Method and system for directing unmanned vehicles

• US 8,521,339 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Unmanned Aerial Systems ULC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aeryon Labs, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Peasgood, Mike, Gariepy, Ryan, Kroetsch, Dave, Lindner, Steffen
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US12/555,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20100084513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 244/190
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target

Abstract

A method of remotely controlling an aerial vehicle within an environment, including providing a control station in communication with the aerial vehicle, providing a map of the environment, receiving target world coordinates for the aerial vehicle within the environment, determining a desired velocity vector to direct the aerial vehicle to the target world coordinates at a speed proportional to the distance between the aerial vehicle and the target world coordinates, and directing the aerial vehicle along the desired velocity vector until the aerial vehicle reaches the target world coordinates.

Claims

1. A method of remotely controlling a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within an environment, the method comprising:

providing a control station in communication with the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle;

displaying, on a touch-screen interface at the control station, a visual representation of the environment;

receiving target pixel coordinates for the aerial vehicle on the touch-screen interface within the visual representation of the environment;

converting the target pixel coordinates into physical coordinates that are target world coordinates for the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within the environment;

determining a desired vector to direct the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle based on the physical coordinates; and

based on the determined desired vector, directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle along the desired vector;

wherein the desired vector comprises a speed proportional to the distance between the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle and the target world coordinates.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a maximum speed which the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle will not exceed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle to take an action upon reaching the target world coordinates.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling one or more functions of one or more of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicles by multiple control stations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user provides the target pixel coordinates by touching a target position icon on the visual representation of the environment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining a flight parameter within the environment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the flight parameter is selected from the group of a no-fly zone, a perimeter, a target, a home location, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the flight parameter is polygonal in shape.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a sensory payload on the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle; and

transmitting data gathered by the sensory payload, directly or indirectly, to the control station.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising controlling the sensory payload independently of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing a plurality of hovering unmanned aerial vehicles from the control station.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication of a desired yaw for the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle independently of the received target pixel coordinates.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired vector is a velocity vector.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle comprises directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle along the determined desired velocity vector.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising recalculating the desired velocity vector as the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle travels towards the target world coordinates to reduce the speed of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle as it approaches the target world coordinates.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle to remain at a current position if to continue travelling along the desired velocity vector would otherwise result in either directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle into a no-fly zone or directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle outside a perimeter.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle to remain at a current position prior to beginning to travel along the desired velocity vector if to travel along the desired velocity vector would at any point either direct the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle into a no-fly zone or direct the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle outside a perimeter.

18. A method of remotely controlling a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within an environment, the method comprising:

providing a control station in communication with the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle;

displaying, on a touch-screen interface at the control station, a visual representation of the environment;

receiving target pixel coordinates for the aerial vehicle on the touch-screen interface within the visual representation of the environment;

converting the target pixel coordinates into physical coordinates for the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within the environment;

determining a desired vector to direct the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle based on the physical coordinates; and

based on the determined desired vector, directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle along the desired vector;

wherein the user provides the target pixel coordinates by touching a target position icon on the visual representation of the environment and the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle remains at a current position if the user ceases to touch the target position icon.

19. A method of remotely controlling a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within an environment, the method comprising:

providing a control station in communication with the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle;

displaying, on a touch-screen interface at the control station, a visual representation of the environment;

receiving target pixel coordinates for the aerial vehicle on the touch-screen interface within the visual representation of the environment;

converting the target pixel coordinates into physical coordinates for the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within the environment;

determining a desired vector to direct the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle based on the physical coordinates;

based on the determined desired vector, directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle along the desired vector;

receiving an indication of a desired yaw for the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle; and

changing the yaw of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle independently of the determination of the desired vector.

20. A method of remotely controlling a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within an environment, the method comprising:

providing a control station in communication with the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle;

displaying, on a touch-screen interface at the control station, a visual representation of the environment;

receiving target pixel coordinates for the aerial vehicle on the touch-screen interface within the visual representation of the environment;

converting the target pixel coordinates into physical coordinates for the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within the environment;

determining a desired vector to direct the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle based on the physical coordinates; and

based on the determined desired vector, directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle along the desired vector;

wherein the desired vector is an orientation vector.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein receiving the target pixel coordinates comprises receiving a continuous indication of target pixel coordinates.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle comprises directing the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle until the continuous indication of target pixel coordinates is no longer being received.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the orientation vector comprises roll, pitch, or both roll and pitch.

24. A system for remotely controlling a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within a physical environment, the system comprising:

at least one hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within a physical environment, the at least one hovering unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a plurality of independently driven rotors each rotor being mounted at a distance from a center of the at least one hovering unmanned aerial vehicle and each rotor associated with a rotor motor;

a control station in communication with a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle, the control station comprising a touch-screen interface; and

a processing system connected to the control station and configured to

send a signal to the control station to display, on the touch-screen interface, a visual representation of the environment and the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle;

receive target pixel coordinates within the visual representation of the environment for the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle from the touch-screen interface;

convert the target pixel coordinates into physical coordinates for the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within the physical environment;

determine a desired vector to direct the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle within the physical environment based on the physical coordinates; and

based on the determined desired vector, send a signal to the rotor motors of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle to direct the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle along the desired vector.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein:

the processing system comprises a control unit within at least one hovering unmanned aerial vehicle and a control unit within the control station.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one hovering unmanned aerial vehicle comprises one or more sensors and the processing system is configured to receive data from the one or more sensors.