IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,227,501
Granted Patent B2
US 11,227,501 · App. 15/796,167 · Granted Jan 18, 2022

Flight control for flight-restricted regions

Inventors: Mingyu Wang (Shenzhen, CN); Tao Wang (Shenzhen, CN); Jianyu Song (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
G08G5/006B64C39/024B64D47/08G05D1/0214G05D1/106G08G5/0004G08G5/0013G08G5/0021G08G5/0026G08G5/0052G08G5/0069G08G5/0082B64C2201/024B64C2201/127B64C2201/141B64C2201/146
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,227,501
App. No.
15/796,167
Granted
Jan 18, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices are provided for providing flight response to flight-restricted regions. The location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may be assessed and used to calculate a distance between the UAV and a flight-restricted region. Different flight-response measures may be taken based on the distance between the UAV and the flight-restricted region.

Claims (28)

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

one or more processors individually or collectively configured to:

assess a location of the UAV;

calculate a distance between the UAV and a flight-restricted region using the location of the UAV;

assess whether the distance falls within a first distance threshold; and

instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to take a flight response measure selected from (1) a first flight response measure when the distance falls within the first distance threshold, and (2) a second flight response measure different from the first flight response measure when the distance falls outside the first distance threshold, wherein the first flight response measure permits less user control over the UAV than the second flight response measure, and wherein the first flight response measure prevents the UAV from taking off.

2. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the flight restriction region is selected from a plurality of possible flight restricted regions based on proximity of the UAV to each of the plurality of possible flight restricted regions.

3. The UAV of claim 2 , wherein flight restriction regions outside a second distance threshold from the UAV are excluded from the plurality of possible flight restriction regions.

4. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the first flight response measure causes the UAV to descend immediately.

5. The UAV of claim 4 , wherein a rate at which the UAV descends is determined based on the location of the UAV.

6. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to limit the UAV's flight within a predetermined flight limitation region.

7. The UAV of claim 6 , wherein the flight limitation region is defined by a user using a graphical user interface.

8. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), said method comprising:

assessing a location of the UAV;

calculating a distance between the UAV and a flight-restricted region using the location of the UAV;

assessing whether the distance falls within a first distance threshold; and

instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to take a flight response measure selected from (1) a first flight response measure when the distance falls within the first distance threshold, and (2) a second flight response measure different from the first flight response measure when the distance falls outside the first distance threshold, wherein the first flight response measure permits less user control over the UAV than the second flight response measure, and wherein the first flight response measure prevents the UAV from taking off.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the flight restriction region is selected from a plurality of possible flight restricted regions based on proximity of the UAV to each of the plurality of possible flight restricted regions.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein flight restriction regions outside a second distance threshold from the UAV are excluded from the plurality of possible flight restriction regions.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first flight response measure causes the UAV to descend immediately.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising limiting the UAV's flight within a predetermined flight limitation region.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the flight limitation region is defined by a user using a graphical user interface.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing system, configure the computing system to perform the method of claim 8 .

15. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein the flight restriction region is selected from a plurality of possible flight restricted regions based on proximity of the UAV to each of the plurality of possible flight restricted regions.

16. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein flight restriction regions outside a second distance threshold from the UAV are excluded from the plurality of possible flight restriction regions.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein the first flight response measure causes the UAV to descend immediately.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises limiting the UAV's flight within a predetermined flight limitation region.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18 , wherein the flight limitation region is defined by a user using a graphical user interface.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2017
From: WANG, MINGYU; WANG, TAO; SONG, JIANYU
To: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 043973/0100 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 15011041 · Jan 29, 2016
Continuation 14857120 · Sep 17, 2015
Continuation 14262563 · Apr 25, 2014
Continuation In Part PCTCN2014073143 · Apr 17, 2014
Related Publication 20180144641A1 · May 24, 2018