Enhanced distance detection system

• US 9,594,381 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2015
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firmatek Software LLC
• Original Assignee: Kespry, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Chang Young, Clark, Robert Parker
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwari, MacEeh
• Application Number:
  US14/864,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20170090481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/46 telescoping and foldable
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/50 lazy-tongs type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/935 for terrain-avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

An enhanced distance detection system for an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is described here. The distance detection system includes a distance detector, which may have a limited scope of distance detection, and a directional controller, which allows extending the dimension or scope of the distance detector as the vehicle travels and performs missions. The directional controller can change the detection direction of the distance detector with a motorized gimbal or functionally similar system, and the change in the detection direction can be integrated with the status of and other instructions executed by the vehicle.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a distance detector system comprising at least a distance detector and a directional controller coupled to the distance detector; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive travel instructions, wherein the travel instructions consist of instructions for the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from its current location to at least one other location;

determine direction priorities for the distance detector system based at least in part on the travel instructions;

designate a space of interest for navigation by the unmanned aerial vehicle based at least in part on the travel instructions;

receive distance data generated by the distance detector system concerning at least the space of interest;

store the distance data generated by the distance detector system in a variable resolution data structure;

process the distance data generated by the distance detector system based at least in part on the determined direction priorities; and

execute a travel path for traveling to the at least one other location based at least in part on the travel instructions and the distance data.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the directional controller is configured to rotate the distance detector about a first axis and a second axis.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the directional controller to rotate the distance detector about the first and second axes in a targeted manner such that the distance detector system collects data regarding the space of interest.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the directional controller to rotate the distance detector about at least one of the first and second axes based at least in part on the determined direction priorities.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the direction priorities further based in part on payload data gathering.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors determine the direction priorities periodically or aperiodically during the mission.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the distance detector comprises a one-dimensional LIDAR.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7, wherein the directional controller is a gimbal system having at least two motors.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the distance detector comprises a two- or three-dimensional LIDAR.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured not to process distance data generated by the distance detector in a defined direction during the mission based at least in part on the determined direction priorities.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to collect payload data based at least in part on the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 11, wherein the directional controller is configured to rotate the distance detector about a first axis at a constant rate.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the distance detector is configured to detect one or more obstacles in a direction defined at least in part by the determined direction priorities.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 13, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to adjust a flight path for the mission based at least in part on the detection of the one or more obstacles.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the variable resolution data structure is a three-dimensional occupancy grid mapping, with the gathered data grouped into cube-shaped bins of variable resolution in space.

16. A method for enhanced sensing for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving travel instructions, wherein the travel instructions consist of instructions for the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel from its current location to at least one other location

determining direction priorities based at least in part on current travel instructions;

designating a space of interest for navigation by the unmanned aerial vehicle based at least in part on the travel instructions;

controlling an orientation of a distance detector;

receiving distance data generated by the distance detector system concerning at least the space of interest;

storing the distance data generated by the distance detector system in a variable resolution data structure;

processing the distance data generated by the distance detector system based at least in part on the determined direction priorities; and

execute a travel path for traveling to the at least one other location based at least in part on the travel instructions and the distance data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling the orientation of the distance detector comprises rotating the distance detector about a first axis and a second axis.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the distance detector is rotated about the first axis and a second axis in a targeted manner such that the distance detector system collects data regarding the space of interest.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining direction priorities is further based in part on payload data gathering.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the direction priorities are updated periodically or aperiodically during the mission.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the distance detector comprises a one-dimensional LIDAR.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the distance detector comprises a two- or three-dimensional LIDAR.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the rotating the distance detector comprises rotating the distance detector about the first axis at a constant rate.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the acquiring and/or processing the distance data comprises not processing distance data generated by the distance detector in a defined direction during the mission based at least in part on the determined direction priorities.

25. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

detecting one or more obstacles with the distance detector in a direction defined at least in part by the determined direction priorities; and

adjusting a travel path for the mission based at least in part on the detecting of the one or more obstacles.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the variable resolution data structure is a three-dimensional occupancy grid mapping, with the gathered data grouped into cube-shaped bins of variable resolution in space.