Aerial vehicle optical sensor configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018077350-A1
Application number	US-201615265793-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 14, 2016
Priority date	Sep 14, 2016
Publication date	Mar 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described is an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), that includes a plurality of sensors, such as stereo cameras, mounted along a perimeter frame of the aerial vehicle and arranged to generate a scene that surrounds the aerial vehicle. The sensors may be mounted in or on winglets of the perimeter frame. Each of the plurality of sensors has a field of view and the plurality of optical sensors are arranged and/or oriented such that their fields of view overlap with one another throughout a continuous space that surrounds the perimeter frame. The fields of view may also include a portion of the perimeter frame or space that is adjacent to the perimeter frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a perimeter frame having a front portion and a rear portion; a first optical sensor having a first field of view, the first optical sensor coupled at a first location to the front portion of the perimeter frame and having a first orientation; a second optical sensor having a second field of view, the second optical sensor coupled at a second location to the front portion of the perimeter frame and having a second orientation such that at least a first portion of the second field of view overlaps with at least a first portion of the first field of view; a third optical sensor having a third field of view, the third optical sensor coupled at a third location to the rear portion of the perimeter frame and having a third orientation such that at least a first portion of the third field of view overlaps with at least a second portion of the second field of view; a forth optical sensor having a fourth field of view, the fourth optical sensor coupled at a fourth location to the rear portion of the perimeter frame and having a fourth orientation such that:
at least a first portion of the fourth field of view overlaps with at least a second portion of the third field of view; and
at least a second portion of the fourth field of view overlaps with at least a second portion of the first field of view;
one or more processors; and
a memory including program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to at least process a signal from each of the first optical sensor, the second optical sensor, the third optical sensor, and the fourth optical sensor to generate a scene representative of a continuous space that horizontally surrounds the perimeter frame.

2 . The UAV of claim 1 , wherein:
the first optical sensor includes a first stereo camera; the second optical sensor includes a second stereo camera; the third optical sensor includes a third stereo camera; and the fourth optical sensor includes a fourth stereo camera.

3 . The UAV of claim 2 , wherein:
the first optical sensor has a first angle of view that is greater than 90 degrees, the second optical sensor has a second angle of view that is greater than 90 degrees, the third optical sensor has a third angle of view that is greater than 90 degrees, and the fourth optical sensor has a fourth angle of view that is greater than 90 degrees.

4 . The UAV of claim 2 , wherein the first stereo camera and the second stereo camera are positioned such that a first alignment of a first angle of view of a first optical sensor and a second alignment of a second angle of view of the third optical sensor are directed substantially opposite each other.

5 . An aerial vehicle, comprising:
a perimeter frame having a front portion and a rear portion; a first sensor having a first field of view, the first sensor coupled to the front portion; a second sensor having a second field of view, the second sensor coupled to the front portion; a third sensor having a third field of view, the third sensor coupled to the rear portion; a fourth sensor having a fourth field of view, the fourth sensor coupled to the rear portion; and wherein:
the fourth sensor is oriented such that an edge of the fourth field of view is substantially adjacent to a first structure that houses the first sensor;
the first sensor is oriented such that an edge of the first field of view is substantially adjacent to a second structure that houses the second sensor;
the second optical sensor is oriented such that an edge of the second field of view is substantially adjacent to a third structure that houses the third sensor; and
the third sensor is oriented such that an edge of the third field of view is substantially adjacent to a fourth structure that houses the fourth sensor.

6 . The aerial vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the first field of view and the third field of view do not overlap.

7 . The aerial vehicle of claim 5 , wherein:
a first portion of the first field of view and a first portion of the second field of view overlap outside the perimeter frame; a second portion of the second field of view and a first portion of the third field of view overlap outside the perimeter frame; a second portion of the third field of view and a first portion of the fourth field of view overlap outside the perimeter frame; and a second portion of the fourth field of view and a second portion of the first field of view overlap outside the perimeter frame.

8 . The aerial vehicle of claim 5 , wherein:
the first structure includes a first winglet; the second structure includes a second winglet; the third structure includes a third winglet; and the fourth structure includes a fourth winglet.

9 . The aerial vehicle of claim 8 , wherein:
the first sensor protrudes from an inner portion of the first winglet; the second sensor protrudes from an outer portion of the second winglet; the third sensor protrudes from an inner portion of the third winglet; and the fourth sensor protrudes from an outer portion of the fourth winglet.

10 . The UAV of claim 5 , further comprising a propulsion device configured to selectively move the UAV in a direction of travel, wherein the first sensor is positioned such that an alignment of a first angle of view extends in a direction that is offset from a horizontal direction of travel.

11 . The aerial vehicle of claim 5 , wherein:
the first sensor includes a first stereo camera; the second sensor includes a second stereo camera; the third sensor includes a third stereo camera; and the fourth sensor includes a fourth stereo camera.

12 . The aerial vehicle of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first stereo camera, the second stereo camera, the third stereo camera, or the fourth stereo camera includes a first imaging element and a second imaging element that are vertically offset from one another.

13 . The aerial vehicle of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first stereo camera, the second stereo camera, the third stereo camera, or the fourth stereo cameras includes a first imaging element and a second imaging element that are horizontally offset from one another.

14 . The UAV of claim 5 , wherein:
the perimeter frame has a first side with a first outer surface and a second side having a second outer surface; at least a portion of an edge of the first field of view overlaps with the first outer surface of the first side of the perimeter frame; at least a portion of the edge of the second field of view overlaps with the second outer surface of the first side of the perimeter frame; and the first and second sides are opposite one another.

15 . The aerial vehicle of claim 5 , wherein a first location of the first sensor and a second location of the second sensor are on a lower portion of the perimeter frame, and a third location of the third sensor and a fourth location of the fourth sensor are on an upper portion of the perimeter frame.

16 . The aerial vehicle of claim 5 , wherein:
the first sensor is configured to provide a first signal; the second sensor is configured to provide a second signal, the third sensor is configured to provide a third signal; the fourth sensor is configured to provide a fourth signal; and a combination of the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal is representative of at least a continuous space that horizontally surrounds the perimeter frame.

17 . The aerial vehicle of claim 5 , further comprisi

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Grenier Taylor David
• Legrand Iii Louis Leroi
• O'Brien Barry James
• Watson Joshua John
• Welsh Ricky Dean

Classifications

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N13/239 Primary

  using two two-dimensional [2D] image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance (H04N13/243 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• H04N2213/001

  Constructional or mechanical details · CPC title

• B64C29/0025

  the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage · CPC title