Control of image triggering for aerial image capturing in nadir alignment for an unmanned aircraft
First Claim
1. A control unit for use in an unmanned aircraft during an aerial image capture flight, the control unit comprising:
- a sensor unit configured for progressively determining a camera position and a real time alignment of an optical camera axis of a camera; and
a memory device configured for providing flight plan data for the unmanned aircraft,wherein;
the control unit is configured to;
obtain camera position information from the sensor unit;
obtain alignment information from the sensor unit; and
obtain flight plan data for the unmanned aircraft having the control unit from the memory device; and
generate control signals for controlling the camera of the unmanned aircraft for aerial image capture such that the capture of each aerial image of an aerial image series is triggered in a manner controlled based on the control signals;
if a camera position derivable from the position information is present inside a respective image triggering region derivable from the flight plan data, wherein the location of the respective image triggering region is determined in each case at least by a triggering position, which is associated with the respective image triggering region, according to the flight plan data, andin dependence on the real time alignment of the optical camera axis, which is derivable from the alignment information, in regard to a fulfillment of a defined maximum angle deviation (α
) with respect to a predetermined spatial alignment, wherein no image is captured if the real time alignment is not within the defined maximum angle deviation (α
).
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method for aerial image capturing by means of an unmanned and controllable aircraft comprising a camera, more particularly a drone, during a flight maneuver of said aircraft, comprising continual determining of a camera position and alignment of an optical camera axis and acquiring of a series of aerial images. For each aerial image of said aerial image series, the capturing of the respective aerial image is triggered by flying through a respective image trigger region with said aircraft, wherein the location of said respective image trigger region is determined at least in each case by one trigger position assigned to said respective image trigger region and triggered subject to the alignment of the camera axis when flying through said respective image trigger region, with respect to fulfilling a defined, maximum angle deviation relative to a predetermined spatial alignment.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A control unit for use in an unmanned aircraft during an aerial image capture flight, the control unit comprising:
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a sensor unit configured for progressively determining a camera position and a real time alignment of an optical camera axis of a camera; and a memory device configured for providing flight plan data for the unmanned aircraft, wherein; the control unit is configured to; obtain camera position information from the sensor unit; obtain alignment information from the sensor unit; and obtain flight plan data for the unmanned aircraft having the control unit from the memory device; and generate control signals for controlling the camera of the unmanned aircraft for aerial image capture such that the capture of each aerial image of an aerial image series is triggered in a manner controlled based on the control signals; if a camera position derivable from the position information is present inside a respective image triggering region derivable from the flight plan data, wherein the location of the respective image triggering region is determined in each case at least by a triggering position, which is associated with the respective image triggering region, according to the flight plan data, and in dependence on the real time alignment of the optical camera axis, which is derivable from the alignment information, in regard to a fulfillment of a defined maximum angle deviation (α
) with respect to a predetermined spatial alignment, wherein no image is captured if the real time alignment is not within the defined maximum angle deviation (α
). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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a camera; a sensor unit configured for progressively determining a camera position and a real time alignment of an optical camera axis of the camera; and a memory device configured for providing flight plan data for an unmanned aircraft, a control unit for use in the unmanned aircraft during an aerial image capture flight, wherein; the control unit is configured to; obtain camera position information from the sensor unit; obtain alignment information from the sensor unit; and obtain the flight plan data for the unmanned aircraft having the control unit from the memory device; and generate control signals for controlling the camera of the unmanned aircraft for aerial image capture such that the capture of each aerial image of an aerial image series is triggered in a manner controlled based on the control signals; if a camera position derivable from the position information is present inside a respective image triggering region derivable from the flight plan data, wherein the location of the respective image triggering region is determined in each case at least by a triggering position, which is associated with the respective image triggering region, according to the flight plan data, and in dependence on the real time alignment of the optical camera axis, which is derivable from the alignment information, in regard to a fulfillment of a defined maximum angle deviation (a) with respect to a predetermined spatial alignment; wherein; the position information and the real time alignment information is determined and provided by the sensor unit, the flight plan data is provided by the memory device, and the camera is activated by the control signals, which is generated by the control unit, for the aerial image capture, wherein no image is captured if the real time alignment is not within the defined maximum angle deviation (α
).- View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A computer program product having program code which is stored on a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium carrier, when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the following steps for an unmanned aircraft with a camera having a optical camera axis:
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progressively obtaining; position information, real time alignment information of the optical camera axis, and flight plan data, and controlling an aerial image capture by the camera in dependence on the position information, the real time alignment information, and the flight plan data, wherein the aerial image capture occurs in dependence on an alignment and position of the camera and wherein no image is captured if the real time alignment is not within a defined maximum angle deviation (α
).
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Specification