Variable condition motor controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11021248-B2
Application number	US-201916673355-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2019
Priority date	Feb 22, 2017
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A controller system of an aerial vehicle may receive environmental data from one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle and adjusts limits of the aerial vehicle given the environmental conditions. When the aerial vehicle receives an input, such as a flight input from a remote controller or an environmental input such as a gust of wind, the controller system calculates appropriate motor inputs that are provided to the thrust motors of the aerial vehicle such that the adjusted limits of the aerial vehicle are not exceeded. In calculating the appropriate input to the thrust motors, the controller system performs an iterative process. For example, for a given maximum torque that can be applied to the thrust motors, the controller system iteratively allocates the torque such that torque components that are important for the stability of the aerial are first fulfilled, whereas subsequent torque components may be fulfilled or scaled back.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial vehicle, comprising:
one or more motors;
one or more sensors configured to detect data;
a control system configured to:
generate torque values based on the data;
determine sub-torque values including a core sub-torque value that represents a minimum amount of torque to maintain the aerial vehicle at a hover status;
generate revised torque values by validating the sub-torque values; and
determine a motor speed for each motor based on the revised torque values.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the data comprises environmental conditions including current or projected pressure, temperature, and humidity.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the torque values comprise a thrust torque value, a roll torque value, a pitch torque value, and a yaw torque value.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the control system is further configured to:
determine a priority order for the sub-torque values, the priority order comprising a core thrust sub-torque value, a core pitch sub-torque value, a core roll sub-torque value, and a remaining pitch sub-torque value.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the priority order further comprises a remaining roll sub-torque, a core yaw sub-torque, a remaining thrust sub-torque, and a remaining yaw sub-torque.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the sub-torque values are determined for each torque value.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein summating the sub-torque values results in each corresponding torque value.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system configured to generate torque values corresponding to the one or more motors based on the data further comprises configuring the control system to:
receive flight parameters for the aerial vehicle;
receive environmental data from the one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle;
determine maximum allowable kinematic changes to the aerial vehicle;
adjust the maximum allowable kinematic changes based on the environmental data; and
determine whether kinematic changes corresponding to the flight parameters exceed the adjusted maximum allowable kinematic changes.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the control system configured to generate torque values corresponding to the one or more motors based on the data further comprises the control system configured to:
scale back, responsive to the kinematic changes corresponding to the flight parameters exceeding the adjusted maximum allowable kinematic changes, the kinematic changes corresponding to the flight parameters.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system configured to generate revised torque values by validating the sub-torque values further comprises the control system configured to:
validate each sub-torque value by determining a bounded range for the sub-torque value and ensuring the sub-torque value falls within the bounded range; and
combine two or more validated sub-torque values.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system configured to determine a motor speed for each motor based on the revised torque values further comprises the control system configured to:
generate a mixer transfer matrix comprising entries of adjusted thrust coefficients and adjusted drag coefficients corresponding to the aerial vehicle; and
combine the mixer transfer matrix and the revised torque values.

12. A method of controlling an aerial vehicle comprising:
detecting environmental conditions;
generating torque values derived from flight parameters based on the environmental conditions;
determining sub-torque values including one that represents a minimum amount of torque to maintain the aerial vehicle;
generating revised torque values by validating the sub-torque values; and
determining a motor speed for each motor of the aerial vehicle based on the revised torque values.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the environmental conditions including current or projected pressure, temperature, and humidity.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the torque values comprise a thrust torque value, a roll torque value, a pitch torque value, and a yaw torque value.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining a priority order for the sub-torque values, the priority order comprising a core thrust sub-torque value, a core pitch sub-torque value, a core roll sub-torque value, and a remaining pitch sub-torque value.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the priority order further comprises a remaining roll sub-torque, a core yaw sub-torque, a remaining thrust sub-torque, and a remaining yaw sub-torque.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating torque values derived from flight parameters based on the environmental conditions further comprises:
determining maximum allowable kinematic changes to the aerial vehicle;
adjusting the maximum allowable kinematic changes based on the environmental conditions; and
determining whether kinematic changes corresponding to the flight parameters exceed the adjusted maximum allowable kinematic changes.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating revised torque values by validating the sub-torque values further comprises:
validating each sub-torque value by determining a bounded range for the sub-torque value and ensuring the sub-torque value falls within the bounded range; and
combining two or more validated sub-torque values.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining a motor speed for each motor of the aerial vehicle based on the revised torque values further comprises:
generating a mixer transfer matrix comprising entries of adjusted thrust coefficients and adjusted drag coefficients corresponding to the aerial vehicle; and
combining the mixer transfer matrix and the revised torque values.

20. A method, comprising:
generating torque values based on received data;
determining sub-torque values including a value that represents a minimum amount of torque to maintain a vehicle at a hover status;
generating revised torque values by validating the sub-torque values; and
determining a motor speed for each motor of the vehicle based on the revised torque values.

Assignees

• Gopro Inc

Inventors

• Enke Joseph Anthony
• Tankersley Benjamin
• Berteaux Jean-Bernard
• Murguet Axel
• Bruneau Garance

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• G05D1/854 Primary

  in response to motor or actuator failures · CPC title

• B64U50/19

  using electrically powered motors · CPC title

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title

• G05D1/063 Primary

  by acting on the motors · CPC title