Position-based control of unmanned aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12443199-B2
Application number	US-202117392428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2021
Priority date	Sep 28, 2017
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

The position of a UAV within a three-dimensional space is changed based on a change in position of a controller of the UAV. First and second sensor data are produced using sensors of the controller to maintain stable altitude output for the UAV. The first sensor data indicates a geolocation of the controller, and the second sensor data indicates a barometric pressure of an environment in which the controller is located. The first and second sensor data are post-processed using a complementary filter based on respective altitude measurements of the first and second sensor data to determine an altitude of the controller. A position of the controller is determined within a three-dimensional space based on the altitude. Data indicative of the position of the controller within the three-dimensional space is then transmitted to the UAV to cause a change in a position of the UAV within the three-dimensional space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
determining first sensor data for a first sensor of a remote controller that is in communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle;
determining second sensor data for a second sensor of the remote controller that is in communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle;
applying a filter to the first sensor data and the second sensor data to provide filtered first sensor data and filtered second sensor data;
processing the filtered first sensor data and the filtered second sensor data to generate processed sensor data;
responsive to determining that the processed sensor data satisfies one or more thresholds, determining a delta value as a difference between a first altitude measurement and a second altitude measurement of the remote controller relative to an object;
determining an altitude of the remote controller of the unmanned aerial vehicle relative to the object based on the delta value;
determining a position of the remote controller within a three-dimensional space based on the processed sensor data and the altitude;
determining an altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle above the object;
transmitting the position of the remote controller within the three-dimensional space to the unmanned aerial vehicle to cause a change in a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle within the three-dimensional space relative to the object;
determining an amount of time that lapses between a signal leaving the remote controller and the signal arriving at the unmanned aerial vehicle;
determining if the amount of time is within a threshold of time and controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the signal if the amount of time is within the threshold of time;
controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to end a follow mode if the amount of time exceeds the threshold of time; and
maintaining a fixed angle between the remote controller and the unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more thresholds comprises a first threshold and a second threshold, wherein determining that the processed sensor data satisfies the one or more thresholds comprises:
determining that the processed sensor data is less than the first threshold or that the processed sensor data is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising:
responsive to determining that the processed sensor data does not satisfy the first threshold or the second threshold, discarding the processed sensor data.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
subsequent to determining the delta value as the difference between the first altitude measurement and the second altitude measurement, smoothing the delta value using a low pass filter.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the delta value as the difference between the first altitude measurement and the second altitude measurement relative to the object comprises:
determining the delta value by applying a smoothing window function against the first altitude measurement and the second altitude measurement to determine a moving window average for the first altitude measurement and the second altitude measurement; and
subsequent to determining the delta value by applying the smoothing window function against the first altitude measurement and the second altitude measurement, adjusting a smoothing window corresponding to the smoothing window function.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor data indicates a geolocation of the remote controller and the second sensor data indicates a barometric pressure of an environment in which the remote controller is located.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising:
determining a barometric pressure difference between the first altitude measurement and the second altitude measurement using a low pass filter with a gain parameter, wherein the altitude of the remote controller is determined using the barometric pressure difference.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the gain parameter is dynamically controlled by performing a weighting function based on a difference between the second altitude measurement and an altitude measurement of the first sensor data previously produced using the second sensor.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the fixed angle relative to the altitude of the remote controller and the altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

10. A system comprising:
an unmanned aerial vehicle; and
a remote controller in communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle, the remote controller comprising:
a controller comprising:
a first sensor that produces first sensor data based on a geolocation of the remote controller;
a second sensor that produces second sensor data based on a barometric pressure of an environment in which the remote controller is located;
a filter mechanism that filters a first altitude measurement of the first sensor data relative to an object and a second altitude measurement of the second sensor data relative to the object to generate filtered sensor data; and
a position determination mechanism that generates position data, wherein the controller controls the unmanned aerial vehicle by:
responsive to determining, with the filter mechanism, that the filtered sensor data satisfies a quality threshold, determining a delta value as a difference between the first altitude measurement and the second altitude measurement of the remote controller;
determining an altitude of the remote controller based on the delta value;
determining, with the position determining mechanism, a position of the remote controller within a three-dimensional space based on the first sensor data and the altitude;
determining an altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle above the object;
transmitting the position of the remote controller within the three-dimensional space to the unmanned aerial vehicle to cause a change in a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle within the three-dimensional space relative to the object;
determine an amount of time that lapses between a signal leaving the remote controller and the signal arriving at the unmanned aerial vehicle;
determine if the amount of time is within a threshold of time and controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the signal if the amount of time is within the threshold of time;
controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to end a follow mode if the amount of time exceeds the threshold of time; and
maintaining a fixed angle between the remote controller and the unmanned aerial vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first sensor data reflects a value measured using the first sensor that produced the first sensor data, and wherein the filter mechanism is a low pass filter that applies smoothing to the delta value.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first sensor data satisfies the quality threshold when the first sensor data is less than a first threshold value or less than a second threshold value.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the filtered sensor data is generated by:
responsive to determining that the first sensor data does not satisfy the quality threshold, discarding the first sensor data.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the delta value as the difference between the first altitude measurement and the second altitude measurement of the remote controller relative to the object, comprises:
determining the delta value by applying a smoothing window function against the first altitude measurement and the second altitude measurement to determine a moving window a

Assignees

• Skydio Inc

Inventors

• Di Ruihui
• Arya Ashwani
• Ferdowsi Mehran
• Shah Nirmit Kamalbhai

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• G05D1/46

  Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D] · CPC title

• G05D1/689

  Pointing payloads towards fixed or moving targets (positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672) · CPC title

• G05D2109/23

  Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft; Short take-off and landing [STOL, STOVL] aircraft · CPC title

• G05D2109/20

  Aircraft, e.g. drones · CPC title