LAUNCHING UNMANNED AERIAL COPTER FROM MID-AIR
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) copter comprising:
- a plurality of propellers;
a plurality of propeller drivers adapted to drive the propellers;
an inertial sensor component;
a wireless communication component configured to communicate with a remote operator device to determine relative positions between the UAV copter and the remote operator device; and
a control system configured to;
monitor inertial sensor readings from the inertial sensor component when the plurality of propeller drivers are turned off;
detect that the UAV copter has been thrown upward while the plurality of propeller drivers are turned off by comparing a preset acceleration pattern against the inertial sensor readings;
in response to detecting that the UAV copter has been thrown upward, computing power levels for the propeller drivers to launch the UAV copter in mid-air and to reach a predetermined elevation above the remote operator device; and
supply power to the propeller drivers in accordance with the computed power levels.
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Abstract
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) copter for consumer photography or videography can be launched by a user throwing the UAV copter into mid-air. The UAV copter can detect that the UAV copter has been thrown upward while propeller drivers of the UAV copter are inert. In response to detecting that the UAV copter has been thrown upward, the UAV copter can compute power adjustments for propeller drivers of the UAV copter to have the UAV copter reach a predetermined elevation above an operator device. The UAV copter can then supply power to the propeller drivers in accordance with the computed power adjustments.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) copter comprising:
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a plurality of propellers; a plurality of propeller drivers adapted to drive the propellers; an inertial sensor component; a wireless communication component configured to communicate with a remote operator device to determine relative positions between the UAV copter and the remote operator device; and a control system configured to; monitor inertial sensor readings from the inertial sensor component when the plurality of propeller drivers are turned off; detect that the UAV copter has been thrown upward while the plurality of propeller drivers are turned off by comparing a preset acceleration pattern against the inertial sensor readings; in response to detecting that the UAV copter has been thrown upward, computing power levels for the propeller drivers to launch the UAV copter in mid-air and to reach a predetermined elevation above the remote operator device; and supply power to the propeller drivers in accordance with the computed power levels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) copter, comprising:
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detecting that the UAV copter has been thrown upward and before reaching free fall while a plurality of propeller drivers of the UAV copter are inert; in response to detecting that the UAV copter has been thrown upward and before reaching free fall, computing power adjustments for the plurality of propeller drivers to have the UAV copter reach a predetermined elevation above an operator device; and supplying power to the propeller drivers in accordance with the computed power adjustments. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer readable data memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a computer-implemented method, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
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instructions for monitoring sensor readings from a sensor of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) copter when a plurality of propeller drivers of the UAV copter are turned off; instructions for detecting that the UAV copter has been thrown upward by comparing a preset pattern against the sensor readings; instructions for, in response to detecting that the UAV copter has been thrown upward, computing power levels for the propeller drivers to launch the UAV copter in mid-air and to reach a predetermined elevation above a remote operator device separate from the UAV copter; and instructions for supplying power to the propeller drivers in accordance with the computed power levels. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification