Orbiting a waypoint
First Claim
1. A method for navigating a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising orbiting a waypoint, including:
- defining four bracket lines surrounding a waypoint, wherein the bracket lines identify a range of latitude and a range of longitude;
flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments;
selecting, when the UAV enters the course segment not having coordinate values in the range, a heading parallel to a bracket line in dependence upon an orbital direction and a direction from a range exit position to the waypoint;
turning the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on the heading;
repeatedly carrying out the steps of;
flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments;
turning the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on a heading parallel to the bounding bracket line.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Navigating a UAV including orbiting a waypoint including defining four bracket lines surrounding a waypoint, flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments; selecting, a heading parallel to a bracket line in dependence upon an orbital direction; the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on a the heading; and repeatedly: flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments; and turning the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on a heading parallel to the bounding bracket line.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for navigating a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising orbiting a waypoint, including:
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defining four bracket lines surrounding a waypoint, wherein the bracket lines identify a range of latitude and a range of longitude;
flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments;
selecting, when the UAV enters the course segment not having coordinate values in the range, a heading parallel to a bracket line in dependence upon an orbital direction and a direction from a range exit position to the waypoint;
turning the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on the heading;
repeatedly carrying out the steps of;
flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments;
turning the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on a heading parallel to the bounding bracket line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
receiving in a remote control device a user'"'"'s selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, the pixel having a location on the GUI;
mapping the pixel'"'"'s location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint;
transmitting the coordinates of the waypoint to the UAV;
reading a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV; and
piloting the UAV from the starting position to the waypoint in accordance with a navigation algorithm.
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5. The method of claim 3 wherein mapping the pixel'"'"'s location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint further comprises:
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mapping pixel boundaries of the GUI map to Earth coordinates;
identifying a range of latitude and a range of longitude represented by each pixel; and
locating a region on the surface of the Earth in dependence upon the boundaries, the ranges, and the location of the pixel on the GUI map.
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6. The method of claim 4 wherein locating a region on the surface of the Earth in dependence upon the boundaries, the ranges, and the location of the pixel on the GUI map further comprises:
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multiplying the range of longitude represented by each pixel by a column number of the selected pixel, yielding a first multiplicand;
multiplying the range of longitude represented by each pixel by 0.5, yielding a second multiplicand;
adding the first and second multiplicands to an origin longitude of the GUI map;
multiplying the range of latitude represented by each pixel by a row number of the selected pixel, yielding a third multiplicand;
multiplying the range of latitude represented by each pixel by 0.5, yielding a fourth multiplicand; and
adding the third and fourth multiplicands to an origin latitude of the GUI map.
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7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
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receiving user selections of a multiplicity of GUI map pixels representing waypoints, each pixel having a location on the GUI mapping each pixel location to Earth coordinates of a waypoint;
assigning one or more UAV instructions to each waypoint;
transmitting the coordinates of the waypoints and the UAV instructions to the UAV;
storing the coordinates of the waypoints and the UAV instructions in computer memory on the UAV;
piloting the UAV to each waypoint in accordance with one or more navigation algorithms; and
operating the UAV at each waypoint in accordance with the UAV instructions for each waypoint.
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8. A system for navigating a UAV, the system comprising orbiting a waypoint, including:
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means for defining four bracket lines surrounding a waypoint, wherein the bracket lines identify a range of latitude and a range of longitude;
means for flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments;
means for selecting, when the UAV enters the course segment not having coordinate values in the range, a heading parallel to a bracket line in dependence upon an orbital direction and a direction from a range exit position to the waypoint;
means for turning the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on a the heading;
means for flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments; and
means for turning the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on a heading parallel to the bounding bracket line. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
means for receiving in a remote control device a user'"'"'s selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, the pixel having a location on the GUI;
means for mapping the pixel'"'"'s location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint;
means for transmitting the coordinates of the waypoint to the UAV;
reading a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV; and
means for piloting the UAV from the starting position to the waypoint in accordance with a navigation algorithm.
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12. The system of claim 11 wherein means for mapping the pixel'"'"'s location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint further comprises:
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means for mapping pixel boundaries of the GUI map to Earth coordinates;
means for identifying a range of latitude and a range of longitude represented by each pixel; and
means for locating a region on the surface of the Earth in dependence upon the boundaries, the ranges, and the location of the pixel on the GUI map.
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13. The system of claim 12 wherein means for locating a region on the surface of the Earth in dependence upon the boundaries, the ranges, and the location of the pixel on the GUI map further comprises:
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means for multiplying the range of longitude represented by each pixel by a column number of the selected pixel, yielding a first multiplicand;
means for multiplying the range of longitude represented by each pixel by 0.5, yielding a second multiplicand;
means for adding the first and second multiplicands to an origin longitude of the GUI map;
means for multiplying the range of latitude represented by each pixel by a row number of the selected pixel, yielding a third multiplicand;
means for multiplying the range of latitude represented by each pixel by 0.5, yielding a fourth multiplicand; and
means for adding the third and fourth multiplicands to an origin latitude of the GUI map.
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14. The system of claim 8 further comprising:
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means for receiving user selections of a multiplicity of GUI map pixels representing waypoints, each pixel having a location on the GUI means for mapping each pixel location to Earth coordinates of a waypoint;
means for assigning one or more UAV instructions to each waypoint;
means for transmitting the coordinates of the waypoints and the UAV instructions to the UAV;
means for storing the coordinates of the waypoints and the UAV instructions in computer memory on the UAV;
means for piloting the UAV to each waypoint in accordance with one or more navigation algorithms; and
means for operating the UAV at each waypoint in accordance with the UAV instructions for each waypoint.
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15. A computer program product for navigating a UAV, the computer program product comprising orbiting a waypoint, including:
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a recording medium;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for defining four bracket lines surrounding a waypoint, wherein the bracket lines identify a range of latitude and a range of longitude;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting, when the UAV enters the course segment not having coordinate values in the range, a heading parallel to a bracket line in dependence upon an orbital direction and a direction from a range exit position to the waypoint;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for turning the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on a the heading;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments; and
means, recorded on the recording medium, for turning the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on a heading parallel to the bounding bracket line. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving in a remote control device a user'"'"'s selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, the pixel having a location on the GUI;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for mapping the pixel'"'"'s location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting the coordinates of the waypoint to the UAV;
reading a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV; and
means, recorded on the recording medium, for piloting the UAV from the starting position to the waypoint in accordance with a navigation algorithm.
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19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for mapping the pixel'"'"'s location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint further comprises:
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means, recorded on the recording medium, for mapping pixel boundaries of the GUI map to Earth coordinates;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying a range of latitude and a range of longitude represented by each pixel; and
means, recorded on the recording medium, for locating a region on the surface of the Earth in dependence upon the boundaries, the ranges, and the location of the pixel on the GUI map.
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20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for locating a region on the surface of the Earth in dependence upon the boundaries, the ranges, and the location of the pixel on the GUI map further comprises:
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means, recorded on the recording medium, for multiplying the range of longitude represented by each pixel by a column number of the selected pixel, yielding a first multiplicand;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for multiplying the range of longitude represented by each pixel by 0.5, yielding a second multiplicand;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for adding the first and second multiplicands to an origin longitude of the GUI map;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for multiplying the range of latitude represented by each pixel by a row number of the selected pixel, yielding a third multiplicand;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for multiplying the range of latitude represented by each pixel by 0.5, yielding a fourth multiplicand; and
means, recorded on the recording medium, for adding the third and fourth multiplicands to an origin latitude of the GUI map.
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21. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:
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means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving user selections of a multiplicity of GUI map pixels representing waypoints, each pixel having a location on the GUI;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for mapping each pixel location to Earth coordinates of a waypoint;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for assigning one or more UAV instructions to each waypoint;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting the coordinates of the waypoints and the UAV instructions to the UAV;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing the coordinates of the waypoints and the UAV instructions in computer memory on the UAV;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for piloting the UAV to each waypoint in accordance with one or more navigation algorithms; and
means, recorded on the recording medium, for operating the UAV at each waypoint in accordance with the UAV instructions for each waypoint.
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Specification