Modular camera drone

• US 10,104,289 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SWL Robotics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SWL Robotics, Inc.
• Inventors: Enriquez, Enrique Jesus, Valencia, Carlos Alberto, Enriquez, Enrique Frecci, Enriquez, Ricardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Alcon, Fernando
• Application Number:
  US15/457,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/002 unmanned
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/08 Propulsion schnorkels B63G8/36; nuclear propulsion B63H21/18; submerged exhausting apparatus F01N13/12
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/16 by direct use of propellers or jets
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/22 Adjustment of buoyancy by water ballasting; Emptying equipment for ballast tanks conduits for emptying or ballasting on vessels in general B63B13/00; stabilising vessels using ballast tanks B63B43/06
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/75 the body formed by joined shells or by a shell overlaying a chassis
• 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: G03B 15/006 Apparatus mounted on flying objects
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/03 Combinations of cameras with lighting apparatus; Flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 31/00 Associated working of cameras or projectors with sound-recording or sound-reproducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A camera drone has an array of eight camera-light units arranged so as to enable capture of photographs and video providing a spherical 360°×360° field of view. Such an expansive field of view enables image capture for use in virtual reality, augmented reality, and similar uses. The camera drone is preferably spherical in shape so as to minimize any obstructions in the expansive field of view. The camera drone is modular with separate but coordinated modules for a main body module, a base module along an equator of the main body, a thruster module, and a camera-light module. The camera drone is also capable of operation in air or water (submersible) having both a tethered and autonomous version.

Claims

1. A modular camera drone, comprising:

a first module comprising a hermitically sealed housing enclosing a computer processor;

a pair of hemispherical shells disposed around the first module so as to define a generally spherical surface;

a second module comprising a circular base unit encircling an equatorial region of the generally spherical surface and attached to the first module, wherein the second module includes a plurality of cavities holding a plurality of ballast tanks configured for the selective filling or emptying of a ballast fluid;

a third module comprising a plurality of thrusters for generating propulsion, wherein the thrusters are disposed uniformly around a perimeter of and attached to the circular base unit;

a fourth module comprising a plurality of camera-light units uniformly disposed around the generally spherical surface; and

wherein power and control cables from the computer processor pass through the hermetically sealed housing to the second module, the third module, and the fourth module.

2. The modular camera drone of claim 1, wherein the camera drone is configured for operation in both air and water environments.

3. The modular camera drone of claim 2, further comprising a tether harness attached to the first module and comprising power and control supply cables passing through the hermetically sealed housing to the computer module and a ballast fluid supply cable passing through the hermetically sealed housing to the ballast tanks of the second module.

4. The modular camera drone of claim 2, further comprising a battery pack enclosed within the hermetically sealed housing and connected to the computer processor.

5. The modular camera drone of claim 1, further comprising gyroscope enclosed within the hermetically sealed housing and operationally connected to the computer module and the thrusters of the third module.

6. The modular camera drone of claim 1, wherein the fourth module comprises at least eight camera-light units disposed uniformly about the generally spherical surface so as provide a 360°

×

360°

field of view around the camera drone.

7. The modular camera drone of claim 6, wherein each of the at least eight camera-light units include a microphone configured to record ambient surround sound.

8. The modular camera drone of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of thrusters includes an electronic speed controller and is capable of generating thrust in both air and water environments.

9. The modular camera drone of claim 8, wherein the third module comprises at least four thrusters, each disposed at ninety degree intervals around the perimeter of the circular base unit relative to another thruster.

10. The modular camera drone of claim 1, wherein the second module comprises at least four separate and symmetrical ballast tanks disposed uniformly around the perimeter of the circular base unit.

11. The modular camera drone of claim 10, wherein each of the ballast tanks are configured to be filled with water drawn from a water environment, while releasing any air in the ballast tanks through an air-vent line.

12. The modular camera drone of claim 11, wherein each of the ballast tanks are configured to be filled with air drawn from a compressed air tank enclosed within the hermetically sealed housing forcing any water in the ballast tanks through a water flow valve.

13. The modular camera drone of claim 11, wherein each of the ballast tanks are configured to be filled with air drawn from a ballast fluid supply cable provided in a tether harness forcing any water in the ballast tanks through a water flow valve.

14. The modular camera drone of claim 1, further comprising a sensor disposed outside of the hermetically sealed housing, wherein the sensor is configured to measure one of temperature, pressure, depth, or altitude.

15. The modular camera drone of claim 14, wherein the sensor is disposed behind a strainer unit that permits the passage of an environmental fluid medium to the sensor.

16. The modular camera drone of claim 1, wherein the hermetically sealed housing includes a plurality of heat radiating fins disposed about a perimeter of the first module.

17. The modular camera drone of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is configured to process the images from each of the plurality of camera-light units and stitch them together to form a single 360°

spherical field of view.