Unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 10,571,933 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2018
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Iain Matthew Russell
• Inventors: Russell, Iain Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US16/112,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20190187726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/08 optical
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• 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 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0661 specially adapted for take-off
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/17 taken from planes or by drones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0065 for taking-off
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• 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

A UAV comprises a camera arrangement configurable such that a field of view of the camera arrangement includes airspace directly above the UAV, a lighting arrangement configurable in an upwards-facing configuration, and a controller operable to cause the lighting arrangement to illuminate an object in the airspace directly above the UAV.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, comprising:

a camera arrangement configurable such that a field of view of the camera arrangement includes airspace directly above the UAV;

a lighting arrangement configurable in an upwards-facing configuration; and

a controller operable to cause, in anticipation of and/or during take-off, the lighting arrangement to illuminate an object in the airspace directly above the UAV.

2. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to cause the lighting arrangement to illuminate the object based on image data received from the camera arrangement.

3. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to cause the lighting arrangement to illuminate the object in response to the object being in the field of view of the camera arrangement.

4. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to cause the lighting arrangement to illuminate the object in response to the object being less than a threshold distance from the UAV.

5. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to cause the lighting arrangement to illuminate the object in response to detecting a collision risk with the object.

6. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to cause the lighting arrangement to illuminate the object in anticipation of vertical take-off.

7. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to cause the lighting arrangement to illuminate the object during vertical take-off.

8. The UAV of claim 6, wherein the vertical take-off is an autonomous vertical take-off.

9. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to cause the lighting arrangement to illuminate the object based on data received from the object.

10. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to control the lighting arrangement autonomously.

11. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to control the lighting arrangement based on data received from a control device of a human operator of the UAV.

12. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to control the lighting arrangement based on an ambient light level.

13. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to control the lighting arrangement based on a battery level of the UAV.

14. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to control the lighting arrangement based on a location of the UAV.

15. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the UAV comprises a power source and a motor, wherein the power source is arranged to power the motor, and wherein the power source is arranged to power the lighting arrangement.

16. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the camera arrangement and/or the lighting arrangement has a fixed orientation.

17. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the camera arrangement and/or the lighting arrangement has a dynamic orientation.

18. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to adjust an orientation of the camera arrangement and/or the lighting arrangement while the UAV is in-flight.

19. An unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, comprising:

a lighting arrangement configurable in an upwards-facing configuration; and

a controller operable to cause, in anticipation of and/or during take-off, the lighting arrangement to illuminate airspace directly above the UAV.