Unmanned aerial vehicle severe low-power protection method and unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11947366-B2
Application number	US-202217811268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2022
Priority date	Jan 9, 2020
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) severe low-power protection method and a UAV. The method includes: first acquiring ground environment information when the UAV is in a severe low-power protection state, and then obtaining landing safety judgment information according to the ground environment information, and further controlling a flight state of the UAV according to the landing safety judgment information to realize a safe landing of the UAV. The foregoing method reduces the probability of explosion of the UAV, avoids injury accidents, and improves flight safety when the UAV is in a severe low-power state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) severe low-power protection method performed by a controller of a UAV, comprising:
acquiring ground environment information when the UAV is in a severe low-power protection state;
obtaining landing safety judgment information according to the ground environment information;
controlling a flight state of the UAV according to the landing safety judgment information to realize a safe landing of the UAV;
acquiring a current flight altitude of the UAV when the UAV is in the severe low-power protection state;
determining whether the current flight altitude exceeds a preset altitude threshold; and
in response to determining the current flight altitude exceeds a preset altitude threshold, shielding an upward flight control command;
wherein the landing safety judgment information comprises safe landing information and dangerous landing information; and
the controlling a flight state of the UAV according to the landing safety judgment information to realize a safe landing of the UAV comprises:
controlling the UAV to hover and keep still when the landing safety judgment information is dangerous landing information;
acquiring a manual control command, and controlling the UAV to deviate from a current position according to the manual control command; and
keeping acquiring the ground environment information, and controlling the flight state of the UAV according to the landing safety judgment information to realize the safe landing of the UAV.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling the UAV to hover and keep still when the landing safety judgment information is dangerous landing information comprises:
acquiring a hovering control command and a corresponding flag bit when the landing safety judgment information is dangerous landing information; and
controlling the UAV to hover and keep still according to the hovering control command and the flag bit.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the controlling the UAV to hover and keep still according to the hovering control command and the flag bit comprises:
controlling an altitude and a position of the UAV to keep unchanged according to the hovering control command and the flag bit.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
triggering a re-landing command after a preset interval time since detection of a speed change of the UAV; and
controlling the UAV to land safely according to the re-landing command.

5. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) severe low-power protection apparatus, applicable to a UAV, comprising:
at least one processor;
a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, enabling the at least one processor to perform the following operations:
acquiring ground environment information when the UAV is in a severe low-power protection state;
obtaining landing safety judgment information according to the ground environment information;
controlling a flight state of the UAV according to the landing safety judgment information to realize a safe landing of the UAV;
acquiring a current flight altitude of the UAV when the UAV is in the severe low-power protection state;
determining whether the current flight altitude exceeds a preset altitude threshold; and
in response to determining the current flight altitude exceeds a preset altitude threshold, shield an upward flight control command; and

wherein the controlling a flight state of the UAV according to the landing safety judgment information to realize a safe landing of the UAV further comprises:
controlling the UAV to hover and keep still when the landing safety judgment information is dangerous landing information;
acquiring a manual control command, and controlling the UAV to deviate from a current position according to the manual control command; and
keeping acquiring the ground environment information, and controlling the flight state of the UAV according to the landing safety judgment information to realize the safe landing of the UAV.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one processors further performs the following operations:
acquiring a hovering control command and a corresponding flag bit when the landing safety judgment information is dangerous landing information; and
controlling the UAV to hover and keep still according to the hovering control command and the flag bit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one processors further performs the following operations:
controlling an altitude and a position of the UAV to keep unchanged according to the hovering control command and the flag bit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one processors further performs the following operations:
triggering a re-landing command after a preset interval time since detection of a speed change of the UAV; and
controlling the UAV to land safely according to the re-landing command.

9. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a body;
arms, connected to the body;
a power apparatus, disposed on the arms, configured to provide flight power for the UAV;
a flight controller, disposed on the arms;
a ground detection sensor, configured to acquire ground environment information;
wherein the flight controller comprises:
at least one processor; and
a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, enabling the at least one processor to perform the following operations:
acquiring ground environment information when the UAV is in a severe low-power protection state;
obtaining landing safety judgment information according to the ground environment information;
controlling a flight state of the UAV according to the landing safety judgment information to realize a safe landing of the UAV;
acquiring a current flight altitude of the UAV when the UAV is in the severe low-power protection state;
determining whether the current flight altitude exceeds a preset altitude threshold;
in response to determining the current flight altitude exceeds a preset altitude threshold, shielding an upward flight control command; and

wherein the controlling a flight state of the UAV according to the landing safety judgment information to realize a safe landing of the UAV comprises:
controlling the UAV to hover and keep still when the landing safety judgment information is dangerous landing information;
acquiring a manual control command, and controlling the UAV to deviate from a current position according to the manual control command; and
keeping acquiring the ground environment information, and controlling the flight state of the UAV according to the landing safety judgment information to realize the safe landing of the UAV.

10. The UAV according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor further performs the following operations:
acquiring a hovering control command and a corresponding flag bit when the landing safety judgment information is dangerous landing information;
controlling the UAV to hover and keep still according to the hovering control command and the flag bit.

11. The UAV according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor further performs the following operations:
controlling an altitude and a position of the UAV to keep unchanged according to the hovering control command and the flag bit.

12. The UAV according to claim 9 , wherein

Assignees

• Autel Robotics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lu Minghua
• Zhang Tianbao

Classifications

• B64C39/024

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

• B64U70/00

  Launching, take-off or landing arrangements · CPC title

• B64U2201/00

  UAVs characterised by their flight controls · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• G05D1/106 Primary

  Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones · CPC title