Method and system for generating a map for a flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11493940-B2
Application number	US-202016865778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2020
Priority date	Feb 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 8, 2022
Grant date	Nov 8, 2022

Abstract

A method and a system for establishing a route of an unmanned aerial vehicle are provided. The method includes identifying an object from surface scanning data and shaping a space, which facilitates autonomous flight, as a layer, collecting surface image data for a flight path from the shaped layer, and analyzing a change in image resolution according to a distance from the object through the collected surface image data and extracting an altitude value on a flight route.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for generating a map for a flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
identifying an object from surface scanning data;
shaping a space which facilitates autonomous flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, as a layer; and
establishing an autonomous navigation map for the autonomous flight on the space by matching at least one of flight altitude restriction data, a detailed digital map, and route information for avoiding a military protection zone or a no-fly zone to the layer shaped on the space,
wherein the step of shaping the space further comprises the steps of:
obtaining a point cloud associated with the object from the surface scanning data;
identifying the object by analyzing the point cloud;
extracting height values of specific points of the object; and
shaping an area and altitude, which facilitates autonomous flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, as the layer on the space by connecting the extracted height values of the specific points of the object.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
shaping the autonomous navigation map as a space map applicable to the unmanned aerial vehicle by synchronizing the autonomous navigation map with the unmanned aerial vehicle in accordance with safety standards preset based on information of a GPS or location coordinate correction device.

3. The method of claim 2 , the shaping the space as the layer comprises:
matching a GPS coordinate to the autonomous navigation map;
processing an altitude value of an image from the autonomous navigation map; and
correcting, based on the processed altitude value, an altitude value measured by a sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface scanning data is obtained by
a surface scanning device of an aircraft for capturing a surface of an earth, and
wherein
the extracting comprises extracting the height values using terrain altitude data.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the obtaining comprises
obtaining the point cloud onto which a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) pulse is projected via a LiDAR device of the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1 , the shaping the space as the layer comprises:
generating a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) layers on the space.

7. A system for generating a map for a flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the system comprising:
a layer shaping unit configured to identify an object from surface scanning data and to shape a space which facilitates autonomous flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, as a layer; and
an autonomous navigation map unit configured to establish an autonomous navigation map for the autonomous flight on the space by matching at least one of flight altitude restriction data, a detailed digital map, and route information for avoiding a military protection zone or a no-fly zone to the layer shaped on the space,
wherein the layer shaping unit comprises:
a collection unit configured to obtain a point cloud associated with the object from the surface scanning data;
an identification unit configured to identify the object by analyzing the point cloud;
an extraction unit configured to extract height values of specific points of the object; and
a layer unit configured to shape an area and altitude, which facilitates autonomous flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, as the layer on the space by connecting the extracted height values of the specific points of the object.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a space map unit configured to shape the autonomous navigation map as a space map applicable to the unmanned aerial vehicle by synchronizing the autonomous navigation map with the unmanned aerial vehicle in accordance with safety standards preset based on information of a GPS or location coordinate correction device.

9. The system of claim 7 ,
wherein the surface scanning data is obtained by a surface scanning device of an aircraft for capturing a surface of an earth, and
wherein the extraction unit is configured to extract the height values using terrain altitude data.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the collection unit obtains the point cloud onto which a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) pulse is projected via a LiDAR device of the aircraft.

11. The method of claim 7 , the layer shaping unit generates a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) layers on the space.

12. The method of claim 8 , the shaping the space map unit matches a GPS coordinate to the autonomous navigation map, processes an altitude value of an image from the autonomous navigation map, and corrects, based on the processed altitude value, an altitude value measured by a sensor.

13. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
setting, based on the layer, a layer which has a constant altitude value from a surface of an earth at which the unmanned aerial vehicle flies based on a mission associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
setting a route of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the set layer,
wherein the establishing comprises establishing an autonomous navigation map including the set layer and the route, and
wherein the route includes at least two way points including a location of a ground object which exists on the surface of the earth on the route.

14. The method of claim 13 , the method further comprising:
establishing an autonomous navigation map for each mission based on identification information of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the way points is a point at which the unmanned aerial vehicle performs a mission assigned thereto.

Assignees

• Thinkware Corp
• Thinware Corp

Inventors

• Ham Young-Kuk
• Han Tae Kyu

Classifications

• 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

• G01S17/86 Primary

  Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders · CPC title

• G01S17/933

  of aircraft or spacecraft · CPC title

• G01C5/005

  altimeters for aircraft (G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence) · CPC title