Method and device for controlling flight, control terminal, flight system and processor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11186366-B2
Application number	US-201816119434-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2018
Priority date	Mar 1, 2016
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

A method for controlling flight includes displaying prompt information in a picture received from an aerial vehicle, dividing the picture into at least two portions based on the prompt information, obtaining a location of a click operation on the picture, and controlling a flight direction of the aerial vehicle based on the location and the prompt information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling flight comprising:
displaying prompt information in a picture received from an aerial vehicle;
obtaining a clicked location of a click operation on the picture; and
controlling a flight direction of the aerial vehicle based on:
a distance between the clicked location on the picture and a display location of the prompt information on the picture; and
a relationship between the distance and an angle by which the aerial vehicle is to rotate.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
dividing the picture into at least two portions based on the prompt information;
controlling the aerial vehicle to fly along a first direction in response to the clicked location being in a first portion of the at least two portions; and
controlling the aerial vehicle to fly along a second direction in response to the clicked location being in a second portion of the at least two portions.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
determining a direction of an obstacle or a no-fly zone with respect to the aerial vehicle, the obstacle or the no-fly zone being within a preset distance from the aerial vehicle; and
setting a portion of the picture corresponding to the direction as a no-clicking area to invalidate click operations on the portion.

4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising, before displaying the prompt information in the picture:
determining a base line in the picture based on attitude information of a photographing device capturing the picture; and
determining the prompt information based on the base line.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:
determining the base line in the photographed picture based on the attitude information of the photographing device comprises determining a horizontal line in the picture based on the attitude information of the photographing device; and
the prompt information is configured to represent a relative position relationship between each portion of the photographed picture and the horizontal line.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein:
the first portion is an area above the horizontal line, the second portion is an area below the horizontal line, the first direction is an ascending direction, and the second direction is a descending direction, or
the prompt information includes at least one of:
the horizontal line,
color information added to each portion of the picture, different color information representing different flight directions, or
markup information provided in each portion of the picture, different markup information representing different flight directions, and the markup information including an arrow or a character.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:
determining the base line in the picture based on the attitude information of the photographing device comprises determining a plumb line in the picture based on the attitude information of the photographing device; and
the prompt information is configured to represent a relative position relationship between each portion of the picture and the plumb line.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein:
the first portion is an area on the left of the plumb line, the second portion is an area on the right of the plumb line, the first direction is a left direction, and the second direction is a right direction; or
the prompt information includes at least one of:
the plumb line,
color information added to each portion of the photographed picture, different color information representing different flight directions, or
markup information provided in each portion of the photographed picture, different markup information representing different flight directions, and the markup information including an arrow or a character.

9. The method according to claim 4 , wherein determining the base line in the picture based on the attitude information of the photographing device comprises:
determining a first oblique line in the picture based on the attitude information of the photographing device, an angle between the first oblique line and a plumb line being 45 degrees, and the prompt information being configured to represent a relative position relationship between each portion of the picture and the first oblique line; or
determining the first oblique line and a second oblique line in the picture based on the attitude information of the photographing device, an angle between the second oblique line and the plumb line being 45 degrees, and the prompt information being configured to represent a relative position relationship between each portion of the picture and the first oblique line and/or between each portion of the picture and the second oblique line; or
determining a horizontal line and the plumb line of the picture based on the attitude information of the photographing device, the prompt information being configured to represent a relative position relationship between each portion of the picture and the horizontal line and/or between each portion of the picture and the plumb line.

10. A control terminal comprising:
a touch screen configured to display a picture received from an aerial vehicle; and
a controller electrically connected to the touch screen and configured to:
control the touch screen to display prompt information in the picture;
obtain a clicked location of a click operation on the picture; and
control a flight direction of the aerial vehicle based on:
a distance between the clicked location on the picture and a display location of the prompt information on the picture; and
a relationship between the distance and an angle by which the aerial vehicle is to rotate.

11. The control terminal according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
divide the picture into at least two portions based on the prompt information;
control the aerial vehicle to fly along a first direction in response to the clicked location being in a first portion of the at least two portions; and
control the aerial vehicle to fly along a second direction in response to the clicked location being in a second portion of the at least two portions.

12. The control terminal according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a direction of an obstacle or a no-fly zone with respect to the aerial vehicle, the obstacle or the no-fly zone being within a preset distance from the aerial vehicle; and
set a portion of the photographed picture corresponding to the direction as a no-clicking area to invalidate click operations on the portion.

13. The control terminal according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a base line in the picture based on attitude information of a photographing device capturing the picture; and
determine the prompt information based on the base line.

14. The control terminal according to claim 13 , wherein:
the base line is a horizontal line; and
the prompt information is configured to represent a relative position relationship between each portion of the picture and the horizontal line.

15. The control terminal according to claim 14 , wherein:
the first portion is an area above the horizontal line, the second portion is an area below the horizontal line, the first direction is an ascending direction, and the second direction is a descending direction; or
the prompt information includes at least one of:
the horizontal line,
color information added to each portion of the picture, different color information representing different flight directions, or
markup informa

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhao Tao
• Zhou Guyue
• Liu Ang
• Hu Xiao
• Zhang Litian

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• G08G5/59

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

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title