UNMANNED AIRCRAFT OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE

• US 20180068187A1
• Filed: 11/03/2017
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Original Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Inventors: Schultz, Stephen L., Monaco, John
• Granted Patent: US 10,204,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• 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 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed including an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising: a collision detection and avoidance system comprising at least one active distance detector; and one or more processors configured to: receive a flight path with instructions for the UAV to travel from its current location to at least one other location; determine direction priorities for the collision detection and avoidance system based at least in part on the flight path; determine an obstacle for avoidance by the UAV based on the flight path going through the obstacle; receive distance data generated by the collision detection and avoidance system concerning the obstacle; process the distance data based at least in part on the determined direction priorities; and execute a target path for traveling around the obstacle and to the at least one other location based at least in part on the flight path and the distance data.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

a collision detection and avoidance system comprising at least one active distance detector; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive a flight path, wherein the flight path comprises instructions for the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from its current location to at least one other location;

determine direction priorities for the collision detection and avoidance system based at least in part on the flight path;

determine an obstacle for avoidance by the unmanned aerial vehicle based at least in part on the flight path going through the obstacle;

receive distance data generated by the collision detection and avoidance system concerning at least the obstacle;

process the distance data generated by the collision detection and avoidance system based at least in part on the determined direction priorities; and

execute a target path for traveling around the obstacle and to the at least one other location based at least in part on the flight path and the distance data.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the target path moves the unmanned aerial vehicle closer to a structure of interest along a travel path from the target path to the flight path.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2, wherein the collision detection and avoidance system is configured to maintain at least a minimum overlap between adjacent images to ensure complete coverage of the structure of interest.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3, wherein if the collision detection and avoidance system determines that the minimum overlap between adjacent images cannot be maintained by moving the unmanned aerial vehicle closer to the structure of interest, the collision detection and avoidance system is configured to steer the unmanned aerial vehicle to a target path above both the obstacle and the structure of interest.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the direction priorities further based in part on image capture priorities.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors determine the direction priorities periodically or periodically during the execution of the target path.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the collision detection and avoidance system comprises a camera.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7, wherein the collision detection and avoidance system is imaging based and the collision detection and avoidance system uses images captured by the camera and auto-aerial triangulation to determine an obstacle for avoidance by the unmanned aerial vehicle.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active distance detector comprises an active sensor.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to process distance data generated by the distance detector in a defined direction during the execution of the target path based at least in part on the determined direction priorities.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to capture image data based at least in part on the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the collision detection and avoidance system is configured to detect one or more obstacles in a direction defined at least in part by the determined direction priorities.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to adjust a flight path for the execution of the target path based at least in part on the detection of the one or more obstacles.

14. A method for collision detection by an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a flight path, wherein the flight path consist of instructions for the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from its current location to at least one other location;

determining direction priorities based at least in part on the flight path;

determining an obstacle for avoidance by the unmanned aerial vehicle based at least in part on the flight path and data collected from a collision detection and avoidance system, the collision detection and avoidance system having at least one active sensor;

controlling an orientation of the active sensor;

receiving data generated by the collision detection and avoidance system concerning at least the obstacle for avoidance;

processing the data generated by the collision detection and avoidance system based at least in part on the determined direction priorities; and

execute a target path for traveling to the at least one other location based at least in part on the flight path and the data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the active sensor oriented in a manner such that the collision detection and avoidance system collects data regarding the obstacle for avoidance.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining direction priorities is further based in part on image data gathering.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the direction priorities are updated periodically or periodically during the execution of the target path.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the collision detection and avoidance system comprises a camera.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the collision detection and avoidance system is imaging based and the collision detection and avoidance system uses images captured by the camera and auto-aerial triangulation to determine an obstacle for avoidance by the unmanned aerial vehicle.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the collision detection and avoidance system comprises an active sensor.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the target path moves the unmanned aerial vehicle closer to a structure of interest along a travel path from the target path to the flight path.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the collision detection and avoidance system is configured to maintain at least a minimum overlap between adjacent images to ensure complete coverage of the structure of interest.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein if the collision detection and avoidance system determines that the minimum overlap between adjacent images cannot be maintained by moving the unmanned aerial vehicle closer to the structure of interest, the collision detection and avoidance system is configured to steer the unmanned aerial vehicle to a target path above both the obstacle and the structure of interest.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising capturing image data based at least in part on the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle.