Detection and signaling of conditions of an unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11618586-B2
Application number	US-202016784440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2020
Priority date	Dec 7, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

A condition of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is detected using one or more sensors of the UAV and signaled according to an alert definition associated with the condition. For example, an alert definition can indicate to signal the condition by using a motor of the UAV to produce an audible tone. A tonal signal having a frequency within an audible spectrum can be generated according to the alert definition. The tonal signal and a drive signal used for supplying current to the motor can be combined to produce a combined signal. The combined signal can then be transmitted to the motor to cause the motor to produce the audible tone. In some cases, an amplitude of the tonal signal can be modulated, such as where the amplitude of the combined signal exceeds a threshold associated with an operating margin of the UAV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising processor-executable routines that, when executed by a processor, facilitate a performance of operations, the operations comprising:
detecting a condition using one or more sensors of a vehicle;
producing, based on the detection of the condition, a combined signal by combining a drive signal used to supply current to a motor of the vehicle and a tonal signal corresponding to the condition;
signaling the condition by causing the motor of the vehicle to produce an audible tone using the combined signal; and
modulating one or both of the drive signal or the tonal signal with a scaling control mechanism based on a comparison between an amplitude corresponding to a frequency of the drive signal and an amplitude corresponding to a frequency of the tonal signal.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the audible tone is specified by an alert definition associated with the condition, wherein the alert definition is selected from a database storing a plurality of alert definitions associated with detectable conditions of the vehicle.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein producing the combined signal by the drive signal used to supply the current to the motor of the vehicle and the tonal signal corresponding to the condition comprises:
combining the drive signal and a tonal signal generated according to the alert definition.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein combining the drive signal and the tonal signal generated according to the alert definition comprises:
combining a first amplitude corresponding to a frequency of the tonal signal and a second amplitude corresponding to a frequency of the drive signal to produce a combined amplitude.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 4 , wherein a modulation of the first amplitude causes a modulation of the combined amplitude, and wherein the modulation of the first amplitude is limited by an amplitude threshold associated with an operating margin for the motor.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the operating margin is defined based on a maximum amount of current that can be supplied to the motor, and wherein the amplitude threshold represents a maximum signal amplitude that can be transmitted to the motor without saturation.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the motor produces the audible tone using a modified drive signal by vibrating according to an amplitude corresponding to a frequency associated with the modified drive signal.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the condition corresponds to a malfunctioning of a component of the vehicle.

9. A system, comprising:
a signal mixer configured to produce a combined signal by combining a drive signal of a vehicle with a tonal signal produced based on a detection of a condition of a vehicle, wherein an amplitude of the combined signal corresponds to a frequency of the tonal signal;
a motor configured to produce an audible tone indicative of the condition using the combined signal; and
a scaling control mechanism configured to modulate one or both of the drive signal or the tonal signal based on a comparison between an amplitude corresponding to a frequency of the drive signal and an amplitude corresponding to a frequency of the tonal signal.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a database configured to store an alert definition associated with condition of the vehicle, wherein the alert definition indicates to produce the tonal signal.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a margin control mechanism configured to control an operating margin defining a maximum amount of current that can be supplied to the motor.

12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a motor controller configured to transmit the combined signal from the signal mixer to the motor, wherein transmitting the combined signal to the motor causes motor vibrations according to the amplitude of the combined signal, wherein the audible tone is produced based on the motor vibrations.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a light source configured to flash a light to indicate the condition according to an alert definition used to produce the tonal signal.

14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a power source, wherein the condition of the vehicle corresponds to a low power warning of the power source.

15. A method, comprising:
detecting, based on sensor data produced using one or more sensors, a condition indicative of a malfunction of a first component of a vehicle, wherein the first component of the vehicle is one of a propeller of the vehicle, a motor of the vehicle, an electronic device of the vehicle, or a power source of the vehicle;
determining, by querying a database locally stored at the vehicle using the sensor data, an alert definition indicating a manner by which to signal the condition; and
signaling, using a second component of the vehicle, the condition according to the alert definition, wherein the second component is a motor that creates an audible tone.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the alert definition indicates to use the second component of the vehicle to signal the condition.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least some alert definitions stored within the database are configurable by a user of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein an operating margin for the motor scales over time during an operation of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the motor produces the audible tone by modifying a drive signal so that the motor vibrates according to an amplitude corresponding to a frequency associated with the modified drive signal.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
producing, based on the detection of the condition, a combined signal by combining a drive signal used to supply current to the motor of the vehicle and a tonal signal corresponding to the condition; and
modulating one or both of the drive signal or the tonal signal with a scaling control mechanism based on a comparison between an amplitude corresponding to a frequency of the drive signal and an amplitude corresponding to a frequency of the tonal signal.

Assignees

• Gopro Inc

Inventors

• Enke Joseph A
• Hansen Miles
• Ferdowsi Mehran

Classifications

• B64U10/13 Primary

  Flying platforms · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• G05D1/0055

  with safety arrangements · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title