Unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11019270-B2
Application number	US-201616304175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2016
Priority date	Jun 24, 2016
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle is described having a support frame, a sensor arrangement consisting of a sensor array including at least one sensor, the sensor array having a limited detection field of up to approximately 90 degrees. The at least one sensor is fixedly mounted to the support frame. The at least one sensor is arranged in a flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a holding structure having a camera holder. The holding structure is mounted to the support frame. The holding structure is configured to provide a continuous 360 degree movement of the camera holder. The unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a first circuit configured to receive sensor data from the at least one sensor. The first circuit is further configured to determine obstacle avoidance data based on the sensor data. The unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a second circuit configured to receive image data from a camera mounted in the camera holder. The second circuit is further configured to determine holding structure control data to control movement of the holding structure based on the image data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
a support frame;
a sensor arrangement consisting of a sensor array comprising at least one sensor, the sensor array having a limited detection field of up to approximately 90 degrees, wherein the at least one sensor is fixedly mounted to the support frame, wherein the at least one sensor is arranged in a flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
a holding structure having a camera holder, the holding structure mounted to the support frame, wherein the holding structure is configured to provide a continuous 360 degree movement of the camera holder;
a first circuit configured to receive sensor data from the at least one sensor, wherein the first circuit is further configured to determine obstacle avoidance data based on the sensor data; and
a second circuit configured to receive image data from a camera mounted in the camera holder, wherein the second circuit is further configured to determine camera holder control data to control movement of the camera holder based on the image data.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the holding structure comprises a camera gimbal, wherein the camera gimbal is mounted to the support frame, wherein the camera gimbal comprises the camera holder and wherein the gimbal is configured to provide a continuous 360 degree movement of the camera holder and wherein the camera holder control data are camera gimbal control data.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the sensor array comprises a plurality of sensors, wherein the entirety of sensors in the sensor array only covers a limited detection field of about (±) 30 or about (±) 45 degrees from the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the gimbal is a two axis gimbal.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the gimbal is a three axis gimbal.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured as a rotorcraft unmanned aerial vehicle.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor array comprises exactly one sensor.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7 ,
wherein the one sensor is configured to retrieve a distance from the unmanned aerial vehicle to an obstacle.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7 ,
wherein the one sensor is fixedly mounted such that a main axis of a detection angle is a flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor array has a detection field of about 60 degrees to about 90 degrees.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor array comprises a plurality of sensors, wherein the entirety of sensors in the sensor array only covers a limited detection field of about (±) 30 or about (±) 45 degrees from the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising
a camera that is mounted in the camera holder.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12 ,
wherein the camera is a tracking camera.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 13 ,
wherein the camera movement of the tracking camera is independent from the obstacle avoidance data.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12 ,
wherein the camera is completely independent from the sensor array.

16. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power interface to supply power to a camera mounted in the camera holder.

17. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the holding structure is configured to provide a multiple of the continuous 360 degree movement.

18. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
an integrated landing gear wherein the landing gear may be retractable enabling an unobstructed view for a camera in the continuous 360 degree movement of the camera holder.

19. An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
a support frame;
an optical sensor arrangement consisting of an optical sensor array comprising at least one optical sensor, the optical sensor array having a limited detection field of up to approximately 90 degrees, wherein the at least one optical sensor is fixedly mounted to the support frame,
wherein the at least one optical sensor is arranged in a flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
a holding structure having a camera holder, the holding structure mounted to the support frame, wherein the holding structure is configured to provide a continuous 360 degree movement of the camera holder;
a first circuit configured to receive optical sensor data from the at least one optical sensor, wherein the first circuit is further configured to determine obstacle avoidance data based on the optical sensor data; and
a second circuit configured to receive image data from a camera mounted in the camera holder, wherein the second circuit is further configured to determine camera holder control data to control movement of the camera holder based on the image data.

20. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 19 ,
wherein the first circuit is further configured to determine obstacle avoidance data based on the optical and non-optical sensor data.

Assignees

• Intel Ip Corp

Inventors

• Achtelik Markus
• Stumpf Jan
• Gurdan Daniel

Classifications

• H04N23/695 Primary

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · 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

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• B64U20/87

  Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals · CPC title