Altitude control of an indoor flying toy

• US 8,639,400 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverlit Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverlit Limited
• Inventors: Wong, Kwok Leung
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US13/837,547
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 701/4, 701/5, 701/9, 701/11, 701/16, 701/300, 701/301, 244/17.11, 244/17.13, 244/76.R
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

Altitude control of a toy flying vehicle intended for indoor hovering flight comprises providing a selected altitude level for the vehicle. A position control signal is transmitted from the vehicle towards a surface. A receiver in the vehicle receives the signal reflected from the surface. A level of the reflected signal by the receiver is determined, and a change of the reflected signal is an indicator of a change of altitude of the vehicle relative to the selected altitude level. The vehicle receiver communicates with the remote controller, and the remote controller can adjust and control speed and direction of the vehicle. Controlling the altitude can be by a stop control; an up and/or down control; and/or a high and/or low height sensitivity control, take-off/landing control; gesture mode control; left/right trim control; control between altitude control mode and manual control mode.

Claims

1. A method of remote controlling an altitude of a toy flying vehicle intended for indoor operation, the vehicle having a rotor for rotation relative to a fuselage of the vehicle, and a separate remote controller for use by a player of the toy, the method comprising:

(a) providing a relative selected altitude level r′

d corresponding to a selected altitude for the vehicle;

(b) transmitting a position control signal with a light intensity I from the vehicle towards a surface;

(c) determining if a reflected signal of said position control signal is received from the surface;

(d) increasing a counter CNT if said reflected signal is received;

(e) increasing said light intensity I;

(f) repeating steps (b)-(e) while said light intensity I is less than a maximum value;

(g) determining a relative altitude r′ and

adjusting rotor action according to a difference between the relative altitude r′ and

the relative selected altitude level r′

d to retain the selected altitude, wherein said determining the relative altitude r′

comprises selecting the relative altitude r′

from a table comprising correlations between values for the relative altitude r′ and

values for the counter CNT; and

controlling the toy by a control selected from at least one of a stop control;

an altitude control by at least one of an up control;

down control;

a high height sensitivity control and a low height sensitivity control;

take-off/landing control;

gesture mode control;

left/right trim control;

control between altitude control mode and manual control mode.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selected altitude is a range between an upper and a lower level.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selected altitude is a substantially constant altitude.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein adjusting the rotor action is to lower the speed to lower the vehicle to the selected altitude or to increase the speed to raise the vehicle to the selected altitude.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes a receiver for communication with the remote controller, the remote controller being capable of adjusting and controlling speed and direction of the vehicle.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the position control signal is directed upwardly thereby to retain the selected altitude relative to a surface located above the vehicle.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface from which the signal is reflected is passive indoor surface.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the position control signal is directed downwardly thereby to retain the selected altitude relative to surface located below the vehicle.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 further including transmitting a position control signal directed transversely relative to the vehicle thereby to reflect from a transversely located surface relative to the vehicle thereby to retain a distance of the vehicle relative to the transversely located surface.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 further including transmitting multiple position control signals directed transversely in multiple respective directions relative to the vehicle thereby to reflect from multiple transversely located surfaces relative to the vehicle thereby to determine one or more respective relative distances of the vehicle to the multiple transversely located surfaces, and thereby maintain the vehicle at one or more respective selected distances to the transverse surfaces.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the multiple position control signals are directed relatively transversely, forwardly and sideways of the vehicle.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 including multiple position control signal directed transversely in multiple respective directions relative to the vehicle thereby to reflect from multiple transversely located surfaces relative to the vehicle thereby to determine one or more respective relative distances of the vehicle to the multiple transversely located surfaces, wherein the multiple position control signals are directed relatively transversely, forwardly and sideways of the vehicle, and thereby maintain the vehicle at one or more respective selected distances to the transverse surfaces, and including signals directed upwardly and downwardly from the vehicle thereby to maintain the selected altitude of the vehicle.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1 further including defining a desired selected level of reflected position control signal in at least one receiver in the vehicle, and wherein the action of the rotor is dependent on variation from a designated position, as determined by a difference in the received reflected position control signal.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1 including defining respective desired selected levels of reflected position control signals in multiple respective receivers in the vehicle, the respective multiple receivers being directed in respective different directions and there being multiple respective position signals directed in mating respective directions relative the respective receivers, and wherein the action of the rotor is dependent on at least one variation from at least one designated position, as determined by at least one difference in the received reflected position control signals.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is configured to limit the maximum height thereby to receive at least one reflected signal.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1 including controlling rotor power by current speed of the-rotor at a time (t) determined by a previous speed at a time (t−

1), and a battery level in the vehicle.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the level of the reflected signal is a received digital measure and not an intensity of the received signal.

18. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vehicle comprises a receiver to receive throttle and direction control commands from the remote controller.

19. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein adjusting the rotor action according to a difference between the relative altitude r′

and the relative selected altitude level r′

d comprises calculating an error, E=r′

−

r′

d,

wherein if E is negative, representing a current altitude of the vehicle as lower than the selected altitude, the rotor increases the power for flying upward in which the power increment is proportional to E;

wherein if E is positive, representing a current altitude of the vehicle is higher than the selected altitude, the rotor decreases the power for flying downward in which the power decrement is proportional to E, and

wherein if E is zero or approximate zero, representing the current altitude of the vehicle is same as the selected altitude, the power of the rotor remains unchanged.

20. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selected altitude is set by setting a throttle level from a transmitter.

21. A method of remote controlling an altitude of a toy flying vehicle intended for indoor hovering flight, the vehicle having a rotor for rotation relative to a fuselage of the vehicle, and a separate remote controller for use by a player of the toy comprising:

(a) providing a relative selected altitude level r′

d corresponding to a selected altitude for the vehicle;

(b) transmitting a position control signal with a light intensity I from the vehicle towards a surface;

(c) determining if a reflected signal of said position control signal is received from the surface;

(d) increasing a counter CNT if said reflected signal is received;

(e) increasing said light intensity I;

(f) repeating steps (b)-(e) while said light intensity I is less than a maximum value;

(g) determining a relative altitude r′ and

adjusting the rotor action according to a difference between the relative altitude r′ and

the relative selected altitude level r′

d to retain the selected altitude, wherein said determining the relative altitude r′

comprises selecting the relative altitude r′

from a table comprising correlations between values for the relative altitude r′ and

values for the counter CNT;

(h) performing steps (a)-(g) for an additional position control signal directed relative to the vehicle thereby to reflect from an additional located surface relative to the vehicle thereby to retain the distance of the vehicle relative to the additional located surface;

the vehicle being configured for communication with the remote controller, the remote controller being capable of adjusting and controlling speed and direction of the vehicle and a receiver in the vehicle being responsive to signals with the remote controller, the signals from the remote controller being for changing speed and direction of the vehicle, and wherein the position control signal is directed upwardly thereby to retain the selected altitude relative to surface located above the vehicle, and wherein the surface from which the signal is reflected is a passive indoor surface; and

controlling the toy by a control selected from at least one of a stop control;

an altitude control by at least one of an up control;

down control;

a high height sensitivity control and a low height sensitivity control;

take-off/landing control;

gesture mode control;

left/right trim control;

control between altitude control mode and manual control mode.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein adjusting the rotor action according to a difference between the relative altitude r′

and the relative selected altitude level r′

d comprises calculating an error, E=r′

−

r′

d,

wherein if E is negative, representing a current altitude of the vehicle as lower than the selected altitude, the rotor increases the power for flying upward in which the power increment is proportional to E;

wherein if E is positive, representing a current altitude of the vehicle is higher than the selected altitude, the rotor decreases the power for flying downward in which the power decrement is proportional to E; and

wherein if E is zero or approximate zero, representing the current altitude of the vehicle is same as selected altitude, the power of the rotor remains unchanged.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the selected altitude is set by setting a throttle level from a transmitter.

24. A system of remote controlling an altitude of a toy flying vehicle intended for indoor operation, the vehicle having a rotor for rotation relative to a fuselage of the vehicle, and a separate remote controller for use by a player of the toy, the system comprising a processor, a transmitter, a receiver, and a non-volatile computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform the following method:

(a) providing a relative selected altitude level r′

d corresponding to a selected altitude for the vehicle;

(b) transmitting a position control signal with a light intensity I from the vehicle towards a surface;

(c) determining if a reflected signal of said position control signal is received from the surface;

(d) increasing a counter CNT if said reflected signal is received;

(e) increasing said light intensity I;

(f) repeating steps (b)-(e) while said light intensity I is less than a maximum value; and

(g) determining a relative altitude r′ and

adjusting rotor action according to a difference between the relative altitude r′ and

the relative selected altitude level r′

d to retain the selected altitude, wherein said determining the relative altitude r′

comprises selecting the relative altitude r′

from a table comprising correlations between values for the relative altitude r′ and

values for the counter CNT.