Electronic device and unmanned aerial vehicle control method

• US 9,812,020 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2015
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloud Network Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hou-Hsien, Lee, Chang-Jung, Lo, Chih-Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US14/825,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20170046961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 701 4, 701302, 434 31, 434 33, 434 35
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7865 using correlation of the live video image with a stored image
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

An electronic device including a processing unit and a storage device receives digital images of a flight area of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) captured by an image capturing device. Then, the processing unit determines a flight position of the UAV in the flight area based on the digital images, and controls the UAV to move from the flight position to a predetermined position. The processing unit receives a vehicle direction of the UAV from an electronic compass unit of the UAV, and adjusts the vehicle direction of the UAV based on a predetermined direction. The processing unit controls the UAV to perform a predetermined operation when the UAV reaches the predetermined position and the vehicle direction is the same as the predetermined direction.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a processing unit; and

a storage device that storing a plurality of instructions,

wherein when the plurality of instructions is executed by the processing unit, the processing unit is configured to;

receive digital images of a flight area of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) captured by an image capturing device;

determine a flight position of the UAV in the flight area based on the digital images;

control the UAV to move from the flight position to a predetermined position;

receive a vehicle direction of the UAV from an electronic compass unit of the UAV;

adjust the vehicle direction of the UAV based on a predetermined direction; and

control the UAV to perform a predetermined operation when the UAV reaches the predetermined position and the vehicle direction is the same as the predetermined direction;

wherein the plurality of instructions executed by the processing unit further cause the processing unit to;

establish a three dimensional model of the flight area; and

set three coordinate axes of the three dimensional model;

wherein a flight path is formed by comparing the flight position with the predetermined position.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions executed by the processing unit further cause the processing unit to:

determine flight coordinates of the UAV based on the three coordinate axes; and

establish a flight model for the UAV.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the processing unit to:

determine an object in the digital images;

determine the object as the UAV based on the flight model;

determine distance information of the UAV based on the digital images; and

determine the flight position of the UAV based on the distance information.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the UAV receives the flight path and moves along the flight path.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing device coupled to the electronic device is a depth-sensing camera.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the UAV coupled to the electronic device includes an actuating unit for performing the predetermined operation.

4. A method for controlling a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a second UAV, comprising:

receiving digital images of a flight area of the first UAV and the second UAV captured by an image capturing device;

determining a first flight position of the first UAV and a second flight position of the second UAV in the flight area based on the digital images;

comparing the first flight position with a first predetermined position to set a first flight path;

comparing the second flight position with a second predetermined position to set a second flight path;

determining whether the first flight path and the second flight path have an intersection point;

determining whether a first distance between the intersection point and the first flight position and a second distance between the intersection point and the second flight position are less than a predetermined distance when the first flight path and the second flight path have an intersection point; and

controlling one of the first UAV and the second UAV to hover when both of the first distance and the second distance are less than the predetermined distance.

8. A method for controlling a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

receiving digital images of a flight area of the first UAV captured by an image capturing device;

determining a first flight position of the first UAV in the flight area based on the digital images;

controlling the first UAV to move from the first flight position to a first predetermined position;

receiving a vehicle direction of the first UAV from an electronic compass unit of the first UAV;

adjusting the vehicle direction of the first UAV based on a predetermined direction;

controlling the first UAV to perform a predetermined operation when the first UAV reached the first predetermined position and the vehicle direction being the same as the predetermined direction;

establishing a three dimensional model of the flight area; and

setting three coordinate axes of the three dimensional model.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising:

determining flight coordinates of the first UAV based on the three coordinate axes; and

establishing a flight model for the UAV.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of determining the first flight position of the first UAV in the flight area based on the digital images further comprising:

determining an object in the digital images;

determining the object as the first UAV based on the flight model;

determining distance information of the first UAV based on the digital images; and

determining the first flight position of the first UAV based on the distance information.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the image capturing device is a depth-sensing camera.

12. The method according to claim 8, comprising:

determining a second flight position of a second UAV in the flight area based on the digital images;

comparing the first flight position with the first predetermined position to set a first flight path;

comparing the second flight position with a second predetermined position to set a second flight path;

determining whether the first flight path and the second flight path have an intersection point;

determining whether a first distance between the intersection point and the first flight position and a second distance between the intersection point and the second flight position being less than a predetermined distance when the first flight path and the second flight path having an intersection point; and

controlling one of the first UAV and the second UAV to hover when both of the first distance and the second distance being less than the predetermined distance.