Application, smart device, drone, server, system method, and program for automatically control drone flight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10365644-B2
Application number	US-201615534620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	May 31, 2016
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

The present invention is to provide an application, a smart device, a drone, a server, a method, and a program for automatically controlling drone flight that improves safety and convenience. The application for automatically controlling drone flight that runs on a smart device 100 connected with a drone 200 drives a camera provided in the smart device 100, acquires an image taken by the camera, analyzes the acquired image, and controls the drone flight based on a result of the image analysis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart device that automatically controls drone flight and is connected with a drone, the smart device comprising:
a camera;
a rechargeable battery; and
a processor that:
drives the camera;
acquires an image taken by the camera;
analyzes the acquired image;
controls the drone flight based on a result of the image analysis;
feeds power from the rechargeable battery to the connected drone; and
controls the speed of the drone based on the battery level of the rechargeable battery when feeding power.

2. The smart device according to claim 1 , further comprising a display unit,
wherein the processor acquires an operation history from the drone, the flight of which is controlled, and displays the acquired operation history on the display unit.

3. The smart device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor acquires operation data on the drone, the flight of which is controlled, and transmits the acquired operation data to a server connected through a network.

4. The smart device according to claim 1 , wherein the smart device is connected with the drone through USB.

5. A drone that is automatically controlled by the smart device according to claim 1 .

6. A server that is connected with the smart device according to claim 1 through a network.

7. A method for automatically controlling drone flight that runs on a smart device connected with a drone, comprising the steps of:
driving a camera provided in the smart device;
acquiring an image taken by the camera;
analyzing the acquired image;
controlling the drone flight based on a result of the image analysis;
feeding power from a rechargeable battery of the smart device to the connected drone; and
controlling the speed of the drone based on the battery level of the rechargeable battery when feeding power.

8. A computer program product for use in an application for automatically controlling drone flight that runs on a smart device connected with a drone, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a set of instructions physically embodied therein, the set of instructions including computer readable program code, which when executed by the application causes the information processing unit to:
drive a camera provided in the smart device;
acquire an image taken by the camera;
analyze the acquired image;
control the drone flight based on a result of the image analysis;
feed power from a rechargeable battery of the smart device to the connected drone; and
control the speed of the drone based on the battery level of the rechargeable battery when feeding power.

Assignees

• Optim Corp

Inventors

• Sugaya Shunji

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/202

  using tethers for connecting to ground station · CPC title

• B64C13/16

  actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors · CPC title

• G05D1/00

  Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) · CPC title

• B64C2201/042

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic