# US 12,007,761 B2 · Unmanned aerial vehicle inspection system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,007,761 B2 - Document ID: US12007761B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/064,682 - Filed: 2022-12-12 - Published: 2023-07-06 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-30 - Assignees: Skydio, Inc. - Applicants: Skydio, Inc. - Inventors: Brett Michael Bethke; Hui Li; Bernard J. Michini - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007761B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0011: {associated with a remote control arrangement} - B64D 47/00: Equipment not otherwise provided for - B64F 5/60: Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems - B64U 10/13: Flying platforms - G01M 5/0075: {by means of external apparatus, e.g. test benches or portable test systems (G01M5/005 takes precedence)} - G05D 1/0055: {with safety arrangements} - G05D 1/0094: {involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target} - G05D 1/101: {specially adapted for aircraft} - G05D 1/222: operated by humans - G05D 1/46: Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D] - G05D 1/617: Safety or protection, e.g. defining protection zones around obstacles or avoiding hazards (arrangements for controlling the position or course of two or more vehicles for avoiding collisions therebetween G05D1/693; arrangements for reacting to or preventing system or operator failure G05D1/80) - G05D 1/689: Pointing payloads towards fixed or moving targets (positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672) - G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations - G08G 5/32: for flight plan preparation - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft - G08G 5/74: for monitoring terrain - B64U 50/30: Supply or distribution of electrical power - B64U 70/83: using parachutes, balloons or the like - B64U 2101/26: for manufacturing, inspections or repairs - B64U 2101/30: for imaging, photography or videography - B64U 2201/20: Remote controls - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - 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 - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - 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}) ## Abstract Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for an unmanned aerial system inspection system. One of the methods is performed by a UAV and includes obtaining, from a user device, flight operation information describing an inspection of a vertical structure to be performed, the flight operation information including locations of one or more safe locations for vertical inspection. A location of the UAV is determined to correspond to a first safe location for vertical inspection. A first inspection of the structure is performed is performed at the first safe location, the first inspection including activating cameras. A second safe location is traveled to, and a second inspection of the structure is performed. Information associated with the inspection is provided to the user device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: obtaining, by an unmanned aerial vehicle, a flight plan indicating multiple columns of flight for vertically inspecting a structure; for each column of flight indicated in the flight plan: navigating, based on the flight plan, the unmanned aerial vehicle to a location associated with the column of flight; and vertically inspecting the structure at the location; and navigating the unmanned aerial vehicle to a landing location upon a completion of the inspection at the location associated with a last one of the columns of flight. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein inspecting the structure at the location associated with a column of flight comprises: while the unmanned aerial vehicle descends from an initial altitude toward a surface on which the structure is located, capturing, using one or more sensors of the unmanned aerial vehicle, sensor data at each of the one or more height intervals, wherein the height intervals indicate a vertical distance to be traveled by the unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, comprising: using a magnetometer of the unmanned aerial vehicle and location information of a center of the structure to maintain a portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle toward the center of the structure while the unmanned aerial vehicle descends from the initial altitude. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, comprising: determine boundaries of the structure using a laser-based sensor; and determining the location information of the center of the structure based on the boundaries of the structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, comprising: using a beacon on the structure to maintain a portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle toward a center of the structure while the unmanned aerial vehicle descends from the initial altitude. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the beacon includes one or more of a light emitting device, a reflector, or a signal transmitter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, comprising: activating an onboard illumination system of the unmanned aerial vehicle to illuminate one or more areas within the location of the column of flight. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein inspecting the structure at the location associated with a column of flight comprises: while ascending the unmanned aerial vehicle to the initial altitude: pointing the one or more sensors upward at an angle; and capturing, using the one or more sensors pointed upward at the angle, second sensor data depicting one or more portions of the structure hidden during the descent of the unmanned aerial vehicle from the initial altitude. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein inspecting the structure at the location associated with a column of flight comprises: repeating the descent and ascent of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the location of the column of flight to ensure that desired sensor output is obtained at the location of the column of flight before a navigation of the unmanned aerial vehicle to a location of a next column of flight. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the initial altitude is a global minimum safe altitude at which the unmanned aerial vehicle can safely travel within a geofence associated with the structure. ### Claim 11 An apparatus, comprising: a memory; and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to: navigate, according to a flight plan for vertically inspecting a structure, an unmanned aerial vehicle to a first location associated with a first column of flight; perform, using the unmanned aerial vehicle, a vertical inspection of the structure at the first location; and navigate, according to the flight plan, the unmanned aerial vehicle to a second location associated with a second column of flight upon a completion of the vertical inspection at the first location. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, to perform the vertical inspection of the structure at the first location, the processor is configured to execute the instructions to: capture one or more first images of the structure while the unmanned aerial vehicle descends from an initial altitude toward a surface on which the structure is located; and capture one or more second images of the structure while the unmanned aerial vehicle ascends back toward the initial altitude. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle maintains a constant distance from the structure as it descends from the initial altitude and as it ascends back toward the initial altitude. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to: use a gimbal of the unmanned aerial vehicle to adjust an angle of a camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle for use in capturing the one or more second images. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to: upon a completion of a vertical inspection of the structure at a last column of flight: navigate the unmanned aerial vehicle to a landing location; and cause a user device to obtain the one or more first images and the one or more second images. ### Claim 16 A system, comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle configured to perform, for each column of flight in a flight plan indicating multiple columns of flight for vertically inspecting a structure, a vertical inspection of the structure at a location associated with the column of flight to capture one or more images at the location; and a user device configured to obtain and display the one or more images. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein, to perform the vertical inspection of the structure at the location associated with a column of flight, the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to: capture at least a portion of the one or more images while the unmanned aerial vehicle descends, at a constant distance from the structure, from an initial altitude toward a surface on which the structure is located. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the portion of the one or more images is a first portion of the one or more images, and wherein, to perform the vertical inspection of the structure at the location associated with a column of flight, the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to: capture a second portion of the one or more images while the unmanned aerial vehicle ascends back to the initial altitude and a camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle is upwardly angled. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein, during one or both of the descent or the ascent of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle is maintained toward a center of the structure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein one or both of the descent or the ascent of the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled at the user device.