Unmanned aerial vehicles, videography, and control methods

• US 10,250,792 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drone Control LLC (Utah)
• Original Assignee: Platypus IP LLC
• Inventors: Jones, David Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Jr., Howard D
• Application Number:
  US15/347,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0666 worn on the head or face, e.g. combined with goggles or glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/44 Angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 29/02 Mountain guy-ropes or accessories, e.g. avalanche ropes; Means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 6/02 for landing, e.g. for pole vaulting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0048 for mountaineering, e.g. climbing-walls, grip elements for climbing-walls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• 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: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• 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 1/12 : Target-seeking control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 : Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 : Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 : by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 : Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

Videography of climbing surfaces and improved positional control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are disclosed. Currently, videography using UAVs (e.g. drones) avoid vertical structures. Rather, such drones are designed to navigate open aerial spaces. For example, UAVs often include sensors and piloting programming to avoid vertical walls. In climbing scenarios, however, a UAV provides improved videography of the vertical surface as described herein. As such, attributes of a vertical, semi-vertical, or non-uniform vertical surface can be recognized by a UAV. These surface attributes can be used to pilot and/or control a UAV. In certain embodiments, a transmitter is disposed on the climber, a normal climbing surface vector is determined, and UAV control settings are generated thereby to position the UAV. And, improved communication can be provided so as to relay real-time video capture of climbing activity to one or more persons on the ground.

Claims

1. A method performed by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for capturing imagery of a climber as the climber navigates a climbing surface, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from one or more distance sensors of the UAV describing the climbing surface;

determining a plane describing the climbing surface;

receiving a signal describing a position of the climber on the climbing surface;

maintaining a position of the UAV at;

a distance normal to the plane describing the climbing surface; and

relative to the position of the climber;

and capturing the imagery of the climber.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plane describing the climbing surface is substantially parallel to gravity at the location of the UAV.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the signal from the one or more distance sensors of the UAV describing the climbing surface describes at least three points on the climbing surface that define the plane describing the climbing surface.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal from the one or more distance sensors define a horizontal attribute of the climbing surface.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the horizontal attribute describes a horizontal line used with a vertical direction to define a virtual plane describing the climbing surface.

6. The method according to claim 5, the virtual plane defining a normal vector to the UAV.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more distance sensors include a light-based distance measurement sensor.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more distance sensors include a sound-based distance measurement sensor.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a signal describing the vertical and horizontal position of the climber while the climber navigates the climbing surface describes a location of a vertical and horizontal transmitter worn by the climber.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a point horizontal to a position of a beacon worn by the climber defines a normal vector used to pilot the UAV.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein an accelerometer is used to define a virtual plane describing the climbing surface at the position of the climber.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a signal describing a vertical and horizontal position of the climber while the climber navigates the climbing surface includes a recognized position of the climber from image analysis of recorded imagery by the UAV.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distance normal to the plane describing the climbing surface is modified based on a signal received by the UAV describing activity surrounding the climber or an altitude of the climber so as to record a larger portion of the climbing surface surrounding the climber.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second signal describing a vertical and horizontal position of an additional climber while both climbers ascend the climbing surface;

and repositioning the UAV at;

a different distance normal to the plane describing the climbing surface to capture both climbers within imagery recorded and/or transmitted by the UAV; and

equidistance relative to the horizontal and vertical positions of both climbers; and

recording and/or transmitting imagery capturing both of the climbers as the climbers navigate the climbing surface.

15. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for surveillance of a climbing surface, comprising:

a video camera;

multiple rotary motors coupled to propellers for positioning the UAV at multiple different horizontal and vertical positions relative to the climbing surface;

one or more sensors for determining a vertical direction that is parallel to the direction of gravity at a location of the UAV;

one or more distance sensors for sensing surface points of the climbing surface;

determining a plane describing the climbing surface, the plane;

including the at least three non-collinear points; and

extending substantially parallel to the climbing surface;

and or substantially parallel to the vertical direction of gravity and parallel to at least two horizontal surface points of the climbing surface;

determining a vertical position of a climber with respect to the climbing surface;

and controlling the UAV to vertically and horizontally reposition the UAV at a distance normal to the plane describing the climbing surface and relative to the horizontal and vertical position of the climber.

16. The UAV according to claim 15, determining an initial distance from the UAV to the climbing surface;

initially stabilizing an initial airborne position of the UAV with respect to the climbing surface at a predetermined distance from ground and at the initial distance from the UAV to the climbing surface.

17. The UAV according to claim 15, further comprising:

a video transmitter configured to receive and transmit live video imagery from the video camera; and

a video camera control system configured to receive video camera control signals, the video camera control signals operating the video camera to capture a scene of the climbing surface based on a position of a graphical user interface worn by the head of a person.

18. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for surveillance of a climbing surface, comprising:

a video camera;

multiple rotary motors coupled to propellers for positioning the UAV at multiple different horizontal and vertical positions relative to the climbing surface;

one or more sensors for determining a vertical direction that is parallel to the direction of gravity at a location of the UAV;

one or more distance sensors for sensing surface points of the climbing surface;

determining a plane describing the climbing surface, the plane;

including the at least three non-collinear points;

extending substantially parallel to the vertical direction of gravity; and

parallel to at least two horizontal surface points of the climbing surface;

determining a vertical position of a climber with respect to the climbing surface;

and controlling the UAV to vertically and horizontally reposition the UAV at a distance normal to the plane describing the climbing surface and relative to the horizontal and vertical position of the climber.

19. The UAV according to claim 18, determining an initial distance from the UAV to the climbing surface;

and initially stabilizing an initial airborne position of the UAV with respect to the climbing surface at a predetermined distance from ground and at the initial distance from the UAV to the climbing surface.

20. The UAV according to claim 18, further comprising:

a video transmitter configured to receive and transmit live video imagery from the video camera; and

a video camera control system configured to receive video camera control signals, the video camera control signals operating the video camera to capture a scene of the climbing surface based on a position of a graphical user interface worn by the head of a person.