{
  "patent_number": "US 10317904",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How a Boat Guides Air and Underwater Drones for Data Collection",
  "original_title": "Underwater leading drone system",
  "summary": "This patent describes a system where a watercraft follows a planned route, guiding an aerial drone that stays a fixed distance ahead, which in turn tows a tethered underwater drone to collect combined air and sea data.",
  "what_it_does": "The system uses a \"base station\" which is a watercraft following a \"pre-determined path of travel\" (Claim 1). An \"unmanned aerial drone\" receives this path information and \"autonomously calculate[s] an aerial drone path that directly correlates\" with the base station's route (Claim 1). This aerial drone travels at a \"fixed distance\" from the watercraft (Claim 1) and collects data from the air. Crucially, a \"submersed drone\" is \"physically tethered\" to the aerial drone (Claim 1), allowing it to traverse underwater and collect data. The submersed drone sends its data to the aerial drone, which then combines both aerial and underwater sensor data into \"target location data\" (Claim 1). For example, a research ship could map a coral reef by sending an aerial drone ahead, which then lowers a camera-equipped underwater drone to capture images of the reef while the ship follows safely behind.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover systems where the base station is not a watercraft, such as a land vehicle or an aircraft.",
    "Does not cover systems where the aerial drone does not maintain a \"fixed distance\" from the base station during travel.",
    "Does not cover systems where the submersed drone is not \"physically tethered\" to the aerial drone.",
    "Does not cover systems where the aerial drone's path does not \"directly correlate\" with the base station's pre-determined path.",
    "Does not cover systems where the aerial drone simply follows the base station, rather than leading it."
  ],
  "filed": "2017-05-05",
  "granted": "2019-06-11",
  "expires": "2037-05-05",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Pinnacle Vista",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/pinnacle-vista",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Haofeng Tu",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/haofeng-tu"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 1,
  "tags": [
    "robotics",
    "marine",
    "telecommunications",
    "software",
    "consumer_electronics"
  ],
  "abstract": "Systems and methods are provided for least one leading drone configured to move to a leading drone future location based on a future location of a base station. A set of base station future locations may form a base station path for the base station to traverse. Also, a set of leading drone future locations may form a leading drone path for the leading drone to traverse. The base station's future location may be anticipated from a prediction or a predetermination. The leading drone, navigating along the leading drone path, may collect sensor data and/or perform tasks. The leading drone may interact with sensor drones while traversing the leading drone path. Accordingly, the leading drone may move ahead of the base station in motion, as opposed to following or remaining with the base station.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10317904/underwater-leading-drone-system",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10317904/underwater-leading-drone-system/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US10317904",
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}