DEVICE FOR PILOTING A DRONE

• US 20110288696A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parrot Drones
• Original Assignee: Parrot SA
• Inventors: Lefebure, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• 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: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

The device (10) for piloting a drone (8) comprises a housing having a tilt detector (12) for detecting tilts of the housing, and a touchpad (16) displaying a plurality of touch zones (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42). The drone is provided with a self-contained stabilizer system to stabilize it in hovering flight in the absence of any user commands. The device comprises means controlled by a touch zone (30) forming an activation/deactivation button to cause the drone piloting mode to switch in alternation between: i) an activation mode in which the self-contained stabilizer system of the drone is activated, in which mode said piloting commands transmitted to the drone result from transforming signals delivered by the touch zones; and ii) a deactivation mode in which the self-contained stabilizer system of the drone is deactivated, in which mode said piloting commands transmitted to the drone result from transforming signals emitted by the tilt detector of the housing.

Claims

1. A device (10) for piloting a drone (8) provided with a self-contained stabilizer system for causing the drone to hover in the absence of any user commands, the device being characterized in that it comprises:

a tilt detector (12) for detecting tilts of the device housing;

a touchpad (16) displaying a plurality of touch zones (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42);

means for detecting signals emitted;

by the tilt detector (12) of the housing;

or

by the touch zones (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42); and

means for transforming said detected signals into piloting commands in order to transmit said piloting commands to the drone;

the device including means controlled by one of the touch zones (30) that forms an activation/deactivation button to cause the drone piloting mode to switch in alternation between;

an activation mode in which the self-contained stabilizer system of the drone is activated, in which mode said piloting commands transmitted to the drone result from transforming signals delivered by the touch zones; and

a deactivation mode in which the self-contained stabilizer system of the drone is deactivated, in which mode said piloting commands transmitted to the drone result from transforming signals emitted by the tilt detector of the housing.

2. A device (10) according to claim 1, including means for reinitializing the frame of reference of the device, which means are activated each time there is a switchover to said deactivation mode.

3. A device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the device is a portable multimedia appliance of the cell phone and/or multimedia player type.

4. A device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the touchpad includes at least four touch zones (32, 34, 36, 38) for controlling elementary piloting functions activated by making contact with said touch zones (32, 34, 36, 38), said functions being functions of the group comprising:

taking off;

landing;

climbing;

descending;

pivoting to the right;

pivoting to the left;

moving forwards;

moving backwards;

shifting to the right; and

shifting to the left.

5. A device (10) according to claim 1, including means for causing an automatic emergency landing to take place when the piloting device (10) is turned upside-down.

6. A device (10) according to claim 1, including means for displaying on the touchpad (16) an image as taken by a camera on board the drone (8).

7. A method of piloting a drone (8) provided with a self-contained stabilizer system for stabilizing the drone in hovering flight in the absence of any user command, the method making use of a device provided with a tilt detector (12) for detecting tilts of the device and a touchpad (16) displaying a plurality of touch zones (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42), the methods being characterized by the following steps:

detecting signals emitted by the touch zones and by the tilt detector of the housing;

in an activation mode in which the self-contained stabilizer system of the drone is activated, transforming into piloting commands signals that are emitted by said touch zones (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42);

alternatively, in a deactivation mode in which the self-contained stabilizer system of the drone is deactivated, transforming into piloting commands the signals emitted by said tilt detector (12) of the housing;

transmitting said piloting commands to the drone;

in said activation mode;

stabilizing the drone in hovering flight in the absence of any piloting commands coming from the device; and

moving the drone from one equilibrium point to another as a function of said piloting commands in the event of piloting commands being transmitted to the drone; and

alternatively, in said deactivation mode, controlling the movement of the drone by said piloting commands transmitted to the drone, these commands corresponding to elementary piloting commands activated by contact with said touch zones (32, 34, 36, 38).

8. A piloting method according to claim 7, wherein said elementary piloting functions are functions from the group comprising:

taking off;

landing;

climbing;

descending;

pivoting to the right;

pivoting to the left;

moving forwards;

moving backwards;

shifting to the right; and

shifting to the left.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the device includes means for reinitializing the frame of reference of the device, which means are activated each time there is a switchover to said deactivation mode.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the device is a portable multimedia appliance of a cell phone and/or multimedia player type.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the touchpad includes at least four touch zones for controlling elementary piloting functions activated by making contact with said touch zones, said functions being functions selected from the group consisting of taking off;

landing;

climbing;

descending;

pivoting to the right;

pivoting to the left;

moving forwards;

moving backwards;

shifting to the right; and

shifting to the left.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the device includes means for causing an automatic emergency landing to take place when the piloting device is turned upside-down.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein the device includes means for displaying on the touchpad an image as taken by a camera on board the drone.