Patent Publication Number: US-2015062339-A1

Title: Unmanned aircraft system for video and data communications

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/871,354 filed on Aug. 29, 2013, and is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This document relates to unmanned aircraft systems, and in particular to unmanned aircraft systems for video and data communications. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Many sporting events take place over a broad geographical area. For example, boat races may use an off-shore water raceway that covers long distances. Similarly, off-road races, such as the Baja 1000, involve multiple vehicles racing over an extended off-road course that covers relatively long distances in comparison to other racing events, such as NASCAR races, which are run on a relatively short enclosed track. Because of the hundreds of miles covered by these races, it can be difficult and expensive from a video production perspective to effectively transmit and produce various video, audio and data communications transmitted from multiple sources, such as racing vehicles, to a remote mobile production vehicle. 
     In addition, the popularity of smart devices has spawned a growing need for mobile applications that provide fans with various video, audio and data feeds related to certain aspects of the race. However, many of these mobile applications have limited utility and do not provide a real time experience of the race as it occurs. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration showing the various aspects of an unmanned aircraft system; 
         FIG. 2  is a relational diagram showing the sensor fusion module of the unmanned aircraft system; 
         FIG. 3  is a simplified illustration of the unmanned aircraft system in which a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles transmit data from an off-road race vehicle, off-shore race boat, bicyclist, rally race car, skier, tri-athlete, golfer (any non-stadium direct link broadcast sporting event) to another unmanned aerial vehicle within the unmanned aircraft system to a production vehicle for broadcast; 
         FIG. 4  is a relational diagram showing the various functionalities of the mobile application used with the unmanned aircraft system; and 
         FIG. 5  is a relational diagram showing the various functionalities of the smart device used with the unmanned aircraft system. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding elements among the view of the drawings. The headings used in the figures do not limit the scope of the claims. 
     DESCRIPTION 
     Various embodiments of an unmanned aircraft system is described herein for providing a multicast distribution network that uses one or more unmanned aerial vehicles for providing onboard as well as aerial coverage of an event, such as an off-road racing event, that covers a wide geographical area. The unmanned aerial vehicles are in operative communication with a production vehicle for processing the various video, audio and data inputs transmitted by each unmanned aerial vehicle. In addition, the unmanned aircraft system includes a mobile application in operative communication with the multicast distribution network for television broadcast and/or providing a smart device or computer apparatus with video, audio and data related to the event. 
     As noted above, the UAS may be used to provide video, audio and data communications for a sporting event that covers a wide geographical area, such as an off-road racecourse, a cross country racecourse, a long distance racecourse with stages, an endurance race area, a yacht racecourse, a powerboat raceway, a skiing racecourse, or a golf course. In one embodiment, the UAS may include one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that fly over the sporting event for establishing a communications link with a mobile production vehicle that collects the video, audio and data communications from each UAV, processes the video, audio and data communications, and then transmits the processed communications to one or more sources, such as other vehicles participating in the sporting event as well as mobile smart devices used by fans attending the sporting event either on-site or remotely. As used herein, the term “unmanned aircraft system” shall refer to a system, whose components include an unmanned aircraft and all equipment, network and personnel necessary to control the unmanned aircraft, while the term “unmanned aerial vehicle” shall refer to an aircraft that does not carry a human operator, is operated remotely using varying levels of automated functions, is normally recoverable, and can carry equipment necessary for receiving and transmitting video and data signals to other platforms. 
     Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of an unmanned aircraft system is illustrated and generally indicated as  100  in  FIGS. 1-5 . In this embodiment, the unmanned aircraft system  100  may include one or more unmanned aerial vehicles  102  in aerial proximity to a course  105 , such as an off-road race course, for providing a communications link between each of the unmanned aerial vehicles  102  and a production vehicle  110  may require direct line-of-sight visual communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle  102  and the production vehicle  110  to provide effective data communications. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the unmanned aircraft system  100  may provide a first data communications link  118  established between a race vehicle  106  and one or more unmanned aerial vehicles  102  positioned overhead in the sky along the course  105 . In this manner, video and audio feeds from different camera angles within each race vehicle  106  may be communicated to the production vehicle  110  through either directly from one or more unmanned aerial vehicles  102  positioned overhead or from a tethered balloon  111  in communication with the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles  102  which then communicates that data  107  to the production vehicle  110 . In addition, each unmanned aerial vehicle  102  may receive other types of data  107  from the race vehicle  106 , such as, but not limited to vehicle speed, fuel consumption, motor conditions (e.g., temperature, RPM, etc), G-forces, and vehicle location. 
     As noted above, a second data communications link  120  may be established between each of the unmanned aerial vehicles  102  and a production vehicle  110  for providing data  107  related to each of the race vehicles  106  to the production vehicle  110 . In an alternative embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicles  102  may communicate with each other through a sixth communications link  127  such that data may be transmitted between the unmanned aerial vehicles  102 . In some embodiments, each of the unmanned aerial vehicles  102  may communicate with a tethered balloon  111  that is within communications range of the unmanned aerial vehicles  102  so that the tethered balloon  111  may communicate data from the unmanned aerial vehicles  102  to the production vehicle  110  through a seventh communications link  129 . 
     In addition to providing vehicle-related information to the production vehicle  110 , each of the unmanned aerial vehicles  102  may include camera systems (not shown) that capture and communicate video, such as an aerial view of the course  105  and race vehicles  106  during the race to the production vehicle  110 . In some embodiments, the production vehicle  110  functions as a mobile production center that collects data transmitted from various unmanned aerial vehicles  102  and then processes that collected data for distribution to various sources as shall be discussed in greater detail below. 
     In some embodiments, the production vehicle  110  may establish a third data communications link  122  between the production vehicle  110  and a chase vehicle  108  that follows the race vehicle  106  during the race. For example, it is typical in an off-road race to have a second vehicle follow or otherwise shadow the race vehicle to provide support. In some instances, such as in a Baja type race, the production vehicle  110  may also establish a fourth data communications link  124  between the production vehicle  110  and a main pit vehicle  112  for providing to the support crew the video, audio and data communications from the race vehicle  106  as well as any aerial views taken of the course  105  and the race vehicles  106  by each of the unmanned aerial vehicles  102 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the data  107  received from one or more unmanned aerial vehicles  102  by the production vehicle  110  may be transmitted to a broadcast system  113  for eventual transmission to a smart device  114 , tablet  115 , other computer device  116 , and/or television broadcast  176  for television  177  viewing. In some embodiments, each smart device  114 , tablet  115 , or other computer device  116  may employ a mobile application  130  that allows an individual, for example an individual attending the sport event, to experience various aspects of the sporting event in real time through the smart device  114 , tablet  115  or other computer device  116  as shall be discussed in greater detail below. In one arrangement, the production vehicle  110  may transmit through a fifth communications link  126  to the broadcast center  113  such that real-time data processed by the production vehicle  110  is received by the broadcast center  113  for later transmission to the smart device  114 , tablet  115  or other computer device  116 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in some embodiments the unmanned aircraft system  100  may include a sensor fusion module  128  incorporated into the unmanned aerial vehicle  102  and/or the production vehicle  110  for fusing together various data feeds. For example, the sensor fusion module  128  may receive an onboard video and audio feed  132  from the race vehicle  106 , or sport participant  175 , such as from a helmet-based feed  134  transmitted from a camera system mounted on the helmet of each individual or from a cockpit feed  136  transmitted from a camera system mounted to one or more locations on the race vehicle  106 . In addition, the sensor fusion module  128  may receive a UAV sensor feed from each unmanned aerial vehicle  102 , a team radio traffic feed  140  transmitted from each race vehicle  106 , chase vehicle  108 , and main pit vehicle  112 , an “eye-in-the-sky” video feed  142  transmitted from the camera system of each unmanned aerial vehicle  102  that provides overhead video views of the course and of particular race vehicles  106 , if desired. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the unmanned aircraft system  100  may include a mobile application  130  accessible by a microprocessor device, such as a smart device  114 , tablet  115  and other computer device  116  for providing a real-time experience related to the sporting event. For example, the mobile application  130  provides video, audio and/or data feeds from multiple sources. In some embodiments, the mobile application  130  receives telemetry data  144  from each race vehicle  106  and displays to the user vehicle information derived from the telemetry data  144 , such as, but not limited to accelerations (G forces) in  3  axes, temperature readings, wheel speed and suspension displacement. 
     In some embodiments, the mobile application  130  receives sponsor advertising data  146  for display on the smart device  114 , tablet  115  and computer apparatus  116 . The sponsor advertising data  146  may include banners, pop-up windows, video, audio, and/or hyper links that display and promote one or more sponsors of the sporting event and/or individual participants and their race teams. In addition, the sponsor advertising data  146  may include hyper links for each sponsor to Twitter, Facebook, and other similar social media sites. In some embodiments, sponsor advertising data  146  may be processed such that residuals may be calculated that are paid by each sponsor including percentages of such residuals for each advertisement. In addition, product approval for each sponsor may need to be obtained prior to incorporation into the mobile application  130 . 
     In some embodiments, the mobile application  130  may receive leaderboard information data  148  related to the position of each race vehicle  106  along the course  105 . In addition, the leader board information data  148  may be transmitted to each smart device  114 , tablet  115  and/or computer device  116  in real time through the mobile application  130 . The leader board information data  148  may include other types of information related to the relative position of each race vehicle  106 , such as the relative time and distance that a particular race vehicle  106  is behind the lead race vehicle  106 . The mobile application  130  may also display the leader board information data  148  in different types of illustrations showing the relative positions of each race vehicle  106  along the course  105 . 
     In some embodiments, the mobile application  130  may receive a live audio stream data  150  from each race vehicle  106  that provides the user with real time audio between the driver and co-driver, or sport participant  175 . In addition, the live audio stream data  150  may provide live audio between the race vehicle  106  and the chase vehicle  108  and/or the main pit vehicle  112 . In particular, the live audio stream data  150  may include race radio audio data  152  from various other audio sources (e.g., event announcers) as well as cockpit audio data  154  directly from drivers of the race vehicle  106 . 
     In some embodiments, the mobile application  130  may receive a racecourse position data  156  from each race vehicle  106  that provides the specific position of the race vehicle along the course  105 . For example, the race course position data  156  may include simple coordinate information related to the exact position of the race vehicle  106  or sport participant  175  along the course  105 . 
     In some embodiments, the mobile application  130  may receive real time onboard camera views data  158  that provides a live audio feed directly from each race vehicle  106  to the smart device  114 , tablet  115  and computer apparatus  116 . The real time onboard camera view data  158  may provide video of both interior and exterior aspects of the race vehicle  106  depending on the locations of the cameras on the race vehicle  106 . 
     In some embodiments, the mobile application  130  may receive real time overhead camera views data  160  transmitted from each unmanned aerial vehicle  102 . The real time overhead camera views data  160  may include thermal camera view data  162 , which shows the heat signature of each racing vehicle  106  during the race. In addition, the real time overhead camera view data  160  may include daytime camera data  164  that shows daytime aerial camera views and nighttime camera data  166  that shows nighttime aerial camera views taken by the unmanned aerial vehicles  102 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the smart device  114  may include one or more modules for providing different types of functionalities related to the unmanned aircraft system  100 . In some embodiments, the smart device  114  may include a mobile application module  167  that controls the operation of the mobile application  130  on the smart device  114  to perform the various functionalities of the mobile application  130  discussed above. In addition, the smart device  114  may include a geographic location module  168  for providing information related to the exact location of one or more of the race vehicles  106  and/or sport participant  175 . The smart device  114  may also include a video communications module  170  and audio communications module  172  for providing real time video and audio communications from one or more of the race vehicles  106  to the smart device  114 . An Internet browsing module  174  may also be included with the smart device  114  to provide an Internet browsing function. The tablet  115  and other type of computer apparatus  116  may also include the same modules described above for the smart device  114 . 
     In some embodiments, the unmanned aircraft system  100  may be employed to cover a wide variety of sporting events in which television or smart device  114  content requires unmanned aerial vehicles  102  to facilitate data gathering, distribution, streaming /or reproduction. For example, such sporting events may include, but are not limited to, Tour De France, ironman-type events cross country skiing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, off-shore boating races, yacht racing, off-road racing, rally races, downhill bicycling, cross country racing and golf events. 
     It should be understood from the foregoing that, while particular embodiments have been illustrated and described, various modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teachings of this invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.