Patents Assigned to SKYCATCH, INC.
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Patent number: 10720065Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for generating a digital flight path within complex mission boundaries. In particular, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods generate flight legs that traverse a target site within mission boundaries. Moreover, one or more embodiments include systems and methods that utilize linking algorithms to connect the generated flight legs into a flight path. Moreover, one or more embodiments include systems and methods that generate a mission plan based on the flight path. In one or more embodiments, the generated mission plan enables a UAV to traverse a flight area within mission boundaries and capture aerial images with regard to the target site. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods capture digital aerial images of vertical surfaces of a structure by generating a reference surface and flight legs corresponding to the reference surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2018Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: Skycatch, Inc.Inventor: David Chen
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Patent number: 10593108Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for more efficiently and quickly utilizing digital aerial images to generate models of a site. In particular, in one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods capture a plurality of digital aerial images of a site. Moreover, the disclosed systems and methods can cluster the plurality of digital aerial images based on a variety of factors, such as visual contents, capture position, or capture time of the digital aerial images. Moreover, the disclosed systems and methods can analyze the clusters independently (i.e., in parallel) to generate cluster models. Further, the disclosed systems and methods can merge the cluster models to generate a model of the site.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2017Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Skycatch, Inc.Inventors: Manlio Francisco Barajas Hernandez, David Chen, Pablo Arturo Martinez Gonzalez, Christian Sanz
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Patent number: 10524226Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for determining the position of a UAV in flight. In particular, in one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems utilize real time kinematic and precise point positioning techniques to identify the position of a UAV without use of RTK correction data from an RTK network. Moreover, the disclosed systems and methods can precisely and accurately determine the absolute position of a base station and a UAV in flight at various times during a flight mission without use of RTK correction data from an RTK network. In one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods can utilize the absolute position of a UAV in flight to perform various aerial missions or tasks.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2017Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Skycatch, Inc.Inventor: David Chen
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Patent number: 10339663Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for generating georeference information with respect to aerial images. In particular, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods generate georeference information relating to aerial images captured without ground control points based on existing aerial images. For example, systems and methods can access a new set of aerial images without ground control points and utilize existing aerial images containing ground control points to generate a georeferenced representation corresponding to the features of the new set of aerial images. Similarly, systems and methods can access a new image without ground control points and utilize an existing georeferenced orthomap to produce a georeferenced orthomap corresponding to the features of the new image. One or more embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods permit users to obtain georeference information related to new images without the need to place ground control points or collect additional georeference information.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2017Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Manlio Francisco Barajas Hernandez, Leonardo Felipe Romo Morales, David Chen, Sida Li
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Patent number: 10235566Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for utilizing digital aerial images to determine stockpile volumes. In particular, in one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods utilize a UAV to capture a plurality of digital aerial images portraying stockpiles on a site. The disclosed systems and methods can generate a two-dimensional representation of the site and a three-dimensional representation of the site based on the plurality of digital aerial images. Moreover, the disclosed systems and methods can apply an elevation filter to the three-dimensional representation of the site to identify potential stockpiles. Further, the disclosed systems and methods can utilize a neural network to analyze two-dimensional features and three-dimensional features of the potential stockpiles to identify final stockpiles. The disclosed systems and methods can then utilize three-dimensional stockpile representations to determine stockpile volumes.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2017Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Rodolfo Ruben Alvarez Gonzalez, Manlio Francisco Barajas Hernandez, Leonardo Felipe Romo Morales, David Chen
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Patent number: 10189567Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for determining a position of a camera affixed to a UAV in flight when the camera captures a digital aerial image. In particular, in one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods utilize real time kinematic satellite navigation techniques to identify a position of a UAV. Moreover, the disclosed systems and methods precisely determine the time that a camera captures a digital aerial image together with an attitude of the UAV at the time of capture to calculate a location of a camera at the time of capture. In one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods can utilize the determined position of the camera together with the captured digital aerial image to generate a three-dimensional representation of a site.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: David Chen, Colleen Kelly Twitty, Blaine Schanfeldt, James J Johnson, Jacob Federico
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Patent number: 10068489Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for managing energy of a UAV during flight. In particular, the disclosed systems and methods assist in safely returning a UAV to ground while reducing diversionary time for providing energy to the UAV. In one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods calculate a measure of remaining energy with regard to a UAV flying a mission plan and a measure of landing energy needed to travel to a landing station. The disclosed systems and methods can select a transition point from a mission plan and route leading from the mission plan to the landing station by comparing the calculated measure of remaining energy and the calculated measure of landing energy. Moreover, the disclosed system and methods can modify a mission plan to include the selected transition point and route.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2016Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Stephan Brown, Behrooze Sirang
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Patent number: 10040578Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward a system for autonomously landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) within an unmanned aerial vehicle ground station (UAVGS) and removing a battery assembly from within the UAV while landed. In particular, systems described herein enable a battery arm to engage a battery assembly and remove the battery assembly from within the UAV. Additionally, the battery arm can include one or more sensors that detect a pattern of sensor contacts arranged on an end of the battery assembly. In particular, the sensors on the battery arm can detect and identify the battery assembly based on the particular pattern of sensor contacts on the end of the battery assembly.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2016Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventor: Samuel Giles Miller
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Patent number: 10008123Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for generating a digital flight path within complex mission boundaries. In particular, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods generate flight legs that traverse a target site within mission boundaries. Moreover, one or more embodiments include systems and methods that utilize linking algorithms to connect the generated flight legs into a flight path. Moreover, one or more embodiments include systems and methods that generate a mission plan based on the flight path. In one or more embodiments, the generated mission plan enables a UAV to traverse a flight area within mission boundaries and capture aerial images with regard to the target site. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods capture digital aerial images of vertical surfaces of a structure by generating a reference surface and flight legs corresponding to the reference surface.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2017Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventor: David Chen
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Patent number: 9852639Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for generating a digital flight path within complex mission boundaries. In particular, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods generate flight legs that traverse a target site within mission boundaries. Moreover, one or more embodiments include systems and methods that utilize linking algorithms to connect the generated flight legs into a flight path. Moreover, one or more embodiments include systems and methods that generate a mission plan based on the flight path. In one or more embodiments, the generated mission plan enables a UAV to traverse a flight area within mission boundaries and capture aerial images with regard to the target site.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2016Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Yifei Teng, David Chen, Patrick Stuart
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Patent number: 9846975Abstract: Disclosed systems and methods generate filtered, three-dimensional models with regard to a site. In particular, one or more embodiments include systems and methods that generate a filtered, three-dimensional model by removing one or more non-ground objects from a three-dimensional model of the site. Specifically, one or more embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods remove objects from a three-dimensional representation of a site by applying an initial filter to the three-dimensional representation, identifying regions corresponding to types of terrain within the three-dimensional representation, and applying another filter with parameters particular to the identified regions.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2016Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Leonardo Felipe Romo Morales, David Chen
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Patent number: 9830706Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for generating georeference information with respect to aerial images. In particular, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods generate georeference information relating to aerial images captured without ground control points based on existing aerial images. For example, systems and methods can access a new set of aerial images without ground control points and utilize existing aerial images containing ground control points to generate a georeferenced representation corresponding to the features of the new set of aerial images. Similarly, systems and methods can access a new image without ground control points and utilize an existing georeferenced orthomap to produce a georeferenced orthomap corresponding to the features of the new image. One or more embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods permit users to obtain georeference information related to new images without the need to place ground control points or collect additional georeference information.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2015Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Manlio Francisco Barajas Hernandez, Leonardo Felipe Romo Morales, David Chen, Sida Li
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Patent number: 9508263Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for generating a digital flight path within complex mission boundaries. In particular, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods generate flight legs that traverse a target site within mission boundaries. Moreover, one or more embodiments include systems and methods that utilize linking algorithms to connect the generated flight legs into a flight path. Moreover, one or more embodiments include systems and methods that generate a mission plan based on the flight path. In one or more embodiments, the generated mission plan enables a UAV to traverse a flight area within mission boundaries and capture aerial images with regard to the target site.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2015Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Yifei Teng, David Chen, Patrick Stuart
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Patent number: 9499265Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward systems and methods for autonomously landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In particular, systems and methods described herein enable a UAV to land within and interface with a UAV ground station (UAVGS). In particular, one or more embodiments described herein include systems and methods that enable a UAV to conveniently interface with and land within a UAV ground station (UAVGS). For example, one or more embodiments include a UAV that includes a landing base and landing frame that interfaces with a landing housing of a UAVGS.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2015Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Christian Sanz, Samuel Giles Miller, Jonathan Shyaun Noorani, Behrooze Sirang
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Patent number: 9448562Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed utilize acceleration information in landing an unmanned aerial vehicle. In particular, one or more embodiments include methods and systems that determine a UAV is landing, identify an acceleration spike relative to the UAV, and modify operation of the UAV while landing based on the acceleration spike. For example, in one or more embodiment, systems and methods identify an acceleration spike, compare the acceleration spike to a pattern indicative of contact with another object, and reduce the rate of rotation of rotors utilized by the UAV for flight based on the comparison of the acceleration spike to the pattern.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2015Date of Patent: September 20, 2016Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Behrooze Sirang, Stephan Brown
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Patent number: 9429953Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward systems and methods for enabling autonomous landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle. For example, systems and methods described herein enable autonomous landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle by providing an unmanned aerial vehicle ground station with various guidance systems for guiding the autonomous landing. In some embodiments, the guidance systems enable autonomous landing by providing one or more LEDs. In other embodiments, the guidance systems enable autonomous landing by providing various types of transmitted energy waves. In at least one embodiment, the guidance systems enable autonomous landing by providing a two-stage landing system that includes two or more types of transmitted energy.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2015Date of Patent: August 30, 2016Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Samuel Giles Miller, Christian Sanz, Behrooze Sirang, Jonathan Shyaun Noorani
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Patent number: 9389084Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward systems and methods for identifying changes to a target site based on aerial images of the target site. For example, systems and methods described herein generate representations of the target site based on aerial photographs provided by an unmanned aerial vehicle. In one or more embodiments, systems and method described herein identify differences between the generated representations in order to detect changes that have occurred at the target site.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2015Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: David Chen, Ambar Pansari, Christian Sanz, Leonardo Felipe Romo Morales
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Patent number: D766159Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2015Date of Patent: September 13, 2016Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Jonathan Shyaun Noorani, Samuel Giles Miller
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Patent number: D781772Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2015Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: SKYCATCH, INC.Inventors: Christian Sanz, Samuel Giles Miller