Geo-fiducials for UAV navigation
US11287835B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 21, 2019 |
| Grant date | Mar 29, 2022 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 28, 2040 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T2207/30204
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation systems include a UAV charging pad positioned at a storage facility, a plurality of fiducial markers positioned at the storage facility, and a UAV. Each fiducial marker is associated with a fiducial dataset storing a position of the fiducial marker, and each fiducial dataset is stored in a fiducial map. The UAV has a navigation system that includes a camera, a fiducial navigation sub-system, a non-fiducial navigation sub-system, and logic that when executed causes the UAV to image a first fiducial marker with the camera, to transition from a non-fiducial navigation mode to a fiducial navigation mode, to access from the fiducial map the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker, and to navigate based upon the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker, into alignment with and land on the UAV charging pad.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.