Navigating a UAV with a remote control device
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsWilliam Kress Bodin, Jesse J. W. Redman, Derral C. Thorson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Navigating a UAV, including receiving in a remote control device a user's selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, the pixel having a location on the GUI; mapping the pixel's location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint; receiving a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV; calculating a heading in dependence upon the starting position, the coordinates of the waypoint, and a navigation algorithm; identifying flight control instructions for flying the UAV on the heading; and transmitting the flight control instructions from the remote control device to the UAV.
Claims33
A method for navigating a UAV, the method comprising:
- receiving in a remote control device a user's selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, the pixel having a location on the GUI;
- mapping the pixel's location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint;
- receiving a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV;
- calculating a heading in dependence upon the starting position, the coordinates of the waypoint, and a navigation algorithm;
- identifying flight control instructions for flying the UAV on the heading;
- and
- transmitting the flight control instructions from the remote control device to the UAV.
A system for navigating a UAV, the system comprising:
- means for receiving in a remote control device a user's selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, the pixel having a location on the GUI;
- means for mapping the pixel's location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint;
- means for receiving a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV;
- means for calculating a heading in dependence upon the starting position, the coordinates of the waypoint, and a navigation algorithm;
- means for identifying flight control instructions for flying the UAV on the heading;
- and
- means for transmitting the flight control instructions from the remote control device to the UAV.
A computer program product for navigating a UAV, the computer program product comprising:
- a recording medium;
- means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving in a remote control device a user's selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, the pixel having a location on the GUI;
- means, recorded on the recording medium, for mapping the pixel's location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint;
- means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV;
- means, recorded on the recording medium, for calculating a heading in dependence upon the starting position, the coordinates of the waypoint, and a navigation algorithm;
- means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying flight control instructions for flying the UAV on the heading;
- and
- means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting the flight control instructions from the remote control device to the UAV.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.