Gimbal control method, device, and gimbal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11086202-B2
Application number	US-201916457123-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A gimbal control method includes obtaining a working parameter of a gimbal, where the gimbal includes an axial arm and a motor configured to drive the axial arm to rotate to drive a photographing device mounted on the gimbal to move in one or more directions; detecting that the working parameter matches a preset condition that a human force is applied to gimbal; and according to a direction of the human force applied to the gimbal, controlling the motor to drive the axial arm to rotate to a target attitude at which the human force stops to be applied to the gimbal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gimbal control method comprising:
obtaining a working parameter of a gimbal, the gimbal comprising:
an axial arm; and
a motor configured to drive the axial arm to rotate to drive a photographing device mounted on the gimbal to move in one or more directions;

detecting whether the working parameter matches a preset condition that a human force for rotating the gimbal is applied to the gimbal; and
in response to the working parameter matching the preset condition and according to a direction of the human force applied to the gimbal, controlling the motor to drive the axial arm to rotate to a target attitude at which the human force stops to be applied to the gimbal.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein obtaining the working parameters of the gimbal comprises:
obtaining a current of the motor; and
measuring a torque corresponding to the current according to a proportional relationship between currents and torques, the torque being determined as the working parameter of the gimbal.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein detecting that the working parameter matches the preset condition that the human force is applied to the gimbal comprises:
detecting whether the measured torque is greater than a preset torque threshold, and if the measured torque is greater than the torque threshold, detecting that the torque matches the preset condition that the human force is applied to the gimbal.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein detecting whether the measured torque is greater than the preset torque threshold comprises: detecting whether the measured torque is always greater than the preset torque threshold within a preset time period.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein obtaining the working parameters of the gimbal comprises:
collecting a measured attitude of the gimbal through an inertial measurement unit (IMU) disposed on the gimbal; and
obtaining a control deviation of the gimbal according to the measured attitude of the gimbal and determining the control deviation as the working parameter of the gimbal.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein detecting that the working parameter matches the preset condition that the human force is applied to the gimbal comprises:
detecting whether the control deviation is greater than a preset deviation threshold, and if the control deviation is greater than the deviation threshold, detecting that the control deviation matches the preset condition that the human force is applied to the gimbal.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein detecting whether the control deviation is greater than the preset deviation threshold comprises:
detecting whether the control deviation is always greater than the deviation threshold within a preset time period.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the working parameter is a current of the motor; and
detecting that the working parameter matches the preset condition that the human force is applied to the gimbal comprises:
detecting whether the current is greater than a preset current threshold; and
in response to the current being greater than the preset current threshold, detecting that the working parameter matches the preset condition that the human force is applied to the gimbal.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein detecting whether the current is greater than the preset current threshold comprises detecting whether the current is always greater than the current threshold within a preset time period.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein according to the direction of the human force applied to the gimbal, controlling the motor to drive the axial arm to rotate to the target attitude at which the human force stops to be applied to the gimbal comprises:
measuring, through an inertial measurement unit (IMU) disposed at the gimbal, an application direction of the human force applied to the gimbal;
retrieving a target speed for changing the target attitude of the gimbal, the target speed being greater than the application speed of the human force applied to the gimbal; and
controlling, according to the target speed, the motor to drive the axial arm to rotate in the application direction to the target attitude at which the human force stops to be applied to the gimbal.

11. A gimbal, comprising:
a fixing mechanism configured to fix a photographing apparatus mounted at the gimbal;
one or more axial arms;
a motor configured to drive a corresponding one of the one or more axial arms to rotate, thereby driving the photographing apparatus mounted to move in one or more directions;
an inertial measurement unit (IMU); and
a controller configured to:
obtain working parameters of the gimbal;
detecting whether the working parameter matches a preset condition that a human force for rotating the gimbal is applied to the gimbal; and
control, in response to the working parameter matching the preset condition and according to a direction of the human force applied to the gimbal, the motor to drive the axial arm to rotate to a target attitude at which the human force stops to be applied to the gimbal.

12. The gimbal according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
obtain a current of the motor;
measure a torque corresponding to the current according to a proportional relationship between currents and torques;
detect whether the measured torque is greater than a preset torque threshold; and
detect, in response to the measured torque being greater than the preset torque threshold, that the torque matches the preset condition that the human force is applied to the gimbal.

13. The gimbal according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect whether the measured torque is always greater than the preset torque threshold within a preset time period.

14. The gimbal according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
collect a measured attitude of the gimbal through the IMU;
obtain a control deviation as the working parameters of the gimbal according to the measured attitude of the gimbal;
detect whether the control deviation is greater than a preset deviation threshold; and
detect, in response to the control deviation being greater than the preset deviation threshold, that the control deviation matches the preset condition that the human force is applied to the gimbal.

15. The gimbal according to claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect whether the control deviation is always greater than the preset deviation threshold within a preset time period.

16. The gimbal according to claim 11 , wherein:
the working parameter is a current of the motor; and
the controller is further configured to:
detect whether the current is greater than a preset current threshold; and
detect, in response to the current being greater than the current threshold, that the working parameter matches the preset condition that the human force is applied to the gimbal.

17. The gimbal according to claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect whether the current is always greater than the current threshold within a preset time period.

18. The gimbal according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
measure an application direction when the human force is applied to the gimbal through the IMU;
retrieve a target speed for changing the target attitude of the gimbal; and
control, according to the target speed, the motor to drive the axial arm in the application direction

Assignees

• Sz Dji Osmo Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Yan
• Su Tie

Classifications

• G05B19/19

  characterised by positioning or contouring control systems, e.g. to control position from one programmed point to another or to control movement along a programmed continuous path · CPC title

• F16M11/12

  in more than one direction · CPC title

• F16M11/18 Primary

  with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand · CPC title

• G03B17/561 Primary

  Support related camera accessories · CPC title

• G05D3/12 Primary

  using feedback · CPC title