US 11,885,759 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.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

determining, based on a reference frame captured using a camera of an unmanned aerial vehicle, viewing positions of the unmanned aerial vehicle for inspecting one or more solar panels;
determining, based on the viewing positions, viewing angles for a thermal sensor of the unmanned aerial vehicle relative to the one or more solar panels;
determining, based on the viewing angles, a flight plan for the unmanned aerial vehicle to use to inspect the one or more solar panels;
and
directing the unmanned aerial vehicle to inspect the one or more solar panels in accordance with the flight plan.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

18/147,955Filed 29 Dec 2022 · continuation

Priority

30 Jun 2016

Published

US 2023/0133257 A14 May 2023

Granted

30 Jan 2024

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G01N 25/72
Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means: investigating presence of flaws
G05D 1/689
Interaction with payloads or external entities: pointing payloads towards fixed or moving targets
H02S 50/10
Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification: testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells
G05D 2105/89
For information gathering, e.g. for academic research: for inspecting structures, e.g. wind mills, bridges, buildings or vehicles

Family

Application62/357,340Us provisional application · filed 30 Jun 2016

Application15/640,135Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Jun 2017

Application17/483,249Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Sep 2021

US 11,156,573 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Oct 2021

US 2023/0133257 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 May 2023

US 11,567,019 B2Parent of this continuation

US 2018/0003656 A1Published application

US 2022/0205938 A1Published application

US 11,885,759 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Solar panel inspection using unmanned aerial vehicles

Life of this patent

Solar panel inspection using unmanned aerial vehicles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20