Systems and methods for monitoring flight

• US 9,875,584 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• 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: Gong, Ming, Dai, Jin, Cui, Hao, Wang, Xiaodong, Huang, Han, Wu, Jun, Fan, Wei, Ma, Ning, Rong, Xinhua, Lin, Xingsen
• Primary Examiner(s): Ortiz, Angela
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNS, MICHAEL ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US15/267,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20170004662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/00 Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/004 Indicating the operating range of the engine economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices are provided herein for recording operation history of a remotely controlled vehicle. The recorded operation history may comprise outgoing operation commands sent from a remote controller of a remotely controlled vehicle, as well as incoming operation commands received by the remotely controlled vehicle. The recorded operation history may further comprise vehicle status data, such as data related to an operation process of the remotely controlled vehicle. The recorded operation history of a vehicle may be used to analyze a behavior of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for recording user operation data and vehicle operation data for a remotely controlled vehicle, the system comprising:

a user operation data recorder remote to the remotely controlled vehicle, the user operation data recorder having a first memory configured to record the user operation data, the user operation data comprising outgoing operation commands that affect operation of the remotely controlled vehicle, said outgoing operation commands (1) received from a remote controller of the remotely controlled vehicle and (2) transmitted to the remotely controlled vehicle;

a vehicle operation data recorder on-board the remotely controlled vehicle, the vehicle operation data recorder having a second memory configured to record vehicle operation data, the vehicle operation data comprising incoming operation commands that affect operation of the remotely controlled vehicle, said incoming operation commands received by the remotely controlled vehicle from the remote controller of the remotely controlled vehicle; and

one or more processors that compare the user operation data and the vehicle operation data for identifying discrepancies which comprise (1) differences between the outgoing operation commands and the incoming operation commands, or (2) differences between the incoming operation commands and vehicle status data.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory that stores information about the discrepancies which comprise (1) differences between the outgoing operation commands and the incoming operation commands, or (2) differences between the incoming operation commands and vehicle status data, wherein said memory enters an accident mode that prevents update to the memory upon detection of one or more accident conditions.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle status data comprises one or more environmental parameters or operation processes of the remotely controlled vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors compare the user operation data and the vehicle operation data for identifying discrepancies which comprise (1) differences between the outgoing operation commands and the incoming operation commands, and (2) differences between the incoming operation commands and vehicle status data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user operation data recorded by the first memory and the vehicle operation data recorded by the second memory are inaccessible for modification, wherein the vehicle operation data recorder comprises a housing that is removable from the remotely controlled vehicle and is more resistant to destruction than the rest of the remotely controlled vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user operation data recorder is configured to associate the user operation data with a specific user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user operation data recorder is configured to recognize an identity of the specific user entering the outgoing operation commands, and using the identity of the specific user, associate the user operation data with the specific user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the user operation data recorder is configured to recognize the identity of the specific user by providing user authentication for the specific user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user operation data recorder is configured to begin recording the user operation data once the specific user is authenticated, and end the recording when authentication of the specific user is terminated.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle operation data recorder is configured to receive the incoming operation commands pre-associated with the specific user, and wherein the vehicle operation data recorder is configured to associate the vehicle operation data with the specific user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle operation data recorder is configured to begin recording the vehicle operation data once the specific user is authenticated, and end the recording when authentication of the specific user is terminated.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the user operation data recorder and the vehicle operation data recorder are further configured to enter an accident mode that prevents updates to the first memory and the second memory when the user operation data recorder and the vehicle operation data recorder are alerted that one or more accident conditions are detected.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more accident conditions are selected from a loss of a global positioning system signal of the vehicle, a loss of a radio connection of the vehicle, vehicle collision, vehicle entry into a restricted area, deviation of a flight path of a vehicle from a projected path, abnormal acceleration of the vehicle, abnormal speed of the vehicle, abnormal temperature of the vehicle, and data from a vision sensor of a vehicle indicating poor visibility.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the user operation data recorder and the vehicle operation data recorder are configured to exit the accident mode when the user operation data recorder and the vehicle operation data recorder receive instructions that the accident condition has been resolved.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the user operation data recorder and the vehicle operation data recorder are configured to upload the user operation data and the vehicle operation data to a database in a management center via a secure connection.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the uploading is performed periodically at pre-set intervals.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the uploading is performed when the user operation data recorder and the vehicle operation data recorder are alerted that one or more accident conditions are detected.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controlled vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle, and wherein the outgoing operation commands affect one or more of flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, operation of one or more sensors on-board the unmanned aerial vehicle, or positioning of a payload on-board the unmanned aerial vehicle with respect to the rest of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

19. A device for recording user operation data for a remotely controlled vehicle, the device comprising:

a memory off-board the remotely controlled vehicle and configured to record user operation data, the user operation data comprising outgoing operation commands that affect operation of the remotely controlled vehicle, said outgoing operation commands (1) received from a remote controller of the remotely controlled vehicle and (2) transmitted to the remotely controlled vehicle,

wherein the user operation data recorded by the memory is inaccessible for modification.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the device is physically integrated or integrated via software with a processing unit configured to control operation of the remote controller, such that the remote controller becomes inoperable if the device is tampered with.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the memory comprises an array of multiple disk drives operating as a single logical unit, such that in an event of failure of a disk drive of the array, a segment of the user operation data recorded to the failed disk drive can be reconstructed using one or more segments of the user operation data recorded to the one or more remaining disk drives of the array.

22. A device for recording vehicle operation data for a remotely controlled vehicle, the device comprising:

a memory configured to record vehicle operation data, the vehicle operation data comprising incoming operation commands that affect operation of the remotely controlled vehicle, said incoming operation commands received by the remotely controlled vehicle from the remote controller of the remotely controlled vehicle,

wherein the vehicle operation data recorded by the memory is inaccessible for modification in response to the vehicle operation data recorder entering an accident mode that prevents updates to the memory upon being alerted that one or more accident conditions are detected.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the device for recording vehicle operation data is physically integrated or integrated via software with a processing unit configured to control operation of the remotely controlled vehicle, such that the remotely controlled vehicle becomes inoperable if the device is tampered with.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the vehicle operation data further comprises vehicle status data relating to one or more environmental parameters or operation processes of the vehicle.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the vehicle status data relating to one or more environmental parameters comprises one or more of a location of the vehicle, outside temperature, wind speed, and detection of precipitation.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein the vehicle status data relating to one or more operation processes comprises one or more of an acceleration of the vehicle, angular acceleration of the vehicle, speed of the vehicle, position of the vehicle, location of the vehicle, altitude of the vehicle, a position of a vehicle actuator, a flap setting of an aircraft, performance of an engine, running speed of an engine, power output of an engine, a charge percentage of a battery, vehicle cabin pressure, and vehicle cabin temperature.

27. The device of claim 24, wherein the vehicle status data is associated with a corresponding incoming operation command.

28. The device of claim 22, wherein the vehicle operation data further comprises an identification of the remote controller.

29. A method for analyzing a behavior of a remotely controlled vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user operation data recorder remote to the remotely controlled vehicle, user operation data comprising outgoing operational commands that affect operation of the remotely controlled vehicle, said outgoing operation commands received with a remote controller of the remotely controller vehicle and transmitted to the remotely controlled vehicle;

receiving, from a vehicle operation data recorder on-board the remotely controlled vehicle, vehicle operation data comprising (1) incoming operational commands that affect operation of the remotely controlled vehicle, the incoming operational commands received from the remote controller, or (2) vehicle status data relating to one or more environmental parameters or operation processes of the vehicle; and

comparing, with aid of one or more processors, the user operation data and the vehicle operation data, thereby identifying discrepancies which comprise (1) differences between the outgoing operation commands and the incoming operation commands or (2) differences between the incoming operation commands and the vehicle status data.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising determining, based on the identified discrepancies, one or more causes of a behavior of the remotely controlled vehicle.