Unmanned aircraft structure evaluation system and method

• US 10,037,464 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2017
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (EagleView Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (EagleView Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schultz, Stephen L., Monaco, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Luat T
• Application Number:
  US15/803,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20180068186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2, 701 3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 : Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed including a computer storage medium, comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors included in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), cause the UAV to perform operations, comprising: receiving, by the UAV, a flight plan configured to direct the UAV to fly a flight path having a plurality of waypoints adjacent to and above a structure and to capture sensor data of the structure from a camera on the UAV while the UAV is flying the flight path; adjusting an angle of an optical axis of the camera mounted to a gimbal to a predetermined angle within a range of 25 degrees to 75 degrees relative to a downward direction, and capturing sensor data of at least a portion of a roof of the structure with the optical axis of the camera aligned with at least one predetermined location on the structure.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors included in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), cause the UAV to perform operations, comprising:

receiving, by the UAV, a flight plan configured to direct the UAV to fly a flight path having a plurality of waypoints adjacent to and above a structure and to capture sensor data of the structure from a camera on the UAV while the UAV is flying the flying path;

adjusting an angle of an optical axis of the camera mounted to a gimbal to a predetermined angle within a range of 25 degrees to 75 degrees relative to a downward direction; and

capturing sensor data of at least a portion of a roof of the structure with the optical axis of the camera aligned with at least one predetermined location on the structure.

2. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined location on the structure is a roof surface and the optical axis of the camera is aligned orthogonal to the roof surface.

3. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the flight path includes a plurality of capture points adjacent to the structure such that the UAV captures sensor data of the structure at the plurality of capture points.

4. The computer storage medium of claim 3, wherein a first one of the plurality of capture points is positioned to direct the UAV to capture sensor data of the structure from a first angle relative to the structure and a second one of the plurality of capture points is positioned to direct the UAV to capture sensor data of the structure from a second angle relative to the structure.

5. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the UAV is a multi-rotor aircraft.

6. A computerized system, comprising:

a computer system having an input unit, a display unit, one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer readable medium, the one or more processors executing software to cause the one or more processors to;

display, on the display unit, one or more images from an image database, the one or more images depicting a structure;

receiving a validation from the input unit indicating a validation of a location of the structure depicted in the one or more images;

generate unmanned aircraft information including flight path information configured to direct an unmanned aircraft to fly a flight path above the structure and capture sensor data from a camera on the unmanned aircraft while the unmanned aircraft is flying the flight path, wherein the camera is mounted to a gimbal and an optical axis of the camera is adjusted to align with at least one predetermined location on the structure prior to capture of the sensor data;

receive the sensor data from the unmanned aircraft; and

generate a structure report based at least in part on the sensor data.

7. The computerized system of claim 6, wherein the at least one predetermined location on the structure is a roof surface and the optical axis of the camera is aligned orthogonal to the roof surface.

8. The computerized system of claim 6, wherein the flight path information includes a plurality of capture points adjacent to the structure such that the unmanned aircraft captures sensor data of the structure at the plurality of capture points.

9. The computerized system of claim 8, wherein a first one of the plurality of capture points is positioned to direct the unmanned aircraft to capture sensor data of the structure from a first angle relative to the structure and a second one of the plurality of capture points is positioned to direct the unmanned aircraft to capture sensor data of the structure from a second angle relative to the structure.

10. The computerized system of claim 6, wherein the unmanned aircraft is a multi-rotor aircraft.