# US 10,481,604 B2 · High accuracy remote coordinate machine

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- Number: US 10,481,604 B2
- Document ID: US10481604B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/387,734
- Filed: 2019-04-18
- Published: 2019-08-08
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-24
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Inventors: Pablo Carrasco Zanini; Fadl Abdellatif
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481604B2

## CPC

- G01F 17/00: Methods or apparatus for determining the capacity of containers or cavities, or the volume of solid bodies (measuring linear dimensions to determine volume G01B)
- G05D 1/0094: {involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target}
- G01S 7/4808: {Evaluating distance, position or velocity data}
- G01S 7/497: Means for monitoring or calibrating
- G01S 17/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46)
- G01S 17/66: Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
- G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- G05D 1/678: for tethered vehicles (positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672)
- G05D 1/689: Pointing payloads towards fixed or moving targets (positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672)
- B64U 2201/10: autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
- G05D 2105/89: {for inspecting structures, e.g. wind mills, bridges, buildings or vehicles}
- G05D 2107/70: Industrial sites, e.g. warehouses or factories
- G05D 2109/254: {Flying platforms, e.g. multicopters}
- G05D 2111/17: {Coherent light, e.g. laser signals}
- G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR

## Abstract

A method of calibrating a structure is provided. The method includes securing a first end of a tether to a device at a fixed location on an external surface of the structure, attaching an unmanned aerial vehicle to the second end of the tether, moving the unmanned aerial vehicle in a trajectory around the structure while tethered to the fixed device, scanning the external surface of the structure over a course of the trajectory using the unmanned aerial vehicle to obtain a mapping of the external surface of the structure, determining a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle with respect to the fixed device; and calibrating the structure based on i) the determined position of the unmanned aerial vehicle with respect to the fixed device, and ii) the mapping of external surface of the structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of calibrating a structure comprising:
securing a first end of a tether to a device at a fixed location on an external surface of the structure;
attaching an unmanned aerial vehicle to the second end of the tether;
moving the unmanned aerial vehicle in a trajectory around the structure while the tether is extended and in tension;
scanning the external surface of the structure over a course of the trajectory using the unmanned aerial vehicle to obtain a mapping of the external surface of the structure;
determining a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle with respect to the fixed device; and
calibrating the structure, by using a control unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle, based on i) the determined position of the unmanned aerial vehicle with respect to the fixed device, and ii) the mapping of external surface of the structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the trajectory is a circular path around the structure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed device includes a tether spool having an angular encoder, and a strain sensor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle includes a laser scanning device that creates a point cloud of the external surface of the structure during scanning.

### Claim 5

A system for calibrating a structure comprising:
a device located at a fixed location on an external surface of the structure;
a tether having first and second ends and secured at the first end to the fixed device; and
an unmanned aerial vehicle attached to the second end of the tether, the unmanned aerial vehicle including a scanning device,
wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is operative to move in a trajectory around the structure while tethered in tension to the fixed device and to scan the external surface of the structure over a course of the trajectory to obtain a mapping of the external surface of the structure,
and wherein the structure is calibrated, using a control unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle, based on i) a known position of the unmanned aerial vehicle with respect to the fixed device, and ii) the mapping of external surface of the structure.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the scanning device of the unmanned aerial vehicle is a LiDAR device.