System and method for integrating flight path and site operating data

• US 10,329,017 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Noto, William Borea
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewandroski, Sara J
• Application Number:
  US15/457,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20180259955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0073 Surveillance aids scene image recognition G06V20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

The present approach relates to the inspection of assets, such as assets having parts that move during operation. As discussed herein, operational data for the asset may be incorporated into planning or adapting the flight plan and/or operational commands may be issued to asset in accordance with the flight plan to facilitate acquisition of the inspection data.

Claims

1. A method for inspecting an asset, comprising:

sending, via a flight controller of one or more drones, a first operational command to an asset controller of an asset to adjust operation of the asset as the one or more drones approach the asset to perform an inspection;

receiving, at the flight controller, a confirmation from the asset controller that the operational command has been performed by the asset;

instructing the one or more drones to execute a flight plan with respect to the asset and to collect inspection data when executing the flight plan; and

upon completion of the flight plan, sending, via the flight controller, a second operational command to the asset controller, wherein the asset controller instructs the asset to resume normal operation upon receiving the second operational command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational command to adjust operation of the asset comprises a stop operation command and wherein the second operational command comprises a restart operation command.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the flight plan based on operational data sent to the flight controller by the asset controller.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the flight plan based on a yaw offset map generated at least in part using current environmental data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the inspection data to an inspection data repository during or after the inspection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the inspection data while the one or more drones execute the flight plan to inspect the asset, prior to completion of the flight plan;

modifying the flight plan based upon analyzed results of the inspection data to create a modified flight plan; and

executing the modified flight plan to collect additional inspection data relating to a potential problem of the asset identified in the analyzed results of the inspection data prior to sending the second operational command.