IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,126,202
Granted Patent B2
US 11,126,202 · App. 16/417,074 · Granted Sep 21, 2021

Obstacle-avoidance control method for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), flight controller and UAV

Inventors: Yao Zou (Shenzhen, CN); Chunming Wang (Shenzhen, CN); Junxi Wang (Shenzhen, CN); Guang Yan (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
G05D1/042G05D1/106G05D1/1064G08G5/0078G08G5/045
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,126,202
App. No.
16/417,074
Granted
Sep 21, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An obstacle-avoidance control method comprises acquiring a distance between an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a front object in a flying direction of the UAV; and controlling a flying altitude of the UAV according to the distance between the UAV and the front object.

Claims (52)

1. An obstacle-avoidance control method comprising:

acquiring a distance between an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a front object in a flying direction of the UAV; and

controlling a flying altitude of the UAV according to the distance between the UAV and the front object, including:

in response to determining that the distance between the UAV and the front object is smaller than a preset first safety distance and greater than a preset second safety distance, increasing the flying altitude of the UAV, wherein the first safety distance is greater than the second safety distance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing the flying altitude of the UAV includes:

increasing the flying altitude of the UAV to increase the distance between the UAV and the front object to be greater than or equal to the first safety distance.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the flying altitude of the UAV according to the distance between the UAV and the front object further includes:

in response to determining that the distance between the UAV and the front object is smaller than the second safety distance, adjusting a flight trajectory of the UAV or controlling the UAV to stop flying in the flying direction.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein adjusting the flight trajectory of the UAV comprises one of the following:

adjusting a heading angle of the UAV to enable the flight trajectory of the UAV to bypass the front object; and

increasing the flying altitude of the UAV to enable the flight trajectory of the UAV to pass over the front object.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein controlling the UAV to stop flying in the flying direction comprises:

controlling the UAV to be in a hovering state.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the flying altitude of the UAV according to the distance between the UAV and the front object further includes one of the following:

simultaneously increasing the flying altitude of the UAV and controlling the UAV to continue flying in the flying direction; and

increasing the flying altitude of the UAV and controlling the UAV to stop flying in the flying direction.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein controlling the UAV to stop flying in the flying direction comprises:

controlling the UAV to be in a hovering state.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein acquiring the distance between the UAV and the front object in the flying direction of the UAV comprises:

acquiring the distance between the UAV and the front object in the flying direction of the UAV via a detecting device carried by the UAV.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the detecting device includes at least one of a radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a time of flight (TOF) ranging sensor, a visual sensor, or a laser sensor.

10. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a fuselage;

a power system mounted at the fuselage and configured to provide flight power; and

a flight controller in communication with the power system to control the UAV, including one or more processors configured to, individually or cooperatively, execute instructions to:

acquire a distance between the UAV and a front object in a flying direction of the UAV; and

control a flying altitude of the UAV according to the acquired distance between the UAV and the front object, including:

determining whether the distance between the UAV and the front object is smaller than a preset first safety distance and greater than a preset second safety distance, and

in response to determining that the distance between the UAV and the front object is smaller than the preset first safety distance and greater than the preset second safety distance, increasing the flying altitude of the UAV to increase the distance between the UAV and the front object,

wherein the first safety distance is greater than the second safety distance.

11. The UAV of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to increase the flying altitude of the UAV to increase the distance between the UAV and the front object by:

increasing the flying altitude of the UAV to increase the distance between the UAV and the front object to be greater than or equal to the first safety distance.

12. The UAV of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to control the flying altitude of the UAV according to the acquired distance between the UAV and the front object by:

in response to determining that the distance between the UAV and the front object is smaller than the second safety distance, adjusting a flight trajectory of the UAV or controlling the UAV to stop flying in the flying direction.

13. The UAV of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to control the UAV to stop flying in the flying direction by:

controlling the UAV to be in a hovering state.

14. The UAV of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to control the flying altitude of the UAV according to the acquired distance between the UAV and the front object by performing one of the following:

simultaneously increasing the flying altitude of the UAV and control the UAV to continue flying in the flying direction; and

increasing the flying altitude of the UAV and control the UAV to stop flying in the flying direction.

15. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to adjust the flight trajectory of the UAV by performing one of the following:

adjusting a heading angle of the UAV to enable the flight trajectory of the UAV to bypass the front object; and

increasing the flying altitude of the UAV to enable the flight trajectory of the UAV to pass over the front object.

16. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to control the UAV to stop flying in the flying direction by:

controlling the UAV to be in a hovering state.

17. The UAV of claim 10 , further comprising:

a detecting device mounted at the fuselage and communicating with the flight controller,

wherein the detecting device is configured to:

detect the distance between the UAV and the front object in the flying direction of the UAV, and

transmit the distance between the UAV and the front object in the flying direction of the UAV to the one or more processors.

18. The UAV of claim 17 , wherein:

the detecting device includes at least one of a radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a time of flight (TOF) ranging sensor, a visual sensor, or a laser sensor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2019
From: ZOU, YAO; WANG, CHUNMING; WANG, JUNXI; YAN, GUANG
To: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 049232/0535 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2016106832 · Nov 22, 2016
Related Publication 20190271992A1 · Sep 5, 2019