System and method for positioning an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,053,218 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Feldmann, Michael Steven, Dell'Anno, Michael Joseph, Castillo-Effen, Mauricio, Lopez, James Gerard, Saggio, III, Frank, Berendsen, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Yuen H
• Application Number:
  US15/087,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20170285627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• 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: B64U 40/10 for adjusting control surfaces or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/35 by wireless transmission, e.g. by induction
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 17/00 Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1851 Systems using a satellite or space-based relay H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

A system for positioning an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided including a position reference system including an electromagnetic radiation transmitter configured to modulate a transmission signal to encode location information associated with a coordinate system relative to the electromagnetic radiation transmitter. The system further includes an unmanned aerial vehicle including at least one control device configured to control a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and an electromagnetic radiation receiver configured to receive the transmission signal. The unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a control system configured to control the at least one control device based at least in part on the location information received by the electromagnetic radiation receiver.

Claims

1. A positioning system for positioning an unmanned aerial vehicle, said positioning system comprising:

a position reference system comprising an electromagnetic radiation transmitter for modulating a transmission signal to encode location information associated with a coordinate system relative to said electromagnetic radiation transmitter; and

an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising;

at least one control device for controlling a position of said unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the control device comprises at least one of;

a thrust device, a control surface, and a mechanism configured to change a pitch angle of a propeller or a pitch angle of a rotor blade or a tilt angle of a rotor blade;

an electromagnetic radiation receiver for receiving said transmission signal; and

a control system for controlling said at least one control device based at least in part on said location information received by said electromagnetic radiation receiver,

wherein the modulated transmission signal is also encoded with temporal location information indicating a time of transmission of the modulated transmission signal for determining a distance from the positioning system when the transmission signal is received by the electromagnetic radiation receiver of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on a time difference between the time of transmission of the modulated transmission signal and a time of reception of the modulated transmission signal.

2. The positioning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises a first line of sight communication transceiver and said positioning system further comprises a ground control station comprising a second line of sight communication transceiver configured to communicate with said first line of sight communication transceiver.

3. The positioning system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said control system is further configured to control said at least one control device based on said location information in a station-keeping mode to keep said unmanned aerial vehicle substantially at a specific point relative to said position reference system, and wherein said station-keeping mode facilitates communication between said first line of sight communication transceiver and said second line of sight communication transceiver.

4. The positioning system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said first line of sight communication transceiver and said second line of sight communication transceiver are at least one of a laser light transceiver, an infrared transceiver, or a microwave transceiver.

5. The positioning system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises a camera configured to transmit image information to said ground control station using said first line of sight communication transceiver.

6. The positioning system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said ground control station is configured to process said image information.

7. The positioning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises a wireless charging receiver configured to receive electromagnetic energy and said positioning system further comprises a ground control station, said ground control station comprising a wireless charging transmitter configured to transmit electromagnetic energy to said wireless charging receiver.

8. The positioning system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said control system is further configured to control said at least one control device based on said location information in a station-keeping mode to maintain said unmanned aerial vehicle substantially at a specific point relative to said position reference system and said station-keeping mode facilitates transmission of electromagnetic energy from said wireless charging transmitter to said wireless charging receiver.

9. The positioning system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said wireless charging receiver and said wireless charging transmitter are configured to receive energy and transmit energy, respectively, using at least one of magnetic induction, a beam of microwave energy, or a beam of laser light energy.

10. The positioning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic radiation transmitter is a laser transmitter.

11. The positioning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said position reference system is configured to scan a beam emitted by said electromagnetic radiation transmitter in a raster pattern and the location information encoded on the beam corresponds to a current location of the beam within the raster pattern.

12. The positioning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises a camera, said position reference system positioned such that said electromagnetic radiation transmitter is configured to emit said transmission signal directed toward an industrial asset.

13. The positioning system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises a fuel port configured to receive fuel and said positioning system further comprises a refueling device configured to provide fuel from a fuel source to said fuel port.

14. The positioning system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said control system is further configured to control said at least one control device based on said location information in a station-keeping mode to maintain said unmanned aerial vehicle substantially at a specific point relative to said position reference system and said station-keeping mode facilitates refueling of said unmanned aerial vehicle by said refueling device.