System to control camera triggering and visualize aerial imaging missions

• US 9,751,639 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Field of View LLC
• Original Assignee: Field of View LLC
• Inventors: Dvorak, David Robert, Hajicek, Daniel Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Aghevli, Reza
• Application Number:
  US14/558,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial

Abstract

A camera triggering and aerial imaging mission visualization system. More specifically, a system that controls camera triggering, manages data from a positioning system and an attitude measuring device, and provides real-time image coverage and mission visualization in manned and unmanned aerial imaging applications. The system includes a control and data management device that interfaces with at least one camera; one or more positioning systems; one or more attitude measuring devices; one or more data transmission devices; and a mission visualization system. The aerial imaging system may be interfaced with a variety of commercial, off-the-shelf or custom cameras for use in aerial imaging on manned and unmanned aircrafts, and may also be used on other types of vehicles or for other applications.

Claims

1. A camera attachment for aerial imaging mission visualization comprising:

a first non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium;

a second non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium;

a control and data management device;

a positioning system;

a mission visualization system;

an attitude measuring device interfaced with the control and data management device;

wherein the attitude measuring device is an inertial measurement unit;

wherein the attitude measuring device is rigidly mounted relative to the at least one camera;

wherein the camera attachment is enabled to interface with at least one camera;

wherein the control and data management device includes a controller, a data storage device, a camera interface, a positioning system interface, and a first software program, embodied in the first non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium, that is enabled to trigger the at least one camera, collect geographic position data from the positioning system, associate the geographic position data with a captured image, and store the geographic position data and the image-associated geographic position data on the data storage device;

wherein the first software program is further enabled to trigger the at least one camera based on at least one of a time interval, a distance interval, a waypoint arrival, an overlap interval, and a signal received from an external trigger source;

wherein the first software program is further enabled to collect attitude data from the attitude measuring device, associate the attitude data with the captured image, and store the attitude data and the image-associated attitude data on the data storage device;

wherein the positioning system and the attitude measuring device are enabled to combine and filter the geographic position data and the attitude data before the geographic position data and the attitude data enter the positioning system interface and the attitude measuring device interface on the control and data management device;

wherein the mission visualization system includes a second software program, embodied in the second non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium, that is enabled to perform direct georeferencing calculations for the captured image using the image-associated geographic position data and further enabled to display a visualization of the geographic position data, the image-associated geographic position data, and results from the direct georeferencing calculations on a screen;

wherein the second software program is also enabled to perform the direct georeferencing calculations for the captured image using the image-associated attitude data, and further enabled to display a visualization of the attitude data, the image-associated attitude data, and the results from the direct georeferencing calculations on the screen;

wherein the second software program is enabled to display a visualization of at least one of an image footprint, the captured image, or a processed image;

wherein the camera attachment further comprises at least one of;

a digital elevation model stored onboard the data storage device, and

an altimeter interfaced with the control and data management device.

2. The camera attachment of claim 1, wherein the second software program is enabled to display the visualization of the geographic position data, the attitude data, the image-associated geographic position data, the image-associated attitude data, and the results from the direct georeferencing calculations on the screen in real-time throughout the mission.

3. The camera attachment of claim 1, wherein the first software program is enabled to retrieve the captured image from the at least one camera and store the captured image on the data storage device.

4. The camera attachment of claim 3, further comprising at least one data transmission device that is enabled to transfer at least one of the captured image, the geographic position data and the image-associated geographic position data from the control and data management device to the mission visualization system.

5. The camera attachment of claim 1, wherein the positioning system is a satellite-based positioning system.

6. The camera attachment of claim 1, wherein the second software program is enabled to display the visualization of at least one of the image footprint, the captured image, the processed image, or the georeferenced image in real-time throughout the mission.

7. The camera attachment of claim 1, wherein the second software program is enabled to display the visualization of the geographic position data, the image-associated geographic position data, and the results from the direct georeferencing calculations on a screen in real-time throughout the mission.