Automatic Tracking Mode For Controlling An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

• US 20170371353A1
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Published: 12/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Millinger, III, Daniel Warren
• Granted Patent: US 9,977,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/15 for conventional or electronic warfare
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• 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: G01S 19/15 Aircraft landing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/03 Airborne
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Some embodiments include methods performed by a processor associated with a wireless communication device for enabling an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) to operate in an automatic user tracking mode. Such embodiments may include capturing image data of surroundings by a camera while the UAV is operating in the automatic user tracking mode, calculating estimated position information for the wireless communication device based on captured image data, and transmitting estimated position information to the UAV for use in tracking a user of the wireless communication device. Some embodiments include methods performed by a processor of a UAV for enabling the UAV to automatically follow a user. Such embodiments may include calculating a current position of the UAV, receiving from a user'"'"'s wireless communication device estimated position information derived from image data captured by a camera of the wireless communication device, and determining whether an update to the UAV motion is required.

Claims

1. A method performed by a processor associated with a wireless communication device for enabling an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) to operate in an automatic user tracking mode, the method comprising:

capturing image data of surroundings of the wireless communication device by at least one camera associated with the wireless communication device while the UAV is operating in the automatic user tracking mode;

calculating estimated position information for the wireless communication device based on captured image data; and

transmitting the estimated position information to the UAV for use in tracking a target user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting that the automatic user tracking mode is initiated based on detecting user inputs on the wireless communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the UAV is still operating in the automatic user tracking mode; and

repeating collecting image data, calculating estimated position information, and transmitting the estimated position information to the UAV in response to determining that the UAV is still operating in the automatic user tracking mode.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein calculating estimated position information comprises calculating a change in position of the wireless communication device;

and

wherein calculating the change in position comprises analyzing a sequence of the captured image data over a period of time to calculate a rate of movement of at least one feature in the surroundings.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining updated location data received through a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver associated with the wireless communication device; and

transmitting the updated location data to the UAV for use in tracking the target user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining inertial sensor output data from at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer associated with the wireless communication device; and

generating combined position information for the wireless communication device based on the estimated position information and the inertial sensor output data;

wherein transmitting the estimated position information to the UAV comprises transmitting the combined position information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting:

initial target information to the UAV, wherein the initial target information provides to the UAV an initial location of the wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the initial target information provides to the UAV identity data for at least one of the wireless communication device and the target user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated position information transmitted to the UAV is configured to enable the UAV to determine whether an update to UAV motion is required.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating estimated position information comprises calculating a current estimated position of the wireless communication device.

11. A method performed by a processor of an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) for enabling the UAV to automatically follow a user, the method comprising:

calculating a current position of the UAV;

receiving estimated position information from a wireless communication device associated with the user, wherein the estimated position information is derived from image data of surroundings of the user captured by at least one camera of the wireless communication device; and

determining whether an update to UAV motion is required.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the estimated position information from the wireless communication device comprises receiving a change in position calculated by the wireless communication device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the estimated position information from the wireless communication device comprises receiving a current estimated position of the wireless communication device, the method further comprising:

calculating a change in position of the wireless communication device using the received current estimated position.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether an update to the UAV motion comprises:

comparing the estimated position information to previous position information received from the wireless communication device; and

detecting movement of the wireless communication device based on the comparison.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether an update to the UAV motion comprises:

comparing the estimated position information to a current UAV position; and

determining whether the UAV has maintained a selected offset from the wireless communication device, wherein the selected offset comprises a preset elevation or ground distance.

16. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV); and

a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to;

obtain image data of surroundings captured by a camera associated with the wireless communication device while the UAV is operating in an automatic user tracking mode;

calculate estimated position information for the wireless communication device based on captured image data; and

transmit the estimated position information via the transceiver to the UAV for use in tracking a target user.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to detect that the automatic user tracking mode is initiated based on detecting user inputs on the wireless communication device.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the UAV is still operating in the automatic user tracking mode; and

repeat collecting image data, calculating estimated position information, and transmitting the estimated position information to the UAV in response to determining that the UAV is still operating in the automatic user tracking mode.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate the estimated position information by calculating a change in position of the wireless communication device, and

calculate the change in position by analyzing a sequence of the captured image data over a period of time to calculate a rate of movement of at least one feature in the surroundings.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain updated location data received through a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver associated with the wireless communication device; and

transmit the updated location data to the UAV for use in tracking the target user.

21. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain inertial sensor output data from at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer associated with the wireless communication device; and

generate combined position information for the wireless communication device based on the estimated position information and the inertial sensor output data,

wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the combined position information as the estimated position information transmitted to the UAV.

22. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit initial target information to the UAV, wherein the initial target information provides to the UAV an initial location of the wireless communication device.

23. The wireless communication device of claim 22, wherein the initial target information provides to the UAV identity data for at least one of the wireless communication device and the target user.

24. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the estimated position information transmitted to the UAV is configured to enable the UAV to determine whether an update to UAV motion is required.

25. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the estimated position information by calculating a current estimated position of the wireless communication device.

26. An unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to;

calculate a current position of the UAV;

receive estimated position information from a wireless communication device associated with a user, wherein the estimated position information is derived from image data of surroundings of the user captured by at least one camera of the wireless communication device; and

determine whether an update to UAV motion is required.

27. The UAV of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a change in position calculated by the wireless communication device as at least part of the estimated position information from the wireless communication device.

28. The UAV of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a current estimated position of the wireless communication device as at least part of the estimated position information from the wireless communication device comprises receiving; and

calculating a change in position of the wireless communication device using the received current estimated position.

29. The UAV of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether an update to the UAV motion by:

comparing the estimated position information to previous position information received from the wireless communication device; and

detecting movement of the wireless communication device based on the comparison.

30. The UAV of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether an update to the UAV motion by:

comparing the estimated position information to a current UAV position; and

determining whether the UAV has maintained a selected offset from the wireless communication device, wherein the selected offset comprises a preset elevation or ground distance.