Unmanned aerial vehicle and method for reconfiguring geofence region thereof using electronic device

• US 10,535,273 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2017
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Namgoong, Boram, Park, Jihyun, Lee, Kyunghee, Lee, Juyeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/834,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20180165970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 701 20
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/32 for cartography or topography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• 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 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may include: a flight body; a camera installed on the flight body; a sensor module mounted inside the flight body to sense nearby surroundings; a wireless communication module mounted inside the flight body to wirelessly communicate with an external communication device; a processor mounted inside the flight body and electrically connected with the camera, the sensor module, and the wireless communication module; and a memory electrically connected with the processor. The memory may store instructions that, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is in flight, cause the processor to: identify a first geofence region; broadcast flight information on a periodic basis; receive flight information from a second unmanned aerial vehicle in flight; determine whether there is an overlap between the first geofence region and a second geofence region of the second unmanned aerial vehicle; and if so, reset the first geofence region so that the first geofence region does not overlap with the second geofence region.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a camera;

a movement control module including a propeller;

a sensor module configured to sense nearby surroundings;

a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with an external communication device; and

a processor electrically connected to the camera, the sensor module, and the wireless communication module;

wherein the processor, when the UAV is in flight, is configured to;

identify a first geofence region preset in accordance with a current position of the UAV,

receive flight information from a second UAV during the flight indicating a second geofence region of the second UAV,

determine whether there is an overlap between the first geofence region and the second geofence region, and

based on the determination that there is an overlap between the first geofence region and the second geofence region, reset the first geofence region so that the first geofence region does not overlap with the second geofence region during the flight.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the flight information of the UAV or the second UAV comprises information regarding flight positon, flight direction, flight velocity, and respective flight geofence region.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to reset the first geofence region based on an adjustment value for at least one of a radial distance and a flight altitude of the first geofence region.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

periodically broadcast flight information;

determine, when flight information is received through the wireless communication module from the second UAV positioned within a given distance from the first geofence region, an adjustment value for at least one of a radial distance and a flight altitude of the first geofence region so that the first geofence region does not overlap with the second geofence region of the second UAV; and

reset the first geofence region by changing the first geofence region based on the determined adjustment value.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive flight information through the wireless communication module from the second UAV positioned within a given distance from the first geofence region;

perform, based on the determination that there is an overlap between the first geofence region and a second geofence region of the second UAV, a negotiation process with the second UAV through wireless communication; and

determine adjustment values for changing at least one of the first geofence region and the second geofence region through negotiations.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit, based on the determination that unable to determine whether the first geofence region overlaps with the second geofence region, the flight information of the UAV to a geofence server;

receive an adjustment value for at least one of a radial distance and a flight altitude of the first geofence region from the geofence server; and

reset the first geofence region based on the received adjustment value.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, when unable to determine whether the first geofence region overlaps the second geofence region, an adjustment value for at least one of a radial distance and a flight altitude of the first geofence region from an electronic device providing a control signal to the UAV; and

reset the first geofence region based on the received adjustment value.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

specify, when setting information for adding a restriction zone to the first geofence region is received from an electronic device providing a control signal to the UAV, a position corresponding to the setting information within the first geofence region; and

reset the first geofence region by designating a zone derived from the specified position as a flight restriction zone.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to reset, if a flight altitude of the UAV is equal to the flight altitude of the second UAV, the first geofence region by changing the flight altitude of the UAV so that the UAV and the second UAV can fly at different altitudes.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit, to notify a user of a change in the first geofence region when the first geofence region is changed through resetting, information on the changed first geofence region to an electronic device controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle.

11. A method in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

broadcasting flight information through a wireless communication module of the UAV on a periodic basis when the UAV is in flight in response to a flight control signal;

determining, using a processor of the UAV, based on flight information of a second UAV received in flight, whether there is an overlap between a first geofence region preset in accordance with a flight position of the UAV and a second geofence region of the second UAV; and

based on the determination that there is an overlap between the first geofence region and the second geofence region, resetting, by the processor, the first geofence region so that the first geofence region does not overlap with the second geofence region during the flight.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the flight information of the UAV comprises information regarding at least one of flight positon, flight direction, flight velocity, and flight geofence region of the UAV.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether there is an overlap comprises:

receiving the flight information from a second UAV positioned within a given distance from the first geofence region having a first radius;

comparing the first geofence region with a second geofence region of the UAV to find an overlap region; and

determining a radial distance less than the first radius, so that the overlap region is excluded from the first geofence region,

wherein resetting the first geofence region includes changing the first geofence region based on the determined radial distance.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein resetting the first geofence region comprises resetting the first geofence region on based on an adjustment value for at least one of a radial distance and a flight altitude of the first geofence region.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether there is an overlap comprises:

receiving the flight information from a second UAV positioned within a given distance from the first geofence region;

performing, based on the determination that there is an overlap between the first geofence region and the second geofence region of the second UAV, a negotiation process with the second UAV through wireless communication; and

determining adjustment values for changing at least one of the first geofence region and the second geofence region through negotiations.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether there is an overlap comprises:

transmitting, when unable to determine whether the first geofence region overlaps the second geofence region, the flight information of the UAV to a geofence server; and

receiving an adjustment value for at least one of a radial distance and a flight altitude of the first geofence region from the geofence server,

wherein the first geofence region is reset based on the received adjustment value.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether there is an overlap comprises receiving, when unable to determine whether the first geofence region overlaps the second geofence region, an adjustment value for at least one of a radial distance and a flight altitude of the first geofence region from an electronic device providing a control signal to the UAV, and wherein the first geofence region is reset based on the received adjustment value.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein resetting the first geofence region comprises:

receiving setting information for adding a restriction zone to the first geofence region from an electronic device providing a control signal to the UAV; and

specifying a particular position corresponding to the setting information within the first geofence region and resetting the first geofence region by designating a zone derived from the specified position as a flight restriction zone.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein resetting the first geofence region comprises resetting, when a flight altitude of the UAV is equal to a flight altitude of the second UAV, the first geofence region by changing the flight altitude of the UAV so that the UAV and the second UAV can fly at different altitudes.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein resetting the first geofence region further comprises transmitting, to notify a user of a change in the first geofence region when the first geofence region is changed through resetting, information on the changed first geofence region to an electronic device controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle.