System and method for automated aerial system operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10528049-B2
Application number	US-201815907532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2018
Priority date	Jan 4, 2015
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A method for controlling an aerial system with a rotor enclosed by a housing, including: operating the rotor in a flight mode, detecting a grab event indicative of the aerial system being grabbed, and automatically operating the rotor in a standby mode. A method for controlling an aerial system including a central axis extending normal to a lateral plane of the aerial system, including: generating a first aerodynamic force with a set of rotors enclosed by a housing, detecting that an acute angle between the central axis and a gravity vector is greater than a threshold angle, and operating each rotor of the set of rotors to cooperatively generate a second aerodynamic force less than the first aerodynamic force with the set of rotors.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of controlling an aerial system comprising a housing and a rotor rotationally coupled to the housing about a rotor axis, the method comprising:
operating the rotor in a flight mode, comprising controlling the rotor to rotate about the rotor axis;
while operating the rotor in the flight mode, detecting a yaw change of the aerial system; and
at a processor mounted to the housing of the aerial system, in response to detecting the yaw change, automatically operating the rotor in a standby mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
before operating the rotor in the flight mode, operating the rotor in the standby mode; and
while operating the rotor in the standby mode, at the processor, detecting a throw event indicative of the aerial system being thrown;

wherein operating the rotor in the flight mode is performed in response to detecting the throw event.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
operating the rotor in the flight mode comprises controlling the rotor such that a central axis of the housing is substantially parallel a gravity vector; and
detecting the yaw change comprises determining that the aerial system has rotated about the central axis by more than a threshold angle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the yaw change comprises determining that an aerial system orientation vector differs from an expected orientation vector by more than 35°.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the yaw change is detected based on a measurement sampled by a sensor mounted to the housing.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sensor comprises a gyroscope and the measurement is sampled by the gyroscope.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sensor comprises a camera and the yaw change is detected based on a set of images sampled by the camera, wherein the set of images comprises the measurement.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
operating the rotor in the flight mode comprises controlling the rotor to rotate about the rotor axis at a first rotational speed; and
operating the rotor in the standby mode comprises controlling the rotor to reduce rotational speed about the rotor axis to a second rotational speed less than the first rotational speed.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second rotational speed is substantially zero.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the rotor defines a swept volume while rotating about the rotor axis; and
the housing comprises:
an upper portion arranged above the swept volume;
a lower portion arranged below the swept volume; and
a sidewall connecting the upper portion to the lower portion, the sidewall arranged outward of the swept volume relative to the rotor axis.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first rotor defines a first plane normal the rotor axis;
the aerial system further comprises:
a second rotor rotationally coupled to the housing about a second rotor axis, the second rotor defining a second plane normal the second rotor axis;
a third rotor rotationally coupled to the housing about a third rotor axis substantially parallel the rotor axis; and
a fourth rotor rotationally coupled to the housing about a fourth rotor axis substantially parallel the second rotor axis; and

the method further comprises, before operating the rotor in the flight mode, transitioning the housing from a folded configuration to an unfolded configuration, wherein:
in the folded configuration, the first plane is offset from and substantially parallel the second plane; and
in the unfolded configuration, the first and second planes are substantially coplanar.

12. A method of controlling an aerial system comprising a processing module mounted to a housing, the method comprising, at the processing module:
controlling the aerial system to operate in a flight mode;
while controlling the aerial system to operate in the flight mode, detecting a hand of a user in a landing request conformation; and
in response to detecting the hand, controlling the aerial system to land on the hand.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, at the processing module:
before controlling the aerial system to operate in the flight mode, controlling the aerial system to operate in a standby mode, wherein the aerial system is supported by a human hand while operating in the standby mode; and
while controlling the aerial system to operate in the standby mode, determining a takeoff trigger;

wherein controlling the aerial system to operate in the flight mode is performed in response to determining the takeoff trigger.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the aerial system further comprises a rotor rotationally coupled to the housing about a rotor axis;
controlling the aerial system to operate in the flight mode comprises controlling the rotor to rotate about the rotor axis; and
the method further comprises, in response to landing on the hand, at the processing module, controlling the rotor to cease rotation about the rotor axis.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, at a camera, sampling an image of the hand, wherein the hand is detected based on the image.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the camera is mounted to the housing; and
while the aerial system operates in the flight mode, the camera faces downward with respect to a gravity vector.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
detecting the hand in the landing request conformation comprises detecting an open palm of the hand; and
controlling the aerial system to land on the hand comprises controlling the aerial system to land on the open palm.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
detecting the hand in the landing request conformation comprises detecting a thumb of the hand and a finger of the hand, wherein the thumb and the finger are arranged along an axis parallel a gravity vector, the hand defining an open volume between the thumb and the finger; and
controlling the aerial system to land on the hand comprises controlling the aerial system to fly into the open volume.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
operating in the flight mode comprises, at a set of propulsion mechanisms of the aerial system, generating a first propulsive force substantially equal to a total propulsive force generated by the aerial system; and
the method further comprises, at the processor, after controlling the aerial system to fly into the open volume:
detecting a grab event indicative of the aerial system being grabbed; and
in response to detecting the grab event, controlling the set of propulsion mechanisms to cooperatively generate a second propulsive force less than the first propulsive force.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the aerial system further comprises a rotor rotationally coupled to the housing about a rotor axis, wherein the rotor defines a swept volume while rotating about the rotor axis;
controlling the aerial system to operate in the flight mode comprises controlling the rotor to rotate about the rotor axis; and
the housing comprises:
an upper portion arranged above the swept volume;
a lower portion arranged below the swept volume; and
a sidewall connecting the upper portion to the lower portion, the sidewall arranged outward of the swept volume relative to the rotor axis.

21. A method of controlling an aerial system comprising a housing and a rotor rotationally coupled to the housing about a rotor axis, the method comprising, at a processor mounted to the housing:
operating the rotor in a standby mode, compri

Assignees

• Hangzhou Zero Zero Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Mengqiu
• Liu Lixin
• Jin Pengxiang
• Lu Jia
• Zhang Tong

Classifications

• B64U2201/00

  UAVs characterised by their flight controls · CPC title

• B64U70/30

  for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• G05D1/0033

  by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle · CPC title

• B64C2201/141

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic