METHOD, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

• US 20180024546A1
• Filed: 05/25/2017
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HA, Tae-Eun, KIM, Chang-Sik, KIM, Han-Bit, CHOI, In-Hyuk, CHOI, Jae-Woo, KIM, Youn-Lea, MOON, Ha-Sik
• Granted Patent: US 10,452,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• 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 1/0033 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

According to various embodiments, an electronic device for controlling a movement of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the electronic device comprising: a display that displays information associated with the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle; a user interface disposed to be rotatable around the display and configured to detect an input; at least one processor configured to generate a control signal to control the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on an input through at least one of the display and the user interface; and a communication interface that is configured to transmit the control signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Claims

1. An electronic device for controlling a movement of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the electronic device comprising:

a display that displays information associated with the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a user interface disposed to be rotatable around the display and configured to detect an input;

at least one processor configured to generate a control signal to control the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on an input through at least one of the display and the user interface; and

a communication interface that is configured to transmit the control signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a ring structure that is formed along a circumference of the display and is physically rotatable, and is configured to detect an input according to an amount of rotation of the ring structure, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the control signal to control the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to the amount of rotation.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor unit that detects an orientation of the electronic device with a first reference surface, wherein the orientation comprises a horizontal state in which the electronic device is substantially parallel with the first reference surface, and a vertical state in which the electronic device is substantially orthogonal to the first reference surface, and a movement of the electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor generates a control signal to adjust a rotation of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to an amount the user interface rotates around the display, when the orientation is the horizontal state.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor generates a control signal to adjust an upward-and-downward flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to an amount the user interface rotates around the display, when the orientation is the vertical state.

6. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor calculates a movement change rate of the electronic device based on at least one of a movement direction and a movement angle of the electronic device, which are detected by the sensor unit, and generates a control signal to adjust a flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle in one direction of roll and pitch directions corresponding to the calculated movement change rate and the movement direction.

7. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein when a movement direction of the electronic device detected by the sensor unit is a vertical direction, with a touch input through the display being maintained, the at least one processor generates a control signal to adjust an upward-and-downward flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to a vertical movement.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor generates a control signal to adjust an upward-and-downward flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to a multi-touch and drag from one of divided upper and lower areas of the display to another area, and generates a control signal to adjust a flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle in one direction of roll and pitch directions corresponding to a touch input through a central area of the areas.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when a rotation angle of the electronic device detected by the sensor unit exceeds a threshold value, with flight information that indicates a head direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle being displayed on the display, the processor controls the display to display the flight information, which is changed corresponding to the head direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a main body that comprises a substantially front surface on which the display and the user interface are disposed and a rear surface that is in contact with a body part of a user wearing the electronic device; and

a band that is connected to opposite ends of the main body to fix the electronic device to the body part of the user.

11. A storage medium that stores instructions, wherein the instructions are set for at least one processor to perform at least one operation when executed by the at least one processor, the at least one operation comprising:

displaying information associated with a movement of an unmanned aerial vehicle;

generating a control signal to control the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on an input through at least one of a user interface and a display, wherein the user interface is disposed to be rotatable around a display of an electronic device displaying the information and is configured to perform detecting an input to move the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

transmitting the control signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the detecting of the input to move the unmanned aerial vehicle through the user interface comprises detecting a rotation of a ring structure that is formed along a circumference of the display and is physically rotatable.

13. The storage medium of claim 12, wherein the generating of the control signal to control the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises generating a control signal to adjust a rotation of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to a rotation of the user interface when it is detected that the electronic device is in a horizontal state of being substantially parallel with a first reference surface.

14. The storage medium of claim 12, wherein the generating of the control signal to control the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises generating a control signal to adjust an upward-and-downward flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to a rotation of the user interface when it is detected that the electronic device is substantially orthogonal to the first reference surface.

15. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one operation further comprises:

calculating a movement change rate of the electronic device based on at least one of a movement direction and a movement angle of the electronic device; and

generating a control signal to adjust a flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle in one direction of roll and pitch directions corresponding to the calculated movement change rate and the movement direction.

16. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one operation further comprises:

detecting a movement direction of the electronic device, with a touch input through the display being maintained; and

generating a control signal to adjust an upward-and-downward flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to a vertical movement when the movement direction of the electronic device is a vertical direction.

17. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one operation further comprises:

generating a control signal to adjust an upward-and-downward flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to a multi-touch and drag from one of divided upper and lower areas of the display to another area; and

generating a control signal to adjust a flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle in one direction of roll and pitch directions corresponding to a touch input through a central area of the areas.

18. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein when a rotation angle of the electronic device exceeds a threshold value, with flight information that indicates a head direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle being displayed on the display, the at least one operation further comprises displaying the flight information, which is changed corresponding to the head direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

19. A method of controlling a movement of an unmanned aerial vehicle by an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying information associated with the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

generating a control signal to control the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on an input through at least one of a user interface, which is disposed to be rotatable around a display of the electronic device displaying the information and is configured to perform detecting an input to move the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the display; and

transmitting the control signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the detecting of the input to move the unmanned aerial vehicle through the user interface comprises detecting an input to control the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to a rotation of a ring structure that is formed along a circumference of the display and is physically rotatable.