System and method for controlling an unmanned vehicle with presence of live object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11475682-B2
Application number	US-201916357895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2019
Priority date	Sep 27, 2016
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

A method for controlling a movable object includes detecting a live object within a proximity of the movable object, determining an operation mode to operate the movable object with the live object detected within the proximity of the movable object, and applying a control scheme associated with the operation mode to control an operation of the movable object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a movable object, comprising:
determining whether a user of the movable object is within a proximity of the movable object;
in response to detecting the user being within a proximity of the movable object, switching an operation mode for operating the movable object from a normal mode to a safe mode, wherein the safe mode is selected from the normal mode, the safe mode, and an interactive mode;
in response to detecting the user not being within the proximity of the movable object, operating the movable object in the normal mode;

applying a control scheme associated with the safe mode to control the operation of the movable object, the control scheme using one or more control components to control a set of movement characteristics; in response to the movable object being in the safe mode, limiting control gain for at least one control component of the one or more control components; and
in response to an indication that the user intends to interact with the movable object, switching the operating mode for operating the movable object to the interaction mode, wherein the interaction mode supports interaction between the user and the movable object by one or more of the following: supporting the user to freely rotate the camera of the movable object to a random direction, allowing the user to freely rotate the movable object to a specific direction, or freely moving the movable object to a designated position.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a signal from a remote device, wherein the signal indicates whether the user is within the proximity of the movable object.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a change of an environment, which indicates whether the user is within the proximity of the movable object.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more control components include one or more of:
a position control component to perform position control,
a velocity control component to perform velocity control,
an orientation control component to perform orientation control, and
a tilt control component to perform tilt control.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
maintaining the tilt control while relaxing the position control, the velocity control, and the orientation control.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying a first component operation mode when the live object is detected within the proximity of the movable object, and applying a second component operation mode when no live object is detected within the proximity of the movable object, and wherein the first component operation mode and the second component operation mode are different.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying a first payload operation mode when the live object is detected within the proximity of the movable object, and applying a second payload operation mode when no live object is detected within the proximity of the movable object, and wherein the first payload operation mode and the second payload operation mode are different.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling the movable object to maintain a hovering state when the live object is detected within the proximity of the movable object.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation mode further comprises: a ready-to-interact mode.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
allowing the movable object to have a yaw movement when the movable object is operating in the interactive mode.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
maintaining the movable object in a horizontal attitude when the movable object is in the interactive mode.

12. A system for controlling a movable object, comprising:
one or more microprocessors; and
a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more microprocessors, cause the one or more microprocessors to:
determine whether a user of the movable object is within a proximity of the movable object;
in response to detecting the user being within a proximity of the movable object, switch an operation mode for operating the movable object from a normal mode to a safe mode, wherein the safe mode is selected from the normal mode, the safe mode, and an interactive mode;
in response to detecting the user not being within the proximity of the movable object, operate the movable object in the normal mode;

apply a control scheme associated with the safe mode to control the operation of the movable object, the control scheme using one or more control components to control a set of movement characteristics; in response to the movable object being in the safe mode, limit control gain for at least one control component of the one or more control components; and
in response to an indication that the user intends to interact with the movable object, switch the operating mode for operating the movable object to the interaction mode, wherein the interaction mode supports interaction between the user and the movable object by one or more of the following: supporting the user to freely rotate the camera of the movable object to a random direction, allowing the user to freely rotate the movable object to a specific direction, or freely moving the movable object to a designated position.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the instructions further cause the one or more processors to apply a first component operation mode when the live object is detected within the proximity of the movable object, and apply a second component operation mode when no live object is detected within the proximity of the movable object, and wherein the first component operation mode and the second component operation mode are different; and/or
the instructions further cause the one or more processors to apply a first payload operation mode when the live object is detected within the proximity of the movable object, and apply a second payload operation mode when no live object is detected within the proximity of the movable object, and wherein the first payload operation mode and the second payload operation mode are different.

14. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
one or more sensing devices that collect information from a surrounding area of the UAV; and
one or more processors configured to:
determine whether a user of the UAV is within a proximity of the UAV;
in response to detecting the user being within the proximity of the UAV, switch an operation mode for operating the UAV from a normal mode to a safe mode, wherein the safe mode is selected from the normal mode, the safe mode, and an interactive mode;
in response to detecting the user not being within the proximity of the UAV, operate the UAV in the normal mode;

apply a control scheme associated with the safe mode to control the operation of the UAV, the control scheme using one or more control components to control a set of movement characteristics; in response to the UAV being in the safe mode, limit control gain for at least one control component of the one or more control components; and
in response to an indication that the user intends to interact with the UAV, switch the operating mode for operating the UAV to the interaction mode, wherein the interaction mode supports interaction between the user and the UAV by one or more of the following: supporting the user to freely rotate the camera of the UAV to a random direction, allowing the user to freely rotate the UAV to a specific direction, or freely moving the UAV to a designated position.

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhou You
• Shen Shaojie
• Du Jiexi
• Zhou Guyue

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

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

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• G06V20/64 Primary

  Three-dimensional [3D] objects · CPC title

• G05D1/0055

  with safety arrangements · CPC title