METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

• US 20180088596A1
• Filed: 09/14/2017
• Published: 03/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Inventors: CHENG, Yue, XIE, Yan, CHU, Yueyue
• Granted Patent: US 10,514,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle. The method includes: obtaining a flight area control parameter; determining a flight area based on the flight area control parameter; and causing unmanned aerial vehicle to cruise within the flight area, wherein causing unmanned aerial vehicle to cruise within the flight area includes: determining a flight path within the flight area, and causing unmanned aerial vehicle to fly on the flight path periodically in a reciprocating manner, and the flight area is at least one of: a planar flight area, a linear flight area, and a three-dimensional flight area.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

obtaining a flight area control parameter;

determining a flight area based on the flight area control parameter;

causing the unmanned aerial vehicle to cruise within the flight area; and

wherein causing the unmanned aerial vehicle to cruise within the flight area comprises;

determining a flight path within the flight area, and

causing the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly on the flight path periodically in a reciprocating manner, and

wherein the flight area is at least one of;

a planar flight area, a linear flight area, and a three-dimensional flight area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the flight path within the flight area comprises at least one of:

acquiring the flight path customized by a user; and

acquiring the flight path selected from a pre-set flight path library.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein acquiring the flight path customized by the user comprises:

determining the flight path customized by the user according to a flight path control parameter, wherein the flight path control parameter comprises positions of at least two passing points in the flight path customized by the user.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining at least one of;

a flight time control parameter, a flight number control parameter, and a flight speed control parameter; and

wherein the flight time control parameter is used to indicate a flight time within the flight area;

the flight number control parameter is used to indicate a number of times of flights in the flight area wherein to cruise in the flight area for one cycle is recorded as one time of flight; and

the flight speed control parameter is used to indicate a flight speed within the flight area.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining feature information of a search target;

collecting an image when the unmanned aerial vehicle cruises;

detecting whether the search target exists in the image based on the feature information of the search target; and

when it is detected that the search target exists in the image, acquiring position information of the search target.

6. An apparatus for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

a processor;

a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor; and

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive a flight area control parameter transmitted by a control device,

determine a flight area based on the flight area control parameter,

control the unmanned aerial vehicle to cruise within the flight area, and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

determine a flight path within the flight area, and

control the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly on the flight path periodically in a reciprocating manner, and

wherein the flight area is one of;

a planar flight area, a linear flight area and a three-dimensional flight area.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire the flight path customized by a user;

or

acquire the flight path selected from a pre-set flight path library and transmitted by the control device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the flight path customized by the user based on a flight path control parameter transmitted by the control device, wherein the flight path control parameter comprises positions of at least two passing points of the flight path customized by the user.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive at least one of following parameters transmitted by the control device;

a flight time control parameter, a flight number control parameter, and a flight speed control parameter; and

wherein the flight time control parameter is used to indicate a flight time within the flight area;

the flight number control parameter is used to indicate a number of times of flights in the flight area wherein to cruise within the flight area for one cycle is recorded as one flight, and the flight speed control parameter is used to indicate a flight speed within the flight area.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive feature information of a search target transmitted by the control device;

collect an image when the unmanned aerial vehicle cruises;

detect whether the search target exists in the image based on the feature information of the search target; and

when it is detected that the search target exists in the image, acquire position information of the search target, and transmit the position information of the search target to the control device.

11. An apparatus for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

a processor;

a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor; and

wherein the processor is configured to;

acquire a first setting instruction corresponding to a flight area of the unmanned aerial vehicle,

generate a flight area control parameter according to the first setting instruction, and

transmit the flight area control parameter to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to determine the flight area based on the flight area control parameter and cruise within the flight area, and

wherein the flight area is one of;

a planar flight area, a linear flight area, and a three-dimensional flight area.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire a flight path customized by a user within the flight area and transmit the flight path to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

or

acquire a flight path within the flight area selected by a user from a pre-set flight path library and transmit the flight path to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire a second setting instruction corresponding to the flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

generate a flight path control parameter according to the second setting instruction, wherein the flight path control parameter comprises positions of at least two passing points through which the flight path passes, and the flight path control parameter is used to indicate the flight path within the flight area; and

transmit the flight path control parameter to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit at least one of following parameters to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a flight time control parameter, a flight number control parameter, and a flight speed control parameter; and

wherein the flight time control parameter is used to indicate a flight time within the flight area;

the flight number control parameter is used to indicate a number of times of flights in the flight area wherein to cruise within the flight area for one cycle is recorded as one flight; and

the flight speed control parameter is used to indicate a flight speed within the flight area.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire feature information of a search target; and

transmit the feature information of the search target to the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to acquire an image when the unmanned aerial vehicle cruises, detect whether the search target exists in the image based on the feature information of the search target, and acquire position information of the search target when it is detected that the search target exists in the image, and receive the position information of the search target transmitted by the unmanned aerial vehicle.