Control device, information processing method, and tethering device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11325703-B2
Application number	US-201916460413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2019
Priority date	Jul 9, 2018
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A control device includes a processor which: obtains first region information indicating a first region; obtains first position information indicating the position of an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to a tethering device using a tether; and controls the tethering device using the first region information and the first position information to cause the tether to have tension corresponding to a specified distance which is at least one of the shortest distance between a boundary of the first region and the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a distance included in a predetermined range from the shortest distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control device, comprising a processor which is configured to:
obtain first region information indicating a first region;
obtain first position information indicating a position of an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to a tethering device using a tether; and
control the tethering device using the first region information and the first position information to cause the tether to have tension corresponding to a specified distance which is at least one of a shortest distance between a boundary of the first region and the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a distance included in a predetermined range from the shortest distance, wherein
the processor controls the tethering device to increase the tension of the tether as the specified distance decreases.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor controls the tethering device to cause the tension of the tether to increase as the specified distance decreases when the specified distance is less than a first threshold value, and cause the tension of the tether to be constant when the specified distance is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

3. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor controls the tethering device to cause the tension of the tether to be greater than a propulsive force of the unmanned aerial vehicle when the specified distance is less than a second threshold value.

4. A The control device, comprising a processor which is configured to:
obtain first region information indicating a first region;
obtain first position information indicating a position of an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to a tethering device using a tether; and
control the tethering device using the first region information and the first position information to cause the tether to have tension corresponding to a specified distance which is at least one of a shortest distance between a boundary of the first region and the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a distance included in a predetermined range from the shortest distance, wherein
the processor controls the tethering device to cause the tension of the tether to smoothly change according to a change in the specified distance.

5. A control device, comprising a processor which is configured to:
obtain first region information indicating a first region;
obtain first position information indicating a position of an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to a tethering device using a tether; and
control the tethering device using the first region information and the first position information to cause the tether to have tension corresponding to a specified distance which is at least one of a shortest distance between a boundary of the first region and the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a distance included in a predetermined range from the shortest distance, wherein
the processor further outputs, to the unmanned aerial vehicle, a command to move toward the tethering device, using information that changes according to a temporal rate of change of the tension of the tether.

6. The control device according to claim 5 , wherein
the information that changes according to the temporal rate of change of the tension of the tether is at least one of a speed of travel of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a sensing result of a force sensor which detects the tension of the tether attached to the unmanned aerial vehicle, and driving information of a drive unit included in the tethering device and configured to adjust a length of the tether.

7. An information processing method, comprising the following steps performed using a processor:
obtaining first region information indicating a first region;
obtaining first position information indicating a position of an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to a tethering device using a tether; and
controlling the tethering device using the first region information and the first position information to cause the tether to have tension corresponding to a specified distance which is at least one of a shortest distance between a boundary of the first region and the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a distance included in a predetermined range from the shortest distance, wherein
the tethering device is controlled to increase the tension of the tether as the specified distance decreases.

8. An information processing method, comprising the following steps performed using a processor:
obtaining first region information indicating a first region;
obtaining first position information indicating a position of an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to a tethering device using a tether; and
controlling the tethering device using the first region information and the first position information to cause the tether to have tension corresponding to a specified distance which is at least one of a shortest distance between a boundary of the first region and the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a distance included in a predetermined range from the shortest distance, wherein
the tethering device is controlled to cause the tension of the tether to smoothly change according to a change in the specified distance.

9. An information processing method, comprising the following steps performed using a processor:
obtaining first region information indicating a first region;
obtaining first position information indicating a position of an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to a tethering device using a tether; and
controlling the tethering device using the first region information and the first position information to cause the tether to have tension corresponding to a specified distance which is at least one of a shortest distance between a boundary of the first region and the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a distance included in a predetermined range from the shortest distance, wherein
a command to move toward the tethering device is output to the unmanned aerial vehicle, using information that changes according to a temporal rate of change of the tension of the tether.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Asai Katsuhiko
• Konishi Kazunobu
• John Stephen William
• Inoue Kazuo

Classifications

• B64U2201/202

  using tethers for connecting to ground station · 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 Primary

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title