System and method for automated aerial system operation

• US 9,836,053 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hangzhou Zero Zero Technology Co.Ltd (Shenzhen Zero Zero Infinite Technology Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Zero Zero Robotics Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Mengqiu, Liu, Lixin, Jin, Pengxiang, Lu, Jia, Zhang, Tong
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US15/349,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20170185084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• 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 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• 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 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net
• 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 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/042 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0669 specially adapted for vertical take-off
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

A method for controlling an aerial system with a rotor enclosed by a housing, including: operating the rotor in a flight mode, detecting a grab event indicative of the aerial system being grabbed, and automatically operating the rotor in a standby mode. A method for controlling an aerial system including a central axis extending normal to a lateral plane of the aerial system, including: generating a first aerodynamic force with a set of rotors enclosed by a housing, detecting that an acute angle between the central axis and a gravity vector is greater than a threshold angle, and operating each rotor of the set of rotors to cooperatively generate a second aerodynamic force less than the first aerodynamic force with the set of rotors.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an aerial system comprising a rotor, the method comprising:

operating the rotor in a flight mode, wherein the rotor is enclosed by a housing of the aerial system and configured to rotate about a rotor axis;

while operating the rotor in the flight mode, detecting a grab event indicative of the aerial system being grabbed; and

at a processor mounted to the housing of the aerial system, in response to detecting the grab event, automatically operating the rotor in a standby mode, wherein operating the rotor in the standby mode comprises ceasing rotor rotation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a start event indicative of aerial system free-fall, wherein the flight mode is a hover mode and wherein operating the rotor in the hover mode is performed automatically in response to start event detection.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, while operating the rotor in the hover mode, capturing an image with a camera mounted to the housing.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while operating the rotor in the flight mode, optically detecting a retention mechanism; and

at the processor, in response to detecting the retention mechanism and before detecting the grab event, automatically controlling the aerial system to fly proximal the retention mechanism.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the grab event is detected based on a measurement from a sensor mounted to the housing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the sensor comprises an inertial measurement unit; and

the grab event comprises an orientation change of the aerial system greater than a threshold orientation change, wherein the orientation change is sampled by the inertial measurement unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold orientation change is 35°

.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after operating the rotor in the standby mode, operating the rotor in a second flight mode;

while operating the rotor in the second flight mode, detecting an actuation of a switch mechanically coupled to the housing; and

in response to detecting the actuation, operating the rotor in a second standby mode.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting the grab event comprises classifying the grab event as indicative of the aerial system being grabbed, based on the measurement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotor defines a swept area, wherein the aerial system defines a retention region, and wherein a projection of the retention region onto a rotor plane normal to the rotor axis overlaps a majority of a projection of the swept area onto the rotor plane.

11. A method for controlling an aerial system including a central axis extending normal to a lateral plane of the aerial system, the method comprising:

generating a first aerodynamic force with a set of rotors of the aerial system, each rotor of the set of rotors enclosed by a housing of the aerial system, wherein the first aerodynamic force is substantially equal to a total aerodynamic force generated by the aerial system;

after generating the first aerodynamic force, at the aerial system, detecting that an acute angle between the central axis and a gravity vector is greater than 35°

; and

in response to detecting that the acute angle is greater than 35°

, operating each rotor of the set of rotors to cooperatively generate a second aerodynamic force less than the first aerodynamic force with the set of rotors.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein operating each of rotor of the set of rotors to cooperatively generate a second aerodynamic force comprises reducing a power provided to the set of rotors to less than a power threshold required for aerial system flight.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising, at the aerial system, detecting a start event indicative of aerial system free-fall, wherein generating the first aerodynamic force is performed automatically in response to detecting the start event.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting the start event comprises detecting a proper acceleration having a magnitude substantially equal to zero with an accelerometer mechanically coupled to the housing.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising, at the aerial system:

after generating the first aerodynamic force, optically detecting a retention mechanism; and

in response to detecting the retention mechanism and before detecting that the acute angle is greater than 35°

, automatically controlling the aerial system to fly proximal the retention mechanism.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the retention mechanism is a human hand.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein a sum of a square of a diameter of each rotor of the set is greater than 50% of an area of a convex hull of a projection of the aerial system onto the lateral plane.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the aerial system comprises a retention region, wherein a projection of a total swept area of the set of rotors onto the lateral plane overlaps a projection of the retention region onto the lateral plane.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of airflow apertures fluidly connecting each rotor to an ambient environment, wherein each aperture is smaller than a threshold size.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising, at the aerial system, detecting a start event indicative of aerial system support in a substantially horizontal orientation throughout a time interval greater than a threshold time interval, wherein generating the first aerodynamic force is performed automatically in response to detecting the start event.

21. A method for controlling an aerial system comprising a rotor, the method comprising:

detecting a start event indicative of aerial system support in a substantially horizontal orientation for a time interval greater than a threshold time interval; and

at a processor mounted to the housing of the aerial system, in response to detecting the start event, automatically operating the rotor in a flight mode, wherein the rotor is enclosed by a housing of the aerial system and configured to rotate about a rotor axis.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

while operating the rotor in the flight mode, detecting a grab event indicative of the aerial system being grabbed; and

at the processor, in response to detecting the grab event, automatically operating the rotor in a standby mode.