Unmanned vehicle control

• US 20060271251A1
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey Alan Hopkins
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Alan Hopkins
• Inventors: Hopkins, Jeffrey Alan
• Application Number:
  US11/356,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271251A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• 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

Abstract

A control system for an unmanned vehicle includes a plurality of servos, a transceiver that receives a plurality of first control signals, and a controller connected to the transceiver and the plurality of servos. The controller receives the first control signals from the transceiver and processes the first control signals to provide a plurality of second control signals to the servos to thereby control the servos and the unmanned vehicle.

Claims

1. A control system for an unmanned vehicle comprising:

a plurality of servos;

a transceiver that receives a plurality of first control signals; and

a controller connected to the transceiver and the plurality of servos, wherein the controller receives the first control signals from the transceiver and processes the first control signals to provide a plurality of second control signals to the servos to thereby control the unmanned vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned vehicle comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle includes an airplane or a helicopter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises a wireless transceiver that transmits and receives the first control signals.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first control signals comprise wireless signals and digital control data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises a radio frequency (RF) transceiver that transmits and receives the first control signals.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first control signals comprise wireless radio frequency (RF) signals, and wherein the wireless radio frequency (RF) signals comprise digital control data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a microprocessor, microcontroller, or microcomputer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller interprets the first control signals as position control signals for position control of the servos.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller provides the second control signals as position control signals to control the position of the servos.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises an onboard control system that is mounted to the unmanned vehicle.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system further comprises a camera system that is mounted to the unmanned vehicle and transmits video signals.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the camera system comprises a digital video camera system that transmits digital video data via wireless signals.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the camera system comprises a digital audio and video (AV) camera system that transmits digital audio and video data via wireless signals.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system further comprises at least one power supply that provides power to the transceiver, the plurality of servos, and the controller.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system further comprises a sensor cluster connected to the controller, the sensor cluster comprising at least one positional and navigational sensor including at least one of a speed sensor, an altimeter sensor, a compass sensor, a pitch sensor, a roll sensor, a yaw sensor, a gps sensor, a position sensor, a direction sensor, and a turning direction sensor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller transmits sensor data and information related to the at least one positional and navigational sensor via the transceiver.

18. A control system for an unmanned vehicle comprising:

a plurality of servos;

a wireless transceiver that receives digital data via a plurality of wireless signals; and

a controller connected to the wireless transceiver and the plurality of servos, wherein the controller receives the digital data from the wireless transceiver, interprets the digital data as servo control data, and generates servo control signals to provide to the servos to thereby control the unmanned vehicle.

19. A control system for an unmanned vehicle having a plurality of servos, the system comprising:

a first controller that generates digital control data;

a first transceiver connected to the first controller so as to receive the digital control data from the first controller, the first transceiver transmits a plurality of wireless control signals comprising the digital control data;

a second transceiver that receives the plurality of wireless control signals from the first transceiver and extracts the digital control data therefrom; and

a second controller connected to the second transceiver and the plurality of servos, wherein the second controller receives the digital control data from the second transceiver and interprets the digital control data as servo control data to provide a plurality of servo control signals to the servos to thereby control the unmanned vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first controller generates the digital control data based, at least in part, on user input commands.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the control system further comprises a servo controller connected between the second controller and the plurality of servos, and wherein the servo controller receives the digital control data from the second controller and interprets the digital control data as servo control data to provide the plurality of servo control signals to the servos to thereby control the unmanned vehicle.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the servo controller interprets the servo control data as servo control signals for position control of the servos.

23. A control system for an unmanned aerial vehicle having a plurality of servos, the system comprising:

a base controller that generates digital control data;

a base wireless transceiver connected to the base controller so as to receive the digital control data from the base controller, the base wireless transceiver transmits a plurality of wireless control signals comprising the digital control data;

an onboard wireless transceiver positioned on the unmanned aerial vehicle that receives the plurality of wireless control signals from the base wireless transceiver and extracts the digital control data therefrom;

a first onboard controller positioned on the unmanned aerial vehicle and connected to the onboard wireless transceiver so as to receive the digital control data from the onboard wireless transceiver and process the digital control data to generate digital servo control data; and

a second onboard controller positioned on the unmanned aerial vehicle and connected to the first onboard controller and the plurality of servos, wherein the second onboard controller receives the digital servo control data from the first onboard controller and interprets the digital servo control data as servo position data to provide a plurality of servo control signals to the servos to thereby control the unmanned aerial vehicle.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the second onboard controller comprises a servo controller that interprets the digital servo control data as servo position data to provide a plurality of servo position signals to the servos for position control of the servos.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the control system further comprises an onboard camera system that is mounted to the unmanned aerial vehicle and transmits video signals to the base controller.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the onboard camera system comprises a digital video camera system that transmits digital video data to the base controller via wireless signals.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the onboard camera system comprises a digital audio and video (AV) camera system that transmits digital audio and video data to the base controller via wireless signals.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the control system further comprises at least one base power supply that provides power to at least the base controller and the base wireless transceiver.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the control system further comprises at least one onboard power supply mounted to the unmanned aerial vehicle that provides power to at least the onboard wireless transceiver, the first onboard controller, the second onboard controller, and the plurality of servos.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the control system further comprises a sensor cluster connected to the first onboard controller, the sensor cluster comprising at least one positional and navigational sensor including at least one of a speed sensor, an altimeter sensor, a compass sensor, a pitch sensor, a roll sensor, a yaw sensor, a gps sensor, a position sensor, a direction sensor, and a turning direction sensor.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the first onboard controller transmits digital data and information related to the at least one positional and navigational sensor to the base controller via wireless signals from the onboard wireless transceiver.

32. A method for controlling an unmanned vehicle having a plurality of servos, the method comprising:

receiving wireless signals comprising digital control data;

extracting the digital control data from the wireless signals;

interpreting the digital control data as servo control data;

generating servo control signals from the servo control data; and

providing the servo control signals to the servos to thereby control the unmanned vehicle.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising generating digital control data.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising transmitting wireless control signals comprising the digital control data.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the unmanned vehicle comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle including an airplane or a helicopter.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein receiving wireless signals comprises receiving wireless radio frequency (RF) signals comprising the digital control data.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein interpreting the digital control data as servo control data comprises interpreting the digital control data as servo position data for position control of the servos.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises sensing positional and navigational orientation including sensing at least one of speed, altitude, compass direction, pitch, roll, yaw, geographical position, and turning direction.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises transmitting digital data and information related to sensing positional and navigational orientation via wireless signals.

40. The method of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises transmitting video signals from the unmanned vehicle.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein transmitting video signals comprises transmitting digital video data from the unmanned vehicle via wireless signals.

42. The method of claim 32, wherein transmitting video signals comprises transmitting digital audio and video (AV) data from the unmanned vehicle via wireless signals.