Electronic device and method for controlling unmanned aerial vehicle using the same

• US 8,761,961 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Jingdong Century Trading Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hou-Hsien, Lee, Chang-Jung, Lo, Chih-Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US12/908,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20120016534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00

Abstract

A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using an electronic device obtains movement data of the electronic device detected by an accelerometer of the electronic device, and converts the movement data of the electronic device to control signals. The method further sends the control signals to the UAV, and changes a flight status of the UAV according to the control signals.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using an electronic device, comprising:

obtaining movement data of the electronic device detected by an accelerometer of the electronic device, the movement data of the electronic device comprising movement distances of the electronic device based on a three dimension coordinate system;

converting the movement data of the electronic device to control signals of the UAV by comparing the movement distance in an X-axis of the electronic device with a first preset value, comparing the movement distance in a Y-axis of the electronic device with a second preset value, and comparing the movement distance in an Z-axis of the electronic device with a third preset value, and sending the control signals to the UAV, where a first control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is rotated along the Z-axis of the electronic device, a second control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is rotated along the X-axis of the electronic device, a third control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is moved vertically along the Z-axis of the electronic device, and a fourth control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is rotated along the Y-axis of the electronic device, and the electronic device being determined as not moving along the X-axis when the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is less than the first preset value; and

changing a flight status of the UAV according to the control signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the movement data of the electronic device further comprise movement directions of the electronic device based on the three dimension coordinate system.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the control signals comprise:

a first control signal to control lateral motion of a cyclic control of the UAV, a second control signal to control longitudinal motion of the cyclic control of the UAV, a third control signal to control motion of a collective pitch control of the UAV, and a fourth control signal to control motions of anti-torque pedals of the UAV.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of converting the movement data of the electronic device to control signals of the UAV comprises:

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the first control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is less than the third preset value;

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the second control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is less than the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the third preset value;

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the third control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is less than the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is less than the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the third preset value;

or

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the fourth control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is less than the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the third preset value.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is a two-axis accelerometer, a three-axis accelerometer, a two-axis gyro, or a three-axis gyro.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the X-axis of the electronic device is determined to be a horizontal axis of a display screen of the electronic device, the Y-axis of the electronic device is determined to be a vertical axis of the display screen of the electronic device, and the X-axis of the electronic device is perpendicular to a plane of the display screen of the electronic device.

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

determining that the electronic device does not move along the Y-axis when the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is less than a second preset value.

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

determining that the electronic device does not move along the Z-axis when the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is less than a third preset value.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a display screen;

a storage device;

at least one processor; and

one or more modules that are stored in the storage device and are executed by the at least one processor, the one or more modules comprising instructions;

to obtain movement data of the electronic device detected by an accelerometer of the electronic device, the movement data of the electronic device comprising movement distances of the electronic device based on a three dimension coordinate system;

to convert the movement data of the electronic device to control signals of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by comparing the movement distance in an X-axis of the electronic device with a first preset value, comparing the movement distance in a Y-axis of the electronic device with a second preset value, and comparing the movement distance in an Z-axis of the electronic device with a third preset value, and send the control signals to the UAV, where a first control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is rotated along the Z-axis of the electronic device, a second control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is rotated along the X-axis of the electronic device, a third control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is moved vertically along the Z-axis of the electronic device, and a fourth control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is rotated along the Y-axis of the electronic device, and the electronic device being determined as not moving along the X-axis when the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is less than the first preset value; and

to change a flight status of the UAV according to the control signals.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the movement data of the electronic device further comprise movement directions of the electronic device based on the three dimension coordinate system.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the control signals comprise:

a first control signal to control lateral motion of a cyclic control of the UAV, a second control signal to control longitudinal motion of the cyclic control of the UAV, a third control signal to control motion of a collective pitch control of the UAV, and a fourth control signal to control motions of anti-torque pedals of the UAV.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the instruction to convert the movement data of the electronic device to control signals of the UAV comprises:

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the first control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is less than the third preset value;

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the second control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is less than the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the third preset value;

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the third control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is less than the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is less than the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the third preset value;

or

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the fourth control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is less than the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the third preset value.

13. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the accelerometer is a two-axis accelerometer, a three-axis accelerometer, a two-axis gyro, or a three-axis gyro.

14. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, causes the processor to perform a method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using the electronic device, the method comprising:

obtaining movement data of the electronic device detected by an accelerometer of the electronic device, the movement data of the electronic device comprising movement distances of the electronic device based on a three dimension coordinate system;

converting the movement data of the electronic device to control signals of the UAV by comparing the movement distance in an X-axis of the electronic device with a first preset value, comparing the movement distance in a Y-axis of the electronic device with a second preset value, and comparing the movement distance in an Z-axis of the electronic device with a third preset value, and sending the control signals to the UAV, where a first control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is rotated along the Z-axis of the electronic device, a second control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is rotated along the X-axis of the electronic device, a third control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is moved vertically along the Z-axis of the electronic device, and a fourth control signal of the UAV is determined when the electronic device is rotated along the Y-axis of the electronic device, and the electronic device being determined as not moving along the X-axis when the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is less than the first preset value; and

changing a flight status of the UAV according to the control signals.

15. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the movement data of the electronic device further comprise movement directions of the electronic device based on the three dimension coordinate system.

16. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the control signals comprise:

a first control signal to control lateral motion of a cyclic control of the UAV, a second control signal to control longitudinal motion of the cyclic control of the UAV, a third control signal to control motion of a collective pitch control of the UAV, and a fourth control signal to control motions of anti-torque pedals of the UAV.

17. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the step of converting the movement data of the electronic device to control signals of the UAV comprises:

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the first control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is less than the third preset value;

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the second control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is less than the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the third preset value;

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the third control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is less than the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is less than the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the third preset value;

or

converting the movement data of the electronic device to the fourth control signal upon the condition that the movement distance in the X-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first preset value, the movement distance in the Y-axis of the electronic device is less than the second preset value, and the movement distance in the Z-axis of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the third preset value.

18. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the accelerometer is a two-axis accelerometer, a three-axis accelerometer, a two-axis gyro, or a three-axis gyro.

19. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the medium is selected from the group consisting of a hard disk drive, a compact disc, a digital video disc, and a tape drive.