Electronic device for controlling unmanned aerial vehicle and method of operating the same

• US 10,373,483 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Bo-Kun, Kim, Youn-Lea, Choi, In-Hyuk, Kim, Sung-Jun, Kim, Seung-Nyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Blane J
• Application Number:
  US15/896,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20180240330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/70 Device selection
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

A system, devices and method are disclosed herein. The system may include a network interface, a memory, the two devices and a processor, which implements the method. The method may include receiving by a first device a location of a second device through the network interface, retrieving by the second device a plurality of media related to the received location, transmitting by the second device the plurality of media to the first device through the network interface, in response to receiving a selection of one of the plurality of media, transmit, through the network interface, transmitting by the first device control information for controlling a particular UAV selected from the plurality of UAVs based on corresponding with the selected one of the plurality of media to the second device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computing device, the computing device comprising:

a network interface configured to communicatively connect with at least one external electronic device and a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) through a wireless network;

a processor electrically connected with the network interface; and

a memory electrically connected with the processor, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to;

obtain information related to a location of the external electronic device through the network interface,

identify a plurality of media related to the location, wherein the plurality of media correspond to a plurality of functions, respectively,

transmit information related to the plurality of media to the external electronic device through the network interface,

in response to obtaining information related to a selection of at least one media of the plurality of media from the external electronic device, identify a particular UAV to perform at least one function corresponding to the selection of the at least one media among the plurality of UAVs, based at least on the information related to the selection and a state of each of the plurality of UAVs, and

transmit, through the network interface, control information to the external electronic device, wherein the control information is for the external electronic device to control the particular UAV to perform the at least one function.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

in response to receiving a first control signal for controlling the particular UAV through the network interface from the external electronic device, transmit a second control signal to the particular UAV through the network interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to compare the first control signal with a designated control authority of the external electronic device with reference to the particular UAV, and transmit the second control signal according to a result of the comparison.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control information includes geographical information corresponding to the location of the external electronic device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the geographical information includes information indicating a flyable area for the particular UAV.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to identify state information related to the plurality of UAVs, and

wherein identification of the particular UAV is further based on the state information in addition to the selected one of the plurality of media.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control information includes information indicating a remaining time for which the external electronic device retains control of the particular UAV.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to transmit a notification signal indicating that control of the particular UAV is terminated in response to detecting expiry of the remaining time.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control information transmitted to the external electronic device further includes a user interface (UI) including icons selectable to control the particular UAV.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a communication circuit communicatively connected with a wireless network;

a processor electrically coupled with the communication circuit; and

a memory electrically coupled with the processor, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to;

establish a wireless link with an external computing device through the communication circuit,

transmit information related to a location of the electronic device to the external computing device through the communication circuit,

receive data including a plurality of media related to the location from the external computing device through the communication circuit, wherein the plurality of media correspond to a plurality of functions, respectively,

detect a selection of a first media from among the plurality of media and transmit information related to the selection to the external computing device, and

receive, from the external computing device control information, wherein the control information is for the electronic device to control a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform a function corresponding to the first media,

wherein the first UAV is selected from a plurality of UAVs based at least on the information related to the selection and a state of each of the plurality of UAVs.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to detect an input signal for controlling the first UAV, and transmit a first control signal corresponding to the detected input signal through the communication circuit to the external computing device to control the first UAV.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the control information includes geographical information related to the location of the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the geographical information includes an indication of a flyable area for the first UAV.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the control information indicates a remaining time for which the electronic device retains control over the first UAV.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

receive, from the external computing device, a notification signal indicating that control of the first UAV is terminated when the remaining time expires.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the control information includes a user interface (UI) including icons selectable to control the first UAV.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to control the display to display the UI and transmit a first control signal for controlling the first UAV to the external computing device in response to detecting an input to the displayed UI.

18. A method in a computing device, comprising:

establishing a wireless link with an external electronic device through a network interface;

in response to obtaining information related to a location of the external electronic device through the network interface, identifying a plurality of media related to the location, wherein the plurality of media correspond to a plurality of functions, respectively;

transmitting information related to the plurality of media to the external electronic device through the network interface;

receiving, from the external electronic device, information related to a selection of a first media from among the plurality of media through the network interface;

identifying a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform a function corresponding to the first media from among a plurality of UAVs, based at least on the information related to the selection and a state of each of the plurality of UAVs; and

transmitting, through the network interface, control information to the external electronic device, wherein the control information is for the external electronic device to control the first UAV to perform the function.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

in response to receiving, through the network interface, a first control signal for control of the first UAV from the external electronic device, transmitting a second control signal to the first UAV.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the control information includes information indicating a flyable area corresponding to the location in which a function is executable by the first UAV.