GPS offset calibrations for UAVs

• US 10,012,735 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2017
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2017
• 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): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US15/820,244
• Time in Patent Office: 224 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may conduct micro scans of a wide variety of property types. A site identification system may allow for identification of a point or points of interest to be scanned via the micro scans. A coordinate offset system may calculate a coordinate offset of location coordinates from a satellite-based mapping system relative to real-time coordinate readings from an on-site UAV. Satellite-based location coordinates for the identified point(s) of interest may be adjusted based on the calculated coordinate offset to enhance the scanning itself, data association, visualization of scan data, and/or reporting of scan data.

Claims

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

a site selection interface to receive an electronic input corresponding to a location of at least a portion of a structure on a geographic information system (GIS), wherein the at least a portion of the structure is associated with GIS location coordinates;

a navigation system to navigate a UAV proximate the structure using the GIS location coordinates;

a user interface to display a virtual target overlaid on a live-view video feed from the UAV;

a control interface to navigate the UAV to align the overlaid virtual target on the live-view video feed with a landmark geographically associated with the structure; and

an offset calculation system to calculate a coordinate offset of the GIS location coordinates relative to real-time coordinates from the UAV, wherein the offset calculation system is configured to;

determine GIS location coordinates of the landmark geographically associated with the structure,

determine real-time location coordinates of the landmark from the UAV, and

calculate a coordinate offset based on a difference between the GIS location coordinates and the real-time location coordinates from the UAV with the overlaid virtual target on the live-view video feed aligned with the landmark.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the GIS location coordinates for the landmark comprise global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, and

wherein the real-time location coordinates of the landmark from the UAV comprise real-time GPS coordinates of the landmark via a GPS module in the UAV.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the landmark comprises one of:

a tree, a chimney, a sidewalk, a driveway, a corner of structure, and intersection of a driveway and a sidewalk, and a corner concrete.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the GIS comprises a satellite-based mapping system, the GIS location coordinates comprise GPS coordinates, and the real-time coordinates from the UAV comprises real-time GPS coordinates, such that the coordinate offset corresponds to a delta between GPS coordinates of the landmark as identified by the satellite-based mapping system and GPS coordinates of the landmark obtained in real-time by the UAV.

5. A method of obtaining scan data of a point of interest using an unmanned aerial system (UAV), comprising:

receiving an electronic input identifying at least one point of interest to be scanned by a UAV on a geographic information system (GIS);

receiving location coordinates from the GIS for the at least one point of interest;

identifying a landmark proximate the point the interest;

receiving location coordinates from the GIS for the landmark;

navigating the UAV proximate the point of interest using the GIS location coordinates;

displaying a virtual target overlaid on a live-view video feed from the UAV in a graphical user interface;

navigating the UAV to align the overlaid virtual target on the live-view video feed with the landmark;

determining real-time location coordinates of the landmark via the UAV;

calculate a coordinate offset value based on a difference between the determined real-time location coordinates of the landmark with the received GIS location coordinates for the landmark;

calculate adjusted coordinates for the at least one point of interest by adjusting the GIS location coordinates for the at least one point of interest by the calculated coordinate offset value; and

capturing scan data via the UAV of the at least one point of interest using the adjusted coordinates.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the overlaid virtual target is aligned with the landmark by positioning the directly above the landmark.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the electronic input identifying at least one point of interest to be scanned by the UAV on the GIS comprises:

receiving the selection of a structure via a satellite-based mapping system.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving location coordinates from the GIS for the at least one point of interest comprises receiving global positioning system (GPS) coordinates.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one point of interest comprises a structure, and wherein identifying a landmark proximate the point of interest comprises identifying a permanent fixture on a roof of the structure.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving location coordinates from the GIS for the landmark comprises receiving global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the landmark from the GIS, and

wherein determining real-time location coordinates of the landmark via the UAV comprises receiving real-time GPS coordinates of the landmark via a GPS module in the UAV.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the landmark comprises one of:

a tree, a chimney, a sidewalk, a driveway, a corner of structure, and intersection of a driveway and a sidewalk, and a corner concrete.

12. A method of obtaining scan data of a point of interest using an unmanned aerial system (UAV), comprising:

receiving an electronic input identifying one or more points of interest to be scanned by a UAV on a geographic information system (GIS), wherein each of the one or more points of interest is associated with GPS coordinates from the GIS;

identifying, via a user interface, a take-off location on a satellite image of the GIS, wherein the take-off location is associated with GPS coordinates from the GIS;

receiving real-time GPS coordinates from a UAV at the take-off location;

calculating a coordinate offset between the GPS coordinates of the take-off location from the GIS and the real-time GPS coordinates from the UAV at the take-off location; and

imaging the one or more points of interest via the UAV using the GPS coordinates from the GIS of the one or more points of interest adjusted by the calculated coordinate offset.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the real-time GPS coordinates from the UAV at the take-off location comprises receiving the real-time GPS coordinates as the UAV takes off from the ground.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more points of interest define at least a portion of a roof of a structure.

15. A method of obtaining scan data of a point of interest using an unmanned aerial system (UAV), comprising:

receiving an electronic input identifying a structure on a satellite-based mapping system to be scanned by a UAV, wherein the structure is associated with GPS coordinates from the satellite-based mapping system;

identifying the structure on a satellite image from the satellite-based mapping system;

navigating the UAV to a location proximate the structure using the GPS coordinates from the satellite-based mapping system;

receiving, via the UAV, a streaming video feed of nadir images that includes the structure;

associating real-time GPS coordinates from the UAV with the streaming nadir images;

displaying, in a graphical user interface, the satellite image and the streaming nadir images with at least one of them as a transparent overlay on the other, such that the satellite image and the streaming nadir images are both at least partially visible and offset with respect to one another by an amount corresponding to a difference between the GIS GPS coordinates and the real-time UAV GPS coordinates;

receiving operator instructions to move the UAV to align the streaming nadir images with the satellite image; and

calculating a coordinate offset between the GIS GPS coordinates and the real-time UAV GPS coordinates based on the UAV movement to align the streaming nadir images with the satellite image.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the satellite-based mapping system comprises a publicly available satellite-based mapping system.