Unmanned aircraft structure evaluation system and method

• US 10,318,809 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2018
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Original Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Inventors: Schultz, Stephen L., Monaco, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutchinson, Alan D
• Application Number:
  US16/049,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20180357478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• 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 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• 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: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 : specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 : for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• 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 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications

Abstract

A computerized system, comprising: a computer system having an input unit, a display unit, one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer readable medium, the one or more processors executing image display and analysis software to cause the one or more processors to: receive an identification of a structure from the input device, the structure having multiple sides, an outline, and a height; obtain characteristics of a camera mounted onto an unmanned aircraft; generate unmanned aircraft information including: flight path information configured to direct the unmanned aircraft to fly a flight path around the structure that is laterally and vertically offset from the structure, the lateral and vertical offset being dependent upon the height of the structure, an orientation of the camera relative to the unmanned aircraft, and the characteristics of the camera; and, store the unmanned aircraft information on the one or more non-transitory computer readable medium.

Claims

1. A computerized system, comprising:

a computer system having an input unit, a display unit, one or more processors, and one or more non-transitory computer readable medium, the one or more processors executing software to cause the one or more processors to;

receive a first geographic location of a structure of interest, the first geographic location having one or more coordinates of the structure of interest;

display, on the display unit, one or more images depicting an aerial view of the structure of interest;

receive, via the input unit, an alteration of the one or more coordinates of the structure of interest indicating a second geographic location of the structure of interest, the second geographic location being different from the first geographic location, and being a validated location of the structure of interest;

subsequent to receiving the alteration of the one or more coordinates of the structure of interest, generate unmanned aircraft information based on the one or more coordinates of the second geographic location, the unmanned aircraft information including flight path information configured to direct an unmanned aircraft to fly an autonomous flight path above the structure of interest, and camera control information to direct a camera of the unmanned aircraft to capture images of the structure of interest at predetermined target capture points on the structure of interest while the unmanned aircraft is flying the flight path;

receive the images of the structure of interest captured by the camera while the unmanned aircraft is flying the autonomous flight path from the unmanned aircraft; and

generate a structure report for the structure of interest based at least in part on the images.

2. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the flight path information includes a plurality of flight capture points adjacent to the structure of interest such that the unmanned aircraft captures images of the structure of interest at the plurality of flight capture points.

3. The computerized system of claim 2, wherein first information associated with a first one of the plurality of flight capture points directs the unmanned aircraft to capture a first image of the structure of interest from a first angle relative to the structure of interest and second information associated with a second one of the plurality of flight capture points directs the unmanned aircraft to capture a second image of the structure of interest from a second angle relative to the structure of interest.

4. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned aircraft is a multi-rotor aircraft.

5. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein displaying, on the display unit, one or more images depicting an aerial view of the structure of interest includes causing the one or more processors to display a drag and drop element on the aerial view of the structure of interest, and wherein receiving, via the input unit, the alteration of the one or more coordinates of the structure of interest includes a user moving the drag and drop element on the display unit from the first geographic location to the second geographic location.

6. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein receiving, via the input unit, the alteration of the one or more coordinates of the structure of interest indicating the second geographic location of the structure of interest includes the alteration being manual manipulation of the one or more coordinates.

7. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the computer system has a Geographic Positioning System (GPS), and wherein the first geographic location of the structure of interest is determined by the GPS.

8. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the first geographic location of the structure of interest is determined by an address of the structure of interest.

9. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the first geographic location is determined by scrolling on a map displayed on the display unit.

10. A computerized system, comprising:

a computer system having an input unit, a display unit, one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer readable medium, the one or more processors executing software to cause the one or more processors to;

display on the display unit a graphical representation of a structure of interest to be evaluated, the graphical representation comprising one or more images describing an aerial view of the structure of interest;

display on the display unit a first flight path on the graphical representation of the structure of interest to be evaluated, in which an unmanned aircraft is to navigate about the structure of interest, the first flight path having a first group of flight capture points adjacent to a first side of the structure of interest, and a second group of flight capture points adjacent to a second side of the structure of interest;

alter the first flight path to generate a second flight path;

subsequent to generating the second flight path, generate unmanned aircraft information including flight path information, camera control information, and gimbal control information, the flight path information configured to direct the unmanned aircraft having a computer controlled gimbal mount connected to a camera to fly the second flight path above the structure of interest, the camera control information configured to control the camera to capture overlapping aerial images while the unmanned aircraft is flying the second flight path, and the gimbal control information configured to control the computer controlled gimbal mount to aim the camera at the structure of interest, the second flight path having first instructions to navigate the unmanned aircraft at a first altitude above the structure of interest during a first portion of the flight path and second instructions to navigate the unmanned aircraft at a second altitude above the structure of interest during a second portion of the flight path, wherein the flight path information includes a plurality of flight capture points adjacent to the structure of interest such that the unmanned aircraft captures an image of the structure of interest at the plurality of flight capture points, and wherein first information associated with a first one of the plurality of flight capture points directs the unmanned aircraft to capture a first image of the structure from a first angle relative to the structure and second information associated with a second one of the plurality of flight capture points directs the unmanned aircraft to capture a second image of the structure of interest from a second angle relative to the structure of interest;

receive the overlapping aerial images captured while the unmanned aircraft was flying the second flight path from the unmanned aircraft; and

generate a structure report for the structure of interest based at least in part on the overlapping aerial images.

11. The computerized system of claim 10, wherein the unmanned aircraft is a multi-rotor aircraft.

12. The computerized system of claim 10, wherein the second flight path includes a plurality of spatially disposed flight capture points, a spacing of the flight capture points maintaining at least a minimum overlap between adjacent aerial images to ensure full coverage of the structure of interest in the aerial images captured by the camera.

13. The computerized system of claim 10, wherein the structure of interest has an outline, and wherein the second flight path has flight capture points outside the outline of the structure of interest.

14. The computerized system of claim 13, wherein the second flight path extends entirely beyond the outline of the structure of interest.

15. The computerized system of claim 10, wherein the first flight path is determined automatically by analyzing and using geo-referenced images.

16. The computerized system of claim 10, wherein the structure of interest is a roof of a building.

17. A computerized system, comprising:

a computer system having an input unit, a display unit, one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer readable medium, the one or more processors executing software to cause the one or more processors to;

display on the display unit a first graphical representation of a structure of interest to be evaluated, an object and a first flight path above or around the structure that would go through the object, the first graphical representation comprising one or more images describing an aerial view of the structure of interest and the object, the structure of interest having an outline and a height;

determine a location of the object from the first graphical representation;

generate unmanned aircraft information using the outline of the structure of interest, and the location of the object, the unmanned aircraft information including flight path information configured to direct an unmanned aircraft through autonomous flight to fly a second flight path above the structure of interest and to avoid the object, and to capture overlapping aerial images of the structure of interest from a camera on the unmanned aircraft while the unmanned aircraft is flying the second flight path, wherein the flight path information includes a plurality of capture points adjacent to the structure such that the unmanned aircraft captures images of the overlapping aerial images of the structure of interest at the plurality of capture points, and wherein first information associated with a first one of the plurality of capture points directs the unmanned aircraft to capture a first image of the structure of interest from a first angle relative to the structure of interest and second information associated with a second one of the plurality of capture points directs the unmanned aircraft to capture a second image of the structure of interest from a second angle relative to the structure of interest;

receive the overlapping aerial images of the structure of interest from the unmanned aircraft; and

generate a structure report for the structure of interest based at least in part on the overlapping aerial images of the structure captured by the camera of the unmanned aircraft.

18. The computerized system of claim 17, wherein the unmanned aircraft is a multi-rotor aircraft.

19. The computerized system of claim 17, wherein the structure of interest is a roof of a building.

20. A computerized system, comprising:

a computer system having an input unit, a display unit, one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer readable medium, the one or more processors executing software to cause the one or more processors to;

display on the display unit a first graphical representation of a structure of interest to be evaluated, the first graphical representation comprising one or more images describing an aerial view of the structure of interest, an object and a first flight path above or around the structure that would go through the object, the structure of interest having an outline and a height;

determine a location of the object from the first graphical representation;

generate unmanned aircraft information using the outline of the structure of interest and the location of the object, the unmanned aircraft information including flight path information configured to direct an unmanned aircraft through autonomous flight to fly a second flight path above the structure of interest and to avoid the object, and to capture overlapping aerial images of the structure of interest from a camera on the unmanned aircraft while the unmanned aircraft is flying the second flight path, the flight path information including instructions to direct a yaw of the unmanned aircraft to aim the camera at target capture points on the structure of interest, wherein the flight path information includes a plurality of capture points adjacent to the structure of interest such that the unmanned aircraft captures an image of the structure at the plurality of capture points, and wherein first information associated with a first one of the plurality of flight capture points directs the unmanned aircraft to capture a first image of the structure of interest from a first angle relative to the structure of interest and second information associated with a second one of the plurality of capture points directs the unmanned aircraft to capture a second image of the structure of interest from a second angle relative to the structure of interest;

receive the overlapping aerial images from the unmanned aircraft, the overlapping aerial images captured during the autonomous flight of the unmanned aircraft; and

generate a structure report for the structure of interest based at least in part on the overlapping aerial images.

21. The computerized system of claim 20, wherein the unmanned aircraft is a multi-rotor aircraft.

22. The computerized system of claim 20, wherein the flight path information includes a plurality of spatially disposed flight capture points, a spacing of the flight capture points maintaining at least a minimum overlap between adjacent aerial images to ensure full coverage of the structure of interest in the aerial images captured by the camera.

23. The computerized system of claim 20, wherein the flight path information directs the unmanned aircraft to fly outside of the outline of the structure of interest.

24. The computerized system of claim 20, wherein the flight path information directs the unmanned aircraft to fly entirely beyond the outline of the structure of interest.