Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) in forestry machine-connectivity applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814976-B2
Application number	US-201715812423-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A method includes controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to collect and forward information pertaining to a forestry worksite area. The UAV is controlled to fly to a first location and capture image information at the first location. The UAV is also controlled to fly to a second location, establish a communication connection between the UAV and a communication system at the second location, and send the captured image information to the communication system via the established connection. In another example, the UAV uploads (e.g., sends) the data to a communication system (e.g., computing device operated by an operator), and the uploaded data is further sent to a remote computing system (e.g., a forestry analysis system).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
determining a characteristic of a connectivity between a mobile machine at a first geographic location at a forestry worksite and a communication system at a second geographic location at the forestry worksite;
controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to fly to the first geographic location at the forestry worksite based on the determined characteristic of the connectivity between the identified mobile machine at the first geographic location at the forestry worksite and the communication system at the second geographic location at the forestry worksite;
controlling an image capture component in the UAV to capture image information at the first geographic location;
controlling the UAV to fly to the second geographic location;
controlling the UAV to establish a first communication connection with the communication system at the second geographic location; and
controlling the UAV to send the image information to a remote computing system, over the first communication connection, using the communication system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 and further comprising:
identifying the mobile machine at the first geographic location with a unique machine identifier.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 and further comprising:
controlling the UAV to establish a second communication connection with the identified mobile machine at the first geographic location.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 and further comprising:
controlling the UAV to obtain machine data from the identified mobile machine.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 and further comprising:
controlling the UAV to send the machine data to the remote computing system, over the first communication connection, using the communication system.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein controlling the UAV to obtain machine data comprises:
controlling the UAV to obtain machine sensor data generated by sensors on the identified machine.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein controlling the UAV to establish the second communication connection comprises:
controlling the UAV to fly to within a connection range of the identified machine to establish the second communication connection.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein controlling the UAV to establish the second communication connection comprises:
controlling the UAV to establish a WiFi connection with the identified mobile machine.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein controlling the UAV to establish the second communication connection comprises:
controlling the UAV to establish a near field communication connection with the identified mobile machine.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the communication system comprises a satellite communication system and wherein controlling the UAV to send the image information to a remote computing system comprises:
initiating a satellite communication using the satellite communication system.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 and further comprising:
identifying a plurality of different mobile machines at a plurality of different geographic locations in the forestry worksite; and
controlling the UAV to fly to each of the different geographic locations and to establish a second communication connection with each of the identified mobile machines.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 and further comprising:
controlling the UAV to obtain machine data from each of the identified mobile machines.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 and further comprising:
controlling the UAV to establish the first communication connection with the communication system at the second geographic location; and
controlling the UAV to send the machine data obtained from each of the plurality of mobile machines to the remote computing system, over the communication connection, using the communication system.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the characteristic of the connectivity between the mobile machine located at the first geographic location at the forestry worksite and the communication system located at the second geographic location at the forestry worksite comprises:
determining whether the first mobile machine at the first geographic location is communicatively connected to the communication system at the second geographic location.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving a request originating from a remote computing system to obtain machine data from an identified mobile machine at a first geographic location;
determining a connectivity between the identified mobile machine and a communication station at a second geographic location;
generating a flight path to the identified mobile machine and controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to follow the flight path to the identified mobile machine, based on the determined connectivity between the identified mobile machine and the communication station;
controlling the UAV to establish a first communication connection with the identified mobile machine at the first geographic location;
controlling the UAV to obtain the machine data from the identified mobile machine over the first communication connection;
controlling the UAV to fly to the second geographic location;
controlling the UAV to establish a second communication connection with the communication system at the second geographic location; and
controlling the UAV to send the machine data to the remote computing system, over the second communication connection, using the communication system.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 and further comprising:
controlling an image capture component in the UAV to capture image information at the first geographic location; and
controlling the UAV to send the image information to the remote computing system, over the second communication connection, using the communication system.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 wherein the communication system comprises a satellite communication system and wherein controlling the UAV to send the machine data to a remote computing system comprises:
initiating a satellite communication using the satellite communication system.

18. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a propulsion system;
a UAV control signal generator controlling the propulsion system to fly the UAV to a first geographic location at a forestry worksite at which a mobile machine is located, the first geographic location comprising a location at which communication between the mobile machine and a remote computing system, located at a second geographic location, is impeded;
a mobile machine connectivity component that establishes a first communication connection with the mobile machine at the first geographic location and to obtain machine-specific data from the mobile machine over the first communication connection, the UAV control signal generator controlling the propulsion system to fly to the second geographic location; and
a communication component that establishes a second communication connection with the remote communication system at the second geographic location and that sends the machine data to a remote computing system, over the second communication connection, using the remote communication system.

19. The UAV of claim 18 and further comprising:
an image capture component configured to capture imag

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Flood Matthew J
• Cherney Mark J
• Kahler Andrew W
• Lawler Richard

Classifications

• A01G23/00 Primary

  Forestry · CPC title

• G06V20/17

  taken from planes or by drones · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• G06V10/25

  Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI] · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title