Abstract: Navigating a UAV, including receiving in a remote control device a user's selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, the pixel having a location on the GUI; mapping the pixel's location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint; receiving downlink telemetry, including a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV, from the UAV through a socket on the remote control device; calculating a heading in dependence upon the starting position, the coordinates of the waypoint, and a navigation algorithm; identifying flight control instructions for flying the UAV on the heading; and transmitting uplink telemetry, including the flight control instructions, through the socket to the UAV. In some embodiments the UAV is piloted, under control of a navigation computer on the UAV, from the starting position to the waypoint in accordance with a navigation algorithm.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a method for navigating a UAV. Such embodiments include receiving in a remote control device a user's selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation. The pixel has a location on the GUI. Such embodiments also include mapping the pixel's location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint, transmitting the coordinates of the waypoint to the UAV, reading a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV, and piloting the UAV, under control of a navigation computer on the UAV, from the starting position to the waypoint in accordance with a navigation algorithm.

Abstract: Navigating a UAV, including receiving in a remote control device a user's selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, the pixel having a location on the GUI; mapping the pixel's location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint; receiving a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV; calculating a heading in dependence upon the starting position, the coordinates of the waypoint, and a navigation algorithm; identifying flight control instructions for flying the UAV on the heading; and transmitting the flight control instructions from the remote control device to the UAV.

Abstract: Navigating a UAV including receiving in a remote control device a user's selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, mapping the pixel's location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint, transmitting the coordinates of the waypoint to the UAV, reading a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV, and piloting the UAV, under control of a navigation computer on the UAV, from the starting position to the waypoint in accordance with a navigation algorithm. While piloting the UAV from the starting position to the waypoint, such embodiments include reading from the GPS receiver a sequence of GPS data representing a flight path of the UAV, and depicting the flight of the UAV with 3D computer graphics, including a computer graphic display of a satellite image of the Earth, in dependence upon the GPS data.

Abstract: Navigating a UAV including receiving in a remote control device a user's selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, mapping the pixel's location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint, transmitting the coordinates of the waypoint to the UAV, reading a starting position from a GPS receiver on the UAV, piloting the UAV, under control of a navigation computer on the UAV, from the starting position to the waypoint in accordance with a navigation algorithm, and changing from piloting the UAV under control of a navigation computer on the UAV to piloting the UAV under manual control. While piloting the UAV under manual control, reading from the GPS receiver a sequence of GPS data representing a flight path of the UAV, and depicting the flight of the UAV with 3D computer graphics.

Abstract: Navigating a UAV including orbiting a waypoint including defining four bracket lines surrounding a waypoint, flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments; selecting, a heading parallel to a bracket line in dependence upon an orbital direction; the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on a the heading; and repeatedly: flying the UAV from a course segment having coordinate values in a range into a course segment not having coordinate values in the range, wherein a bounding bracket line defines a boundary between the segments; and turning the UAV in the orbital direction to fly on a heading parallel to the bounding bracket line.