Aerial vehicle flight control method and device thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10943495-B2
Application number	US-201916432049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2019
Priority date	Sep 15, 2014
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

A method for controlling an aerial vehicle includes obtaining flight indication data containing a position region associated with the flight indication data, determining whether a current position of the aerial vehicle is within the position region associated with the flight indication data, and, in response to the current position being within the position region, generating a flight control instruction according to the flight indication data, and controlling a flight of the aerial vehicle according to the flight control instruction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an aerial vehicle comprising:
obtaining flight indication data containing a position region associated with the flight indication data, including performing:
sending a download request to a server to obtain a first set of flight indication data from the server; and
receiving a second set of flight indication data broadcasted from another aerial vehicle,
wherein the flight indication data includes the first set of flight indication data and the second set of light indication data, both the first set of flight indication data and the second set of flight indication data containing the position region;

determining whether a current position of the aerial vehicle is within the position region associated with the flight indication data; and
generating, in response to the current position being within the position region, a flight control instruction according to the flight indication data; and
controlling a flight of the aerial vehicle according to the flight control instruction.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the download request includes the current position of the aerial vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second set of flight indication data is detected by the another aerial vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the flight control instruction according to the flight indication data includes:
determining a three-dimensional environmental map of a current environment according to the flight indication data; and
generating the flight control instruction according to the environmental map and the current position of the aerial vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the flight indication data includes obstacle data about an obstacle, the obstacle data including obstacle position information of the obstacle; and
generating the flight control instruction according to the flight indication data includes:
calculating a distance between the aerial vehicle and an edge of the obstacle according to the obstacle position information and the current position of the aerial vehicle; and
generating an obstacle avoidance flight instruction as the flight control instruction according to the distance.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the flight indication data includes flight path data;
generating the flight control instruction according to the flight indication data includes generating the flight control instruction according to the flight path data and the current position of the aerial vehicle; and
controlling the flight of the aerial vehicle according to the flight control instruction includes controlling the aerial vehicle to fly along a path indicated by the flight path data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the flight indication data includes no-fly zone information about a no-fly zone; and
generating the flight control instruction according to the flight indication data includes:
determining a minimum distance to a border of the no-fly zone according to the no-fly zone information and the current position of the aerial vehicle; and
generating, in response to the minimum distance being less than a preset distance threshold or the current position of the aerial vehicle is within the no-fly zone, the flight control instruction for controlling the aerial vehicle to fly away from the no-fly zone.

8. An aerial vehicle comprising:
a memory storing a software program; and
a flight controller configured to execute the software program to:
obtain flight indication data containing a position region associated with the flight indication data, including performing:
sending a download request to a server to obtain a first set of flight indication data from the server; and
receiving a second set of flight indication data broadcasted from another aerial vehicle,
wherein the flight indication data includes the first set of flight indication data and the second set of light indication data, both the first set of flight indication data and the second set of flight indication data containing the position region;

determine whether a current position of the aerial vehicle is within the position region associated with the flight indication data; and
generate, in response to the current position being within the position region, a flight control instruction according to the flight indication data; and
control a flight of the aerial vehicle according to the flight control instruction.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 , further comprising:
a communication device;
wherein the flight controller is further configured to execute the software program to receive the second set of flight indication data from the another aerial vehicle through the communication device.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the flight controller is further configured to execute the software program to send the download request through the communication device, the download request including the current position of the aerial vehicle.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 ,
wherein the second set of flight indication data is detected by the another aerial vehicle.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the flight controller is further configured to execute the software program to:
determine a three-dimensional environmental map of a current environment according to the flight indication data; and
generate the flight control instruction according to the environmental map and the current position of the aerial vehicle.

13. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 , wherein:
the flight indication data includes obstacle data about an obstacle, the obstacle data including obstacle position information of the obstacle; and
the flight controller is further configured to execute the software program to:
calculate a distance between the aerial vehicle and an edge of the obstacle according to the obstacle position information and the current position of the aerial vehicle; and
generate an obstacle avoidance flight instruction as the flight control instruction according to the distance.

14. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 , wherein:
the flight indication data includes flight path data;
the flight controller is further configured to execute the software program to:
generate the flight control instruction according to the flight path data and the current position of the aerial vehicle; and
control the aerial vehicle to fly along a path indicated by the flight path data.

15. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 , wherein:
the flight indication data includes no-fly zone information about a no-fly zone; and
the flight controller is further configured to execute the software program to:
determine a minimum distance to a border of the no-fly zone according to the no-fly zone information and the current position of the aerial vehicle; and
generate, in response to the minimum distance being less than a preset distance threshold or the current position of the aerial vehicle is within the no-fly zone, the flight control instruction for controlling the aerial vehicle to fly away from the no-fly zone.

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Gao Mingming
• Liu Ang
• Yang Kang

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• G08G5/727

  from a ground station · CPC title

• G08G5/80

  Anti-collision systems · CPC title

• G08G5/59

  in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones · CPC title

• G08G5/32

  for flight plan preparation · CPC title