System and method for aerial system control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9703288-B1
Application number	US-201615349834-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 11, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2016
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A method for controlling an aerial system, including: receiving a video, selecting a region of the video, controlling a touch-sensitive display to display the region of the video, receiving a drag input from the touch-sensitive display, receiving a second video, selecting a second region of the second video based on the drag input, controlling the touch-sensitive display to display the second region of the second video, and moving the aerial system based on the drag input.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for controlling an aerial system, the method comprising:
receiving a first video from a camera of the aerial system;
selecting a first region of the first video;
controlling a touch-sensitive display of a user device to display the first region of the first video, wherein the first region of the first video is displayed throughout a first time interval;
during the first time interval, receiving a drag input comprising a translation vector from the touch-sensitive display;
receiving a second video from the camera;
selecting a second region of the second video, wherein the second region is translated along the translation vector relative to the first region;
controlling the touch-sensitive display to display the second region of the second video; and
changing a position of the aerial system based on the drag input, wherein the second region of the second video is displayed concurrent with changing the aerial system position based on the drag input.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the translation vector defines a horizontal component parallel to a horizontal edge of the touch-sensitive display; and
wherein changing a position of the aerial system based on the drag input comprises rotating the aerial system about a yaw axis based on the horizontal component.

3. The method of claim 2 ,
wherein the horizontal component points left; and
wherein the aerial system rotates about the yaw axis clockwise as viewed from above, relative to a gravity vector.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the aerial system comprises a gimbal rotatably mounting the camera, the camera rotatable about a gimbal axis substantially perpendicular the yaw axis, the method further comprising:
receiving a second drag input comprising a second translation vector from the touch-sensitive display, the second translation vector defining a vertical component perpendicular the horizontal edge; and
based on the vertical component, rotating the camera about the gimbal axis.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second drag input is the drag input and the second translation vector is the translation vector.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the touch-sensitive display received the drag input at a first display region, and wherein rotating the aerial system about the yaw axis comprises rotating the aerial system in a first direction, the method further comprising:
after rotating the aerial system in the first direction, receiving a second drag input from the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second drag input comprises a second translation vector codirectional with the translation vector, the second translation vector defining a second horizontal component codirectional with the horizontal component, wherein the touch-sensitive display received the second drag input at a second display region non-overlapping with the first display region; and
based on the second horizontal component, rotating the aerial system in the first direction.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein rotating the aerial system about a yaw axis based on the horizontal component comprises rotating the aerial system based on a value of a rotation parameter, wherein the value is a monotonically increasing function of a magnitude of the horizontal component.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the rotation parameter is an aerial system rotation speed.

9. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, while rotating the aerial system about the yaw axis:
receiving a third video from the camera;
selecting a third region of the third video, wherein the third region is between the first region and the second region;
controlling the touch-sensitive display to display the third region of the third video;
after displaying the third region of the third video, receiving a fourth video from the camera;
selecting a fourth region of the fourth video, wherein the fourth region of the fourth video is in the same position as the first region of the first video; and
controlling the touch-sensitive display to display the first region of the fourth video.

10. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the translation vector defines a horizontal component parallel to a horizontal edge of the touch-sensitive display;
wherein the second region is rotated in a first direction relative to the first region; and
wherein changing a position of the aerial system based on the drag input comprises translating the aerial system in a direction substantially parallel to a broad face of a sensor of the camera, based on the horizontal component.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining a roll angle between an edge of the broad face of the sensor and a projection of a gravity vector onto the broad face, wherein a rotation angle between the first and second regions is substantially equal to the roll angle.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, after translating the aerial system:
receiving a third video from the camera;
selecting a third region of the third video:
wherein a center of the third region is substantially coincident with a center of the first region; and
wherein the third region is rotated in a second direction relative to the first region, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction; and

controlling the touch-sensitive display to display the third region of the third video.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the first video and second videos and selecting the first and second regions is performed by a processor on-board the aerial system.

14. A method for controlling an aerial system, the method comprising:
selecting a first region of a camera sensor of the aerial system, the camera sensor comprising a first sensor edge and a second sensor edge opposing the first sensor edge;
receiving a first image sampled by the first region, the first image comprising a first image region sampled proximal the first sensor edge and a second image region sampled proximal the second sensor edge;
controlling a touch-sensitive display of a user device to display the first image within an entirety of a display area of the touch-sensitive display, the display area comprising a first display edge and a second display edge opposing the first display edge, the first image region displayed proximal the first display edge and the second image region displayed proximal the second display edge;
concurrent with the display of the first image, receiving a drag input from the touch-sensitive display, the drag input received within the display area, the drag input comprising a drag vector extending toward the second display edge;
selecting a second region of the camera sensor based on the drag input, wherein a center of the first region is more proximal the second sensor edge than a center of the second region;
receiving a second image sampled by the second region;
controlling the touch-sensitive display to display the second image within the entirety of the display area; and
changing a position of the aerial system based on the drag input.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the first and second regions cooperatively define a translation vector from the center of the first region to the center of the second region; and
changing a position of the aerial system based on the drag input comprises moving the camera in a direction substantially opposing the translation vector.

16. The method of claim 14 ,
wherein the first and second regions cooperatively define a translation vector from the center of the first region to the center of the second region, wherein the translation vector defines a horizontal com

Assignees

• Hangzhou Zero Zero Tech Co Ltd
• Zero Zero Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Tong
• Wang Mengqiu
• Lu Jia
• Jin Pengxiang
• Liu Lixin

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

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• H04N23/631

  Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/62

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• H04N23/69

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• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title