Methods and apparatus for unmanned aircraft-based object detection

• US 10,701,913 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2017
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Planck Aerosystems, Inc. (AeroVironment, Inc.)
• Inventors: Twining, David, Wells, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US16/069,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20190014760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 79/00 Methods or means of catching fish in bulk not provided for in groups A01K69/00 - A01K77/00, e.g. fish pumps; Detection of fish; Whale fishery
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/46 Blades
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/26 for manufacturing, inspections or repairs
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/84 Waterborne vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a system and method for the use of unmanned aircraft systems to detect, locate, and identify objects in, on, or near the water that may provide useful information to people in a different location, such as on a nearby vessel for purposes of ultimately locating fish. The vessel can then take action based on data collected by the unmanned aircraft system, such as move to a new location to catch fish as detected by the unmanned aircraft system.

Claims

1. An object detection system, comprising:

a communications unit accessible by a user, the communications unit having a user interface, a storage medium, and a communication element; and

an unmanned aircraft comprising;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store information and executable programmed modules;

a lift system comprising one or more lift mechanisms configured to propel the unmanned aircraft;

a sensor system configured to obtain sensor information related to an environment of the unmanned aircraft and at least one of store the sensor information in the non-transitory computer-readable medium and transmit the sensor information to the communications unit;

a processor configured to control operation of the lift system and the sensor system, the processor communicatively coupled with the non-transitory computer-readable medium and configured to execute programmed modules stored therein; and

an object detection module stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by the processor, the object detection module configured to obtain sensor information stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium by the sensor system, detect an object of interest comprising at least one of fish, fish indicators, and marine wildlife within the environment of the unmanned aircraft based on an analysis of the sensor information, and communicate the detected object of interest to the communications unit.

2. The objection detection system of claim 1, wherein the object detection module is further configured to determine a physical location of the detected object of interest based on an analysis of the sensor information.

3. The object detection system of claim 2, wherein the physical location comprises at least one of a coordinate location and a depth within a body of water.

4. The object detection system of claim 1, wherein the object detection module is further configured to identify the detected object of interest based on at least one of a location and physical attributes of the detected object of interest.

5. The object detection system of claim 4, wherein the physical attributes comprise at least one of a size, a shape, and a color of the detected object of interest.

6. The object detection system of claim 1, wherein the communications unit is located on a surface vehicle.

7. The object detection system of claim 6, wherein the surface vehicle is a boat afloat in a body of water.

8. The object detection system of claim 6, wherein the surface vehicle is an unmanned surface vehicle.

9. The object detection system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to display at least one of the detected object of interest and a physical location of the detected object of interest to flail the user.

10. The object detection system of claim 9, wherein the user interface is further configured to receive user input from the user in response to the displayed at least one of the detected object of interest and the physical location of the detected object of interest.

11. The object detection system of claim 10, wherein the user input is communicated to the unmanned aircraft via the communication element.

12. The object detection system of claim 1, wherein the object of interest comprises fish or marine wildlife.

13. The object detection system of claim 12, wherein the object of interest comprises fish.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein one or more instructions for causing one or more processors to perform at least:

navigating an unmanned aircraft in a vicinity of a specific geographic location, the unmanned aircraft comprising a lift system comprising one or more lift mechanisms and a sensor system configured to obtain sensor information related to an environment of the specific geographic location;

detecting an object of interest comprising at least one of fish, fish indicators, and marine wildlife within the environment of the specific geographic location based on an analysis of the sensor information; and

communicating detected object of interest to a user.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the user is located within a mobile surface vehicle.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the mobile surface vehicle comprises a water vessel.

17. The transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more instructions cause the one or more processors to further:

determine a physical location of the detected object of interest.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the physical location comprises at least one of a coordinate location and a depth within a body of water.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more instructions cause the one or more processors to further:

identify the detected one object of interest.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the object of interest comprises fish or marine wildlife.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the object of interest comprises fish.