# US 2023/0054875 A1 · Adhoc geo-fiducial mats for landing uavs > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0054875 A1 - Document ID: US20230054875A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/974,164 - Filed: 2022-10-26 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-13 - Assignees: Wing Aviation LLC - Applicants: WING Aviation LLC - Inventors: Damien Jourdan; Anthony Sekine; Scott Velez; André Prager - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230054875A1 ## CPC - B64F 1/18: Visual or acoustic landing aids - B64U 10/20: Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft (flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17) - B64U 70/90: Launching from or landing on platforms - G01C 21/20: Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) - G05D 1/2446: {the passive navigation aids having encoded information, e.g. QR codes or ground control points} - G05D 1/654: Landing (docking at a base station G05D1/661) - G06V 10/245: {by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning} - G06V 20/17: taken from planes or by drones - G06V 20/176: {Urban or other man-made structures} - G08G 5/21: located onboard the aircraft - G08G 5/52: for take-off - G08G 5/54: for approach or landing - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft - B64U 2101/31: for surveillance - B64U 2201/00: UAVs characterised by their flight controls - B64U 2201/20: Remote controls - G05D 2109/254: {Flying platforms, e.g. multicopters} - G05D 2111/10: Optical signals - 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 - 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) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - 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 An apparatus for visual navigation of a UAV includes a geo-fiducial mat and a plurality of geo-fiducials. The geo-fiducial mat includes a landing pad region that provides a location for aligning with a landing pad of a UAV. The geo-fiducials each includes a two-dimensional (2D) pattern that visually conveys a code. The 2D pattern has a shape from which a visual navigation system of the UAV can visually triangulate a position of the UAV. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for visual navigation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the apparatus comprising: a geo-fiducial mat including: a landing pad region that provides a location for aligning with a landing pad of the UAV; and alignment markings disposed on the geo-fiducial mat for indicating the landing pad region and aiding alignment of the landing pad to the landing pad region; and a plurality of geo-fiducials disposed in or about the landing pad region and each specified for a unique directional and offset position on the geo-fiducial mat, wherein the geo-fiducials each includes a two-dimensional (2D) pattern that visually conveys a code, wherein the 2D pattern has a shape from which an optical navigation system of the UAV can visually triangulate a position of the UAV. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unique directional and offset position of each of the geo-fiducials is specified relative to a survey point for the geo-fiducial mat. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the geo-fiducials comprise at least three geo-fiducials that each convey a different code and are disposed at three different corners or along three different sides of the landing pad region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the geo-fiducials comprise: first geo-fiducials having a first size that are configured to be disposed on or attached to the landing pad. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the geo-fiducials further comprise: second geo-fiducials having a second size, larger than the first size, the second geo-fiducials positioned further from a center of the landing pad region than the first geo-fiducials. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the geo-fiducials further comprise: third geo-fiducials having a third size, larger than the first and second sizes, the third geo-fiducials positioned further from the center of the landing pad region than the first and second geo-fiducials. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the landing pad region comprises a rectangular shaped region, wherein the first geo-fiducials are disposed proximate to corners of the landing pad region, and wherein the second geo-fiducials are substantially centered along sides of the landing pad region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second geo-fiducials are integrated into the geo-fiducial mat while the first geo-fiducials are configured to be physically distinct and separate from the geo-fiducial mat for adhering to or otherwise disposing on the landing pad of the UAV. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the geo-fiducial mat further includes: a directional marker disposed on the geo-fiducial mat for aligning the geo-fiducial mat with a predetermined direction such that positions of the geo-fiducials are determinable based upon location information of the survey point and the unique directional and offset position specified for each of the geo-fiducials. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code conveyed by each of the geo-fiducials shares a common first portion that is associated with a pad identification of the landing pad and a different second portion that individually distinguishes each of the geo-fiducials of the geo-fiducial mat from each other. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the pad identification includes: a first segment having a value indicating that the geo-fiducials are not individually surveyed, but rather locations of the geo-fiducials are computable based at least in part upon location information of the survey point; and a second segment that matches the common first portion of the code of each of the geo-fiducials. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the geo-fiducial mat comprises a flexible substrate material that is amenable to rolling or folding. ### Claim 13 A system for navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during landing or takeoff, the system comprising: a charging pad for charging the UAV; a geo-fiducial mat including a landing pad region that provides a location for aligning the charging pad with the geo-fiducial mat, wherein the geo-fiducial mat includes a flexible substrate material that is amenable to rolling or folding; and a plurality of geo-fiducials disposed in or about the charging pad region, wherein the geo-fiducials each includes a two-dimensional (2D) pattern that visually conveys an alphanumerical code different from each other, wherein the 2D pattern has a shape from which an optical navigation system of the UAV can visually triangulate a position of the UAV. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the geo-fiducials comprise: first geo-fiducials having a first size that are configured to be disposed on or attached to the charging pad. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the geo-fiducials comprise: first geo-fiducials having a first size; second geo-fiducials having a second size, larger than the first size, the second geo-fiducials positioned further from a center of the landing pad region than the first geo-fiducials; and third geo-fiducials having a third size, larger than the first and second sizes, the third geo-fiducials positioned further from the center of the landing pad region than the first and second geo-fiducials. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the landing pad region comprises a rectangular shaped region, wherein the first geo-fiducials are disposed proximate to corners of the landing pad region, and wherein the second and third geo-fiducials are substantially centered along sides of the landing pad region. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the second and third geo-fiducials are integrated into the geo-fiducial mat while the first geo-fiducials are configured to be physically distinct and separate from the geo-fiducial mat for adhering to or otherwise disposing on the charging pad of the UAV. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the geo-fiducial mat further includes: a directional marker disposed on the geo-fiducial mat for aligning the geo-fiducial mat with a predetermined direction such that positions of the geo-fiducials are determinable based upon location information of a survey point and a unique directional and offset position specified for each of the geo-fiducials relative to the survey point; and alignment markings disposed on the geo-fiducial mat for indicating the landing pad region and aiding alignment of the charging pad to the landing pad region. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the alphanumerical code conveyed by each of the geo-fiducials shares a common first portion that is associated with a pad identification of the landing pad and a different second portion that individually distinguishes each of the geo-fiducials of the geo-fiducial mat from each other. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising the UAV, wherein the UAV includes a controller coupled to memory storing instructions that when executed by the controller cause the UAV to perform operations comprising: flying the UAV to a takeoff way point above the geo-fiducial mat; visually triangulating the position of the UAV with the optical navigation system based upon one or more of the geo-fiducials; and validating correct operation of a global positioning system (GPS) sensor at the takeoff waypoint based upon the position that is visually triangulated.