Wireless communication device for communicating with an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 9,946,256 B1
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Inventors: Yui, Stephen, Flanigan, Sean, McCauley, Grant
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US15/179,895
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• 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: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/662 by using master/slave camera arrangements for affecting the control of camera image capture, e.g. placing the camera in a desirable condition to capture a desired image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A wireless communication device may include a housing, a touch sensitive display integrally included within the housing, multiple radio frequency transceivers included within the housing, multiple input mechanisms included within the housing, and a processor included within the housing. The processor may be configured to obtain visual information captured by an image capture subsystem of the unmanned aerial vehicle, display the visual information via the touch sensitive display, detect parameters of a touch on the touch sensitive display, determine a first set of inputs based upon the parameters of the touch on the touch sensitive display, receive a second set of inputs when one or more of the multiple input mechanisms are engaged, effectuate transmission, via a first radio frequency transceiver, of instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle based upon the first set of inputs and/or the second set of inputs.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, the device comprising:

a housing;

a touch sensitive display integrally included within the housing;

multiple radio frequency transceivers included within the housing, wherein a first radio frequency transceiver communicates with an unmanned aerial vehicle and a second radio frequency transceiver communicates with a network;

multiple input mechanisms included with the housing that are physically engageable for manual manipulation by a user separate from manipulation of the housing; and

a processor included within the housing, wherein the processor is configured to;

obtain, via the first radio frequency transceiver, visual information captured by an image capture subsystem of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

display the visual information via the touch sensitive display;

detect parameter values of parameters of a touch on the touch sensitive display, the parameter values of the touch including a location value specifying a location of the touch on the touch sensitive display and/or a pressure value specifying a pressure of the touch on the touch sensitive display;

determine a first set of inputs based upon the parameter values of the parameters of the touch on the touch sensitive display;

receive a second set of inputs when one or more of the multiple input mechanisms are physically engaged; and

effectuate transmission, via the first radio frequency transceiver, of instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle based upon the first set of inputs and/or the second set of inputs, the instructions being configured to adjust flight controls and/or adjust the image capture subsystem of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver communicates with the network via a Wi-Fi protocol.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein a third radio frequency transceiver communicates with other wireless communication devices and/or multi-purpose devices.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein the third radio frequency transceiver communicates with other wireless communication devices and/or multi-purpose devices via a Bluetooth protocol.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein the third radio frequency transceiver communicates with other wireless communication devices and/or multi-purpose devices via a Wi-Fi protocol.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

effectuate transmission, via the third radio frequency, of information to other wireless communication devices and/or multi-purpose devices based upon the first set of inputs and/or the second set of inputs.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, via the second radio frequency, one or more updates for the wireless communication device and/or the unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

effectuate transmission, via the first radio frequency, of the one or more updates for the unmanned aerial vehicle to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the instructions being configured to adjust flight controls include instructions to adjust one or more of an altitude, a longitude, a latitude, a geographical location, a heading, and/or a speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the instructions being configured to adjust the image capture subsystem include instructions to adjust a gimbal, one or more of an aperture timing, an exposure, a focal length, an angle of view, a depth of field, a focus, a light metering, a white balance, a resolution, a frame rate, an object of focus, a capture angle, a zoom parameter, a video format, a sound parameter, and/or a compression parameter of the image capture subsystem.

11. A method to communicate with an unmanned aerial vehicle via a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

obtaining, via the first radio frequency transceiver, visual information captured by an image capture subsystem of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

displaying the visual information via a touch sensitive display integrally included within a housing of the wireless communication device;

detecting parameter values of parameters of a touch on the touch sensitive display, the parameter values of the touch including a location value specifying a location of the touch on the touch sensitive display and/or a pressure value specifying a pressure of the touch on the touch sensitive display;

determining a first set of inputs based upon the parameter values of the parameters of the touch on the touch sensitive display;

receiving a second set of inputs when one or more of multiple input mechanisms are physically engaged, the multiple input mechanisms being included with the housing and being physically engageable for manual manipulation by a user separate from manipulation of the housing; and

effectuate transmission, via a first radio frequency transceiver configured to communicate with the unmanned aerial vehicle, of instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle based upon the first set of inputs and/or the second set of inputs, the instructions being configured to adjust flight controls and/or adjust the image capture subsystem of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

wherein the wireless communication device includes multiple radio frequency transceivers within the housing, the multiple radio frequency transceivers including a second radio frequency transceiver that communicates with a network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver communicates with the network via a Wi-Fi protocol.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein a third radio frequency transceiver communicates with other wireless communication devices and/or multi-purpose devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third radio frequency transceiver communicates with other wireless communication devices and/or multi-purpose devices via a Bluetooth protocol.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the third radio frequency transceiver communicates with other wireless communication devices and/or multi-purpose devices via a Wi-Fi protocol.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

effectuate transmission, via the third radio frequency, of information to other wireless communication devices and/or multi-purpose devices based upon the first set of inputs and/or the second set of inputs.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, via the second radio frequency, one or more updates for the wireless communication device and/or the unmanned aerial vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

effectuate transmission, via the first radio frequency, of the one or more updates for the unmanned aerial vehicle to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the instructions being configured to adjust flight controls include instructions to adjust one or more of an altitude, a longitude, a latitude, a geographical location, a heading, and/or a speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the instructions being configured to adjust the image capture subsystem include instructions to adjust one or more of a gimbal, an aperture timing, an exposure, a focal length, an angle of view, a depth of field, a focus, a light metering, a white balance, a resolution, a frame rate, an object of focus, a capture angle, a zoom parameter, a video format, a sound parameter, and/or a compression parameter of the image capture subsystem.