CUSTOMIZABLE WAYPOINT MISSIONS

• US 20190332105A1
• Filed: 04/30/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dji Research LLC (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dji Research LLC (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: SANT, Rohit, THIERCELIN, Arnaud, MENON, Arjun Sukumar
• Granted Patent: US 10,852,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/225 operated by off-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/69 Coordinated control of the position or course of two or more vehicles

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for performing custom waypoint missions using an onboard computing device in communication with a movable object. The movable object can include a flight controller, and a communication system. The flight controller can be in communication with the onboard computing device which includes a processor and an onboard data manager. The onboard data manager can receive at least one input, determine one or more instructions to be performed by the at least one movable object based on the at least one input, generate movement commands to implement the one or more instructions, and send movement commands to the flight controller to be executed.

Claims

1. A system for communicating instructions in a movable object environment, comprising:

at least one movable object including

a flight controller, and

a communication system;

an onboard computing device in communication with the flight controller, the computing device including a processor and an onboard data manager, the onboard data manager including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the onboard data manager to;

receive at least one input;

determine one or more instructions to be performed by the at least one movable object based on the at least one input;

generate movement commands to implement the one or more instructions; and

send the movement commands to the flight controller to be executed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one input includes a data stream of a plurality of waypoint definitions, wherein a plurality of waypoints corresponding to the plurality of waypoint definitions is added to an existing mission during execution of the existing mission.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each waypoint definition includes a waypoint and at least one of:

an acceleration constraint;

a velocity constraint;

a path type;

a roll, pitch, or yaw constraint;

or

at least one action definition, the at least one action definition including a callback function.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions to receive at least one input, when executed, further cause the onboard data manager to:

receive a modified waypoint definition for at least one waypoint in the existing mission; and

update the at least one waypoint using the modified waypoint definition.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the path type includes one of:

a path calculated for reduced energy consumption to a next waypoint;

or

a path calculated for reduced time to the next waypoint.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the onboard data manager to:

receive an indication that a first waypoint has been reached; and

execute the callback function included in a first waypoint definition associated with the first waypoint.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the onboard data manager to:

determine a current position of the at least one movable object using a positioning system;

determine a difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by a next waypoint; and

generate the movement commands based on the difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by a next waypoint.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the positioning system includes one of:

a global navigation system;

or

a local positioning system configuring to provide the current position of the at least one movable object using LiDAR, computer vision, or motion capture.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions to generate the movement commands based on the difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by a next waypoint, when executed, further cause the onboard data manager to:

calculate a yaw command, a pitch command, and a roll command based on the difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by the next waypoint; and

wherein the flight controller converts the yaw command, the pitch command, and the roll command into a plurality of motor controls to perform the one or more instructions.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the onboard data manager to:

determine a position of a first waypoint and a position of a second waypoint;

determine a difference between the position of the first waypoint and the position of the second waypoint;

generate second movement commands based on the difference between the position of the first waypoint and the position of the second waypoint; and

send the second movement commands to the flight controller upon determining the at least one movable object has reached the first waypoint.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions to receive at least one input, when executed, further cause the onboard data manager to:

receive at least one waypoint from a mobile data manager executing on a client device, the client device configured to receive data for the at least one waypoint through a graphical user interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the onboard data manager to:

receive a batch of modified waypoint definitions from the mobile data manager executing on the client device.

13. A method for communicating instructions in a movable object environment, comprising:

receiving at least one input by an onboard computing device, the onboard computing device including a processor and an onboard data manager, the onboard computing device in communication with a flight controller of at least one movable object;

determining one or more instructions to be performed by the at least one movable object based on the at least one input;

generating movement commands to implement the one or more instructions; and

sending the movement commands to the flight controller to be executed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one input includes a data stream of a plurality of waypoint definitions, wherein a plurality of waypoints corresponding to the plurality of waypoint definitions is added to an existing mission during execution of the existing mission.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each waypoint definition includes a waypoint and at least one of:

an acceleration constraint;

a velocity constraint;

a path type;

a roll, pitch, or yaw constraint;

or

at least one action definition, the at least one action definition including a callback function.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a modified waypoint definition for at least one waypoint in the existing mission; and

updating the at least one waypoint using the modified waypoint definition.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the path type includes one of:

a path calculated for reduced energy consumption to a next waypoint;

or

a path calculated for reduced time to the next waypoint.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an indication that a first waypoint has been reached; and

executing the callback function included in a first waypoint definition associated with the first waypoint.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a current position of the at least one movable object using a positioning system;

determining a difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by a next waypoint; and

generating the movement commands based on the difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by a next waypoint.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the positioning system includes one of:

a global navigation system;

or

a local positioning system configuring to provide the current position of the at least one movable object using LiDAR, computer vision, or motion capture.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein generating the movement commands based on the difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by a next waypoint, further comprises:

calculating a yaw command, a pitch command, and a roll command based on the difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by the next waypoint; and

wherein the flight controller converts the yaw command, the pitch command, and the roll command into a plurality of motor controls to perform the one or more instructions.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a position of a first waypoint and a position of a second waypoint;

determine a difference between the position of the first waypoint and the position of the second waypoint;

generating second movement commands based on the difference between the position of the first waypoint and the position of the second waypoint; and

sending the second movement commands to the flight controller upon determining the at least one movable object has reached the first waypoint.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving at least one waypoint from a mobile data manager executing on a client device, the client device configured to receive data for the at least one waypoint through a graphical user interface.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receive a batch of modified waypoint definitions from the mobile data manager executing on the client device.

36. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a batch of modified waypoint definitions from the mobile data manager executing on the client device.

25. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive at least one input by an onboard computing device, the onboard computing device including an onboard data manager, the onboard computing device in communication with a flight controller of at least one movable object;

determine one or more instructions to be performed by the at least one movable object based on the at least one input;

generate movement commands to implement the one or more instructions; and

send the movement commands to the flight controller to be executed.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the at least one input includes a data stream of a plurality of waypoint definitions, wherein a plurality of waypoints corresponding to the plurality of waypoint definitions is added to an existing mission during execution of the existing mission.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein each waypoint definition includes a waypoint and at least one of:

an acceleration constraint;

a velocity constraint;

a path type;

a roll, pitch, or yaw constraint;

or

at least one action definition, the at least one action definition including a callback function.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a modified waypoint definition for at least one waypoint in the existing mission; and

update the at least one waypoint using the modified waypoint definition.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the path type includes one of:

a path calculated for reduced energy consumption to a next waypoint;

or

a path calculated for reduced time to the next waypoint.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive an indication that a first waypoint has been reached; and

execute the callback function included in a first waypoint definition associated with the first waypoint.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a current position of the at least one movable object using a positioning system;

determine a difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by a next waypoint; and

generate the movement commands based on the difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by a next waypoint.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the positioning system includes one of:

a global navigation system;

or

a local positioning system configuring to provide the current position of the at least one movable object using LiDAR, computer vision, or motion capture.

33. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instruction to generate the movement commands based on the difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by a next waypoint, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

calculate a yaw command, a pitch command, and a roll command based on the difference between the current position of the at least one movable object and the position defined by the next waypoint; and

wherein the flight controller converts the yaw command, the pitch command, and the roll command into a plurality of motor controls to perform the one or more instructions.

34. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a position of a first waypoint and a position of a second waypoint;

determine a difference between the position of the first waypoint and the position of the second waypoint;

generate second movement commands based on the difference between the position of the first waypoint and the position of the second waypoint; and

send the second movement commands the flight controller upon determining the at least one movable object has reached the first waypoint.

35. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive at least one waypoint from a mobile data manager executing on a client device, the client device configured to receive data for the at least one waypoint through a graphical user interface.