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

• US 9,428,270 B1
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• 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 L., Freeman, James M., Harvey, Brian N.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, JELANI A
• Application Number:
  US14/717,025
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 inspection of an object, the method comprising:

controlling the remote aerial device to move to an initial target location in a transitory mode, wherein the initial target location is located in proximity to a portion of the object to be inspected; and

causing the remote aerial device to operate in an inspection mode while the remote aerial device is located less than an inspection threshold distance from the object to be inspected, comprising, for each of a plurality of movements between a plurality of hovering locations of the remote aerial device in the inspection mode;

receiving, from one or more sensors of the remote aerial device, proximal sensor data indicating one or more directions toward one or more proximal obstructions, each proximal obstruction being located within a distance threshold of a current hovering location of the remote aerial device;

determining a plurality of incremental movement directions based at least in part upon the proximal sensor data, each incremental movement direction indicating potential non-obstructed linear movement of the remote aerial device of a fixed distance in a direction from the current hovering location to one of a plurality of potential hovering locations;

receiving, at a remote control module, a selection from a user of one of the plurality of incremental movement directions indicating a target hovering location selected from the plurality of potential hovering locations;

controlling the remote aerial device to move from the current hovering location to the target hovering location based upon the selected incremental movement direction; and

causing the remote aerial device to remain at the target hovering location until a further selection is received from the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inspection threshold distance is at least twelve inches and no more than eighteen inches.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inspection threshold distance is determined based upon a type of the object to be inspected.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the remote aerial device to stabilize at the initial target location until the selection of the incremental movement direction is received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the remote aerial device to move to the initial target location in the transitory mode comprises selecting, via a user interface, an indication of global positioning system (GPS) coordinates and an altitude.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

controlling the remote aerial device in the transitory mode causes the remote aerial device to move at a first speed;

controlling the remote aerial device in the inspection mode causes the remote aerial device to move at a second speed; and

the second speed is slower than the first speed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the remote aerial device to operate in the inspection mode further comprises causing the remote aerial device to capture a plurality of images of the object while the remote aerial device is controlled in the inspection mode.

8. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for remotely controlling a remote aerial device for up-close inspection of an object that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

control the remote aerial device to move to an initial target location in a transitory mode, wherein the initial target location is located in proximity to a portion of the object to be inspected; and

cause the remote aerial device to operate in an inspection mode while the remote aerial device is located less than an inspection threshold distance from the object to be inspected by, for each of a plurality of movements between a plurality of hovering locations of the remote aerial device in the inspection mode;

receiving, from one or more sensors of the remote aerial device, proximal sensor data indicating one or more directions toward one or more proximal obstructions, each proximal obstruction being located within a distance threshold of a current hovering location of the remote aerial device;

determining a plurality of incremental movement directions based at least in part upon the proximal sensor data, each incremental movement direction indicating potential non-obstructed linear movement of the remote aerial device of a fixed distance in a direction from the current hovering location to one of a plurality of potential hovering locations;

receiving, at a remote control module, a selection of one of the plurality of incremental movement directions indicating a target hovering location selected from the plurality of potential hovering locations;

controlling the remote aerial device to move from the current hovering location to the target hovering location based upon the selected incremental movement direction; and

causing the remote aerial device to remain at the target hovering location until a further selection is received from the user.

9. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the inspection threshold distance is at least twelve inches and no more than eighteen inches.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the inspection threshold distance is determined based upon a type of the object to be inspected.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to cause the remote aerial device to stabilize at the initial target location until the selection of the incremental movement direction is received.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions that cause the computer system to control the remote aerial device to move to the initial target location in the transitory mode comprise receiving a selection of an indication of global positioning system (GPS) coordinates and an altitude from a user interface.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

controlling the remote aerial device in the transitory mode causes the remote aerial device to move at a first speed;

controlling the remote aerial device in the inspection mode causes the remote aerial device to move at a second speed; and

the second speed is slower than the first speed.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions that cause the computer system to cause the remote aerial device to operate in the inspection mode further comprise instructions that cause the computer system to cause the remote aerial device to capture a plurality of images of the object while the remote aerial device is controlled in the inspection mode.

15. A computer system for remotely controlling a remote aerial device for up-close inspection of an object, comprising:

a remote aerial device having one or more sensors;

a remote control module having one or more processors; and

a program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computer system to;

control the remote aerial device to move to an initial target location in a transitory mode, wherein the initial target location is located in proximity to a portion of the object to be inspected; and

cause the remote aerial device to operate in an inspection mode while the remote aerial device is located less than an inspection threshold distance from the object to be inspected by, for each of a plurality of movements between a plurality of hovering locations of the remote aerial device in the inspection mode;

receiving, from one or more sensors of the remote aerial device, proximal sensor data indicating one or more directions toward one or more proximal obstructions, each proximal obstruction being located within a distance threshold of a current hovering location of the remote aerial device;

determining a plurality of incremental movement directions based at least in part upon the proximal sensor data, each incremental movement direction indicating potential non-obstructed movement of the remote aerial device of a fixed distance in a direction from the current hovering location to one of a plurality of potential hovering locations;

receiving, at a remote control module, a selection of one of the plurality of incremental movement directions indicating a target hovering location selected from the plurality of potential hovering locations;

controlling the remote aerial device to move from the current hovering location to the target hovering location based upon the selected incremental movement direction; and

causing the remote aerial device to remain at the target hovering location until a further selection is received from the user.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the inspection threshold distance is at least twelve inches and no more than eighteen inches.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the inspection threshold distance is determined based upon a type of the object to be inspected.

18. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising executable instructions that cause the computer system to cause the remote aerial device to stabilize at the initial target location until the selection of the incremental movement direction is received.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein:

controlling the remote aerial device in the transitory mode causes the remote aerial device to move at a first speed;

controlling the remote aerial device in the inspection mode causes the remote aerial device to move at a second speed; and

the second speed is slower than the first speed.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the instructions that cause the computer system to cause the remote aerial device to operate in the inspection mode further comprise instructions that cause the computer system to cause the remote aerial device to capture a plurality of images of the object while the remote aerial device is controlled in the inspection mode.