Patents by Inventor Benjamin Tankersley
Benjamin Tankersley has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11981430Abstract: An aerial vehicle, comprising: one or more motors, one or more sensors, and a flight sub-system. The one or more sensors configured to detect data. The flight sub-system includes an attitude controller module; a rate controller module; and a compensator module. The compensator module is configured to: determine a maximum RPM of the one or more motors or a maximum torque of the one or more motors; receive a torque vector from the rate controller module; determine a rotational speed of the one or more motors to generate a desired flight orientation based upon the torque vector; and consider sensor data from the one or more sensors to adjust the rotational speed of the one or more motors.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2023Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
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Patent number: 11934207Abstract: Disclosed is a configuration of an autonomous vehicle for autonomously following a moving subject based on a radius of a virtual sphere surrounding the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be an unmanned ground vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle, which autonomously follows the subject (e.g., a device, a live entity, or any object) based on the virtual sphere. The radius of the virtual sphere may be dynamically configured according to a velocity of the autonomous vehicle or configurations of a camera coupled to the autonomous vehicle. Accordingly, the autonomous vehicle can follow the subject along a smooth trajectory, and capture images of abrupt movements of the subject in a cinematically pleasing manner.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
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Patent number: 11899447Abstract: An aerial vehicle comprises one or more sensors to environmental data, a communication system to receive control inputs from a user, two or more actuators, with each actuator coupled to a rotary wing. The aerial vehicle also comprises a controller to determine a mode of the aerial vehicle based on the environmental data and the control inputs, each mode indicating a set of flight characteristics for the aerial vehicle, generate a gain value based on the mode, the gain value, when used to modify power signals transmitted to actuators of the aerial vehicle, causes the aerial vehicle to conform within the indicated flight characteristics of the determined mode, generate an output signal modified by the gain value based on the input signal, and transmit a power signal based on the output signal to each actuator of the aerial vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2021Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventors: Benjamin Tankersley, Joseph Anthony Enke, Donald Allen Severns
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Publication number: 20230271702Abstract: An aerial vehicle, comprising: one or more motors, one or more sensors, and a flight sub-system. The one or more sensors configured to detect data. The flight sub-system includes an attitude controller module; a rate controller module; and a compensator module. The compensator module is configured to: determine a maximum RPM of the one or more motors or a maximum torque of the one or more motors; receive a torque vector from the rate controller module; determine a rotational speed of the one or more motors to generate a desired flight orientation based upon the torque vector; and consider sensor data from the one or more sensors to adjust the rotational speed of the one or more motors.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2023Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
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Patent number: 11673665Abstract: A controller system of an aerial vehicle may receive environmental data from one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle and adjusts limits of the aerial vehicle given the environmental conditions. When the aerial vehicle receives an input, such as a flight input from a remote controller or an environmental input such as a gust of wind, the controller system calculates appropriate motor inputs that are provided to the thrust motors of the aerial vehicle such that the adjusted limits of the aerial vehicle are not exceeded. In calculating the appropriate input to the thrust motors, the controller system performs an iterative process. For example, for a given maximum torque that can be applied to the thrust motors, the controller system iteratively allocates the torque such that torque components that are important for the stability of the aerial are first fulfilled, whereas subsequent torque components may be fulfilled or scaled back.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2021Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
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Publication number: 20220291699Abstract: Disclosed is a configuration of an autonomous vehicle for autonomously following a moving subject based on a radius of a virtual sphere surrounding the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be an unmanned ground vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle, which autonomously follows the subject (e.g., a device, a live entity, or any object) based on the virtual sphere. The radius of the virtual sphere may be dynamically configured according to a velocity of the autonomous vehicle or configurations of a camera coupled to the autonomous vehicle. Accordingly, the autonomous vehicle can follow the subject along a smooth trajectory, and capture images of abrupt movements of the subject in a cinematically pleasing manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2022Publication date: September 15, 2022Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
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Patent number: 11372429Abstract: Disclosed is a configuration of an autonomous vehicle for autonomously following a moving subject based on a radius of a virtual sphere surrounding the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be an unmanned ground vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle, which autonomously follows the subject (e.g., a device, a live entity, or any object) based on the virtual sphere. The radius of the virtual sphere may be dynamically configured according to a velocity of the autonomous vehicle or configurations of a camera coupled to the autonomous vehicle. Accordingly, the autonomous vehicle can follow the subject along a smooth trajectory, and capture images of abrupt movements of the subject in a cinematically pleasing manner.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2020Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
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Publication number: 20220066439Abstract: An aerial vehicle comprises one or more sensors to environmental data, a communication system to receive control inputs from a user, two or more actuators, with each actuator coupled to a rotary wing. The aerial vehicle also comprises a controller to determine a mode of the aerial vehicle based on the environmental data and the control inputs, each mode indicating a set of flight characteristics for the aerial vehicle, generate a gain value based on the mode, the gain value, when used to modify power signals transmitted to actuators of the aerial vehicle, causes the aerial vehicle to conform within the indicated flight characteristics of the determined mode, generate an output signal modified by the gain value based on the input signal, and transmit a power signal based on the output signal to each actuator of the aerial vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2021Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Benjamin Tankersley, Joseph Anthony Enke, Donald Allen Severns
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Publication number: 20210354822Abstract: A controller system of an aerial vehicle may receive environmental data from one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle and adjusts limits of the aerial vehicle given the environmental conditions. When the aerial vehicle receives an input, such as a flight input from a remote controller or an environmental input such as a gust of wind, the controller system calculates appropriate motor inputs that are provided to the thrust motors of the aerial vehicle such that the adjusted limits of the aerial vehicle are not exceeded. In calculating the appropriate input to the thrust motors, the controller system performs an iterative process. For example, for a given maximum torque that can be applied to the thrust motors, the controller system iteratively allocates the torque such that torque components that are important for the stability of the aerial are first fulfilled, whereas subsequent torque components may be fulfilled or scaled back.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2021Publication date: November 18, 2021Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
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Patent number: 11169516Abstract: An aerial vehicle comprises one or more sensors to environmental data, a communication system to receive control inputs from a user, two or more actuators, with each actuator coupled to a rotary wing. The aerial vehicle also comprises a controller to determine a mode of the aerial vehicle based on the environmental data and the control inputs, each mode indicating a set of flight characteristics for the aerial vehicle, generate a gain value based on the mode, the gain value, when used to modify power signals transmitted to actuators of the aerial vehicle, causing the aerial vehicle to conform within the indicated flight characteristics of the determined mode, generate an output signal modified by the gain value based on the input signal, and transmit a power signal based on the output signal to each actuator of the aerial vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2017Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventors: Benjamin Tankersley, Joseph Anthony Enke, Donald Allen Severns
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Patent number: 11021248Abstract: A controller system of an aerial vehicle may receive environmental data from one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle and adjusts limits of the aerial vehicle given the environmental conditions. When the aerial vehicle receives an input, such as a flight input from a remote controller or an environmental input such as a gust of wind, the controller system calculates appropriate motor inputs that are provided to the thrust motors of the aerial vehicle such that the adjusted limits of the aerial vehicle are not exceeded. In calculating the appropriate input to the thrust motors, the controller system performs an iterative process. For example, for a given maximum torque that can be applied to the thrust motors, the controller system iteratively allocates the torque such that torque components that are important for the stability of the aerial are first fulfilled, whereas subsequent torque components may be fulfilled or scaled back.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2019Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
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Publication number: 20200387177Abstract: Disclosed is a configuration of an autonomous vehicle for autonomously following a moving subject based on a radius of a virtual sphere surrounding the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be an unmanned ground vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle, which autonomously follows the subject (e.g., a device, a live entity, or any object) based on the virtual sphere. The radius of the virtual sphere may be dynamically configured according to a velocity of the autonomous vehicle or configurations of a camera coupled to the autonomous vehicle. Accordingly, the autonomous vehicle can follow the subject along a smooth trajectory, and capture images of abrupt movements of the subject in a cinematically pleasing manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2020Publication date: December 10, 2020Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
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Patent number: 10671096Abstract: Disclosed is a configuration of an autonomous vehicle for autonomously following a moving subject based on a radius of a virtual sphere surrounding the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be an unmanned ground vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle, which autonomously follows the subject (e.g., a device, a live entity, or any object) based on the virtual sphere. The radius of the virtual sphere may be dynamically configured according to a velocity of the autonomous vehicle or configurations of a camera coupled to the autonomous vehicle. Accordingly, the autonomous vehicle can follow the subject along a smooth trajectory, and capture images of abrupt movements of the subject in a cinematically pleasing manner.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2019Date of Patent: June 2, 2020Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
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Publication number: 20200062397Abstract: A controller system of an aerial vehicle may receive environmental data from one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle and adjusts limits of the aerial vehicle given the environmental conditions. When the aerial vehicle receives an input, such as a flight input from a remote controller or an environmental input such as a gust of wind, the controller system calculates appropriate motor inputs that are provided to the thrust motors of the aerial vehicle such that the adjusted limits of the aerial vehicle are not exceeded. In calculating the appropriate input to the thrust motors, the controller system performs an iterative process. For example, for a given maximum torque that can be applied to the thrust motors, the controller system iteratively allocates the torque such that torque components that are important for the stability of the aerial are first fulfilled, whereas subsequent torque components may be fulfilled or scaled back.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2019Publication date: February 27, 2020Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
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Patent number: 10464670Abstract: A controller system of an aerial vehicle may receive environmental data from one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle and adjusts limits of the aerial vehicle given the environmental conditions. When the aerial vehicle receives an input, such as a flight input from a remote controller or an environmental input such as a gust of wind, the controller system calculates appropriate motor inputs that are provided to the thrust motors of the aerial vehicle such that the adjusted limits of the aerial vehicle are not exceeded. In calculating the appropriate input to the thrust motors, the controller system performs an iterative process. For example, for a given maximum torque that can be applied to the thrust motors, the controller system iteratively allocates the torque such that torque components that are important for the stability of the aerial are first fulfilled, whereas subsequent torque components may be fulfilled or scaled back.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2017Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
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Publication number: 20190317531Abstract: Disclosed is a configuration of an autonomous vehicle for autonomously following a moving subject based on a radius of a virtual sphere surrounding the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be an unmanned ground vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle, which autonomously follows the subject (e.g., a device, a live entity, or any object) based on the virtual sphere. The radius of the virtual sphere may be dynamically configured according to a velocity of the autonomous vehicle or configurations of a camera coupled to the autonomous vehicle. Accordingly, the autonomous vehicle can follow the subject along a smooth trajectory, and capture images of abrupt movements of the subject in a cinematically pleasing manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2019Publication date: October 17, 2019Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
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Patent number: 10317915Abstract: Disclosed is a configuration of an autonomous vehicle for autonomously following a moving subject based on a radius of a virtual sphere surrounding the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be an unmanned ground vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle, which autonomously follows the subject (e.g., a device, a live entity, or any object) based on the virtual sphere. The radius of the virtual sphere may be dynamically configured according to a velocity of the autonomous vehicle or configurations of a camera coupled to the autonomous vehicle. Accordingly, the autonomous vehicle can follow the subject along a smooth trajectory, and capture images of abrupt movements of the subject in a cinematically pleasing manner.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2017Date of Patent: June 11, 2019Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
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Publication number: 20180356842Abstract: Disclosed is a configuration of an autonomous vehicle for autonomously following a moving subject based on a radius of a virtual sphere surrounding the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be an unmanned ground vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle, which autonomously follows the subject (e.g., a device, a live entity, or any object) based on the virtual sphere. The radius of the virtual sphere may be dynamically configured according to a velocity of the autonomous vehicle or configurations of a camera coupled to the autonomous vehicle. Accordingly, the autonomous vehicle can follow the subject along a smooth trajectory, and capture images of abrupt movements of the subject in a cinematically pleasing manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2017Publication date: December 13, 2018Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
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Publication number: 20180239353Abstract: A controller system of an aerial vehicle may receive environmental data from one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle and adjusts limits of the aerial vehicle given the environmental conditions. When the aerial vehicle receives an input, such as a flight input from a remote controller or an environmental input such as a gust of wind, the controller system calculates appropriate motor inputs that are provided to the thrust motors of the aerial vehicle such that the adjusted limits of the aerial vehicle are not exceeded. In calculating the appropriate input to the thrust motors, the controller system performs an iterative process. For example, for a given maximum torque that can be applied to the thrust motors, the controller system iteratively allocates the torque such that torque components that are important for the stability of the aerial are first fulfilled, whereas subsequent torque components may be fulfilled or scaled back.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2017Publication date: August 23, 2018Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
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Publication number: 20180081351Abstract: An aerial vehicle comprises one or more sensors to environmental data, a communication system to receive control inputs from a user, two or more actuators, with each actuator coupled to a rotary wing. The aerial vehicle also comprises a controller to determine a mode of the aerial vehicle based on the environmental data and the control inputs, each mode indicating a set of flight characteristics for the aerial vehicle, generate a gain value based on the mode, the gain value, when used to modify power signals transmitted to actuators of the aerial vehicle, causes the aerial vehicle to conform within the indicated flight characteristics of the determined mode, generate an output signal modified by the gain value based on the input signal, and transmit a power signal based on the output signal to each actuator of the aerial vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2017Publication date: March 22, 2018Inventors: Benjamin Tankersley, Joseph Anthony Enke, Donald Allen Severns