SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOVABLE OBJECT CONTROL

• US 20180024547A1
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DJI Technology Inc. (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: DJI Technology Inc. (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: BALACHANDRAN, Dhanushram, SCHLUB, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,955,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• 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 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A method of operating a movable object using a user terminal includes configuring, through an interface, a plurality of tasks on the user terminal for parallel execution by the movable object, and transmitting the tasks from the user terminal to the movable object for operating the movable object.

Claims

1. A method of operating a movable object using a user terminal, comprising:

configuring, through an interface, a plurality of tasks on the user terminal for parallel execution by the movable object; and

transmitting the tasks from the user terminal to the movable object for operating the movable object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises configuring a parallel custom mission on the user terminal for execution by the movable object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises configuring at least one of the tasks for parallel execution by the movable object at least one of:

at a predetermined time,

at a predetermined location of the movable object,

based on completion of one or more others tasks by the movable object, or

based on recognition by the movable object of an object of interest within an environment of the movable object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises configuring the movable object to follow an object of interest.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the configuring comprises configuring a camera of the movable object to visually follow the object of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises configuring the plurality of tasks using a movable object manager to distribute the tasks among modules of the mobile object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the configuring comprises configuring the plurality of tasks using the movable object manager that is installed on the user terminal or on the movable object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the plurality of tasks from the user terminal to the movable object using wireless communication.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the movable object is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and

the configuring comprises configuring at least one of the tasks for parallel execution by at least one of a flight controller, a camera, or a gimbal of the UAV.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuring comprises using a movable object manager to distribute the tasks among at least one of a flight control module, a gimbal module, or a camera module of the UAV.

11. A system for operating a movable object, comprising:

an interface for using on a user terminal to configure a plurality of tasks for parallel execution by the movable object; and

one or more processors configured to operate the user interface and control transmission of the tasks to the movable object.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the interface is for configuring a parallel custom mission on the user terminal for execution by the movable object.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the interface is for configuring at least one of the tasks for parallel execution by the movable object at least one of:

at a predetermined time,

at a predetermined location of the movable object,

based on completion of one or more others tasks by the movable object, or

based on recognition by the movable object of an object of interest within an environment of the movable object.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the interface is for configuring the movable object to follow an object of interest.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the interface is for configuring a camera of the movable object to visually follow the object of interest.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the interface is for configuring the plurality of tasks using a movable object manager to distribute the tasks among modules of the mobile object.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the interface is for configuring the plurality of tasks using the movable object manager that is installed on the user terminal or on the movable object.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the movable object is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and

the interface is for configuring at least one of the tasks for parallel execution by at least one of a flight controller, a camera, or a gimbal of the UAV.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the interface is configured to use the movable object manager to distribute the tasks among at least one of a flight control module, a gimbal module, or a camera module of the UAV.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium with instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

configuring, through an interface, a plurality of tasks on the user terminal for parallel execution by the movable object; and

transmitting the tasks from the user terminal to the movable object for operating the movable object.