Method for controlling unmanned aircraft, server, and remote control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11794899-B2
Application number	US-202217651809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2022
Priority date	Nov 23, 2016
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes receiving locking instruction information for locking the UAV; remotely controlling, based on the locking instruction information, a remote control device of the UAV to lock the UAV; and remotely controlling, after controlling the remote control device to lock the UAV, the remote control device to unlock the UAV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
receiving locking instruction information for locking the UAV;
remotely controlling, based on the locking instruction information, a remote control device of the UAV to lock the UAV; and
remotely controlling, after controlling the remote control device to lock the UAV, the remote control device to unlock the UAV.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving log-in information input by an operator;
if information of the operator corresponding to the log-in information does not belong to information of an operator bound with the UAV, controlling the remote control device to not allow the operator corresponding to the log-in information to log in or operate the UAV.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after the UAV completes a task,
determining a task performing quality level for the UAV based on a coincidence level between a predetermined specification of the task and actual performance of the task; and
transmitting the task performing quality level to a user terminal.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined specification of the task includes at least one of a flight path, a flight height, a task performing time, or an amount of the task.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after locking the UAV based on the locking instruction information,
receiving an operation command input by an operator for controlling the UAV; and
controlling the remote control device to abandon execution of the operation command.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
controlling the remote control device to display a reminding message to the operator indicating that the UAV has been locked.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling, based on the locking instruction information, the remote control device to lock the UAV includes:
controlling the remote control device to directly lock the UAV if the UAV is located on the ground; and
if the UAV is in air, controlling the remote control device to lock the UAV after the UAV has landed.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to receiving the locking instruction information,
obtaining task performing information uploaded by the UAV in real time while the UAV performs a task; and
transmitting the task performing information to a user terminal.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the task performing information includes at least one of a flight location, a flight velocity, a flight height, or an aerial photographing image.

10. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the locking instruction information includes an authorized flight mileage, and
wherein controlling the remote control device to lock the UAV includes:
obtaining a total flight mileage travelled by the UAV after use of the UAV is authorized; and
when the total flight mileage of the UAV reaches the authorized flight mileage, controlling the remote control device to lock the UAV.

11. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the locking instruction information includes an authorized flight time; and
controlling the remote control device to lock the UAV includes:
obtaining a total flight time of the UAV after use of the UAV is authorized; and
when the total flight time reaches the authorized flight time, controlling the remote control device to lock the UAV.

12. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the locking instruction information includes a scheduled locking time, and
wherein controlling the remote control device to lock the UAV includes:
based on the locking instruction information, when the scheduled locking time arrives, controlling the remote control device to lock the UAV.

13. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the locking instruction information includes: a predetermined locked time period or a scheduled unlocking time,
wherein controlling the remote control device to unlock the UAV includes:
when a time period in which the UAV is locked is longer than or equal to the predetermined locked time period, or when the scheduled unlocking time arrives, controlling the remote control device to unlock the UAV.

14. A server, comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory storage medium coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive locking instruction information for locking an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
remotely control, based on the locking instruction information, a remote control device of the UAV to lock the UAV; and
remotely control, after controlling the remote control device to lock the UAV, the remote control device to unlock the UAV.

15. The server of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
obtain task performing information uploaded by the UAV in real time while the UAV performs a task; and
transmit the task performing information to a user terminal to enable the user terminal to provide the task performing information to the user.

16. A remote control device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory storage medium coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
remotely communicate with a server to receive a locking command transmitted by a server, the locking command being generated based on locking instruction information;
in response to receiving the locking command, lock the UAV based on the locking command;
remotely communicate with the server to receive, after locking the UAV based on the locking command, an unlocking command transmitted by the server; and
in response to receiving the unlocking command, unlock the UAV based on the unlocking command.

17. The remote control device of claim 16 , the processor is further configured to:
after locking the UAV based on the locking instruction information,
receive an operation command input by an operator for controlling the UAV; and
abandoning execution of the operation command.

18. The remote control device of claim 17 , the processor is further configured to:
displaying a reminding message to the operator indicating that the UAV has been locked.

19. The remote control device of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
control the remote control device to directly lock the UAV if the UAV is located on the ground; and
if the UAV is in air, control the remote control device to lock the UAV after the UAV has landed.

20. The remote control device of claim 16 , wherein the locking command indicates at least one of an authorized flight mileage, an authorized flight time, a scheduled locking time, a predetermined locked time period, or a scheduled unlocking time.

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wu Xumin
• Wang Chunming
• Deng Qirong
• Zhong Heli

Classifications

• B64U2101/40

  for agriculture or forestry operations · CPC title

• B64C39/024 Primary

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title

• G05D1/0011

  associated with a remote control arrangement · CPC title

• G08B21/182

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title