CONTROL DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20170324907A1
• Filed: 07/21/2017
• Published: 11/09/2017
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,104,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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 component;

a camera configured to capture an image;

circuitry configured to control wireless transmission of the image to a control device for displaying the image being captured and reception of a flight instruction from the control device;

at least four rotors configured to be rotated respectively for flying; and

at least four support components configured to respectively support each of the four rotors and being respectively rotatable with the four rotors on a plurality of axes with respect to the body,

wherein each of the four support components are foldable by rotating on the plurality of axes to be stacked at a predetermined position with respect to the camera in a folded state for portability and the four support components are opened from the stacked position toward an outside of the body in an extended state for flying in which the image is transmitted and the flight instruction is received.

2. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein at least two support components of the four support components are rotatable on parallel axes of the plurality of axes.

3. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein a height from a floor of a first rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a first one of the at least four support components is different from a height from the floor of a second rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a second one of the at least four support components in the folded state.

4. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein a first rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a first one of the at least four support components is positioned above a second rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a second one of the at least four support components, in the folded state

5. The flying camera according to claim 1, wherein at least one support component of the four support components is horizontally rotatable.

6. 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 component.

7. The flying camera according to claim 6, wherein the at least four support components each include a rotor cover.

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

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

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

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

18. The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least four support components are disposed within the body component in the folded state.

12. A system comprising:

a flying camera comprising;

a body component,

a camera configured to capture an image,

circuitry configured to control wireless transmission of the image to a control device for displaying the image being captured and reception of a flight instruction from the control device,

at least four rotors configured to be rotated respectively for flying, and

at least four support components configured to respectively support each of the four rotors and being respectively rotatable with the four rotors on a plurality of axes with respect to the body,

wherein each of the four support components are foldable by rotating on the plurality of axes to be stacked at a predetermined position with respect to the camera in a folded state for portability and the four support components are opened from the stacked position toward an outside of the body in an extended state for flying in which the image is transmitted and the flight instruction is received; and

the control device comprising;

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

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein at least two support components of the four support components are rotatable on parallel axes of the plurality of axes.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein a height from a floor of a first rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a first one of the at least four support components is different from a height from the floor of a second rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a second one of the at least four support components, in the folded state.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein a first rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a first one of the at least four support components is positioned above a second rotor of the at least four rotors that is supported by a second one of the at least four support components, in the folded state

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein at least one support component of the four support components is horizontally rotatable.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the at least four support components each include a support arm disposed between a respective rotor and the body component.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the body component includes at least one vent hole.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein in the folded state a first pair of the four support components is stacked on a first side of the camera and second pair of the four support components is stacked on a second side of the camera opposite from the first side of the camera.