Systems and methods for providing flight control for an unmanned aerial vehicle based on tilted optical elements

• US 9,630,714 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Inventors: Gohl, Pascal, Omari, Sammy
• Primary Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan
• Application Number:
  US14/987,667
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/08 with two or more rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

This disclosure relates to providing flight control for an unmanned aerial vehicle based on tilted optical elements. The UAV may include a housing, a motor, a first image sensor, a second image sensor, a first optical element having a first field of view, a second optical element having a second field of view, and one or more processors. The first optical element and the second optical element may be carried by the housing such that the vertical fields of view above the midline plane of the housing are greater than the vertical fields of view below the midline plane of the housing when the UAV is tilted during flight, and such that portions of the fields of view overlap. Flight control for the UAV may be provided based on parallax disparity of an object within the overlapping fields of view.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a housing having a midline plane that runs through a middle of the housing, the midline plane being horizontal when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground and being tilted when the unmanned aerial vehicle is tilted during flight, wherein the tilt of the midline plane is the tilt of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a motor carried by the housing, the motor configured to drive a rotor;

a first image sensor carried within the housing and configured to generate a first output signal conveying first visual information based on light that becomes incident thereon;

a second image sensor carried within the housing and configured to generate a second output signal conveying second visual information based on light that becomes incident thereon;

a first optical element configured to guide light within a first field of view to the first image sensor, the first optical element being carried by the housing such that the vertical field of view of the first field of view above the midline plane of the housing is greater than the vertical field of view of the first field of view below the midline plane of the housing when the unmanned aerial vehicle is tilted during flight;

a second optical element configured to guide light within a second field of view to the second image sensor, the second optical element being carried by the housing such that the vertical field of view of the second field of view above the midline plane of the housing is greater than the vertical field of view of the second field of view below the midline plane of the housing when the unmanned aerial vehicle is tilted during flight, and such that a portion of the first field of view and a portion of the second field of view overlap; and

one or more processors carried by the housing, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine readable instructions to;

receive the first output signal and the second output signal;

determine a disparity of an object within the portion of the first field of view and the portion of the second field of view that overlap; and

provide flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the disparity, wherein providing flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle includes operating the unmanned aerial vehicle to avoid the object.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an active rotation mechanism configured to tilt the first optical element and the second optical element; and

wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine readable instructions to operate the active rotation mechanism to tilt the first optical element and the second optical element based on the tilt of the unmanned aerial vehicle during flight.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first optical element and the second optical element are affixed to the housing.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein providing flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the disparity includes operating the unmanned aerial vehicle to maintain a minimum distance between the object and/or a maximum distance from the object.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein providing flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the disparity includes operating the unmanned aerial vehicle to maintain a minimum speed and/or a maximum speed.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first image sensor includes one or more of a charge-coupled device sensor, an active pixel sensor, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor and/or an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor sensor.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second image sensor includes one or more of a charge-coupled device sensor, an active pixel sensor, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor and/or an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor sensor.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first optical element includes one or more of a standard lens, a macro lens, a zoom lens, a special-purpose lens, a telephoto lens, a prime lens, an achromatic lens, an apochromatic lens, a process lens, a wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, a fisheye lens, an infrared lens, an ultraviolet lens and/or a perspective control lens.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second optical element includes one or more of a standard lens, a macro lens, a zoom lens, a special-purpose lens, a telephoto lens, a prime lens, an achromatic lens, an apochromatic lens, a process lens, a wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, a fisheye lens, an infrared lens, an ultraviolet lens and/or a perspective control lens.

10. A method for providing flight control for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

generating a first output signal conveying first visual information within a first field of view of a first optical element, the first optical element being carried by a housing such that the vertical field of view of the first field of view above a midline plane of the housing is greater than the vertical field of view of the first field of view below the midline plane of the housing when the unmanned aerial vehicle is tilted during flight;

generating a second output signal conveying second visual within a second field of view of a second optical element, the second optical element being carried by the housing such that the vertical field of view of the second field of view above the midline plane of the housing is greater than the vertical field of view of the second field of view below the midline plane of the housing when the unmanned aerial vehicle is tilted during flight, and such that a portion of the first field of view and a portion of the second field of view overlap;

determining a disparity of an object within the portion of the first field of view and the portion of the second field of view that overlap; and

providing flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the disparity, wherein providing flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle includes operating the unmanned aerial vehicle to avoid the object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first optical element and the second optical element are affixed to the housing.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising tilting the first optical element and the second optical element based on the tilt of the unmanned aerial vehicle during flight.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein providing flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the disparity includes operating the unmanned aerial vehicle to maintain a minimum distance between the object and/or a maximum distance from the object.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein providing flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the disparity includes operating the unmanned aerial vehicle to maintain a minimum speed and/or a maximum speed.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first image sensor includes one or more of a charge-coupled device sensor, an active pixel sensor, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor and/or an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor sensor.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the second image sensor includes one or more of a charge-coupled device sensor, an active pixel sensor, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor and/or an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor sensor.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first optical element includes one or more of a standard lens, a macro lens, a zoom lens, a special-purpose lens, a telephoto lens, a prime lens, an achromatic lens, an apochromatic lens, a process lens, a wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, a fisheye lens, an infrared lens, an ultraviolet lens and/or a perspective control lens.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the second optical element includes one or more of a standard lens, a macro lens, a zoom lens, a special-purpose lens, a telephoto lens, a prime lens, an achromatic lens, an apochromatic lens, a process lens, a wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, a fisheye lens, an infrared lens, an ultraviolet lens and/or a perspective control lens.