US 10,019,002 B2 · Unmanned vehicle control and operation in a marine environment

Abstract

Many different types of systems are utilized or tasks are performed in a marine environment. The present invention provides various configurations of unmanned vehicles, or drones, that can be operated and/or controlled for such systems or tasks. One or more unmanned vehicles can be integrated with a dedicated marine electronic device of a marine vessel for autonomous control and operation. Additionally or alternatively, the unmanned vehicle can be manually remote operated during use in the marine environment. Such unmanned vehicles can be utilized in many different marine environment systems or tasks, including, for example, navigation, sonar, radar, search and rescue, video streaming, alert functionality, among many others. However, as contemplated by the present invention, the marine environment provides many unique challenges that may be accounted for with operation and control of an unmanned vehicle.

Claims55

Dependent claims

An unmanned vehicle for a marine environment, wherein the unmanned vehicle is controllable by a marine electronic device of a marine vessel, the unmanned vehicle comprising:

a location sensor configured to gather location data corresponding to the unmanned vehicle;
a propulsion system configured to propel the unmanned vehicle;
at least one operational component configured to gather operational data, wherein the operational component comprises at least one of a sensor configured to obtain sensor data or a camera configured to obtained camera data, wherein the at least one sensor is a sonar system configured to collect sonar data from an underwater environment;
a transmitter configured to transmit data to the marine electronic device;
a receiver configured to receive instructions from the marine electronic device;
a processor;
and
a memory including computer program product stored thereon, wherein the computer program product is configured, when executed by the processor, to:
determine location data indicative of a current location of the unmanned vehicle;
transmit the location data to the marine electronic device;
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device, wherein the control signal includes instructions to travel to a desired location based on a planned route or waypoint stored in memory of the marine electronic device;
cause the propulsion system to propel the unmanned vehicle to the desired location;
receive operational data from the at least one operational component, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of sensor data or camera data;
transmit the operational data to the marine electronic device;
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device with instructions to gather sonar data;
cause the sonar system to gather sonar data;
determine location data associated with the gathered sonar data;
and
transmit the gathered sonar data and the location data associated with the gathered sonar data to the marine electronic device for display of the sonar data on a screen of the marine electronic device and association of the location of the unmanned vehicle with the gathered sonar data.

16 more elements

A marine electronic device of a marine vessel configured for control of an unmanned vehicle, the marine electronic device comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit instructions to the unmanned vehicle;
a receiver configured to receive data from the unmanned vehicle;
a processor;
and
a memory including computer program product stored thereon, wherein the computer program product is configured, when executed by the processor, to:
receive location data from the unmanned vehicle;
determine, based on the received location data, the current location of the unmanned vehicle;
determine, based on a planned route or waypoint stored in the memory of the marine electronic device, a desired location for the unmanned vehicle;
transmit a control signal to the unmanned vehicle to instruct the unmanned vehicle to travel to the desired location, wherein the control signal causes the unmanned vehicle to travel to the desired location;
receive operational data from the unmanned vehicle, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of sensor data obtained by the unmanned vehicle or camera data obtained by the unmanned vehicle, wherein the at least one sensor is a sonar system configured to collect sonar data from an underwater environment;
transmit a control signal to the unmanned vehicle with instructions to gather sonar data;
receive the gathered sonar data;
receive location data associated with the gathered sonar data;
determine a location associated with the gathered sonar data;
store the gathered sonar data in association with the location in the memory;
and
cause display of an indication of the location associated with the gathered sonar data on a screen of the marine electronic device while causing display of the gathered sonar data.

14 more elements

A system for operating an unmanned vehicle in a marine environment, the system comprising:

an unmanned vehicle comprising:
a location sensor configured to gather location data corresponding to the unmanned vehicle;
a propulsion system configured to propel the unmanned vehicle;
at least one operational component configured to gather operational data, wherein the operational component comprises at least one of a sensor configured to obtain sensor data or a camera configured to obtained camera data;
a transmitter configured to transmit data to the marine electronic device;
a receiver configured to receive instructions from the marine electronic device;
an unmanned vehicle processor;
and
a memory including unmanned vehicle computer program product stored thereon;
and
a marine electronic device of a marine vessel configured for control of the unmanned vehicle, the marine electronic device comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit instructions to the unmanned vehicle;
a receiver configured to receive data from the unmanned vehicle;
a marine electronic device processor;
and
a memory including marine electronic device computer program product stored thereon;
wherein the unmanned vehicle computer program product is configured, when executed by the unmanned vehicle processor, to:
determine location data indicative of a current location of the unmanned vehicle;
transmit the location data to the marine electronic device;
receive operational data from the at least one operational component, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of sensor data or camera data;
and
transmit the operational data to the marine electronic device;
wherein the marine electronic device computer program product is configured, when executed by the marine electronic device processor, to:
receive location data from the unmanned vehicle;
determine, based on the received location data, the current location of the unmanned vehicle;
determine, based on a planned route or waypoint stored in the memory of the marine electronic device, a desired location for the unmanned vehicle;
transmit a control signal to the unmanned vehicle to instruct the unmanned vehicle to travel to the desired location, wherein the control signal causes the unmanned vehicle to travel to the desired location;
and
receive operational data from the unmanned vehicle, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of sensor data obtained by the unmanned vehicle or camera data obtained by the unmanned vehicle;
and
wherein the unmanned vehicle computer program product is further configured, when executed by the unmanned vehicle processor, to:
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device, wherein the control signal includes instructions to travel to a desired location based on a planned route or waypoint stored in memory of the marine electronic device;
and
cause the propulsion system to propel the unmanned vehicle to the desired location.

31 more elements

An unmanned vehicle for a marine environment, wherein the unmanned vehicle is controllable by a marine electronic device of a marine vessel, the unmanned vehicle comprising:

a location sensor configured to gather location data corresponding to the unmanned vehicle;
a propulsion system configured to propel the unmanned vehicle;
at least one operational component configured to gather operational data, wherein the operational component comprises at least one of a sensor configured to obtain sensor data or a camera configured to obtained camera data;
a transmitter configured to transmit data to the marine electronic device;
a receiver configured to receive instructions from the marine electronic device;
a processor;
and
a memory including computer program product stored thereon, wherein the computer program product is configured, when executed by the processor, to:
determine location data indicative of a current location of the unmanned vehicle;
transmit the location data to the marine electronic device;
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device, wherein the control signal includes instructions to travel to a desired location based on a planned route or waypoint stored in memory of the marine electronic device;
cause the propulsion system to propel the unmanned vehicle to the desired location;
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device with instructions to gather streaming video;
cause the camera to gather camera data in the form of streaming video;
transmit the gathered camera data to the marine electronic device for display of the streaming video on a screen of the marine electronic device;
receive a series of control signals from the marine electronic device, wherein each control signal includes instructions to travel to a new desired location such that the unmanned vehicle follows the marine vessel;
and
cause the propulsion system to cause the unmanned vehicle to travel according to the series of control signals such that the unmanned vehicle follows the marine vessel and the camera data captures streaming video of the marine vessel.

15 more elements

An unmanned vehicle for a marine environment, wherein the unmanned vehicle is controllable by a marine electronic device of a marine vessel, the unmanned vehicle comprising:

a location sensor configured to gather location data corresponding to the unmanned vehicle;
a propulsion system configured to propel the unmanned vehicle;
at least one operational component configured to gather operational data, wherein the operational component comprises at least one of a sensor configured to obtain sensor data or a camera configured to obtained camera data;
a transmitter configured to transmit data to the marine electronic device;
a receiver configured to receive instructions from the marine electronic device;
a processor;
and
a memory including computer program product stored thereon, wherein the computer program product is configured, when executed by the processor, to:
determine location data indicative of a current location of the unmanned vehicle;
transmit the location data to the marine electronic device;
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device with instructions to perform a search and rescue operation, wherein the control signal includes instructions to travel to a desired location based on a planned route or waypoint stored in memory of the marine electronic device;
cause the propulsion system to propel the unmanned vehicle to the desired location according to the search and rescue operation;
receive operational data from the at least one operational component, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of sensor data or camera data;
and
transmit the operational data to the marine electronic device.

12 more elements

A marine electronic device of a marine vessel configured for control of an unmanned vehicle, the marine electronic device comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit instructions to the unmanned vehicle;
a receiver configured to receive data from the unmanned vehicle;
a processor;
and
a memory including computer program product stored thereon, wherein the computer program product is configured, when executed by the processor, to:
receive location data from the unmanned vehicle;
determine, based on the received location data, the current location of the unmanned vehicle;
determine, based on a planned route or waypoint stored in the memory of the marine electronic device, a desired location for the unmanned vehicle;
transmit a control signal to the unmanned vehicle to instruct the unmanned vehicle to travel to the desired location and to perform a search and rescue operation, wherein the control signal causes the unmanned vehicle to travel to the desired location according to the search and rescue operation;
and
receive operational data from the unmanned vehicle, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of sensor data obtained by the unmanned vehicle or camera data obtained by the unmanned vehicle.

8 more elements

An unmanned vehicle for a marine environment, wherein the unmanned vehicle is controllable by a marine electronic device of a marine vessel, the unmanned vehicle comprising:

a location sensor configured to gather location data corresponding to the unmanned vehicle;
a propulsion system configured to propel the unmanned vehicle;
at least one operational component configured to gather operational data, wherein the operational component comprises at least one of a sensor configured to obtain sensor data or a camera configured to obtained camera data;
a transmitter configured to transmit data to the marine electronic device;
a receiver configured to receive instructions from the marine electronic device;
a processor;
and
a memory including computer program product stored thereon, wherein the computer program product is configured, when executed by the processor, to:
determine location data indicative of a current location of the unmanned vehicle;
transmit the location data to the marine electronic device;
receive a control signal from the marine electronic device, wherein the control signal includes instructions to travel to a desired location based on a planned route or waypoint stored in memory of the marine electronic device;
cause the propulsion system to propel the unmanned vehicle to the desired location;
receive operational data from the at least one operational component, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of sensor data or camera data;
transmit the operational data to the marine electronic device;
receive a landing control signal from the marine electronic device with instructions to land on the marine vessel while the marine vessel is travelling along a surface of a body of water, wherein the landing control signal includes a location of the marine vessel, a direction of travel of the marine vessel, and a speed of travel of the marine vessel;
and
cause the propulsion system to propel the unmanned vehicle, based on the location of the marine vessel, the speed of travel of the marine vessel, and the direction of travel of the marine vessel, to land on the marine vessel.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Unmanned vehicle control and operation in a marine environment

Life of this patent

Unmanned vehicle control and operation in a marine environment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims55