Observation Device

• US 20160122018A1
• Filed: 10/28/2015
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation), University of Tokyo
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation), University of Tokyo
• Inventors: MATSUE, Takenori, KAWASAKI, Koji, MATSUURA, Michihiro, KUROSAKA, Masami, INABA, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,086,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A observation device includes an aircraft and an observation unit attached to the aircraft that observes a target within a predetermined view angle. The aircraft includes a base, at least two thrusters that generate a propulsion force including lift, actuators that change a direction of the propulsion force generated by the thrusters with respect to the base, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that detects an orientation of the base with respect to a ground surface, and a controller that controls the thrusters and the actuators based on the orientation of the base detected by the IMU. The observation unit is fixedly attached to the base and the aircraft is configured to fly in any arbitrary orientation with respect to the ground surface through a combination of a magnitude of the propulsion force and the direction of the propulsion force of each of the thrusters.

Claims

1. An observation device, comprising:

an aircraft; and

an observation unit attached to the aircraft, the observation unit observing a target within a predetermined view angle, wherein

the aircraft includes

a base to which the observation unit is attached,

at least two thrusters that generate a propulsion force including lift,

actuators that change a direction of the propulsion force generated by the thrusters with respect to the base,

an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that detects an orientation of the base with respect to a ground surface, and

a controller that controls the thrusters and the actuators based on the orientation of the base detected by the IMU,

the observation unit is fixedly attached to the base so as to be immovable relative to the base, and

the aircraft is configured to fly in any arbitrary orientation with respect to the ground surface through a combination of a magnitude of the propulsion force and the direction of the propulsion force of each of the thrusters.

2. The observation device of claim 1, wherein

the observation unit is attached such that the base, the thrusters, the actuators, the IMU, and the controller are outside of the view angle of the observation unit.

3. The observation device of claim 1, wherein

a first shaft unit and a second shaft unit are attached to the base through the actuators, axes of rotation of the first shaft unit and the second shaft unit being parallel to each other,

at least one of the thrusters is fixed to each of the first shaft unit and the second shaft unit, and

the actuators are configured to change the direction of the propulsion force of the thrusters with respect to the base by rotating the first shaft unit and the second shaft unit about the axes of rotation.

4. The observation device of claim 3, wherein

the observation unit is positioned in between the first shaft unit and the second shaft unit.

5. The observation device of claim 3, wherein

the thrusters include propeller units and motor units, the motor units rotating the propeller units to generate the propulsion force,

the first shaft unit and the second shaft unit are linearly shaped and lie on the axes of rotation, and

the motor units are fixed on the axes of rotation.

6. The observation device of claim 3, wherein

the thrusters include propeller units and motor units, the motor units rotating the propeller units to generate the propulsion force,

each of the first shaft unit and the second shaft unit is integrally formed from an on-axis member that lies on the axes of rotation and an off-axis member spaced away from the axes of rotation, and

the motor units are fixed to the off-axis members of the first shaft unit and the second shaft unit such that rotation centers of the propeller units are positioned on the axes of rotation of the first shaft unit and the second shaft unit.

7. The observation device of claim 1, wherein

the thrusters include propeller units and motor units, the motor units rotating the propeller units to generate the propulsion force, and

the propeller units are contra-rotating type propeller units that include two rotors rotating in opposite directions about a same axis.

8. The observation device of claim 1, wherein

in a hovering state where different ones of the thrusters are at different heights in a vertical direction, the propulsion force of those of the thrusters positioned lower in the vertical direction is decreased as compared to the propulsion force of those of the thrusters positioned higher in the vertical direction.

9. The observation device of claim 1, wherein

in a hovering state where different ones of the thrusters are at different heights in a vertical direction, the propulsion force of the thrusters is increased as compared to when all of the thrusters are coplanar on a plane parallel with the ground surface.

10. The observation device of claim 1, further comprising:

batteries that drive the thrusters, wherein

the batteries are moved, integrally with the thrusters, by the actuators.

11. The observation device of claim 10, wherein

the thrusters include propeller units and motor units, the motor units rotating the propeller units to generate the propulsion force, and

the batteries are fixed such that the motor units are interposed between the batteries and the propeller units.

12. The observation device of claim 1, wherein

the aircraft includes a guard unit such that during landing, the thrusters and the observation unit do not contact the ground surface.

13. The observation device of claim 1, further comprising:

a landing gear fixed to the aircraft, the landing gear supporting the aircraft on the ground surface during landing.

14. The observation device of claim 13, wherein

the landing gear includes wheels and stoppers, the stoppers for generating friction on the ground surface,

the aircraft is configured to move along the ground surface when only the wheels contact the ground surface, and

the aircraft is configured to stop moving when the stoppers generate friction on the ground surface.