Unmanned aerial vehicle and method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,459,445 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Menzel, Stefan, Pohl, Daniel, Seiler, Thomas, Achtelik, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US15/718,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20190094861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• 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 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• 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 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

According to various aspects, an unmanned aerial vehicle may be described, the unmanned aerial vehicle including: one or more sensors configured to gather thermal information associated with a vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle; one or more processors configured to determine at least one control information based on the thermal information and to control the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the at least one control information.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to gather thermal information associated with a vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

the one or more sensors comprising at least one infrared camera configured to generate thermal images having thermal data associated therewith and at least one depth camera configured to generate depth images having depth information associated therewith;

one or more processors configured to;

determine one or more map elements representing one or more heat obstacles, wherein the determination of the one or more map elements comprises;

mapping the thermal images and the depth images to one another and assigning position data and the thermal data to one or more gaseous objects in the vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

predicting a movement of the one or more gaseous objects to determine predicted positions of the one or more gaseous objects;

generate a voxel map representing the vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the voxel map comprising the one or more map elements;

control flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on ray tracing the one or more heat obstacles in the voxel map to avoid the one or more heat obstacles; and

one or more memories configured to store the voxel map.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one time of flight (ToF) camera to generate the depth information.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one temperature sensor to provide thermal information.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3,

wherein the at least one temperature sensor comprises a thermocouple.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the one or more sensors are configured to monitor the vicinity in predefined time intervals.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate a flight command comprising one or more map elements associated with the voxel map.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the one or more map elements based on the thermal information and position information representing a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one stereo camera to generate the depth information.

9. A method of controlling flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

gathering thermal information associated with a vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

generating thermal images having thermal data associated therewith and at generating depth images having depth information associated therewith;

determining one or more map elements representing one or more heat obstacles, wherein the determination of the one or more map elements comprises;

mapping the thermal images and the depth images to one another and assigning position data and the thermal data to one or more gaseous objects in the vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

predicting a movement of the one or more gaseous objects to determine predicted positions of the one or more gaseous objects;

generating a voxel map representing the vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the map comprising the one or more map elements;

controlling flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on ray tracing the one or more heat obstacles in the voxel map to avoid the one or more heat obstacles; and

storing the voxel map.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instruction stored thereon to control flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

gathering thermal information associated with a vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

generating thermal images having thermal data associated therewith and at generating depth images having depth information associated therewith;

determining one or more map elements representing one or more heat obstacles, wherein the determination of the one or more map elements comprises;

mapping the thermal images and the depth images to one another and assigning position data and the thermal data to one or more gaseous objects in the vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

predicting a movement of the one or more gaseous objects to determine predicted positions of the one or more gaseous objects;

generating a voxel map representing the vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the map comprising the one or more map elements;

controlling flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on ray tracing the one or more heat obstacles in the voxel map to avoid the one or more heat obstacles; and

storing the voxel map.

11. An unmanned aerial vehicle flight control system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to gather thermal information associated with a vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

the one or more sensors comprising at least one infrared camera configured to generate thermal images having thermal data associated therewith and at least one depth camera configured to generate depth images having depth information associated therewith;

one or more processors configured to;

determine one or more map elements representing one or more heat obstacles, wherein the determination of the one or more map elements comprises;

mapping the thermal images and the depth images to one another and assigning position data and the thermal data to one or more gaseous objects in the vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

predicting a movement of the one or more gaseous objects to determine predicted positions of the one or more gaseous objects;

generate a voxel map representing the vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the map comprising the one or more map elements;

control flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on ray tracing the one or more heat obstacles in the voxel map to avoid the one or more heat obstacles; and

one or more memories configured to store the voxel map.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle flight control system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one time of flight (ToF) camera to generate the depth information.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle flight control system of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one stereo camera to generate the depth information.