Detection and signaling of conditions of an unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12528596-B2
Application number	US-202318188214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2023
Priority date	Dec 7, 2017
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

The present teachings provide a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, including a processor-executable routines that, when executed by a processor, facilitate a performance of operations. The operations include detecting a condition using one or more sensors of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes motors. The operations include signaling the condition by causing one of the motors of the vehicle to produce an audible tone. The operations include defining an operating margin for the one of the motors to produce the audible tone. The operations include changing an amount of operating current supplied to the one of the motors based on a maximum amount of current that can be supplied to the one of the motors based on the operating margin.

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 to:
detect a condition using one or more sensors of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes motors; signal the condition by causing one of the motors of the vehicle to produce an audible tone; define an operating margin for the one of the motors to produce the audible tone; and change an amount of operating current supplied to the one of the motors based on a maximum amount of current that can be supplied to the one of the motors based on the operating margin.

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 , further comprising operations to:
produce a combined signal by combining a drive signal used to supply the operating current to the motor of the vehicle and corresponding to the condition, wherein the drive signal used to supply the operating current to the one of the motors of the vehicle and a tonal signal corresponding to the condition comprises: combine 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 to combine the drive signal and the tonal signal generated according to the alert definition comprises to:
combine 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 is limited by an amplitude threshold associated with the operating margin for the one of the motors.

6 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the amplitude threshold represents a maximum signal amplitude that can be transmitted to the one of the motors without saturation.

7 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the one of the motors produces the audible tone using a modified drive signal that causes the one of the motors to vibrate 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; a motor configured to produce an audible tone indicative of the condition using the combined signal; and a motor controller configured to control the drive signal and the tonal signal to control the motor so that if the combined signal violates an operating margin, the motor is prevented from producing the audible tone.

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

11 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
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.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the motor controller is configured to control the operating margin that defines a maximum amount of current that can be supplied to the motor.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the motor controller is 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 an amplitude of the combined signal.

14 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a tonal control mechanism located within the motor controller with the signal mixer.

15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a scaling control mechanism located within the motor controller, wherein the scaling control mechanism modulates one or both of the tonal signal or the drive signal so that a combined amplitude of the tonal signal and the drive signal do not exceed an amplitude threshold.

16 . 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; combining a drive signal of the vehicle and a tonal signal of a second component of the vehicle with a signal mixer to generate a combined signal; signaling, using the second component of the vehicle, that the condition is present using the combined signal; and preventing the second component from signaling upon a condition that the combined signal violates an operating margin.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the operating margin represents a value margin to prevent issues with the second component.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the operating margin is based on a maximum amount of current that can be supplied to the second component.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the operating margin is based on a maximum temperature of the vehicle or the second component.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the second component has a drive signal having an amplitude, the method further comprising:
upon a condition that the drive signal of the second component exceeds a threshold amplitude associated with the operating margin, comparing the operating margin to the combined signal to determine the amplitude.

Assignees

• Skydio 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