Aircraft control method and apparatus and aircraft

• US 10,399,699 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2019
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autel Robotics Co., Ltd (Autel Intelligent Technology Corp., Ltd. (f/k/a Autel Intelligent Technology Company Limited))
• Original Assignee: Autel Robotics Co., Ltd (Autel Intelligent Technology Corp., Ltd. (f/k/a Autel Intelligent Technology Company Limited))
• Inventors: Yang, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US16/400,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20190256221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 125 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/08 optical
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

This invention discloses an aircraft control method, apparatus and an aircraft. The invention relates to the field of aircraft control technologies. The method includes: obtaining ambient luminance data by a luminance sensing apparatus of an aircraft; determining whether the ambient luminance data satisfies a luminance value required for normal running of a vision system of the aircraft; and adjusting, when the ambient luminance data does not satisfy the luminance value required for normal running of the vision system of the aircraft, a working status of a light emitting apparatus on the aircraft to change light emitting luminance of the light emitting apparatus. The foregoing aircraft control method, apparatus and the aircraft can accurately learn a flight environment in which the aircraft is located, thereby effectively implementing vision positioning on the aircraft and more conveniently controlling the aircraft.

Claims

1. An aircraft, comprising:

a camera;

a sensor configured to detect a flight height of the aircraft;

a light emitting apparatus; and

a processor configured to;

obtain ambient luminance data by using the camera, wherein the ambient luminance data indicates ambient luminance of an environment;

determine whether the flight height is less than a preset low-altitude height threshold;

determine whether the aircraft is in a low-light environment based on the ambient luminance data; and

adjust a working status of the light emitting apparatus based on a determination that the flight height is less than the preset low-altitude height threshold and that the aircraft is in the low-light environment.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain an image captured by the camera; and

obtain the ambient luminance data by analyzing the image.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the ambient luminance indicated by the ambient luminance data is lower than a preset lowest flight luminance; and

based on a determination that the ambient luminance indicated by the ambient luminance data is lower than the preset lowest flight luminance, determine the aircraft is in the low-light environment.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the camera is configured to detect the ambient luminance of the environment.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the camera is configured to detect an exposure amount.

6. The aircraft according to claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether a value of the exposure amount is less than a preset exposure threshold; and

based on a determination that the value of the exposure amount is less than the preset exposure threshold, determine that the aircraft is in the low-light environment.

7. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the camera comprises at least one of a monocular camera, a binocular camera, and a gimbal camera.

8. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the camera is located at a bottom portion of the aircraft.

9. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a barometer, an ultrasonic sensor, and an infrared sensor.

10. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the preset low-altitude height threshold is 5 meters or approximately 5 meters;

or

wherein the preset low-altitude height threshold is 10 meters or approximately 10 meters.

11. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft comprises a plurality of the light emitting apparatuses;

wherein the processor is configured to adjust a working status of some or all of the light emitting apparatuses.

12. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the processor is specifically configured to:

control on or off of the light emitting apparatus;

or

adjust luminance of the light emitting apparatus;

or

change a light color of the light emitting apparatus.

13. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether a second flight height of the aircraft is greater than the preset low-altitude height threshold;

disable the light emitting apparatus based on a determination that the second flight height is greater than the preset low-altitude height threshold.

14. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting apparatus comprises at least one of a signal indicator, a lighting emitting diode (LED) lamp, and an incandescent lamp.

15. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting apparatus is disposed on an arm of the aircraft, or on a bottom of a main body of the aircraft, or near a vision system of the aircraft.

16. A method of controlling an aircraft, comprising:

obtaining ambient luminance data, wherein the ambient luminance data indicates ambient luminance of an environment;

obtaining a flight height of the aircraft;

determining whether the flight height is less than a preset low-altitude height threshold;

determining whether the aircraft is in a low-light environment based on the ambient luminance data; and

based on a determination that the flight height is less than the preset low-altitude height threshold and that the aircraft is in the low-light environment, adjusting a working status of a light emitting apparatus on the aircraft.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the obtaining the ambient luminance data comprising:

obtaining an image captured by a camera; and

obtaining the ambient luminance data by analyzing the image.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the determining whether the aircraft is in the low-light environment based on the ambient luminance data comprises:

determining whether the ambient luminance indicated by the ambient luminance data is lower than a preset lowest flight luminance; and

based on a determination that the ambient luminance indicated by the ambient luminance data is lower than the preset lowest flight luminance, determining the aircraft is in the low-light environment.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

detecting, by a camera, the ambient luminance of the environment.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the camera comprises at least one of a monocular camera, a binocular camera, and a gimbal camera.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the ambient luminance data comprises an exposure amount.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the determining whether the aircraft is in the low-light environment based on the ambient luminance data comprises:

determining whether a value of the exposure amount is less than a preset exposure threshold; and

based on a determination that the value of the exposure amount is less than the preset exposure threshold, determining that the aircraft is in the low-light environment.

23. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

detecting, by a sensor, the flight height of the aircraft, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a barometer, an ultrasonic sensor, and an infrared sensor.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the preset low-altitude height threshold is 5 meters or approximately 5 meters;

or

wherein the preset low-altitude height threshold is 10 meters or approximately 10 meters.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the aircraft comprises a plurality of the light emitting apparatuses;

wherein the adjusting the working status of the light emitting apparatus on the aircraft comprises;

adjusting a working status of some or all of the light emitting apparatuses.

26. The method according to claim 16, wherein the adjusting the working status of the light emitting apparatus on the aircraft comprises:

controlling on or off of the light emitting apparatus;

or

adjusting luminance of the light emitting apparatus;

or

changing a light color of the light emitting apparatus.

27. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

obtaining a second flight height of the aircraft;

determining whether the second flight height of the aircraft is greater than the preset low-altitude height threshold; and

disabling the light emitting apparatus based on a determination that the second flight height is greater than the preset low-altitude height threshold.

28. The method according to claim 16, wherein the light emitting apparatus comprises at least one of a signal indicator, a lighting emitting diode (LED) lamp, and an incandescent lamp.

29. The method according to claim 16, wherein the light emitting apparatus is disposed on an arm of the aircraft, or on a bottom of a main body of the aircraft, or near a vision system of the aircraft.

30. The method according to claim 16, wherein the adjusting the working status of the light emitting apparatus on the aircraft comprises:

adjusting the working status of the light emitting apparatus that is related to a vision system, wherein the vision system comprises a camera;

wherein the vision system is at least one of a downward vision system, a forward vision system and a backward vision system.