Aerial camera system and method for identifying route-related hazards

US9873442B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• General Electric Company · US

Inventors

• Brad Thomas Costa · Melbourne, US
• Seneca Snyder · Melbourne, US
• Jerry Duncan · Melbourne, US
• Mark Bradshaw Kraeling · Melbourne, US
• Michael Scott Miner · Melbourne, US
• Shannon Joseph Clouse · Lawrence Park, US
• Anwarul Azam · Lawrence Park, US
• Matthew Lawrence Blair · Lawrence Park, US
• Nidhi Naithani · Bengaluru, IN
• Dattaraj Jagdish Rao · Bengaluru, IN
• Anju Bind · Bengaluru, IN
• Sreyashi Dey Chaki · Bengaluru, IN
• Scott Daniel Nelson · Melbourne, US
• Nikhil Uday Naphade · Bengaluru, IN
• Wing Yeung Chung · Erie, US
• Daniel Ballesty · Wattsburg, US
• Glenn Robert Shaffer · Erie, US
• Jeffrey James Kisak · Erie, US
• Dale Martin DiDomenico · Melbourne, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 17, 2015
• Grant date: Jan 23, 2018
• Expiry date: Nov 14, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04N7/185
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An aerial camera system includes an aerial device disposed onboard a non-aerial vehicle as the non-aerial vehicle moves along a route. The aerial device also can be configured to fly above the route during movement of the vehicle along the route. The camera unit is configured to be disposed onboard the aerial device and to generate image data during flight of the aerial device. The one or more image analysis processors are configured to examine the image data and to identify a hazard disposed ahead of the non-aerial vehicle along a direction of travel of the non-aerial vehicle based on the image data. A method for identifying route-related hazards using image data obtained from a camera unit on an aerial device.