Application and method for controlling flight of uninhabited airborne vehicle

• US 10,510,261 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optim LLC
• Original Assignee: Optim LLC
• Inventors: Sugaya, Shunji
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney A
• Application Number:
  US15/532,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20190080620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/16 actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• 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 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/042 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0014 Image feed-back for automatic industrial control, e.g. robot with camera robots B25J19/023
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/17 taken from planes or by drones
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 : in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 : specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

The present invention is to provide an application for controlling the flight of an uninhabited airborne vehicle that detects a person at low cost and high efficiency and controls a drone to keep from hitting against the detected person. The application for controlling the flight of an uninhabited airborne vehicle runs on a smart device 200 connected with an uninhabited airborne vehicle 100, acquires and analyzes the image taken by a camera unit 20 of the smart device, and controls the flight of the uninhabited airborne vehicle to keep the uninhabited airborne vehicle 100 from hitting against the detected person through the uninhabited airborne vehicle flight control module 224.

Claims

1. A smart device that controls a flight of an uninhabited airborne vehicle and is connected with the uninhabited airborne vehicle, the smart device comprising:

a camera; and

a processor that;

drives camera;

acquires an image taken by the camera;

analyzes the acquired image and detects a person;

controls the flight of the uninhabited airborne vehicle to keep the uninhabited airborne vehicle from hitting against the detected person; and

controls a speed of the uninhabited airborne vehicle based on a battery level of a rechargeable battery of the smart device when the rechargeable battery feeds power to the connected uninhabited airborne vehicle.

2. The smart device according to claim 1, wherein the processors analyzes the acquired image by analyzing the image taken by visible light of the camera.

3. The smart device according to claim 1, wherein the processors analyzes the acquired image by analyzing the image taken by thermal photography of the camera.

4. The smart device according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes displaying operation history of the uninhabited airborne vehicle on an output unit of the smart device.

5. The smart device according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes transmitting operation data on the uninhabited airborne vehicle to a server connected through a network.

6. The smart device according to claim 1, wherein the uninhabited airborne vehicle is connected with the smart device through USB.

7. A method for controlling a flight of an uninhabited airborne vehicle by a smart device connected with the uninhabited airborne vehicle, the method comprising:

driving a camera provided in the smart device;

acquiring an image taken by the camera;

analyzing the acquired image and detects a person;

controlling the flight of the uninhabited airborne vehicle to keep the uninhabited airborne vehicle from hitting against the detected person; and

controlling a speed of the uninhabited airborne vehicle based on a battery level of a rechargeable battery of the smart device when the rechargeable battery feeds power to the connected uninhabited airborne vehicle.