US 11,156,573 B2 · Solar panel inspection using unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

Methods, systems, and program products of inspecting solar panels using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are disclosed. A UAV can obtain a position of the Sun in a reference frame, a location of a solar panel in the reference frame, and an orientation of the solar panel in the reference frame. The UAV can determine a viewing position of the UAV in the reference frame based on at least one of the position of the Sun, the location of the solar panel, and the orientation of the solar panel. The UAV can maneuver to the viewing position and point a thermal sensor onboard the UAV at the solar panel. The UAV can capture, by the thermal sensor, a thermal image of at least a portion of the solar panel. A server onboard the UAV or connected to the UAV can detect panel failures based on the thermal image.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A system comprising one or more processors, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

determining viewing positions of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used for inspection of one or more solar panels based at least upon orientations of the one or more solar panels;
determining a flight path for the UAV for inspection of the one or more solar panels based on the viewing positions;
navigating the UAV according to the flight path;
obtaining, at a plurality of geo-spatial locations associated with the viewing positions, respective thermal images of the one or more solar panels;
determining, based on the obtained thermal images, whether the one or more solar panels or one or more solar cells of a respective solar panel failed;
and
generating a report indicating whether the one or more solar panels, or the one or more solar cells failed.

4 more elements

A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a system comprising one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining viewing positions of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used for inspection of one or more solar panels based at least upon orientations of the one or more solar panels;
determining a flight path for the UAV for inspection of the one or more solar panels based on the viewing positions;
navigating the UAV according to the flight path;
obtaining, at a plurality of geo-spatial locations associated with the viewing positions, respective thermal images of the one or more solar panels;
determining, based on the obtained thermal images, whether the one or more solar panels or one or more solar cells of a respective solar panel failed;
and
generating a report indicating whether the one or more solar panels, or the one or more solar cells failed.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Solar panel inspection using unmanned aerial vehicles

Life of this patent

Solar panel inspection using unmanned aerial vehicles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33