System and method for controlling a remote aerial device for up-close inspection

• US 8,818,572 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Tofte, Nathan Lee, Freeman, James M., Harvey, Brian N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): NELSON, SARA J
• Application Number:
  US13/893,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/11, 701/301, 701/517, 701/519, 701/3, 701/4, 701/10, 700/65, 700/255, 340/989, 340/990, 340/992, 340/993, 340/12.22, 340/815.6, 455/92, 455/352, 244/3.11, 244/75.1, 244/76.R, 244/189, 244/190, 446/484
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• 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 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

The method and system may be used to control the movement of a remote aerial device in an incremental step manner during a close inspection of an object or other subject matter. At the inspection location, a control module “stabilizes” the remote aerial device in a maintained, consistent hover while maintaining a close distance to the desired object. The control module may retrieve proximal sensor data that indicates possible nearby obstructions to the remote aerial device and may transmit the data to a remote control client. The remote control module may determine and display the possible one or more non-obstructed directions that the remote aerial device is capable of moving by an incremental distance. In response to receiving a selection of one of the directions, the remote control module may transmit the selection to the remote aerial device to indicate the next movement for the remote aerial device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for remotely controlling a remote aerial device for up-close subject inspection, the method comprising:

receiving, over a network, spatial position data indicating a spatial position of a remote aerial device, the spatial position data including a geographic location and an altitude of the spatial position of the remote aerial device;

receiving, over the network, proximal sensor data indicating one or more directions toward one or more proximal obstructions, each proximal obstruction being located within a distance threshold of the remote aerial device;

determining via a processor, using the proximal sensor data and the spatial position data, a plurality of incremental movement directions for the remote aerial device, each incremental movement direction indicating a potential, non-obstructed predetermined distance in a direction for the remote aerial device to move;

displaying to a user (i) the geographic location and the altitude of the spatial position of the remote aerial device and (ii) the plurality of determined incremental movement directions for the remote aerial device;

receiving, via a user interface, a selection of one of the incremental movement directions; and

transmitting, via the network, the received selection of the incremental movement direction to signal a change of the position of the remote aerial device in the direction of the received selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection of one of the incremental movement directions includes receiving the selection by a tapping gesture or pressing gesture via the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection of one of the incremental movement directions includes receiving the selection by a voice command via the user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, via the network, an incremental distance that indicates a distance of the change of position of the remote aerial device in the direction of the received selection, the incremental distance being shorter than the distance threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the incremental distance is a predetermined distance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving proximal sensor data includes receiving proximal sensor data that indicates one or more three-dimensional proximal obstructions, and

wherein determining the possible incremental movement directions includes determining one or more possible three-dimensional incremental movement directions.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, executable by a processor, for remotely controlling a remote aerial device for up-close subject inspection, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving, over a network, spatial position data indicating a spatial position of a remote aerial device, the spatial position data including a geographic location and an altitude of the spatial position of the remote aerial device;

instructions for receiving, over the network, proximal sensor data indicating one or more directions toward one or more proximal obstructions, each proximal obstruction being located within a distance threshold of the remote aerial device;

instructions for determining, using the proximal sensor data and the spatial position data, a plurality of incremental movement directions for the remote aerial device, each incremental movement direction indicating a potential, non-obstructed route predetermined distance in a direction for the remote aerial device to move;

instructions for displaying to a user (i) the geographic location and the altitude of the spatial position of the remote aerial device and (ii) the plurality of determined incremental movement directions for the remote aerial device;

instructions for receiving, via a user interface, a selection of one of the incremental movement directions; and

instructions for transmitting, via the network, the received selection of the incremental movement direction to signal a change of the position of the remote aerial device in the direction of the received selection.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, the instructions further comprising:

instructions for transmitting, via the network, an incremental distance that indicates a distance of the change of position of the remote aerial device the direction of the received selection, the incremental distance being shorter than the distance threshold.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the incremental distance is a predetermined distance.

10. A computer-implemented method for remotely controlling a remote aerial device for up-close subject inspection, the method comprising:

receiving, from one or more proximity sensors, sensor data, each proximity sensor capable of detecting a distance between the remote aerial device and an obstruction;

generating via a processor proximal sensor data that indicates one or more directions toward one or more proximal obstructions, each proximal obstruction located within a distance threshold of the remote aerial device;

receiving spatial position data indicating a spatial position of the remote aerial device, the spatial position data including a geographic location and an altitude of the spatial position of a location of the remote aerial device;

transmitting, over a network, the proximal sensor data and spatial position data;

receiving, over the network, one of a plurality of incremental movement directions, each of the incremental movement directions indicating a separate non-obstructed route predetermined distance in a direction for the remote aerial device to move; and

changing the position of the remote aerial device in the direction of the received incremental movement direction.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, using the proximal sensor data and spatial position data, one or more incremental movement directions for the remote aerial device, each incremental movement direction indicating a potential, non-obstructed predetermined distance in a direction for the remote aerial device to move.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein changing the position of the remote aerial device includes changing the position at a constant rate of speed.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the constant rate of speed includes a predetermined constant rate of speed.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving, from the one or more proximity sensors, the sensor data includes receiving, from one or more ultrasonic sensors, the sensor data.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving, from the one or more proximity sensors, the sensor data includes receiving, from one or more stereoscopic sensors, the sensor data.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, executable by a processor, for remotely controlling a remote aerial device for up-close subject inspection, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving, from one or more proximity sensors, sensor data, each proximity sensor capable of detecting a distance between the remote aerial device and an obstruction;

instructions for generating proximal sensor data that indicates one or more directions toward one or more proximal obstructions, each proximal obstruction located within a distance threshold of the remote aerial device;

instructions for receiving spatial position data indicating a spatial position of the remote aerial device, the spatial position data including a geographic location and an altitude of the spatial position of a location of the remote aerial device;

instructions for transmitting, over a network, the proximal sensor data and spatial position data;

instructions for receiving, over the network, one of a plurality of incremental movement directions, each of the incremental movement directions indicating a separate non-obstructed predetermined distance in a direction for the remote aerial device to move; and

instructions for changing the position of the remote aerial device in the direction of the received incremental movement direction.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions for changing the position of the remote aerial device includes instructions for changing the position at a constant rate of speed.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the constant rate of speed includes a predetermined constant rate of speed.