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).

  • Patent number: 11981430
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
  • Patent number: 11934207
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
  • Patent number: 11899447
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Tankersley, Joseph Anthony Enke, Donald Allen Severns
  • Publication number: 20230271702
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
  • Patent number: 11673665
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
  • Publication number: 20220291699
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
  • Patent number: 11372429
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
  • Publication number: 20220066439
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin Tankersley, Joseph Anthony Enke, Donald Allen Severns
  • Publication number: 20210354822
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
  • Patent number: 11169516
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Tankersley, Joseph Anthony Enke, Donald Allen Severns
  • Patent number: 11021248
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
  • Publication number: 20200387177
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
  • Patent number: 10671096
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
  • Publication number: 20200062397
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
  • Patent number: 10464670
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
  • Publication number: 20190317531
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
  • Patent number: 10317915
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
  • Publication number: 20180356842
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventor: Benjamin Tankersley
  • Publication number: 20180239353
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau
  • Publication number: 20180081351
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Benjamin Tankersley, Joseph Anthony Enke, Donald Allen Severns