UAV power line position and load parameter estimation
First Claim
1. A method for providing autonomous navigation for an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) in the vicinity of power lines, comprising:
- measuring a set of complex magnetic field values of a magnetic field emitted by each of the power lines using one or more magnetic field sensors mounted on the UAV as the UAV is traversing the magnetic field at a position and an orientation relative to each of the power lines;
modeling, by a processor, a set of expected complex magnetic field values of the magnetic field when the UAV is at the position and the orientation relative to each of the power lines based on a first model of the power lines;
estimating an estimated position and an estimated orientation of the UAV relative to each of the power lines and magnitude and phase of current flowing in each of the power lines, based on a residual error between the measured set of complex magnetic field values and the set of expected complex magnetic field values corresponding to the first model of the power lines;
measuring a set of complex electric field values of an electric field emitted by each of the power lines using one or more electric field sensors mounted on the UAV;
modeling, by the processor, a set of expected complex electric field values of the electric field emitted by each of the power lines based on a second model when the UAV is at the position and the orientation and when the UAV is at the estimated position and the estimated orientation relative to each of the power lines;
updating the position and orientation based on the modeling of a set of expected complex electric field values;
estimating a phase offset of the current flowing in each of the power lines relative to a power grid timebase, based on a residual error between the measured set of complex electric field values and the set of expected electric field values corresponding to the second model of the power lines; and
navigating the UAV using the parameters related to the position and the orientation of the UAV relative to each of the power lines.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing autonomous navigation for an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) in the vicinity of power lines is presented. Autonomous navigation is achieved by measuring the magnitude and phase of the electromagnetic field at an unknown location within a space under excitation by a set of power cables of the power line with one or more orthogonal electromagnetic sensors formed on the UAV; modeling a set of expected complex electromagnetic strengths of the set of power cables at the currently estimated position and orientation of the UAV based on a model of the set of power cables; and estimating parameters related to a position and orientation of the UAV, and load parameters of each cable based on the residual error between the measured set of complex electromagnetic field values and the set of expected electromagnetic field values corresponding to a combined model of the set of power cables.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for providing autonomous navigation for an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) in the vicinity of power lines, comprising:
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measuring a set of complex magnetic field values of a magnetic field emitted by each of the power lines using one or more magnetic field sensors mounted on the UAV as the UAV is traversing the magnetic field at a position and an orientation relative to each of the power lines; modeling, by a processor, a set of expected complex magnetic field values of the magnetic field when the UAV is at the position and the orientation relative to each of the power lines based on a first model of the power lines; estimating an estimated position and an estimated orientation of the UAV relative to each of the power lines and magnitude and phase of current flowing in each of the power lines, based on a residual error between the measured set of complex magnetic field values and the set of expected complex magnetic field values corresponding to the first model of the power lines; measuring a set of complex electric field values of an electric field emitted by each of the power lines using one or more electric field sensors mounted on the UAV; modeling, by the processor, a set of expected complex electric field values of the electric field emitted by each of the power lines based on a second model when the UAV is at the position and the orientation and when the UAV is at the estimated position and the estimated orientation relative to each of the power lines; updating the position and orientation based on the modeling of a set of expected complex electric field values; estimating a phase offset of the current flowing in each of the power lines relative to a power grid timebase, based on a residual error between the measured set of complex electric field values and the set of expected electric field values corresponding to the second model of the power lines; and navigating the UAV using the parameters related to the position and the orientation of the UAV relative to each of the power lines. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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4. A method for estimating a location of an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) in the vicinity of power lines and power grid synchronized load parameters of each of the power lines as the UAV traversing a magnetic field and an electric field emitted by the power lines, the method comprising:
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measuring a set of complex magnetic field values of the magnetic field using one or more magnetic field sensors mounted on the UAV at a position and an orientation of the UAV relative to each of the power lines; measuring a set of complex electric field values of the electric field of each of the power lines using one or more electric field sensors mounted on the UAV; modeling, by a processor, a set of expected complex magnetic field values of each of the power lines when the UAV is at the position and the orientation relative to each of the power lines based on a first model of the set of power cables; modeling, by the processor, a set of expected complex electric field values of each of the power lines using when the UAV is at the position and orientation relative to each of the power lines based on a second model of the power lines; jointly estimating parameters related to 3-d position of each of the power lines relative to the UAV, complex electric current in each of the power lines, the power grid synchronized load parameters, and phase offset of current flowing in each of the power lines relative to a power grid timebase, based on a residual error between the measured set of complex magnetic field values and the set of expected complex magnetic field values, and a residual error between the measured set of complex electric field values and the set of expected complex electric field values corresponding to a combined model of the power lines; and navigating the UAV using the parameters related to the 3-d position and the orientation of the UAV relative to each of the power lines. - View Dependent Claims (5, 19)
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6. A navigation system for an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV), comprising:
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a plurality of electric field sensors configured to measure a set of complex electric field values of an electric field emitted by each of the power lines aboveground, the plurality of the electric field sensors being mounted on the UAV; a plurality of magnetic field sensors configured to measure a set of complex magnetic field values of a magnetic field emitted by power lines aboveground, the plurality of magnetic field sensors being mounted along three substantially orthogonal directions on the UAV; circuitry coupled to receive signals from the plurality of electric field sensors and the plurality of magnetic field sensors, and to provide quadrature signals indicating the set of measured complex electric field values and the set of measured complex magnetic field values; a position and orientation autopilot for indicating position and orientation over ground of the UAV relative to each of the power lines as it traverses the magnetic field emitted by the power lines; and a processor coupled to receive the set of measured complex magnetic field values and the set of measured complex electric field values, and to calculate parameter values related to the position of each of the power lines, phase offset of current flowing in each of the power lines relative to a power grid timebase, and magnitude and phase of electric current flowing in each of the power lines; wherein the processor includes software for performing the following; modeling a set of expected complex magnetic field values of each of the power lines when the UAV is at the position and orientation relative to each of the power lines based on a first model of the power lines; modeling a set of expected complex electric field values of the electric field emitted by each of the power lines based on a second model of the power lines when the UAV is at the position and the orientation and the estimated position and orientation relative each of the power lines; jointly estimating parameters related to the position of the UAV relative to each of the power lines and the magnitude and phase of the electric current in each of the power lines, based on a residual error between the measured set of complex magnetic field values and the set of expected complex magnetic field values corresponding to the first model of the power lines, and a residual error between the measured set of complex electric field values and the set of expected complex electric field values corresponding to the second model of the power lines; and navigating the UAV using the parameters related to the position and the orientation of the UAV relative to each of the power lines. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 20)
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Specification