Aerial vehicle powering off method and device, and aerial vehicle

• US 10,414,511 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• 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, Pan, Xuyang, Song, Jianyu, Lin, Canlong
• Primary Examiner(s): Melton, Todd M
• Application Number:
  US15/415,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20170129618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/00 Power plant control systems; Arrangement of power plant control systems in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/04 Landing aids; Safety measures to prevent collision with earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/40 Landing characterised by flight manoeuvres, e.g. deep stall
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing

Abstract

A method and device for automatically powering off an aerial vehicle, and an aerial vehicle, are provided. The method comprises detecting an operating state of the aerial vehicle, and shutting down a propulsion output of the aerial vehicle if the operating state of the aerial vehicle is a landed state, to effect automatic powering off of the aerial vehicle after landing.

Claims

1. A method for automatically powering off an aerial vehicle, comprising:

detecting an operating state of the aerial vehicle;

determining whether the operating state of the aerial vehicle indicates that the aerial vehicle has landed; and

in response to a determination result that the aerial vehicle has landed, shutting down a propulsion output of the aerial vehicle, to effect automatic powering off of the aerial vehicle after landing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the operating state of the aerial vehicle comprises:

obtaining flight information of the aerial vehicle, and determining whether the flight information satisfies a preset landed criterion, wherein the flight information comprises any one or more pieces of relative altitude information, absolute altitude information and movement information; and

determining the aerial vehicle has landed, if the flight information satisfies a preset landed criterion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the operating state of the aerial vehicle comprises:

obtaining relative altitude information of the aerial vehicle, wherein the relative altitude information comprises a landing distance to a landing plane; and

determining the aerial vehicle has landed if the obtained relative altitude information satisfies a preset landed criterion;

wherein the relative altitude information satisfying the preset landed criterion comprises;

a number of landing distances, which are obtained within a time period threshold and smaller than a distance threshold, reaches a threshold, wherein the time period threshold and the distance threshold are specified in the preset landed criterion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the operating state of the aerial vehicle comprises:

obtaining absolute altitude information of the aerial vehicle;

calculating a variance of absolute altitudes from the obtained absolute altitude information; and

determining that the preset landed criterion is satisfied and the aerial vehicle has landed, if the variance is smaller than a variance threshold and the aerial vehicle is descending, wherein the variance threshold is specified in the preset landed criterion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the operating state of the aerial vehicle comprises:

detecting an operating state of a distance measuring sensor which is provided in the aerial vehicle;

instructing the distance measuring sensor to detect a landing distance of the aerial vehicle to a landing plane if the operating state of the distance measuring sensor is a normal state, and determining that a preset landed criterion is satisfied and the aerial vehicle has landed if a number of landing distances, which are detected within a preset time period threshold and are smaller than a preset distance threshold, reaches a preset threshold; and

obtaining absolute altitude information of the aerial vehicle, and calculating a variance of absolute altitudes from the obtained absolute altitude information if the operating state of the distance measuring sensor is an abnormal state, and determining that a preset landed criterion is satisfied and the aerial vehicle has landed if the variance is smaller than a preset threshold and the aerial vehicle is descending.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the operating state of the aerial vehicle comprises:

instructing an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to measure movement information of the aerial vehicle, and obtaining the measured movement information; and

determining whether the aerial vehicle is landed based on the obtained movement information of the aerial vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein shutting down the propulsion output of the aerial vehicle if the operating state of the aerial vehicle indicates that the aerial vehicle has landed comprises:

determining whether the propulsion output of the aerial vehicle is enabled and whether an automatic take-off operation indicated by an automatic take-off instruction is performed, if the aerial vehicle has landed; and

shutting down the propulsion output of the aerial vehicle if the propulsion output is enabled and the automatic take-off operation is not performed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating state of the aerial vehicle is detected at least twice, and shutting down the propulsion output of the aerial vehicle if the operating state of the aerial vehicle indicates that the aerial vehicle has landed comprises:

detecting a position of a throttle joystick of a remote controller of the aerial vehicle if a number of detecting that the aerial vehicle being landed is greater than a preset threshold; and

shutting down the propulsion output of the aerial vehicle if the throttle joystick of the remote controller is at a lowest position where the aerial vehicle is requested to land.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein shutting down the propulsion output of the aerial vehicle comprises:

sending a power off instruction to a propulsion component of the aerial vehicle, such that the propulsion component shuts down the propulsion output in response to the power off instruction.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein shutting down the propulsion output of the aerial vehicle comprises:

sending a turning off instruction to a power supply of the aerial vehicle, such that the power supply shut down powering to a propulsion component of the aerial vehicle to effect a power off operation of the propulsion output in response to the turning off instruction.

11. An aerial vehicle, comprising:

a propulsion component; and

a flight controller configured to;

detect an operating state of the aerial vehicle,

determining whether the operating state of the aerial vehicle indicates that the aerial vehicle has landed, and

in response to a determination result that the aerial vehicle has landed, shut down a propulsion output of the aerial vehicle, to effect automatic powering off of the aerial vehicle after landing.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a flight sensor for obtaining flight information of the aerial vehicle, wherein the flight information comprises any one or more of relative altitude information, absolute altitude information and movement information;

wherein the flight controller is further configured to determine whether the flight information satisfies a preset landed criterion, and determine that the aerial vehicle has landed if the flight information satisfies the preset landed criterion.

13. The aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the flight sensor comprises a distance measuring sensor for obtaining relative altitude information of the aerial vehicle, wherein the relative altitude information comprises a landing distance to a landing plane, and the flight controller is further configured to determine the aerial vehicle has landed if the obtained relative altitude information satisfies a preset landed criterion;

and

wherein the flight controller is further configured to determine that the relative altitude information satisfies a preset landed criterion if a number of landing distances, which are obtained within a time period threshold and smaller than a distance threshold, reaches a threshold, wherein the time period threshold and the distance threshold are specified in the preset landed criterion.

14. The aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the flight sensor comprises an altitude sensor for obtaining absolute altitude information of the aerial vehicle;

and

wherein the flight controller is further configured to calculate a variance of absolute altitudes from the obtained absolute altitude information, and determine that the preset landed criterion is satisfied and the aerial vehicle has landed if the variance is smaller than a variance threshold and the aerial vehicle is descending, wherein the variance threshold is specified in the preset landed criterion.

15. The aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the flight sensor comprises a distance measuring sensor and an altitude sensor, the distance measuring sensor being configured to detect and record a landing distance of the aerial vehicle to a landing plane at a time interval, and the altitude being configured to obtain the absolute altitude information of the aerial vehicle;

and

wherein the flight controller is further configured to (1) detect an operating state of a distance measuring sensor which is provided in the aerial vehicle, (2) instruct the distance measuring sensor to detect a landing distance of the aerial vehicle to a landing plane if the operating state of the distance measuring sensor is a normal state, and determine that a preset landed criterion is satisfied and the aerial vehicle has landed if a number of landing distances, which are detected within a preset time period threshold and are smaller than a preset distance threshold, reaches a preset threshold, and (3) obtain absolute altitude information of the aerial vehicle, and calculate a variance of absolute altitudes from the obtained absolute altitude information if the operating state of the distance measuring sensor is an abnormal state, and determine that a preset landed criterion is satisfied and the aerial vehicle has landed if the variance is smaller than a preset threshold and the aerial vehicle is descending.

16. The aerial vehicle of claim 11, further comprising an inertial measurement sensor for measuring movement information of the aerial vehicle;

wherein the flight controller is further configured to instruct the inertial measurement unit to measure the movement information of the aerial vehicle, determine whether the aerial vehicle is landed based on the obtained movement information of the aerial vehicle.

17. The aerial vehicle of claim 11, wherein the flight controller is further configured to determine whether the propulsion output of the aerial vehicle is enabled and whether an automatic take-off operation indicated by an automatic take-off instruction is performed if the aerial vehicle has landed, and shut down the propulsion output of the aerial vehicle if the propulsion output is enabled and the automatic take-off operation is not performed.

18. The aerial vehicle of claim 11, wherein the flight controller is further configured to detect a position of a throttle joystick of a remote controller of the aerial vehicle if a number of detecting that the aerial vehicle being landed is greater than a preset threshold, and shut down the propulsion output of the aerial vehicle if the throttle joystick of the remote controller is at a lowest position where the aerial vehicle is requested to land.

19. The aerial vehicle of claim 11, wherein the flight controller is further configured to send a power off instruction to a propulsion component of the aerial vehicle, and the propulsion component is configured to shut down the propulsion output in response to the power off instruction.

20. The aerial vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a power supply, wherein the flight controller is further configured to send a turning off instruction to the power supply, and the power supply is configured to shut down powering to a propulsion component of the aerial vehicle.