SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE IN FLIGHT SPACE

• US 20120215382A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, HOU-HSIEN, LEE, CHANG-JUNG, LO, CHIH-PING
• Application Number:
  US13/283,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20120215382A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle

Abstract

In a method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in a flight space using a computing device, at least one camera is installed in the flight space. The method sets a flight area of the UAV in the flight space, and stores geographic information of the flight area into a storage device. The method further controls each of the camera to capture a series of 3D images from the flight space, analyzes a current location of the UAV in the flight space according to the 3D images, and compares the current location with the geographic information of the flight area to determine whether the UAV flies out of the flight area. In addition, the method sends a warning message to a remote controller when the UAV flies out of the flight area, and controls the UAV to fly within the flight area using the remote controller.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a storage device;

at least one processor; and

one or more programs stored in a storage device comprising one or more programs and executable by at least one processor, the one or more programs comprising;

a flight area setting module operable to initialize at least one camera that is installed in a predefined flight space, set a flight area for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the flight space according to a view range of each of the at least one camera, and store geographic information of the flight area into the storage device;

a flight detection module operable to control the at least one camera to capture a series of 3D images from the flight space, analyze a current location of the UAV in the flight space according to the 3D images, and compare the current location with the geographic information of the flight area to determine whether the UAV flies out of the flight area; and

a flight control module operable to generate a warning message when the UAV flies out of the flight area, send the warning message to a remote controller that is connected to the computing device, and control the UAV to fly within the flight area using the remote controller according to the warning message.

2. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the remote controller controls the UAV to change a flying direction of the UAV in the flight area according to the warning message.

3. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the remote controller controls the UAV to stop within the flight area according to the warning message.

4. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the flight area setting module is further operable to allocate an Internet protocol (IP) address for each of the at least one camera.

5. The computing device according to claim 4, wherein the flight detection module is further operable to create a communication connection between each of the at least one camera and the computing device according to the IP address of the camera.

6. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is a time of flight (TOF) camera device having a 3D image capturing functionality.

7. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in a flight space using a computing device, the method comprising:

initializing at least one camera that is installed in the flight space;

setting a flight area for the UAV in the flight space according to a view range of each of the at least one camera, and storing geographic information of the flight area into a storage device of the computing device;

controlling the at least one camera to capture a series of 3D images from the flight space when the UAV flies in the flight space;

analyzing a current location of the UAV in the flight space according to the 3D images;

comparing the current location with the geographic information of the flight area to determine whether the UAV flies out of the flight area;

generating a warning message when the UAV flies out of the flight area, and sending the warning message to a remote controller that is connected to the computing device; and

controlling the UAV to fly within the flight area using the remote controller according to the warning message.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the remote controller controls the UAV to change a flying direction of the UAV in the flight area according to the warning message.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the remote controller controls the UAV to stop within the flight area according to the warning message.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

allocating an Internet protocol (IP) address for each of the at least one camera; and

creating a communication connection between each of the at least one camera and the computing device according to the IP address of the camera.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one camera is a time of flight (TOF) camera device having a 3D image capturing functionality.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the current location of the UAV is represented by an X coordinate value, a Y coordinate value and a Z coordinate value that indicate a geographic position of the UAV in the fight space.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in flight space, the method comprising:

initializing at least one camera that is installed in the flight space;

setting a flight area for the UAV in the flight space according to a view range of each of the at least one camera, and storing geographic information of the flight area into a storage device of the computing device;

controlling the at least one camera to capture a series of 3D images from the flight space when the UAV flies in the flight space;

analyzing a current location of the UAV in the flight space according to the 3D images;

comparing the current location with the geographic information of the flight area to determine whether the UAV flies out of the flight area;

generating a warning message when the UAV flies out of the flight area, and sending the warning message to a remote controller that is connected to the computing device; and

controlling the UAV to fly within the flight area using the remote controller according to the warning message.

14. The medium according to claim 13, wherein the remote controller controls the UAV to change a flying direction of the UAV in the flight area according to the warning message.

15. The medium according to claim 13, wherein the remote controller controls the UAV to stop within the flight area according to the warning message.

16. The medium according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

allocating an Internet protocol (IP) address for each of the at least one camera; and

creating a communication connection between each of the at least one camera and the computing device according to the IP address of the camera.

17. The medium according to claim 13, wherein the at least one camera is a time of flight (TOF) camera device having a 3D image capturing functionality.

18. The medium according to claim 13, wherein the current location of the UAV is represented by an X coordinate value, a Y coordinate value and a Z coordinate value that indicate a geographic position of the UAV in the fight space.

19. The medium according to claim 13, wherein the medium is selected from the group consisting of a hard disk drive, a compact disc, a digital video disc, and a tape drive.