Geographic survey system for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS)
Inventors
Fisher, Christopher Eugene • Mukherjee, Jason Sidharthadev • LOTT, WILLIAM ARDEN
Assignees
Publication Number
US-10534372-B2
Publication Date
2020-01-14
Expiration Date
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Abstract
A method of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation, including: receiving from a customer a first data request, the first data request having: a first geographic coverage area; and a refresh rate for the first geographic coverage area; planning a first plurality of flight missions to accomplish the first data request; uploading flight missions data representing the first plurality of flight missions into a UAV pod; and deploying the UAV pod.
Core Innovation
A method of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation includes receiving from a customer a first data request that comprises a first geographic coverage area and a refresh rate for the first geographic coverage area, planning a first plurality of flight missions to accomplish the first data request, uploading flight missions data representing the first plurality of flight missions into a UAV pod, and deploying the UAV pod. The system is described using a two-rotor VTOL UAV that is capable of efficient horizontal flight and that may be provided with flight mission data from the UAV pod, launched from the UAV pod to perform flight missions, and received on the UAV pod after completing flight missions so that flight survey data is received in the UAV pod.
The background describes that aerial geographic survey work for the agricultural and oil industries can reduce costs but that desired geographic coverage areas may exceed the operational capabilities of a UAV for any single flight and that geographic coverage areas may be located in remote areas making retrieval of the survey data more difficult between survey flights. The document states that a need continues to exist for extending the operational capabilities of UAVs and facilitating survey data retrieval in remote geographic areas.
The disclosure further describes embodiments in which the UAV pod stores a plurality of UAV flight mission information adequate to survey a geographic coverage area at a predetermined refresh rate, that the UAV pod and UAV may transmit survey data to a remote operational support center or provide detachable memory, and that the UAV may autonomously launch, perform missions, land, migrate between UAV pods or geographic survey areas, and provide survey data for subsequent data analysis provided to the customer.
Claims Coverage
This patent includes seven main inventive features extracted from three independent claims directed to methods and a system for planning, uploading, executing, migrating, and receiving survey data using a two-rotor UAV and associated processing.
Customer data request specifying geographic coverage and refresh rate
Receiving from a customer a first data request comprising a first geographic coverage area and a refresh rate for the first geographic coverage area.
Planning and uploading a plurality of flight missions
Planning a first plurality of flight missions to accomplish the first data request and uploading flight mission data representing the first plurality of flight missions into a two-rotor UAV or UAV pod.
Autonomous launch, survey, landing, and receipt of flight survey data
Providing the two-rotor UAV with flight mission data for a flight mission, launching the two-rotor UAV to perform the flight mission, landing the two-rotor UAV, and receiving flight survey data obtained from the flight mission from the two-rotor UAV.
Multiple autonomous missions without active human intervention
Providing subsequent flight mission data, autonomously launching the two-rotor UAV to perform the subsequent flight missions, landing after completion, and receiving subsequent flight survey data so that launching and landing happen autonomously and without active human intervention.
Autonomous migration between geographic survey areas
Uploading a first plurality of flight missions, deploying in a first geographic survey area, autonomously launching to perform the first plurality of flight missions, providing first survey data, autonomously migrating the two-rotor UAV from the first geographic survey area to a second geographic survey area, receiving a second plurality of flight missions in the second geographic survey area, autonomously launching in the second area, and providing a second survey data.
Processor configured to plan missions from customer request
A processor having addressable memory configured to receive a first data request from a customer comprising a first geographic coverage area and a refresh rate, and to plan a first plurality of flight missions to accomplish the first data request.
Processor transmission to and receipt from two-rotor UAV
The processor transmits flight mission data for one of the first plurality of flight missions to the two-rotor UAV and receives a first flight survey data from the one of the first plurality of flight missions from the two-rotor UAV.
The independent claims cover receiving customer geographic coverage and refresh rate requests, planning and uploading multiple flight missions into a two-rotor UAV or UAV pod, executing autonomous launch/survey/landing cycles with receipt of flight survey data, enabling multiple autonomous missions without active human intervention, autonomous migration between survey areas, and a processor/system configured to plan, transmit missions to, and receive survey data from the two-rotor UAV.
Stated Advantages
Improved remote geographic survey capabilities.
Extending the operational capabilities of UAVs to cover geographic areas that may exceed capabilities for a single flight.
Facilitating survey data retrieval in remote geographic areas.
Efficient long-range survey work that increases the range and/or duration of a particular flight.
Reduction in transmission bandwidth requirements that may translate into reduced data transmission costs and time via onboard or pod pre-processing.
A more robust UAV structure by reducing the opportunity for damage to control surfaces and potential for lighter construction and less complexity.
Documented Applications
Aerial geographic survey work for the agricultural industry.
Aerial geographic survey work for the oil industry.
Measuring roads, buildings, and fields and identifying agricultural progress.
Inspecting infrastructure and urban planning.
Search and rescue missions, including locating a lost person.
Providing local users with processed survey data on-site (e.g., informing areas that need additional watering).
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