Facility management system using Internet of things (IoT) based sensor and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and method for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10643444-B2
Application number	US-201615378055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Nov 28, 2016
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

Provided are a facility management system and method using an Internet of things (IoT) based sensor and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The facility management system and method may determine a current status and an abnormal behavior of a facility by primarily measuring the abnormal behavior of the facility in real time by a plurality of IoT based sensors included in the facility and secondarily precisely measuring the abnormal behavior of the facility by capturing an image through a UAV when necessary or when the abnormal behavior is detected, and may prevent a false alarm due to an error of a measurement sensor by performing two inspections through the IoT based sensor unit and the UAV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A facility management system using an Internet of things (IoT) based sensor and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the facility management system comprising:
a first IoT based sensor unit, having a Global Position System (GPS) coordinate and an QR code, installed in a facility requiring management and safety inspection and configured to measure an abnormal behavior of the facility;
a measurement result analysis and action terminal connected to the first IoT based sensor unit over an IoT communication network and configured to collect and analyze a signal measured by the first IoT based sensor unit, determine whether the facility has an abnormal behavior, and take an action corresponding to the determination;
a UAV configured to fly to the facility and capture an image of an external appearance of the facility to determine whether the facility is abnormal; and
a UAV flying control terminal configured to remotely control calling, returning, flight, charging, facility recognition, and image capturing of the UAV in response to the action of the measurement result analysis and action terminal,
wherein when the abnormal behavior of the facility is primarily measured by the first IoT based sensor unit, the abnormal behavior of the facility is secondarily precisely measured by the UAV capturing the image to determine whether the facility is abnormal,
wherein when the first IoT based sensor unit detects the abnormal behavior of the facility, the first IoT based sensor unit transmits a signal to a second IoT based sensor unit installed in the facility to enable the second IoT based sensor unit to perform measurement for the abnormal behavior of the facility,
wherein the UAV is automatically deployed and flown to the GPS coordinate of the first IoT based sensor unit that initially detects the abnormal behavior of the facility and identifies the first IoT based sensor unit by using the QR code in response to the abnormal behavior of the facility measured by the first IoT based sensor unit,
wherein the abnormal behavior of the facility is a change in the external appearance of the facility structure, and a secondary measurement of the abnormal behavior of the facility is determined by comparing the captured image of the external appearance of the facility structure with a historical image of the facility structure captured in the past.

2. The facility management system of claim 1 , wherein when the first IoT based sensor unit installed in the facility generates an abnormal signal, and the UAV flying control terminal provides a calling command to the UAV, the UAV approaches the first IoT based sensor unit by automatic navigation through a recognition tag including an identification number of the first IoT based sensor unit in addition to the QR code of the first IoT based sensor unit.

3. The facility management system of claim 1 , further comprising a UAV station having a charging device for charging a battery of the UAV and configured to house the UAV.

4. The facility management system of claim 1 , wherein the first IoT based sensor unit includes at least one measurement sensor, a power supply device, and an IoT network communication device, the first IoT based sensor unit has a unique identification number assigned thereto and a recognition tag including an identification number attached thereto, and the first IoT based sensor unit generates a location signal as necessary.

5. The facility management system of claim 4 , wherein when abnormality corresponding to a collapse, fire, or accident of the facility is determined based on a lack of response or a power-off of the measurement sensor in the first IoT based sensor unit, and an adjacent IoT based sensor unit detects the abnormality and immediately restricts access to the facility and calls the UAV and a manager.

6. The facility management system of claim 1 , wherein the measurement result analysis and action terminal further determines whether the facility is abnormal by comparing a measurement result transmitted from the first IoT based sensor unit with a predetermined threshold value as well as an initial value.

7. The facility management system of claim 1 , wherein the measurement result analysis and action terminal determines whether the facility has the abnormal behavior, notifies a manager about an action when the action is needed to immediately stop using the facility, and automatically takes the action needed to stop using the facility when the manager cannot respond immediately.

8. The facility management system of claim 1 , wherein the measurement result analysis and action terminal notifies an active management system for maintaining the facility about a result of the measurement in order to enable the active management system to perform a subsequent action.

9. The facility management system of claim 1 , wherein the facility includes a building, a dam, a bridge, a harbor, a railway facility, an underground facility, a slope, a tunnel, or a lifeline facility.

10. The facility management system of claim 1 , wherein the UAV comprises:
a camera rotatably mounted in the UAV and configured to capture an abnormal behavior portion of the facility;
a wireless communication module configured to receive a remote control signal from the UAV flying control terminal and send an image signal captured by the cam era to the measurement result analysis and action terminal;
a flying unit configured to operate the UAV to fly according to the remote control signal transmitted by the UAV flying control terminal;
a controller configured to control the flying unit according to the remote control signal received through the wireless communication module, control operation of the camera, and control transmission of data captured by the camera to the measurement result analysis and action terminal through the wireless communication module;
a memory configured to store the data captured by the camera; and
a battery configured to supply power to the wireless communication module, the controller, the memory, the flying unit, and the camera.

11. The facility management system of claim 10 , wherein the UAV further comprises a distance measuring unit mounted in the UAV and configured to measure a distance between the camera and the facility, and the distance measuring unit is a laser or ultrasonic transceiver and is configured to measure a distance between the camera and a surface of the facility.

12. A facility management method using an Internet of things (IoT) based sensor and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the IoT based sensor include a Global Position System (GPS) coordinate and an QR code, the facility management method comprising:
a) measuring, by first IoT based sensor installed in the facility, an abnormal behavior of a facility and transmitting the abnormal behavior through an IoT communication network;
b) analyzing, by a measurement result analysis and action terminal, the abnormal behavior of the facility according to the measured abnormal behavior of the facility transmitted from the first IoT based sensor unit;
c) determining, by the measurement result analysis and action terminal, whether precise inspection of the facility is necessary;
d) remotely controlling a UAV housed in a UAV station by using a UAV flying control terminal when precise inspection is necessary;
e) automatically flying the UAV to the first IoT based sensor unit included in the facility that requires precise inspection;
f) remotely controlling a camera installed in the UAV to capture an image of an abnormal behavior portion of the facility; and
g) ordering, by the measurement result analysis and action terminal, precise analysis and

Assignees

• Korea Inst Civil Eng & Building Tech

Inventors

• Kim Hyeong Yeol
• Park Jong Sup

Classifications

• G06Q50/10 Primary

  Services · CPC title

• G08B21/02 Primary

  Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons · CPC title

• B64D1/00

  Dropping, ejecting, releasing or receiving articles, liquids, or the like, in flight (refuelling during flight B64D39/00; launching apparatus for projecting projectiles or missiles F41F1/00, F41F7/00; rocket or torpedo launchers F41F3/00; weapon sights or aiming F41G) · CPC title

• G08B13/1965

  the vehicle being an aircraft · CPC title

• G06Q30/018 Primary

  Certifying business or products · CPC title