FLIGHT CONTROL FOR FLIGHT-RESTRICTED REGIONS

• US 20150254988A1
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2014
• 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, Mingyu, Wang, Tao, Song, Jianyu
• Granted Patent: US 9,317,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• 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: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• 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: G08G 5/0004 Transmission of traffic-related information to or from an aircraft airborne radio transmission systems in general H04B7/185; airborne wireless networks H04W84/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices are provided for providing flight response to flight-restricted regions. The location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may be compared with a location of a flight-restricted region. If needed a flight-response measure may be taken by the UAV to prevent the UAV from flying in a no-fly zone. Different flight-response measures may be taken based on the distance between the UAV and the flight-restricted region and the rules of a jurisdiction within which the UAV falls.

Claims

1. A method for assessing flight response of an unmanned aerial vehicle to a flight-restricted region, said method comprising:

assessing a location of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

assessing a location of a flight-restricted region;

calculating, with aid of a processor, a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the flight-restricted region using the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the location of the flight-restricted region;

assessing, with aid of the processor, whether the distance falls within a first distance threshold or a second distance threshold greater than the first distance threshold; and

instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to take (1) a first flight response measure when the distance falls within the first distance threshold, and (2) a second flight response measure different from the first flight response measure when the distance falls within the second distance threshold and outside the first distance threshold, wherein the second flight response measure is different from a behavior of the unmanned aerial vehicle outside the second distance threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle is assessed with aid of a GPS signal at the unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the flight-restricted region is an airport.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first flight response measure is to automatically land the aerial vehicle on a surface.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the second flight response measure is to provide an operator of the unmanned aerial vehicle with a time period to land the aerial vehicle on a surface, after which the unmanned aerial vehicle will automatically land.

4-7. -7. (canceled)

10-11. -11. (canceled)

12. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a processor configured to (1) receive a location of the unmanned aerial vehicle and calculate a distance between the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a location of a flight-restricted region, and (2) assess whether the distance falls within a first distance threshold or a second distance threshold greater than the first distance threshold; and

one or more propulsion units in communication with the processor that permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to take (1) a first flight response measure when the distance falls within the first distance threshold, and (2) a second flight response measure different from the first flight response measure when the distance falls within the second distance threshold and outside the first distance threshold, wherein the second flight response measure is different from a behavior of the unmanned aerial vehicle outside the second distance threshold.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12 further comprising a local memory that stores the location of the flight-restricted region and further stores locations for a plurality of flight-restricted regions.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 13 wherein the local memory is updated with the locations of the plurality of flight-restricted regions when the unmanned aerial vehicle communicates with an external device via a wired or wireless connection.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 13 wherein the local memory is updated with the locations of the plurality of flight-restricted regions when the unmanned aerial vehicle communicates with a communication network.

31. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle is assessed with aid of a GPS signal at the unmanned aerial vehicle.

32. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the flight-restricted region is an airport.

33. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the distance at specified time intervals.

34. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the flight-restricted region is selected from a plurality of possible flight-restricted regions based on proximity of the unmanned aerial vehicle when the unmanned aerial vehicle is turned on.

35. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the first flight response measure is to automatically land the unmanned aerial vehicle on a surface.

36. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the second flight response measure is to provide an operator of the unmanned aerial vehicle with a time period to land the aerial vehicle on a surface, after which the unmanned aerial vehicle will automatically land.

37. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to (3) assess whether the distance falls within a third distance threshold greater than the second distance threshold, and instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to take a third flight response different from the first flight response and the second flight response when the distance falls within the third threshold and outside the second threshold.

43. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a plurality of rotors configured to provide lift to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

44. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the location of the flight-restricted region is predetermined prior to take-off of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

47. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 44, wherein the one or more flight restriction rules of the jurisdiction impose restrictions on altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

48. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 44, wherein the one or more flight restriction rules of the jurisdiction impose restrictions on proximity of the unmanned aerial vehicle relative to the flight-restricted region.

49. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 44, wherein the one or more flight restriction rules of the jurisdiction impose restrictions on boundaries of the flight-restricted region.

16-24. -24. (canceled)

25. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

one or more processors individually or collectively configured to;

assess a location of an external device in communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle;

assess a location of a flight-restricted region;

calculate a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the flight-restricted region using the location of the external device and the location of the flight-restricted region;

assess whether the distance falls within a distance threshold; and

instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to take a flight response measure when the distance falls within the distance threshold, wherein the flight response measure is different from a behavior of the unmanned aerial vehicle outside the distance threshold; and

one or more propulsion units in communication with the processor that permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to take the flight response measure.

38. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 25, wherein the external device is capable of moving from one location to another.

39. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 25, wherein the external device is a mobile terminal capable of receiving data from the unmanned aerial vehicle or transmitting control data to the unmanned aerial vehicle to control flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

40. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 39, wherein the mobile terminal includes a display capable of displaying the unmanned aerial vehicle location or status data.

45. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 39, wherein the mobile terminal includes a display capable of showing an image captured by a payload camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

26-29. -29. (canceled)

30. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

one or more processors individually or collectively configured to;

assess a location of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

assess a location of a flight-restricted region;

calculate a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle relative to the flight-restricted region using the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the location of the flight-restricted region;

assess a jurisdiction within which the flight-restricted region is located, based on the location of the flight-restricted region;

access one or more flight restriction rules specific to the assessed jurisdiction; and

instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to take a flight response measure when the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle relative to the flight-restricted region falls under the one or more flight restriction rules of the jurisdiction; and

one or more propulsion units in communication with the processor that permit the unmanned aerial vehicle to take the flight response measure.

41. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 30, wherein the relative positioning between the unmanned aerial vehicle includes a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the flight-restricted region, and wherein the one or more flight restriction rules provide the flight response measure when the distance falls within a distance threshold.

42. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 41, wherein the distance threshold is selected based on the one or more flight restriction rules of the jurisdiction.

46. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 30, wherein the jurisdiction is selected from a group consisting of continents, unions, countries, states/provinces, counties, cities, towns, private property or land, bodies of water, and natural landmarks.