SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UAV PATH PLANNING AND CONTROL

• US 20180246529A1
• Filed: 04/25/2018
• Published: 08/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: HU, Xiao, LIU, Ang, ZHANG, Litian, TANG, Ketan
• Granted Patent: US 10,860,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• 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 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• 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: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• 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 1/0038 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 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control

Abstract

A method for determining a target direction for a movable object includes providing an image on a computer-implemented display, obtaining a position of a selected point on the image in response to a user selecting the point on the image, and determining the target direction based on the position of the selected point on the image.

Claims

1. A method for determining a target direction for a movable object, comprising:

providing an image on a computer-implemented display;

obtaining a position of a selected point on the image in response to a user selecting the point on the image; and

determining the target direction based on the position of the selected point on the image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

effecting movement of the movable object in the target direction from a reference point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein effecting the movement of the movable object includes instructing the movable object to move in the target direction in a substantially linear manner.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a motion path for the movable object from an initial position to the reference point, based on one or more motion characteristics of the movable object at the initial position and the reference point.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

effecting movement of the movable object along the motion path between the initial position and the reference point.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the motion path is represented by a function of the initial position, the reference point, and the one or more motion characteristics of the movable object at the initial position and the reference point.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer-implemented interface is a touchscreen device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

projecting the target direction as a graphical element onto the image in the computer-implemented display.

9. An apparatus for determining a target direction for a movable object, the apparatus comprising one or more processors that are, individually or collectively, configured to:

provide an image on a computer-implemented display;

obtain a position of a selected point on the image in response to a user selecting the point on the image; and

determine the target direction based on the position of the selected point on the image.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:

effect movement of the movable object in the target direction from a reference point.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:

instruct the movable object to move in the target direction in a substantially linear manner.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:

generate a motion path for the movable object from an initial position to the reference point, based on one or more motion characteristics of the movable object at the initial position and the reference point.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:

effect movement of the movable object along the motion path between the initial position and the reference point.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:

instruct the movable object to move along the motion path in a substantially curvilinear manner.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the motion path is represented by a function of the initial position, the reference point, and the one or more motion characteristics of the movable object at the initial position and the reference point.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer-implemented interface is a touchscreen device.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:

obtain the position of the selected point on the image by converting a set of screen coordinates of the selected point into a set of image coordinates, and normalizing the set of image coordinates.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the target direction is determined based on the normalized set of image coordinates.

19. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:

project the target direction as a graphical element onto the image in the computer-implemented display.

20. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system comprising:

an apparatus operable to control the UAV, the apparatus comprising one or more processors that are, individually or collectively, configured to;

provide an image on a computer-implemented display;

obtain a position of a selected point on the image in response to a user selecting the point on the image; and

determine the target direction based on the position of the selected point on the image.