Unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system

• US 10,514,710 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2017
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Pohl, Daniel, Gurdan, Daniel, Schick, Roman, Ranft, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber, Tamara L
• Application Number:
  US15/716,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20190094889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• 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 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/00 Traffic control systems for aircraft , e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/06 by aeroplanes, airships, balloons, or kites

Abstract

Herein is disclosed an unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system comprising one or more image sensors, configured to obtain an image of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles and provide to one or more processors image data corresponding to the obtained image; one or more processors, configured to detect from the image data image positions of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles; derive a target position based on a relationship between an image position and a target alignment; and determine an adjustment instruction to direct an unmanned aerial vehicle toward the target position.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system comprising:

one or more image sensors, configured to

obtain an image of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles and

provide to one or more processors image data corresponding to the obtained image;

one or more processors, configured to

detect from the image data image positions of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;

locate a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle lights within the image data, determine a center and a radius of each located light, and determine relative locational relationships of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles by comparing the radii of a plurality of located lights;

derive a target position of an unmanned aerial vehicle based on a relationship between an image position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a target alignment; and

determine an adjustment instruction to direct the unmanned aerial vehicle toward the target position; and

one or more transceivers, configured to

provide the adjustment instruction to the unmanned aerial vehicle to maneuver the unmanned aerial vehicle toward the target position.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system of claim 1, further comprising a memory, configured to store at least one of an identity of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the image position, the target alignment, the target position, and a programmed position.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine the image position at least by identifying a region within the image data with a brightness corresponding to an unmanned aerial vehicle light.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to calculate the image position at least by identifying a region within the image data with a hue corresponding to an unmanned aerial vehicle light.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine an absolute location of an unmanned aerial vehicle based on the image position and an absolute location of the one or more image sensors.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine the target alignment based on a plurality of image positions or programmed positions;

and wherein target alignment is a line, a plane;

or a three dimensional space.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify an unmanned aerial vehicle by an emitted light signal, wherein the emitted light signal is a light color, a light intensity, or a predetermined pattern.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to

determine an average position of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles relative to a first axis based on the image positions;

determine an average line that extends along a second axis from the average position determined relative to the first axis, wherein the first axis and the second axis are perpendicular to each other; and

determine the target alignment based the average line.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system of claim 8, wherein the image comprises a planar view of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, wherein the planar view is based on a vantage point of the one or more sensors such that the image positions of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles are substantially aligned along the second axis.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system of claim 8, wherein the adjustment instruction provides position correction only relative to the first axis.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system of claim 8, wherein the average line corresponds to a linear convergence or a planar convergence of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles arranged in three dimensional space.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle alignment system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine a second radius of each located light in a different direction than the radius, and determine a likelihood that a respective each located light corresponds to a single UAV when the second radius and the radius differ beyond a predetermined threshold.

13. A method of unmanned aerial vehicle alignment comprising:

obtaining an image of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;

detecting image positions of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles from the image;

identifying a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle lights within the image, determining a center and a radius of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle lights, and determining relative locational relationships of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle lights by comparing the radii and intensities of the unmanned aerial vehicle lights;

deriving a target position of an unmanned aerial vehicle based on a relationship between an image position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a target alignment;

determining an adjustment instruction to direct the unmanned aerial vehicle toward the target position; and

providing the adjustment instruction to the unmanned aerial vehicle to maneuver the unmanned aerial vehicle toward the target position.

14. The method of unmanned aerial vehicle alignment of claim 13, further comprising calculating the image position by identifying a region within the image with a hue or brightness corresponding to an unmanned aerial vehicle light.

15. The method of unmanned aerial vehicle alignment of claim 13, further comprising determining the target alignment based on a plurality of image positions or programmed positions;

and determining the target alignment based on a vantage point of the one or more image sensors;

wherein target alignment is a line, a plane, or a three dimensional space.

16. The method of unmanned aerial vehicle alignment of claim 13, wherein the adjustment instruction is an instruction to cause an unmanned aerial vehicle to converge to the target alignment.

17. A means for unmanned aerial vehicle alignment comprising:

one or more image sensing means, configured to

obtain an image of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles and

provide to one or more processing means image data corresponding to the obtained image;

one or more processing means, configured to

detect from the image data image positions of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;

locating a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle lights within the image data, determining a center and a radius of each located light, and determining relative locational relationships of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles by comparing the radii of a plurality of located lights;

derive a target position of an unmanned aerial vehicle based on a relationship between an image position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a target alignment; and

determine an adjustment instruction to direct the unmanned aerial vehicle toward the target position; and

one or more transceiving means, configured to

provide the adjustment instruction to the unmanned aerial vehicle to maneuver the unmanned aerial vehicle toward the target position.

18. The means for unmanned aerial vehicle alignment of claim 17, wherein the target position is a smoothing position, and wherein the smoothing position is at least one of a location equidistant between at least two unmanned aerial vehicles;

a location that is co-planer to at least two unmanned aerial vehicles;

a predetermined distance from an unmanned aerial vehicle, or a regular interval from an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the regular interval is a repeated distance between at least three UAVs.