DRONE-RELATIVE GEOFENCE

• US 20180267543A1
• Filed: 03/14/2018
• Published: 09/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uavpatent Corporation
• Original Assignee: Teal Drones, Inc. (Red Cat Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: McGuire, JR., William Kent, Porter, Seth Bradley, Matus, George Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,671,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2101/10 for generating power to be supplied to a remote station, e.g. UAVs with solar panels
• 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: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A drone receives an initiation signal which indicates that flight and/or navigation components of the drone are to be activated. Once activated, the drone then determines its initial position using a position-identifying radio signal. The drone then retrieves, from storage, dimensions of a drone-relative geofence. The drone can then calculate, using a processor, the drone-relative geofence having the dimensions with at least a specified floor and a specified radius. The drone adjusts the motor controller inputs to prevent the drone from exiting the calculated drone-relative geofence.

Claims

1. A method for navigating a drone within a drone-relative geofence, the method comprising:

receiving an initiation signal at the drone, the initiation signal indicating that one or more flight and navigation components of the drone are to be activated;

determining an initial position for the drone, using at least one position-identifying radio signal received at a position-identifying radio;

retrieving, from storage, dimensions of a drone-relative geofence, wherein the drone-relative geofence encloses the drone within a positioning-system-defined continuous three-dimensional shape;

calculating, using a processor, the drone-relative geofence having the dimensions with at least a specified floor and a specified radius; and

adjusting one or more motor controller inputs to prevent the drone from exiting the drone-relative geofence.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the drone is;

within a threshold distance of at least one edge of the drone-relative geofence, and

moving towards the at least one edge of the drone-relative geofence; and

adjusting the motor controller inputs to move the drone back to a center of the drone-relative geofence.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current velocity at which the drone is traveling;

determining a distance between the drone and at least one edge of the drone-relative geofence;

calculating a minimum stopping distance for the drone based upon the current velocity; and

when the minimum stopping distance exceeds the distance between the drone and the at least one edge of the drone-relative geofence, adjusting the one or more motor controller inputs to slow the drone down such that the minimum stopping distance no longer exceeds the distance between the drone and the at least one edge of the drone-relative geofence.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the drone-relative geofence comprises a tunnel-shape that longitudinally follows a specified pre-planned route.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the pre-planned route comprises a race course.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting the shape and size of the drone-relative geofence to one or more other drones.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the one or more other drones are prevented from entering the drone-relative geofence.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically determining that the drone-relative geofence does not overlap the drone-relative geofence from another drone.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a virtual-reality visual representation of the drone within the drone-relative geofence.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating haptic feedback to a manual controller upon the drone coming within a specified distance of at least one edge of the drone-relative geofence.

11. A computer system for navigating a drone within a drone-relative geofence, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors configure the computer system to perform at least the following;

receive an initiation signal at the drone, the initiation signal indicating that one or more flight and navigation components of the drone are to be activated;

determine an initial position for the drone, using at least one position-identifying radio signal received at a position-identifying radio;

retrieve, from storage, dimensions of a drone-relative geofence, wherein the drone-relative geofence encloses the drone within a positioning-system-defined continuous three-dimensional shape;

calculate the drone-relative geofence having the dimensions with at least a specified floor and a specified radius; and

adjust one or more motor controller inputs to prevent the drone from exiting the drone-relative geofence.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to:

determine that the drone is;

within a threshold distance of at least one edge of the drone-relative geofence, and

moving towards the at least one edge of the drone-relative geofence; and

adjust the motor controller inputs to move the drone back to a center of the drone-relative geofence.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to:

determine a current velocity at which the drone is traveling;

determining a distance between the drone and at least one edge of the drone-relative geofence;

calculating a minimum stopping distance for the drone based upon the current velocity; and

when the minimum stopping distance exceeds the distance between the drone and the at least one edge of the drone-relative geofence, adjusting the one or more motor controller inputs to slow the drone down such that the minimum stopping distance no longer exceeds the distance between the drone and the at least one edge of the drone-relative geofence.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the drone-relative geofence comprises a tunnel-shape that longitudinally follows a specified pre-planned route.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the pre-planned route comprises a race course.

16. The computer system of claim 14, further comprising transmitting the shape and size of the drone-relative geofence to one or more other drones.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the one or more other drones are prevented from entering the drone-relative geofence.

18. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to automatically determine that the drone-relative geofence does not overlap the drone-relative geofence from another drone.

19. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to generate a virtual-reality visual representation of the drone within the drone-relative geofence.

20. A drone configured to navigate within a drone-relative geofence, the drone comprising:

a drone body comprising one or more processing units and a position-identifying radio; and

wherein the one or more processing units have stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors configure the drone to perform at least the following;

receive an initiation signal at the drone, the initiation signal indicating that one or more flight and navigation components of the drone are to be activated;

determine an initial position for the drone, using at least one position-identifying radio signal received at the position-identifying radio;

retrieve, from storage, dimensions of a drone-relative geofence, wherein the drone-relative geofence encloses the drone within a positioning-system-defined continuous three-dimensional shape;

calculate the drone-relative geofence having the dimensions with at least a specified floor and a specified radius; and

adjust one or more motor controller inputs to prevent the drone from exiting the drone-relative geofence.