Unmanned aircraft structure evaluation system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10037464-B2
Application number	US-201715803129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2017
Priority date	Jan 10, 2014
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed including a computer storage medium, comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors included in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), cause the UAV to perform operations, comprising: receiving, by the UAV, a flight plan configured to direct the UAV to fly a flight path having a plurality of waypoints adjacent to and above a structure and to capture sensor data of the structure from a camera on the UAV while the UAV is flying the flight path; adjusting an angle of an optical axis of the camera mounted to a gimbal to a predetermined angle within a range of 25 degrees to 75 degrees relative to a downward direction, and capturing sensor data of at least a portion of a roof of the structure with the optical axis of the camera aligned with at least one predetermined location on the structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors included in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), cause the UAV to perform operations, comprising:
receiving, by the UAV, a flight plan configured to direct the UAV to fly a flight path having a plurality of waypoints adjacent to and above a structure and to capture sensor data of the structure from a camera on the UAV while the UAV is flying the flying path;
adjusting an angle of an optical axis of the camera mounted to a gimbal to a predetermined angle within a range of 25 degrees to 75 degrees relative to a downward direction; and
capturing sensor data of at least a portion of a roof of the structure with the optical axis of the camera aligned with at least one predetermined location on the structure.

2. The computer storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined location on the structure is a roof surface and the optical axis of the camera is aligned orthogonal to the roof surface.

3. The computer storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the flight path includes a plurality of capture points adjacent to the structure such that the UAV captures sensor data of the structure at the plurality of capture points.

4. The computer storage medium of claim 3 , wherein a first one of the plurality of capture points is positioned to direct the UAV to capture sensor data of the structure from a first angle relative to the structure and a second one of the plurality of capture points is positioned to direct the UAV to capture sensor data of the structure from a second angle relative to the structure.

5. The computer storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the UAV is a multi-rotor aircraft.

6. 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, one or more images from an image database, the one or more images depicting a structure;
receiving a validation from the input unit indicating a validation of a location of the structure depicted in the one or more images;
generate unmanned aircraft information including flight path information configured to direct an unmanned aircraft to fly a flight path above the structure and capture sensor data from a camera on the unmanned aircraft while the unmanned aircraft is flying the flight path, wherein the camera is mounted to a gimbal and an optical axis of the camera is adjusted to align with at least one predetermined location on the structure prior to capture of the sensor data;
receive the sensor data from the unmanned aircraft; and
generate a structure report based at least in part on the sensor data.

7. The computerized system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one predetermined location on the structure is a roof surface and the optical axis of the camera is aligned orthogonal to the roof surface.

8. The computerized system of claim 6 , wherein the flight path information includes a plurality of capture points adjacent to the structure such that the unmanned aircraft captures sensor data of the structure at the plurality of capture points.

9. The computerized system of claim 8 , wherein a first one of the plurality of capture points is positioned to direct the unmanned aircraft to capture sensor data of the structure from a first angle relative to the structure and a second one of the plurality of capture points is positioned to direct the unmanned aircraft to capture sensor data of the structure from a second angle relative to the structure.

10. The computerized system of claim 6 , wherein the unmanned aircraft is a multi-rotor aircraft.

Assignees

• Pictometry Int Corp

Inventors

• Schultz Stephen L
• Monaco John

Classifications

• G01S19/39 Primary

  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 title

• G06V20/176

  Urban or other man-made structures · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title