Battery drone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11701978-B2
Application number	US-202117471714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2021
Priority date	May 23, 2018
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

Systems and techniques are provided for charging devices at a property using battery-charging drones. In some implementations, a monitoring system is configured to monitor a property and includes a battery-powered sensor configured to generate sensor data. The system includes a drone that is configured to navigate the property and charge the battery-powered sensor. A monitor control unit is configured to obtain a battery level from the battery-powered sensor and compare the battery level to a battery level threshold. Based on the comparison, the monitor control unit determines that the battery level does not satisfy the threshold. Based on the determination, the monitor control unit generates and transmits an instruction to a drone for the drone to navigate to the battery-powered sensor and charge a battery of the battery-powered sensor. The monitor control unit receives data from the drone that indicates whether the drone charged the battery of the sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more battery-powered devices at one or more monitored properties;
one or more drones configured to navigate to and charge the one or more battery-powered devices;
a processor configured to:
obtain data from a first battery-powered device, a second battery-powered device, and a third battery-powered device, wherein the data for each of the first, the second, and the third battery-powered devices indicates a battery level associated with a corresponding device, and the battery level associated with each of the first, the second, and the third battery-powered devices are below a battery level threshold;
determine that a battery level of a first drone of the one or more drones is (i) greater than a first amount of power to fully charge a battery of the first battery-powered device and a second amount of power to fully charge a battery of the second battery-powered device, and (ii) not greater than the first amount of power to fully charge the battery of the first battery-powered device plus the second amount of power to fully charge the battery of the second battery-powered device plus a third amount of power to fully charge a battery of the third battery-powered device;
provide at least one instruction to the first drone to charge the battery of the first battery-powered device and the battery of the second battery-powered device, the at least one instruction comprising data indicative of the first battery-powered device and the second battery-powered device that require charging;
provide a second instruction to a second drone to charge the battery of the third battery-powered device; and
receive an indication from the first drone and the second drone that the first battery-powered device and the second battery-powered device have been charged.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one instruction further comprises navigational data that enables determination of a path for the first drone to travel to and charge the first battery-powered device and the second battery-powered device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more drones comprise a connector that is configured to connect to a receptacle of each of the one or more battery-powered devices and provide power from a battery to each of the one or more battery-powered devices during charging.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
receive data indicating historical usage patterns of the first battery-powered device;
based on the data indicating historical usage patterns and the battery level of the first battery-powered device, determine an expected battery life of the battery of the first battery-powered device; and
determine the battery level threshold based on the expected battery life of the battery of the first battery-powered device.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to:
generate an instruction to provide to the one or more drones to charge the battery of the first battery-powered device, the battery of the second battery-powered device, and the battery of the third battery-powered device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine that the battery level of the first drone is below a threshold level while the first drone is inroute to charging the battery of the second battery-powered device;
in response to determining that the battery level of the first drone is below the threshold level, transmit a notification to the first drone to return to a drone docking station and bypass charging the second battery-powered device;
receive a first notification from the first drone when the first drone has docked at the drone docking station for charging; and
receive a second notification from the first drone when the first drone has fully charged.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine that the battery level of the first drone is below a threshold level while the first drone is charging the battery of the second battery-powered device;
in response to determining that the battery level of the first drone is below the threshold level, transmit a notification to the first drone to return to a drone docking station and cease charging the battery of the second battery-powered device; and
transmit a notification to a third drone at the drone docking station to travel to and finish charging the battery of the second battery-powered device.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:
obtaining, by a system comprising one or more drones configured to navigate to and charge one or more battery-powered devices at one or more properties, data from a first battery-powered device, a second battery-powered device, and a third battery-powered device, wherein the data for each of the first, the second, and the third battery-powered devices indicates a battery level associated with a corresponding device, and the battery level associated with each of the first, the second, and the third battery-powered devices are below a battery level threshold;
determining, by the system, that a battery level of a first drone of the one or more drones is (i) greater than a first amount of power to fully charge a battery of the first battery-powered device and a second amount of power to fully charge a battery of the second battery-powered device, and (ii) not greater than the first amount of power to fully charge the battery of the first battery-powered device plus the second amount of power to fully charge the battery of the second battery-powered device plus a third amount of power to fully charge a battery of the third battery-powered device;
providing, by the system, at least one instruction to the first drone to charge the battery of the first battery-powered device and the battery of the second battery-powered device, the at least one instruction comprising data indicative of the first battery-powered device and the second battery-powered device that require charging;
provide a second instruction to a second drone to charge the battery of the third battery-powered device; and
receiving, by the system, an indication from the first drone and the second drone that the first battery-powered device and the second battery-powered device have been charged.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one instruction further comprises navigational data that enables determination of a path for the first drone to travel to and charge the first battery-powered device and the second battery-powered device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein each of the one or more drones comprise a connector that is configured to connect to a receptacle of each of the one or more battery-powered devices and provide power from a battery to each of the one or more battery-powered devices during charging.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , comprising:
receiving, by the system, data indicating historical usage patterns of the first battery-powered device;
based on the data indicating historical usage patterns and the battery level of the first battery-powered device, determine an expected battery life of the battery of the first battery-powered device; and
determining, by the system, the battery level threshold based on the expected battery life of the battery of the first battery-powered device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , comprising:
generating, by the system, an instruction to provide to the one or more drones to charge the battery of the first battery-powered device, the battery of the second battery-powered device, and the battery of the third battery-powered device.

Assignees

• Alarm Com Inc

Inventors

• Maurer Kevin
• Slavin Alison Jane
• Roberts Aaron Lee
• Huang Shan

Classifications

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/96

  in response to battery voltage · CPC title

• H02J7/94

  in response to battery current · CPC title

• B64U2101/10

  for generating power to be supplied to a remote station, e.g. UAVs with solar panels · CPC title

• B64U50/37

  Charging when not in flight · CPC title