Operation method of an agriculture UAV

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11067990-B2
Application number	US-201816232861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

An operation method of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes determining a distance between the UAV and a ground reflector in front of the UAV by using a radar wave emitted obliquely downward by a radar carried by the UAV, determining terrain information in front of the UAV according to the distance between the UAV and the ground reflector in front of the UAV, and adjusting one or more operation parameters of the UAV according to the terrain information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An operation method of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
determining a distance between the UAV and a ground reflector in front of the UAV by using a radar wave emitted obliquely downward by a radar carried by the UAV;
determining terrain information in front of the UAV according to the distance between the UAV and the ground reflector in front of the UAV; and
adjusting one or more task parameters of the UAV, including:
in response to a speed of the UAV being greater than a preset speed, adjusting the one or more task parameters according to the terrain information; and
in response to the speed of the UAV being less than the preset speed, adjusting the one or more task parameters according to a relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground below the UAV, wherein:
the task parameter is configured to indicate a control parameter of a task apparatus of the UAV; and
in response to the one or more task parameters being not adjusted in time according to the relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground, the one or more task parameters are adjusted in advance according to the terrain information; and

spraying substance to the ground and adjusting a spray density and a spray range by one of: maintaining a fixed relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground below the UAV and adjusting the task parameter, or, adjusting the relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground below the UAV and maintaining the task parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein a flight attitude of the UAV is controlled according to a route parameter of the UAV.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling a task status of the UAV according to one of the one or more task parameters.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the terrain information in front of the UAV includes:
determining a horizontal distance and a vertical distance between the UAV and the ground reflector in front of the UAV according to:
the distance between the UAV and the ground reflector in front of the UAV, and
an angle between an emission direction of the radar wave of the radar and a horizontal direction; and

determining the terrain information in front of the UAV according to the horizontal distance and the vertical distance.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining the emission direction of the radar wave of the radar according to a direction of an antenna of the radar.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining the direction of the antenna of the radar according to an installation angle of the radar.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the direction of the antenna of the radar includes:
determining the direction of the antenna of the radar according to the installation angle of the radar and current flight attitude information of the UAV.

8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the radar is a first radar;
the method further comprising:
determining a relative height from a ground reflector below the UAV to the UAV by using a radar wave emitted vertically downward by a second radar carried by the UAV.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, in response to the terrain information indicating a terrain in front of the UAV is flat:
adjusting the distance between the UAV and the ground reflector in front of the UAV determined by the first radar according to the relative height.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a distance between the UAV and an obstacle on a side of the UAV by using a radar wave emitted horizontally by an obstacle avoidance radar carried by the UAV; and
determining whether to perform an obstacle avoidance operation according to the distance between the UAV and the obstacle.

11. An operation method of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
emitting, by a radar of the UAV, a radar wave toward ground in front of the UAV;
receiving, by the UAV, an echo after the radar wave reflected by a ground reflector in front of the UAV;
determining, by the UAV, a distance between the UAV and the ground reflector in front of the UAV according to the radar wave and the echo;
determining, by the UAV, terrain information in front of the UAV according to the distance between the UAV and the ground reflector in front of the UAV;
adjusting, by the UAV, one or more task parameters of the UAV, including:
in response to a speed of the UAV being greater than a preset speed, adjusting the one or more task parameters according to the terrain information; and
in response to the speed of the UAV being less than the preset speed, adjusting the one or more task parameters according to a relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground below the UAV, wherein:
the task parameter is configured to indicate a control parameter of a task apparatus of the UAV; and
in response to the one or more task parameters being not adjusted in time according to the relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground, the one or more task parameters are adjusted in advance according to the terrain information; and

spraying, by the UAV, substance to the ground, and adjusting, by the UAV, a spray density and a spray range by one of: maintaining a fixed relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground below the UAV and adjusting the task parameter, or, adjusting the relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground below the UAV and maintaining the task parameter.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ground reflector include the ground or a crop on the ground.

13. An operation system of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a radar provided at the UAV and configured to determine a distance between the UAV and a ground reflector in front of the UAV; and
a controller communicatively connected to the radar and configured to:
determine terrain information in front of the UAV according to the distance between the UAV and the ground reflector in front of the UAV; and
adjust one or more task parameters of the UAV, including:
in response to a speed of the UAV being greater than a preset speed, adjusting the one or more task parameters according to the terrain information; and
in response to the speed of the UAV being less than the preset speed, adjusting the one or more task parameters according to a relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground below the UAV, wherein:
the task parameter is configured to indicate a control parameter of a task apparatus of the UAV; and
in response to the one or more task parameters being not adjusted in time according to the relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground, the one or more task parameters are adjusted in advance according to the terrain information; and

a task apparatus electrically connected to the controller,
wherein the controller is further configured to control the task apparatus to spray substance to the ground and adjust a spray density and a spray range by one of: maintaining a fixed relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground below the UAV and adjusting the task parameter, or adjusting the relative flight height of the UAV with respect to the ground below the UAV and maintaining the task parameter.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
control a flight attitude of the UAV according to a route parameter of the UAV.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
control a task status of the UAV according to one of the one or more task paramet

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wu Xumin
• Wang Chunming

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

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

• G01S13/882 Primary

  for altimeters (measuring height using barometric means G01C5/06) · CPC title

• B64U2101/40

  for agriculture or forestry operations · CPC title

• G01S13/935

  for terrain-avoidance · CPC title

• G01S13/08

  Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S13/46) · CPC title