IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,203,742
Granted Patent B2
US 12,203,742 · App. 17/344,425 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

System and method for digital-representation-based flight path planning for object imaging

Inventors: Sankara J. Subramanian (Chennai, IN); Sameer Sharma (Chennai, IN); Azhar H. Khan (Alamo, CA)
Assignee: Photogauge, Inc.
G01B11/24G06F30/17G06T7/0004G06T7/30G06V10/44G06V20/10G06V20/13G06V20/17G06V20/20G06V10/245
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,203,742
App. No.
17/344,425
Filed
Jun 10, 2021
Granted
Jan 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2672
USPC
382/154
Abstract

A system and method for digital-representation-based flight path planning for object imaging is disclosed. An example embodiment is configured to: obtain a digital representation of an object; retrieve a dataset of image acquisition configuration parameters; extract a surface contour of the object from the digital representation of the object; generate a bounding polygon adjacent to the surface contour of the object, the bounding polygon being set-off from the surface contour of the object based on a configuration defined in the image acquisition configuration parameters; generate a configurable quantity of waypoints at configurable intervals along the bounding polygon; and generate an Image Acquisition Plan (IAP) from the waypoints, the IAP including, for each waypoint, a waypoint position, control instructions, and imaging instructions.

Claims (34)

1. A system comprising:

a data processor;

an image acquisition plan generation system in data communication with the data processor, the image acquisition plan generation system configured to:

obtain a digital representation of an object;

retrieve a dataset of image acquisition configuration parameters;

extract a surface contour of the object from the digital representation of the object;

generate a bounding polygon adjacent to the surface contour of the object, the bounding polygon being set-off from the surface contour of the object based on a configuration defined in the image acquisition configuration parameters;

generate a configurable quantity of waypoints at configurable intervals along the bounding polygon; and

generate an Image Acquisition Plan (IAP) from the waypoints, the IAP including, for each waypoint, a waypoint position, control instructions, and imaging instructions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the IAP further includes a definition of a navigable path for an autonomous mobile device, action instructions, communication instructions, and timing instructions for the autonomous mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the digital representation of the object includes a digital representation from the group consisting of: a computer-aided design (CAD) model of the object, a digitized set of architectural drawings or blueprints, simulation models, artificial intelligence (AI) models, mathematical models, drawings, schematics, Global Positioning System (GPS) information, and data digitized in a computer readable form from which a digital representation of the object can be extracted.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the image acquisition plan generation system being further configured to generate offset points along vectors normal to the surface contour of the object at a distance corresponding to the image acquisition configuration parameters.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the image acquisition plan generation system being further configured to generate the configurable quantity of waypoints using a process from the group consisting of: spline interpolation, table lookup, and polynomial interpolation.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the image acquisition plan generation system being further configured to provide the IAP to a controller or navigation system of an autonomous mobile device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the imaging instructions of the IAP including, for each waypoint, one or more camera poses.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the control instructions of the IAP including, for each waypoint, instructions to navigate an autonomous mobile device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the IAP further includes a definition of, for each waypoint, action instructions, wherein the action instructions define an action the autonomous mobile device should perform at a waypoint.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the IAP further includes a definition of, for each waypoint, communication instructions, wherein the communication instructions define a communication the autonomous mobile device should transmit or receive at a waypoint.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the IAP further includes a definition of, for each waypoint, timing instructions, wherein the timing instructions control timing for the autonomous mobile device.

12. A method comprising:

obtaining a digital representation of an object;

retrieving a dataset of image acquisition configuration parameters;

extracting a surface contour of the object from the digital representation of the object;

generating a bounding polygon adjacent to the surface contour of the object, the bounding polygon being set-off from the surface contour of the object based on a configuration defined in the image acquisition configuration parameters;

generating a configurable quantity of waypoints at configurable intervals along the bounding polygon; and

generating an Image Acquisition Plan (IAP) from the waypoints, the IAP including, for each waypoint, a waypoint position, control instructions, and imaging instructions.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the IAP further includes a definition of a navigable path for an autonomous mobile device, action instructions, communication instructions, and timing instructions for the autonomous mobile device.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the digital representation of the object includes a digital representation from the group consisting of: a computer-aided design (CAD) model of the object, a digitized set of architectural drawings or blueprints, simulation models, artificial intelligence (AI) models, mathematical models, drawings, schematics, Global Positioning System (GPS) information, and data digitized in a computer readable form from which a digital representation of the object can be extracted.

15. The method of claim 12 including generating offset points along vectors normal to the surface contour of the object at a distance corresponding to the image acquisition configuration parameters.

16. The method of claim 12 including providing the IAP to a controller or navigation system of an autonomous mobile device.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the imaging instructions of the IAP including, for each waypoint, one or more camera poses.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the control instructions of the IAP including, for each waypoint, instructions to navigate an autonomous mobile device.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the IAP further includes a definition of, for each waypoint, action instructions, wherein the action instructions define an action the autonomous mobile device should perform at a waypoint.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the IAP further includes a definition of, for each waypoint, communication instructions, wherein the communication instructions define a communication the autonomous mobile device should transmit or receive at a waypoint.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2022
From: SUBRAMANIAN, SANKARA J.; SHARMA, SAMEER; KHAN, AZHAR H.
To: PHOTOGAUGE, INC.
Reel/Frame 060536/0694 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation In Part 17128141 · Dec 20, 2020
Continuation In Part 16131456 · Sep 14, 2018
Continuation 16023449 · Jun 29, 2018
Continuation In Part 16023449 · Jun 29, 2018
Related Publication 20210304395A1 · Sep 30, 2021
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