AIRCRAFT CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD

• US 20140374541A1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: WANG, TAO, ZHAO, TAO
• Granted Patent: US 9,650,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/236
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/20 using radiated signals
• 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 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle

Abstract

An aircraft control apparatus, control system, and control method are disclosed. A control apparatus includes: a first control rod configured to have a movement in a first movement direction controlling a motion of an aircraft in a first motion direction, wherein after an external force on the first control rod in the first movement direction is removed, the first control rod automatically returns to a preset position in the first movement direction; wherein the preset position which the first control rod automatically returns to corresponds to the aircraft in the first motion direction maintaining a state of flight; wherein the maintaining state of flight depends on control signals received by the aircraft generated resulting from changes in the external force applied to the control rod in the first movement direction and state signals measured by state measurement sensors carried by the aircraft.

Claims

1. An aircraft control apparatus, comprising:

a first control rod configured to have a movement in a first movement direction controlling a motion of an aircraft in a first motion direction, wherein after an external force on the first control rod in the first movement direction is removed, the first control rod automatically returns to a preset position in the first movement direction;

wherein the preset position which the first control rod automatically returns to corresponds to the aircraft in the first motion direction maintaining a state of flight;

wherein the maintaining state of flight depends on control signals received by the aircraft generated resulting from changes in the external force applied to the control rod in the first movement direction and state signals measured by state measurement sensors carried by the aircraft.

2. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein a process for the first control rod to return automatically to the preset position after the external force on the first control rod in the first movement direction is withdrawn corresponds to a process for the aircraft in the first motion direction to start decelerating until its velocity becomes zero.

3. The control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the preset position is a center position of the first control rod in the first movement direction.

4. The control apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a spring apparatus to drive the first control rod to automatically return to the center position after the external force is withdrawn.

5. The control apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first motion direction is an up and down direction of the aircraft, wherein the control apparatus further comprises a second control rod configured to control a translational flight, and wherein the second control rod also has a corresponding spring apparatus to make it return automatically to its center position.

6. The control apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first control rod in a second movement direction controls an orientation of the aircraft, and wherein the first control rod also returns to a center position in the second movement direction after an external force on the first control rod in the second movement direction is withdrawn.

7. The control apparatus of claim 6, wherein a movement amplitude of the first control rod in the first movement direction is proportional to an up or down motion velocity of the aircraft.

8. The control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the aircraft is configured to realize imaging functions of a ground target using a camera carried thereon, wherein camera has a lens zooming out/in function, wherein the movement of the first control rod in the first movement direction controls the aircraft'"'"'s up/down, the camera'"'"'s focal length zooming out/in, or a coupled motion of the aircraft'"'"'s up/down and the camera'"'"'s focal length zooming out/in, wherein the maintained aircraft state comprises a coupled value of the aircraft'"'"'s height and the camera'"'"'s focal length.

9. An aircraft control method, comprising:

receiving control signals resulting from a movement of a first control rod in a first movement direction, the control signals controlling a motion of the aircraft in a first motion direction;

determining whether the control signals change to control signals corresponding to the first control rod'"'"'s return to a preset position in the first movement direction resulting from a withdrawal of an external force over the first control rod in the first movement direction;

if yes, then controlling the aircraft to maintain a flight state in the first motion direction.

10. The control method of claim 9, further comprising:

if the external force over the first control rod in the first movement direction is withdrawn, the aircraft enters a deceleration state in the first motion direction;

if the first control rod stays at the preset position in the first movement direction, then the aircraft maintains its state after the aircraft'"'"'s velocity in the first motion direction decelerates to zero.

11. The control method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving control signals resulting from the first control rod'"'"'s movement in the first movement direction, the control signals are also configured to control the aircraft'"'"'s up/down, a camera'"'"'s focal length zooming out/in, or a coupling thereof.

12. The control method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether external forces in all directions over the first and a second control rods are withdrawn resulting in the first and second control rods returning automatically to their respective preset positions;

if yes, then controlling the aircraft to enter a hovering state.

13. The control method of claim 12, further comprising:

measuring state signals of the aircraft, providing the measured aircraft state signals to feedback to the aircraft to thereby control the aircraft to be in the maintained state.

14. The control method of claim 9, further comprising:

using the external force to control the first control rod to move in the first movement direction to thereby generate the control signals; and

the first control rod, in the case that the external force in the first movement direction is withdrawn, returning to the preset position in the first movement direction.

15. The control method of claim 14, wherein said controlling the aircraft to maintain a flight state in the first motion direction is realized through a feedback to an aircraft controller with measured state of the aircraft to control the aircraft control surface, thereby forming a closed feedback loop.

16. The control method of claim 15, wherein said controlling the aircraft to enter a flight state stably maintained in the first motion direction comprises controlling a coupled value of the aircraft'"'"'s altitude and a focal length of a camera carried by the aircraft to maintain a stable value.

17. An aircraft control system, comprising:

a remote control apparatus, comprising;

a first control rod, its movement in a first movement direction corresponds to control signals for controlling the aircraft in a first motion direction;

a return device configured to return the first control rod automatically to a preset position in the first movement direction in the case that an external force over the first control rod in the first movement direction is withdrawn;

a controller configured to control a state of the aircraft based the control signals and aircraft state signals, wherein the controller is configured to control the aircraft to enter a state maintain in the case that the first control rod automatically returns to the preset position in the first movement direction.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein a process for the first control rod to automatically return to a preset position after an external force in the first movement direction is withdrawn corresponds to a deceleration process for the aircraft in the first motion direction.

19. The control system of claim 18, wherein the control system further comprises at least one state measurement sensor to measure the aircraft'"'"'s state signals to provide to the controller.

20. The control system of claim 19, wherein, further comprising an aircraft operation surface configured to drive the aircraft to adjust its state, characterized in that:

the at least one state measurement sensor, the controller, and the aircraft control surface form a closed feedback loop to control the aircraft to be in the state hold.