IP Library Granted Patent US 12,694,617
Granted Patent B2
US 12,694,617 · App. 17/860,679 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

System and methods for improved aerial mapping with aerial vehicles

Inventors: Jonathan James Millin (Santa Clara, CA); Nicholas Pilkington (Santa Clara, CA); Devin Lane (Santa Clara, CA); Christopher Sullivan (Santa Clara, CA); Michael Winn (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: DroneDeploy, Inc.
G06T17/05G01C11/34G05D1/0094G05D1/689G06V20/13G08G5/21G08G5/26G08G5/32G08G5/55G08G5/57G08G5/59G08G5/74B64U2101/32
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,694,617
App. No.
17/860,679
Filed
Jul 8, 2022
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2483
USPC
348/312
Abstract

A method for image generation, preferably including: generating a set of mission parameters for a UAV mission of the UAV associated with aerial scanning of a region of interest; controlling the UAV to perform the mission; generating an image subassembly corresponding to the mission; and/or rendering the image subassembly at a display.

Claims (54)

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a frame of a region of interest captured by a camera of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

determining a respective quality metric for each band of a plurality of bands of the frame;

determining whether each band is to be incorporated into a subassembly of frames, based on the respective quality metric for each band of the plurality of bands of the frame; and

incorporating only bands of the frame that include quality metrics above a threshold quality metric into the subassembly of frames.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether data associated with the frame is corrupted,

wherein the determining whether each band of the frame is to be incorporated into the subassembly of frames comprises determining whether each band of the frame is to be incorporated into the subassembly of frames, based on determining whether the data associated with the frame is corrupted.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

decompressing the frame,

wherein the incorporating only the bands of the frame that include quality metrics above the threshold quality metric into the subassembly of frames comprises incorporating only the bands of the frame that include quality metrics above the threshold quality metric into the subassembly of frames, based on decompressing the frame.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a reduced number of pixels from the frame; and

performing feature tracking using the reduced number of pixels from the frame.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing the subassembly of frames to an electronic device of a user to render the region of interest in near-real time at a display of the electronic device.

6 . A device comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:

receiving a frame of a region of interest captured by a camera of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

determining a respective quality metric for each band of a plurality of bands of the frame;

determining whether each band is to be incorporated into a subassembly of frames, based on the respective quality metric for each band of the plurality of bands of the frame; and

incorporating only bands of the frame that include quality metrics above a threshold quality metric into the subassembly of frames.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether data associated with the frame is corrupted,

wherein the determining whether each band of the frame is to be incorporated into the subassembly of frames comprises determining whether each band of the frame is to be incorporated into the subassembly of frames, based on determining whether the data associated with the frame is corrupted.

8 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:

decompressing the frame,

wherein the incorporating only the bands of the frame that include quality metrics above the threshold quality metric into the subassembly of frames comprises incorporating only the bands of the frame that include quality metrics above the threshold quality metric into the subassembly of frames, based on decompressing the frame.

9 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting a reduced number of pixels from the frame; and

performing feature tracking using the reduced number of pixels from the frame.

10 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:

providing the subassembly of frames to an electronic device of a user to render the region of interest in near-real time at a display of the electronic device.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform operations comprising:

receiving a frame of a region of interest captured by a camera of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

determining a respective quality metric for each band of a plurality of bands of the frame;

determining whether each band is to be incorporated into a subassembly of frames, based on the respective quality metric for each band of the plurality of bands of the frame; and

incorporating only bands of the frame that include quality metrics above a threshold quality metric into the subassembly of frames.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether data associated with the frame is corrupted,

wherein the determining whether each band of the frame is to be incorporated into the subassembly of frames comprises determining whether each band of the frame is to be incorporated into the subassembly of frames, based on determining whether the data associated with the frame is corrupted.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:

decompressing the frame, wherein the incorporating only the bands of the frame that include quality metrics above the threshold quality metric into the subassembly of frames comprises incorporating only the bands of the frame that include quality metrics above the threshold quality metric into the subassembly of frames, based on decompressing the frame.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 ,

providing the subassembly of frames to an electronic device of a user to render the region of interest in near-real time at a display of the electronic device.

15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each band of the plurality of bands is normal to a velocity vector of the UAV at a time of capture of the band.

16 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the selecting the reduced number of pixels of the frame comprises selecting pixels at an edge of the frame.

17 . The device of claim 6 , wherein each band of the plurality of bands is normal to a velocity vector of the UAV at a time of capture of the band.

18 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the selecting the reduced number of pixels of the frame comprises selecting pixels at an edge of the frame.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein each band of the plurality of bands is normal to a velocity vector of the UAV at a time of capture of the band.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting a reduced number of pixels from the frame; and

performing feature tracking using the reduced number of pixels from the frame wherein the selecting the reduced number of pixels of the frame comprises selecting pixels at an edge of the frame.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 3, 2025
From: DRONEDEPLOY, INC.; STRUCTIONSITE, INC.
To: HERCULES CAPITAL, INC., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 072147/0547 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2023
From: DRONEDEPLOY, INC.
To: HERCULES CAPITAL, INC., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 064958/0425 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2022
From: MILLIN, JONATHAN JAMES; PILKINGTON, NICHOLAS; LANE, DEVIN; SULLIVAN, CHRISTOPHER; WINN, MICHAEL
To: INFATICS, INC. (DBA DRONEDEPLOY)
Reel/Frame 060545/0829 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 19, 2022
From: INFATICS, INC.
To: DRONEDEPLOY, INC.
Reel/Frame 060727/0045 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17382747 · Jul 22, 2021
Continuation 16805415 · Feb 28, 2020
Continuation 15887832 · Feb 2, 2018
Provisional Application 62453926 · Feb 2, 2017
Related Publication 20220343598A1 · Oct 27, 2022
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