Aerial device and method for controlling the aerial device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021240180-A1
Application number	US-202117226108-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 9, 2021
Priority date	Feb 14, 2017
Publication date	Aug 5, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An aerial device includes a body, an optical system having gimbal supporting a camera, a lift mechanism coupled to the body, a haptic sensor coupled to the body and configured to generate haptic data, and a processing system disposed in the body and in data communication with the haptic sensor. The processing system is configured to process the haptic data to understand an intended position of the aerial device and/or an intended orientation of the gimbal and convert the intended position to a target position of the aerial device and/or the intended orientation to a target orientation of the gimbal utilizing said processed data irrespective of an initial position of said aerial device and an initial orientation of said gimbal. Also disclosed is a method for controlling the aerial device.

First claim

1 - 21 . (canceled)

22 . A system for use with an aerial device, the aerial device including a body, a lift mechanism, an optical system and a gimbal, the lift mechanism being coupled to the body and configured to provide at least one of lift and thrust to the body, the optical system being coupled to the body and having a camera, the gimbal supporting the camera and enabling rotational movement of the camera, the system comprising:
a haptic sensor coupled to the body and configured to generate haptic data; and a processing system and in communication with the haptic sensor and being configured to:
receive the haptic data from the haptic sensor; and
determine at least one of a target position of the aerial device and a target orientation of the gimbal based on the haptic data.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the determine at least one of the target position of the aerial device and the target orientation of the gimbal based on the haptic data including:
processing the haptic data to understand at least one of an intended position of the aerial device and an intended orientation of the gimbal; and converting the at least one of the intended position of the aerial device and the intended orientation of the gimbal to at least one of the target position of the aerial device and the target orientation of the gimbal utilizing the processed data.

24 . The system of claim 23 , wherein the at least one of the intended position of the aerial device and the intended orientation of the gimbal is converted to at least one of the target position of the aerial device and the target orientation of the gimbal utilizing the processed data irrespective of an initial position of the aerial device and an initial orientation of the gimbal.

25 . The system of claim 23 , wherein the aerial device further includes at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope for stabilizing the aerial device; and
the processing system is further configured to deactivate self-stabilization of said aerial device upon processing the haptic data received from the haptic sensor.

26 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the aerial device has a control interface disposed on the body with the control interface being free of at least one actuation button.

27 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the haptic sensor is one of a touch sensor and a touch screen.

28 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the haptic sensor is mounted to the body and the processing system is further configured to determine the target position of the aerial device utilizing the haptic data generated by the haptic sensor.

29 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the aerial device further includes a housing coupled to the body and the optical system is disposed within the housing with the haptic sensor mounted to the housing; and
the processing system is further configured to determine the target orientation of the gimbal utilizing the haptic data generated by the haptic sensor.

30 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the haptic sensor is further includes a first haptic sensor coupled to the body and a second haptic sensor coupled to the body;
the first haptic sensor is configured to generate first haptic data and the second haptic sensor is configured to generate second haptic data; and the processing system is further configured to determine the target position utilizing the first haptic data and the target orientation utilizing the second haptic data.

31 . The system of claim 30 , wherein each of the first haptic sensor and the second haptic sensor is selected from a touch sensor and a touch screen.

32 . A system for use with an aerial device, the aerial device including a body, an optical system coupled to the body and having a camera, a gimbal supporting the camera, the system including:
a haptic sensor coupled to the body; and a processing system and in data communication with the haptic sensor with the aerial device having an initial position and the gimbal having an initial orientation, the processing system being configured to: activate the haptic sensor to generate haptic data; receive the haptic data from the haptic sensor; determine at least one of a target position of the aerial device and a target orientation of the gimbal based on the haptic data; and move at least one of the aerial device from the initial position to the target position and the gimbal from the initial orientation to the target orientation.

33 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the determine at least one of the target position of the aerial device and the target orientation of the gimbal based on the haptic data including:
processing the haptic data to understand at least one of an intended position of the aerial device and an intended orientation of the gimbal; and converting the at least one of the intended position of the aerial device and the intended orientation of the gimbal to at least one of the target position of the aerial device and the target orientation of the gimbal utilizing the processed data.

34 . The system of claim 33 , wherein the at least one of the intended position of the aerial device and the intended orientation of the gimbal is converted to at least one of the target position of the aerial device and the target orientation of the gimbal utilizing the processed data irrespective of the initial position of the aerial device and the initial orientation of the gimbal.

35 . The system of claim 33 , wherein the aerial device further includes at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope; and
the processing system is further configured to deactivate self-stabilization of the aerial device upon processing the haptic data received from the haptic sensor.

36 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the haptic sensor is a touch sensor; and
wherein the processing system in performing the activating step is configured to: activate the touch sensor with a single finger touch and maintain the single finger touch on the touch sensor during the step of moving at least one of the aerial device from the initial position to the target position and the gimbal from the initial orientation to the target orientation.

37 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the processing system is further configured to deactivate the touch sensor by removing the single finger touch from the touch sensor after the moving step.

38 . The system of claim 33 , wherein the haptic sensor is a touch sensor mounted to the body of the aerial device; and
the processing system in performing the converting step is further configured convert the intended position to the target position of the aerial device utilizing the processed data.

39 . The system of claim 33 , wherein the aerial device further has a housing coupled to the body and the optical system disposed in the housing;
the haptic sensor is a touch sensor mounted to the housing; and the processing system in performing the converting step is further configured to convert the intended orientation to the target orientation of the gimbal utilizing the processed data.

40 . The system of claim 39 , wherein the processing system is further configured to rotate the gimbal to effect movement of the aerial device to the target orientation.

41 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the haptic sensor is further includes a first haptic sensor coupled to the body and a second haptic sensor coupled to the body;
wherein the processing system is further configured to: activate the first haptic sensor and the second haptic sensor by t

Assignees

• Hangzhou Zero Zero Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Qu Zheng
• Jin Pengxiang
• Zhang Tong

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U30/20

  Rotors; Rotor supports · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64C39/024

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

• G05D1/223

  Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens · CPC title