Systems and methods for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 9,663,227 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Inventors: Lema, Pablo, Ip, Shu Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US14/978,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20170174344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• 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 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/223 Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/689 Pointing payloads towards fixed or moving targets positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle recognize and interpret gestures by a user. The gestures are interpreted to adjust the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a sensor carried by the unmanned aerial vehicle, or both.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, the system comprising:

a flight control subsystem configured to provide flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a sensor configured to generate output signals conveying visual information;

a sensor control subsystem configured to control the sensor through adjustments of one or more of aperture timing, exposure, focal length, angle of view, depth of field, focus, light metering, white balance, resolution, frame rate, object of focus, capture angle, a zoom parameter, video format, a sound parameter, and a compression parameter;

a remote controller configured to transmit flight control information and sensor control information; and

a controller interface configured to receive the flight control information and the sensor control information,

wherein the flight control subsystem is further configured to provide the flight control based on the flight control information,

wherein the sensor control subsystem is further configured to control the sensor based on the sensor control information such that the visual information includes an image of a user,

wherein the remote controller is further configured to recognize one or more gestures from the user and interpret the one or more gestures as one or both of the flight control information and the sensor control information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote controller is further configured to project a pattern on an object, wherein the controller interface is further configured to recognize the pattern based on the visual information and interpret the pattern as one or both of the flight controller information and the sensor control information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes one or more image sensors configured to capture video information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein flight control includes control of one or more of altitude, longitude, latitude, geographical location, heading, and/or speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote controller is further configured to be carried and/or worn by the user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the flight control subsystem is configured to provide the flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle such that a target altitude differential between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the remote controller is maintained, and wherein the one or more gestures include a gesture interpreted by the remote controller to adjust the target altitude differential.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the flight control subsystem is configured to provide the flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle such that a target cardinal direction between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the remote controller is maintained, and wherein the one or more gestures include a gesture interpreted by the remote controller to adjust the target cardinal direction.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the flight control subsystem is configured to provide the flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle such that a target distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the remote controller is maintained, and wherein the one or more gestures include a gesture interpreted by the remote controller to adjust the target distance.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the flight control subsystem is configured to provide the flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle such that a target distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the remote controller is maintained, and wherein the one or more gestures include a gesture interpreted by the remote controller to rotate the unmanned aerial vehicle around the remote controller by a predetermined number of degrees.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the flight control subsystem is configured to provide the flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle such that a target distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the user is maintained, and wherein the one or more gestures include a gesture interpreted by the remote controller to adjust the flight control such that the target distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the object is maintained.

11. A system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, the system comprising:

a flight control subsystem configured to provide flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a sensor configured to generate output signals conveying visual information;

a sensor control subsystem configured to control the sensor through adjustments of one or more of aperture timing, exposure, focal length, angle of view, depth of field, focus, light metering, white balance, resolution, frame rate, object of focus, capture angle, a zoom parameter, video format, a sound parameter, and a compression parameter;

a remote controller configured to transmit flight control information and sensor control information; and

a controller interface configured to receive the flight control information and the sensor control information,

wherein the flight control subsystem is further configured to provide the flight control based on the flight control information,

wherein the sensor control subsystem is further configured to control the sensor based on the sensor control information such that the visual information includes an image of a user,

wherein the controller interface is further configured to recognize one or more gestures from the user based on the visual information and interpret the one or more gestures as one or both of the flight control information and the sensor control information.

12. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method being implemented in a system including a sensor and a remote controller, one or more physical processors, the method comprising:

generating, by the sensor, output signals conveying visual information;

transmitting, from the remote controller, flight control information and sensor control information;

receiving, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, the flight control information and the sensor control information;

providing flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the flight control information;

controlling the sensor based on the sensor control information such that the visual information includes an image of a user, the sensor controlled through adjustments of one or more of aperture timing, exposure, focal length, angle of view, depth of field, focus, light metering, white balance, resolution, frame rate, object of focus, capture angle, a zoom parameter, video format, a sound parameter, and a compression parameter;

recognizing one or more gestures from the user; and

interpreting the one or more gestures as one or both of the flight control information and the sensor control information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

projecting a pattern on an object;

recognizing the pattern based on the visual information; and

interpreting the pattern as one or both of the flight controller information and the sensor control information.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle includes maintaining a target altitude differential between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the remote controller,

wherein interpreting the one or more gestures effectuates an adjustment of the target altitude differential.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle includes maintaining a target cardinal direction between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the remote controller, wherein interpreting the one or more gestures effectuates an adjustment of the target cardinal direction.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle includes maintaining a target distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the remote controller, wherein interpreting the one or more gestures effectuates an adjustment of the target distance.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle includes maintaining a target distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the remote controller, wherein interpreting the one or more gestures effectuates a rotation of the unmanned aerial vehicle around the remote controller by a predetermined number of degrees.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle includes maintaining a target distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the user, wherein interpreting the one or more gestures effectuates an adjustment of the flight control such that the target distance is maintained between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the object.