Patent ID: 7546187

Claim:
A system for navigating a UAV having an on-board digital camera, the system comprising: means for piloting the UAV in a current flying pattern; wherein means for piloting the UAV in a current flying pattern comprises; means for receiving from a GPS receiver a current position of the UAV; means for calculating a heading in dependence upon a flying pattern algorithm; and means for flying on the heading; means for identifying a geographic area not captured by the digital camera while the UAV is flying in a the current flying pattern; wherein means for identifying a geographic area not captured by the digital camera while the UAV is flying in a current flying pattern further comprises: means for determining an area captured by the onboard camera; means for extrapolating the area captured by the onboard camera along the flying pattern to determine a perimeter of uncaptured geographic area; and means for determining the area of the uncaptured geographic area in dependence upon the perimeter; and means for modifying the current flying pattern to capture an image of the identified geographic area.