Imaging controls for unmanned aerial vehicles

A drone system for surveilling an area using a drone, the system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage devices storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause performance of operations comprising:
• obtaining image data using an imaging device installed at the drone;
• processing the image data to detect an object that is external to the drone;
• in response to processing the image data, determining a plurality of viewing angles indicated in the image data with respect to the object;
• based on the image data and the plurality of viewing angles, identifying a first section of the area for surveillance and a second, different section of the area to be excluded from surveillance;
• dynamically calculating a respective frame coverage for the plurality of imaging devices installed at the drone, wherein each of the respective frame coverages are calculated concurrently as the image data is being obtained;
• determining, based on the respective frame coverage, an adjustment to at least one of the plurality of viewing angles to cause the second, different section of the area to be excluded from surveillance;
• and
• based on the adjustment, controlling the imaging device installed at the drone to exclude the second, different section of the area from surveillance imagery obtained by the drone.

One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage devices storing instructions for a drone system for surveilling an area using a drone, the instructions being executable by one or more processors to cause performance of operations comprising:

• obtaining image data using an imaging device installed at the drone;
• processing the image data to detect an object that is external to the drone;
• in response to processing the image data, determining a plurality of viewing angles indicated in the image data with respect to the object;
• based on the image data and the plurality of viewing angles, identifying a first section of the area for surveillance and a second, different section of the area to be excluded from surveillance;
• dynamically calculating a respective frame coverage for the plurality of imaging devices installed at the drone, wherein each of the respective frame coverages are calculated concurrently as the image data is being obtained;
• determining, based on the respective frame coverage, an adjustment to at least one of the plurality of viewing angles to cause the second, different section of the area to be excluded from surveillance;
• and
• based on the adjustment, controlling the imaging device installed at the drone to exclude the second, different section of the area from surveillance imagery obtained by the drone.