Using unmanned aerial vehicles to provide ground control points for aerial survey

• US 10,831,199 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 11/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berona, Kimberly S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kerrigan, Michael V
• Application Number:
  US15/720,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20190101921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/02 Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• 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 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flies to a location of a ground control point, and provides a mark for imaging by an aerial vehicle. The UAV remains at the ground control point and collects GNSS data to localize the point. The ground control point may be marked on the ground by the UAV, or it may be on an upper surface of the UAV that is visible to the aerial vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising:

controlling a respective propulsion system of each of a first plurality of UAVs in the fleet to fly each of the first plurality of UAVs to, and land at, a different respective ground control point location at a worksite;

receiving a respective pose signal, from one or more pose sensors on each of the first plurality of UAVs, indicative of a slope of terrain at the respective ground control point location;

collecting global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data with a GNSS receiver on each of the first plurality of UAVs, wherein the GNSS data corresponds to the respective ground control point location and is compensated based on the respective pose signal;

controlling each of the first plurality of UAVs to generate a respective ground control point mark corresponding to the respective ground control point location;

controlling movement of each of the first plurality of UAVs so the respective ground control point marks are visible to an aerial imaging vehicle; and

controlling each of a second plurality of UAVs in the fleet to fly over different respective ground control point locations and capture, with an imaging system on each of the second plurality of UAVs, an image of the respective ground control point location including the respective ground control point mark.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling each of the first plurality of UAVs to generate the respective ground control point marks comprises:

controlling a respective visual mark generator on each of the first plurality of UAVs to place the respective ground control point mark on a respective ground surface at the respective ground control point location corresponding to the collected GNSS data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein controlling movement of each of the first plurality of UAVs comprises:

controlling each of the first plurality of UAVs to move away from the respective ground control point mark so the respective ground control point mark is visible to a respective UAV in the second plurality of UAVs.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein controlling the respective visual mark generators comprises:

controlling the respective visual mark generator to dispense a marker material from a respective reservoir on each of the first plurality of UAVs at the respective ground control point location corresponding to the GNSS data.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein controlling the respective visual mark generator comprises:

controlling a respective actuator of each one of the first plurality of UAVs to drop a respective marked item at the respective ground control point location corresponding to the collected GNSS data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling each of the first plurality of UAVs to generate the respective ground control point mark comprises:

controlling movement of each of the first plurality of UAVs to position each of the first plurality of UAVs so a respective mark, fixedly attached to each of the first plurality of UAVs, is visible to a respective UAV in the second plurality of UAVs, in a known relation to the respective ground control point location corresponding to the GNSS data.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein controlling movement of each of the first plurality of UAVs so the respective ground control point mark is visible to the respective UAV of the second plurality of UAVs comprises:

detecting an image signal indicating that an image is taken by the respective UAV of the second plurality of UAVs; and

controlling each of the first plurality of UAVs to remain at the respective ground control point location, positioned so the respective mark is visible to the respective UAV of the second plurality of UAVs, until the image signal is detected.

8. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a propulsion system;

a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver comprising a GNSS antenna;

one or more pose sensors;

a visual mark generator configured to generate a visual ground control point mark; and

a control system configured to;

receive a ground control point location;

control the propulsion system to fly the UAV to a ground control point at the ground control point location at a worksite;

receive a GNSS signal from the GNSS receiver;

receive a pose signal, from the one or more pose sensors, indicative of a slope of terrain at the ground control point location;

generate global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data, corresponding to the ground control point location, based on the GNSS signal and the pose signal; and

control the visual mark generator to generate the visual ground control point mark corresponding to the ground control point location.

9. The UAV of claim 8 wherein the control system is configured to control the propulsion system to control movement of the UAV so the ground control point mark is visible to an aerial imaging vehicle.

10. The UAV of claim 9 wherein the visual mark generator comprises:

a mark deposit system configured to deposit a visually detectable material to mark the ground control point location.

11. The UAV of claim 10 wherein the mark deposit system comprises:

a material dispenser that controllably dispenses a pigmented substance on a surface at the ground control point location.

12. The UAV of claim 9 wherein the visual mark generator comprises:

a dropping mechanism configured to drop a physical medium holding the ground control point mark at the ground control point location.

13. The UAV of claim 9 wherein the visual mark generator comprises:

a mark, fixedly attached to the UAV, on a surface that is visible to the aerial imaging vehicle, in a known relation to the ground control point location corresponding to the GNSS data.

14. The UAV of claim 13 wherein the control system is configured to detect an image signal indicating that an image is taken by the aerial imaging vehicle, and to control the UAV to remain at the ground control point location, positioned so the mark is visible to the aerial imaging vehicle, until the image signal is detected.

15. A method of establishing a set of ground control points at a worksite, the method comprising:

flying each of a plurality of different unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to a different respective ground control point in the set of ground control points;

controlling movement of each of the plurality of different UAVs to remain at the respective ground control point until an aerial imaging vehicle captures an aerial image that includes the respective UAV at the respective ground control point; and

collecting global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data with a GNSS receiver mounted on each of UAVs,

wherein the GNSS data collected by each GNSS receiver identifies the respective ground control point corresponding to a respective UAV, of the plurality of different UAVs, on which the GNSS receiver is mounted and is compensated based on a pose signal generated by one or more pose sensors on the respective UAV, the pose signal being indicative of a slope of terrain at the respective ground control point location.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein flying each of the plurality of different unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the different respective ground control points, comprises:

positioning each UAV so that a surface of the UAV, that includes a ground control point mark in a predetermined spatial relationship to the ground control point, is visible to the aerial imaging vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein collecting GNSS data comprises:

collecting the GNSS data while remaining at the respective ground control point until the aerial imaging vehicle captures the aerial image.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein flying each of the plurality of UAVs to the different ground control points comprises:

receiving a set of ground control point locations corresponding to the set of ground control points; and

loading a ground control point location into a navigation system of each of the plurality of UAVs.