# US 12,006,066 B2 · UAV-based aviation inspection systems and related methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,006,066 B2 - Document ID: US12006066B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/888,472 - Filed: 2020-05-29 - Published: 2020-12-03 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-29 - Assignees: Ultraview Ai Inc. - Applicants: Ultraview Ai Inc. - Inventors: Jacolby Harvey; Idan Fiksel; Braedon O'Meara; Sami Mian - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006066B2 ## CPC - B64F 5/60: Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems - B64C 39/024: {of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV} - B64D 47/02: Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices - B64D 47/08: Arrangements of cameras - B64U 20/87: Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals - G01N 21/8806: {Specially adapted optical and illumination features} - G01N 21/9515: {Objects of complex shape, e.g. examined with use of a surface follower device (measuring contours and curvatures G01B11/24)} - G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging - G05D 1/0044: {by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps (maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005)} - G05D 1/101: {specially adapted for aircraft} - G05D 1/46: Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D] - G07C 5/0808: {Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005)} - B64U 10/13: Flying platforms - B64U 10/14: with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters - B64U 50/30: Supply or distribution of electrical power - B64U 2101/26: for manufacturing, inspections or repairs - B64U 2101/30: for imaging, photography or videography - B64U 2201/00: UAVs characterised by their flight controls - 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 - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - 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 - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE ## Abstract Systems and methods for inspecting aircraft via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system are disclosed. In some implementations a system, comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a computing system configured to establish a coordinate system in a space exterior to the aircraft in a global positioning system (GPS) denied environment. The system also has a controller configured to navigate the UAV along a flight path proximate to a surface of an aircraft according to the established coordinate system and a camera configured to obtain image data. A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor is configured to obtain LiDAR sensor data of an inspection location on the surface to determine a presence of damage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: inspecting a structure in a global positioning system (GPS) denied environment via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, the UAV system comprising (i) at least one camera, (ii) a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, (iii) a computing system coupled to the camera and the LiDAR sensor, and (iv) a controller configured to navigate the UAV, the method comprising: navigating the UAV system, via the controller, in a space exterior to the structure to collect a first LiDAR sensor data; generating, by the computing system, a point cloud map of the structure based on the first LiDAR sensor data; generating, by the computing system, a flight path for the UAV system based on the point cloud map, the flight path having a plurality of waypoints at which the UAV system is configured to obtain image data and a second LiDAR sensor data; navigating the UAV system according to the generated flight path and obtaining the image data and the second LiDAR sensor data for at least a subset of the plurality of waypoints; transmitting, by the computing system to a remote computing system, the image data and the second LiDAR sensor data; and processing, by the remote computing system, the transmitted data and the second LiDAR sensor data to detect damage to a surface of the structure for the subset of the waypoints. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of waypoints are arranged in a sequence such that the UAV system traverses the waypoints serially in the sequence. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each waypoint is associated with a predetermined position of the UAV system relative to the structure and a predetermined attitude of the UAV system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each waypoint is associated with a particular camera view for the camera. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inspection of the structure is complete when the UAV system collects image data and LiDAR sensor data for all of the plurality of waypoints. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the generated flight path is unique to a type of the structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: detecting the type of the structure to generate the flight path. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a condition to stop inspection on the flight path; and navigating to a different position upon detecting the condition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the condition is at least one of: (i) an obstacle due to a static object, (ii) an obstacle due to a dynamic object, (iii) a hardware malfunction, or (iv) a software malfunction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the different position is a starting position of the flight path. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the different position is a landing position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: navigating the UAV system according to the generated flight path to inspect a different structure of a same type as the structure; and determining whether a different path is required to detect damage on the different structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: if a different path is not required, designating the generated flight path as a default path for the structure type; and if a different path is required, storing the different path as a unique path for the structure type. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the remote computing system is a cloud computing system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by the remote computing system, processed data to a user device for review in an interface of the device, the processed data indicating whether damage to the structure was detected for at least the subset of the waypoints. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: receiving, from the device, review data indicating a confirmation or a denial of the detected damage for at least one of the subset of the waypoints. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: altering the flight path for subsequent inspections of the structure based on the received review data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: training a predictive model to detect damage on the structure based on at least one of the processed data or the received review data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein processing, by the remote computing system, the transmitted data and the second LiDAR sensor data to detect damage to a surface of the structure for at least a subset of the waypoints comprises: inputting the transmitted data into a trained predictive model to detect damage to the structure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a glare or shadow on the surface of the structure associated with a particular waypoint; and altering the flight path to obtain a different set of image data and LiDAR sensor data.