Patent ID: 9632509
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: B64C,G05D

Claim:
1. A method for autonomously operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising: pointing one or more imaging devices, which are coupled to the UAV and are used by the UAV for obstacle detection and avoidance, away from a first portion of a current flight path of the UAV that was already checked for obstacles, such that the first portion of the current flight path is outside a current field-of-view of the imaging devices; subsequently, while the imaging devices are pointed away from the first portion of the current flight path, imaging, using the imaging devices, a second, upcoming portion of the current flight path of the UAV, while flying the UAV along the first portion of the current flight path; in response to the imaging, detecting an obstacle on the second, upcoming portion of the current flight path, and planning an alternate flight path in response thereto; and subsequently, flying the UAV along the alternate flight path, instead of the current flight path.