Aircraft control method and apparatus and aircraft

• US 10,414,514 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2019
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• 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): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US16/423,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20190291892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 112 Days
• 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 light emitting apparatus; and

a processor configured to;

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

determine whether the ambient luminance data satisfies a luminance value required for normal running of a vision system of the aircraft;

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

adjust a working status of the light emitting apparatus based on a determination that the ambient luminance data does not satisfy the luminance value required for normal running of the vision system and that the flight height is less than the preset low-altitude height threshold.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising a luminance sensing apparatus;

wherein the processor is configured to obtain the ambient luminance data by using the luminance sensing apparatus.

3. The aircraft according to claim 2, wherein the luminance sensing apparatus comprises a camera.

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

obtain an image captured by the camera; and

obtain the ambient luminance data by analyzing the image.

5. 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 that the ambient luminance data does not satisfy the luminance value required for normal running of the vision system of the aircraft.

6. The aircraft according to claim 3, wherein the camera is configured to detect the ambient luminance of the environment.

7. The aircraft according to claim 3, wherein the camera is configured to detect an exposure amount.

8. The aircraft according to claim 7, 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 ambient luminance data does not satisfy the luminance value required for normal running of the vision system of the aircraft.

9. The aircraft according to claim 3, wherein the camera comprises at least one of a monocular camera, a binocular camera, and a gimbal camera.

10. The aircraft according to claim 2, wherein the luminance sensing apparatus is located at a bottom portion of the aircraft.

11. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising:

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

12. The aircraft according to claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a barometer, an ultrasonic sensor, and an infrared sensor.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. An aircraft, comprising:

a light emitting apparatus; and

a processor configured to;

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

determine whether the aircraft is in a low-light environment;

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.

18. The aircraft according to claim 17, further comprising a camera;

wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the aircraft is in the low-light environment by using the camera.

19. The aircraft according to claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain an image captured by the camera; and

obtain ambient luminance data by analyzing the image, wherein the ambient luminance data indicates ambient luminance of an environment.

20. The aircraft according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to:

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

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.

21. The aircraft according to claim 18, wherein the camera is configured to detect ambient luminance of an environment.

22. The aircraft according to claim 18, wherein the camera is configured to detect an exposure amount.

23. The aircraft according to claim 22, 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.

24. The aircraft according to claim 18, wherein the camera comprises at least one of a monocular camera, a binocular camera, and a gimbal camera.

25. The aircraft according to claim 18, wherein the camera is located at a bottom portion of the aircraft.

26. The aircraft according to claim 17, further comprising:

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

wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a barometer, an ultrasonic sensor, and an infrared sensor.

27. The aircraft according to claim 17, 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.

28. The aircraft according to claim 17, 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.

29. The aircraft according to claim 17, 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.

30. The aircraft according to claim 17, wherein the light emitting apparatus comprises at least one of a signal indicator, a lighting emitting diode (LED) lamp, and an incandescent lamp.