Interchangeable mounting platform

• US 10,560,611 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2014
• 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: Pan, Paul, Zhao, Xifeng, Zhao, Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, William B
• Application Number:
  US16/194,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20190089871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/10 Handles for carrying purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/041 Allowing quick release of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/105 the horizontal axis being the roll axis, e.g. for creating a landscape-portrait rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/12 in more than one direction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/123 the axis of rotation intersecting in a single point, e.g. by using gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2064 for tilting and panning F16M11/2078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/22 with approximately constant height, e.g. with constant length of column or of legs F16M11/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/04 for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains , e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/006 Apparatus mounted on flying objects
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/566 Accessory clips, holders, shoes to attach accessories to camera if integral part of camera body G03B17/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 : Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 : for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 : Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 : Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 : Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects

Abstract

An assembly includes a payload configured to obtain sensor data and a mounting platform coupled to the payload via a first coupling and including one or more actuators configured to adjust a spatial disposition of the payload. The assembly is for interchangeably mounting onto a plurality of base supports including a first base support and a second base support. The mounting platform is configured to be releasably coupled via a second coupling to each of the first base support and the second base support. The first base support is configured to control a function of the payload when the mounting platform is coupled to the first base support.

Claims

1. An assembly for interchangeably mounting onto a plurality of base supports comprising a first base support and a second base support, the assembly comprising:

a payload configured to obtain sensor data; and

a mounting platform coupled to the payload via a first coupling, the mounting platform comprising one or more actuators configured to adjust a spatial disposition of the payload, and wherein the mounting platform is configured to be releasably coupled via a second coupling to each of the first base support and the second base support using a twisting motion,

wherein the first base support is configured to control a function of the payload when the mounting platform is coupled to the first base support.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first base support is a handheld support member and the second base support is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first base support or the second base support is a base adapter mounted onto a movable object.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the payload is a smartphone.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting platform is configured to establish electrical communication with each of the first base support and the second base support separately when the mounting platform is coupled to the first base support and the second base support via the second coupling, the electrical communication is configured to initiate a recognition of whether the mounting platform is coupled to the first base support or to the second base support.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting platform or the payload is further configured to receive first power from a first power source on the first base support when the mounting platform is coupled to the first base support via the second coupling, and the mounting platform or the payload is configured to receive second power from a second power source on the second base support when the mounting platform is coupled to the second base support via the second coupling.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second coupling is a quick release coupling such that a quick release (1) is carried out manually without using tools and (2) enables the first base support and the second base support to be releasably coupled to and decoupled from the mounting platform.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the function of the payload comprises at least one of a record function, a zoom function, a power-on function, a power-off function, a changing image resolution function, a changing focus function, a changing depth of field function, a changing exposure time function, or a changing viewing angle function.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first base support comprises an input interface configured to receive a first set of input from a user, and configured to generate, based on the first set of input from the user, a first set of control signals for controlling the function of the payload.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first base support is further configured to control the spatial disposition of the payload when the mounting platform is coupled to the first base support.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second base support is configured to control the function or the spatial disposition of the payload when the mounting platform is coupled to the second base support.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first base support is configured to communicate wirelessly with the payload to control the function of the payload when the payload is coupled to the first base support.

13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second base support is configured to communicate wirelessly with the payload to control the function of the payload when the payload is coupled to the second base support.

14. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the payload is configured to transmit at least a portion of the sensor data to a memory in the first base support and the second base support for storage when the mounting platform is coupled to the first base support and the second base support via the second coupling.

15. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the payload is releasably coupled to the mounting platform via the first coupling.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the first coupling comprises one or more sliding clamping portions configured to releasably couple the payload to the mounting platform.

17. A method for interchangeably mounting onto a plurality of different base supports comprising a first base support and a second base support, the method comprising:

providing a mounting platform coupled to a payload via a first coupling, wherein the mounting platform comprises one or more actuators configured to adjust a spatial disposition of the payload, wherein the payload is configured to obtain sensor data;

releasably coupling the mounting platform via a second coupling to each of the first base support and the second base support using a twisting motion;

establishing electrical communication between the mounting platform and each of the first base support and the second base support when the mounting platform is coupled to the first base support and the second base support via the second coupling;

receiving, by the payload, a first set of control signals generated by the first base support to control a function of the payload after the mounting platform is coupled to the first base support.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first base support is a handheld support member and the second base support is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the payload is a mobile device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the function of the payload comprises at least one of a record function, a zoom function, a power-on function, a power-off function, a changing image resolution function, a changing focus function, a changing depth of field function, a changing exposure time function, or a changing viewing angle function.