# US 10,872,534 B2 · Aerial vehicle inspection path planning > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,872,534 B2 - Document ID: US10872534B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/800,898 - Filed: 2017-11-01 - Published: 2019-05-02 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-01 - Assignees: Kespry Inc. - Applicants: Kespry, Inc. - Inventors: Robert Parker Clark - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872534B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0094: {involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target} - B64U 10/14: with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters - B64U 30/20: Rotors; Rotor supports - B64U 50/19: using electrically powered motors - G06T 17/05: Geographic models - G06V 20/176: {Urban or other man-made structures} - G08G 5/32: for flight plan preparation - G08G 5/34: for flight plan modification - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft - G08G 5/74: for monitoring terrain - B64U 10/10: Rotorcrafts - B64U 2101/26: for manufacturing, inspections or repairs - B64U 2101/32: for cartography or topography - B64U 2201/10: autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] - B64U 2201/20: Remote controls - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract Structure inspections are performed with a high resolution by first performing a modeling flight path at a relatively high altitude over the structure. Images are gathered during the modeling flight path and are used to generate a three dimensional model of the structure. From the three dimensional model a lower altitude closer inspection flight path is defined and executed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of gathering data with a single unmanned aerial vehicle comprising: executing first travel instructions with the single unmanned aerial vehicle to perform a first flight path of a first serpentine shape over a pre-defined geographic area containing at least one feature of interest, wherein at least a portion of the first flight path is at a first altitude; acquiring images of the at least one feature of interest with the single unmanned aerial vehicle while performing the first flight path; while the single unmanned aerial vehicle is in flight, creating a three dimensional model of the at least one feature of interest based on the images acquired by the single unmanned aerial vehicle while performing the first flight path; based at least in part on the three dimensional model, generating second travel instructions that define a second flight path of a second serpentine shape over at least a portion of the pre-defined geographic area by: determining heights of the at least one feature of interest in at least the portion of the pre-defined geographic area based on the three dimensional model; and determining respective second altitudes of the second flight path over at least the portion of the pre-defined geographic area, wherein at points along the second flight path, the respective second altitudes are lower than the first altitude and are higher than the heights of the at least one feature of interest; executing the second travel instructions with the single unmanned aerial vehicle to perform the second flight path; and acquiring additional images of the at least one feature of interest while performing the second flight path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one feature of interest is a residential or commercial building. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined area is a polygon. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold altitude is 50 feet above a highest point of the at least one feature of interest. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the three dimensional model is created proximate to the at least one feature of interest. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second travel instructions are created proximate to the at least one feature of interest. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined area is pre-defined on a touchscreen of a handheld device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second flight path is contiguous with the first flight path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first flight path and the second flight path are both completed without landing the single unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the second flight path is below a highest point of the at least one feature of interest. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the single unmanned aerial vehicle is proximate to the at least one feature of interest for a continuous time period from prior to performing the first flight path to after performing the second flight path. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: based at least in part on the three dimensional model, identifying a plurality of polygons representative of the at least one feature of interest, wherein the single unmanned aerial vehicle is instructed to perform the second flight path of the second serpentine shape over a first portion of the pre-defined geographic area associated with a first polygon of the plurality of polygons; based at least in part on the three dimensional model, generating third travel instructions that define a third flight path of a third serpentine shape over a second portion of the pre-defined geographic area associated with a second polygon of the plurality of polygons, wherein at least a portion of the third flight path is at a lower altitude than the first altitude; and executing the third travel instructions with the single unmanned aerial vehicle to perform the third flight path. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second travel instructions are constrained by a pre-defined three dimensional shape associated with the at least one feature of interest. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second travel instructions define the second flight path along faces of the three dimensional shape. ### Claim 15 A system for gathering data regarding at least one feature of interest, the system comprising: a single unmanned aerial vehicle comprising an image acquisition device, one or more processors, memory circuitry, and one or more wireless transceivers; a base station comprising one or more processors, memory circuitry, and one or more wireless transceivers for communicating wirelessly to the single unmanned aerial vehicle during flight; a computing device comprising one or more processors, memory, and a user interface configured to receive input from a user of the system to define a two dimensional geographic area containing the at least one feature of interest for unmanned aerial vehicle operation; image processing software resident in the memory of one or more of the single unmanned aerial vehicle, base station, and computing device configured to receive images acquired during unmanned aerial vehicle operation and to generate a three dimensional model of the at least one feature of interest based on the images acquired as the single unmanned aerial vehicle performs a first flight path; travel instruction generation software resident in the memory of one or more of the single unmanned aerial vehicle, base station, and computing device configured to generate first travel instructions defining the first flight path of a first serpentine shape over the defined two dimensional area and to generate second travel instructions defining a second flight path of a second serpentine shape over at least a portion of the defined two dimensional area based at least in part on the generated three dimensional model, wherein the image acquisition device is configured to acquire additional images of the at least one feature of interest as the single unmanned aerial vehicle performs the second flight path, wherein generating the second travel instructions comprises: determining heights of the at least one feature of interest in at least the portion of the two dimensional area based on the three dimensional model; and determining respective second altitudes of the second flight path over at least the portion of the two dimensional area, wherein at points along the second flight path, the respective second altitudes are lower than the first altitude and are higher than the heights of the at least one feature of interest. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the single unmanned aerial vehicle, base station, and computing device are all proximate to the at least one feature of interest during operation of the single unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the image processing software is resident in the memory of the base station. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein at least some of the travel instruction generation software is resident in the memory of the computing device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the image processing software is distributed between two or more of the base station, the computing device, and the single unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the travel instruction generation software is distributed between two or more of the base station, the computing device, and the single unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 21 A method of inspecting a feature of interest with a single unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising: defining a two dimensional geographic area containing the feature of interest; defining a modeling flight path of a first serpentine shape within the defined geographic area, wherein the modeling flight path lies above the feature of interest at a first altitude; performing the defined modeling flight path with the single unmanned aerial vehicle and acquiring images of the feature of interest while performing the defined modeling flight path; responsive to the completion of the modeling flight path, creating a three dimensional model of the feature of interest based on the acquired images from the modeling flight path performed by the single unmanned aerial vehicle; responsive to the completion of the creation of the three dimensional model, defining an inspection flight path of a second serpentine shape based at least in part on the created three dimensional model by: determining heights of the feature of interest within the defined geographic area based on the three dimensional model; and determining respective second altitudes of the inspection flight path over the feature of interest, wherein at points along the inspection flight path, the respective second altitudes are lower than the first altitude and are higher than the heights of the feature of interest; and responsive to the completion of defining the inspection flight path, performing the inspection flight path with the single unmanned aerial vehicle and acquiring additional images of the feature of interest. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the three dimensional model is created proximate to the feature of interest. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the three dimensional model is created proximate to the feature of interest. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the feature of interest comprises a roof of a building.