Aerial vehicle and control method for aerial vehicle

• US 11,099,012 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2019
• Issued: 08/24/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nagai, Makoto, Ito, Yo, Iijima, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US16/982,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20210095960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/06 for indicating aircraft presence
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

The present invention provides an aerial vehicle for which flight information for the aerial vehicle can be identified by people in the surrounding area. Also provided is a control method for the aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle is provided with a display device that displays toward the exterior of the vehicle and a display control device that controls the display device. In addition, the aerial vehicle is provided with an altitude acquisition device that acquires altitude as the distance from the ground surface. The display control device is provided with an altitude display control unit that selectively performs display on the display device on the basis of the altitude.

Claims

1. A flying body comprising a display apparatus configured to provide a display facing outward from the flying body and a display control apparatus configured to control the display apparatus, wherein:

the flying body further comprises an altitude acquiring apparatus configured to acquire an altitude as a distance to a ground surface;

the display control apparatus includes an altitude display control section configured to selectively perform display of the display apparatus based on the altitude acquired by the altitude acquiring apparatus;

the flying body further comprises a progression direction acquiring apparatus configured to acquire a progression direction of the flying body;

the display control apparatus further includes a progression direction display control section configured to selectively perform the display of the display apparatus based on the progression direction acquired by the progression direction acquiring apparatus;

the display apparatus includes two or more light emitting sections each having a light emission amount and an emitted light color that are changeable;

the progression direction display control section is configured to display the progression direction of the flying body using an order of change of the light emission amounts of the two or more light emitting sections; and

the altitude display control section is configured to display the altitude of the flying body using a change of the emitted light colors of the light emitting sections.

2. The flying body according to claim 1, wherein the altitude acquiring apparatus includes:

an emitting section configured to emit an electromagnetic wave toward the ground surface;

a receiving section configured to receive a reflection wave of the electromagnetic wave; and

an altitude calculating section configured to calculate the altitude based on the reflection wave, and

the flying body comprises;

a posture detecting section configured to detect pitch or roll of the flying body;

an orientation adjusting mechanism configured to adjust orientations of the emitting section and the receiving section; and

an orientation control section configured to control the orientation adjusting mechanism based on the pitch or the roll in a manner to orient the emitting section and the receiving section in a direction of gravity.

3. The flying body according to claim 1, wherein the flying body comprises a communication apparatus configured to perform wireless communication with an external device, and

the display control apparatus performs the display of the display apparatus indicating the altitude when an altitude display command is received from the external device via the communication apparatus.

4. A control method of a flying body including a display apparatus including two or more light emitting sections each having a light emission amount and an emitted light color that are changeable and being configured to provide a display facing outward from the flying body;

a display control apparatus configured to control the display apparatus;

an altitude acquiring apparatus configured to acquire an altitude as a distance to a ground surface; and

a progression direction acquiring apparatus configured to acquire a progression direction of the flying body, the control method comprising;

acquiring the altitude of the flying body by the altitude acquiring apparatus;

acquiring the progression direction of the flying body by the progression direction acquiring apparatus; and

displaying the progression direction of the flying body using an order of change of the light emission amounts of the two or more light emitting sections and displaying the altitude of the flying body using a change of the emitted light colors of the light emitting sections.

5. A flying body comprising a display apparatus configured to provide a display facing outward from the flying body and a display control apparatus configured to control the display apparatus, wherein:

the flying body further comprises a progression direction acquiring apparatus configured to acquire a progression direction in which the flying body is progressing;

the display control apparatus includes a progression direction display control section configured to selectively perform display of the display apparatus based on the progression direction acquired by the progression direction acquiring apparatus;

the display apparatus includes two or more light emitting sections each having a light emission amount that is changeable; and

the progression direction display control section is configured to display the progression direction of the flying body by varying an order of change of the light emission amounts of the two or more light emitting sections based on the progression direction.

6. A control method of a flying body including a display apparatus including two or more light emitting sections each having a light emission amount that is changeable and configured to provide a display facing outward from the flying body;

a display control apparatus configured to control the display apparatus; and

a progression direction acquiring apparatus configured to acquire a progression direction in which the flying body is progressing, the control method comprising;

acquiring a progression direction in which the flying body is progressing, by the progression direction acquiring apparatus, and

displaying the progression direction of the flying body by varying an order of change of the light emission amounts of the two or more light emitting sections.

7. A flying body comprising a display apparatus configured to provide a display facing outward from the flying body and a display control apparatus configured to control the display apparatus, wherein:

the flying body further comprises an other-machine velocity acquiring apparatus configured to acquire an other-machine velocity that is a velocity of another flying body positioned near the flying body;

the display control apparatus includes a for-other-machine display control section configured to selectively perform display of the display apparatus based on the other-machine velocity acquired by the other-machine velocity acquiring apparatus;

the display apparatus includes a light emitting section having a light emission amount that is changeable and for being recognized by the another flying body;

the for-other-machine display control section is configured to change the light emission amount of the light emitting section based on the other-machine velocity; and

the for-other-machine display control section is configured to change the light emission amount of the light emitting section in a manner that the light emission amount of the light emitting section at a timing when the other-machine velocity is a first velocity becomes greater than the light emission amount of the light emitting section at a timing when the other-machine velocity is a second velocity that is less than the first velocity.

8. A control method of a flying body including a display apparatus including a light emitting section having a light emission amount that is changeable and for being recognized by another flying body positioned near the flying body, and configured to provide a display that faces outward from the flying body;

a display control apparatus configured to control the display apparatus; and

an other-machine velocity acquiring apparatus configured to acquire an other-machine velocity that is a velocity of the another flying body, the control method comprising;

acquiring the other-machine velocity by an other-machine velocity acquiring apparatus, and

changing the light emission amount of the light emitting section based on the other-machine velocity,

in changing the light emission amount, the control method changes the light emission amount of the light emitting section in a manner that the light emission amount of the light emitting section at a timing when the other-machine velocity is a first velocity becomes greater than the light emission amount of the light emitting section at a timing when the other-machine velocity is a second velocity that is less than the first velocity.

9. A flying body comprising a display apparatus configured to provide a display facing outward from the flying body and a display control apparatus configured to control the display apparatus, wherein:

the flying body further comprises an other-machine distance acquiring apparatus configured to acquire an other-machine distance that is a distance between the flying body and another flying body positioned near the flying body;

the display control apparatus includes a for-other-machine display control section configured to selectively perform display of the display apparatus based on the other-machine distance acquired by the other-machine distance acquiring apparatus;

the display apparatus includes a light emitting section having a light emission amount that is changeable and for being recognized by the another flying body;

the for-other-machine display control section is configured to change the light emission amount of the light emitting section based on the other-machine distance; and

the for-other-machine display control section is configured to change the light emission amount of the light emitting section in a manner that the light emission amount of the light emitting section at a timing when the other-machine distance is a first distance becomes greater than the light emission amount of the light emitting section at a timing when the other-machine distance is a second distance that is less than the first distance.

10. A control method of a flying body including a display apparatus including a light emitting section having a light emission amount that is changeable and for being recognized by another flying body positioned near the flying body, and being configured to provide a display facing outward from the flying body;

a display control apparatus configured to control the display apparatus; and

an other-machine distance acquiring apparatus configured to acquire an other-machine distance that is a distance between the flying body and the another flying body, the control method comprising;

acquiring the other-machine distance by the other-machine distance acquiring apparatus, and

changing the light emission amount of the light emitting section based on the other-machine distance,

in changing the light emission amount, the control method changes the light emission amount of the light emitting section in a manner that the light emission amount of the light emitting section at a timing when the other-machine distance is a first distance becomes greater than the light emission amount of the light emitting section at a timing when the other-machine distance is a second distance that is less than the first distance.