How a Drone Automatically Films a Moving Car Like a Movie Crew
This patent describes a system where a drone automatically films a moving vehicle by receiving real-time vehicle data, predicting its future path, and then flying a pre-planned "movie script" of camera shots relative to the car.
Original patent title: “Drone system and method of capturing image of vehicle by drone”
This patent describes a system where a drone automatically films a moving vehicle by receiving real-time vehicle data, predicting its future path, and then flying a pre-planned "movie script" of camera shots relative to the car. Granted to Toyota Motor in 2022 with 11 claims and 3 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2041.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a drone system that automatically captures video of a vehicle. The vehicle sends its current information, like speed, acceleration, braking, and steering data (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 5), to the drone. The drone's controller receives this data and uses it to predict where the vehicle will be in the future (Claim 1). The drone also stores a "scene information database" (Claim 1), which is like a pre-written movie script. This database contains a series of scenes, each specifying a desired camera position and angle relative to the vehicle, and how long that shot should last. Based on the predicted vehicle path and the movie script, the drone calculates its own flight path to achieve each relative shot (Claim 1). It then flies autonomously and adjusts its camera direction and angle to capture the video, even sending the footage back to the vehicle in real-time (Claim 6). For example, a car driving through a scenic route could have a drone automatically film it from various angles, like a side-tracking shot followed by an overhead view, all pre-programmed and executed autonomously.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover drones that are manually controlled by a human operator.
- Does not cover drones that only follow a vehicle without using a pre-defined "scene information database" for specific shots.
- Does not cover drones that predict a vehicle's path without receiving real-time traveling and navigation information directly from the vehicle.
- Does not cover systems where the drone's camera adjustments are not based on both the stored relative positions and the live captured image.
- Does not cover drones that simply record a continuous, unscripted video without calculating specific flight paths for a series of defined scenes.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in combining real-time vehicle telemetry and predicted future movement with a pre-programmed, time-series "scene information database" that defines relative camera positions and orientations. This allows the drone to dynamically adapt its flight path and camera angles to execute a complex, cinematic shot sequence even as the vehicle's actual path might vary slightly.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Automotive marketing videos
Personalized adventure travel videos
Off-road vehicle event documentation
Autonomous vehicle testing and demonstration footage
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology could allow car owners or professional videographers to capture high-quality, cinematic footage of vehicles without needing a skilled drone pilot to manually track and frame every shot. It integrates advanced autonomous drone capabilities with vehicle data, potentially making professional-looking automotive videography more accessible for marketing, events, or personal use.
Filed
January 11, 2021
Granted
November 1, 2022
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Toyota Motor Corp, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is actively exploring advanced automotive technologies, including autonomous systems and connected vehicles. Other companies in the drone and automotive sectors, such as DJI, Skydio, and various autonomous vehicle developers, are also working on similar autonomous tracking and filming capabilities, though perhaps not with the exact "scene information database" approach described here.
Market impact
This patent contributes to the growing field of autonomous videography, particularly for vehicles. It could enable a new class of automated content creation tools, reducing the need for expensive human-piloted drone crews in certain applications. While not yet a dominant product category, it lays groundwork for more sophisticated, integrated drone-vehicle systems, potentially influencing future automotive marketing and personal media capture.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a drone system that automatically captures video of a vehicle. The vehicle sends its current information, like speed, acceleration, braking, and steering data (Claim 5), to the drone. The drone's controller receives this data and uses it to predict where the vehicle will be in the future (Claim 1). The drone also stores a "scene information database" (Claim 1), which is like a pre-written movie script. This database contains a series of scenes, each specifying a desired camera position and angle relative to the vehicle, and how long that shot should last. Based on the predicted vehicle path and the movie script, the drone calculates its own flight path to achieve each relative shot (Claim 1). It then flies autonomously and adjusts its camera direction and angle to capture the video, even sending the footage back to the vehicle in real-time (Claim 6). For example, a car driving through a scenic route could have a drone automatically film it from various angles, like a side-tracking shot followed by an overhead view, all pre-programmed and executed autonomously.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in combining real-time vehicle telemetry and predicted future movement with a pre-programmed, time-series "scene information database" that defines relative camera positions and orientations. This allows the drone to dynamically adapt its flight path and camera angles to execute a complex, cinematic shot sequence even as the vehicle's actual path might vary slightly.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover drones that are manually controlled by a human operator.
- Does not cover drones that only follow a vehicle without using a pre-defined "scene information database" for specific shots.
- Does not cover drones that predict a vehicle's path without receiving real-time traveling and navigation information directly from the vehicle.
- Does not cover systems where the drone's camera adjustments are not based on both the stored relative positions and the live captured image.
- Does not cover drones that simply record a continuous, unscripted video without calculating specific flight paths for a series of defined scenes.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
12/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
7/20
Moderate scope
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$32K – $104K
Midpoint $65K · 14.4 yr remaining · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
11 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Nishimoto, T., Yamamoto, K., & Sato, K. (2022). How a Drone Automatically Films a Moving Car Like a Movie Crew (U.S. Patent No. 11,490,056). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11490056/drone-system-and-method-of-capturing-image-of-vehicle-by-drone
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US11490056"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
Semantically similar
You might also find these interesting
US 10133281 · 2018 · Pinnacle Vista
How a Drone Can Fly Ahead of a Moving Vehicle
US 20180321681 · Pinnacle Vista
How a Drone Flies Ahead of a Moving Ground or Water Vehicle
US 10317904 · 2019 · Pinnacle Vista
How a Boat Guides Air and Underwater Drones for Data Collection
US 11511890 · 2022 · Honda Motor Co Ltd
How Drones Test Their Balance While Flying
More to explore
More in Energy & Clean Tech
US RE49155 · 2022 · Halliburton Energy Services Inc
Electric or Natural Gas Blending and Pumping for Oil Wells
US 11436484 · 2022 · Nvidia Corp
Nvidia's Method for Training Self-Driving Car AI in Simulations
US 11840398 · 2023 · Titan Trailers Inc
How Titan Trailers Builds Stronger, Smoother Cargo Containers
US 2708656 · 1955
How the First Nuclear Reactor Works
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How a Drone Automatically Films a Moving Car Like a Movie Crew cover?
This patent describes a system where a drone automatically films a moving vehicle by receiving real-time vehicle data, predicting its future path, and then flying a pre-planned "movie script" of camera shots relative to the car.
Who owns patent US 11490056?
Toyota Motor owns this patent, granted in 2022.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on January 11, 2041, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 11490056 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 3 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology could allow car owners or professional videographers to capture high-quality, cinematic footage of vehicles without needing a skilled drone pilot to manually track and frame every shot. It integrates advanced autonomous drone capabilities with vehicle data, potentially making professional-looking automotive videography more accessible for marketing, events, or personal use.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover drones that are manually controlled by a human operator.
Patent monitoring