KR102758135B1 - Multi-faceted camera capable of wideband shooting and unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with it - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-faceted camera capable of wide-area shooting and an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with the same, and more specifically, to a multi-faceted camera capable of shooting in at least two directions and an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with the same.
To this end, the wide-area shooting-capable unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention includes a camera including a first camera module for shooting in a first direction and a second camera module for shooting in a direction different from the first direction; a storage module for storing an image shot by the camera; a rotor driven by the supplied power; a power module for supplying power to the camera or the rotor; and a control module for controlling the image shot by the camera to be stored in the storage module and controlling the rotor to fly along a calculated flight path.

Description

Multi-faceted camera capable of wideband shooting and unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with it {Multi-faceted camera capable of wideband shooting and unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with it}

The present invention relates to a multi-faceted camera capable of wide-area shooting and an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with the same, and more specifically, to a multi-faceted camera capable of shooting in at least two directions and an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with the same.

In general, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft that flies without a pilot on board, either remotely or with an autonomous flight control device, to perform missions that are difficult or dangerous for humans to perform directly, such as reconnaissance, bombing, cargo transport, forest fire surveillance, and radiation surveillance.

A drone is a type of unmanned aircraft, a helicopter-shaped unmanned aircraft that has its own power but does not have a pilot on board. It is still mainly used for military purposes, but recently, as its commercial utility has been highlighted, many companies are jumping into the drone business. Depending on the purpose of the drone, various aircraft with different sizes and performances are being developed. Drones are deployed and operated in areas that are inaccessible to humans, such as jungles, remote areas, volcanic areas, natural disaster areas, and nuclear power plant accident areas, and are also used in commercial fields such as logistics delivery.

In addition, drones use their cameras to take pictures of buildings or terrain features, and utilize the buildings or terrain features that have been taken in various ways. In particular, when taking pictures of buildings using cameras mounted on drones, the drone must fly so that it can take pictures of each side of the building in order to take pictures of various sides of the building. In other words, the drone must fly over all sides of the building to take pictures of all sides of the building, and especially when the buildings are adjacent, it may have to fly the same flight path repeatedly to take pictures between adjacent buildings.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2019-0130407 (Title of the invention: Device and method for calibration of an omnidirectional camera) Korean Patent No. 10-1715563 (Title of invention: Multi-faceted imaging camera linkage system)

The problem that the present invention seeks to solve is to propose a rig capable of mounting a multi-faceted camera capable of multi-faceted shooting.

Another problem that the present invention seeks to solve is to propose an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of photographing adjacent buildings with a minimum flight path.

Another problem that the present invention seeks to solve is to propose an unmanned aerial vehicle that can accurately calculate a location even in a situation where GPS location information cannot be received.

Another problem that the present invention seeks to solve is to propose a method for calculating an optimal flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle.

To this end, the wide-area shooting-capable unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention includes a camera including a first camera module for shooting in a first direction and a second camera module for shooting in a direction different from the first direction; a storage module for storing an image shot by the camera; a rotor driven by the supplied power; a power module for supplying power to the camera or the rotor; and a control module for controlling the image shot by the camera to be stored in the storage module and controlling the rotor to fly along a calculated flight path.

The multi-faceted camera capable of wide-area shooting according to the present invention and the unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with the same have the advantage of being able to shoot terrain features in the shortest time or with the shortest flight path by shooting adjacent buildings or terrain features using the multi-faceted camera capable of measuring at least two directions.

In addition, the present invention has the advantage of being able to calculate an optimal flight path using various information, and in particular, being able to calculate the flight path of an unmanned aerial vehicle using the wind direction and wind speed at the flight point.

FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a camera rig according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a multi-faceted camera according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a control center server according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 illustrates a multi-faceted camera and a control module for controlling the multi-faceted camera according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 illustrates a flight path calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The above-described and additional aspects of the present invention will become more apparent through the preferred embodiments described with reference to the attached drawings. Hereinafter, these embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily understand and reproduce them.

FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a camera rig according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the configuration of the camera rig according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail using FIG. 1.

According to FIG. 1, the camera rig includes a body part (10), a camera mounting part (20), and a support member connecting part (30). Of course, other components than the above-described components may be included in the camera rig according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The body part (10) is formed in the shape of a regular hexahedron, and is extended to connect the two side faces (12) that are opposite each other but formed in the shape of squares, and includes a plurality of circumferential surfaces (14) formed in the shape of squares along the perimeter between the two side faces (12). That is, the body part (10) has four circumferential surfaces (14) that form a regular hexahedron together with the two side faces (12).

It is desirable to form the body part (10) hollow on the inside to lighten its weight.

The camera mounting portion (20) is formed on both side surfaces (12) and multiple peripheral surfaces (14) formed on the body portion (10) so that the camera lenses face in the outer direction, and multiple cameras can be detachably coupled to each other.

Specifically, the camera mounting portion (20) is formed in a form in which a guide wall (22) of a predetermined thickness protrudes from each of the square edges of the two side surfaces (12) and the plurality of circumferential surfaces (14) formed on the body portion (10) in the outer direction of the two side surfaces (12) and the plurality of circumferential surfaces (14) (vertically upward from the two side surfaces (12) and the plurality of circumferential surfaces (14)) to form a receiving groove (25) in which the camera is received.

In such a guide wall (22), a plurality of fastening parts (23) are formed to which the case of the camera accommodated in the receiving groove (25) is fastened by a fastening mechanism such as a bolt.

In this way, a camera mounting portion (20) is provided in such a way that guide walls (22) of a predetermined thickness are formed to protrude from the square edges of each of the two side surfaces (12) of the body portion (10) and the multiple peripheral surfaces (14) in the outer direction of each of the two side surfaces (12) and the multiple peripheral surfaces (14) to form a receiving groove (25) in which a camera is received, and a plurality of fastening portions (23) are formed on the guide walls (22) to which the case of the camera received in the receiving groove (25) is fastened, thereby stably mounting the camera on the camera rig (100) and improving the shooting quality.

The support member connecting portions (30) are formed in multiple numbers at each corner portion of the body portion (10) and support members made of a transparent and flexible material are respectively connected. For example, the support member connecting portions (30) are formed in connection blocks (32) at each corner portion of the body portion (10) and through which the support members are connected, and a plurality of through holes (32a) are formed in these connection blocks (32) into which the support members are inserted.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a multi-faceted camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a multi-faceted camera according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail using FIG. 2.

According to Fig. 2, the unmanned aerial vehicle (100) includes a communication module, a power module, a rotor, a control module, a sensor module, and a camera. Of course, other components other than the above-described components may be included in the unmanned aerial vehicle proposed by the present invention. In addition, as described above, the camera proposed by the present invention is a multi-faceted camera that photographs multiple directions.

The communication module (100a) communicates with the GPS system and receives location information from the GPS system. In addition, the communication module (100a) communicates with the control center server. In addition, the communication module (100a) transmits image information collected from the camera (100a) to the control center server.

The power module (100b) supplies power required for the operation of the rotor (100c) as described above. Of course, the power module (100b) supplies power only to the rotor (100c) and supplies power to components of the drone that require power supply.

It is preferable that the power module (100b) be a small, rechargeable power source capable of producing high output, such as a lithium-ion battery.

The rotor (100c) includes a motor that operates on power supplied from the power supply unit as described above, a propeller that is connected to the drive shaft of the motor and generates a predetermined thrust, and a propeller protection ring that prevents the propeller from contacting an external object.

The control module (100d) controls the operation of the rotor (100c) so that the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention can perform a predetermined flight mission. In addition, the control module (100d) performs various operations necessary for driving the unmanned aerial vehicle. The operation of the control module (100d) will be described later.

The sensor module (100e) is mounted on the body of the drone and collects movement information of the drone. In relation to the present invention, it is preferable that the sensor module (100e) is mounted on at least two points of the drone. The sensor module (100e) collects speed and acceleration information of the drone and provides the collected information to the control module (100d).

The camera (100f) is mounted on the body of the drone and collects image information. The image information collected by the camera (100f) is provided to the outside or stored internally under the control of the control module (100d). For this purpose, the drone proposed in the present invention includes a storage module for storing information in addition to the above-described configuration.

The control module (100d) calculates the optimal flight path using GPS information or information provided from the control center server. In relation to the present invention, the drone receives weather information including wind direction and wind speed in the area where it is flying. In this way, the present invention can change the flight path of the drone by considering the influence of the wind, so that the drone can fly along the optimal flight path.

The control module (100d) controls the image information captured by the camera (100f) to be stored in the drone or transmitted externally. As described above, the drone proposed in the present invention includes a plurality of camera modules capable of capturing at least two directions, and the control module (100d) calculates an optimal flight path to capture terrain features including buildings. In other words, the control module (100d) calculates an optimal flight path that can capture terrain features with the minimum flight time or minimum flight distance.

Although Fig. 2 describes calculating a flight path from a drone, it is not limited to this. Instead of a drone, a control center server can calculate a flight path and provide the calculated flight path to the drone. The drone flies according to the flight path provided by the control center server.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a control center server according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the configuration of a control center server according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail using FIG. 3.

According to FIG. 3, the control center server (200) includes a communication module, a control module, a storage module, and an output module. Of course, other configurations other than the above-described configurations may be included in the control center server proposed by the present invention.

The communication module (200a) communicates with the drone and provides information on the flight path calculated by the drone. In addition, the communication module (200a) provides various information necessary for the flight of the drone. The communication module (200a) receives image information captured by a camera mounted on the drone.

The storage module (200c) stores image information provided from the drone. In addition, the storage module (200c) stores various information required to operate the control center server and information received from external devices.

The output module (200d) calculates the flight path of the drone using various stored information. As described above, the output module (200d) calculates the optimal flight path of the drone using weather information.

The control module (200b) controls the operation of each module that constitutes the control center server. That is, the control module (200b) controls the operation of the control center server, and in particular, controls the calculation module (200d) to calculate the optimal flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

As described above, the control center server proposed in the present invention calculates the flight path of the drone by considering the influence of the wind, including wind speed and wind direction. In particular, the drone receives weather information from the control center server in real time or at regular time intervals. However, even in a situation where communication with the control center server is cut off, the drone must calculate weather information, including wind speed and wind direction at the current flight point. The drone that is cut off from communication with the control center server uses the calculated weather information to control the rotor to calculate the flight path.

When the wind blows in a certain direction, the drone moves from its current location to another location due to the wind. The drone calculates the distance traveled and the speed of movement through communication with the GPS system, and calculates the wind speed and direction using the calculated distance and speed of movement. Even when the drone does not receive weather information including wind speed and direction from the control center server, it flies using the temporarily calculated flight path and takes pictures of terrain features.

In relation to the present invention, the drone needs to obtain information about the wind at the current location in order to calculate flight information. To this end, the drone, which is disconnected from communication with an external server, controls the rotor and flies using the calculated information about the wind.

In particular, the present invention requires that the wind direction and wind speed calculated by the unmanned aerial vehicle be determined to be accurate. To this end, the unmanned aerial vehicle proposed in the present invention calculates control information for the rotor to maintain a fixed position of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the calculated wind speed and wind direction. The unmanned aerial vehicle controls the operation of the rotor based on the calculated control information, and determines whether the unmanned aerial vehicle maintains a fixed position while the operation of the rotor is controlled. If the unmanned aerial vehicle maintains a fixed position, the calculated wind speed and wind direction are correct, so the wind information is calculated based on this.

If the drone does not maintain a fixed position, the calculated wind speed and wind direction are in error, so the process of recalculating the wind speed and wind direction described above is performed.

In addition, the drone proposed in the present invention can control the rotor so that the drone moves to the original position by considering the calculated wind speed and wind direction instead of maintaining the drone in a fixed position to determine whether the wind speed and wind direction are correct. If the drone does not move to the original position, it means that the calculated wind speed and wind direction are erroneous, and thus the process of recalculating the wind speed and wind direction described above is performed. In this way, the present invention performs the process of determining whether the calculated wind speed and wind direction are calculated correctly again.

In particular, the drone performs a process of recalculating the wind speed and wind direction by taking into account the error between the original position and the position moved due to the miscalculated wind speed and wind direction. That is, if the error between the original position and the position moved due to the miscalculated wind speed and wind direction is less than or equal to a set value, the drone maintains a fixed state for a longer time (e.g., 15 seconds) than the existing time (e.g., 10 seconds) and then determines whether to move to the original position, and if the error between the original position and the position moved due to the miscalculated wind speed and wind direction is greater than or equal to the set value, the drone maintains a fixed state for a shorter time (e.g., 5 seconds) than the existing time (e.g., 10 seconds) and then determines whether to move to the original position. In this way, the present invention proposes a method of recalculating the wind speed and wind direction by varying the time for which the drone maintains a fixed state according to the size of the error that occurred when an error occurs between the original position and the position moved due to the miscalculated wind speed and wind direction. That is, when the error is small, the fixed state is maintained for a long time to correctly recalculate the wind speed and wind direction, and when the error is large, the fixed state is maintained for a short time to correctly recalculate the wind speed and wind direction. By doing so, the present invention can reduce the time required to calculate wind speed and wind direction in an unmanned aerial vehicle.

FIG. 4 illustrates a multi-faceted camera and a control module for controlling the multi-faceted camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a multi-faceted camera and a control module for controlling the multi-faceted camera according to an embodiment of the present invention are illustrated using FIG. 4.

According to FIG. 4, the multi-faceted camera includes at least two camera modules and captures images in at least two directions. That is, the multi-faceted camera may include a first camera module for capturing a first side, a second camera module for capturing a second side, a third camera module for capturing a third side, a fourth camera module for capturing a fourth side, and a fifth camera module for capturing a fifth side. In this way, the multi-faceted camera proposed in the present invention is equipped with a plurality of camera modules and captures images of a plurality of sides using the equipped camera modules.

Of course, the multi-camera system drives one of the mounted camera modules, and images can only be captured by the driven camera module.

The control module is connected to at least two camera modules, and derives the shape of a terrain feature from images received from the connected camera modules. To this end, the control module synchronizes images received from the camera modules, and in particular, an image of a building can be taken not only using one camera module, but, if necessary, using at least two camera modules.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flight path calculation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the flight path calculation system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail using FIG. 5.

According to Fig. 5, the flight path calculation system includes a drone and a control center server. Of course, other components other than the above-described components may be included in the flight path calculation system proposed in the present invention. For example, a GPS system (300) may be included.

In the present invention, the drone and the control center server perform the operations described in FIGS. 2 and 3. The drone calculates an optimal flight path using information provided from a GPS system or a control center server. In relation to the present invention, the drone receives weather information including wind direction and wind speed in the area in which it is flying. In this way, the present invention can change the flight path of the drone by considering the influence of the wind, so that the drone can fly along an optimal flight path.

The image information captured by the drone is controlled to be stored in the drone or transmitted externally. As described above, the drone proposed in the present invention includes a plurality of camera modules capable of capturing at least two directions, and the drone calculates an optimal flight path to capture terrain features including buildings. In other words, the drone calculates an optimal flight path that can capture terrain features with the minimum flight time or minimum flight distance.

The control center server controls the operation of the control center server, and in particular, controls the calculation of the optimal flight path of the drone. As described above, the control center server proposed in the present invention calculates the flight path of the drone by considering the influence of the wind, including wind speed and wind direction. The control center server transmits the calculated flight path of the drone to the drone.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom.

100: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 100a: Communication Module
100b: Power module 100c: Rotor
100d: Control module 100e: Sensor module
100f: Camera 200: Control Center Server
200a: Communication module 200b: Control module
200c: storage module 200d: output module

Claims (6)

A camera including a first camera module for shooting in a first direction and a second camera module for shooting in a direction different from the first direction;
A storage module that stores images captured by the above camera;
A rotor driven by a supplied power source;
A sensor module that collects speed and acceleration information of an unmanned aerial vehicle;
A power module for supplying power to the above camera or rotor; and
It includes a control module that controls the rotor to fly along the calculated flight path and controls the image captured by the camera to be stored in the storage module;
The above control module calculates wind information from the calculated wind speed and wind direction, calculates rotor control information that enables the drone to maintain a stationary state from the calculated wind information, and controls the rotor according to the calculated control information to confirm that the drone maintains a fixed position.
Considering the calculated wind speed and wind direction, the rotor is controlled so that the drone that has deviated from its original location returns to its original location. If the drone does not return to its original location, it is determined that there is an error in the calculated wind information and the wind information is recalculated.
If the error from the original position is less than the set value, the drone maintains a fixed state for a longer period of time than the original time, and then determines whether to control the rotor according to the rotor control information derived from the recalculated wind information to move to the original position.
If the error from the original position is greater than the set value, the drone maintains a fixed state for a shorter period of time than the original time, and then determines whether to control the rotor according to the rotor control information derived from the recalculated wind information to move to the original position.
Depending on the size of the error from the original position, the time for which the drone maintains a fixed position is varied to recalculate wind information.
The above control module calculates a flight path from the calculated wind information that can capture terrain features with the minimum flight time or minimum flight distance.
A wide-area shooting-capable unmanned aerial vehicle characterized in that the above control module synchronizes images received from at least two camera modules and controls the modules to capture images of one building using at least two cameras.
In the first paragraph, the camera,
Includes a rectangular hexahedral camera rig,
A wide-area shooting drone characterized by a camera module that can be attached to a camera rig.
In the second paragraph, the control module,
A wide-area shooting-capable unmanned aerial vehicle characterized by calculating flight paths using weather information including wind speed and wind velocity.
In the third paragraph, the storage module,
An unmanned aerial vehicle capable of wide-area photography characterized by storing a flight path calculated from the above control module.
delete In the second paragraph, the camera rig,
A body portion formed in the shape of a polyhedron with two side surfaces facing each other and a plurality of peripheral surfaces formed along the perimeter between the two side surfaces extending to connect the two side surfaces;
A camera mounting portion formed on each of the two side surfaces and the plurality of peripheral surfaces formed on the body portion so that the camera lenses face in the outer direction of the two side surfaces and the plurality of peripheral surfaces, and a plurality of cameras are detachably connected to each other; and
An unmanned aerial vehicle capable of wide-area photography, characterized by including a support member connecting section in which a plurality of support members made of a transparent and flexible material are respectively formed at each corner portion of the above body portion or formed at each of the camera mounting sections formed on each of the two sides.