Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of spraying trees. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and method for determining path for a drone to spray trees in a region.
BACKGROUND
Spraying fruit trees by manual labor requires a lot of efforts and wastes a lot of time. Manual spraying of trees is not that effective as not all branches of the tree would be covered while spraying the tree. Laborers need to walk all across the field of trees while carrying spraying agent, which becomes a cringe worthy moment for them quite often. This shifted to robotic based solutions while spraying the trees. For example, the robotic based solution includes spraying fruit trees by way of flying drone all across the field. To spray fruit trees which are large in diameter, by using drones is much difficult by traditional techniques of spraying.
Conventional techniques are not much planned, and the drone randomly flies across the field to spray the trees. This also causes problems in quantification of the payload of spraying agent that is to be carried out by the drone while spraying. Therefore, sometimes the spraying agent lacks, which causes incomplete spraying of the trees and at other times, the spraying agent is surplus, which adds on an extra weight to the drone and thereby reducing the efficiency of the tree spraying through the drone. Since, conventional techniques of spraying the trees is unplanned, therefore, the proper spraying of the trees cannot be executed. Further, the unplanned spraying can also cause the drone to fly unwanted places over the region, which can cause damage to the drone while spraying the trees.
Therefore, there exists a need for an improved technique or way that can solve the aforementioned problems of conventional techniques of spraying trees in the region.

SUMMARY
In view of the foregoing, an information processing apparatus is disclosed. The information processing apparatus includes processing circuitry that is configured to receive a map from a user device. The map includes a plurality of centre points and a plurality of extreme points such that each centre point of the plurality of centre points and each extreme point of the plurality of extreme points are associated with at least one tree of a plurality of trees in a region. The processing circuitry is configured to determine a plurality of circles for the plurality of trees. Each circle of the plurality of circles for each tree of the plurality of trees is determined based on the centre point and the extreme point of each tree. The processing circuitry is further configured to determine a plurality of entry points and a plurality of exit points for the plurality of circles. The processing circuitry is further configured to determine a path by joining the exit point and the entry point of adjacent circles of the plurality of circles.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, to determine a circle of a tree of the plurality of trees, the processing circuitry is configured to determine a distance between a center point and an extreme point of the tree of the plurality of trees.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the entry point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles represents a point from where at least one drone enters in an air zone of the tree.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the exit point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles represents a point from where the at least one drone exits the air zone of the tree.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, to determine the path, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a distance value between an exit point of a circle of the plurality of circles and an entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, a system is disclosed. The system includes a user device configured to receive a map comprising a plurality of centre points and a plurality of extreme points such that each centre point of the plurality of centre points and each extreme point of the plurality of extreme points are associated with a tree of a plurality of trees in a region. The system further includes an information processing apparatus coupled to the user device. The information processing apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to determine a plurality of circles for the plurality of trees. Each circle of the plurality of circles for each tree of the plurality of trees is determined based on the centre point and the extreme point of each tree. The processing circuitry is further configured to determine a plurality of entry points and a plurality of exit points for the plurality of circles. The processing circuitry is further configured to determine a path by joining the exit point and the entry point of adjacent circles of the plurality of circles.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the system further includes at least one drone that is coupled to the processing circuitry such that the at least one drone flies across the path to perform at least one operation in the region. The at least one operation comprises spray each tree of the plurality of trees in the region.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, to determine a circle of a tree of the plurality of trees, the processing circuitry is configured to determine a distance between a center point and an extreme point of the tree of the plurality of trees.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the at least one drone includes a spray device and an actuator. The actuator is coupled to the spray device and adapted to exhibit a first state and a second state such that the actuator in the first state facilitates the spray device to dispense at least one agent and the actuator in the second state prevents the spray device from dispensing the at least one agent.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the actuator exhibits the second state while the at least one drone flies from the exit point to the entry point of the adjacent circles of the plurality of circles.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the at least one drone sprays each tree of the plurality of trees based on the radius of the tree of the plurality of trees.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the entry point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles represents a point from where the at least one drone enters in an air zone of the corresponding tree of the plurality of trees.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the exit point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles represents a point from where the at least one drone exits the air zone of the corresponding tree of the plurality of trees.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, to determine the path, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a distance value between an exit point of a circle of the plurality of circles and an entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, a method for determining a path is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by way of a user device, a map. The map includes a plurality of center points and a plurality of extreme points such that each centre point of the plurality of centre points and each extreme point of the plurality of extreme points are associated with a tree of a plurality of trees in a region. The method further comprising determining, by way of processing circuitry of an information processing apparatus coupled to the user device (), a plurality of circles for the plurality of trees. Each circle of the plurality of circles for each tree of the plurality of trees is determined based on the centre point and the extreme point of each tree. The method further includes determining, by way of the processing circuitry, a plurality of entry points and a plurality of exit points for the plurality of circles. The method further includes determining, by way of the processing circuitry, a path in the region by joining the exit point and the entry point of adjacent circles of the plurality of circles.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, prior to determining the plurality of circles, the method further includes determining, by way of the processing circuitry, a distance between a center point and an extreme point of a tree of the plurality of trees.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, prior to determining the path, the method further comprising determining, by way of the processing circuitry, a distance value between an exit point of a circle of the plurality of circles and an entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The above and still further features and advantages of aspects of the present disclosure becomes apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of aspects thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system to determine a path, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an information processing apparatus of the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic top view of the path determined by the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart of a method for determining the path, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.
To facilitate understanding, like reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate like elements common to the figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Various aspects of the present disclosure provide a system and method for determining path. The following description provides specific details of certain aspects of the disclosure illustrated in the drawings to provide a thorough understanding of those aspects. It should be recognized, however, that the present disclosure can be reflected in additional aspects and the disclosure may be practiced without some of the details in the following description.
The various aspects including the example aspects are now described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the various aspects of the disclosure are shown. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the aspects set forth herein. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure is thorough and complete, and fully conveys the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity.
It is understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers that may be present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
The subject matter of example aspects, as disclosed herein, is described specifically to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Rather, the inventor/inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different features or combinations of features similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other technologies. Generally, the various aspects including the example aspects relate to a wear detection apparatus and a method thereof.
As mentioned there remains a need for an efficient technique of spraying trees in a region that solves the problems of conventional techniques. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a system and a method for determining path that is adapted to determine path for a drone for spraying the trees in the region.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system 100 to determine a path 300 (as shown later in FIG. 3), in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. The system 100 may determine a path 300, specifically, a drone path, in a region having a plurality of trees. The system 100 may determine the path 300 to spray the plurality of trees.
The system 100 may include a user device 102, an information processing apparatus 104, and at least one drone 106. The user device 102, the information processing apparatus 104, and the at least one drone 106 may be communicatively coupled to each other by way of a communication network 108.
The user device 102 may include a first user interface 110, a first processing unit 112, a first memory 114, a user console 116, and a first communication interface 118. The information processing apparatus 104 may include processing circuitry 120 and a database 122. The at least one drone 106 may include a power supply 124, a second processing unit 128, a second memory unit 130, a second communication interface 132, a spray device 134, and an actuator 136.
The user device 102 may be configured to receive a map of a region. The term “region” as used herein refers to space or field in which a plurality of trees is planted. In some examples of the present disclosure, the plurality of trees may be fruit trees. In some examples of the present disclosure, the user device 102 may be configured to receive the map from the at least one drone 106. The user device 102, upon receipt of the map, may facilitate a user to view the map. The map may include information about the plurality of trees in the region. Specifically, the map may include information pertaining to a plurality of center points and a plurality of extreme points such that each center point of the plurality of center points and each extreme point of the plurality of extreme points are associated with a tree of the plurality of trees in a region.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the user device 102 may be configured to facilitate the user to provide input(s) to register on the system 100. In some other aspects of the present disclosure, the user device 102 may facilitate the user to enable a password protection for logging-in (i.e., user authentication) to the system 100.
In some exemplary aspects of the present disclosure, a global positioning system (GPS) based location of the at least one drone 106 may facilitate to generate the map. In such a scenario, the map may be generated by registering the plurality of center points and the plurality of extreme points on the user device 102. To facilitate generation of the map, the at least one drone 106 may be flown over each center point of the plurality of center points such that while flying over the center point of the plurality of center points, the user device 102 facilitates the user to add or register corresponding center point of the plurality of center points. The at least one drone 106 may further be flown over each extreme point of the plurality of extreme points such that while flying over the extreme point of the plurality of extreme points, the user device 102 facilitate the user to add or register corresponding extreme point of the plurality of extreme points. In such a manner, the plurality of the center points and the plurality of extreme points that may be associated with the plurality of trees may be registered on the user device 102, may facilitate generation of the map.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the user device 102 may facilitate generation of the map without requirement of the at least one drone 106. In such a scenario, the user device 102 may be carried along the plurality of center points and the plurality of extreme points. For example, the user may walk through the region to walk along the plurality of center points and the plurality of extreme points. Thus, the user, while walking through the region, may register or add the plurality of center points and the plurality of extreme points in the user device 102. The first processing unit 112, based on the added or registered plurality of center points and the plurality of extreme points, may be configured to facilitate generation of the map.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the map may be predefined and may be received by the user device 102. The user device 102 may facilitate the user to mark a pointer on the map such that the pointer represents each extreme point of the plurality of extreme points and each center point of the plurality of center points.
The first user interface 110 may include a first input interface (not shown) for receiving inputs from the user. The first input interface may be configured to enable the user to select and/or provide inputs for registration and/or authentication of the user to use one or more functionalities in the system 100. The first input interface may be further configured to enable the user to provide inputs to enable password protection for logging-in to the system 100. The first user interface 110 may further include a first output interface (not shown) for displaying (or presenting) an output to the user. Specifically, the first output interface may be configured to display or present (i) the map and (ii) the path 300 that may be determined by the system 100.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the first input interface may be one of, a touch interface, a mouse, a keyboard, a motion recognition unit, a gesture recognition unit, a voice recognition unit, or the like. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include and/or otherwise cover any type of the first input interface, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the first output interface may be one of, a digital display, an analog display, a touch screen display, a graphical user interface, a website, a webpage, a keyboard, a mouse, a light pen, an appearance of a desktop, and/or illuminated characters. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include and/or otherwise cover any type of the first output interface including known and/or later developed technologies, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.
The first processing unit 112 may include suitable logic, instructions, circuitry, interfaces, and/or codes for executing various operations, such as the operations associated with the user device 102, and/or the like. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the first processing unit 112 may utilize one or more processors such as Arduino or raspberry pi or the like. The first processing unit 112 may be further configured to control one or more operations executed by the user device 102 in response to the input received at the first user interface 110 from the user. Examples of the first processing unit 112 may include, but not limited to, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) processor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) 10 processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Control unit (PLC), and the like. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of first processing unit 112 including known, related art, and/or later developed processing units.
The first memory 114 may be configured to store the logic, instructions, circuitry, interfaces, and/or codes of the first processing unit 112, data associated with the user device 102, and/or data associated with the system 100. The first memory 114 may be configured to store a variety of inputs received from the user. Examples of the first memory 114 may include, but not limited to, a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random-Access Memory (RAM), a flash memory, a removable storage drive, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state memory, a magnetic storage drive, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), an Erasable PROM (EPROM), and/or an Electrically EPROM (EEPROM). Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of first memory 114 including known, related art, and/or later developed memories.
The user console 116 may be configured as a computer-executable application, to be executed by the first processing unit 112. The user console 116 may include suitable logic, instructions, and/or codes for executing various operations and may be controlled by the information processing apparatus 104. The one or more computer executable applications may be stored in the first memory 114. Examples of the one or more computer executable applications may include, but are not limited to, an audio application, a video application, a social media application, a navigation application, or the like. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include and/or otherwise cover any type of the computer executable application including known, related art, and/or later developed computer executable applications.
The first communication interface 118 may be configured to enable the user device 102 to communicate with the information processing apparatus 104 and the at least one drone 106. Specifically, the first communication interface 118 may be configured to enable the user device 102 to communicate with the information processing apparatus 104 and the at least one drone 106 through the communication network 108. Examples of the first communication interface 118 may include, but not limited to, a modem, a network interface such as an Ethernet card, a communication port, and/or a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, an antenna, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a coder-decoder (CODEC) chipset, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, and a local buffer circuit. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the first communication interface 118 may include any device and/or apparatus capable of providing wireless or wired communications between the user device 102, the information processing apparatus 104 and the at least one drone 106.
The information processing apparatus 104 may be coupled to the user device 102. The information processing apparatus 104 may be a network of computers i.e., a hardware framework, a software framework, or a combination thereof, that may provide a generalized approach to create a server implementation. Examples of the information processing apparatus 104 may include, but not limited to, personal computers, laptops, mini-computers, mainframe computers, any non-transient and tangible machine that can execute a machine-readable code, cloud-based servers, distributed server networks, or a network of computer systems. The information processing apparatus 104 may be realized through various web-based technologies such as, but not limited to, a Java web-framework, a .NET framework, a personal home page (PHP) framework, or any web-application framework. The information processing apparatus 104 may include processing circuitry 120 and one or more memory units (hereinafter, collectively referred to and designated as “database 122”).
The processing circuitry 120 may include suitable logic, instructions, circuitry, interfaces, and/or codes for executing various operations of the system 100. The processing circuitry 120 may be configured to host and enable the user console 116 to execute the operations associated with the system 100 by communicating one or more commands and/or instructions over the communication network 108. The processing circuitry 120 may be configured to receive the map from the user device 102. The processing circuitry 120 may be configured to determine the path 300 in the region based on the one or more inputs of the user. Specifically, the processing circuitry 120 may be configured to determine the path 300 in the region based on the map that may be received from the user device 102.
The database 122 may be configured to store the logic, instructions, circuitry, interfaces, and/or codes of the processing circuitry 120 for executing a number of operations. The database 122 may be further configured to store therein, data associated with users who are registered with the system 100. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the data associated with the users registered with the system 100. Examples of the database 122 may include, but not limited to, a read only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a removable storage drive, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state memory, a magnetic storage drive, a programmable read only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), and/or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). In some aspects of the present disclosure, the database 122 may be configured to store one or more of, user data, instructions data, data associated with the map, data associated with the region, data associated with the plurality of trees, one or more configuration parameters of the at least one drone 106, and the like corresponding to the system 100.
The at least one drone 106 may be configured to fly across the region. The power supply 124 may be configured to provide suitable energy to the at least one drone 106. Specifically, the power supply 124 may be configured to provide an electrical energy to the at least one drone 106 that may facilitate the at least one drone 106 to fly across the region.
The second processing unit 128 may include suitable logic, instructions, circuitry, interfaces, and/or codes for executing various operations, such as the operations associated with the second processing unit 128, or the like. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the second processing unit 128 may utilize one or more processors such as Arduino or raspberry pi or the like.
In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the second processing unit 128 may be configured to generate the map of the region based on a plurality of images of the region. To generate the map of the region, the at least one drone 106 may fly across the region to capture the plurality of images. The second processing unit 128 may be configured to process the plurality of images to generate the map. The second memory unit 130 may be configured to store the map that may be generated based on the plurality of images. The second processing unit 128 may further be configured to transmit the map to the user device 102.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the second processing unit 128 may include, but not limited to, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) processor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Control unit (PLC), and the like. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of second processing unit 128 including known, related art, and/or later developed processing units.
The second memory unit 130 may be configured to store the logic, instructions, circuitry, interfaces, and/or codes of the second processing unit 128, and/or data associated with the system 100. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the second memory unit 130 may be configured to store a variety of inputs received from the information processing apparatus 104. In some exemplary aspects of the present disclosure, the second memory unit 130 may be configured to temporarily store the map that may be generated by the second processing unit 128. Examples of the second memory unit 130 may include, but are not limited to, a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random-Access Memory (RAM), a flash memory, a removable storage drive, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state memory, a magnetic storage drive, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), an Erasable PROM (EPROM), and/or an Electrically EPROM (EEPROM). Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of second memory 130 including known, related art, and/or later developed memories.
The second communication interface 132 may be configured to enable the at least one drone 106 to communicate with the user device 102 and the information processing apparatus 104. Specifically, the second communication interface 132 may facilitate the at least one drone 106 to communicate with the user device 102 and the information processing apparatus 104 through the communication network 108. The second communication interface 132 may facilitate to transmit any information to the user device 102 and the information processing apparatus 104.
In some exemplary aspects of the present disclosure, the second communication interface 132 may facilitate to transmit the map from the at least one drone 106 to the user device 102. Specifically, the first and second communication interfaces 118, 132 may facilitate transmission of the map from the at least one drone 106 to the user device 102 through the communication network 108. The second communication interface 132 may facilitate the at least one drone 106 to transmit the map and the first communication interface 118 may facilitate the user device 102 to receive the map. Examples of the second communication interface 132 may include, but are not limited to, a modem, a network interface such as an Ethernet card, a communication port, and/or a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, an antenna, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a coder-decoder (CODEC) chipset, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, and a local buffer circuit. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the second communication interface 132 may include any device and/or apparatus capable of providing wireless or wired communications between the information processing apparatus 104 and the at least one drone 106.
The spray device 134 may be configured to facilitate the at least one drone 106 to perform at least one operation in the region. To perform the at least one operation in the region, the at least one drone 106 may be configured to fly along the path 300 that may be determined by the processing circuitry 120. The second processing unit 128 may be configured to control the at least one operation in the region. In some examples of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include, but not limited to, spray each tree of the plurality of trees in the region. Preferably, the at least one drone 106 may spray each tree of the plurality of trees in the region. The at least one drone 106, while spraying each of the trees, may move in a circular path to complete that circle of the corresponding tree. Upon completely moving along the circular path, the at least one drone 106 may be moved towards center of the circle such that the at least one drone 106 sprays at the center of that tree. Thus, by following the circular path of the circle of the plurality of circles, the at least one drone 106 sprays uniformly over the tree of the plurality of trees. The second processing unit 128 may be configured to control the spraying of each tree of the plurality of trees in the region. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include and/or otherwise cover any type of the at least one operation that may be carried out by the at least one drone 106, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.
The actuator 136 may be adapted to exhibit a first state and a second state. The actuator 136 may be further adapted to one of, (i) facilitate the spray device 134 to dispense at least one agent and (ii) prevent the spray device 134 from dispensing the at least one agent. The at least one drone 106, while dispensing the at least one agent, may move in a circular path to complete that circle of the corresponding tree. Upon completely moving along the circular path, the at least one drone 106 may be moved towards center of the circle such that the at least one drone 106 dispenses the at least one agent at the center of that tree. Thus, by following the circular path of the circle of the plurality of circles, the at least one drone 106 uniformly sprays the at least one agent over the tree of the plurality of trees. The second processing unit 128 may be configured to control the actuator 136. Specifically, the second processing unit 128 may be configured to control exhibiting of the first and second states of the actuator 136 based on the path 300 along which the at least one drone 106 flies. In other words, the second processing unit 128 may be configured to control dispensing of the at least one agent while the at least one drone 106 flies along the path 300. The second processing unit 128 may be configured to generate a first signal when the actuator 136 exhibits the first state and the second processing unit 128 may be configured to generate a second signal when the actuator 136 exhibits the second state. The actuator 136, upon generation of the first signal, may facilitate the spray device 134 to dispense the at least one agent. In other words, the actuator 136 may facilitate the spray device 134 to dispense the at least one agent when the actuator 136 exhibits the first state. The actuator 136, upon generation of the second signal, may prevent the spray device 134 from dispensing the at least one agent. In other words, the actuator 136 may prevent the spray device 134 from dispensing the at least one agent when the actuator 136 exhibits the second state. The actuator 136 may exhibit the first state when the at least one drone 106 flies over the tree of the plurality of trees. The actuator 136 may exhibit the second state when the at least one drone 106 flies over a gap between two consecutive trees of the plurality of trees. Since, the actuator 136 exhibits the second state when the at least one drone 106 flies over the gap between two consecutive trees of the plurality of trees, therefore, the at least one drone 106 does not spray the at least one agent over the gap. This way, the at least one drone 106 may advantageously avoid wastage of the at least one agent and also advantageously reduce energy consumption while spraying the plurality of trees in the region.
The communication network 108 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and interfaces that may be configured to provide a number of network ports and a number of communication channels for transmission and reception of data related to operations of various entities (such as the user device 102, the information processing apparatus 104, and the at least one drone 106) of the system 100. Each network port may correspond to a virtual address (or a physical machine address) for transmission and reception of the communication data. For example, the virtual address may be an Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPV4) (or an IPV6 address) and the physical address may be a Media Access Control (MAC) address. The communication network 108 may be associated with an application layer for implementation of communication protocols based on one or more communication requests from the user device 102, the information processing apparatus 104, and the at least one drone 106. The communication data may be transmitted or received, via the communication protocols. Examples of the communication protocols may include, but not limited to, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Domain Network System (DNS) protocol, Common Management Interface Protocol (CMIP), Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication protocols, or any combination thereof.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the communication data may be transmitted or received via at least one communication channel of a number of communication channels in the communication network 108. The communication channels may include, but are not limited to, a wireless channel, a wired channel, a combination of wireless and wired channel thereof. The wireless or wired channel may be associated with a data standard which may be defined by one of a Local Area Network (LAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Wireless Area Network (WAN), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a satellite network, the Internet, an optical fiber network, a coaxial cable network, an infrared (IR) network, a radio frequency (RF) network, and a combination thereof. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include and/or otherwise cover any type of communication channel, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
In operation, the system 100 may be configured to determine the path 300 in the region such that the at least one drone 106 performs the at least one operation in the region. The user device 102 may facilitate the user to view the map. The processing circuitry 120 may be configured to receive the map from the user device 102. The processing circuitry 120 may be configured to, based on the map, determine the path 300 in the region. The at least one drone 106 may be configured to fly along the path 300 to perform at least one operation. Specifically, the at least one drone 106 may be configured to spray each tree of the plurality of trees in the region. The spray device 134 may be configured to spray each tree of the plurality of trees in the region. The actuator 136 may facilitate the spray device 134 to (i) dispense the at least one agent and (ii) prevent the spray device 134 from dispensing the at least one agent. The second processing unit 128 may be configured to control the actuator 136. Specifically, the second processing unit 128 may be configured to control exhibiting of the first and second states of the actuator 136 based on the path 300 along which the at least one drone 106 flies. In other words, the second processing unit 128 may be configured to control dispensing of the at least one agent while the at least one drone 106 flies along the path 300. The actuator 136 may exhibit the first state when the at least one drone 106 flies over the tree of the plurality of trees. In other words, the actuator 136 may facilitate the spray device 134 to dispense the at least one agent when the at least one drone 106 flies over the tree of the plurality of trees. The actuator 136 may exhibit the second state when the at least one drone 106 flies over the gap between two consecutive trees of the plurality of trees. In other words, the actuator 136 may facilitate the spray device 134 to dispense the at least one agent when the at least one drone 106 flies over the gap between two consecutive trees of the plurality of trees.
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the information processing apparatus 104 of the system 100 of FIG. 1, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. The information processing apparatus 104 may further include a network interface 200 and an input/output (I/O) interface 202. The processing circuitry 120, the database 122, the network interface 200, and the I/O interface 202 may be configured to communicate with each other by way of a first communication bus 204.
The processing circuitry 120 may include a data exchange engine 206, a registration engine 208, an authentication engine 210, a data processing engine 212, a path generation engine 214, and a notification engine 216. The data exchange engine 206, the registration engine 208, the authentication engine 210, the data processing engine 212, the path generation engine 214, and the notification engine 216 may be configured to communicate with each other by way of a second communication bus 218. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the information processing apparatus 104 is for illustrative purposes and not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and/or software.
The data exchange engine 206 may be configured to enable transfer of data from the database 122 to various engines of the processing circuitry 120. The data exchange engine 206 may be further configured to enable the transfer of data and/or instructions from the user device 102 and/or the at least one drone 106 to the information processing apparatus 104. Specifically, the data exchange engine 206 may facilitate the processing circuitry 120 to receive the map from the user device 102.
The registration engine 208 may be configured to enable the user to register into the system 100 by providing registration data through a registration menu (not shown) of the user console 116 that may be displayed by way of the user device 102.
The authentication engine 210 may be configured to fetch the registration data of the user. Specifically, the data exchange engine 206 may facilitate the authentication engine 210 to fetch the registration data of the user and authenticate the registration data of the user. The authentication engine 210, upon successful authentication of the registration data of the user, may be configured to enable the user to log-in or sign-up to the system 100.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the authentication engine 210 may enable the user to set the password protection for logging-in to the system 100. In such a scenario, the authentication engine 210 may be configured to verify a password entered by the user for logging-in to the system 100 by comparing the password entered by the user with the set password protection. In some aspects of the present disclosure, when the password entered by the user is verified by the authentication engine 210, the authentication engine 210 may enable the user to log-in to the system 100. In some other aspects of the present disclosure, when the password entered by the user is not verified by the authentication engine 210, the authentication engine 208 may facilitate to generate a signal for the notification engine 216 to generate a login failure notification for the user.
The data processing engine 212 may be configured to receive the set of inputs from the user device 102. Specifically, the data exchange engine 206 may facilitate the data processing engine 212 to receive the map of the region from the user device 102. The data processing engine 212 may be configured to process the map of the region. Specifically, the data processing engine 212 may be configured to process the information pertaining to the plurality of trees in the region. The data processing engine 212, upon processing the information pertaining to the plurality of trees, may facilitate to determine a plurality of distances between the plurality of extreme points and the plurality of center points of the plurality of trees. Specifically, the data processing engine 212 may facilitate to determine a distance between an extreme point and a center point of each tree of the plurality of trees. The data processing engine 212 may further facilitate to determine the plurality of circles based on the plurality of distances between the plurality of extreme points and the plurality of center points of the plurality of trees. Specifically, the data processing engine 212, based on the distance between the extreme point and the center point of each tree of the plurality of trees, may facilitate to determine a circle of each tree of the plurality of trees. The data processing engine 212 may further facilitate to determine the plurality of entry points and a plurality of exit points for the plurality of circles. Specifically, the data processing engine 212 may facilitate to determine the entry point and the exit point for each circle of the plurality of circles. The entry point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles may represent a point from where the at least one drone 106 enters in an air zone of the tree of the plurality of trees. The exit point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles may represent a point from where the at least one drone 106 exits the air zone of the tree of the plurality of trees. The term “air zone” as used herein refers to aerial region just above the tree of the plurality of trees such that the aerial region spreads up to the extreme point of the tree of the plurality of trees.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, the data processing engine 212 may be configured to facilitate to determine the exit point and the entry point by following steps I, II, and III.
Step I: - The data processing engine 212 may facilitate to determine heading and for which standard formulation is given as: -
Tree Center = Math.atan2 (Tree1Point.longitude – Tree2Point.longitude, Tree1Point.latitude – Tree2Point.latitude) heading = (Tree Center *180/PI)
Step II: - The data processing engine 212 may facilitate to determine heading angle between two adjacent trees of the plurality of trees by considering an input as “Center point LatLon of two tree” to obtain output of “heading angle”.
Step III: - The data processing engine 212 may facilitate to determine the entry point and the exit point of the circle of the plurality of circles by considering input as “tree center point, radius of tree as a distance from the center and heading angle” to obtain output of “the entry point and the exit point of the circle of the plurality of circles”.
The path generation engine 214 may, based on the entry point and the exit point for each circle of the plurality of circles, facilitate to determine the path 300 in the region. The path generation engine 214 may determine the path 300 by joining the exit point of one circle of the plurality of circles and the entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles. Specifically, the path generation engine 214 may determine the path 300 by joining the exit point and the entry point of adjacent circles of the plurality of circles. The term “adjacent circles” as used herein refers to two circles that are positioned/aligned/disposed close/proximity/near to each other. Specifically, the path generation engine 214, to determine the path 300, may facilitate to determine a distance value between the exit point of one circle of the plurality of circles and the entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles. In some preferred aspects of the present disclosure, the path 300 may be determined based on a shortest distance value between the exit point of the one circle of the plurality of circles and the entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles.
For example, if there are 4 circles i.e., the first through fourth circles then there are 4 entry points and 4 exit points. The exit point of the first circle and the entry point of the second circle may have a first distance value that may be 4 units, the exit point of the second circle and the entry point of the third circle may have a second distance value that may be 3 units, the exit point of the third circle and the entry point of the fourth circle may have a third distance value that may be 6 units, and the exit point of the fourth circle and the entry point of the first circle may have a fourth distance value that may be 2 units. In such a scenario, the path 300 may be determined based on the shortest distance value i.e., the fourth distance value. Specifically, the path 300 may be determined by prioritizing the fourth distance value over the first through third distance values. Exemplary path may be determined by joining the exit point of the fourth circle and the entry point of the first circle and thereby joining the exit points of one circle with the entry point of other circles accordingly.
The notification engine 216 may be configured to facilitate generation of one or more notifications corresponding to the system 100. The one or more notifications may be presented to the user by way of the user device 102. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include and/or otherwise cover any type of notification generated by the system 100 and/or presented to the user by the system 100, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.
The database 122 may be configured to store data corresponding to the system 100. The database 122 may be segregated into one or more repositories that may be configured to store a specific type of data. The database 122 may include an instructions repository 218, a user data repository 220, an image repository 222, and a path repository 224.
The instructions repository 218 may be configured to store instructions data corresponding to the information processing apparatus 104. The instructions data may include data and metadata of one or more instructions corresponding to the various entities of the information processing apparatus 104 such as the processing circuitry 120, the network interface 200, and the I/O interface 202. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include and/or cover any type of instructions data of the information processing apparatus 104, and thus must not be considered as a limitation of the present disclosure.
The user data repository 220 may be configured to store user data of the system 100. The user data may include data and metadata of the data of authenticated users that may be registered on the system 100. The user data repository 220 may further be configured to store partial data and/or partial metadata of the user data corresponding to the users that may fail to register and/or authenticate on the system 100. Furthermore, the user data repository 220 may be configured to store the set of inputs received from the user by way of the user device 102. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include and/or otherwise cover any type of the user data and/or metadata of the user data of the system 100, and thus must not be considered as a limitation of the present disclosure.
The image repository 222 may be configured to store the plurality of images. Specifically, the image repository 222 may be configured to store the plurality of images of the plurality of trees. The image repository 222 may be further configured to store the map that may be received from the user device 102.
The path repository 224 may be configured to store data pertaining to the path 300 in the region. Specifically, the path repository 224 may be configured to store the path 300 that may be determined by the path generation engine 214. The path 300 that may be stored in the path repository 224 may be retrieved by the processing circuitry 120 based on which the at least one drone 106 performs the at least one operation in the region.
FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic top view of the path 300 determined by the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. The path 300 may indicate a travel plan for the at least one drone 106 while the at least one drone 106 sprays the plurality of trees in the region. The path 300 may be formed by joining the exit point of one circle to the entry point of another circle. The at least one drone 106 may therefore be guided along the path 300 while spraying the trees in the region. The at least one drone 106 may be configured to dispense the at least one agent while flying over the tree of the plurality of trees. The at least one drone 106 may prevent dispensing of the at least one agent while flying between the gap of two adjacent trees of the plurality of trees. In other words, the at least one drone 106 may prevent dispensing of the at least one agent while flying from the exit point of one circle to the entry point of another circle and thereby advantageously reducing electricity consumption and avoiding wastage of the at least one agent while spraying the plurality of trees in the region.
FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart of a method 400 for determining the path 300, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. The method 400 may include following steps for determining the path 300: -
At step 402, the system 100 may be configured to receive the map. Specifically, the system 100, by way of the user device 102 may be configured to receive the map that may include the plurality of center points and the plurality of extreme points. Each center point of the plurality of center points and each extreme point of the plurality of extreme points may be associated with the tree of the plurality of trees in the region. The user device 102, upon receipt of the map from the at least one drone 106, may facilitate the user to view the map. The map may include information about the plurality of trees in the region. Specifically, the map may include a plurality of center points and a plurality of extreme points such that each center point of the plurality of center points and each extreme point of the plurality of extreme points are associated with a tree of the plurality of trees in a region.
At step 404, the system 100 may be configured to determine the distance between the center point and the extreme point of a tree of the plurality of trees. Specifically, the system 100, by way of the processing circuitry 120, may be configured to determine the distance between the center point and the extreme point of the tree of the plurality of trees. The user device 102 may be configured to transmit the map to the processing circuitry 120. The data processing engine 212 may be configured to process the map of the region. Specifically, the data processing engine 212 may be configured to process the information pertaining to the plurality of trees in the region. The data processing engine 212, upon processing the information pertaining to the plurality of trees, may facilitate to determine the plurality of distances between the plurality of extreme points and the plurality of center points of the plurality of trees. Specifically, the data processing engine 212 may facilitate to determine the distance between an extreme point and a center point of each tree of the plurality of trees.
At step 406, the system 100 may be configured to determine the plurality of circles for the plurality of trees. Specifically, the system 100, by way of the processing circuitry 120, may be configured to determine the plurality of circles for the plurality of trees. Each circle of the plurality of circles for each tree of the plurality of trees may be determined based on the center point and the extreme point of each tree of the plurality of trees. In other words, the plurality of circles for each tree of the plurality of trees may be determined based on the plurality of distances between the plurality of extreme points and the plurality of center points of the plurality of trees. Specifically, the data processing engine 212, based on the distance between the extreme point and the center point of each tree of the plurality of trees, may facilitate to determine the circle of each tree of the plurality of trees.
At step 408, the system 100 may be configured to determine the plurality of entry points and the plurality of exit points for the plurality of circles. Specifically, the system 100, by way of the processing circuitry 120, may be configured to determine the plurality of entry points and the plurality of exit points for the plurality of circles. The data processing engine 212 may facilitate to determine an entry point and an exit point for each circle of the plurality of circles. The entry point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles may represent a point from where the at least one drone 106 enters in an air zone of the tree of the plurality of trees. The exit point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles may represent a point from where the at least one drone 106 exits the air zone of the tree of the plurality of trees. The term “air zone” as used herein refers to aerial region just above the tree of the plurality of trees such that the aerial region spreads up to the extreme point of the tree of the plurality of trees.
At step 410, the system 100 may be configured to determine the distance value between the exit point of the circle of the plurality of circles and the entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles. Specifically, the system 100, by way of the processing circuitry 120, may be configured to determine the distance value between the exit point of the circle of the plurality of circles and the entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles. The path generation engine 214 may determine the path 300 by joining the exit point and the entry point of adjacent circles of the plurality of circles. To determine the path 300, the path generation engine 214 may be configured to determine the distance value between the exit point of one circle of the plurality of circles and the entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles. In some preferred aspects of the present disclosure, the path 300 may be determined based on a shortest distance value between the exit point of the one circle of the plurality of circles and the entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles.
At step 412, the system 100 may be configured to determine the path in the region. Specifically, the system 100, by way of the processing circuitry 120, may be configured to determine the path 300 in the region by joining the exit point and the entry point of adjacent circles of the plurality of circles.
Thus, the system 100 may advantageously facilitate to determine exact radius of each circle of the plurality of circles by (i) flying the at least one drone 106 over the region, (ii) moving the user device 102 across the region, and (iii) marking each extreme point and each center point in the map. The system 100 may advantageously determine the plurality of circles that may represent the exact area of the plurality of trees that need to be sprayed. The system 100 may advantageously avoid wastage of the at least one agent and also advantageously reduce energy/fuel consumption while spraying the plurality of trees in the region. The system 100 may advantageously reduce electricity consumption and advantageously avoid wastage of the at least one agent while spraying the plurality of trees in the region.
The foregoing discussion of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description, for example, various features of the present disclosure are grouped together in one or more aspects, configurations, or aspects for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the aspects, configurations, or aspects may be combined in alternate aspects, configurations, or aspects other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention the present disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed aspect, configuration, or aspect. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate aspect of the present disclosure.
Moreover, though the description of the present disclosure has included description of one or more aspects, configurations, or aspects and certain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications are within the scope of the present disclosure, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative aspects, configurations, or aspects to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter. , Claims:1. An information processing apparatus (104) comprising:
processing circuitry (120) configured to:
receive a map from a user device (102), wherein the map comprising a plurality of centre points and a plurality of extreme points such that each centre point of the plurality of centre points and each extreme point of the plurality of extreme points are associated with at least one tree of a plurality of trees in a region;
determine a plurality of circles for the plurality of trees, wherein each circle of the plurality of circles for each tree of the plurality of trees is determined based on the centre point and the extreme point of each tree;
determine a plurality of entry points and a plurality of exit points for the plurality of circles; and
determine a path (300) by joining the exit point and the entry point of adjacent circles of the plurality of circles.
2. The information processing apparatus (104) as claimed in claim 1, wherein to determine a circle of a tree of the plurality of trees, the processing circuitry (120) is configured to determine a distance between a center point and an extreme point of the tree of the plurality of trees.
3. The information processing apparatus (104) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the entry point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles represents a point from where at least one drone (106) enters in an air zone of the tree.
4. The information processing apparatus (104) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the exit point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles represents a point from where the at least one drone (106) exits the air zone of the tree.
5. The information processing apparatus (104) as claimed in claim 3, wherein to determine the path (300), the processing circuitry (120) is further configured to determine a distance value between an exit point of a circle of the plurality of circles and an entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles.
6. A system (100) comprising:
a user device (102) configured to receive a map comprising a plurality of centre points and a plurality of extreme points such that each centre point of the plurality of centre points and each extreme point of the plurality of extreme points are associated with a tree of a plurality of trees in a region;
information processing apparatus (104) coupled to the user device (102), the information processing apparatus (104) comprising:
processing circuitry (120) configured to:
determine a plurality of circles for the plurality of trees, wherein each circle of the plurality of circles for each tree of the plurality of trees is determined based on the centre point and the extreme point of each tree;
determine a plurality of entry points and a plurality of exit points for the plurality of circles; and
determine a path (300) in the region by joining the exit point and the entry point of adjacent circles of the plurality of circles.
7. A system (100) as claimed in claim 6, further comprising at least one drone (106) that is coupled to the processing circuitry (120) such that the at least one drone (106) flies across the path (300) to perform at least one operation in the region, wherein the at least one operation comprises spray each tree of the plurality of trees in the region.
8. A system (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein to determine a circle of a tree of the plurality of trees, the processing circuitry (120) is configured to determine a distance between a center point and an extreme point of the tree of the plurality of trees.
9. A system (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one drone (106) comprising:
a spray device (134); and
an actuator (136) coupled to the spray device (134) and adapted to exhibit a first state and a second state such that the actuator (136) in the first state facilitates the spray device (134) to dispense at least one agent and the actuator (136) in the second state prevents the spray device (134) from dispensing the at least one agent.
10. A system (100) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the actuator (136) exhibits the second state while the at least one drone (106) flies from the exit point to the entry point of the adjacent circles of the plurality of circles.
11. A system (100) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one drone sprays each tree of the plurality of trees based on the radius of the tree of the plurality of trees.
12. A system (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the entry point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles represents a point from where the at least one drone (106) enters in an air zone of the corresponding tree of the plurality of trees.
13. A system (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the exit point of the at least one circle of the plurality of circles represents a point from where the at least one drone (106) exits the air zone of the corresponding tree of the plurality of trees.
14. A system (100) as claimed in claim 13, wherein to determine the path (300), the processing circuitry (120) is further configured to determine a distance value between an exit point of a circle of the plurality of circles and an entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles.
15. A method (400) for determining a path (300) comprising:
receiving (402), by way of a user device (102), a map comprising a plurality of center points and a plurality of extreme points such that each centre point of the plurality of centre points and each extreme point of the plurality of extreme points are associated with a tree of a plurality of trees in a region;
determining (406), by way of processing circuitry (120) of an information processing apparatus (104) coupled to the user device (102), a plurality of circles for the plurality of trees, wherein each circle of the plurality of circles for each tree of the plurality of trees is determined based on the centre point and the extreme point of each tree;
determining (408), by way of the processing circuitry (120), a plurality of entry points and a plurality of exit points for the plurality of circles;
determining (412), by way of the processing circuitry (120), a path (300) in the region by joining the exit point and the entry point of adjacent circles of the plurality of circles.
16. The method (400) as claimed in claim 15, wherein prior to determining (406) the plurality of circles, the method (400) further comprising determining (404), by way of the processing circuitry (120), a distance between a center point and an extreme point of a tree of the plurality of trees.
17. The method (400) as claimed in claim 15, wherein prior to determining (412) the path (300), the method (400) further comprising determining (410), by way of the processing circuitry (120), a distance value between an exit point of a circle of the plurality of circles and an entry point of another circle of the plurality of circles.