Method for controlling flight of unmanned aerial robot by unmanned aerial system and apparatus supporting the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11449054-B2
Application number	US-201916575039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2019
Priority date	Aug 26, 2019
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

Provided is a method for controlling flight of a drone and an apparatus supporting the same. More specifically, the drone according to the present invention determines whether or not a specific condition is satisfied to deploy a parachute during the flight, and in a case where the specific condition is satisfied, the drone may stop an operation of one or more propellers to deploy the parachute. Next, the drone deploys the parachute, the parachute is deployed toward an area beside the drone, and the flight of the drone may be controlled by adjusting a rotation speed of each of the one or more propellers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling flight of a drone, comprising:
determining whether or not a specific condition for deploying a parachute during the flight is satisfied;
stopping an operation of at least one propeller located in a deployment direction of the parachute when the specific condition is satisfied;
deploying the parachute toward an area beside the drone; and
controlling the flight of the drone by adjusting a rotation speed of each of the at least one propeller.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specific condition is one of receiving a control message instructing deployment of the parachute from a base station, whether or not the drone reaches a destination, a flight duration increase, or a crash.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, when the specific condition is whether or not the drone reaches a destination:
calculating an expected flight distance based on a remaining amount of a battery; and
comparing the expected flight distance with a flight distance to the destination,
wherein the parachute is deployed when the expected flight distance is smaller than the flight distance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, a propeller closest to the parachute among the at least one propeller is not operated.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling comprises:
controlling the rotation speed of each of the at least one propeller to prevent a collision between the at least one propeller and the parachute;
controlling the rotation speed of each of the at least one propeller to change a direction of the drone; and
controlling the rotation speed of each of the at least one propeller to change a speed of the drone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the rotation speed of each of the at least one propeller to prevent a collision with the parachute is performed by comparing an angle between the drone and the parachute with a threshold value, and
the threshold value means a minimum angle between the parachute and the drone for preventing a collision between the one or more propellers and the parachute.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein when the angle is equal to or greater than the threshold value, a rotation speed of a propeller positioned in a middle portion of the drone among the at least one propeller is increased or decreased, and a rotation speed of a propeller positioned in a lower portion of the drone among at least one propeller is increased or decreased.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the controlling of the rotation speed of each of at least one propeller to change a direction of the drone, a rotation speed of a propeller positioned in a middle portion of the drone among at least one propeller is increased or decreased according to a direction change of the drone, and a rotation speed of a propeller positioned in a lower portion of the drone among the at least one propeller is increased or decreased.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the rotation speed of each of the at least one propeller to prevent a collision with the parachute is performed by comparing a distance between the drone and the parachute with a threshold value, and
wherein the threshold value means a minimum distance between the parachute and the drone for preventing a collision between the one or more propellers and the parachute.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the distance is measured by a first sensor of the parachute and a second sensor of the drone.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein when the distance is equal to or less than the threshold value, a rotation speed of a propeller positioned in a middle portion of the drone among at least one propeller is increased or decreased, and a rotation speed of a propeller positioned in a lower portion of the drone among the one or more propellers is increased or decreased.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the rotation speed of each of the one or more propellers to prevent a collision with the parachute is performed by comparing a first speed of the drone with a second speed of the parachute.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein when the first speed is less than the second speed, the first speed is decreased by decreasing the rotation speed of each of the one or more propellers.

14. A drone comprising:
a main body;
one or more motors;
at least one propeller connected to the one or more motors, respectively;
a transmitter and a receiver, respectively, transmitting and receiving a radio signal; and
a processor electrically connected to the one or more motors to control the one or more motors and functionally connected to the transmitter and the receiver,
wherein the processor is configured to:
determine whether or not a specific condition for deploying a parachute during flight is satisfied;
stop an operation a propeller among the at least one propeller that is located in a deployment direction of the parachute when the specific condition is satisfied;
deploy the parachute based on a control message,
wherein the parachute is deployed to the side of the drone; and
control the flight of the drone by adjusting a rotation speed of each of the at least one propeller.

15. The drone of claim 14 , wherein the specific condition is one of receiving a control message instructing deployment of the parachute from a base station, whether or not the drone reaches a destination, a flight duration increase, or a crash.

16. The drone of claim 15 , wherein, when where the specific condition is whether or not the drone reaches a destination, the processor calculates an expected flight distance based on a remaining amount of a battery, and compares the expected flight distance with a flight distance to the destination, and
the parachute is deployed when the expected flight distance is smaller than the flight distance.

17. The drone of claim 14 , wherein a propeller closest to the parachute among the at least one propeller is not operated.

18. The drone of claim 14 , wherein the processor controls the rotation speed of each of the at least one propeller to prevent a collision between the one at least one propeller and the parachute, controls the rotation speed of each of the at least one propeller to change a direction of the drone, and controls the rotation speed of each of the at least one propeller to change a speed of the drone.

19. The drone of claim 14 , wherein the controlling of the rotation speed of each of the at least one propeller to prevent a collision with the parachute is performed by comparing an angle between the drone and the parachute with a threshold value, and
the threshold value means a minimum angle between the parachute and the drone for preventing a collision between the at least one propeller and the parachute.

20. The drone of claim 19 , wherein when the angle is equal to or greater than the threshold value, a rotation speed of a propeller positioned in a middle portion of the drone among the at least one propeller is increased or decreased, and a rotation speed of a propeller positioned in a lower portion of the drone among the at least one propeller is increased or decreased.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jeong Yuseung
• Lee Sanghak
• Seo Jeongkyo

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

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

• B64D31/16

  for electric power plants · CPC title

• G05D1/0072 Primary

  to counteract a motor failure · CPC title

• G05D1/0022 Primary

  characterised by the communication link (data switching networks in general H04L12/00) · CPC title