Apparatus and methods for stabilization and vibration reduction

• US 9,277,130 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2013
• 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: Wang, Tao, Wang, Mingyu
• Primary Examiner(s): RAHAMAN, MOHAMMED S
• Application Number:
  US14/134,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20150097950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 348/144
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• 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: G03B 15/006 Apparatus mounted on flying objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/685 performed by mechanical compensation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/41 Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for stabilizing an imaging device and methods of using the same for a wide variety of applications including photography, video, and filming. Also provided are unmanned vehicles including aerial vehicles that contain the apparatus disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An aerial vehicle comprising:

(a) a central body and (b) an apparatus for stabilizing at least a portion of an imaging device, said imaging device comprising an optical unit and a non-optical unit, and said optical unit and said non-optical unit constituting the entire imaging device, said apparatus comprising;

a frame assembly supporting the optical unit of the imaging device without supporting the entire imaging device as a whole, wherein said optical unit comprises a lens and a photosensor, wherein the frame assembly comprises;

(A) a first frame member that supports a compact unit comprising;

(1) an inertial measurement unit and (2) the optical unit from a single side without supporting an opposing side of the compact unit, and (B) a second frame member that bears weight of the first frame member, and wherein the frame assembly is configured to permit rotation of the compact unit about at least a first rotational axis and a second rotational axis;

a motor assembly operably connected to the frame assembly, wherein the motor assembly is configured to drive the frame assembly in response to a signal provided by the inertial measurement unit so as to permit rotation of the optical unit and the inertial measurement unit about at least the first rotational axis or the second rotational axis; and

a separate housing (1) not supported by the frame assembly and (2) containing therein one or more non-optical components selected from the group consisting of a display and a power supply for powering the photosensor, wherein the power-supply for powering the photosensor, a processor to process the image captured by the photosensor and a memory device to store the image, are not supported by the frame assembly and do not rotate with the optical unit to reduce the enemy required by the motor assembly,

wherein the second frame member is also (1) movable relative to the first frame member, and (2) movable relative to the separate housing about at least one axis of rotation.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein

the frame assembly having a volume that is less than that of a frame assembly required to support the entire imaging device having the optical unit and the non-optical unit.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the second frame member of the frame assembly is rotatably coupled to the first frame member on the pitch axis, and (3) a third frame member rotatably coupled to the second frame member on the roll axis and configured to rotate relative to the movable object about the yaw axis, and

wherein the motor assembly comprises:

(1) a first motor configured to drive movement of the first frame member relative to the second frame member about the pitch axis, (2) a second motor configured to drive movement of the second frame member relative to the third frame member about the roll axis, and (3) a third motor configured to drive movement of the third frame member relative to the movable object about the yaw axis.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein

the non-optical unit is electrically coupled to the optical unit.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the non-optical unit of the imaging device is not mechanically coupled to the apparatus.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the optical unit and the non-optical unit are electrically coupled and movable relative to each other.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the non-optical unit does not include a lens or a photosensor.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first rotational axis or the second rotational axis corresponds to a roll axis of the optical unit.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the frame assembly is further configured to permit the optical unit to rotate about a third rotational axis corresponding to one of a pitch, roll, or yaw axis of the optical unit.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to detect translational movement, rotational movement, or position of the optical unit.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display images captured using the optical unit is not supported by the frame assembly and does not rotate with the optical unit.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 10, wherein the inertial measurement unit comprises an inertial sensor.

13. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the frame assembly is freely rotatable within a range of 360 degrees over at least one axis.

14. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first frame member is connected to the optical unit without movable components, and the second frame member is movable relative to the first frame member about the first rotational axis.

15. The aerial vehicle of claim 14 wherein the frame assembly further comprises a third frame member movable relative to the second frame member about the second rotational axis.

16. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein amount of energy required by the motor assembly to drive the frame assembly is less than that required when the entire imaging device apparatus as a whole is supported by the frame assembly.

17. The aerial vehicle of claim 4, wherein the non-optical unit does not include a lens or a photosensor, and wherein the non-optical unit is not mechanically coupled to the frame assembly.

18. The aerial vehicle of claim 4, wherein a display screen configured to display images captured using the optical unit is not supported by the frame assembly, and the display screen does not rotate with the optical unit.

19. The aerial vehicle of claim 4, wherein the optical unit is movable about the a first rotational axis and the a second rotational axis via the actuation of the frame assembly, wherein the at least one of the first rotational axis or the second rotational axis corresponds to a pitch, roll or yaw axis of the optical unit.

20. The aerial vehicle of claim 4, wherein the optical unit is movable about a third rotational axis, wherein the third rotational axis corresponds to one of a pitch, roll, or yaw axis of the optical unit.

21. The aerial vehicle of claim 4, wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to detect translational movement, rotational movement, or position of the optical unit.

22. The method of stabilizing at least the portion of the imaging device that comprises the optical unit and the non-optical unit, said method comprising:

providing the aerial vehicle of claim 1;

supporting the compact unit of the imaging device using the frame assembly without supporting the entire imaging device as a whole; and

driving the frame assembly using the motor assembly.

23. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the roll axis of the optical unit is configured to intersect the optical unit.