System, method, and program for controlling drone

• US 10,472,062 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2016
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optim LLC
• Original Assignee: Optim LLC
• Inventors: Sugaya, Shunji
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US15/544,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20190210722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• 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 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/00 Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/006 Apparatus mounted on flying objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/17 taken from planes or by drones

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a system, a method, and a program for controlling a drone to take an image at high resolution if a predetermined condition is satisfied. The system includes an image acquisition unit that acquires an image taken by a drone; an image analysis unit that analyzes the acquired image; an extraction unit that extracts a point that satisfies a predetermined condition based on the result of the image analysis; a position coordinate acquisition unit that acquires the position coordinate of the extracted point; and a control unit that controls the drone to fly to the acquired position coordinate and take an image at a higher resolution than that of the analyzed image.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a drone, comprising:

an image acquisition unit that acquires an image taken by a drone;

an image analysis unit that analyzes the acquired image;

an extraction unit that extracts at least one first point where the image analysis cannot be performed due to low resolution or at least one second point where an edge variation is a predetermined value or more, based on the result of the image analysis;

a position coordinate acquisition unit that acquires a position coordinate of the extracted first point or second point;

a setting unit that, when the at least one second point includes two or more second points, sets a flight route for the two or more second points of the drone to fly in order of magnitude of the edge variation; and

a control unit that controls the drone to fly to the acquired position coordinate and take an image at a higher resolution than that of the analyzed image.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit, when the at least one first point includes two or more first points, sets a flight route for the two or more first points of the drone to fly to all the first points.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit, when the at least one first point includes two or more first points, sets a flight route for the two or more first points of the drone to fly in order of closer position coordinates of the first points.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the drone to approach and take an image at a higher resolution than that of the analyzed image.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the drone to increase the magnification of a camera and take an image at a higher resolution than that of the analyzed image.

6. A method for controlling a drone, comprising the steps of:

acquiring an image taken by a drone;

analyzing the acquired image;

extracting at least one first point where the image analysis cannot be performed due to low resolution or at least one second point where an edge variation is a predetermined value or more, based on the result of the image analysis;

acquiring a position coordinate of the extracted first point or second point;

when the at least one second point includes two or more second points, setting a flight route for the two or more second points of the drone to fly in order of magnitude of the edge variation; and

controlling the drone to fly to the acquired position coordinate and take an image at a higher resolution than that of the analyzed image.

7. A computer program product for use in a system for controlling a drone, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a set of instructions physically embodied therein, the set of instructions including computer readable program code, which when executed by the system causes an information processing unit to execute the steps of:

acquiring an image taken by a drone;

analyzing the acquired image;

extracting at least one first point where the image analysis cannot be performed due to low resolution or at least one second point where an edge variation is a predetermined value or more, based on the result of the image analysis;

acquiring a position coordinate of the extracted first point or second point;

when the at least one second point includes two or more second points, setting a flight route for the two or more second points of the drone to fly in order of magnitude of the edge variation; and

controlling the drone to fly to the acquired position coordinate and take an image at a higher resolution than that of the analyzed image.