IP Library Granted Patent US 11,835,350
Granted Patent B2
US 11,835,350 · App. 17/356,470 · Granted Dec 5, 2023

Road network optimization based on vehicle telematics information

Inventors: Fabien Blanc-Paques (San Francisco, CA); Mark Christian (San Anselmo, CA); Donald Curry Weigel (Los Altos, CA)
Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
G01C21/3461B64C39/024G01C21/32G06V10/764G06V20/182G08G5/0034B64U2101/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,835,350
App. No.
17/356,470
Granted
Dec 5, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for determining asset efficiency. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) may be used to obtain aerial images of locations, property or structures. The aerial images may be geo-rectified, and a ortho-mosaic, digital surface model, or a point cloud may be created. In the context of an operation where mobile assets are used, such as construction or earth moving equipment, location-based event information may be obtained. The location-based event information may be used to determine road segment conditions or road topology where problematic road conditions likely exist.

Claims (69)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a computer readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media which, when executed by a processing system, direct the processing system to:

obtain aerial images representing real-world locations;

generate one or more segments based on the aerial images;

obtain historical event information for one or more vehicles that have traversed the one or more segments;

determine from the historical event information whether the one or more vehicles traversed the one or more segments in accordance with traversal criteria; and

in response to determining that at a first subset of the one or more vehicles did not traverse the one or more segments in accordance with the traversal criteria:

generate instructions for at least a second subset of the one or more vehicles to obtain updated sensor data associated with a segment of the one or more segments,

transmit the instructions to each vehicle of the second subset of the one or more vehicles,

receive the updated sensor data, and

update a portion of a road network based on the updated sensor data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to generate the one or more segments based on the aerial images comprises to:

generate the road network based on the aerial images; and

divide the road network into the one or more segments.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one or more segments comprise one or more road segments.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein

the updated sensor data includes at least one of digital images or LIDAR data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:

train a visual classifier with a data set of images of the actual physical road conditions;

receive a different set of images from the data set of images, wherein the different set of images depict a portion of a road associated with the road network; and

identify, with the visual classifier, a type of road condition found in the different set of images, wherein the type of road condition is at least one of pot holes, wash boarding, ruts, ditches, alligator cracking, block cracking, transverse cracking, edge cracks, joint reflection cracks, slippage cracks, depressions, shoving, upheaval, raveling, water pooling, snow, large rocks, obstacles, erosion, plant overgrowth, foliage overgrowth, uneven surfaces, or protrusions.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:

determine the traversal criteria for each of the one or more segments as a predefined traversal time based on a type of vehicle, wherein each type of vehicle has a particular traversal time for each of the one or more segments.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:

obtain operational data from the one or more vehicles, the operational data corresponding to the historical event information and comprising at least one of geospatial positions, time, or event data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:

present, via a user interface, the one or more segments.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:

responsive to determining that the one or more vehicles traversed the one or more segments in accordance with the traversal criteria, display, via the user interface, the one or more segments in a first configuration.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:

responsive to determining that the one or more vehicles traversed the one or more segments not in accordance with the traversal criteria, display, via the user interface, the one or more segments in a second configuration.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:

responsive to determining that a first set of the one or more vehicles traversed the one or more segments in accordance with to the traversal criteria and that a second set of the one or more vehicles traversed the one or more segments not in accordance with the traversal criteria, display, via the user interface, the first set in a first configuration and the second set in a second configuration.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the historical event information includes a unique identifier for each vehicle of the one or more vehicles.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the historical event information for a vehicle of the one or more vehicles includes at least one of a time of an event, geo-spatial location of the event, duration of the event, speed of the vehicle, fuel consumption of the vehicle, gear position of the vehicle, brake application, vehicle load information, shock absorber data, acceleration data, or deceleration data.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:

determine the traversal criteria based on a road geometry for a particular segment of the one or more segments, wherein the road geometry is based on at least one of cross-falls, center line, superelevation, road width, grade, radius, switch backs, 2-ways, n-ways, or rimpull curves.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:

generate a flight plan for an unmanned aerial vehicle based on at least one of an inspection area associated with the one or more segments or a location of a condition associated with the one or more segments; and

provide the flight plan to the unmanned aerial vehicle or to a ground control station operable to control the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform the flight plan.

16. A system comprising:

a road network vehicle optimization interface module configured to:

obtain aerial images representing real-world locations,

generate one or more road segments based on the aerial images,

obtain historical event information for one or more vehicles that have traversed the one or more road segments,

determine that the one or more vehicles traversed the one or more road segments at a range or value in accordance with a traversal criterion based on the historical event information; and

in response to the determination:

generate instructions for at least some of the one or more vehicles to obtain updated sensor data associated with a segment of the one or more road segments,

transmit the instructions to the at least some of the one or more vehicles, receive the updated sensor data, and

update a portion of a road network based on the updated sensor data; and

an asset efficiency user interface module configured to display the one or more road segments.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the road network vehicle optimization interface module is further configured to:

determine the traversal criterion for each of the one or more road segments as a predefined traversal time based on a type of vehicle, wherein each type of vehicle has a particular traversal time for each of the one or more road segments.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the road network vehicle optimization interface module is further configured to:

generate a flight plan for an unmanned aerial vehicle based on the one or more road segments; and

provide the flight plan to the unmanned aerial vehicle or to a ground control station operable to control the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform the flight plan.

19. A method comprising:

generating one or more segments based on aerial images obtained from an unmanned aerial vehicle;

obtaining historical information for one or more vehicles that have traversed the one or more segments; and

determining from the historical information that at least some of the one or more vehicles did not traverse at least one of the one or more segments in accordance with traversal criteria; and

in response to determining from the historical information that the at least some of the one or more vehicles did not traverse the at least one of the one or more segments in accordance with the traversal criterion:

generating a flight plan for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the one or more segments, and

providing the flight plan to the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform the flight plan.

20. The method of claim 19 , comprising:

generating, in response to the determining from the historical information, instructions for the one or more vehicles to obtain sensor data describing actual physical road conditions associated with a segment of the one or more segments;

transmitting the instructions to the one or more vehicles;

receiving the sensor data obtained from the one or more vehicles; and

updating a portion of a road network based on the sensor data.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 21, 2025
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK, A DIVISION OF FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
To: SKYDIO, INC.
Reel/Frame 072107/0066 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 21, 2025
From: HERCULES CAPITAL, INC.
To: SKYDIO, INC.
Reel/Frame 072128/0698 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 9, 2021
From: SKYDIO, INC.
To: HERCULES CAPITAL, INC., AS COLLATERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 058081/0677 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2021
From: SKYDIO, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 058053/0768 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15917397 · Mar 9, 2018
Provisional Application 62470078 · Mar 10, 2017
Related Publication 20210396530A1 · Dec 23, 2021