Low-cost, long-term aerial imagery

• US 10,560,666 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Chandra, Ranveer, Swaminathan, Manohar, Swamy, Vasuki Narasimha, Kapetanovic, Zerina, Vasisht, Deepak, Kumar, Akshit, Badam, Anirudh, Ranade, Gireeja, Sinha, Sudipta, Patil, Rohit
• Primary Examiner(s): Nazrul, Shahbaz
• Application Number:
  US15/414,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20180213186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/50 Captive balloons
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/30 Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/202 using tethers for connecting to ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• 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 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0204 to counteract a sudden perturbation, e.g. cross-wind, gust
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0866 specially adapted to captive aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/242 by image rotation, e.g. by 90 degrees
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/751 Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 : located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 : Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 : specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 : for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• 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 23/64 : Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 : Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 : Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

An imaging system that includes a camera mourned on an aerial platform, for example a balloon, allows a user to increase the longevity of the camera'"'"'s battery by remote control. A user may capture imagery at a time scale of interest and desired power consumption by adjusting parameters for image capture by the camera. A user may adjust a time to capture an image, a time to capture a video, or a number of cycles per time period to capture one or more images as the aerial platform moves in a region of interest to change power consumption for imaging. The system also provides imaging alignment to account for unwanted movement of the aerial platform when moved in the region of interest. Additionally, a mounting device is provided that is simple and inexpensive, and that allows a camera to remain positioned in a desired position relative to the ground.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors and,

memory in communication with the one or more processors, the memory comprising code that, when executed, causes the one or more processors to control the apparatus to;

receive first data, the first data comprising information related to a region to be imaged and information related to a field of vision of a camera device positioned above a mobile entity on an aerial platform having a steering device;

determine, based at least on the first data, a path within the region and provide information on the first path to the mobile entity;

receive second data, the second data indicating a parameter related to power consumption by the camera device, and provide the second data to the camera device;

receive third data from the camera device as the mobile entity moves the aerial platform along the first path using the steering device, the third data including one or more images taken by the camera device according to the second data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second data includes a length of time for capture of a still image.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second data includes a length of time for capture of a video.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second data includes a number of cycles per a time period for taking the one or more images.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a mobile device including a user interface in communication with the one or more processors, and the code further causes the one or more processors to control the mobile device to receive the second data from the user interface in response to the mobile entity entering input at the user interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the code, when executed, further causes the one or more processors to control the apparatus to:

determine a battery life of the camera device based at least on the second data; and

,

present an indication of the battery life at the user interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the path comprises a first path and the code, when executed, further causes the one or more processors to control the apparatus to:

receive fourth data, the fourth data comprising position data of the camera device as the mobile entity moves the aerial platform along the first path using the steering device;

determine, based at least on the fourth data, at least one unimaged area of the region that remains unimaged in the traverse of the first path; and

,

determine, based at least on the at least one unimaged area and the first data, a second path within the region and provide information on the second path to the mobile entity.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a balloon, wherein the balloon provides the aerial platform on which the camera device is mounted, and the steering device comprises a tether.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes the camera device, and the mobile device is mounted beneath the balloon.