SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING VIRTUAL SIGHTSEEING USING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

• US 20160035224A1
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: YANG, Kang, LIU, Ang, ZHOU, Guyue, GAO, Mingming
• Granted Patent: US 10,140,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/37 Charging when not in flight
• 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: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A system of virtual sightseeing using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and methods of making and using same. The virtual sightseeing system can include a plurality of UAVs arranged over a geographical area of interest in one or more ground configurations. In response to a sightseeing request, one or more UAVs are activated and deployed to a sightseeing region of interest. The UAVs travel to the region of interest and, upon arriving, acquire data for presentation in real-time. The data can include both visual and non-visual data from the region of interest and can be presented in integrated fashion in a virtual reality terminal. The virtual sightseeing is supervised by an operational subsystem that is responsible for efficient allocation of UAVs in response to multiple sightseeing requests. Even if physically separate, the subsystems of the virtual sightseeing system can communicate via a data communication subsystem, such as a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method for virtual sightseeing, comprising:

allocating one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from among a plurality of UAVs to a region of interest in response to a sightseeing request; and

acquiring data regarding the region of interest via the allocated UAVs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said allocating the one or more UAVs includes:

receiving the sightseeing request;

computing a UAV deployment request based on the sightseeing request;

transmitting the UAV deployment request to the one or more UAVs; and

deploying the one or more UAVs to the region of interest in response to the UAV deployment request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said computing the UAV deployment request comprises at least one of selecting an idle UAV, selecting a UAV nearest to the region of interest, selecting the UAV based on a power status of the UAV, selecting the UAV based on a maintenance status of the UAV, selecting the UAV based on an equipment status of the UAV, selecting the UAV from a predetermined group of UAVs, selecting multiple UAVs for deployment to the region of interest, and dynamically selecting the number of the UAVs for deployment to the region of interest.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said transmitting the UAV deployment request comprises transmitting the UAV deployment request using at least one of a 3G wireless network, a 4G wireless network, and a TCP/IP protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the acquired data regarding the region of interest to a terminal; and

presenting the acquired data using the terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said transmitting the acquired data comprises transmitting the acquired data using at least one of a 3G wireless network, a 4G wireless network, and the TCP/IP protocol.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said presenting the acquired data comprises at least one of presenting the acquired data in a virtual reality terminal, presenting the acquired data visually, presenting the acquired data non-visually, and presenting the acquired data in real-time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said sightseeing request includes a location of the region of interest and one or more sightseeing settings.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said sightseeing settings comprise at least of one of a setting of whether to collect data for image, video, sound, temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, wind speed, and wind direction during virtual sightseeing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said allocating the one or more UAVs comprises selecting an idle UAV from the plurality of UAVs.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said allocating the one or more UAVs comprises selecting a UAV nearest to the region of interest.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said allocating the one or more UAVs comprises selecting a UAV based on at least one of a power, maintenance, and/or equipment status of the UAV.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said acquiring data regarding the region of interest comprises acquiring both visual and non-visual data regarding the region of interest.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more allocated UAVs is equipped with a subscriber identity module (SIM) card for identifying the UAV over a wireless communication network.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically deploying one or more replacement UAVs to the region of interest in response to an incapacity of at least one of the allocated UAVs.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising stationing said plurality of UAVs in a UAV ground configuration.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said UAV ground configuration is a honeycomb configuration.

18. A method for virtual sightseeing, comprising:

receiving a sightseeing request including a location of a region of interest;

computing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment request based on the sightseeing request and the status of a plurality of UAVs;

transmitting the UAV deployment request to one or more of the plurality of UAVs;

deploying the one or more UAVs to the region of interest in response to the UAV deployment request;

acquiring data regarding the region of interest via the deployed UAVs;

transmitting the acquired data regarding the region of interest to a terminal; and

presenting the acquired data using the terminal.

19. A method for virtual sightseeing, comprising:

stationing a plurality of UAVs in a honeycomb UAV ground configuration;

selecting one or more of the plurality of UAVs for deployment based on a sightseeing request including a location of a region of interest;

deploying the selected one or more UAVs to the region of interest;

acquiring sightseeing data regarding the region of interest via the deployed UAVs;

transmitting the acquired sightseeing data regarding the region of interest to a terminal; and

presenting the acquired sightseeing data using the terminal.

20. A virtual sightseeing system, comprising:

a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); and

an operational subsystem for allocating one or more of the UAVs to a region of interest in response to a sightseeing request, said allocated UAVs for acquiring data regarding the region of interest,

wherein said operational subsystem is in communication with a terminal subsystem for inputting the sightseeing request including a location of the region of interest and presenting acquired data regarding the region of interest.

21. The virtual sightseeing system of claim 20, wherein each of said allocated UAVs is equipped with at least one of an instrument for collecting image, video, sound, temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, wind speed, and wind direction data regarding the region of interest.

22. The virtual sightseeing system of claim 20, wherein said plurality of UAVs are stationed in one or more ground stations.

23. The virtual sightseeing system of claim 22, wherein said ground stations are arranged in a honeycomb configuration.

24. The virtual sightseeing system of claim 22, wherein said ground stations comprise a charging station for charging one or more of the UAVs.

25. The virtual sightseeing system of claim 20, wherein said terminal subsystem includes a virtual reality terminal for presenting visual and non-visual data acquired from the region of interest.

26. The virtual sightseeing system of claim 25, wherein said virtual reality terminal is equipped with at least one of a speaker for presenting sound data, a heating/cooling element for presenting temperature data, a humidifier/dehumidifier for presenting humidity data, a sprinkler system for presenting precipitation data, and a ventilation system for presenting at least one of pressure, wind speed, and wind direction data acquired from the region of interest.

27. The virtual sightseeing system of claim 20, wherein said terminal subsystem presents data acquired from the region of interest in real-time.

28. The virtual sightseeing system of claim 20, further comprising a data communication subsystem for supporting wireless data communication between said UAVs and at least one of said terminal subsystem and said operational subsystem.

29. The virtual sightseeing system of claim 28, wherein data communication among said UAVs, said terminal subsystem, and said operational subsystem occurs using at least one of a 3G wireless network, a 4G wireless network, and a TCP/IP protocol.

30. The virtual sightseeing system of claim 28, wherein each of the plurality of UAVs is equipped with a subscriber identity module (SIM) card for identifying the UAV over said data communication subsystem.