Systems and methods for adaptive property analysis via autonomous vehicles

• US 9,823,658 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Loveland Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Loveland Innovations, LLC
• Inventors: Loveland, Jim, Larson, Leif, Christiansen, Dan, Christiansen, Tad, Christiansen, Cam
• Primary Examiner(s): Rink, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US15/388,754
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• 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: G01C 11/02 Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/225 based on a marking or identifier characterising the area
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/235 based on user input or interaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may conduct micro scans of a wide variety of property types. A risk zone within which the UAV may navigate during the micro scan may include a plurality of virtual tags that identify navigational hazards relevant to the navigation of the UAV at a specific location or specify scan actions to be implemented while the UAV is at the specific location. Scan data from any of a wide variety of sensor types may be compared with profile data using computer vision techniques to identify characteristics, defects, damage, construction materials, and the like. A rule set evaluator may evaluate tags and/or matched profile data to determine adaptive actions to modify the navigation or scanning process of the UAV.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment system for imaging a structure, comprising:

at least one sensor of a first sensor type of a plurality of sensor types on a UAV for capturing scan data during a detailed micro scan of a property;

a library of data profiles comprising a set of profiles for each sensor type of each of the at least one sensor; and

a computer vision evaluator to;

identify a material of the property by comparing the captured scan data with a plurality of data profiles within the library of data profiles;

extract, in real-time, multi-dimensional data from the captured scan data using computer vision techniques; and

compare the multi-dimensional data extracted from the scan data with additional data profiles based on the identified material within the library of data profiles to assign a characteristic of the property.

2. The UAV assessment system of claim 1, wherein the assigned characteristic comprises a construction defect.

3. The UAV assessment system of claim 1, wherein the assigned characteristic comprises damage to the property.

4. The UAV assessment system of claim 1, wherein the property comprises at least a portion of at least one of a residence, an office building, an industrial facility, a tower, a bridge, a road, a light assembly, a vehicle, industrial equipment, and land.

5. The UAV assessment system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one optical imaging sensor and at least one non-optical imaging sensor,

wherein scan data from the optical imaging sensor is used by the computer vision evaluator to identify the material of the property using a first data set of the library of data profiles for the optical imaging sensor, and

wherein multi-dimensional scan data is extracted from the scan data from the at least one non-optical imaging sensor and is compared with the additional data profiles to assign a characteristic of the property based at least partially on the identified material of the property.

6. The UAV assessment system of claim 5, wherein the at least one non-optical imaging sensor comprises an infrared imaging sensor.

7. The UAV assessment system of claim 1, further comprising:

a rule set evaluator to evaluate the assigned characteristic of the property and determine at least one adaptive action to be taken by the UAV to modify at least one of (i) a navigation path of the UAV and (ii) a scan process of the UAV in response to the evaluated characteristic of the property.

8. The UAV assessment system of claim 7, wherein the identified material of the property comprises one of a glass and a plastic, and the assigned characteristic of the property comprises an identification of a skylight on a roof of a structure, and

wherein the adaptive action comprises modifying a navigation path of the UAV to capture scan data of the skylight from multiple angles.

18. The UAV assessment system of claim 5, wherein the at least one non-optical imaging sensor comprises an ultrasonic imaging sensor.

9. A method for imaging a structure using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment system, comprising:

capturing, via a first type of sensor carried by a UAV, scan data during a detailed micro scan of a property;

comparing the scan data captured by the first type of sensor with at least one of a plurality of data profiles within a first set of library of data profiles;

identifying a data profile within the library of data profiles that matches the scan data captured by the first type of sensor;

identifying a material of the property based on the identified data profile within the first set of the library of data profiles that matches the scan data captured by the first type of sensor;

comparing subsequent scan data captured by the first type of sensor with at least one of a plurality of data profiles within a second set of the library of data profiles based on the identified material;

identifying a data profile within the second set of the library of data profiles that matches the subsequent scan data captured by the first type of sensor; and

assigning a characteristic of the property based on the matched data profile from the second set of the library of data profiles.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein assigning the characteristic comprises identifying a construction defect.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein assigning the characteristic comprises identifying damage to the property.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the property comprises at least a portion of at least one of a residence, an office building, an industrial facility, a tower, a bridge, a road, a light assembly, a vehicle, industrial equipment, and land.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first type of sensor comprises an ultrasonic imaging sensor.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

evaluating, via a rule set evaluator, the assigned characteristic of the property based on a rule set; and

determining at least one adaptive action to be taken by the UAV to modify a navigation path of the UAV.

15. The UAV system of claim 14, wherein the assigned characteristic of the property comprises an identification of a skylight on a roof of a structure and wherein the adaptive action comprises modifying a navigation path of the UAV to capture scan data of the skylight from multiple angles to compensate for potential glare.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

evaluating, via a rule set evaluator, the assigned characteristic of the property based on a rule set; and

determining at least one adaptive action to be taken by the UAV to modify a scan process of the UAV in response to the evaluated characteristic of the property.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the assigned characteristic of the property comprises an identification of a construction material on a roof of a structure and wherein the adaptive action comprises utilizing a supplemental sensor system of a second type to perform additional scanning.