Automatic flight control system and method for unmanned drone

• US 10,173,772 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Namsung
• Original Assignee: Namsung
• Inventors: Lee, Yong-Moo
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jelani A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alsomiri, Majdi
• Application Number:
  US15/082,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20170190420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/95 Means for guiding the landing UAV towards the platform, e.g. lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Disclosed herein are an automatic flight control system and method for an unmanned drone, in which a guidance system installed on a moving object transmits a guide signal, and the unmanned drone automatically flies based on the guide signal, thus allowing the unmanned drone to maintain a uniform distance from the moving object. The presented automatic flight control system for an unmanned drone is configured such that a guidance system transmits a guide signal based on a guidance request signal received from the unmanned drone, and the unmanned drone automatically flies depending on an automatic flight control value that is set based on an automatic flight guide signal when the guide signal is the automatic flight guide signal, and flies to the automatic control location set in response to an automatic location guide signal when the guide signal is the automatic location guide signal.

Claims

1. An automatic flight control method for an unmanned drone, comprising:

transmitting, by a guidance system, a guide signal for automatic flight guidance and automatic location guidance of the unmanned drone, based on a guidance request signal received from the unmanned drone;

allowing the unmanned drone that receives the guide signal to automatically fly depending on an automatic flight control value that is set based on an automatic flight guide signal when the guide signal is the automatic flight guide signal; and

allowing the unmanned drone that receives the guide signal to fly to an automatic control location that is set based on an automatic location guide signal when the guide signal is the automatic location guide signal,

wherein the transmitting the guide signal comprises;

calculating a distance between a moving object and the unmanned drone, based on a guidance request signal received from the unmanned drone;

setting a range of transmission of the guide signal based on the calculated distance between the moving object and the unmanned drone;

generating location information that includes 3D coordinates and acceleration of the moving object;

generating an automatic flight guide signal that includes the generated location information, based on a set transmission range; and

transmitting the automatic flight guide signal to the unmanned drone,

wherein generating the automatic flight guide signal is configured to, when the set transmission range is less than or equal to a reference value, generate an automatic flight guide signal that is a low-frequency signal, and is further configured to, when the set transmission range is greater than the reference value, generate an automatic flight guide signal that is a high-frequency signal,

wherein the allowing the unmanned drone to automatically fly depending on the automatic flight control value comprises;

detecting location information that includes 3D coordinates and acceleration of the moving object from the automatic flight guide signal;

generating location information that includes 3D coordinates and acceleration of the unmanned drone;

calculating a distance between the moving object and the unmanned drone based on the detected location information and the generated location information;

setting a movement speed of the unmanned drone based on both the distance between the moving object and the unmanned drone and a preset value; and

setting a movement direction of the unmanned drone based on the detected location information,

wherein the calculating the distance between the moving object and the unmanned drone is configured to calculate the distance between the moving object and the unmanned drone, based on 3D coordinates included in the detected location information and in the generated location information,

wherein the setting the movement speed is configured to, when the distance between the moving object and the unmanned drone is greater than the preset value, set a speed higher than a speed included in acceleration of the automatic flight guide signal as the movement speed of the unmanned drone, and is further configured to, when the distance between the moving object and the unmanned drone is less than or equal to the preset value, set a speed included in the acceleration of the automatic flight guide signal as the movement speed of the unmanned drone,

wherein the setting the movement direction is configured to set a direction included in acceleration of the automatic flight guide signal to the movement direction of the unmanned drone.