Safety motor controller for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9786188-B2
Application number	US-201514858632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2015
Priority date	Sep 18, 2015
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

According to various embodiments, there is provided a safety motor controller (SMC) for installing in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) between at least one electronic speed controller (ESC) configured to use a predetermined data protocol and an existing motor controller (EMC) configured to transmit EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol to the at least one ESC, the SMC including: an input port configured to receive the EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol from the EMC; and a processor configured to detect a trigger event and to transmit SMC motor control signals corresponding to at least one of the EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol to the at least one ESC in response to the trigger event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A safety motor controller (SMC) for installing in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) between at least one electronic speed controller (ESC) configured to use a predetermined data protocol and an existing motor controller (EMC) on the UAV configured to transmit EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol to the at least one ESC to control operation of one or more motors on the UAV, the SMC comprising:
an input port configured to receive the EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol from the EMC on the UAV; and
a processor configured to detect a trigger event and to transmit SMC motor control signals corresponding to at least one of the EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol to the at least one ESC in response to the trigger event.

2. The safety motor controller of claim 1 , wherein the trigger event comprises one or more of a geo-fence violation by the UAV, abnormal flight conditions of the UAV, and/or receipt of an emergency alert by the UAV.

3. The safety motor controller of claim 1 , wherein the SMC motor control signals are configured to control the at least one ESC to cause the UAV to perform an evasive action in response to the trigger event.

4. The safety motor controller of claim 3 , wherein the evasive action comprises one or more of returning to a launch site, landing immediately, ceasing operation of at least one motor coupled to the at least one ESC, or combinations thereof.

5. The safety motor controller of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication device configured to:
constantly transmit telemetry data to a central entity; and
receive a command and/or an alert from the central entity.

6. The safety motor controller of claim 5 , wherein:
the wireless communication device is further configured to receive flight authorization from the central entity; and
the SMC is configured to prevent flight of the UAV until the flight authorization is received.

7. The safety motor controller of claim 5 , wherein the SMC is configured to change a flight plan of the UAV in response to receiving the command from the central entity.

8. The safety motor controller of claim 5 , wherein the telemetry data comprises information about the UAV regarding location, flight path, velocity, and/or altitude.

9. The safety motor controller of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of sensors coupled to the processor and configured to detect the trigger event, the sensors comprising one or more of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a global positioning system (GPS), a barometric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an altitude sensor, an airspeed sensor, or combinations thereof.

10. The safety motor controller of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to block the received EMC motor control signals from reaching the at least one ESC in response to the trigger event.

11. The safety motor controller of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined data protocol is one of a) universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART), b) three-wire pulse-width modulation (PWM), or c) Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C).

12. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a safety motor controller (SMC) coupled between at least one electronic speed controller (ESC) configured to use a predetermined data protocol and an existing motor controller (EMC) on the UAV configured to transmit EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol to the at least one ESC to control operation of one or more motors on the UAV, the method comprising:
receiving the EMC motor control signals from the EMC on the UAV;
detecting a trigger event; and
transmitting SMC motor control signals corresponding to at least one of the EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol to the at least one ESC in response to the trigger event.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the trigger event comprises one or more of a geo-fence violation by the UAV, abnormal flight conditions of the UAV, and/or receipt of an emergency alert by the UAV.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the SMC motor control signals are configured to control the at least one ESC to cause the UAV to perform an evasive action in response to the trigger event.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the evasive action comprises one or more of returning to a launch site, landing immediately, ceasing operation of at least one motor coupled to the at least one ESC, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
constantly transmitting telemetry data to a central entity; and
receiving a command and/or an alert from the central entity.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving flight authorization from the central entity; and
preventing flight of the UAV until the flight authorization is received.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising changing a flight plan of the UAV in response to receiving the command from the central entity.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the telemetry data comprises information about the UAV regarding location, flight path, velocity, and/or altitude.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising detecting the trigger event using a plurality of sensors, the sensors comprising one or more of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a global positioning system (GPS), a barometric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an altitude sensor, an airspeed sensor, or a combination thereof.

21. The method of claim 12 , further comprising blocking the received EMC motor control signals from reaching the at least one ESC in response to the trigger event.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined data protocol is one of a) universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART), b) three-wire pulse-width modulation (PWM), or c) Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C).

23. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
at least one electronic speed controller (ESC) on the UAV and configured to use a predetermined data protocol;
an existing motor controller (EMC) on the UAV and configured to transmit EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol to the at least one ESC to control operation of one or more motors on the UAV; and
a safety motor controller (SMC) coupled between the at least one ESC and the EMC, the SMC configured to:
receive the EMC motor control signals from the EMC;
detect a trigger event; and
transmit SMC motor control signals corresponding to at least one of the EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol to the at least one ESC in response to the trigger event.

24. An apparatus for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a safety motor controller (SMC) coupled between at least one electronic speed controller (ESC) configured to use a predetermined data protocol and an existing motor controller (EMC) on the UAV configured to transmit EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol to the at least one ESC to control operation of one or more motors on the UAV, the system comprising:
means for receiving the EMC motor control signals from the EMC on the UAV;
means for detecting a trigger event; and

means for transmitting SMC motor control signals corresponding to at least one of the EMC motor control signals in accordance wit

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Wilson James
• Gondkar Kaustubh

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• G08G5/0056

  Physics · mapped topic

• B64C2201/042

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G08G5/0069 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic