Remote control methods and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514689-B2
Application number	US-201715850710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2017
Priority date	Oct 9, 2013
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a first communication module, a second communication module, and one or more processors. The first communication module is configured to directly receive control data from a controlling terminal via a first communication link and the control data is used to control operations of the UAV. The second communication module is configured to transmit feedback data to a monitoring terminal via a second communication link. The monitoring terminal is located remotely from the UAV. The one or more processors are, individually or collectively, configured to terminate and reactivate the first wireless communication link based on one or more predetermined criteria.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a receiver configured to directly receive control data from a controlling terminal via a first communication link, the control data being used to control operations of the UAV;
a transceiver configured to transmit feedback data to a monitoring terminal via a second communication link, the monitoring terminal being located remotely from the UAV; and
one or more processors, individually or collectively, configured to terminate the first communication link based on a determination that the first communication link is experiencing or will likely experience interference.

2. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive the control data from the monitoring terminal via the second communication link in response to the first communication link being terminated.

3. The UAV of claim 2 , wherein the control data is modified at the monitoring terminal based on the feedback data.

4. The UAV of claim 2 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit the feedback data to the monitoring terminal and receive the control data from the monitoring terminal based on an interference avoidance technique.

5. The UAV of claim 4 , wherein the interference avoidance technique includes at least one of a time division multiplexing (TDM) scheme or a frequency division multiplexing (FDM) scheme.

6. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to terminate the first communication link by disabling the receiver.

7. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the determination is based on detecting simultaneous transmissions of the control data over the first communication link and of the feedback data over the second communication link.

8. The UAV of claim 7 , wherein the simultaneous transmissions are detected by:
detecting that a particular frequency band is busy or noisy, or
receiving an indication that the transmission of the feedback data is ongoing or will start soon.

9. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the determination is based on observed characteristics or conditions of a communication environment.

10. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the determination is based on predetermined timing information related to data transmissions.

11. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to terminate the first communication link temporarily for a predetermined period of time before reactivating the first communication link or for a period of time until a risk of interference of data transmission is reduced.

12. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the control data is generated at the control terminal and the control terminal is located remotely from the UAV.

13. A method for communicating with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
directly receiving, by a receiver of the UAV, control data from a controlling terminal via a first communication link, the control data being used to control operations of the UAV;
transmitting, by a transceiver of the UAV, feedback data to a monitoring terminal via a second communication link, the monitoring terminal being located remotely from the UAV; and
terminating, by one or more processors of the UAV individually or collectively, the first communication link based on a determination that the first communication link is experiencing or will likely experience interference.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving the control data from the monitoring terminal via the second communication link in response to the first communication link being terminated.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the control data is modified at the monitoring terminal based on the feedback data.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
reactivating the first communication link.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first communication link is reactivated after a predetermined period of time or after a risk of interference of data transmission is reduced.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the control data is generated at the control terminal and the control terminal is located remotely from the UAV.

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang hong tao
• Huang Zhi Cong

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• H04L1/0015

  characterised by the adaptation strategy · CPC title

• H04J11/0023

  Interference mitigation or co-ordination (direct sequence spread spectrum [DSSS] systems H04B1/7097; frequency hopping H04B1/713; allocation criteria for ingress interference avoidance H04L5/0062; frequency allocation criteria for requirements on out-of-channel emissions H04L5/0066; arrangements for removing intersymbol interference or baseband equalisers H04L25/03006; peak power aspects in multicarrier modulation H04L27/2614; power management H04W52/00; traffic scheduling H04W72/54, H04W72/541) · CPC title

• G08C15/06

  successively, i.e. using time division · CPC title

• G08C15/02

  simultaneously, i.e. using frequency division · CPC title