First-person viewer for unmanned vehicles
View Patent ↗A remote control unit of an unmanned vehicle comprises a first communications subsystem, a processor, and a graphics processor. The first communications subsystem may be operable to receive sensor data via a first communication link between the remote control unit and the unmanned vehicle. The processor may be operable to determine a position and orientation of the unmanned vehicle based on the sensor data. The first communication subsystem may be operable to receive, via a second communication link between the remote control unit and the unmanned vehicle, a live first-person view from a camera of the unmanned vehicle. The graphics processor may be operable to generate a virtual first-person view from apriori data based on the sensor data. The processor may be operable to determine whether to present said live first-person view or said virtual first-person view based on signal quality of said second communication link.
1. A system comprising:
a remote control unit of an unmanned vehicle, the remote control unit comprising:
a first communication subsystem operable to:
receive sensor data via a first communication link between said remote control unit and said unmanned vehicle; and
receive a live first-person view from a camera of said unmanned vehicle via a second communication link between said remote control unit and said unmanned vehicle;
a graphics processor operable to generate a virtual first-person view from apriori data based on said sensor data; and
a processor operable to:
determine a position and orientation of said unmanned vehicle based on said sensor data;
determine whether to present said live first-person view or said virtual first-person view on a user interface of said control unit based on signal quality of said second communication link, said signal quality determined by signal-to-noise ratio and/or bit error rate;
determine to present said virtual first-person view when said signal quality is below a determined threshold; and
determine to present said live first-person view when said signal quality is above said determined threshold; and
wherein said remote control unit is operable to receive differences between said virtual first-person view and said live first-person view determined and transmitted by circuitry of said unmanned vehicle.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said sensor data comprises data from one or both of: data from a global navigation system satellite receiver onboard said unmanned vehicle, and data from a telemeter onboard said unmanned vehicle.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
said first communication link provides a higher likelihood of a desired data rate and latency compared to said second communication link.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said apriori data comprises topographical data.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said apriori data comprises a photograph previously captured from said position.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said communication subsystem is operable to adjust bandwidth of said second communication link based on a travel speed of said unmanned vehicle.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said processor is operable to predict said position and orientation of said unmanned vehicle based on said sensor data.
8. The system of claim 1 , comprising circuitry of said unmanned vehicle operable to generate said virtual first-person view from said apriori data based on said sensor data.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry of said unmanned vehicle is operable to encode said differences between said virtual first-person view and said live first-person view into a data block.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said circuitry of said unmanned vehicle is operable to transmit said data block via said second communication link.
11. The system of claim 1 , comprising a second communication subsystem operable to retrieve said apriori data from a network database.
12. A method comprising:
in a remote control unit of an unmanned vehicle:
receiving sensor data via a first communication link between said remote control unit and said unmanned vehicle;
receiving a live first-person view from a camera of said unmanned vehicle via a second communication link between said remote control unit and said unmanned vehicle;
determining a position and orientation of said unmanned vehicle based on said sensor data;
generating a virtual first-person view from apriori data based on said sensor data;
determining whether to present said live first-person view or said virtual first-person view on a user interface of said control unit based on signal quality of said second communication link, said signal quality determined by signal-to-noise ratio and/or bit error rate;
receiving differences between said virtual first-person view and said live first-person view determined and transmitted by circuitry of said unmanned vehicle;
determining to present said virtual first-person view when said signal quality is below a determined threshold; and
determining to present said live first-person view when said signal quality is above said determined threshold.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said sensor data comprises data from one or both of: data from a global navigation system satellite receiver onboard said unmanned vehicle, and data from a telemeter onboard said unmanned vehicle.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
said first communication link provides a higher likelihood of a desired data rate and latency than said second communication link.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein said apriori data comprises topographical data.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein said apriori data comprises photographs previously-captured from said position.
17. The method of claim 12 , comprising adjusting bandwidth of said second communication link based on a travel speed of said unmanned vehicle.
18. The method of claim 12 , comprising predicting a position and orientation of said unmanned vehicle based on said sensor data.