Flying camera and a system

• US 10,602,068 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2019
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sabe, Kohtaro, Kawanami, Yasunori, Kawamoto, Kenta, Sawada, Tsutomu, Shimizu, Satoru, Duerr, Peter, Yamamoto, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Sosanya, Obafemi O
• Application Number:
  US16/596,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20200036901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 168 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• 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 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

There is provided a control device including an image display unit configured to acquire, from a flying body, an image captured by an imaging device provided in the flying body and to display the image, and a flight instruction generation unit configured to generate a flight instruction for the flying body based on content of an operation performed with respect to the image captured by the imaging device and displayed by the image display unit.

Claims

1. A flying camera comprising:

a body;

a camera configured to capture an image;

circuitry configured to control wireless transmission of the image to a control device that is configured to display the image and receive a flight instruction of the flying camera from the control device;

at least four rotors configured to be driven and control a flight of the flying camera; and

at least four support components that respectively support each of the four rotors and are respectively rotatable on a plurality of axes to extend the four rotors away from the body, wherein

each of the at least four support components are foldable about the plurality of axes so as to be arranged at a predetermined position with respect to the camera in a folded state for portability, and the at least four support components are extendable from the arranged position toward an outside of the body to an extended state for flying, the image being transmitted and the flight instruction being received with the at least four of the support components in the extended state,

the at least four support components being divided into two groups separated relative to a position of the camera, and

in the folded state, a first rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a first support component of a first group of the two groups is arranged vertically with respect to a second rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a second support component of the first group of the two groups.

2. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein at least the first support component and the second support component are rotatable on parallel axes of the plurality of axes.

3. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein, in the folded state, relative to a floor, a height from the floor of the first rotor is different from a height from the floor of the second rotor.

4. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein the flying camera provides a predetermined difference in level in a manner between the first rotor and the second rotor.

5. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein, in folded state, at least four support components each is adjacent to at least four rotors each.

6. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first support component and the second support component is horizontally rotatable.

7. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein the at least four support components each include a support arm disposed between a respective rotor and the body.

8. The flying camera according to claim 7, wherein, in folded state, at least the support arm is disposed between the first rotor and the second rotor.

9. The flying camera according to claim 7, wherein the at least four support components each include a rotor cover.

10. The flying camera according to claim 9, wherein, in folded state, a first rotor cover of the first support component is arranged vertically a second rotor cover of the second support component.

11. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein, in the folded state, the at least four support components are disposed within the body.

12. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein the body includes at least one vent hole.

13. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein the flight instruction is generated based on a touch operation to a touch panel that is remote from the flying camera.

14. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein the at least four support components being four support components, and in the folded state a first pair of the four support components is arranged on a first side of the camera and second pair of the four support components is arranged on a second side of the camera opposite from the first side of the camera.

15. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein, in folded state, the first rotor and the second rotor are arranged with a central axis of the first rotor being in line with a central axis of the second rotor.

16. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein at least the first support component and the second support component are rotated in different directions each other and folded.

17. A system comprising:

a flying camera comprising;

a body,

a camera configured to capture an image,

circuitry configured to control wireless transmission of the image to a control device that is configured to display the image and receive a flight instruction of the flying camera from the control device;

at least four rotors configured to be driven and control a flight of the flying camera; and

at least four support components that respectively support each of the four rotors and are respectively rotatable on a plurality of axes to extend the four rotors away from the body, wherein

each of the at least four support components are foldable about the plurality of axes so as to be arranged at a predetermined position with respect to the camera in a folded state for portability, and the at least four support components are extendable from the arranged position toward an outside of the body to an extended state for flying, the image being transmitted and the flight instruction being received with the at least four of the support components in the extended state,

the at least four support components being divided into two groups separated relative to a position of the camera, and

in the folded state, a first rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a first support component of a first group of the two groups is arranged vertically with respect to a second rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a second support component of the first group of the two groups; and

the control device further comprising;

processing circuitry configured to generate the flight instruction based on a touch operation on a touch panel.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least the first support component and the second support component are rotatable on parallel axes of the plurality of axes.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein, in the folded state, relative to a floor, a height from the floor of the first rotor is different from a height from the floor of the second rotor.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the flying camera provides a predetermined difference in level in a manner between the first rotor and the second rotor.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein, in folded state, at least four support components each is adjacent to at least four rotors each.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the first support component and the second support component is horizontally rotatable.

23. The system according to claim 17, wherein the at least four support components each include a support arm disposed between a respective rotor and the body.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein, in folded state, at least the support arm is disposed between the first rotor and the second rotor.

25. The system according to claim 23, wherein the at least four support components each include a rotor cover.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein, in folded state, a first rotor cover of the first support component is arranged vertically a second rotor cover of the second support component.

27. The system according to claim 17, wherein, in the folded state, the at least four support components are disposed within the body.

28. The system according to claim 17, wherein the at least four support components being four support components, and in the folded state a first pair of the four support components is arranged on a first side of the camera and second pair of the four support components is arranged on a second side of the camera opposite from the first side of the camera.

29. A flying camera comprising:

a body;

a camera configured to capture an image;

circuitry configured to control wireless transmission of the image to a control device that is configured to display the image and receive a flight instruction of the flying camera from the control device;

at least four rotors configured to be driven and control a flight of the flying camera; and

at least four support components that respectively support each of the four rotors and are respectively rotatable on a plurality of axes to extend the four rotors away from the body, wherein

each of the at least four support components are foldable about the plurality of axes so as to be arranged at a predetermined position with respect to the camera in a folded state for portability, and the at least four support components are extendable from the arranged position toward an outside of the body to an extended state for flying, the image being transmitted and the flight instruction being received with the at least four of the support components in the extended state,

the at least four support components being divided into two groups separated relative to a position of the camera, and

in the folded state, a first rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a first support component of a first group of the two groups is arranged above a second rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a second support component of the first group of the two groups.

30. A flying camera comprising:

a body;

a camera configured to capture an image;

circuitry configured to control wireless transmission of the image to a control device that is configured to display the image and receive a flight instruction of the flying camera from the control device;

at least four rotors configured to be driven and control a flight of the flying camera; and

at least four support components that respectively support each of the four rotors and are respectively rotatable on a plurality of axes to extend the four rotors away from the body, wherein

each of the at least four support components are foldable about the plurality of axes so as to be arranged at a predetermined position with respect to the camera in a folded state for portability, and the at least four support components are extendable from the arranged position toward an outside of the body to an extended state for flying, the image being transmitted and the flight instruction being received with the at least four of the support components in the extended state,

the at least four support components being divided into two groups separated relative to a position of the camera, and

in the folded state, a first support component of a first group of the two groups is arranged above a second support component of the first group of the two groups.