Method for controlling unmanned aerial vehicle using remote terminal

• US 9,766,622 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zerotech shenzhen Intelligence Robot Co Ltd
• Original Assignee: Zerotech shenzhen Intelligence Robot Co Ltd
• Inventors: Yang, Jianjun, Sun, Kaiben, Cheng, Bin, Cai, Wanhong
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US15/197,802
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• 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 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• 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 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246

Abstract

A method for controlling a UAV using a remote terminal. The remote terminal is capable of wirelessly communicating with the UAV. The method comprises detecting, via a physical input device of the remote terminal, at least one user'"'"'s action applied to the physical input device; generating a control instruction in response to the detected at least one user'"'"'s action; and transmitting the control instruction to the UAV.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a UAV using a remote terminal, wherein the remote terminal is capable of wirelessly communicating with the UAV, and the method comprises:

detecting, via a physical input device of the remote terminal, at least one user'"'"'s action applied to the physical input device, wherein the physical input device comprises at least two physical keys arranged in a linear array;

generating a control instruction in response to the detected at least one user'"'"'s action; and

transmitting the control instruction to the UAV;

wherein the step of generating the control instruction comprises;

converting the detected at least one user'"'"'s action into an input event; and

converting the input event into the control instruction;

and wherein the step of converting the input event into the control instruction comprises;

detecting, via a motion detecting device of the remote terminal, an attitude of the remote terminal; and

converting the input event into the control instruction based on the attitude of the remote terminal;

and wherein the input event is converted into a flight control instruction for permitting the UAV to move substantially along an axis based on the attitude of the remote terminal, or to rotate substantially about the axis based on the attitude of the remote terminal, wherein the axis is in parallel with a virtual line connecting the at least two physical keys and changing with the attitude of the remote terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two physical keys are selected from the group consisting of:

sound volume adjusting keys, power on/off key, home key, and screen-locking key.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least two physical keys are a volume increase key and a volume decrease key.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user'"'"'s action is selected from the group consisting of:

a single short-press action, a single long-press action, and a combination of the short-press action and the long-press action.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one user'"'"'s action comprises two or more actions applied to one of the at least two physical keys sequentially.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one user'"'"'s action comprises two or more actions applied to two or more of the at least two physical keys simultaneously.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the control instruction is selected from a group of control instructions comprising:

flight control instructions for permitting linear or rotatory movement of the UAV, camera adjusting control instructions for permitting linear or rotatory movement of an image capturing device carried on the UAV, and imaging control instructions for adjusting a state of the imaging capturing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a relationship between the control instruction and the at least one user'"'"'s action is configurable by a user.

9. A remote terminal for controlling a UAV, wherein the remote terminal is capable of wirelessly communicating with the UAV, and the remote terminal comprises:

a physical input device for detecting at least one user'"'"'s action applied thereto, wherein the physical input device comprises at least two physical keys arranged in a linear array;

a processor for generating a control instruction in response to the detected at least one user'"'"'s action;

a motion detecting device for detecting an attitude of the remote terminal; and

a communication device for transmitting the control instruction to the UAV;

wherein the processor is further configured to convert the detected at least one user'"'"'s action into an input event and to convert the input event into the control instruction;

and wherein the processor is further configured to convert the input event into the control instruction based on the attitude of the remote terminal;

and wherein the input event is converted into a flight control instruction for permitting the UAV to move substantially along an axis based on the attitude of the remote terminal, or to rotate substantially about the axis based on the attitude of the remote terminal, wherein the axis is in parallel with a virtual line connecting the at least two physical keys and changing with the attitude of the remote terminal.

10. The remote terminal of claim 9, wherein the at least two physical keys are selected from the group consisting of:

sound volume adjusting keys, power on/off key, home key, and screen lock key.

11. The remote terminal of claim 10, wherein the at least two physical keys are a volume increase key and a volume decrease key.

12. The remote terminal of claim 9, wherein the at least one user'"'"'s action is selected from the group consisting of:

a single short-press action, a single long-press action, and a combination of the short-press action and the long-press action.

13. The remote terminal of claim 12, wherein the at least one user'"'"'s action comprises two or more actions applied to one of the at least two physical keys sequentially.

14. The remote terminal of claim 12, wherein the at least one user'"'"'s action comprises two or more actions applied to two or more of the at least two physical keys simultaneously.

15. The remote terminal of claim 9, wherein the control instruction is selected from a group of control instructions comprising:

flight control instructions for permitting linear or rotatory movement of the UAV, camera adjusting control instructions for permitting linear or rotatory movement of an image capturing device carried on the UAV, and imaging control instructions for adjusting a state of the imaging capturing device.

16. The remote terminal of claim 9, wherein a relationship between the control instruction and the at least one user'"'"'s action is configurable by a user.