An aircraft and its external environment monitoring system, firmware OTA method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of aircraft, and discloses an aircraft, which includes an airframe and an external environment monitoring component. The external environment monitoring component includes a pan-tilt head, a camera, and a first communication device. By additionally providing a first communication device on the pan-tilt head, the external environment monitoring component has independent communication capabilities. The images of the camera and the control of the pan-tilt head can be independently communicated through the first communication device without sharing the communication equipment of the aircraft, improving communication efficiency, real-time monitoring, and safety, and reducing the coupling degree of the system. Moreover, the present invention also provides an external environment monitoring system for an aircraft. The image data captured by the camera can be transmitted to the ground station through the first communication device, and the first communication device can also receive the pan-tilt head control instructions issued by the ground station to control the attitude of the pan-tilt head. In addition, the present invention also provides a firmware OTA method for an external environment monitoring system of an aircraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aircraft, and particularly to an aircraft, an external environment monitoring system thereof, and a firmware OTA method. Background Art

[0002] An aircraft refers to a flying vehicle that can fly within the atmosphere. Any aircraft must generate a lift greater than its own gravity to ascend into the air. During the flight of an aircraft, in order to ensure flight safety and for the need of obtaining images, a gimbal is installed on the aircraft, and a camera is installed on the gimbal to capture images. The images captured by the camera are used to monitor the external environment of the aircraft for controlling the aircraft. Currently, the images captured by the camera on the gimbal are transmitted through the communication device on the aircraft. This communication device is not only used to transmit the images of the camera but also used to transmit the control instructions of the aircraft and the real-time flight status, resulting in the image transmission occupying the communication link bandwidth of the aircraft flight mission, high coupling degree between the camera and the aircraft, and poor real-time image transmission. Moreover, when the gimbal and the camera need to be replaced, it is necessary to re-establish the connection between the aircraft and the new gimbal and camera, with poor compatibility and easy to malfunction. When the aircraft malfunctions, it is easy to cause the gimbal and the camera to fail together, resulting in the situation where the aircraft cannot be monitored.

[0003] With the complication of the on-board equipment architecture of EVTOL aircraft, the management of the firmware version of on-board equipment has gradually become a problem. OTA, full name "Over-The-Air", refers to a technology by which an embedded system upgrades its own firmware wirelessly. It was widely used in the mobile phone industry in the early days, enabling mobile phone software and systems to be upgraded online to solve software vulnerabilities or add software functions; in recent years, it has been gradually promoted to various embedded systems. For example, existing new energy vehicle manufacturers are also actively promoting in-vehicle software OTA technology. For the on-board equipment of EVTOL aircraft, using OTA technology can improve the iteration efficiency in the R & D process, even improve the production efficiency in the manufacturing process, and more importantly, enable it to have the ability to quickly repair software vulnerabilities during the operation and maintenance stage.

[0004] The prior art discloses a mechanical equipment inspection system and method based on a multi-axis unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), belonging to the technical field of UAVs. The inspection system includes a UAV system and a UAV command system; the UAV system includes a multi-axis UAV, a pan-tilt camera, a positioning module, a flight control module, and a communication module. The pan-tilt camera, the positioning module, and the communication module are all connected to the flight control module. The flight control module is used to control the flight state of the multi-axis UAV, the orientation and shooting of the pan-tilt camera; the UAV command system includes a remote control device, a mobile terminal, and a base station. The mobile terminal and the base station are both connected to the remote control device. The communication module of this patent is used to realize the communication and data transmission between the UAV system and the UAV command system, and undertakes all the data transmission work of the UAV system, that is, the image transmission of the camera and the data transmission of the pan-tilt and the UAV are all transmitted through the same communication module, occupying the communication link bandwidth of the UAV's flight mission, resulting in a high coupling degree of the system, and it is not easy to replace the pan-tilt and the camera. When the UAV fails, the image of the pan-tilt camera cannot be transmitted and monitoring cannot be carried out. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an aircraft, an external environment monitoring system thereof, and a firmware OTA method with low system coupling degree, improved monitoring real-time performance and safety.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an aircraft, including an airframe and an external environment monitoring component. The external environment monitoring component includes a pan-tilt, a camera, and a first communication device. The pan-tilt is connected to the airframe. The camera and the first communication device are arranged on the pan-tilt. The camera is communicatively connected to the first communication device. The first communication device is used for real-time image transmission of the camera and receiving control commands of the pan-tilt. The airframe is provided with a second communication device, and the second communication device is used for sending airframe information and receiving airframe control commands.

[0007] As a preferred solution, both the first communication device and the second communication device are LTE communication modules

[0008] As a preferred solution, the external environment monitoring component further includes a power supply and a pan-tilt control board. The pan-tilt control board is respectively connected to the power supply, the pan-tilt, and the first communication device. The pan-tilt control board is used to supply power to the pan-tilt and the first communication device, and the pan-tilt control board is used to perform data interaction with the pan-tilt and the first communication device. An external communication interface is provided on the pan-tilt control board.

[0009] As a preferred solution, a pan-tilt control MCU, a first CAN bus isolator, and a second CAN bus isolator are provided on the pan-tilt control board. The first CAN bus isolator and the second CAN bus isolator are respectively connected to the MCU. The first CAN bus isolator is connected to the pan-tilt, and the second CAN bus isolator is connected to the external communication interface.

[0010] As a preferred solution, a buck circuit and a voltage stabilizing circuit are provided on the pan-tilt control board. The buck circuit is electrically connected to the power supply, and the voltage stabilizing circuit is electrically connected to the buck circuit.

[0011] As a preferred solution, the pan-tilt includes an input interface board, an attitude board, three motor driver boards, and three motors. The three motors are respectively used to drive the pan-tilt to perform yaw movement, roll movement, and pitch movement. One motor is connected to the input interface board through one of the motor driver boards. The motor driver board is used to control the rotation of the motor. The attitude board is used to sample the attitude data of the camera, and the input interface board is connected to the pan-tilt control board.

[0012] As a preferred solution, the pan-tilt control board, the attitude board, and the motor driver boards communicate with each other through a bus. The pan-tilt control board communicates with the first communication device through a communication interface. The camera communicates with the first communication device through Ethernet. The first communication device communicates with the server / ground station through 4G or WiFi.

[0013] As a preferred solution, the aircraft further includes a display device. The display device is provided inside the aircraft body and is connected to the external communication interface. The display device is used for passengers inside the aircraft body to view the images captured by the camera.

[0014] The present invention also provides an external environment monitoring system for an aircraft, including a ground station and an external environment monitoring component. The external environment monitoring component includes a pan-tilt, a camera, and a first communication device.

[0015] The pan-tilt is used to be connected to the aircraft and carry the camera and the first communication device, and adjust its attitude according to the pan-tilt control instructions received by the first communication device to adapt to different monitoring requirements.

[0016] The camera is used to capture images outside the aircraft.

[0017] The first communication device is used to transmit the images captured by the camera to the ground station and receive the pan-tilt control instructions transmitted by the ground station.

[0018] The ground station is used to view the images captured by the camera and send pan-tilt control instructions.

[0019] In addition, the present invention also provides a firmware OTA method for an external environment monitoring system of an aircraft, including the following steps:

[0020] S1. Power on the aircraft body, and establish a connection between the ground station and the pan-tilt head.

[0021] S2. The ground station determines whether the pan-tilt head needs to be upgraded. If so, execute steps S3 to S6; if not, the pan-tilt head operates normally.

[0022] S3. The ground station sends an upgrade command and an upgrade file to the pan-tilt head.

[0023] S4. The pan-tilt head determines whether it has received the upgrade command. If so, execute step S5; if not, the pan-tilt head operates normally.

[0024] S5. The pan-tilt head erases the original firmware file, receives the upgrade file, writes the upgrade file, and then jumps to S6.

[0025] S6. Determine whether the writing of the upgrade file is completed. If so, the pan-tilt head resumes normal operation; if not, continue writing.

[0026] As a preferred solution, the external environment monitoring system of the aircraft includes a ground station and an external environment monitoring component. The external environment monitoring component includes a pan-tilt head control board, a first communication device, and a pan-tilt head. An attitude board and three motor boards are provided on the pan-tilt head;

[0027] The upgrade file is an APP firmware file;

[0028] In step S3, the ground station sends a new APP firmware file, forwards it to the first communication device of the external environment monitoring component through the server, and the first communication device forwards the new APP firmware file to the pan-tilt head control board. The new APP firmware file is temporarily stored in the pan-tilt head control board; then the pan-tilt head control board determines whether the reception of the new APP firmware file is complete. If so, the pan-tilt head control board sends an upgrade command and the new APP firmware file to the pan-tilt head, and writes an upgrade flag magic number to the BKP register of the pan-tilt head. If not, continue to receive the new APP firmware file;

[0029] In step S4, the pan-tilt head runs the Boot-loader, determines whether there is an upgrade flag magic number in the BKP register. If so, jump to step S5; if not, the pan-tilt head jumps to the normal operation of the APP firmware.

[0030] In step S5, the pan-tilt head erases the original APP firmware in the FLASH, receives the new APP firmware file from the pan-tilt head control board, writes the new APP firmware file into the corresponding FLASH in sequence, and the pan-tilt head upgrades its attitude board and three motor boards in sequence based on the received new APP firmware file.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0032] By additionally providing a first communication device on the pan-tilt head, the present invention enables the external environment monitoring component to have independent communication capabilities. The images of the camera and the control of the pan-tilt head can be independently communicated through the first communication device, which can improve communication efficiency, enhance the real-time nature of monitoring, and enable the images of the camera and the control of the pan-tilt head not to use the second communication device of the aircraft, reducing the coupling degree of the system, ensuring that the flight mission of the aircraft has sufficient communication link bandwidth, and facilitating the replacement of new pan-tilt heads and cameras. At the same time, when the aircraft fails, the pan-tilt head and the camera can still operate normally, improving the safety and reliability of the aircraft and external environment monitoring. Description of the Drawings

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 is a principle block diagram of the external environment monitoring component according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 is a principle block diagram of the pan-tilt head control board according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 4 is a principle block diagram of the external environment monitoring system of the aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 5 is an architecture diagram of the attitude board / motor drive board software according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the pan-tilt head firmware OTA according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] In the figures, 1 - airframe; 2 - pan-tilt head; 3 - camera. Detailed Embodiments

[0040] The following combines the drawings and embodiments to further describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present invention. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0041] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus cannot be construed as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0042] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "installed", "connected", "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0043] In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise stated, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more.

[0044] Embodiment 1

[0045] As Figures 1 to 3 shown, an aircraft of a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a fuselage 1 and an external environment monitoring component. The external environment monitoring component includes a pan-tilt 2, a camera 3, and a first communication device. The pan-tilt 2 is connected to the fuselage 1. The camera 3 and the first communication device are disposed on the pan-tilt 2. The camera 3 is communicatively connected to the first communication device. The first communication device is used for real-time image transmission of the camera 3 and receiving control commands of the pan-tilt 2. The fuselage is provided with a second communication device, and the second communication device is used for sending fuselage information and receiving fuselage control commands. In this embodiment, by additionally providing a first communication device on the pan-tilt 2, the external environment monitoring component has an independent communication ability. The image of the camera 3 and the control of the pan-tilt 2 can be independently communicated through the first communication device, which can improve communication efficiency, improve the real-time performance of monitoring, enable the image of the camera 3 and the control of the pan-tilt 2 not to use the second communication device of the aircraft, reduce the coupling degree of the system, enable the flight mission of the aircraft to have sufficient communication link bandwidth, and is convenient for replacing a new pan-tilt and camera. At the same time, when the aircraft fails, the pan-tilt and the camera can still work normally, improving the safety and reliability of the aircraft and external environment monitoring.

[0046] In this embodiment, the camera 3 is selected as a network high-definition aerial camera, which can save bandwidth. Specifically, the camera 3 supports H.265 / H.264 encoding, is connected to the first communication device through Ethernet. The camera 3 uses the first communication device to transmit image data, and the camera 3 can also be controlled through the first communication device. In addition, the gimbal 2 of this embodiment is connected to the head of the aircraft body 1. Furthermore, the first communication device and the second communication device of this embodiment are both LTE communication modules, enabling the first communication device and the second communication device to have 4G / WIFI communication capabilities, endowing the aircraft and the external environment monitoring component with networking capabilities, greatly expanding the communication distance between the server / ground station and the aircraft, enabling remote control and image transmission, expanding the communication range of the aircraft, and facilitating the access of the aerial video of the aircraft to various Internet platforms. Each of the aircraft and the external environment monitoring component uses an LTE communication module, preventing the situation where image transmission occupies most of the bandwidth and blocks the transmission of aircraft flight command messages when shared, avoiding affecting the flight safety of the aircraft, making the video transmission and command link of the external environment monitoring component independent of the communication link of the aircraft body, reducing the system coupling degree, improving the equipment reliability, and thus ensuring the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0047] Furthermore, the external environment monitoring component of this embodiment further includes a power supply and a gimbal control board. The gimbal control board is respectively connected to the power supply, the gimbal, and the first communication device. The gimbal control board is used to supply power to the gimbal and the first communication device, and is used to perform data interaction with the gimbal and the first communication device. An external communication interface is provided on the gimbal control board. The gimbal control board is responsible for supplying power to the gimbal and the first communication device. At the same time, the external communication interface on the gimbal control board can realize the external communication connection of the gimbal 2.

[0048] In this embodiment, a gimbal control MCU, a first CAN bus isolator, and a second CAN bus isolator are provided on the gimbal control board. The first CAN bus isolator and the second CAN bus isolator are respectively connected to the MCU. The first CAN bus isolator is connected to the gimbal, and the second CAN bus isolator is connected to the external communication interface. Furthermore, a buck circuit and a voltage stabilizing circuit are provided on the gimbal control board. The buck circuit is electrically connected to the power supply, and the voltage stabilizing circuit is electrically connected to the buck circuit. The gimbal control board of this embodiment is provided with a buck circuit of 24V to 12V DC-DC and 24V to 5V DC-DC, as well as a voltage stabilizing circuit of 5V to 3.3V, to meet the power consumption requirements of the gimbal control MCU, the first CAN bus isolator, and the second CAN bus isolator.

[0049] The pan-tilt head of this embodiment includes an input interface board, an attitude board, three motor driver boards, and three motors. The three motors are respectively used to drive the pan-tilt head to perform yaw movement, roll movement, and pitch movement. One motor is connected to the input interface board through one motor driver board. The motor driver board is used to control the rotation of the motor. The attitude board is used to sample the attitude data of the camera. The input interface board is connected to the pan-tilt head control board. This embodiment uses a three-axis mechanical pan-tilt head to carry the camera, isolate the attitude changes of the aircraft, eliminate the influence of vibration on the aerial photography image, enable the camera to have an optical anti-shake function, and at the same time make the camera photographing angle adjustable, increasing the monitoring range. A separate motor driver board is set for each motor, which can make the structural layout compact and the wiring clear. The electrical architectures of the three motor driver boards in this embodiment are basically the same and are distinguished by the level states of two IO ports of their respective MCUs.

[0050] In this embodiment, the pan-tilt head control board, the attitude board, and the motor driver boards communicate with each other through a serial bus or other field buses. The pan-tilt head control board communicates with the first communication device through communication interfaces such as serial ports or SPI / IIC / CAN / PWM. The camera communicates with the first communication device through Ethernet. The first communication device communicates with the server / ground station through 4G or WiFi.

[0051] In this embodiment, the pan-tilt head control board, the three motor driver boards, and the attitude board all use CAN bus communication, which has the characteristics of multi-master control, fast speed, multiple nodes, and anti-interference.

[0052] Furthermore, the aircraft of this embodiment further includes a display device. The display device is arranged in the fuselage 1 and is connected to an external communication interface. The display device is used for the passengers in the fuselage 1 to view the images taken by the camera 3, so that the passengers sitting in the fuselage 1 can watch the images taken by the camera 3 through the display device.

[0053] Embodiment 2

[0054] As Figure 4 shown, an external environment monitoring system of an aircraft in a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a ground station and an external environment monitoring component. The external environment monitoring component includes a pan-tilt head, a camera, and a first communication device.

[0055] The pan-tilt head is used to be connected to the aircraft and carry the camera and the first communication device, and adjust its attitude according to the pan-tilt head control instructions received by the first communication device to meet different monitoring requirements.

[0056] The camera is used to take images outside the aircraft.

[0057] The first communication device is used to transmit the images taken by the camera to the ground station and receive the pan-tilt head control instructions transmitted by the ground station.

[0058] The ground station is used to view the images captured by the camera and to send pan-tilt control instructions.

[0059] The pan-tilt and camera of this embodiment utilize the first communication device and have independent communication capabilities. After the ground station is connected to the first communication device, it can obtain the image data captured by the camera and achieve real-time video transmission. During the entire stage of the aircraft executing flight missions, the remote crew can obtain the real-time video transmission of the external environment monitoring component through the ground station. Moreover, the remote crew can also adjust the pitch angle and yaw angle of the external environment monitoring component through the ground station to meet different monitoring requirements.

[0060] In addition, the external environment monitoring system of the aircraft in this embodiment further includes a base station and a server. The base station is used to transmit communication signals and provide aircraft positioning. The server is used to store and relay communication information. The first communication device sends the signal to the base station, the base station sends it to the server, and the server then sends the information to the ground station. The ground staff monitors the information transmitted back by the aircraft and the external environment monitoring component through the ground station and controls the aircraft and the external environment monitoring component.

[0061] Embodiment Three

[0062] As Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, the firmware OTA method of an external environment monitoring system for an aircraft in an embodiment of the present invention is preferably provided.

[0063] As Figure 5 shown, the software architecture applied to the attitude board / motor drive board in this embodiment includes a standard peripheral library, an intermediate drive layer, and an application layer. It has a Boot-loader and no operating system. Among them, the standard peripheral library is a device driver library for standard peripherals provided by the device manufacturer. The intermediate drive layer is a higher-level intermediate layer abstracted according to specific drive requirements. The application layer is divided into two projects, Boot-loader and APP, and the Boot-loader firmware and APP firmware are compiled respectively. The Boot-Loader firmware is stored in the starting position of the MCU Flash user area and is responsible for managing the startup and upgrade of the APP. The APP firmware is stored in the APP area in the Flash and can be started and upgraded online by the Boot-loader. The motor board drive board APP is responsible for implementing the FOC motor control algorithm, and the attitude board APP is responsible for implementing functions such as attitude detection and attitude control.

[0064] The firmware OTA method for an external environment monitoring system of an aircraft includes the following steps:

[0065] S1. Power on the aircraft body, and the ground station establishes a connection with the pan-tilt through 4G or WiFi;

[0066] S2. The ground station determines whether the pan-tilt needs to be upgraded. If so, execute steps S3 to S6; if not, the pan-tilt operates normally. In this embodiment, the ground station obtains the current firmware version number of the pan-tilt and determines whether an upgrade is needed based on the current firmware version number of the pan-tilt.

[0067] S3. The ground station sends an upgrade command and an upgrade file to the pan-tilt.

[0068] S4. The pan-tilt determines whether it has received the upgrade command. If so, execute step S5; if not, the pan-tilt operates normally.

[0069] S5. The pan-tilt erases the original firmware file, receives the upgrade file, writes the upgrade file, and then jumps to S6.

[0070] S6. Determine whether the upgrade file has been written completely. If so, the pan-tilt resumes normal operation; if not, continue writing.

[0071] Specifically, the external environment monitoring system of the aircraft includes a ground station and an external environment monitoring component. The external environment monitoring component includes a pan-tilt control board, a first communication device, and a pan-tilt. An attitude board and three motor boards are provided on the pan-tilt.

[0072] The upgrade file is an APP firmware file.

[0073] In step S3, the ground station sends a new APP firmware file, forwards it to the first communication device of the external environment monitoring component through the server, and the first communication device forwards the new APP firmware file to the pan-tilt control board. The new APP firmware file is temporarily stored in the pan-tilt control board. The new APP firmware file of this embodiment is temporarily stored in the FLASH of the pan-tilt control board. Then the pan-tilt control board determines whether the reception of the new APP firmware file is complete. If so, the pan-tilt control board sends an upgrade command and the new APP firmware file to the pan-tilt through the CAN bus, and writes an upgrade flag magic number to the BKP register of the pan-tilt; if not, continue to receive the new APP firmware file.

[0074] In step S4, the pan-tilt runs the Boot-loader, determines whether there is an upgrade flag magic number in the BKP register. If so, jump to step S5; if not, the pan-tilt jumps to the normal operation of the APP firmware.

[0075] In step S5, the pan-tilt erases the original APP firmware in the FLASH, receives the new APP firmware file from the pan-tilt control board through the CAN bus, writes the new APP firmware file to the corresponding FLASH in sequence, and the pan-tilt upgrades its attitude board and three motor boards in sequence based on the received new APP firmware file.

[0076] The upgrade method of the external environment monitoring system of the aircraft in this embodiment is divided into the perspective of the pan-tilt head and the perspective of the ground station. From the perspective of the pan-tilt head, the upgrade method includes: (1) Power on the aircraft body; (2) Run the Boot-loader, and determine whether there is an upgrade flag magic number in the BKP register. If so, jump to (4); if not, jump to (3); (3) The pan-tilt head jumps to the normal operation of the APP firmware, and determines whether an upgrade command is received from the CAN bus. If so, write the upgrade flag magic number to the BKP register, and then jump to step (2); if not, keep the pan-tilt head running normally; (4) Erase the original APP firmware in the FLASH, and receive the new APP firmware file sent by the pan-tilt control board from the CAN bus, and write the new APP firmware file into the corresponding FLASH in sequence, and then jump to (5); (5) If the reception and writing of the new APP firmware file are completed, jump to the normal operation in the APP. From the perspective of the ground station, the upgrade method includes: (Ⅰ) The operator of the ground station determines whether the pan-tilt head needs to be upgraded. If so, execute (Ⅱ); if not, the pan-tilt head keeps running normally; (Ⅱ) Send a new APP firmware file from the ground station, and forward it to the first communication device of the external environment monitoring component through the server, and the first communication device forwards the new APP firmware file to the pan-tilt control board, and the new APP firmware file is temporarily stored in the FLASH of the pan-tilt control board; (Ⅲ) The pan-tilt control board sends an upgrade command and a new APP firmware file to the pan-tilt head through the CAN bus, and writes the upgrade flag magic number to the BKP register; the pan-tilt head upgrades its attitude board and three motor boards in sequence based on the received new APP firmware file.

[0077] In step S3 of this embodiment, the ground station communicates directly with the first communication device of the external environment monitoring component through WiFi; or the ground station links to the server through the network, and the server communicates with the first communication device of the external environment monitoring component through 4G. The first communication device and the pan-tilt control board communicate through the serial port, and the pan-tilt control board and the pan-tilt head communicate through the CAN bus. The pan-tilt head in this embodiment is a three-axis pan-tilt head.

[0078] In this embodiment, the CAN bus communication is adopted between the pan-tilt control board and the pan-tilt head, which can improve the data transmission efficiency; using the pan-tilt control board as the data transmission hub can improve the reliability of data transmission compared with the previous firmware OTA of the pan-tilt head directly by the ground station.

[0079] In summary, the embodiment of the present invention provides an aircraft, which includes an airframe 1 and an external environment monitoring component. The external environment monitoring component includes a pan-tilt 2, a camera 3, and a first communication device. By additionally providing a first communication device on the pan-tilt 2, the external environment monitoring component has independent communication capabilities. The image of the camera 3 and the control of the pan-tilt 2 can be independently communicated through the first communication device, which can improve communication efficiency and the real-time performance of monitoring. The image of the camera 3 and the control of the pan-tilt 2 do not use the second communication device of the aircraft, reducing the system coupling degree, enabling the flight mission of the aircraft to have sufficient communication link bandwidth, and facilitating the replacement of new pan-tilts and cameras. At the same time, when the aircraft fails, the pan-tilt and the camera can still work normally, improving the safety and reliability of the aircraft and external environment monitoring. In addition, the embodiment of the present invention also provides an external environment monitoring system for an aircraft. The image data captured by the camera can be transmitted to the ground station through the first communication device, and the first communication device can also receive the pan-tilt control instruction issued by the ground station to control the attitude of the pan-tilt. Furthermore, the embodiment of the present invention also provides a startup method for an external environment monitoring system of an aircraft. When the airframe of the aircraft is powered on, the pan-tilt and the camera enter the working state, and it is judged whether an upgrade is required during startup. If an upgrade is required, the ground station transmits the upgrade file data to the first communication device to upgrade the firmware of the pan-tilt.

[0080] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the technical principle of the present invention, several improvements and replacements can be made, and these improvements and replacements should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aircraft, characterized in that, it includes a fuselage, an external environment monitoring component and a display device. The external environment monitoring component includes a pan-tilt head, a camera and a first communication device. The pan-tilt head is connected to the fuselage. The camera and the first communication device are arranged on the pan-tilt head. The camera is communicatively connected to the first communication device. The first communication device is used for real-time video transmission of the camera and receiving control commands of the pan-tilt head. The fuselage is provided with a second communication device, and the second communication device is used for sending fuselage information and receiving fuselage control commands; the external environment monitoring component further includes a power supply and a pan-tilt head control board. The pan-tilt head control board is respectively connected to the power supply, the pan-tilt head and the first communication device. The pan-tilt head control board is used for supplying power to the pan-tilt head and the first communication device, and the pan-tilt head control board is used for data interaction with the pan-tilt head and the first communication device. An external communication interface is provided on the pan-tilt head control board; the display device is arranged inside the fuselage. The display device is connected to the external communication interface. The display device is used for passengers inside the fuselage to view images captured by the camera.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, both the first communication device and the second communication device are LTE communication modules.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, a pan-tilt head control MCU, a first CAN bus isolator and a second CAN bus isolator are provided on the pan-tilt head control board. The first CAN bus isolator and the second CAN bus isolator are respectively connected to the MCU. The first CAN bus isolator is connected to the pan-tilt head. The second CAN bus isolator is connected to the external communication interface.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, a step-down circuit and a voltage stabilizing circuit are provided on the pan-tilt head control board. The step-down circuit is electrically connected to the power supply. The voltage stabilizing circuit is electrically connected to the step-down circuit.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, the pan-tilt head includes an input interface board, an attitude board, three motor driver boards and three motors. The three motors are respectively used for driving the pan-tilt head to perform yaw movement, roll movement and pitch movement. One motor is connected to the input interface board through one of the motor driver boards. The motor driver board is used for controlling the rotation of the motor. The attitude board is used for sampling attitude data of the camera. The input interface board is connected to the pan-tilt head control board.

6. The aircraft according to claim 5, characterized in that, the pan-tilt head control board, the attitude board and the motor driver boards communicate with each other through a bus. The pan-tilt head control board communicates with the first communication device through a communication interface. The camera communicates with the first communication device through Ethernet. The first communication device communicates with a server / ground station through 4G or WiFi.

7. An external environment monitoring system for an aircraft, characterized in that, It includes a ground station, an external environment monitoring component, and a second communication device provided on an aircraft. The external environment monitoring component includes a pan-tilt head, a camera, and a first communication device. The pan-tilt head is used to connect to the aircraft and carry the camera and the first communication device, and adjust its attitude according to the pan-tilt head control command received by the first communication device to adapt to different monitoring requirements. The camera is used to capture images outside the aircraft. The first communication device is used to transmit the images captured by the camera to the ground station, and is used to receive the pan-tilt head control command transmitted by the ground station. The second communication device is used to send aircraft body information and receive aircraft body control commands. The ground station is used to view the images captured by the camera and to send pan-tilt head control commands. The external environment monitoring component further includes a power supply and a pan-tilt head control board. The pan-tilt head control board is respectively connected to the power supply, the pan-tilt head, and the first communication device. The pan-tilt head control board is used to supply power to the pan-tilt head and the first communication device, and the pan-tilt head control board is used to perform data interaction with the pan-tilt head and the first communication device. An external communication interface is provided on the pan-tilt head control board. A display device is provided inside the aircraft body. The display device is connected to the external communication interface. The display device is used for passengers inside the aircraft body to view the images captured by the camera.

8. A firmware OTA method for an external environment monitoring system of an aircraft according to claim 7. Characterized in that It includes the following steps: S1. The aircraft body is powered on, and the ground station establishes a connection with the pan-tilt head. S2. The ground station determines whether the pan-tilt head needs to be upgraded. If so, execute steps S3 to S6. If not, the pan-tilt head operates normally. S3. The ground station sends an upgrade command and an upgrade file to the pan-tilt head. S4. The pan-tilt head determines whether it has received the upgrade command. If so, execute step S5. If not, the pan-tilt head operates normally. S5. The pan-tilt head erases the original firmware file, receives the upgrade file, writes the upgrade file, and then jumps to S6. S6. Determine whether the upgrade file has been written completely. If so, the pan-tilt head resumes normal operation. If not, continue writing. The external environment monitoring system of the aircraft includes a ground station and an external environment monitoring component. The external environment monitoring component includes a pan-tilt head control board, a first communication device, and a pan-tilt head. An attitude board and three motor boards are provided on the pan-tilt head. The upgrade file is an APP firmware file. In step S3, the ground station sends a new APP firmware file, forwards it to the first communication device of the external environment monitoring component through the server, and the first communication device forwards the new APP firmware file to the pan-tilt head control board. The new APP firmware file is temporarily stored in the pan-tilt head control board. Then the pan-tilt head control board determines whether it has received the new APP firmware file completely. If so, the pan-tilt head control board sends an upgrade command and the new APP firmware file to the pan-tilt head, and writes an upgrade flag magic number to the BKP register of the pan-tilt head. If not, continue to receive the new APP firmware file. In step S4, the pan-tilt runs the Boot-loader and checks whether there is an upgrade flag magic number in the BKP register. If so, it jumps to step S5. If not, the pan-tilt jumps to the normal operation of the APP firmware. In step S5, the pan-tilt erases the original APP firmware in the FLASH, receives a new APP firmware file from the pan-tilt control board, writes the new APP firmware file into the corresponding FLASH in sequence, and the pan-tilt upgrades its attitude board and three motor boards in sequence based on the received new APP firmware file.

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