Remote control device, control system and method of controlling

• US 10,331,120 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: Liu, Yuancai
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein
• Application Number:
  US15/355,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20170068242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

A remote control device for remotely controlling an unmanned apparatus and a carried object carried by the unmanned apparatus includes a remote control device attitude sensor and a microprocessor. The remote control device attitude sensor is configured to detect a remote control device spatial attitude of the remote control device and output a remote control device spatial attitude signal according to the remote control device spatial attitude. The microprocessor is configured to receive the remote control device spatial attitude signal, calculate an angle change of the remote control device in a remote control device dimension based on the remote control device spatial attitude signal, and generate a carried object control signal for controlling a movement of the carried object in a corresponding dimension based on the angle change of the remote control device. The corresponding dimension corresponds to the remote control device dimension.

Claims

1. A remote control device for remotely controlling an unmanned apparatus and a carried object carried by the unmanned apparatus, the remote control device comprising:

a remote control device attitude sensor configured to detect a remote control device spatial attitude of the remote control device and output a remote control device spatial attitude signal according to the remote control device spatial attitude; and

a microprocessor configured to;

receive the remote control device spatial attitude signal,

calculate an angle change of the remote control device in a remote control device dimension based on the remote control device spatial attitude signal, and

generate a carried object control signal for controlling a movement of the carried object in a corresponding dimension based on the angle change of the remote control device, the corresponding dimension corresponding to the remote control device dimension.

2. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein the carried object control signal is configured to control the carried object to move a predetermined angle in the corresponding dimension or to move at a predetermined velocity in the corresponding dimension.

3. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein the remote control device spatial attitude of the remote control device includes at least one of an angle of the remote control device in a yaw direction, an angle of the remote control device in a pitch direction, or an angle of the remote control device in a roll direction.

4. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein the carried object control signal is configured to control a movement of the carried object such that an angle change of the carried object in the corresponding dimension is proportional to the angle change of the remote control device in the remote control device dimension.

5. The remote control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a joystick,

wherein the microprocessor is further configured to generate, based on a movement of the joystick in a control direction, an unmanned apparatus control signal for controlling a movement of the unmanned apparatus in a corresponding direction, the corresponding direction corresponding to the control direction.

6. The remote control device of claim 5, wherein the unmanned apparatus control signal is further configured to control the unmanned apparatus to maintain a state in the corresponding direction when the joystick is maintained at a predetermined position in the control direction.

7. The remote control device of claim 6, wherein the unmanned apparatus control signal is further configured to control the unmanned apparatus to maintain an original moving velocity in the corresponding direction or to decelerate and enter into a hovering state.

8. The remote control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a control switch configured to control at least one of the remote control device attitude sensor or the microprocessor to activate or deactivate a control of the remote control device over the carried object.

9. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein:

the remote control device spatial attitude signal is a subsequent remote control device spatial attitude signal output from the remote control device attitude sensor after a control of the remote control device over the carried object is activated, and

the microprocessor is further configured to;

record an initial remote control device spatial attitude signal when the control of the remote control device over the carried object is activated, and

calculate the angle change of the remote control device by comparing the subsequent remote control device spatial attitude signal with the initial remote control device spatial attitude signal.

10. A control system for controlling a movement of an unmanned apparatus and a carried object carried by the unmanned apparatus, the control system comprising:

a remote control device of claim 1;

an unmanned apparatus attitude sensor carried by the unmanned apparatus and configured to detect an unmanned apparatus spatial attitude of the unmanned apparatus and generate an unmanned apparatus spatial attitude signal according to the unmanned apparatus spatial attitude for controlling the unmanned apparatus;

a carried object attitude sensor carried by the unmanned apparatus and configured to detect a carried object spatial attitude of the carried object and generate a carried object spatial attitude signal according to the carried object spatial attitude for controlling the carried object;

an unmanned apparatus controller carried by the unmanned apparatus and configured to control a movement of the unmanned apparatus based on an unmanned apparatus control signal generated by the remote control device for controlling a movement of the unmanned apparatus and the unmanned apparatus spatial attitude signal; and

a carried object controller carried by the unmanned apparatus and configured to control a movement of the carried object based on the carried object control signal and the carried object spatial attitude signal.

11. The control system of claim 10, further comprising:

an unmanned apparatus manipulating interface configured to drive the unmanned apparatus to perform a movement adjustment,

wherein the unmanned apparatus controller, the unmanned apparatus attitude sensor, and the unmanned apparatus manipulating interface form a feedback closed-loop for maintaining a state of the unmanned apparatus.

12. A method for controlling an unmanned apparatus and a carried object carried by the unmanned apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving an unmanned apparatus control signal generated by a microprocessor of a remote control device based on a movement of a joystick in a control direction;

controlling a movement of the unmanned apparatus in a corresponding direction based on the unmanned apparatus control signal, the corresponding direction corresponding to the control direction;

detecting a remote control device spatial attitude of the remote control device by a remote control device attitude sensor of the remote control device and outputting a remote control device spatial attitude signal according to the remote control device spatial attitude;

calculating, by the microprocessor, an angle change of the remote control device in a remote control device dimension based on the remote control device spatial attitude signal;

generating a carried object control signal based on the angle change; and

controlling a movement of the carried object in a corresponding dimension based on the carried object control signal, the corresponding dimension corresponding to the remote control device dimension.

13. The method of controlling of claim 12, wherein controlling the movement of the carried object in the corresponding dimension includes controlling the carried object to move a predetermined angle in the corresponding dimension or controlling the carried object to move at a predetermined velocity in the corresponding dimension.

14. The method of controlling of claim 12, wherein detecting the remote control device spatial attitude includes detecting at least one of an angle of the remote control device in a yaw direction, an angle of the remote control device in a pitch direction, or an angle of the remote control device in a roll direction.

15. The method of controlling of claim 12, wherein controlling the movement of the carried object includes controlling the carried object such that an angle change of the carried object in the corresponding dimension is proportional to the angle change of the remote control device in the remote control device dimension.

16. The method of controlling of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling the unmanned apparatus to maintain a state in the corresponding direction when the joystick is maintained at a predetermined position in the control direction.

17. The method of controlling of claim 16, wherein maintaining the state includes controlling the unmanned apparatus to maintain an original moving velocity in the corresponding direction or to decelerate and enter into a hovering state.

18. The method of controlling of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling, by a control switch of the remote control device, at least one of the remote control device attitude sensor or the microprocessor of the remote control device to activate or deactivate a control of the remote control device over the carried object.