US 11,840,334 B2
Solar panel inspection by unmanned aerial vehicle
Shyh Pyng Jack Shue, Austin, TX (US); and Chao Li, Shanghai (CN)
Assigned to Honeywell International Inc., Charlotte, NC (US)
Appl. No. 16/960,151
Filed by HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., Morris Plains, NJ (US)
PCT Filed Jan. 24, 2018, PCT No. PCT/CN2018/074000
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 6, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/144317, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 1, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0126582 A1, Apr. 29, 2021
Int. Cl. B64C 39/02 (2023.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); H02S 50/15 (2014.01); H04N 5/33 (2023.01); B64U 101/30 (2023.01)
CPC B64C 39/024 (2013.01) [G06T 7/0002 (2013.01); H02S 50/15 (2014.12); B64U 2101/30 (2023.01); H04N 5/33 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting a fault in a solar panel in a solar farm, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a computing system, a first image of the solar panel captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during a first flight;
obtaining, by the computing system, a second image of the solar panel captured by the UAV during a second flight;
determining, by the computing system, a first score for the solar panel based on the first image;
determining, by the computing system, a second score for the solar panel based on the second image;
determining, by the computing system, that the solar panel includes the fault based on the first score and the second score;
outputting, by the computing system, an indication that the solar panel includes the fault in response to determining that the solar panel includes the fault.