Spray operation method and device for unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11853080-B2
Application number	US-202117337407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2021
Priority date	Dec 4, 2018
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A spray operation method includes obtaining two-dimensional position information of a target area and a three-dimensional model of the target area, and obtaining an operation route according to the two-dimensional position information and the three-dimensional model, where the operation route includes a plurality of waypoints, and at least one of the waypoints is associated with altitude information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spray operation method comprising:
obtaining two-dimensional position information of a target area and a three-dimensional model of the target area; and
obtaining an operation route according to the two-dimensional position information and the three-dimensional model, the operation route including a plurality of waypoints, and at least one of the waypoints being associated with altitude information;
wherein obtaining the operation route includes:
determining a planned route according to the two-dimensional position information; and
determining one or more key points on the planned route according to the three-dimensional model to obtain the operation route, each of the one or more key points being associated with altitude information, and the waypoints including the one or more key points; and

wherein determining the one or more key points on the planned route includes inputting the planned route and the three-dimensional model into a neural network model to obtain the one or more key points on the planned route.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the one or more key points on the planned route further includes:
inserting one or more candidate points on the planned route according to a preset rule or obtaining the one or more candidate points input by a user for the planned route; and
obtaining the altitude information of the one or more candidate points according to the three-dimensional model to obtain the one or more key points.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, before obtaining the one or more key points:
obtaining two adjacent candidate points of the one or more candidate points;
determining a slope between the two adjacent candidate points according to the altitude information of the two adjacent candidate points; and
deleting one of the two adjacent candidate points in response to an absolute value of the slope being less than a preset value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the planned route includes one or more operation points each configured to enable or disable a spray operation; and
the one or more key points on the planned route include the one or more operation points.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more operation points include two end points of the planned route, one of the two end points being configured to enable the spray operation and another one of the two end points being configured to disable the spray operation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the operation route further includes:
obtaining an image of the target area;
determining a spray area in the target area according to the image; and
determining one or more spray points on the planned route according to the spray area and the planned route, each of the one or more spray points being used to enable or disable a spray operation, and the waypoints further including the one or more spray points.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the spray area in the target area according to the image includes:
inputting the image into a first neural network model to obtain the spray area; or
inputting the image into a second neural network model to obtain classification information corresponding to each unit image and obtaining the spray area according to the classification information corresponding to each unit image.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the one or more spray points on the planned route includes:
obtaining one or more intersections of the spray area and the planned route; and
obtaining the one or more spray points on the planned route according to the one or more intersections.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the one or more spray points are associated with altitude information;
the method further comprising:
obtaining a point set including a plurality of points, the plurality of points including the one or more key points and the one or more spray points on the operation route;
obtaining two adjacent points from the point set according to a sequence of the points on the operation route, the two adjacent points including at least one key point of the one or more key points; and
deleting any one of the at least one key point in response to a Euclidean distance between the two adjacent points being less than a preset value.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle to perform a spray operation according to the operation route and a distance value that is preset or input by a user, to achieve a ground-like flight.

11. A spray operation device comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to:
obtain two-dimensional position information of a target area and a three-dimensional model of the target area; and
obtain an operation route according to the two-dimensional position information and the three-dimensional model, the operation route including a plurality of waypoints, and at least one of the waypoints being associated with altitude information;
wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
determine a planned route according to the two-dimensional position information; and
determine one or more key points on the planned route according to the three-dimensional model to obtain the operation route, each of the one or more key points being associated with altitude information, and the waypoints including the one or more key points; and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to input the planned route and the three-dimensional model into a neural network model to obtain the one or more key points on the planned route.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
insert one or more candidate points on the planned route according to a preset rule or obtain the one or more candidate points input by a user for the planned route; and
obtain the altitude information of the one or more candidate points according to the three-dimensional model to obtain the one or more key points.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
obtain two adjacent candidate points of the one or more candidate points;
determine a slope between the two adjacent candidate points according to the altitude information of the two adjacent candidate points; and
delete one of the two adjacent candidate points in response to an absolute value of the slope being less than a preset value.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein:
the planned route includes one or more operation points each configured to enable or disable a spray operation; and
the one or more key points on the planned route include the one or more operation points.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
obtain an image of the target area;
determine a spray area in the target area according to the image; and
determine one or more spray points on the planned route according to the spray area and the planned route, each of the one or more spray points being used to enable or disable a spray operation, and the waypoints further including the one or more spray points.

16. A spray operation device comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to:
obtain two-dimensional position information of a target area and an image of the target area;
determine a spray area in the target area according to the image;
obtain an operation route

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Li Jinsong
• Yan Guang

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

• B64U2101/45

  for releasing liquids or powders in-flight, e.g. crop-dusting · CPC title

• B64U2101/40

  for agriculture or forestry operations · CPC title