cannot interfere with the balloon tether, and the balloon can continue to fly even when the UAV 208 is moving and following the target user 404 / target vehicle 402. Such an arrangement of the balloon tether reel and the tether reel may also allow the tether 204 to be efficiently managed, as the tether 204 can be retracted into the tether reel by the electric motor when the UAV 208 can be released from the tether 204.For example, instead of dropping the tether 204 to the ground when the UAV 208 can detach from the tether 204, the balloon tether can "hold" the tether 204 above the ground when the electric motor can retract the tether 204, thereby enabling efficient retraction of the tether 204. In an additional aspect, the tether 204 can also be retracted and coiled within the UAV body, preventing the tether 204 from falling to the ground.

[0067] In further aspects, the balloon may function as an antenna when the network controller 220 can provide access to the network 224 (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular, UWB, Bluetooth, etc.) to a plurality of user devices near the balloon or UAV 208 (e.g., in a parking lot or construction site). In other words, the balloon and UAV 208 can function as a "mobile hotspot" to allow the plurality of user devices near the balloon or UAV 208 to access the network 224. In this way, the monitoring system 200 can support geofencing, object tracking, or providing network access to user devices that may not have access to the network 224.

[0068] In additional aspects, if the UAV 208 can follow the target vehicle 402 and / or the target user 404, the UAV 208 can perform an invasive flight pattern if the target user 404 attempts to attack the UAV 208.

[0069] In yet another aspect, the UAV 208 may include a suction cup or an electromagnetic attachment device that can be attached to the target vehicle 402 when the UAV 208 can follow the target vehicle 402. In this case, the UAV 208 can save power or energy required for flight by attaching itself to the target vehicle 402 via the suction cup or electromagnetic attachment device. The UAV 208 can fly or become airborne again when the target vehicle 402 can stop moving or when a door of the target vehicle can open.

[0070] In further aspects, the vehicle 226 (with the surveillance system 200) may travel the geographic area in which the surveillance operator may desire surveillance, thus enabling surveillance of a wide-area region. In some aspects, the vehicle 226 may travel the wide-area region in a predetermined pattern. In other aspects, the vehicle 226 may travel the wide-area region when undesirable activity (e.g., a gunshot) can be detected in a specific portion of the wide-area region. In yet another aspect, the vehicle 226 may reposition itself based on a density of vehicles in a parking lot (e.g., when the vehicle 226 is parked in the parking lot). In this case, the vehicle 226 may reposition itself to a location in the parking lot where the density of parked vehicles may be greater than a threshold density.

[0071] In addition, although Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4A, Fig. 4B illustrates an aspect where the vehicle 226 includes a single UAV 208. In other aspects, the vehicle 226 may be attached to more than one UAV, thereby enabling the vehicle 226 to track / monitor multiple vehicles in a parking lot simultaneously or to monitor different locations of the wide-area region simultaneously. In this case, the vehicle 226 may automatically determine whether the vehicle 226 needs to deploy additional UAVs based on a density of vehicles entering or exiting the parking lot or a number of activities detected in the wide-area region over a predefined period of time. The vehicle 226 may be further configured to remove images / videos from the vehicle memory 232 when the UAVs transmit the captured images / videos to the vehicle 226 and no motion or activity can be detected in the captured images / videos.In this way, the vehicle 226 can conserve memory in the vehicle memory 232 when the vehicle 226 can be attached to a plurality of UAVs. If the vehicle 226 can conduct surveillance of a store or business, the vehicle 226 can selectively remove from the vehicle memory 232 those images / videos in which customers can be detected leaving the store with a smaller number of shopping items or low-value items (as detected by the vehicle cameras 234 and / or the UAV camera 212). In some aspects, the vehicle 226 can deploy or retire one or more of the plurality of UAVs based on a respective charge or battery level of the UAVs.

[0072] In additional aspects, the vehicle 226 (including the monitoring system 200) may be deployed in a park, residence, or residential area to repel unwanted animals, such as geese, ducks, etc. In this case, the UAV 208 may repel the unwanted animals if the unwanted animals may enter a park, residential area, or residential area.

[0073] In further aspects, the vehicle 226 (including the monitoring system 200) can be used to perform an infrastructure inspection. For example, the vehicle 226 (either automatically or manually driven) can travel to each overpass along a stretch of highway, and the UAV 208 can capture close-up views / images of a bridge structure and transmit the images to the vehicle 226 or the server 228 for inspection. The UAV 208 can return to the vehicle 226 when the images have been captured, and the vehicle 226 can then move to another overpass on the stretch of highway for inspection. The vehicle 226 (including the monitoring system 200) can similarly support the inspection of dams, power or telephone lines, etc.

[0074] The vehicle 226 (including the monitoring system 200) may additionally support the monitoring or inspection of construction sites. For example, the vehicle 226 may be deployed at a construction site, and the UAV 208 may support monitoring and identifying locations of tools, equipment, machinery, workers, etc., at the site based on images captured by the UAV camera 212. In some aspects, the UAV 208 may additionally be equipped with magnets or "claws" on a lower portion of the UAV, which may support transporting tools between the vehicle 226 and workers at the site based on inputs provided by the monitoring operator.

[0075] In yet another aspect, when the vehicle 226 (including the surveillance system 200) is deployed in a store or business, the surveillance 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 from the server 228 to the UAV 208. In this case, in response to identifying a repeat shopper based on the images captured by the UAV camera 212 and using the image processing module 222 (via the UAV transceiver 214, the vehicle 226, or the server 228), the UAV processor 242 may transmit a pre-stored message to a user device associated with the repeat shopper.In this case, contact details of the user device associated with the repeat shopper may be pre-stored in the UAV memory 218, the vehicle memory 232, and / or on the server 228. The pre-stored message may include, for example, a thank you message, a targeted coupon, a discount voucher, and / or the like. Furthermore, in this case, the UAV 208 may not monitor the repeat shoppers for unwanted activity and instead monitor other users in the vicinity of the store to detect unwanted activity.

[0076] Although the above description describes an aspect in which the monitoring system 200 is attached or mounted to the vehicle 226, the present disclosure is not limited to the monitoring system 200 being mounted to the vehicle 226. An exemplary aspect of the monitoring system 200 without the vehicle 226 is shown in Fig. 5 and described below.

[0077] Fig. Figure 5 illustrates 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. The Fig. The monitoring system illustrated in Figure 5 may be the same as the monitoring system 200 and may include a base 504, a power source and tether connection unit 506, and a UAV 508. The base 504 may be the same as the base 104 and may be mounted on an upper building section (or any other building section), as shown in Fig. 5. In this case, the base 504 may not be mounted on the vehicle 226 and the monitoring system may be Fig. 5 the vehicle 226 does not require for operation.

[0078] The power source and the tether connection unit 506 may be the same as the power source 202 and the tether connection unit 206. Furthermore, the UAV 508 may be the same as the UAV 208. In the Fig. 5, the UAV 208 may monitor and capture images of a geographical area proximate the building 502, thereby assisting the monitoring operator in monitoring tools, personnel or workers, equipment, machinery, etc. that may be located in or near the building 502.

[0079] In the Fig. In the aspect illustrated in Figure 5, the power source and tether connection unit 506 can obtain power from solar energy. In a scenario where the power source and tether connection unit 506 cannot obtain power from solar energy (or cannot obtain sufficient solar energy), the UAV 508 can only fly intermittently. In this case, the UAV 508 can fly at a predefined frequency (e.g., every 30 minutes) or can fly when unwanted activity or a target user can be detected near the building 502, or when a vehicle can enter or exit the grounds or perimeter of the building.

[0080] In further aspects, the power source and tether connection unit 506 may obtain power from a building power source or utility power supply, or may obtain power via a wireless charging pad or the UAV nest 210. In this case, the UAV 508 may fly more frequently (e.g., every 5 minutes) or fly continuously for a preset period of time (e.g., three, five, or seven hours).

[0081] The remaining components or units and their respective functionalities are the same as the components or units of the monitoring system 200 and are therefore not described again here for simplicity and brevity.

[0082] Fig. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary monitoring method 600 according to the present disclosure. Fig. 6 can be seen with continued reference to the preceding figures, the Fig. 1-5. The following process is exemplary and not limited to the steps described below. Furthermore, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than shown or described herein, and may include these steps in a different order than the order described in the following exemplary embodiments.

[0083] With reference to Fig. 6, the method 600 may begin at step 602. At step 604, the method 600 may include obtaining, by the UAV processor 242, the first trigger signal or the second trigger signal to follow a target object (e.g., the target user / vehicle). As described above, the UAV processor 242 may obtain the first trigger signal from the image processing module 222 and the second trigger signal from the server 228 or the vehicle 226.

[0084] At step 606, the method 600 may include maneuvering, by the UAV processor 242, the UAV movement to follow the target object in response to acquiring the first trigger signal or the second trigger signal. At step 608, the method 600 may include determining, by the UAV processor 242, that a distance between the UAV 208 and the tether connection unit 206 may correspond to the maximum tether length. In response to such a determination, the method 600 may include, at step 610, causing, by the UAV processor 242, the UAV 208 to detach from the tether 204, as described above.

[0085] The method 600 ends at step 612.

[0086] In the foregoing disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and illustrate specific implementations in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It is understood that other implementations may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in the specification to "one embodiment," "an exemplary embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.Furthermore, if a feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with one embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize such a feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0087] Furthermore, the functions described in this document may be performed in one or more of hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components, as appropriate. For example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and procedures described in this document. Certain terms used throughout the specification and claims refer to specific system components. As one skilled in the art will recognize, components may be referred to by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not in function.

[0088] It is also understood that the word "example," as used in this document, is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting. In particular, the word "example," as used in this document, indicates one of several examples, and it is understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the specific example described.

[0089] A computer-readable medium (also referred to as a processor-readable medium) includes any non-transitory (e.g., physical) medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such a medium may take many forms, including, without limitation, non-transitory media and volatile media. Computing devices may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or more computing devices, such as those listed above, and may be stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0090] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described in this specification, it is to be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc., have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be implemented in practice such that the described steps are performed in an order different from the order described in this specification. Furthermore, it is to be understood that certain steps could be performed concurrently, other steps could be added, or certain steps described in this specification could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes in this specification are for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed to limit the claims.

[0091] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples listed will become apparent from a reading of the foregoing description. The scope should be determined not by reference to the foregoing description, but instead by reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that there will be future developments in the art discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. Overall, it is understood that the application is susceptible of modification and variation.

[0092] All terms used in the claims are intended to have their general meaning as known to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the technologies described in this specification apply, unless expressly stated otherwise herein. In particular, the use of the singular articles, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," etc., is intended to refer to one or more of the specified elements, unless a claim expressly limits otherwise.Conditional language, such as, but not limited to, "may," "could," "may," or "may possibly," is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements, and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include them, unless specifically stated otherwise or clear from the particular context used. Thus, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that features, elements, and / or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments.

[0093] According to one embodiment of the above invention, the tether connecting unit is connected to the power source, and wherein the tether connecting unit is configured to transmit power from the power source to the tether.

[0094] According to an embodiment of the above invention, obtaining the trigger signal comprises obtaining the trigger signal from a server.

[0095] According to an embodiment of the above invention, the invention is further characterized by capturing images of a geographical area near the UAV via a UAV camera; performing pixel analysis of the images by a UAV image processing module; and transferring the images to an external storage.

[0096] According to an embodiment of the above-mentioned invention, the invention is further characterized by determining, by the UAV image processing module, that a predefined condition is met based on the pixel analysis; and generating, by the UAV image processing module, the trigger signal when the predefined condition is met, wherein obtaining the trigger signal comprises obtaining the trigger signal from the UAV image processing module.

[0097] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), cause the processor to: acquire a trigger signal to follow a target object, wherein: the UAV is removably attached to a proximal tether end of a tether, the UAV is configured to acquire power from the tether, a distal tether end of the tether is connected to a tether connection unit, and the tether is configured to acquire power from a power source via the tether connection unit; maneuver the UAV movement to follow the target object in response to acquiring the trigger signal; determine that a distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit corresponds to a tether length when the UAV is following the target object;and causing the UAV to detach from the tether when the distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit equals the tether length;

Claims

[1] Surveillance system comprising: a power source; a tether having a proximal tether end and a distal tether end, the tether being configured to receive power from the power source via a tether connection unit connected to the distal tether end; and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) removably attached to the proximal tether end, the UAV configured to obtain power from the tether, and the UAV comprising a processor configured to: Obtaining a trigger signal to follow a target object; Maneuvering the UAV movement to follow the target object in response to obtaining the trigger signal; Determining that a distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit corresponds to a tether length when the UAV follows the target object; and Causing the UAV to detach from the tether when the distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit is equal to the tether length. [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 mounted 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 transmit power from the power source to the tether. [6] The surveillance system of claim 1, wherein the UAV further comprises: a camera configured to capture images of a geographical area near the UAV; an image processing module configured to perform pixel analysis of the images; and a transceiver configured to transfer the images 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 based on the pixel analysis that a predefined condition is met, 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 surveillance system of claim 1, further comprising a UAV nest comprising: an elongated body having a proximal body end and a distal body end, the distal body end being connected to the tether connection unit; and a resting place connected to the proximal body end, wherein the UAV is configured to rest on the resting place. [10] The surveillance system of claim 9, wherein the UAV nest further comprises a telescopic mechanism configured to allow a user to adjust a length of the elongated body. [11] The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising: a balloon; and a balloon tether having a proximal balloon tether end and a distal balloon tether end, wherein the balloon is connected to the balloon tether via the proximal balloon tether end and wherein the distal balloon tether end is connected to the tether connecting unit. [12] The surveillance 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 detaches from the tether. [14] The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a base, wherein the power source and the tether connection unit are mounted on the base. [15] Monitoring procedures, including: Obtaining, by a processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a trigger signal to follow a target object, wherein: the UAV is removably attached to a proximal tether end of a tether, the UAV is configured to obtain power from the tether, a distal tether 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; Maneuvering, by the processor, the UAV movement to follow the target object in response to obtaining the trigger signal; Determining, by the processor, that a distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit corresponds to a tether length when the UAV follows the target object; and Causing, by the processor, the UAV to detach from the tether when the distance between the UAV and the tether connection unit equals the tether length.

Images