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US 11,377,232 B2Granted
Combined information for object detection and avoidance
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsScott Raymond Harris, Barry James O'Brien, Joshua John Watson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described is an imaging component for use by an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) for object detection. As described, the imaging component includes one or more cameras that are configured to obtain images of a scene using visible light that are converted into a depth map (e.g., stereo image) and one or more other cameras that are configured to form images, or thermograms, of the scene using infrared radiation (“IR”). The depth information and thermal information are combined to form a representation of the scene based on both depth and thermal information.
Claims29
A method, comprising:
- receiving, from a first camera coupled to an aerial vehicle and having a first orientation, first image data of a scene using visible light;
- receiving, from a second camera coupled to the aerial vehicle and having the first orientation, second image data of the scene using visible light;
- receiving, from a sensor coupled to the aerial vehicle and having the first orientation, sensor data representative of the scene;
- processing the first image data, the second image data, and the sensor data to produce a combined information representative of the scene;
- detecting an object represented in the combined information;
- determining that an object signature of the object, as represented in the combined information, is an unknown object signature;
- and
- in response to determining that the object signature is an unknown object signature, performing additional processing of at least a portion of the combined information to determine the object;
- wherein the first camera, the second camera, and the sensor are positioned in a same plane;
- and
- wherein the sensor is positioned approximately equidistant between the first camera and the second camera.
8 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving, from a first image capture device at a first position on an aerial vehicle, first image data representative of at least a portion of a scene using a visible light spectrum;
- receiving, from a second image capture device at a second position on the aerial vehicle, second image data representative of at least a portion of the scene using the visible light spectrum;
- receiving, from a third image capture device at a third position on the aerial vehicle, third image data representative of at least a portion of the scene using a light spectrum other than the visible light spectrum;
- detecting, based at least in part on one or more of the first image data, the second image data, or the third image data, an object;
- determining that an object signature of the object is an unknown object signature;
- and
- in response to determining that the object signature is an unknown object signature, performing additional processing of at least a portion of one or more of the first image data, the second image data, or the third image data to determine the object;
- wherein the first image capture device, the second image capture device, and the third image capture device are positioned in a same plane;
- and
- wherein the third image capture device is positioned approximately equidistant between the first image capture device and the second image capture device.
7 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving, from a first image capture device of a vehicle, first image data;
- receiving, from a second image capture device of the vehicle, second image data;
- processing the first image data and the second image data to form a depth map wherein each pixel representative of a position includes a horizontal dimension, a vertical dimension, and a depth dimension;
- receiving third data from a sensor;
- processing the third data to determine, for each corresponding horizontal dimension and vertical dimension, a thermal dimension;
- generating combined information representative of a scene that includes for each pixel of the combined information the horizontal dimension, the vertical dimension, the depth dimension, and the thermal dimension;
- determining, based at least in part on the thermal dimension, an object represented in the combined information;
- determining that an object signature of the object, as represented in the combined information, is an unknown object signature;
- and
- in response to determining that the object signature is an unknown object signature, performing additional processing of at least a portion of the combined information to determine the object;
- wherein the first image capture device, the second image capture device, and the sensor are positioned in a same plane;
- and
- wherein the sensor is positioned approximately equidistant between the first image capture device and the second image capture device.
10 more elements
An unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) apparatus, comprising:
- a frame;
- a control system;
- an imaging component that includes a thermographic camera having a field of view and a pair of visual cameras;
- wherein the thermographic camera and the pair of visual cameras are positioned in a same plane;
- wherein the thermographic camera is positioned approximately equidistant between the pair of visual cameras;
- and
- an image-processing component, configured to at least:
- receive, from the thermographic camera, a thermogram representative of a scene within the field of view of the thermographic camera;
- process the thermogram to detect an object represented in the scene;
- determine that an object signature of the object, as represented in the thermogram, is an unknown object signature;
- and
- in response to a determination that the object signature is an unknown object signature, perform additional processing of the thermogram to determine the object.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.