Flight control for flight-restricted regions

• US 9,483,950 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2014
• 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, Mingyu, Wang, Tao, Song, Jianyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin P
• Application Number:
  US14/857,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20160005318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/8, 701/10, 701/11, 701/23, 701/26, 701/120, 701/122, 701/411, 701/412, 701/468, 244/3.15, 244/76.R, 244/183
• 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 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• 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 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0004 Transmission of traffic-related information to or from an aircraft airborne radio transmission systems in general H04B7/185; airborne wireless networks H04W84/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices are provided for providing flight response to flight-restricted regions. The location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may be compared with a location of a flight-restricted region. If needed a flight-response measure may be taken by the UAV to prevent the UAV from flying in a no-fly zone. Different flight-response measures may be taken based on the distance between the UAV and the flight-restricted region and the rules of a jurisdiction within which the UAV falls.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

one or more processors individually or collectively programmed to (1) obtain a location of the unmanned aerial vehicle, (2) calculate a distance between the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a flight restricted region, and (3) assess whether the distance falls within a distance threshold, wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are further programmed to permit taking off of the unmanned aerial vehicle when the distance exceeds the distance threshold, and prevent taking off of the unmanned aerial vehicle when the distance falls within the distance threshold; and

one or more propulsion units in communication with the one or more processors, the one or more propulsion units configured to effect the taking off of the unmanned aerial vehicle in response to one or more signals instructing the taking off of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises coordinates of the unmanned aerial vehicle at rest on a surface.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle is approximated using coordinates of an external device in communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3, wherein the coordinates of the external device are received with aid of a GPS signal at the external device.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3, wherein the external device is a mobile terminal capable of receiving data from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 5, wherein the mobile terminal is capable of transmitting control data to the unmanned aerial vehicle and controlling flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle is received with aid of a GPS signal at the unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a local memory that stores the location of the flight-restricted region and further stores locations for a plurality of flight-restricted regions.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the local memory is updated with the locations of the plurality of flight restricted regions when the unmanned aerial vehicle communicates with an external device via a wired or wireless connection.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the local memory is updated with the locations of the plurality of flight restricted regions when the unmanned aerial vehicle communicates with a communication network.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the flight-restricted region is an airport.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the distance is calculated at specified time intervals when the unmanned aerial vehicle is turned on.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the location of the flight restricted region is selected from a plurality of possible flight restricted regions based on proximity of the unmanned aerial vehicle to each of the plurality of possible flight restricted regions.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the distance threshold is about 5 miles.

15. A method for evaluating a takeoff condition for an unmanned aerial vehicle, said method comprising:

assessing a location of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

assessing a location of a flight restricted region;

calculating, with aid of one or more processors, a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the flight restricted region using the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the location of the flight restricted region;

assessing, with aid of the one or more processors, whether the distance falls within a distance threshold; and

preventing, with aid of the one or more processors, the unmanned aerial vehicle from taking off when the distance falls within the distance threshold.

31. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are onboard the unmanned aerial vehicle.

16. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

one or more processors individually or collectively programmed to (1) obtain a location of the unmanned aerial vehicle, (2) calculate a distance between the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a flight restricted region, and (3) assess whether the distance falls within a distance threshold, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to effect automatic landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle when the distance falls within the distance threshold; and

one or more propulsion units in communication with the one or more processors, the one or more propulsion units configured to effect the automatic landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle in response to one or more signals instructing the landing of the UAV.

17. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 16, wherein the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle is received with aid of a GPS signal at the unmanned aerial vehicle.

18. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 16, further comprising a local memory that stores the location of the flight-restricted region and further stores locations for a plurality of flight-restricted regions.

19. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 18, wherein the local memory is updated with the locations of the plurality of flight restricted regions when the unmanned aerial vehicle communicates with an external device via a wired or wireless connection.

20. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 18, wherein the local memory is updated with the locations of the plurality of flight restricted regions when the unmanned aerial vehicle communicates with a communication network.

21. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 16, wherein the flight-restricted region is an airport.

22. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 16, wherein the distance is calculated at specified time intervals when the unmanned aerial vehicle is turned on.

23. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 16, wherein the location of the flight restricted region is selected from a plurality of possible flight restricted regions based on proximity of the unmanned aerial vehicle to each of the plurality of possible flight restricted regions.

24. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 16, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is landed immediately when the distance falls within the distance threshold.

25. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 16, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is landed after a time period.

26. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 16, wherein the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle is approximated using coordinates of an external device in communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle.

27. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 26, wherein the coordinates of the external device are received with aid of a GPS signal at the external device.

28. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 26, wherein the external device is a mobile terminal capable of receiving data from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

29. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 28, wherein the mobile terminal is capable of transmitting control data to the unmanned aerial vehicle and controlling flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

30. A method for assessing flight response of an unmanned aerial vehicle, said method comprising:

assessing a location of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

assessing a location of a flight restricted region;

calculating, with aid of one or more processors, a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the flight restricted region using the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the location of the flight restricted region;

assessing, with aid of the one or more processors, whether the distance falls within a distance threshold; and

instructing, with aid of the one or more processors, the unmanned aerial vehicle to land when the distance falls within the distance threshold.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the one or more processors are onboard the unmanned aerial vehicle.