Autonomous vehicle cameras used for near real-time imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016214533-A1
Application number	US-201514602737-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 22, 2015
Priority date	Jan 22, 2015
Publication date	Jul 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device may receive a request for imaging of a particular location. The device may identify one or more sensors associated with imaging the particular location. The device may select a sensor, of the one or more sensors, for imaging the particular location. The sensor may be associated with an autonomous vehicle. The device may cause the autonomous vehicle to move the sensor to the particular location. The device may receive imaging of the particular location based on causing the autonomous vehicle to move the sensor to the particular location. The device may selectively combine the imaging of the particular location with archived other imaging of the particular location. The device may provide imaging of the particular location to fulfill the request for imaging of the particular location based on selectively combining the imaging of the particular location with archived imaging of the particular location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device, comprising:
one or more processors to:
receive a request for imaging of a particular location;
identify one or more sensors associated with imaging the particular location;
select a sensor, of the one or more sensors, for imaging the particular location, the sensor being associated with an autonomous vehicle;
cause the autonomous vehicle to move the sensor to the particular location;
receive imaging of the particular location based on causing the autonomous vehicle to move the sensor to the particular location;
selectively combine the imaging of the particular location with archived other imaging of the particular location; and
provide imaging of the particular location to fulfill the request for imaging of the particular location based on selectively combining the imaging of the particular location with archived other imaging of the particular location.

2 . The device of claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:
identify a set of autonomous vehicles associated with the one or more sensors; determine a set of locations for the set of autonomous vehicles,
the set of autonomous vehicles including the autonomous vehicle; and
where the one or more processors, when selecting the sensor, are further to:
select the sensor based on a location, of the set of locations, of the autonomous vehicle and the particular location.

3 . The device of claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:
identify a set of autonomous vehicles associated with the one or more sensors,
the set of autonomous vehicles including the autonomous vehicle;
determine a respective direction of travel of the set of autonomous vehicles; and where the one or more processors, when selecting the sensor, are further to:
select the sensor based on the respective direction of travel of the set of autonomous vehicles.

4 . The device of claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:
identify a set of sensor attributes associated with the one or more sensors; and where the one or more processors, when selecting the sensor, are further to:
select the sensor based on the set of sensor attributes associated with the one or more sensors.

5 . The device of claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:
provide an offer of compensation for performing imaging to fulfill the request; receive an acceptance of the offer of compensation based on providing the information offering the compensation; and where the one or more processors, when selecting the sensor, are further to:
select the sensor based on receiving the acceptance of the offer of compensation.

6 . The device of claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:
request a set of bids regarding compensation for performing imaging to fulfill the request; receive a particular bid based on requesting the set of bids,
the particular bid being associated with the sensor;
select the particular bid based on a set of bid criteria; and where the one or more processors, when selecting the sensor, are further to:
select the sensor based on selecting the particular bid associated with the sensor.

7 . The device of claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:
receive image information including a set of images of the particular location and contextual information associated with classifying the set of images; process the image information to associate the contextual information with the set of images; store the processed image information via an archive; and where the one or more processors, when selectively combining the imaging of the particular location with archived other imaging of the particular location, are further to:
generate a composite image to fulfill the request based on the imaging of the particular location and the processed image information stored via the archive; and
provide the composite image.

8 . A computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive a request for an image of a location;
receive a set of near real-time images of the location,
the set of near real-time images being provided by one or more cameras associated with one or more autonomous vehicles;

receive a set of archived images of the location from a data structure storing archived images;
process the set of near real-time images of the location and the set of archived images of the location to generate the image of the location; and
provide the image of the location.

9 . The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to process the set of near real-time images of the location and the set of archived images of the location, further cause the one or more processors to:
determine one or more private aspects of the set of near real-time images of the location and the set of archived images of the location based on a set of privacy criteria; obfuscate the one or more private aspects to generate an obfuscated image of the location; and where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to provide the image, further cause the one or more processors to:
provide the obfuscated image.

10 . The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to receive the request, further cause the one or more processors to:
determine identification information associated with a user,
the user having requested the image of the location;
determine that the user satisfies an access criteria for the image of the location; and where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to provide the image, further cause the one or more processors to:
provide the image based on determining that the user satisfies the access criteria for the image of the location.

11 . The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to receive the set of near real-time images of the location, further cause the one or more processors to:
identify a set of autonomous vehicles associated with providing images,
the set of autonomous vehicles including the one or more autonomous vehicles;
determine a set of suitability scores for the set of autonomous vehicles based on one or more suitability factors; select the one or more autonomous vehicles to provide the set of near real-time images of the location based on the set of suitability scores for the set of autonomous vehicles; and cause the one or more cameras associated with the one or more autonomous vehicles to provide the set of near real-time images of the location based on selecting the one or more autonomous vehicles.

12 . The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to process the set of near real-time images of the location and the set of archived images of the location, further cause the one or more processors to:
combine one or more portions of one or more images of a set of images to generate a composite image,
the set of images including the set of near real-time images and the set of archived images; and
where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to provide the image, further cause the one or more processors to:
provide the composite image.

13 . The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Doyle Sean
• Barfield Jr James Ronald
• Berkobin Alex D
• Taylor Thomas Steven
• Elliott Bryant
• Berkobin Eric
• Ibrahim Hamsa
• Akula Sneha
• Hartman Dwight

Classifications

• B60R2300/105

  using multiple cameras · CPC title

• B60R2300/80

  characterised by the intended use of the viewing arrangement · CPC title

• H04N1/00244 Primary

  with a server, e.g. an internet server (fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324) · CPC title

• B60R2300/304

  using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images · CPC title

• H04N7/181 Primary

  for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources · CPC title