IP Library › Granted Patent US 12676076

Granted Patent B2

US 12676076 · App. 18/362,506 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Method, system, and user terminal for flight route splicing

Inventor: Dongguang Zhou (Shenzhen, CN)

Assignee: AUTEL ROBOTICS CO., LTD.

G08G5/55 G01C21/20 G08G5/50 G08G5/57 B64U2201/00 B64U2201/20

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12676076
App. No.: 18/362,506
Granted: Jul 7, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Method, system, and user terminal are disclosed for splicing a flight route splicing m. Various embodiments may includes: obtaining a first flight route and a second flight route of an unmanned aerial vehicle; obtaining a first estimated flight duration of the UAV required to complete the first flight route and the second flight route; obtaining the preset duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle; splicing the first flight route and the second flight route when the preset duration is greater than the first estimated flight duration. it improves the task execution efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicle and saving the unmanned aerial vehicle resources and time, and further providing richer choices for users and providing more space for customized flight route planning for users.

Claims (89)

1 . A method for controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

obtaining a first flight route and a second flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

obtaining a first estimated flight duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle required to complete the first flight route and the second flight route;

obtaining the preset duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

splicing the first flight route and the second flight route to generate a spliced flight route when the preset duration is greater than the first estimated flight duration; and

controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to flight according to the spliced flight route.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first estimated flight duration comprises a second estimated flight duration required to complete the first flight route, a third estimated flight duration required to complete the second flight route, and a shortest flight duration for the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly from a termination waypoint of the first flight route to a start waypoint of the second flight route;

the method further comprises:

obtaining a fourth flight duration, the fourth flight duration is a sum of the second estimated flight duration and the third estimated flight duration;

judging whether the fourth flight duration is greater than the preset duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

sending, to the user, a prompt information that a flight distance or the first estimated flight duration is excessively long and the user needs to confirm whether to continue splicing the first flight route and the second flight route when the fourth flight duration is greater than the preset flight duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

calculating a shortest flight duration for the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly from the termination waypoint of the first flight route to the start waypoint of the second flight route at a maximum flight speed when the fourth flight duration is not greater than the preset flight duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

obtaining a fifth flight duration, the fifth flight duration is a sum of the fourth flight duration and the shortest flight duration;

splicing the first flight route and the second flight route when the preset duration is greater than the fifth flight duration;

or, sending, to the user, a prompt information that a flight distance or the first estimated flight duration is excessively long and the user needs to confirm whether to continue splicing the first flight route and the second flight route when the fifth flight duration is greater than the preset flight duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: obtaining a flight height of a highest waypoint having a greatest flight height in the first flight route and the second flight route and ground elevations of a series of waypoints between a termination waypoint of the first flight route and a start waypoint of the second flight route;

obtaining a flight height of an intermediate flight route according to the flight height of the highest waypoint and the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint, wherein the intermediate flight route is used for connecting the first flight route and the second flight route and is located between the first flight route and the second flight route;

determining the intermediate flight route according to first geographic location information of the termination waypoint, second geographic location information of the start waypoint, and the flight height of the intermediate flight route; and

splicing the first flight route and the second flight route according to the intermediate flight route to generate the spliced flight route.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein obtaining a flight height of the intermediate flight route according to the flight height of the highest waypoint and the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint comprises:

determining whether the flight height of the highest waypoint is greater than the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint; and

determining the flight height of the highest waypoint as the flight height of the intermediate flight route when the flight height of the highest waypoint is greater than the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:

obtaining a highest ground elevation among the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint when the flight height of the highest waypoint is not greater than the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint;

obtaining a ground elevation of the highest waypoint; and

determining a sum of a difference between the highest ground elevation and the ground elevation of the highest waypoint and a preset threshold as the flight height of the intermediate flight route.

7 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein determining the intermediate flight route according to first geographic location information of the termination waypoint, second geographic location information of the start waypoint, and the flight height of the intermediate flight route comprises:

determining a start waypoint of the intermediate flight route, wherein geographic location information of the start waypoint of the intermediate flight route is the same as the first geographic location information;

determining a termination waypoint of the intermediate flight route, wherein geographic location information of the termination waypoint of the intermediate flight route is the same as the second geographic location information; and

generating the intermediate flight route according to the start waypoint of the intermediate flight route, the termination waypoint of the intermediate flight route, and the flight height of the intermediate flight route.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying the spliced flight route to a user.

9 . A system, comprising:

at least one processor disposed in the system; and

a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to perform a method for controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining a first flight route and a second flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

obtaining a first estimated flight duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle required to complete the first flight route and the second flight route;

obtaining the preset duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

splicing the first flight route and the second flight route to generate a spliced flight route when the preset duration is greater than the first estimated flight duration; and

controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to flight according to the spliced flight route.

10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the first estimated flight duration comprises a second estimated flight duration required to complete the first flight route, a third estimated flight duration required to complete the second flight route, and a shortest flight duration for the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly from a termination waypoint of the first flight route to a start waypoint of the second flight route;

the method further comprises:

obtaining a fourth flight duration, the fourth flight duration is a sum of the second estimated flight duration and the third estimated flight duration;

judging whether the forth flight duration is greater than the preset duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining a fifth flight duration, the fifth flight duration is a sum of the fourth flight duration and the shortest flight duration;

splicing the first flight route and the second flight route when the preset duration is greater than the fifth flight duration; or,

sending, to the user, a prompt information that a flight distance or the first estimated flight duration is excessively long and the user needs to confirm whether to continue splicing the first flight route and the second flight route when the fifth flight duration is greater than the preset flight duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

12 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining a flight height of a highest waypoint having a greatest flight height in the first flight route and the second flight route and ground elevations of a series of waypoints between a termination waypoint of the first flight route and a start waypoint of the second flight route;

splicing the first flight route and the second flight route according to the intermediate flight route to generate the spliced flight route.

13 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein obtaining a flight height of the intermediate flight route according to the flight height of the highest waypoint and the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint comprises:

determining whether the flight height of the highest waypoint is greater than the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint; and

14 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:

displaying the spliced flight route to a user.

15 . A user terminal, in communication connection with an unmanned aerial vehicle, and comprising a body, a display screen disposed in the body, and a controller disposed in the body, wherein the controller is configured to:

obtain a first flight route and a second flight route of an unmanned aerial vehicle;

obtain a first estimated flight duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle required to complete the first flight route and the second flight route;

obtain the preset duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

splice the first flight route and the second flight route to generate a spliced flight route when the preset duration is greater than the first estimated flight duration; and

control the unmanned aerial vehicle to flight according to the spliced flight route.

16 . The user terminal according to claim 15 , wherein the first estimated flight duration comprises a second estimated flight duration required to complete the first flight route, a third estimated flight duration required to complete the second flight route, and a shortest flight duration for the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly from a termination waypoint of the first flight route to a start waypoint of the second flight route;

the controller is further configured to:

obtain a fourth flight duration, the fourth flight duration is a sum of the second estimated flight duration and the third estimated flight duration;

judge whether the fourth flight duration is greater than the preset duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

send, to the user, a prompt information that a flight distance or the first estimated flight duration is excessively long and the user needs to confirm whether to continue splicing the first flight route and the second flight route when the fourth flight duration is greater than the preset flight duration of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

17 . The user terminal according to claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

obtain a flight height of a highest waypoint having a greatest flight height in the first flight route and the second flight route and ground elevations of a series of waypoints between a termination waypoint of the first flight route and a start waypoint of the second flight route;

obtain a flight height of an intermediate flight route according to the flight height of the highest waypoint and the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint, wherein the intermediate flight route is used for connecting the first flight route and the second flight route and is located between the first flight route and the second flight route;

determine the intermediate flight route according to first geographic location information of the termination waypoint, second geographic location information of the start waypoint, and the flight height of the intermediate flight route; and

splice the first flight route and the second flight route according to the intermediate flight route to generate the spliced flight route.

18 . The user terminal according to claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to control the display screen to display the spliced flight route to a user.

19 . The user terminal according to claim 17 , wherein obtaining a flight height of the intermediate flight route according to the flight height of the highest waypoint and the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint comprises:

determining whether the flight height of the highest waypoint is greater than the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint; and

20 . The user terminal according to claim 19 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

obtain a highest ground elevation among the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint when the flight height of the highest waypoint is not greater than the ground elevations of the series of waypoints between the termination waypoint and the start waypoint;

obtain a ground elevation of the highest waypoint; and

determine a sum of a difference between the highest ground elevation and the ground elevation of the highest waypoint and a preset threshold as the flight height of the intermediate flight route.

21 . The user terminal according to claim 17 , wherein determining the intermediate flight route according to first geographic location information of the termination waypoint, second geographic location information of the start waypoint, and the flight height of the intermediate flight route comprises: