Drone device for news reporting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10301023-B2
Application number	US-201816017536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2018
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

A fact checking system utilizes social networking information and analyzes and determines the factual accuracy of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with source information. The social networking fact checking system automatically monitors information, processes the information, fact checks the information and/or provides a status of the information, including automatically modifying a web page to include the fact check results. The fact checking system is able to be implemented utilizing a drone device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a computing device; and
an aerial drone device configured to acquire content and communicate with the computing device, wherein the aerial drone device includes a body configured to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration and from the second configuration to the first configuration, wherein the body includes components capable of folding such that the aerial drone device is more compact when in the first configuration than when in the second configuration, wherein while in the first configuration the aerial drone device appears to look like another object, wherein the body is further configured to secure at least one power supply, the at least one power supply configured to supply power to:
at least one motor which causes at least one propeller to move,
at least one camera,

the at least one camera configured to acquire the content including images and/or videos, further wherein the at least one camera is configured to scan an area, and
a plurality of information acquisition components coupled to the body, wherein a first information acquisition component of the plurality of information acquisition components is positioned in different direction than a second information acquisition component of the plurality of information acquisition components, wherein the plurality of information acquisition components are configured to acquire external information,

wherein the aerial drone device is further configured to:
process the content acquired by the at least one camera and the external information acquired by the plurality of information acquisition components;
acquire depth information using the at least one camera, the plurality of information acquisition components, or any combination thereof;
navigate based on the content from the at least one camera, the external information from the plurality of information acquisition components, or any combination thereof, including avoiding an obstruction; and
track at least one object; and
generate a depth map using the depth information, wherein the depth map is used to avoid the obstruction, track the at least one object, or any combination thereof,

wherein the aerial drone device is configured to automatically re-position itself to avoid the obstruction by generating the depth map and utilizing an obstruction threshold, wherein generating the depth map includes using an object size calculation analysis, wherein when an amount of obstruction is above the obstruction threshold, the aerial drone device moves to reduce the amount of obstruction.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one additional aerial drone device to comprise a plurality of aerial drone devices, wherein the plurality of aerial drone devices are positioned in different locations around a city to provide faster access to the content, wherein the content comprises news content.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein when a number of sources above a threshold provide same or similar information, the aerial drone device moves.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein when a number of sources in a designated class above a threshold provide same or similar information, the aerial drone device moves.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one additional aerial drone device to comprise a plurality of aerial drone devices, wherein the plurality of aerial drone devices are utilized to determine a location of a source of a sound based on how long the sound takes to reach a subset of drones of the plurality of drones.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the aerial drone device generates a story by sending the content via a social network.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the aerial drone device and/or the computing device automatically summarize the content by generating a plurality of video summaries.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the aerial drone device and/or the computing device automatically filter the content by deleting dead time, wherein dead time is determined based on a delta between a set of frames, and when the delta is below a delta threshold, the set of frames is deleted.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the aerial drone device and/or the computing device are configured to determine an accuracy of news content by comparing the news content with the content acquired by the aerial drone device.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the aerial drone device and/or the computing device are configured to classify objects detected in the content into categories and sub-categories within the categories.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein a highlight of the content is determined by extracting a video clip and/or an image of the content.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the aerial drone device is configured to acquire the content from a plurality of angles.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the aerial drone device is configured to automatically re-position itself to minimize visual artifacts in the content.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the aerial drone device continues to re-position itself to find a lowest amount of obstruction.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the aerial drone device tags the content as location-specific information.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one object comprises a tracking device.

17. A method of utilizing an aerial drone device to acquire content and communicate with a device, the method comprising:
receiving location information;
moving the aerial drone device based on the location information;
acquiring the content with the aerial drone device;
acquiring external information with the aerial drone device;
processing the content acquired by the aerial drone device, the external information acquired by the aerial drone device, or any combination thereof;
determining depth information based on the content acquired by the aerial drone device, the external information acquired by the aerial drone device, or any combination thereof;
navigating the aerial drone device based on the content acquired by the aerial drone device, the external information acquired by the aerial drone device, or any combination thereof;
generating a depth map using the depth information;
tracking at least one object;
automatically re-positioning the aerial drone device to avoid an obstruction by generating the depth map and utilizing an obstruction threshold, wherein generating the depth map includes using an object size calculation analysis, wherein when an amount of obstruction is above the obstruction threshold, the aerial drone device moves to reduce the amount of obstruction; and
transitioning from a first configuration to a second configuration and from the second configuration to the first configuration, wherein a body of the aerial drone device includes components capable of folding such that the aerial drone device is more compact when in the first configuration than when in the second configuration, wherein while in the first configuration the aerial drone device appears to look like another object,
wherein the body is configured to secure at least one power supply, the at least one power supply configured to supply power to:
at least one motor which causes at least one propeller to move, and
at least one camera,

the at least one camera configured to acquire the content including images and/or videos, further wherein the at least one camera is configured to scan an area.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein tracking the at least one object includes tracking a tracking device.

19. The meth

Assignees

• Myslinski Lucas J

Inventors

• Myslinski Lucas J

Classifications

• G06Q10/40 Primary

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• B64U20/10

  for stealth, e.g. reduction of cross-section detectable by radars · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• G06F40/30

  Semantic analysis · CPC title