CONVEYANCE DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD FOR FLIGHT VEHICLE

• US 20150286216A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokushima University
• Original Assignee: University of Tokushima
• Inventors: Miwa, Masafumi
• Application Number:
  US14/439,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286216A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/299 Rotor guards ducted or shrouded rotors B64U30/26; guards used as ground propulsion B64U60/60
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 6/02 electric
• 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 1/0808 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

A control method for a flight vehicle having a plurality of lift sources, the control method includes switching, according to a command input force from external, a control function of the flight vehicle between a stationary control function that maintains a hovering state of the flight vehicle by controlling actuation of the lift sources, and a moving control function that detects the command input force to the flight vehicle and controls the actuation of the lift sources to realize movement of the flight vehicle in correspondence to the command input force.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A control method for a flight vehicle having a plurality of lift sources, the control method comprising:

switching, according to a command input force from external, a control function of the flight vehicle between

a stationary control function that maintains a hovering state of the flight vehicle by controlling actuation of the lift sources, and

a moving control function that detects the command input force to the flight vehicle and controls the actuation of the lift sources to realize movement of the flight vehicle in correspondence to the command input force.

13. The control method for the flight vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the switching the control function of the flight vehicle includes two steps below:

i) shifting from the stationary control function to the moving control function when the command input force, which is an input force greater than a predetermined value, is detected, and

ii) shifting from the moving control function to the stationary control function after the movement of the flight vehicle corresponding to the command input force is completed.

14. The control method for the flight vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the command input force to the flight vehicle is a force that changes a posture of the flight vehicle in the hovering state.

15. The control method for the flight vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the stationary control function controls the actuation of the lift sources to maintain the hovering state by PID control.

16. The control method for the flight vehicle according to claim 15, wherein

the moving control function controls the actuation of the lift sources to maintain the posture of the flight vehicle by PD control.

17. The control method for the flight vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the moving control function controls the actuation of the lift sources according to at least one of a magnitude and a direction of the command input force.

18. A conveyance device that is a flight vehicle, comprising:

a holding part that holds an object to be conveyed,

a plurality of lift sources, and

a control part that controls actuation of the lift sources, wherein

the control part performs;

a stationary control function that maintains a hovering state by controlling the actuation of the lift sources;

a moving control function that controls the actuation of the lift sources to realize movement of the conveyance device in correspondence to a command input force from external; and

a switching function that switches control of the conveyance device from the stationary control function to the moving control function according to the command input force from the external.

19. The conveyance device according to claim 18, wherein

the command input force for the actuation of the lift sources is a force that is input to the conveyance device by a physical contact from the external.

20. The conveyance device according to claim 19, wherein

the command input force that is input by the physical contact affects a posture of the conveyance device in the hovering state.

21. The conveyance device according to claim 19, wherein

the stationary control function controls the actuation of the lift sources to maintain the hovering state by PID control, and

the moving control function controls the actuation of the lift sources to maintain the posture of the conveyance device by PD control.

22. The conveyance device according to claim 19, further comprising

an input detection part that detects the command input force that is caused by touching the flight vehicle, wherein

the moving control function controls the actuation of the lift sources according to at least one of a magnitude and a direction of the command input force that is detected by the input detection part.

23. The conveyance device according to claim 18, wherein

the control part further has a GPS function that grasp a position of the conveyance device,

when the hovering state is maintained by the stationary control function, a signal from the GPS function is used to control the actuation of the lift sources, and

when the conveyance device is moved by the moving control function, the actuation of the lift sources is controlled without using the signal from the GPS function.

24. The conveyance device according to claim 18, wherein

the conveyance device is a multi-rotor helicopter of which the lift sources are a plurality of rotors,

the conveyance device includes

a cover frame that has rotor accommodating parts for accommodating the rotors;

and

a frame body that supports the cover frame, and

the frame body has a plurality of beams, one end of each of the beams being connected to an outer edge of the cover frame, and other ends of the beams being connected with each other.

25. The conveyance device according to claim 18, further comprising:

a positional sensor that detects a position of the conveyance device, wherein

the control device determines one of a target movement distance and target movement time based on the command input force, and

the switching function that switches the control of the conveyance device from the moving control function to the stationary control function when the control device detects that the conveyance device moved either the target movement distance or for the target movement time.

26. The conveyance device according to claim 18, wherein

the switching function that switches the control of the conveyance device from the moving control function to the stationary control function when the control device detects that the command input force became smaller than a predetermined value.