IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,472,549
Granted Patent B2
US 11,472,549 · App. 15/858,232 · Granted Oct 18, 2022

Automatic location-based UAV mission plan loading

Inventor: Eric Taipale (Minneapolis, MN)
Assignee: Sentera, Inc.
B64C39/024G05D1/0088G05D1/0202G05D1/101G08G5/006G08G5/0013G08G5/0026G08G5/0034G08G5/0069G08G5/0082B64C2201/127B64C2201/146
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,472,549
App. No.
15/858,232
Granted
Oct 18, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method may include determining a location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); generating a set of mission plans based on the location of the UAV, each mission plan including respective mission plan parameters; receiving a selection of a mission plan of the set of mission plans; obtaining mission plan parameters for the selected mission plan; and transmitting the obtained mission plan parameters to the UAV to configure the UAV according to the obtained mission parameters.

Claims (40)

1. A method comprising:

determining a location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); at a location separate from the UAV, generating a set of two or more mission plans based on the location of the UAV, the mission plans are obtained from a plurality of stored possible mission plans, each stored possible mission plan including respective mission plan parameters, the mission plan parameters including flight plan data used by the UAV for navigation;

receiving a user selection of a mission plan from the set of two or more mission plans; obtaining the mission plan parameters including the flight plan data for the selected mission plan;

transmitting the obtained mission plan parameters including the flight plan data from a location separate from the UAV to the UAV to configure the UAV according to the obtained mission plan parameters including the flight plan data;

wherein generating the set of two or more mission plans based on the location of the UAV comprises:

accessing a data store containing the stored possible mission plans;

filtering the stored possible mission plans based on the location; and

wherein filtering the stored possible mission plans based on the location includes using a threshold distance from the location of the UAV and a respective starting point of a mission plan as a filter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the location of the UAV is based on receiving sensor data originating from the UAV.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the location of the UAV includes using a location of a controller of the UAV.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the set of two or more mission plans includes retrieving stored possible mission plans of missions previously performed at the location.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flight plan data includes a restricted area or volume in which the UAV does not have permission to navigate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flight plan data includes a set of waypoints for the UAV to navigate through.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, configure the at least processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

at a location separate from the UAV, generating a set of two or more mission plans based on the location of the UAV, the mission plans are obtained from a plurality of stored possible mission plans, each stored possible mission plan including respective mission plan parameters, the mission plan parameters include flight plan data used by the UAV for navigation; receiving a user selection of a mission plan from the set of two or more mission plans; obtaining the mission plan parameters including the flight plan data for the selected mission plan;

transmitting the obtained mission plan parameters including the flight plan data from a location separate from the UAV to the UAV to configure the UAV according to the obtained mission plan parameters including the flight plan data;

wherein generating the set of two or more mission plans based on the location of the UAV comprises:

accessing a data store containing the stored possible mission plans; and

filtering the stored possible mission plans based on the location; and

wherein filtering the stored possible mission plans based on the location includes using a threshold distance from the location of the UAV and a respective starting point of a mission plan as a filter.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein determining the location of the UAV is based on receiving sensor data originating from the UAV.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein determining the location of the UAV includes using a location of a controller of the UAV.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein generating the set of two or more mission plans includes retrieving stored possible mission plans of missions previously performed at the location.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the flight plan data includes a restricted area or volume in which the UAV does not have permission to navigate.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the flight plan data includes a set of waypoints for the UAV to navigate through.

13. A system comprising: at least one processor;

a storage device comprising instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, configure the at least processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

at a location separate from the UAV, generating a set of two or more mission plans based on the location of the UAV, the mission plans are obtained from a plurality of stored possible mission plans, each stored possible mission plan including respective mission plan parameters, the mission plan parameters include flight plan data used by the UAV for navigation;

receiving a user selection of a mission plan from the set of two or more mission plans;

obtaining the mission plan parameters including the flight plan data for the selected mission plan; and

transmitting the obtained mission plan parameters including the flight plan data from a location separate from the UAV to the UAV to configure the UAV according to the obtained mission plan parameters including the flight plan data;

wherein generating the set of two or more mission plans based on the location of the UAV comprises:

accessing a data store containing the stored possible mission plans; and

filtering the stored possible mission plans based on the location; and

wherein filtering the stored possible mission plans based on the location includes using a threshold distance from the location of the UAV and a respective starting point of a mission plan as a filter.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein determining the location of the UAV is based on receiving sensor data originating from the UAV.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein mission plan parameters include required UAV capabilities to perform the mission, and further comprising filtering the stored possible mission plans based on capabilities of the UAV in comparison to the required UAV capabilities of respective mission plan parameters.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein mission plan parameters include required UAV capabilities to perform the mission, and further comprising filtering the stored possible mission plans based on capabilities of the UAV in comparison to the required UAV capabilities of respective mission plan parameters.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 28, 2025
From: SENTERA LLC
To: DEERE & COMPANY
Reel/Frame 073944/0039 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 28, 2019
From: SENTERA, LLC
To: SENTERA, INC.
Reel/Frame 049631/0880 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2019
From: TAIPALE, ERIC
To: SENTERA, LLC
Reel/Frame 049361/0013 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190202555A1 · Jul 4, 2019