The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 02, 2017
Filed:
Jun. 21, 2012
Jean-christophe Zufferey, Etagnieres, CH;
Antoine Beyeler, Lausanne, CH;
Jean-Christophe Zufferey, Etagnieres, CH;
Antoine Beyeler, Lausanne, CH;
SENSEFLY S.A., Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, CH;
Abstract
A method for acquiring images of a photographic target from arbitrary perspectives with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with at least one image acquisition device having a fixed acquisition direction with respect to the vehicle, said UAV having automatic navigation means allowing to reach an arbitrary location and automatic attitude control means allowing to transiently reach an arbitrary orientation in space, said photographic target being outside the current field of view of the acquisition device while the UAV flies along a predefined flying path, this method comprising: computing a target UAV position and an orientation in space required to acquire a desired image from a set of parameters, navigating to said target UAV position, modifying an attitude of the UAV in order to modify the acquisition direction to point toward the photographic target, acquiring images, and starting a recovery phase by controlling the UAV back to cruise attitude and navigate back along the predefined flying path.