IP Library Granted Patent US 10,800,522
Granted Patent B2
US 10,800,522 · App. 15/806,110 · Granted Oct 13, 2020

Flight control method and electronic device for supporting the same

Inventors: In Hyuk Choi (Seoul, KR); Youn Lea Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Dong Hyun Chang (Suwon-si, KR); Bo Kun Choi (Seoul, KR); Sung Jun Kim (Daegu, KR); Seung Nyun Kim (Incheon, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
B64C39/024G05D1/0016G05D1/0022G05D1/0038G05D1/0094G05D1/0202G06T7/70G08G5/0039G08G5/0069G08G5/045B64C2201/127B64C2201/141B64C2201/146G06T2207/10032
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,800,522
App. No.
15/806,110
Granted
Oct 13, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device includes a communication circuit configured to communicate with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including a camera, a memory configured to store first flight information including a first flight pattern for a first location and first driving information of the camera, the first driving information corresponding to the first flight pattern, and a processor configured to be operatively connected with the communication circuit and the memory. The processor is configured to determine a flight reference location of the UAV, and control the UAV via the communication circuit such that the UAV flies based on the determined flight reference location and the first flight information.

Claims (65)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a communication circuit;

a memory; and

a processor operatively connected to the communication circuit and the memory, and

configured to:

determine a flight reference location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on a start point of a flight pattern stored in the memory and a current location of the UAV;

determine a flight path for the UAV based on the flight reference location and the flight pattern; and

control the UAV via the communication circuit such that the UAV flies based on the determined flight path,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the flight path is included in a flight prohibited area determined from map data received from an external server, calibrate the flight path such that the UAV does not enter the flight prohibited area.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit the determined flight reference location and the flight path to the UAV via the communication circuit, as at least part of controlling the UAV.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate control signal information about the UAV using the determined flight reference location and the flight path and transmit the control signal information to the UAV via the communication circuit, as at least part of controlling the UAV.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the determined flight reference location includes a relative location for a specified object, the relative location comprising a position of the specified object with respect to the electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the flight pattern includes a pattern of control signal information about the UAV.

6. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a user input interface configured to be detached or integrated with the display;

at least one wireless communication circuit configured to establish a wireless communication channel with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including a camera;

a processor configured to be electrically connected with the display, the user input interface, and the at least one wireless communication circuit; and

a memory configured to be electrically connected with the processor,

wherein the memory stores instructions, when executed, causing the processor to:

store at least one or more previously configured flight paths in the memory;

establish a wireless communication channel with the UAV using the at least one wireless communication circuit;

receive a user input for selecting a flight path of the at least one or more previously configured flight paths through the user input interface;

receive first geographic data associated with at least one of the electronic device and the UAV using the at least one wireless communication circuit;

calibrate the selected flight path based on at least part of the received first geographic data; and

transmit information about the calibrated flight path to the UAV over the wireless communication channel,

wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:

if the selected flight path is included in a flight prohibited area determined from the first geographic data, calibrate the selected flight path such that the UAV does not enter the flight prohibited area.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the memory stores instructions, when executed, causing the processor to:

receive video data associated with second geographic data different from the first geographic data using the at least one wireless communication circuit;

output a video on the display based on the video data;

receive a user input for selecting the video; and

extract the flight path based on at least part of the video data.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the memory further stores instructions, when executed, causing the processor to:

transmit a control signal to the UAV over the wireless communication channel such that the camera faces or tracks a selected object or the electronic device while the UAV moves along the calibrated flight path.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the memory further stores instructions, when executed, causing the processor to:

change at least one of an altitude, a coordinate, or a speed of the selected flight path.

10. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the memory further stores instructions, when executed, causing the processor to:

transmit a signal associated with driving the camera to the UAV over the wireless communication channel based on at least one of direction information, angle of view information, or zoom information of the camera associated with the selected flight path.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the direction information, the angle of view information, or the zoom information of the camera is included in metadata of a video corresponding to the selected flight path.

12. A flight control method of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including a camera, the method comprising:

obtaining first flight information including a first flight pattern for a first location and first driving information of the camera, the first driving information corresponding to the first flight pattern;

determining a flight reference location of the UAV;

determining a flight path based on the flight reference location and the first flight information;

if the flight path is included in a flight prohibited area determined from map data received from an external server, calibrating the flight path such that the UAV does not enter the flight prohibited area; and

controlling the UAV via a communication circuit such that the UAV flies based on the determined flight path.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the controlling of the UAV includes:

transmitting the determined flight reference location and the first flight information to the UAV via the communication circuit.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the controlling of the UAV includes:

generating control signal information about the UAV using the determined flight reference location and the first flight information; and

transmitting the control signal information to the UAV via the communication circuit.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the determining of the flight reference location of the UAV includes:

determining the flight reference location based on a second location of the UAV and the first location,

wherein the second location is a current location of the UAV.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

if an obstacle exists on a flight path of the UAV, calibrating the first flight pattern as a second flight pattern to make a detour around the obstacle;

calibrating the first driving information as second driving information to correspond to the second flight pattern; and

controlling the UAV via the communication circuit such that the UAV flies based on second flight information including the second flight pattern and the second driving information and the determined flight reference location.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the obtaining of the first flight information includes:

obtaining a relative location for a specified object as the first location, the relative location comprising a position of the specified object with respect to the UAV.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the obtaining of the first flight information includes:

obtaining a pattern of control signal information about the UAV as the first flight pattern.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2017
From: CHOI, IN HYUK; KIM, YOUN LEA; CHANG, DONG HYUN; CHOI, BO KUN; KIM, SUNG JUN; KIM, SEUNG NYUN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 044057/0964 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2016-0164696 · Dec 5, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180155023A1 · Jun 7, 2018