Drone-based microbial analysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016304201-A1
Application number	US-201514687101-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 15, 2015
Priority date	Apr 15, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A drone-based microbial analysis system includes an electronic drone control facility including an electronic storage memory device. The storage memory device stores information including a location of at least one possible contaminated area previously determined to contain at least one positively-tested microbe. At least one drone vehicle is in signal communication with the drone control facility and autonomously navigates to the at least one possible contaminated area to collect a specimen. The drone control facility performs a microbial analysis based on the collected specimen and confirms the at least one possible contaminated area is a positively contaminated area that contains at least one microbe based on the microbial analysis.

First claim

1 . A drone-based microbial analysis system, comprising:
an electronic drone control facility including an electronic storage memory device configured to store information including a location of at least one possible contaminated area previously determined to contain at least one positively-tested microbe; and at least one drone vehicle in signal communication with the drone control facility, the at least one drone vehicle configured to autonomously navigate to the at least one possible contaminated area to collect at least one specimen, wherein the drone control facility performs a microbial analysis based on the collected at least one specimen and confirming the at least one possible contaminated area is a positively contaminated area that contains at least one microbe based on the microbial analysis.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the drone control facility outputs an electronic service request signal in response to confirming the positively contaminated area, the service request signal requesting decontamination of the positively contaminated area.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic drone control facility transmits location data indicating the at least one possible contaminated area to the at least one drone vehicle, and wherein the at least one drone vehicle autonomously navigates to the at least one possible contaminated area in response to receiving the location data.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one drone vehicle autonomously returns to the electronic drone control facility in response to collecting at least one specimen to deliver the collected at least one specimen.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the electronic drone control facility further includes an electronic analysis unit that performs the microbial analysis on the at least one specimen delivered by the at least one drone vehicle.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one drone vehicle transmits specimen data to the electronic drone control facility.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the electronic drone facility performs the microbial analysis based on at least one of the delivered specimens and the transmitted specimen data.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic drone facility automatically updates a lookup table (LUT) stored in the electronic storage memory device based on a result of the microbial analysis.

9 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one drone vehicle automatically performs a decontamination operation that decontaminates the positively contaminated area in response to receiving the service request signal.

10 .- 17 . (canceled)

18 . An electronic drone control facility that determines whether a possible contaminated area tests positive for at least one microbe, the drone control facility comprising:
an electronic contaminated location database that stores information indicating at least one possible contaminated area previously determined to contain at least one positively-tested microbe; an electronic drone system module in signal communication with the electronic contaminated location database, the drone system module including a computer processor and computer readable instructions that when executed by the computer processor commands at least one drone vehicle to collect at least one specimen from the at least one possible contaminated area; and an electronic microbial testing unit in signal communication with the drone system module, the microbial testing unit including a computer processor and computer readable instructions that when executed by the computer processor performs a microbial analysis based on the at least one specimen collected by the drone.

19 . The electronic drone control facility of claim 18 , wherein the drone control facility automatically performs at least one decontamination operation that decontaminates the positively contaminated area in response to confirming that the at least one possible contaminated area tests positive for at least one microbe.

20 . The electronic drone control facility of claim 18 , wherein the electronic drone system module automatically updates automatically updates a lookup table (LUT) included stored in the electronic contaminated location database based on a result of the microbial analysis.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kozloski James R
• Lynar Timothy M
• Pickover Clifford A
• Wagner John M

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

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

• B64U2101/00

  UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications · CPC title

• B64C2201/042

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/101

  specially adapted for aircraft · CPC title