Electric unmanned aerial vehicle and an intelligent method of protecting electricity thereof

• US 10,372,124 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2014
• 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: Shi, Renli, Song, Jianyu, Chen, Xi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ingram, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/406,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20170123420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/30 Supply or distribution of electrical power
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00

Abstract

An electric unmanned aerial vehicle includes a position sensor configured to obtain coordinate information of a present position of the electric unmanned aerial vehicle in real-time, a memory storing coordinate information of a preset position of the electric unmanned aerial vehicle, and a controller in communication with the position sensor and the memory and being configured to calculate a safety electricity amount needed by the electric unmanned aerial vehicle to perform a safety protection command based on the coordinate information of the present position and the coordinate information of the preset position, compare the safety electricity amount with a present remaining electricity amount of a battery of the electric unmanned aerial vehicle, and perform a safety protection command if the present remaining electricity amount is not greater than the safety electricity amount.

Claims

1. An electric unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

a position sensor configured to obtain coordinate information of a present position of the electric unmanned aerial vehicle in real-time;

a memory storing coordinate information of a preset position of the electric unmanned aerial vehicle; and

a controller in communication with the position sensor and the memory, and being configured to;

calculate a plurality of safety electricity amounts based on the coordinate information of the present position and the coordinate information of the preset position, the plurality of safety electricity amounts corresponding to a plurality of safety protection commands, respectively,

compare a present remaining electricity amount of a battery of the electric unmanned aerial vehicle with the plurality of safety electricity amounts to select a safety electricity amount that corresponds to the present remaining electricity amount, and

perform one of the plurality of safety protection commands that corresponds to the selected safety electricity amount.

2. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor comprises at least one of a GPS sensor or a height sensor.

3. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the height sensor comprises at least one of a barometric altimeter, a laser altimeter, a radio altimeter, an ultrasound wave altimeter, or an image distance-measuring sensor.

4. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a computing unit configured to calculate the plurality of safety electricity amounts and a comparator configured to determine a relation between the present remaining electricity amount of the battery and the plurality of safety electricity amounts;

or

a microprocessor configured to calculate the plurality of safety electricity amounts and determine the relation between the present remaining electricity amount and the plurality of safety electricity amounts.

5. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises an electricity detecting circuit configured to detect the present remaining electricity amount in real-time.

6. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the electricity detecting circuit includes at least one of an analog-digital sampling circuit or a current meter.

7. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the battery includes a smart battery configured to detect the present remaining electricity amount, and

the controller is in communication with the smart battery to obtain the present remaining electricity amount.

8. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of safety electricity amounts comprise a return electricity amount needed by the electric unmanned aerial vehicle to return from the present position to the preset position, a landing electricity amount needed by the electric unmanned aerial vehicle to land directly from the present position, and a deploying electricity amount needed by the electric unmanned aerial vehicle to deploy a safety device, and

the plurality of safety protection commands comprise a command of returning to the preset position, a command of landing directly from the present position, and a command of deploying the safety device.

9. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the selected safety electricity amount comprises a landing electricity amount needed by the electric unmanned aerial vehicle to land directly from the present position.

10. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to perform a command of landing directly from the present position if the present remaining electricity amount is not greater than the landing electricity amount.

11. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 9, wherein:

the selected safety electricity amount further comprises a returning electricity amount needed by the electric unmanned aerial vehicle to return from the present position to the preset position, and

the controller is further configured to control the electric unmanned aerial vehicle to continue a normal flight if the present remaining electricity amount is greater than the return electricity amount and the landing electricity amount.

12. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically perform the command of returning to the preset position if the present remaining electricity amount is greater than the landing electricity amount but not greater than the return electricity amount.

13. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising a sensor configured to detect an obstacle in a preset range around the electric unmanned aerial vehicle,

wherein the controller is further configured to plan a return path that avoids the obstacle.

14. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an infrared distance-measuring sensor, an ultrasound wave distance-measuring sensor, an image distance-measuring sensor, a laser distance-measuring sensor, or a microwave radar distance-measuring sensor.

15. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to select a return path for the electric unmanned aerial vehicle to return from the present position to the preset position as one of:

an original flight path, a combination of a linear path in a horizontal direction and a linear path in a vertical direction between the present position and the preset position, and a direct linear path between the present position and the preset position.

16. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the return path is automatically set by the controller or set by a user.

17. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to automatically select the return path according to a preset criterion, and calculate the return electricity amount based on the selected return path.

18. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the preset criterion comprises at least one of a path having a least electricity consumption, a path having a shortest return trip, or a path having a least speed change.

19. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising:

a prompting device in communication with the controller, the prompting device being configured to provide a prompting signal as to whether to perform a return to the preset position if the present remaining electricity amount is greater than the landing electricity amount but not greater than the return electricity amount.

20. The electric unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the present remaining electricity amount by subtracting a preset electricity amount from an actual remaining electricity amount of the battery.