Unmanned aerial vehicle with parallax disparity detection offset from horizontal

• US 9,896,205 B1
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Inventors: Gohl, Pascal, Omari, Sammy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US14/949,798
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3- 5
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• 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 unmanned aerial vehicles with parallax disparity detection offset from horizontal. The unmanned aerial vehicles use two optical elements, which are arranged to be separated by a horizontal distance and a vertical distance when the unmanned aerial vehicles operate leveled with respect to ground, to determine parallax disparity of an object.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a housing;

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

a first optical element configured to guide light to a first image sensor, the first optical element having a first field of view;

the first image sensor configured to generate a first output signal conveying first visual information based on the light guided to the first image sensor by the first optical element, the first visual information including an object while the object is within the first field of view;

a second optical element configured to guide light to a second image sensor, the second optical element having a second field of view;

the second image sensor configured to generate a second output signal conveying second visual information based on the light guided to the second image sensor by the second optical element, the second visual information including the object while the object is within the second field of view;

wherein the first optical element, the second optical element, the first image sensor and the second image sensor are attached to the housing;

further wherein the first optical element and the second optical element are arranged to be separated by a horizontal distance when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground; and

further wherein the first optical element and the second optical element are arranged to be separated by a vertical distance when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground such that the second optical element is above the first optical element; and

a processor attached to the housing, wherein the processor is configured by machine-readable instructions to;

provide flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle;

receive the first output signal and the second output signal; and

compare the first visual information with the second visual information to determine a disparity of the object.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the object based on the disparity of the object.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is climbing vertically without horizontal movement when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is descending vertically without horizontal movement when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is not tilting sideways when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rotor is not producing horizontal thrust when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground.

11. A method for parallax disparity detection offset from horizontal, the method comprising:

generating, by a first image sensor, a first output signal conveying first visual information based on light guided to the first image sensor by a first optical element, the first visual information including an object while the object is within a first field of view of the first optical element, the first optical element configured to guide the light to the first image sensor;

generating, by a second image sensor, a second output signal conveying second visual information based on light guided to the second image sensor by a second optical element, the first second information including the object while the object is within a second field of view of the second optical element, the second optical element configured to guide the light to the second image sensor;

wherein the first optical element, the second optical element, the first image sensor and the second image sensor are attached to a housing of an unmanned aerial vehicle;

further wherein the first optical element and the second optical element are arranged to be separated by a horizontal distance when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground; and

further wherein the first optical element and the second optical element are arranged to be separated by a vertical distance when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground such that the second optical element is above the first optical element; and

receiving the first output signal and the second output signal; and

comparing the first visual information with the second visual information to determine a disparity of the object.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the object based on the disparity of the object.

13. The method of claim 11, 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.

14. The method of claim 11, 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.

15. The method of claim 11, 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.

16. The method of claim 11, 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.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is climbing vertically without horizontal movement when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is descending vertically without horizontal movement when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is not tilting sideways when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground.

20. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a housing;

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

a first optical element configured to guide light to a first image sensor, the first optical element having a first field of view;

the first image sensor configured to generate a first output signal conveying first visual information based on the light guided to the first image sensor by the first optical element, the first visual information including an object while the object is within the first field of view;

a second optical element configured to guide light to a second image sensor, the second optical element having a second field of view;

the second image sensor configured to generate a second output signal conveying second visual information based on the light guided to the second image sensor by the second optical element, the second visual information including the object while the object is within the second field of view;

wherein the first optical element, the second optical element, the first image sensor and the second image sensor are attached to the housing;

further wherein the first optical element and the second optical element are arranged to be separated by a horizontal distance when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground; and

further wherein the first optical element and the second optical element are arranged to be separated by a vertical distance when the unmanned aerial vehicle operates leveled with respect to ground such that the second optical element is above the first optical element; and

a processor attached to the housing, wherein the processor is configured by machine-readable instructions to;

provide flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle;

receive the first output signal and the second output signal;

compare the first visual information with the second visual information to determine a disparity of the object; and

determine distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the object based on the disparity of the object.