Cascade recognition for personal tracking via unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
First Claim
1. A system for acquiring and following a subject with at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) the UAV having at least one rotor configured to rotate at a rotor speed, the system comprising:
- at least one camera fixed to the UAV, the at least one camera configured to capture at least one image;
at least one attitude control system configured to adjust a rotor speed of the at least one rotor;
at least one data storage unit fixed to the UAV;
a plurality of databases stored in the data storage unit, including at least a first database of at least one first image element corresponding to the subject and a second database of at least one second image element not corresponding to the subject;
at least one visual recognition module coupled to the at least one camera and to the plurality of databases, the at least one visual recognition module configured to;
extract at least one current image element from the at least one image;
determine whether the at least one current image element is a first current image element or a second current image element;
store the at least one first current image element in the first database; and
store the at least one second current image element in the second database; and
at least one subject tracking module coupled to the at least one visual recognition module and to the at least one attitude control system, the at least one subject tracking module configured to;
define the subject by analyzing at least one reference image captured by the at least one camera;
determine at least one attribute of the subject by performing at least one comparison of at least one current image element with at least one of a first image element and a second image element; and
direct the attitude control system of the UAV to adjust at least one rotor speed of the UAV based on the at least one attribute; and
at least one transmitter configured to transmit the at least one image via wireless link.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for tracking a subject using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) are disclosed. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes an onboard camera to capture/stream multiple images. An onboard visual recognition module isolates image elements by analyzing the captured images, and determines whether the image elements correspond or do not correspond to the subject. Current image elements corresponding to a subject are stored in a positive database, and non-corresponding current image elements are stored in a negative database. An onboard subject tracking module defines the chosen subject, determines attributes of the subject based on comparisons of image elements, and follows the subject by directing the attitude control system to adjust the velocity and orientation of the UAV based on the determined attributes.
17 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system for acquiring and following a subject with at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) the UAV having at least one rotor configured to rotate at a rotor speed, the system comprising:
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at least one camera fixed to the UAV, the at least one camera configured to capture at least one image; at least one attitude control system configured to adjust a rotor speed of the at least one rotor; at least one data storage unit fixed to the UAV; a plurality of databases stored in the data storage unit, including at least a first database of at least one first image element corresponding to the subject and a second database of at least one second image element not corresponding to the subject; at least one visual recognition module coupled to the at least one camera and to the plurality of databases, the at least one visual recognition module configured to; extract at least one current image element from the at least one image; determine whether the at least one current image element is a first current image element or a second current image element; store the at least one first current image element in the first database; and store the at least one second current image element in the second database; and at least one subject tracking module coupled to the at least one visual recognition module and to the at least one attitude control system, the at least one subject tracking module configured to; define the subject by analyzing at least one reference image captured by the at least one camera; determine at least one attribute of the subject by performing at least one comparison of at least one current image element with at least one of a first image element and a second image element; and direct the attitude control system of the UAV to adjust at least one rotor speed of the UAV based on the at least one attribute; and at least one transmitter configured to transmit the at least one image via wireless link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
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an airframe; at least one rotor fixed to the airframe, each rotor configured to rotate at a rotor speed; at least one camera fixed to the UAV, the at least one camera configured to capture at least one image; an attitude control system configured to adjust a rotor speed of the at least one rotor; a data storage unit fixed to the UAV; a plurality of databases stored in the data storage unit, including at least a first database of at least one first image element corresponding to the subject and a second database of at least one second image element not corresponding to the subject; a visual recognition module coupled to the at least one camera and to the plurality of databases, the visual recognition module configured to; extract at least one current image element from the at least one image; determine whether the at least one current image element is a first current image element or a second current image element; store the at least one first current image element in the first database; and store the at least one second current image element in the second database; and a subject tracking module coupled to the visual recognition module and to the attitude control system, the subject tracking module configured to; define the subject by analyzing at least one reference image captured by the at least one camera; determine at least one attribute of the subject by performing at least one comparison of at least two of a first image element, a second image element, and a current image element; and direct the attitude control system of the UAV to adjust at least one rotor speed of the UAV based on the at least one attribute; and at least one transmitter configured to transmit the at least one image via wireless link.
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17. A method of acquiring and following a subject via at least one unmanned aerial vehicle, (UAV), comprising:
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defining a subject by capturing at least one reference image via at least one camera of the at least one UAV; capturing at least one first image via the at least one camera; extracting at least one current image element from the at least one first image; determining whether the at least one current image element is a first image element corresponding to the subject or a second image element not corresponding to the subject; storing the at least one first image element in a first database; storing the at least one second image element in the second database; and
a second database;determining at least one attribute of the subject by performing a comparison of the at least one current image element to at least one of a first image element, a second image element, and a reference image element; and adjusting at least one rotor speed of the at least one UAV based on at least the at least one attribute of the subject. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification