IP Library Granted Patent US 11,501,649
Granted Patent B2
US 11,501,649 · App. 16/665,701 · Granted Nov 15, 2022

Drone control method and device and drone

Inventors: Yidong Chen (Guangdong, CN); Xiangxi Pan (Guangdong, CN)
Assignee: AUTEL ROBOTICS CO., LTD.
G08G5/0069B64C39/024B64D31/10B64D45/04G05D1/0022G05D1/0072G05D1/10B64C2201/14B64D2203/00B64D2221/00G05D2201/0207
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,501,649
App. No.
16/665,701
Granted
Nov 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

This application discloses a drone control method and device and a drone and pertains to the technical field of drone control. The method includes: monitoring a running status of each power motor in a drone; determining according to the running status of each power motor whether the drone is in a crashed state; and controlling the drone to alarm when determining that the drone is in the crashed state. The drone control method and device and the drone can rapidly locate a crashed drone, greatly increasing the probability of finding back the crashed drone.

Claims (57)

1. A drone control method, comprising:

monitoring a running status of each power motor in a drone;

determining according to the running status of each power motor whether the drone is in a crashed state; and

controlling the drone to alarm by an alarm giving unit when determining that the drone is in the crashed state;

wherein the step of determining according to the running status of each power motor whether the drone is in a crashed state comprises:

acquiring the quantity of power motors not in a normal running state in the drone according to the running status of each power motor;

determining whether the quantity of power motors not in the normal running state reaches a preset crash critical quantity, wherein the preset crash critical quantity is more than half of a total quantity of power motors;

if the quantity of power motors not in the normal running state reaches the preset crash critical quantity, determining that the drone is in the crashed state.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of monitoring the running status of each power motor in the drone comprises:

monitoring, for each power motor in the drone, a working current of the power motor; and

determining the running status of the power motor by comparing the working current with a normal working current.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein before the step of controlling the drone to alarm when determining that the drone is in the crashed state, the method further comprises:

controlling, for the drone in the crashed state, all the power motors of the drone to enter a shutdown state.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of controlling the drone to alarm when determining that the drone is in the crashed state comprises:

controlling, for the drone in the crashed state, the power motors in the drone to produce an alarm sound.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the step of controlling, for the drone in the crashed state, the power motors in the drone to produce the alarm sound comprises:

controlling, for the drone in the crashed state, pulse width modulation (PWM) periods and duty cycles in the power motors of the drone to adjust currents of the power motors, to cause the power motors to vibrate and produce a sound.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of controlling the drone to alarm when determining that the drone is in the crashed state further comprises:

controlling, for the drone in the crashed state, an alarm indicator light of the drone to flash as an alarm.

7. A drone control device, comprising:

a power motor monitoring module, configured to monitor a running status of each power motor in a drone;

a crashed state determining module, configured to determine according to the running status of each power motor whether the drone is in a crashed state; and

an alarm module, configured to control the drone to alarm by the alarm giving unit when determining that the drone is in the crashed state;

wherein the crashed state determining module comprise;

an abnormal electric motor quantity acquiring unit, configured to acquire the quantity of power motors not in a normal running state in the drone according to the running status of each power motor;

an abnormal electric motor quantity determining unit configured to determine whether the quantity of power motors not in the normal running state reaches a preset crash critical quantity, wherein the preset crash critical quantity is more than half of a total quantity of power motors; and

a crash determining unit, configured to determine that the drone is in the crashed state when the quantity of power motors not in the normal running state reaches the preset crash critical quantity.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the power motor monitoring module comprises:

a current monitoring unit, configured to monitor, for each power motor in the drone, a working current of the power motor; and

an abnormal-operation determining unit, configured to determine the running status of the power motor by comparing the working current with a normal working current.

9. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the device further comprises:

a shutdown control module, configured to control, for the drone in the crashed state, all the power motors of the drone to enter a shutdown state.

10. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the alarm module is specifically configured to control, for the drone in the crashed state, the power motors in the drone to produce an alarm sound.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the alarm module is specifically configured to control, for the drone in the crashed state, pulse width modulation (PWM) periods and duty cycles in the power motors of the drone to adjust currents of the power motors, to cause the power motors to vibrate and produce a sound.

12. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the alarm module is specifically configured to control, for the drone in the crashed state, an alarm indicator light of the drone to flash as an alarm.

13. A drone, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory communicably connected to the at least one processor,

the memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein when the instructions is executed by the at least one processor, the at least one processor is configured to:

monitor a running status of each power motor in a drone;

determine according to the running status of each power motor whether the drone is in a crashed state; and

control the drone to alar by the alarm giving unit when determining that the drone is in the crashed state;

the at least one processor is further configured to;

acquire the quantity of power motors not in a normal running state in the drone according to the running status of each power motor;

determine whether the quantity of power motors not in the normal running state reaches a preset crash critical quantity, wherein the preset crash critical quantity is more than half of a total quantity of power motors; and

if the quantity of power motors not in the normal running state reaches the preset crash critical quantity, determine that the drone is in the crashed state.

14. The drone according to claim 13 , the at least one processor is further configured to:

monitor for each power motor in the drone, a working current the power motor; and

determine the running status of the power motor by comparing the working current with a normal working current.

15. The drone according to claim 13 , the at least one processor is further configured to:

control, for the drone in the crashed state, all the power motors pf the drone to enter a shutdown state.

16. The drone according to claim 13 , the at least one processor is further configured to:

control, for the drone ire the crashed state, the power motors in the drone to produce an alarm sound.

17. The drone according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

control, for the drone in the crashed state, pulse width modulation (PWM) periods and duty cycles in the power motors of the drone to adjust currents of the power motors, to cause the power motors to vibrate and produce a sound.

18. The drone according to claim 13 , wherein the at least ono processor is further configured to:

control, for the drone in the crashed state, an alarm indictor lit of the drone to flash as an alarm.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2019
From: CHEN, YIDONG; PAN, XIANGXI
To: AUTEL ROBOTICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 050845/0519 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 201710280239.2 · Apr 26, 2017 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2018078712 · Mar 12, 2018
Related Publication 20200066167A1 · Feb 27, 2020