Systems and methods for flight simulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10134299-B2
Application number	US-201715415743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for training a user to control an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in an environment. The systems and methods provide a simulation environment to control a UAV in a virtual environment. The virtual environment closely resembles a real flight environment. The controller used to transmit flight commands and receive flight state data can be used in both simulation and flight modes of operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a flight simulator, said method comprising:
receiving, at a display device, simulated flight data from a flight control system on-board an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) when the UAV is in a simulation mode, wherein the simulated flight data is provided to the display device via the UAV, and wherein the UAV is configured to communicate with a remote controller configured to control flight of the UAV when the UAV is in a flight mode, wherein virtual sensor data from one or more virtual sensors is provided to an inertial measurement unit configured to (1) receive the virtual sensor data when the UAV is in the simulation mode, (2) generate flight state information based on the virtual sensor data, and (3) communicate the flight state information to the flight control system; and
displaying, on a visual display of the display device, simulated flight state information of the UAV in response to the simulated flight data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display device is a mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote controller is configured to provide flight control data useful for generating the simulated flight data on-board the UAV when the UAV is in the simulation mode.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the flight control system receives the virtual sensor data from the one or more virtual sensors when the UAV is in the simulation mode and uses the virtual sensor data to generate the simulated flight data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual sensor data is generated by the one or more virtual sensors based on physical simulation data provided to said virtual sensors, and wherein the physical simulation data is provided by a physical model in response to a flight data, said flight data being generated at the flight control system in response to the flight control data, said physical model comprising physical parameter information about the UAV.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the physical parameter information about the UAV comprises aerodynamic properties of the UAV.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the simulated flight state information includes an image of the UAV relative to a simulated environment.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the simulated flight data is provided to the display device via the UAV and the remote controller.

9. A method of operating a flight simulator, said method comprising:
receiving, at a flight control system on-board an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) when the UAV is in simulation mode, flight control data from a remote controller configured to (1) communicate with the UAV and (2) provide flight control data when the UAV is in the simulation mode;
receiving, at an inertial measurement unit, virtual sensor data generated by one or more virtual sensors;
generating, at the inertial measurement unit, flight state information based on the virtual sensor data;
transmitting the flight state information from the inertial measurement unit to the flight control system when the UAV is in the simulation mode;
generating, at the flight control system, simulated flight data in response to the flight control data from the remote controller; and
transmitting, to a display device comprising a visual display, the simulated flight data from the flight control system.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the remote controller is configured to transmit the simulated flight data to the display device.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving, at the flight control system, the virtual sensor data from the one or more virtual sensors when the UAV is in the simulation mode and using the virtual sensor data to generate the simulated flight data.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
generating, at the flight control system, flight data in response to the flight control data, wherein the flight data is generated from the virtual sensor data generated by the one or more virtual sensors based on physical simulation data provided to said virtual sensors when the UAV is in the simulation mode, and wherein the physical simulation data is provided by a physical model in response to the flight data, said physical model comprising physical parameter information about the UAV.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to receive real sensor data and generate flight state information from the real sensor data, and configured to transmit the flight state information to the flight control system when the UAV is in a flight mode.

14. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a flight control system configured to (1) receive flight control data from a remote controller, and (2) generate simulated flight data in response to the flight control data when the UAV is in a simulation mode;
an inertial measurement unit configured to (1) receive virtual sensor data from one or more virtual sensors, (2) generate flight state information from the virtual sensor data, and (3) transmit the flight state information to the flight control system when the UAV is in a flight simulation mode;
one or more propulsion units configured to (1) actuate and permit flight of the UAV when the UAV is in a flight mode, or (2) remain dormant and not permit flight of the UAV when the UAV is in a simulation mode; and
a communication unit configured to transmit the simulated flight data to a display device comprising a visual display.

15. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the flight control system is further configured to (3) generate one or more flight signal to be communicated to the one or more propulsion units when the UAV in flight mode.

16. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the remote controller is configured to transmit the simulated flight data to a display device comprising a visual display.

17. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the flight control system is configured to receive the virtual sensor data from the one or more virtual sensors when the UAV is in the simulation mode and is further configured to use the virtual sensor data to generate the simulated flight data.

18. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the virtual sensor data is generated by the one or more virtual sensors based on physical simulation data provided to said virtual sensors, and wherein the physical simulation data is provided by a physical model in response to the flight data, said physical model comprising physical parameter information about the UAV.

19. The UAV of claim 18 , wherein the physical parameter information about the UAV comprises aerodynamic properties of the UAV.

20. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to receive real sensor data and generate flight state information from the real sensor data, and configured to transmit the flight state information from the real sensor data to the flight control system when the UAV is in a flight mode.

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Liutao
• Pan Xuyang
• Li Shunnian
• Chen Chaobin

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• G09B9/24 Primary

  including display or recording of simulated flight path · CPC title

• G09B9/08

  for teaching control of aircraft, e.g. Link trainer · CPC title

• G05D1/0044

  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 title

• B64C2201/146

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic