Weather data collection through incentivized and collaborative drone flights

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10983248-B2
Application number	US-201816123646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2018
Priority date	Sep 6, 2018
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A computer receives a hotspot and a corresponding incentive, where the hotspot is a geolocation for collecting the weather data. The computer presents the received hotspot and the corresponding incentive to a user. The computer receives the weather data from the drone, transmits the weather data to a server, and updates a scorecard with the incentive corresponding to the hotspot based on determining that the drone reached the hotspot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processor-implemented method for collecting weather data through incentivized flight, the method comprising:
receiving a hotspot and a corresponding incentive, wherein the hotspot is a geolocation for collecting the weather data by a drone, wherein the drone comprises a geolocation sensor;
presenting the received hotspot and the corresponding incentive to a user; and
based on determining, using the geolocation sensor, that the drone reached the hotspot:
receiving the weather data from the drone;
transmitting the weather data to a server; and
updating a scorecard with the corresponding incentive to the hotspot.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drone further comprises:
a weather sensor for collecting the weather data at the hotspot.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the geolocation sensor is a Global Positioning System (GPS) transponder.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hotspot is a geolocation comprising a longitude, a latitude and an elevation.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the user accepted the received hotspot and the corresponding incentive.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining whether the user accepted the received hotspot and the corresponding incentive is based on a change in distance between the geolocation of the drone and the received hotspot within a predetermined timeframe.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the drone reached the hotspot is based on whether the drone is in a predefined vicinity from the received hotspot at a specific timeframe.

8. A computer system for collecting weather data through incentivized flight, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, wherein the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising:
receiving a hotspot and a corresponding incentive, wherein the hotspot is a geolocation for collecting the weather data by a drone, wherein the drone comprises a geolocation sensor;
presenting the received hotspot and the corresponding incentive to a user; and
based on determining, using the geolocation sensor, that the drone reached the hotspot:
receiving the weather data from the drone;
transmitting the weather data to a server; and
updating a scorecard with the incentive corresponding to the hotspot.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the drone further comprises:
a weather sensor for collecting the weather data at the hotspot.

10. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the geolocation sensor is a Global Positioning System (GPS) transponder.

11. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the hotspot is a geolocation comprising a longitude, a latitude and an elevation.

12. The computer system of claim 8 , further comprising determining whether the user accepted the received hotspot and the corresponding incentive.

13. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the determining whether the user accepted the received hotspot and the corresponding incentive is based on a change in distance between the geolocation of the drone and the received hotspot within a predetermined timeframe.

14. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein determining that the drone reached the hotspot is based on whether the drone is in a predefined vicinity from the received hotspot at a specific timeframe.

15. A computer program product for collecting weather data through incentivized flight, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive a hotspot and a corresponding incentive, wherein the hotspot is a geolocation for collecting the weather data by a drone, wherein the drone comprises a geolocation sensor;
program instructions to present the received hotspot and the corresponding incentive to a user; and
based on determining, using the geolocation sensor, the drone reached the hotspot:
program instructions to receive the weather data from the drone;
program instructions to transmit the weather data to a server; and
program instructions to update a scorecard with the corresponding incentive to the hotspot.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the drone further comprises:
a weather sensor for collecting the weather data at the hotspot.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the geolocation sensor is a Global Positioning System (GPS) transponder.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the hotspot is a geolocation comprising a longitude, a latitude and an elevation.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising program instructions to determine whether the user accepted the received hotspot and the corresponding incentive.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein program instructions to determine whether the user accepted the received hotspot and the corresponding incentive is based on a change in distance between the geolocation of the drone and the received hotspot within a predetermined timeframe.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Pandit Sushain
• Liu Su
• Wang Fang
• Xu Cheng

Classifications

• B64U2101/35

  for science, e.g. meteorology · CPC title

• B64U2201/104

  using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title

• G01W1/08 Primary

  Adaptations of balloons, missiles, or aircraft for meteorological purposes; Radiosondes (transmission of measurements G01D; transmitting circuits H04B; {balloons in general B64B; aeroplanes in general B64D; missiles in general F42B15/00}) · CPC title

• G06Q30/0207 Primary

  Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates · CPC title