UAV, control system and intermediary device for UAV

• US 10,642,263 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Taiwan University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: National Taiwan University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Lin, Ching-Fuh, Lin, Ta-Jung
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/847,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20180210441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/006 Apparatus mounted on flying objects
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/042 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/10 Simultaneous control of position or course in three dimensions G05D1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A control system for an unmanned aerial vehicle is disclosed. The control system includes a mobile device and an intermediary device. The mobile device is equipped with an APP allowing a user to input a control order. The intermediary device has a microprocessor for receiving the control order and generating an execution signal in accordance with the control order, and the execution signal is transmitted to the unmanned aerial vehicle. When the intermediary device does not receive any control order, the microprocessor automatically generates a hover signal for maintaining the unmanned aerial vehicle in a hovering flight state.

Claims

1. A control system used for unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle;

a mobile device installed with an application software allowing an operator to input a control order; and

an intermediary device comprising a microprocessor for receiving the control order and encoding an executing signal according to the control order, the executing signal being transmitted to the unmanned aerial vehicle to control the unmanned aerial vehicle;

wherein the intermediary device automatically generates a hover signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle to make the unmanned aerial vehicle hovering until a new control order is received;

wherein a motion of the operator is detected by sensing elements of the mobile device for generating the control order, the sensing elements comprising an orientation sensor, an accelerometer, a movement sensor, or a gyroscope.

2. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a smart phone, a tablet, or a wearable device carried by the operator.

3. The control system as recited in claim 2, wherein the interface includes a flight radar chart consisting of concentric circles or arcs to identify the relative position of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the gap between concentric circles denotes a real distance.

4. The control system as recited in claim 3, wherein the concentric circles of the flight radar chart utilize different styles or colors to indicate the altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The control system as recited in claim 3, wherein a scene photographed by a camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the flight radar chart are simultaneously displayed on the interface in real time and a map is further displayed on the interface if the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the operator is far, and the operator taps a position of the scene displayed on the interface for ordering the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly to the position of the scene.

6. The control system as recited in claim 2, wherein the interface comprises a button and a specific control order is generated after the button is tapped.

7. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein the application software comprises:

an interface allowing the operator to tap once corresponding to one control order, the unmanned aerial vehicle flying to a specific position or performing a specific action according to the control order.

8. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control order is a single order to instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle.

9. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control order is generated only when the time difference between the two successive sensing signals due to the operator'"'"'s motion detected by the sensing elements is at least 0.1 second.

10. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detection of the sensing elements comprises a time threshold, a distance threshold, or an angle threshold is predetermined, and the control order is generated accordingly.

11. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a microphone for receiving a voice of the operator, and the control order is generated according to the voice.

12. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein the intermediary device is a mobile device or a wearable device.

13. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein a wireless communication is used both between the intermediary device and the mobile device and between the intermediary device and the unmanned aerial vehicle.

14. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein a wire communication is used between the intermediary device and the mobile device and a wireless communication is used between the intermediary device and the unmanned aerial vehicle.

15. A control system used for unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle; and

an intermediary device, comprising;

 

at least a microprocessor for receiving a control order from an operator and encoding an executing signal according to the control order, the executing signal being transmitted to the unmanned aerial vehicle to control the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

 

at least a control circuit providing a hover signal to make the unmanned aerial vehicle hovering in the air;

 

wherein the control circuit comprises;

an input terminal to receive the executing signal encoded by the microprocessor;

an output terminal;

a P-type Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (PMOS), wherein the gate of the PMOS electrically connects with the input terminal, and the source of the PMOS electrically connects with a power source;

an N-type Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (NMOS), wherein the gate of the NMOS electrically connects with the input terminal, the drain of the NMOS electrically connects with the drain of the PMOS and the output terminal, and the source of the NMOS 142 is grounded; and

a control resistor, wherein the first terminal of the control resistor electrically connects with the power source and the source of the PMOS, the second terminal of the control resistor is grounded, and the third terminal of the control resistor electrically connects with the output terminal.

16. The control system as recited in claim 15, wherein the control resistor is a variable resistor or two resistors connected in series.

17. The control system as recited in claim 15, wherein the control circuit further comprises:

a first switch having two terminals with one electrically connecting with the output terminal and the other electrically connecting with the drain of the PMOS and the drain of the NMOS.

18. The control system as recited in claim 17, wherein when the first switch is closed, the intermediary device outputs an executing signal(s) that is encoded by the processor and then treated by the control circuit.

19. The control system as recited in claim 17, wherein when the first switch is opened, the intermediary device outputs an executing signal(s) that is generated by a stick interface of the intermediary device.

20. The control system as recited in claim 15, wherein the control circuit further comprises:

a second switch having two terminals electrically connected with the source of the PMOS and the power source, respectively.

21. The control system as recited in claim 15, further comprising a wireless transmitting module for receiving the control order from a mobile device.

22. A control system used for unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising:

an intermediary device;

a mobile device; and

an unmanned aerial vehicle for receiving an executing signal from the intermediary device and performing actions according to the executing signal, wherein the intermediary device receives a control order inputted by an operator from the mobile device and encoding the executing signal according to the control order, and the intermediary device automatically generates a hover signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle to make the unmanned aerial vehicle hovering in the air until a new control order is received;

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises;

a hover detection module, comprising;

a projection unit for projecting two collimated light beams and a specific pattern on the ground;

a capturing unit for capturing an image of the two collimated light beams and the specific pattern projected on the ground; and

a microprocessor for analyzing the captured image to judge whether the unmanned aerial vehicle is hovering or not and whether the unmanned aerial vehicle is flying horizontally.

23. The control system as recited in claim 22, wherein the two collimated light beams and the specific pattern are emitted with a specific wavelength or bandwidth.

24. The control system as recited in claim 23, wherein the capturing unit further comprises a filter for passing light with a wavelength or bandwidth same as the specific wavelength or bandwidth and filtering out other light from the environment.

25. The control system as recited in claim 22, wherein the projected pattern and distance between the light spots corresponding to the two collimated light beams shown in the captured image are used to calculate a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the ground and for maintaining the unmanned aerial vehicle at a fixed altitude.

26. The control system as recited in claim 22, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises:

a movement detection module, comprising;

a projection unit for projecting a specific pattern to the ground; and

a capturing unit for periodically capturing images of a specific pattern projected by the projection unit; and

a microprocessor for analysis and comparison of the captured images to obtain the moving direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

27. The control system as recited in claim 26, wherein the specific pattern is emitted with a specific wavelength or bandwidth.

28. The control system as recited in claim 26, wherein the capturing unit further comprises a filter for passing light with a wavelength or bandwidth same as the specific wavelength or bandwidth and filtering out other light from the environment.

29. The control system as recited in claim 26, wherein the capturing unit can take a selfie image of the operator, and an angle of a camera of the capturing unit can be adjusted.

30. The control system as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

an ultrasonic wave emitting module and a light wave emitting module either disposed at the unmanned aerial vehicle or the intermediary device for emitting ultrasonic pulse wave and light pulse wave, respectively; and

an ultrasonic wave receiving module and a light wave receiving module either disposed at the intermediary device or the unmanned aerial vehicle for receiving the ultrasonic pulse wave and the light pulse wave, respectively;

wherein the received ultrasonic pulse wave and the light pulse wave are transmitted to a microprocessor of the intermediary device or the unmanned aerial vehicle, and a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the intermediary device is calculated according a time difference between the time of receiving the ultrasonic pulse wave and the time of receiving the light pulse wave.

31. The control system as recited in claim 22, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises:

a light emitting module includes at least three light sources that can emit at least three light beams with at least two different colors;

wherein the intermediary device comprises a light detection module to capture images of the light emitting module, and the captured images are transmitted to a microprocessor of the intermediary device or the unmanned aerial vehicle to be analyzed for obtaining the orientation and angle of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

32. The control system as recited in claim 22, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises:

a plurality of capturing units are arranged at the front and rear or the periphery of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

wherein the intermediary device comprises a light emitting module, and the capturing units are used to capture images of the light emitting module, and the captured images are transmitted to a microprocessor of the intermediary device or the unmanned aerial vehicle to be analyzed for obtaining an angle of the intermediary device in relative to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

33. The control system as recited in claim 32, wherein a coordinate of unmanned aerial vehicle in relative to the mobile device or the intermediary device is obtained by a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the intermediary device and the captured images of the light emitting module.

34. The control system as recited in claim 33, wherein the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the intermediary device is calculated as follows:

the intermediary device comprising an ultrasonic wave receiving module and a light wave receiving module for receiving a ultrasonic pulse wave and a light pulse wave emitted from the unmanned aerial vehicle, respectively, a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the intermediary device being calculated according to a time difference between the time of receiving the ultrasonic pulse wave and the time of receiving the light pulse wave.