US 2020/0369385 A1 · CONTROLLING A GROUP OF DRONES FOR IMAGE CAPTURE

Abstract

Drones are controlled by one or more control devices and comprise a respective camera for image capture. The one or more control devices perform a method including obtaining projected flight paths of the drones, obtaining a projected camera setting of the respective camera, computing, as a function of the projected camera setting, a projected viewing frustum of the respective camera, defining, for the drones, projected time-space trajectories of no-fly zones based on the projected viewing frustum of the respective camera, analyzing the projected flight paths of the drones in relation to the projected time-space trajectories for detection of a violation of one or more of the no-fly zones, and setting an operative flight path and/or an operative camera setting for at least one selected drone to prevent the violation.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of controlling drones in a group of drones, wherein the drones comprise respective camera systems for image capture, said method comprising:

obtaining projected flight paths of the drones;
obtaining a projected camera setting of the respective camera systems;
computing, as a function of the projected camera setting, a projected viewing frustum of the respective camera systems;
defining, for the drones, projected time-space trajectories of no-fly zones based on the projected viewing frustum of the respective camera systems;
analyzing the projected flight paths of the drones in relation to the projected time-space trajectories for detection of a violation of one or more of the no-fly zones;
and
setting, for at least one selected drone among the group of drones, an operative flight path and/or an operative camera setting to prevent said violation.

4 more elements

A control system for controlling drones in a group of drones, wherein the drones comprise respective camera systems for image capture, said control system being configured to perform operations comprising:

obtaining drone data indicative of projected flight paths of the drones and corresponding projected time-space trajectories of no-fly zones for the drones, wherein the no-fly zones correspond to a projected viewing frustum of the respective camera systems;
analyzing the projected flight paths of the drones in relation to the projected time-space trajectories of the no-fly zones of the drones for detection of a violation of one or more of the no-fly zones;
and
causing an adjustment of a flight controller on at least one selected drone among the drones and/or the camera system on the at least one selected drone to prevent said violation.

1 more element

A control device for installation on a first drone which is configured for wireless communication with a set of second drones, wherein the first drone comprises a first camera system, and wherein each second drone in the set of second drones comprises a respective second camera system, wherein said control device is configured to perform operations comprising:

determining, for the first drone, at least one of a projected flight path or a projected time-space trajectory of a first no-fly zone, wherein the first no-fly zone corresponds to a projected viewing frustum of the first camera system;
receiving, by said wireless communication, drone data indicative of a set of projected flight paths of the set of second drones and/or a set of projected time-space trajectories of second no-fly zones for the set of second drones, wherein the second no-fly zones correspond to a projected viewing frustum of the respective second camera system;
analyzing said at least one of a projected flight path or a projected time-space trajectory of a first no-fly zone in relation to said drone data for detection of a violation of one or more of the first no-fly zone and the second no-fly zones;
and
causing an adjustment of an operative flight path and/or an operative camera setting of a selected drone among the first drone and the set of second drones, to prevent said violation.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Controlling a group of drones for image capture

Life of this patent

Controlling a group of drones for image capture

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20