Unmanned vehicle control and operation in a marine environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10019002-B2
Application number	US-201615292704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2016
Priority date	Oct 13, 2016
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

Many different types of systems are utilized or tasks are performed in a marine environment. The present invention provides various configurations of unmanned vehicles, or drones, that can be operated and/or controlled for such systems or tasks. One or more unmanned vehicles can be integrated with a dedicated marine electronic device of a marine vessel for autonomous control and operation. Additionally or alternatively, the unmanned vehicle can be manually remote operated during use in the marine environment. Such unmanned vehicles can be utilized in many different marine environment systems or tasks, including, for example, navigation, sonar, radar, search and rescue, video streaming, alert functionality, among many others. However, as contemplated by the present invention, the marine environment provides many unique challenges that may be accounted for with operation and control of an unmanned vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An unmanned vehicle for a marine environment, wherein the unmanned vehicle is controllable by a marine electronic device of a marine vessel, the unmanned vehicle comprising:
a location sensor configured to gather location data corresponding to the unmanned vehicle;
a propulsion system configured to propel the unmanned vehicle;
at least one operational component configured to gather operational data, wherein the operational component comprises at least one of a sensor configured to obtain sensor data or a camera configured to obtained camera data, wherein the at least one sensor is a sonar system configured to collect sonar data from an underwater environment;
a transmitter configured to transmit data to the marine electronic device;
a receiver configured to receive instructions from the marine electronic device;
a processor; and
a memory including computer program product stored thereon, wherein the computer program product is configured, when executed by the processor, to:
determine location data indicative of a current location of the unmanned vehicle;
transmit the location data to the marine electronic device;
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device, wherein the control signal includes instructions to travel to a desired location based on a planned route or waypoint stored in memory of the marine electronic device;
cause the propulsion system to propel the unmanned vehicle to the desired location;
receive operational data from the at least one operational component, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of sensor data or camera data;
transmit the operational data to the marine electronic device;
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device with instructions to gather sonar data;
cause the sonar system to gather sonar data;
determine location data associated with the gathered sonar data; and
transmit the gathered sonar data and the location data associated with the gathered sonar data to the marine electronic device for display of the sonar data on a screen of the marine electronic device and association of the location of the unmanned vehicle with the gathered sonar data.

2. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to receive a series of control signals from the marine electronic device, wherein each control signal includes instructions to travel to a new desired location so as to cause the unmanned vehicle to autonomously follow the planned route stored in the memory of the marine electronic device.

3. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
determine a location corresponding to one of a current location or a future location of the marine vessel; and
cause the propulsion system to cause the unmanned vehicle to travel to the location corresponding to the one of the current location or the future location of the marine vessel such that the unmanned vehicle returns to the marine vessel.

4. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to cause the propulsion system to land the unmanned vehicle on a surface of a body of water such that at least a portion of the sonar system is submerged so as to gather sonar data from the underwater environment.

5. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the sonar system is deployable, and wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
cause the propulsion system to cause the unmanned vehicle to hover at a hover position above a surface of a body of water; and
cause the sonar system to deploy from the hover position to beneath the surface of the body of water such that at least a portion of the sonar system is submerged so as to gather sonar data from the underwater environment.

6. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device with instructions to gather streaming video;
cause the camera to gather camera data in the form of streaming video;
determine location data associated with the gathered camera data; and
transmit the gathered camera data and the location data associated with the gathered camera data to the marine electronic device for display of the streaming video on a screen of the marine electronic device and association of the location of the unmanned vehicle with the gathered camera data.

7. The unmanned vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
receive a series of control signals from the marine electronic device, wherein each control signal includes instructions to travel to a new desired location such that the unmanned vehicle follows the marine vessel; and
cause the propulsion system to cause the unmanned vehicle to travel according to the series of control signals such that the unmanned vehicle follows the marine vessel and the camera data captures streaming video of the marine vessel.

8. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is a wind sensor configured to gather wind data including at least wind speed and wind direction, wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device with instructions to gather wind data;
cause the wind sensor to gather wind data;
determine location data associated with the gathered wind data; and
transmit the gathered wind data and the location data associated with the gathered wind data to the marine electronic device for association of the location of the unmanned vehicle with the gathered wind data.

9. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device with instructions to perform a search and rescue operation; and
cause the propulsion system to cause the unmanned vehicle to travel according to the search and rescue operation.

10. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9 further comprising deployable equipment, wherein the deployable equipment includes at least one of a float device, a rope, or a radio device, and wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
cause the propulsion system to cause the unmanned vehicle to hover at a hover position above a surface of a body of water at a location corresponding to a person in the water; and
cause deployment of the deployable equipment from the hover position to the surface of the body of water such that the person in the water has access to the deployable equipment.

11. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9 further comprising at least one light, and wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by the processor, to:
cause the propulsion system to cause the unmanned vehicle to hover at a hover position above a surface of a body of water at a location corresponding to a person in the water; and
cause emission of light at the location corresponding to the person in the water such that the light covers the person and visually marks the location of the person in the water.

12. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least an infrared sensor configured to gather infrared data, and wherein the computer program product is further configured, when executed by t

Assignees

• Navico Holding As

Inventors

• Harnett Mark N
• Morrish Geoffrey
• Butterworth Paul
• Davis Alan Peter
• Isaacson Thomas E H
• Hawkins Jake
• Griffith Mark
• Simons David M

Classifications

• G01S15/88

  Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications (seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00) · CPC title

• B64F1/007

  Helicopter portable landing pads · CPC title

• B63B49/00

  Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids (nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) · CPC title

• G01S13/88

  Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications (electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00) · CPC title

• G01S15/8902

  Side-looking sonar · CPC title