MICRO UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE AND METHOD OF CONTROL THEREFOR

• US 20150160658A1
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BCB International Limited
• Original Assignee: BCB International Limited, Torquing Group Limited
• Inventors: Reedman, Ivan, Davies, Barry
• Application Number:
  US14/310,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20150160658A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2230/00 Boundary layer controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2230/02 by using acoustic waves generated by transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/028 Micro-sized aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/00 Type of UAV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/80 UAVs characterised by their small size, e.g. micro air vehicles [MAV]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/06 Systems determining the position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8913 using separate transducers for transmission and reception
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8929 using a three-dimensional transducer configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• 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: Y10S 367/909 : Collision avoidance

Abstract

A micro unmanned aerial vehicle or drone (“UAV”) 10 is remotely controlled through an HMI, although this remote control is supplemented by and selectively suppressed by an on-board controller. The controller operates to control the generation of a sonar bubble that generally encapsulates the UAV. The sonar bubble, which may be ultrasonic in nature, is produced by a multiplicity of sonar lobes generated by specific sonar emitters associated with each axis of movement for the UAV. The emitters produce individual and beamformed sonar lobes that partially overlap to provide stereo or bioptic data in the form of individual echo responses detected by axis-specific sonar detectors. In this way, the on-board controller is able to interpret and then generate 3-D spatial imaging of the physical environment in which the UAV is currently moving or positioned. The controller is therefore able to plot relative and absolute movement of the UAV through the 3-D space by recording measurements from on-board gyroscopes, magnetometers and accelerometers. Data from the sonar bubble can therefore both proactively prevent collisions with objects by imposing a corrective instruction to rotors and other flight control system and can also assess and compensate for sensor drift.

Claims

1. A UAV containing a drive system for propelling the UAV through a spatial environment:

a controller for controlling the drive system and overseeing operation of the UAV;

a multiplicity of sonar emitters associated with different axes of travel of the UAV, each sonar emitter producing a sonar lobe extending outwardly in a specified direction along each of said different axes of travel, the sonar lobes combining to encapsulate the UAV in a sonar bubble; and

a multiplicity of sonar detectors, each axis of travel associated with a plurality of sonar detectors, wherein the sonar detectors are coupled to the controller to permit the controller, in response to echoes reflected off objects within the sonar bubble, to interpret and then generate a 3-D image of the spatial environment in which the UAV is stationary or moving and within which spatial environment the objects are stationary or moving;

and wherein the controller is configured or arranged automatically to moderate the drive system in response to an assessed position of objects in the 3-D image relative to the UAV such that the controller independently controls movement of the UAV through the spatial environment along each axes of travel.

2. The UAV recited in claim 1, wherein the sonar bubble is assembled from partially overlapping three-dimensional spatial sonar lobes generated by relatively inclined pairs of sonar emitters.

3. The UAV recited in claim 2, wherein at least two sonar detectors are associated with each direction long each axis of travel, and wherein the controller is configured or arranged to resolve detected variations at least one of signal strength and round trip timing for pings to and echoes from objects in the sonar bubble to assess a relative position and nature of those objects with respect to the UAV.

4. The UAV recited in claim 2, wherein the sonar emitters simultaneously emit sonar pulses from every sonar emitter associated with each axis of travel.

5. The UAV recited in claim 1, further comprising:

motion and position sensors configured to measure absolute movements of the UAV in 3-D space; and

a memory for storing the absolute movement of the UAV in the spatial environment as resolved by the controller having regard to the measure of absolute movements and the 3-D image constructed from object data acquired from use of the sonar bubble.

6. The UAV recited in claim 1, wherein object data acquired from use of the sonar bubble is used to compensate drift in at least one of the motion and position sensors.

7. The UAV recited in claim 5, wherein object data acquired from use of the sonar bubble is used to compensate drift in at least one of the motion and position sensors.

8. The UAV recited in claim 5, wherein object data determined as being within a predetermined minimum distance of the UAV is excluded from said generated 3-D image of the spatial environment.

10. The method of controlling movement of a UAV recited in claim 8, the method further comprising:

measuring absolute movements of the UAV in 3-D space using motion and position sensors;

storing in memory the absolute movement of the UAV in the spatial environment as resolved by the controller having regard to the measure of absolute movements and the 3-D image constructed from object data acquired from use of the sonar bubble; and

under automatic instruction from the controller and with reference to the memory, automatically re-tracing the movement of the UAV upon loss of an external control signal or upon receipt of an instruction received over a wireless link.

11. The method of controlling movement of a UAV recited in claim 8, further comprising:

establishing a hover mode in the UAV; and

based on distance measurement data to objects acquired from use of the sonar bubble, compensating for drift in at least one motion or position sensor in the UAV.

9. A method of controlling movement of a UAV through 3-D space, the method comprising:

generating a sonar bubble that substantially encapsulates the UAV, the sonar bubble assembled from overlapping beamformed sonar lobes produced from sonar pings emanating from a multiplicity of sonar emitters on the UAV, the sonar emitters associated with directions of movement of the UAV through the 3-D space;

in response to echoes reflected off objects within the sonar bubble following production of said beamformed sonar lobes and as detected by a multiplicity of sonar detectors on the UAV, having a controller in the UAV interpret and then generate a 3-D image of the spatial environment in which the UAV is stationary or moving and within which spatial environment the objects are classified as stationary or moving; and

having the controller independently and automatically control movement of the UAV through the spatial environment by applying direct control to a drive system tasked with effecting movement in each axis of travel.