# US 11,906,639 B2 · Low-light and no-light aerial navigation

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- Number: US 11,906,639 B2
- Document ID: US11906639B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/111,077
- Filed: 2023-02-17
- Published: 2023-06-29
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2020-10-15
- Assignees: Skydio, Inc.
- Applicants: Skydio, Inc.
- Inventors: Anurag Makineni; Kristen Marie Holtz; Gareth Benoit Cross; Hayk Martirosyan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906639B2

## CPC

- G01S 19/47: the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial
- G01C 19/00: Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
- G01P 15/08: with conversion into electric or magnetic values
- G01P 15/18: in two or more dimensions
- G01S 19/14: specially adapted for specific applications
- G01S 19/53: Determining attitude
- G08G 5/21: located onboard the aircraft
- G08G 5/52: for take-off
- G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft
- G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft
- B64U 10/13: Flying platforms
- B64U 20/87: Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
- B64U 70/90: Launching from or landing on platforms
- B64U 80/20: with arrangements for servicing the UAV
- B64U 2201/10: autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
- B64U 2201/104: using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
- G01P 15/0891: {with indication of predetermined acceleration values (G01P15/135 takes precedence)}
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G})
- 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})
- B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR

## Abstract

In some examples, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may determine a first acceleration of the UAV based at least on information from an onboard accelerometer received at least one of prior to or during takeoff. The UAV may determine a second acceleration of the UAV based at least on location information received via a satellite positioning system receiver at least one of prior to or during takeoff. The UAV may further determine a relative heading of the UAV based at least in part on the first acceleration and the second acceleration, and may be directed to navigate an environment based at least on the determined relative heading.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a satellite positioning system receiver;
an inertial measurement unit having an associated accelerometer; and
one or more processors configured by executable instruction to perform operations comprising:
determining a first acceleration of the UAV based at least on information from the accelerometer received at least one of prior to or during takeoff;
determining a second acceleration of the UAV based at least on location information received via the satellite positioning system receiver at least one of prior to or during takeoff;
determining a relative heading of the UAV based at least in part on the first acceleration and the second acceleration; and
directing the UAV to navigate an environment based at least on the relative heading.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The UAV as recited in claim 1, the operations further comprising:
determining the first acceleration in a navigation frame referenced based at least on the information from the accelerometer; and
determining the second acceleration in a world frame of reference based at least on the location information received via the satellite positioning system receiver.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The UAV as recited in claim 1, the operations further comprising:
determining a plurality of the relative headings based at least in part on determining a plurality of the first accelerations and a plurality of the second accelerations; and
selecting one of the plurality of relative headings as the relative heading based at least on a largest subset of the plurality of relative headings that match each other within a threshold amount.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The UAV as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation of determining the relative heading of the UAV based at least in part on the first acceleration and the second acceleration further comprises determining the relative heading of the UAV based in part on consideration of a magnitude of at least one of the first acceleration or the second acceleration.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The UAV as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation of determining the relative heading of the UAV based at least in part on the first acceleration and the second acceleration further comprises determining the relative heading of the UAV based in part on rotation of the UAV.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The UAV as recited in claim 1, the operations further comprising:
receiving the first acceleration and the second acceleration prior to takeoff of the UAV based on motion induced on the UAV prior to takeoff.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The UAV as recited in claim 1, the operations further comprising:
receiving the first acceleration and the second acceleration during takeoff of the UAV by causing the UAV to takeoff according to a specified acceleration.

### Claim 8

A method comprising:
inducing motion on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) prior to takeoff;
determining, by one or more processors, a first acceleration of the UAV based at least on information from an accelerometer onboard the UAV;
determining a second acceleration of the UAV based at least on location information received via a satellite positioning system receiver;
determining a relative heading of the UAV based at least in part on the first acceleration and the second acceleration; and
directing the UAV to navigate an environment based at least on the relative heading.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising inducing the motion on the UAV by moving the UAV in a back-and-forth motion prior to takeoff.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method as recited in claim 8, determining the first acceleration in a navigation frame of reference based at least on an output from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that is associated with the accelerometer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising determining the second acceleration in a world frame of reference based at least on the location information received via the satellite positioning system receiver by determining finite differences in velocity signals determined based on the received location information.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:
determining a plurality of the relative headings; and
selecting one of the plurality of relative headings as the relative heading based at least in part on a largest subset of the plurality of relative headings that match each other within a threshold amount.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method as recited in claim 8, wherein determining the relative heading of the UAV based at least in part on the first acceleration and the second acceleration further comprises determining the relative heading of the UAV based in part on consideration of a magnitude of at least one of the first acceleration or the second acceleration.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method as recited in claim 8, wherein determining the relative heading of the UAV based at least in part on the first acceleration and the second acceleration further comprises determining the relative heading of the UAV based in part on rotation of the UAV.

### Claim 15

A method comprising:
configuring an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to takeoff at a specified trajectory and a specified acceleration;
determining, by one or more processors, a first acceleration of the UAV during takeoff based at least on information from an accelerometer onboard the UAV;
determining a second acceleration of the UAV based at least on location information received via a satellite positioning system receiver;
determining a relative heading of the UAV based at least in part on the first acceleration and the second acceleration; and
directing the UAV to navigate an environment based at least on the relative heading.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the specified trajectory is diagonal to a ground plane.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method as recited in claim 15, determining the first acceleration in a navigation frame of reference based at least on an output from an inertial measurement unit that is associated with the accelerometer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising determining the second acceleration in a world frame of reference based at least on the location information received via the satellite positioning system receiver by determining finite differences in velocity signals determined based on the received location information.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:
determining a plurality of the relative headings during the takeoff; and
selecting one of the plurality of relative headings as the relative heading based at least in part on a largest subset of the plurality of relative headings that match each other within a threshold amount.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method as recited in claim 15, wherein determining the relative heading of the UAV based at least in part on the first acceleration and the second acceleration further comprises determining the relative heading of the UAV based in part on rotation of the UAV.