Imaging array for bird or bat detection and identification

• US 9,856,856 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IdentiFlight International, LLC
• Original Assignee: IdentiFlight International, LLC
• Inventors: Wenger, Eric S., Oliver, Andrew G., Babbitt, Victor L., Hiester, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): OSINSKI, MICHAEL S
• Application Number:
  US14/829,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20160050889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 29/10 using light sources, e.g. lasers or flashing lights
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 29/16 using sound waves
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/72 Pest control by keeping dry E04B1/70; impregnation of wood or like materials B27K
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 17/00 Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/042 by means of an electrical or electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/048 controlling wind farms
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/00 Details, components or accessories not provided for in groups F03D1/00 - F03D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/10 Arrangements for warning air traffic
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/007 the wind motor being combined with means for converting solar radiation into useful energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/257 the wind motor being part of a wind farm
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/804 Optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/764 using classification, e.g. of video objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/12 Hybrid wind-PV energy systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 : Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 : for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 : Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 : Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 : Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

An automated system for mitigating risk from a wind farm. The automated system may include an array of a plurality of image capturing devices independently mounted in a wind farm. The array may include a plurality of low resolution cameras and at least one high resolution camera. The plurality of low resolution cameras may be interconnected and may detect a spherical field surrounding the wind farm. A server is in communication with the array of image capturing devices. The server may automatically analyze images to classify an airborne object captured by the array of image capturing devices in response to receiving the images.

Claims

1. An automated system for tracking object motion in a designated area, the automated system comprising:

an array of image capturing devices independently mounted to a detection system tower configured to be located in the designated area;

the array including a network of low resolution cameras and at least one high resolution camera;

wherein the network of low resolution cameras are interconnected and detect a geometric field that is hemispherical, with a combined field of view of 360°

surrounding the designated area;

a server in communication with the array of image capturing devices;

wherein the server analyzes images to classify an airborne object captured by the array of image capturing devices in response to receiving the images.

2. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the server generates a stereoscopic image of the airborne object based on the images captured from two or more high resolution cameras of the array.

3. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the server is in communication with a plurality of wind towers, wherein the server initiates mitigation activities of a wind tower when a predetermined species is within a predetermined distance of at one of the plurality of the wind towers.

4. The automated system of claim 3, wherein the mitigation activities curtail functionality of blades of the wind tower.

5. The automated system of claim 3, wherein the mitigation activities initiate one or more deterrent activities, wherein the one or more deterrent activities include flashing lights, sounds, or combinations thereof.

6. The automated system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of towers strategically placed around the designated area to provide a plurality of 360 degrees of optical coverage of the designated area; and

the plurality of towers equipped with the array of image capturing devices.

7. The automated system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of towers are equipped with meteorological instruments, the meteorological instruments being connected to the server.

8. The automated system of claim 7, wherein the meteorological instruments stream weather conditions to the server;

wherein the server identifies a behavioral pattern to classify the airborne object based at least in part on weather conditions.

9. The automated system of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein said designated area is a windfarm;

a plurality of detection system towers strategically placed around the wind farm to provide 360 degrees of optical coverage of each wind tower in the wind farm; and

the plurality of detection system towers being equipped with low resolution cameras, wherein the low resolution cameras are wide field view cameras;

wherein the wide field view cameras triangulate a position of the airborne object through the use of the images captured by the wide field view cameras.

10. The automated system of claim 9, further comprising:

a single high resolution zooming camera mounted on one of the plurality of towers, wherein the single high resolution zooming camera is movably equipped to capture a high resolution image of the airborne object.

11. The automated system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of detection system towers corresponds to a nacelle of a wind turbine.

12. The automated system of claim 1, further comprising:

an observation zone surrounding each plurality of image capturing devices, wherein each observation zone overlaps.

13. The automated system of claim 1, the array further including:

at least one wide view imaging system, the wide view imaging system comprising a view range between 180 degrees and 90 degrees.

14. A method of analyzing object movement in a designated area, the method comprising:

detecting an airborne object through a network of low resolution cameras mounted to a detection system tower that are interconnected and detect a geometric field that is hemispherical, with a combined field of view of 360°

surrounding the designated area;

activating a high resolution stereo camera set to provide high resolution imagery data of the airborne object;

transmitting, automatically through a computing device, the high resolution imagery data to a cloud server;

classifying, through the cloud server, the airborne object based at least in part on the high resolution imagery data;

monitoring the airborne object with the high resolution stereo camera set as the airborne object enters the designated area based at least in part on a classification when the airborne object is classified as at least one of a predetermined species; and

activating mitigation efforts within the designated area when the airborne object meets a threshold classification and a threshold location.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

gathering one or more meteorological data points from one or more meteorological instruments proximate the high imagery stereo camera set;

transmitting the one or more meteorological data points to the cloud server; and

analyzing, through the cloud server, a behavior of the airborne object based at least part on the one or more meteorological data points.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

streaming image data and meteorological data points to the cloud server;

updating, through the cloud server, a travel trajectory of the airborne object and a behavioral categorization based at least in part on the streaming data.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein activating mitigation efforts further comprises:

curtailing, automatically, operation of a wind tower based at least in part on the threshold classification and the threshold location.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the threshold location comprises a predetermined distance from the wind tower based at least in part on a travel trajectory of the airborne object and a travel speed of the airborne object.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating an event log when the airborne object enters the designated area;

recording event information including object classification, travel information, and mitigation efforts relating to the event information; and

storing the event information in the cloud server for a predetermined period of time.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a location of the airborne object using a radar system proximate the high resolution stereo camera set.

21. An automated system for mitigating risk from a wind farm, the automated system comprising:

a plurality of image capturing devices independently mounted on a detection system tower in the wind farm;

the plurality of image capturing devices including a high resolution stereo camera set and a plurality of low resolution cameras with a geometric field that is hemispherical having a combined field of view of 360°

surrounding the detection system tower;

wherein the plurality of low resolution cameras are interconnected and detect a spherical field surrounding the wind farm;

a server connected to the plurality of image capturing devices;

the server automatically analyzes images to classify an airborne object captured by the plurality of imaging capturing devices in response to receiving the images.