Patents by Inventor Dan Christiansen

Dan Christiansen 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).

  • Publication number: 20180165503
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may utilize one or more scanning techniques to provide useful assessments and/or reports for structures and other objects. The scanning techniques may be performed in sequence and optionally used to further fine tune each subsequent scan. The system may include shadow elimination, annotation, and/or reduction for the UAV itself and/or other objects. A UAV may be used to determine a pitch of roof of a structure. The pitch of the roof may be used to fine tune subsequent scanning and data capture to capture perpendicular images of target field of views and/or target distances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Leif Larson, Jim Loveland, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen
  • Publication number: 20180165505
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may utilize one or more scanning techniques to provide useful assessments and/or reports for structures and other objects. The scanning techniques may be performed in sequence and optionally used to further fine tune each subsequent scan. The system may include shadow elimination, annotation, and/or reduction for the UAV itself and/or other objects. A UAV may receive or determine a pitch of roof of a structure. The pitch of the roof may be used to capture perpendicular images of sample regions that have a defined area-squared.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Jim Loveland, Leif Larson, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen
  • Patent number: 9996746
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may utilize one or more scanning techniques to provide useful assessments and/or reports for structures and other objects. The scanning techniques may be performed in sequence and optionally used to further fine tune each subsequent scan. The system may include shadow elimination, annotation, and/or reduction for the UAV itself and/or other objects. A UAV may be used to determine a pitch of roof of a structure. The pitch of the roof may be used to fine tune subsequent scanning and data capture to capture perpendicular images of target field of views and/or target distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Loveland Innovations, LLC
    Inventors: Leif Larson, Jim Loveland, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen
  • Publication number: 20180130196
    Abstract: An unmanned autonomous vehicle (aerial or ground) assessment and reporting system may conduct micro scans of interior portions of a structure, such as walls, windows, doorways, stairs, and the like. Scan data from one or more sensor types may be compared with stored profile data from a library of profiles using computer vision or other matching techniques to identify characteristics, defects, damage, construction materials, etc. An adaptive response system may modify the types of sensors used for scanning and/or the scanning pattern itself based on matched profile data. Modifications to the scanning process are implemented in real-time based on identified characteristics of the interior portions of the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Jim Loveland, Leif Larson, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen
  • Publication number: 20180130361
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may conduct micro scans of a wide variety of property types. A risk zone within which the UAV may navigate during the micro scan may include a plurality of virtual tags that identify navigational hazards relevant to the navigation of the UAV at a specific location or specify scan actions to be implemented while the UAV is at the specific location. Scan data from any of a wide variety of sensor types may be compared with profile data using computer vision techniques to identify characteristics, defects, damage, construction materials, and the like. A rule set evaluator may evaluate tags and/or matched profile data to determine adaptive actions to modify the navigation or scanning process of the UAV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Jim Loveland, Leif Larson, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen
  • Publication number: 20180129856
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may utilize one or more scanning techniques to provide useful assessments and/or reports for structures and other objects. The scanning techniques may be performed in sequence and optionally used to further fine tune each subsequent scan. The system may include shadow elimination, annotation, and/or reduction for the UAV itself and/or other objects. A UAV may be used to determine a pitch of roof of a structure. The pitch of the roof may be used to fine tune subsequent scanning and data capture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Leif Larson, Jim Loveland, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen
  • Patent number: 9965965
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may conduct micro scans of a wide variety of property types. A risk zone within which the UAV may navigate during the micro scan may include a plurality of virtual tags that identify navigational hazards relevant to the navigation of the UAV at a specific location or specify scan actions to be implemented while the UAV is at the specific location. Scan data from any of a wide variety of sensor types may be compared with profile data using computer vision techniques to identify characteristics, defects, damage, construction materials, and the like. A rule set evaluator may evaluate tags and/or matched profile data to determine adaptive actions to modify the navigation or scanning process of the UAV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Loveland, Inc.
    Inventors: Jim Loveland, Leif Larson, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen
  • Patent number: 9886632
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may utilize one or more scanning techniques to provide useful assessments and/or reports for structures and other objects. The scanning techniques may be performed in sequence and optionally used to further fine tune each subsequent scan. The system may include shadow elimination, annotation, and/or reduction for the UAV itself and/or other objects. A UAV may be used to determine a pitch of roof of a structure. The pitch of the roof may be used to fine tune subsequent scanning and data capture to capture perpendicular images at target fields of view and/or target distances to capture images of sample regions having defined square footage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Inventors: Jim Loveland, Leif Larson, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen
  • Patent number: 9823658
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may conduct micro scans of a wide variety of property types. A risk zone within which the UAV may navigate during the micro scan may include a plurality of virtual tags that identify navigational hazards relevant to the navigation of the UAV at a specific location or specify scan actions to be implemented while the UAV is at the specific location. Scan data from any of a wide variety of sensor types may be compared with profile data using computer vision techniques to identify characteristics, defects, damage, construction materials, and the like. A rule set evaluator may evaluate tags and/or matched profile data to determine adaptive actions to modify the navigation or scanning process of the UAV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Loveland Innovations, LLC
    Inventors: Jim Loveland, Leif Larson, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen
  • Patent number: 9805261
    Abstract: An unmanned autonomous vehicle assessment and reporting system may conduct patch scan analyses of a roof. Damage points on the roof may be evaluated for severity and assigned a severity value. A remediation status may be objectively developed for one or more faces of the roof based on the number of damage points within a patch region of a defined size and the severity value of each of the damage points within the patch region. A visualization system may overlay markings, such as color-coded markings, to display a representation of a roof, patch regions, damage points, and/or severity values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Inventors: Jim Loveland, Leif Larson, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen
  • Patent number: 9734397
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may utilize one or more scanning techniques to provide useful assessments and/or reports for structures and other objects. The scanning techniques may be performed in sequence and optionally used to further fine tune each subsequent scan. The system may include shadow elimination, annotation, and/or reduction for the UAV itself and/or other objects. A UAV may be used to determine a pitch of roof of a structure. The pitch of the roof may be used to fine tune subsequent scanning and data capture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Loveland Innovations, LLC
    Inventors: Leif Larson, Jim Loveland, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen
  • Patent number: 9639960
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may utilize one or more scanning techniques to provide useful assessments and/or reports for structures and other objects. The scanning techniques may be performed in sequence and optionally used to further fine tune each subsequent scan. A first image may be a nadir image in some embodiments. A boustrophedonic scan of the area may include images captured during a boustrophedonic flight pattern within a first altitude range. Distances to an underlying surface (e.g., ground or structure) may also be determined. A loop scan of the structure may be performed at a second flight pattern in which the UAV travels around the perimeter of the structure. A micro scan of the structure in a third flight pattern may include vertical approaches proximate the structure to capture detail images of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Loveland Innovations, LLC
    Inventors: Jim Loveland, Leif Larson, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen, Cam Christiansen