UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20150316927A1
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Jihwan, KIM, Kihyung, HONG, Kichu
• Granted Patent: US 9,586,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/00 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/006 Apparatus mounted on flying objects
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Disclosed is a digital device controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle to provide a flight trajectory feedback based on at least one of an application and a task of the application. The digital device includes a communication unit configured to communicate with an unmanned aerial vehicle, a display unit, and a processor configured to control the communication unit and the display unit. The processor is further configured to transmit application data including information of at least one of an application executed by the digital device and/or a task of the application to the unmanned aerial vehicle through the communication unit. The application data causes the unmanned aerial vehicle to provide a flight trajectory feedback determined based on the application data. The flight trajectory feedback is one of plural predetermined flight trajectory feedbacks and displays at least one of the application and the task pairing with the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Claims

1. A digital device comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with an unmanned aerial vehicle;

a display unit; and

a processor configured to control the communication unit and the display unit, wherein;

the processor is further configured to transmit application data comprising information of at least one of an application executed by the digital device and a task of the application to the unmanned aerial vehicle through the communication unit,

the application data causes the unmanned aerial vehicle to provide a flight trajectory feedback determined based on the application data,

the flight trajectory feedback is one of a plurality of predetermined flight trajectory feedbacks and indicates at least one of the application and the task of the digital device pairing with the unmanned aerial vehicle, and

each of the plurality of flight trajectory feedbacks corresponds to different applications or tasks, respectively.

2. The digital device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the application data, if the digital device executes at least one of the application and the task.

3. The digital device according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the application data, if a predetermined time interval has passed from the previous application data transmission time or if the processor receives an application data transmission request.

4. The digital device according to claim 1, wherein the application data comprises flight coordinates corresponding to the flight trajectory feedback.

5. The digital device according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to select one flight trajectory feedback from the plurality of predetermined flight trajectory feedbacks based on the application data.

6. The digital device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of predetermined flight trajectory feedbacks comprises at least one of an upward and a downward movement, a leftward and a rightward movement, a spiral movement, a circular movement, and a rotating movement, and has different flight trajectories from a start point to an end point to each other.

7. The digital device according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of predetermined flight trajectory feedbacks is formed in the shape of at least one of a character, a number, a figure, and a mark.

8. The digital device according to claim 6, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to determine at least one of a size, a height, and a position of the selected flight trajectory feedback, based on at least one of the size of a space in which the unmanned aerial vehicle is flyable, obstacles within a flight trajectory, a fly height, and a distance between the digital device and the unmanned aerial vehicle.

9. The digital device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display at least one of a flying height of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a flyable time of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a distance between the digital device and the unmanned aerial vehicle, a direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle, an application with which the unmanned aerial vehicle pairs, and a task with which the unmanned aerial vehicle pairs on the display unit.

10. The digital device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display an application list including first images expressing a plurality of applications of the digital device and a second image expressing the unmanned aerial vehicle on the display unit.

11. The digital device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect the first image located nearest to the second image by dragging the second image;

execute an application corresponding to the detected first image in the digital device; and

pair the executed application with the unmanned aerial vehicle by transmitting application data of the executed application to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. The digital device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect the first image located nearest the second image by scrolling the application list;

execute an application corresponding to the detected first image in the digital device; and

pair the executed application with the unmanned aerial vehicle by transmitting application data of the executed application to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

13. The digital device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display the first images and the second image as icons on the display unit;

detect a first image overlapping the second image by drag and drop operation;

execute an application corresponding to the detected first image in the digital device; and

pair the executed application with the unmanned aerial vehicle by transmitting application data of the executed application to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

14. The digital device according to claim 1, further comprising a first satellite positioning unit, wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire position information of the digital device from the first satellite positioning unit;

display a geographic map on the display unit based on at least one of an application executed by the digital device and a task of the application; and

display a position corresponding to the position information of the digital device acquired from the first positioning unit on the geographic map.

15. The digital device according to claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle from a second satellite positioning unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

display a position corresponding to the position of the unmanned aerial device acquired from the second satellite positioning unit on the geographic map.

16. The digital device according to claim 1, further comprising a first camera unit, wherein:

the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a second camera unit; and

the processor is further configured to display an image acquired from the second camera unit on at least a part of the display unit.

17. The digital device according to claim 16, wherein, if an image recording application including a zoom factor is executed by the digital device, the processor is further configured to:

receive adjustment of the zoom factor;

if the adjusted zoom factor is a predetermined zoom level or less, acquire an image from the first camera unit; and

if the adjusted zoom factor exceeds the predetermined zoom level, transmit application data including the adjusted zoom factor to the unmanned aerial vehicle and acquire an image from the second camera unit by dispatching the unmanned aerial vehicle to a position corresponding to a viewing angle of the adjusted zoom factor.

18. The digital device according to claim 17, further comprising a first satellite positioning unit, wherein:

the unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises a second satellite positioning unit; and

the processor is configured to acquire position information from the first positioning unit, if the adjusted zoom factor is the predetermined zoom level or less, and to acquire position information from the second positioning unit, if the adjusted zoom factor exceeds the predetermined zoom level.

19. The digital device according to claim 1, further comprising a first satellite positioning unit and a first camera unit, wherein:

the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a second satellite positioning unit and a second camera unit;

at least one of the application and the task includes image recording; and

the processor is further configured to select at least one of an image from the first camera unit and an image from the second camera unit and to select at least one position information from the first satellite positioning unit and position information from the second satellite positioning unit, based on at least one of a distance between the digital device and the unmanned aerial vehicle, a predetermined mode of the image recording, and an angle between the direction of the first camera unit and the direction of the second camera unit.

20. An unmanned aerial vehicle control method comprising:

executing at least one of an application and a task of the application in a digital device; and

transmitting application data comprising information of the at least one of the application and the task to an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein;

the application data causes the unmanned aerial vehicle to provide a flight trajectory feedback determined based on the application data;

the flight trajectory feedback is one of a plurality of predetermined flight trajectory feedbacks and indicates the at least one of the application and the task of the digital device pairing with the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

each of the plurality of flight trajectory feedbacks corresponds to different applications or tasks, respectively.