Methods and systems for coordinated control of gimbals and aircraft

Abstract

A collaborative control method and system for a gimbal (330) and an aircraft (310), wherein the gimbal (330) is mounted on the aircraft (310), and the method comprises: obtaining the Euler angles of the aircraft (310) and the joint angles of the gimbal (330); when it is detected that the angle of the Euler angles of the aircraft (310) corresponding to a first direction reaches a first preset angle, controlling the increase speed of the Euler angles of the aircraft (310) to be no greater than the first preset speed; when it is detected that the angle of the joint angles of the gimbal (330) corresponding to the first direction reaches a second preset angle, controlling the gimbal (330) to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft (310) in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, wherein the first preset avoidance parameter is related to the increase speed of the Euler angles of the aircraft (310). When the gimbal (330) needs to avoid mechanical limits and avoid looking at the propellers, the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft (310) is limited, and time is reserved for the gimbal (330) to avoid, so that the gimbal (330) can avoid slowly, thereby ensuring the smoothness of the shooting picture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of gimbal and aircraft control, and more specifically to a method and system for collaborative control of a gimbal and an aircraft. Background Art

[0002] Current aircraft are usually equipped with a gimbal, which can stabilize the imaging device so that the imaging device mounted on the gimbal can capture smooth and stable images.

[0003] The joint angle of the gimbal usually has a certain mechanical limit. When the tilt angle of the aircraft is too large, the joint angle of the gimbal may be too large to hit the mechanical limit of the gimbal, or the imaging device mounted on the gimbal may capture the fuselage or blades of the aircraft, making the captured image unusable. In this case, if the gimbal quickly evades in the opposite direction, the image captured by the imaging device will suddenly change; if the evasion speed is too slow, it will cause the evasion to be untimely. Summary of the invention

[0004] A series of simplified concepts are introduced in the Summary of the Invention, which will be further described in detail in the Detailed Description of the Invention. The Summary of the Invention does not mean to attempt to define the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor does it mean to attempt to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0005] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for coordinated control of a gimbal and an aircraft, wherein the gimbal is mounted on the aircraft, and the method includes:

[0006] Obtaining the Euler angles of the aircraft and the joint angles of the gimbal;

[0007] When it is detected that the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction reaches a first preset angle, controlling the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft to be no greater than the first preset speed;

[0008] When it is detected that the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction reaches a second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, and the first preset avoidance parameter is related to the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft.

[0009] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a collaborative control system of a gimbal and an aircraft, the collaborative control system comprising a gimbal, an aircraft, and a control device, the gimbal being mounted on the aircraft, and the control device being used to:

[0010] Obtaining the Euler angles of the aircraft and the joint angles of the gimbal;

[0011] When it is detected that the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction reaches a first preset angle, controlling the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft to be no greater than the first preset speed;

[0012] When it is detected that the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction reaches a second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, and the first preset avoidance parameter is related to the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft.

[0013] According to the collaborative control method and system of the gimbal and the aircraft in the embodiments of the present invention, when the gimbal needs to avoid mechanical limits or avoid looking at the propellers, the increase rate of the Euler angle of the aircraft is limited to reserve time for the gimbal to avoid, so that the gimbal can avoid slowly, thereby ensuring the smoothness of the captured image. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative labor.

[0015] In the attached picture:

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic flow chart showing a method for cooperatively controlling a gimbal and an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0017] Figure 2A A schematic diagram showing an aircraft hovering and a gimbal maintaining a horizontal position according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0018] Figure 2B A schematic diagram showing an aircraft tilting forward and a gimbal remaining horizontal according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of a cooperative control system of a gimbal and an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present invention more obvious, the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments of the present invention, and it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the present invention described in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0021] In the following description, a large number of specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented without one or more of these details. In other examples, in order to avoid confusion with the present invention, some technical features well known in the art are not described.

[0022] It should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in different forms and should not be interpreted as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0023] The purpose of the terms used herein is only to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. When used herein, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said / the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "consisting of" and / or "comprising", when used in this specification, determine the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups. When used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.

[0024] In order to fully understand the present invention, detailed steps and detailed structures will be presented in the following description to illustrate the technical solution proposed by the present invention. The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, but in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present invention may also have other implementations.

[0025] The following is a detailed description of the collaborative control method of the gimbal and the aircraft, the heading measurement system, the drone and the computer-readable storage medium of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the absence of conflict, the features of the following embodiments and implementations can be combined with each other.

[0026] First, refer to Figure 1 , the collaborative control method of the gimbal and the aircraft provided in an embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method 100 for cooperatively controlling a gimbal and an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the gimbal is mounted on the aircraft. Figure 1 As shown, the collaborative control method 100 of the gimbal and the aircraft includes the following steps:

[0027] In step S110, the Euler angles of the aircraft and the joint angles of the gimbal are obtained;

[0028] In step S120, when it is detected that the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction reaches a first preset angle, the increasing speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft is controlled to be no greater than the first preset speed;

[0029] In step S130, when it is detected that the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction reaches a second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, and the first preset avoidance parameter is related to the increase rate of the Euler angle of the aircraft.

[0030] According to the collaborative control method 100 of the gimbal and the aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the gimbal needs to avoid a mechanical limit, the increasing speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft is limited to reserve time for the gimbal to avoid. At the same time, the gimbal avoidance is controlled according to a first preset avoidance parameter related to the increasing speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft, so that the gimbal can avoid slowly, thereby ensuring the smoothness of the shooting picture and avoiding the problem of untimely avoidance.

[0031] The execution subject of the collaborative control method 100 of the gimbal and the aircraft of the embodiment of the present invention may be a control device. The control device may specifically be a flight controller of a drone, or may be other general or dedicated processors. In step S110, the control device obtains the Euler angles of the aircraft and the joint angles of the gimbal in real time, and the obtained Euler angles of the aircraft and the joint angles of the gimbal at least include the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction and the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction.

[0032] The aircraft may be a drone. The aircraft may include one or more power units for providing power for the aircraft to fly in the air. The one or more power units can enable the aircraft to move in one or more degrees of freedom. The aircraft may be a rotorcraft, which may include multiple rotors as power units for flight. Multiple rotors can rotate at the same speed to give the aircraft the same lifting force or propulsion; multiple rotors can also rotate at multiple different speeds to provide different lifting forces or propulsion forces for the aircraft, and can also cause the aircraft to rotate, thereby changing the Euler angle of the aircraft.

[0033] The Euler angle of an aircraft can be used to characterize the attitude angle of the aircraft. The Euler angle of an aircraft is determined by the relationship between the body coordinate system and the geographic coordinate system, and is used to characterize the yaw angle of the aircraft in the yaw direction, the pitch angle in the pitch direction, and the roll angle in the roll direction. The first direction hereinafter may be any one of the yaw direction, the pitch direction, and the roll direction. The Euler angle of an aircraft can be measured by a body sensor, which includes a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a compass, etc. The body sensor is connected to the control device in communication, thereby sending the measured parameters to the control device.

[0034] The aircraft is equipped with a gimbal, which is a device used to stabilize the load mounted on the gimbal, wherein the load of the gimbal may be an imaging device, and the gimbal can also adjust the operating direction of the load, for example, the gimbal can adjust the shooting direction of the imaging device. The gimbal in the embodiment of the present invention may be a two-axis gimbal or a multi-axis gimbal, and the following mainly takes a three-axis gimbal as an example for description.

[0035] Exemplarily, the three-axis gimbal is specifically composed of a gimbal base, a pitch axis motor, a roll axis motor, a yaw axis motor, a pitch axis arm, a roll axis arm, and an imaging device fixing mechanism. The gimbal base can be connected to the aircraft and support other components. The imaging device fixing mechanism can be set on the roll axis arm to fix the imaging device. Among them, the pitch axis motor is used to drive the pitch axis arm to rotate in the pitch direction, thereby changing the pitch angle of the gimbal; the roll axis motor is used to drive the roll axis arm to rotate in the roll direction, thereby changing the roll angle of the gimbal; the yaw axis motor is used to drive the yaw axis arm to rotate in the yaw direction, thereby changing the yaw angle of the gimbal. When the gimbal rotates, the imaging device rotates with the rotation of the gimbal, so that the shooting direction of the imaging device changes.

[0036] See also Figure 2A and Figure 2B ,in Figure 2A The figure shows the state when the aircraft 210 is hovering and the gimbal 220 is horizontal, and the joint angle of the gimbal 220 is 0°; Figure 2B The state when the aircraft 210 is tilted forward and the gimbal 220 is horizontal is shown. At this time, the attitude angle of the aircraft 210 changes. If the attitude angle of the gimbal 220 is to be kept horizontal, the gimbal joints of the gimbal 220 need to be adjusted, and the joint angles will change. Exemplarily, the attitude angle of the gimbal can be obtained by an inertial measurement unit arranged on the gimbal; the joint angles corresponding to the various rotation axes of the gimbal can be obtained by angle sensors arranged in the yaw axis motor, the roll axis motor, and the pitch axis motor. The joint angle of the gimbal obtained in step S110 includes at least the joint angle of the gimbal in one of the pitch, roll, and yaw directions, which is the first direction. For example, if the Euler angle of the aircraft obtained in step S110 includes the angle corresponding to the pitch direction, the obtained joint angle of the gimbal includes at least the joint angle of the gimbal in the pitch direction.

[0037] The gimbal is provided with corresponding mechanical limits in one or more directions of yaw, pitch and roll, so that the gimbal cannot achieve unlimited rotation in this direction. In addition, when the joint angle of the gimbal reaches a certain angle, the imaging device on the gimbal will have the situation of looking at the propellers. For example, assuming that the joint angle of the gimbal in the pitch direction is limited to +45° and -130°, but when the joint angle of the gimbal reaches +32°, the imaging device mounted on the gimbal may capture the propeller blades on the left and right sides of the aircraft. Therefore, when the Euler angle of the aircraft reaches a certain angle, the Euler angle of the gimbal is no longer maintained unchanged, but the gimbal needs to be controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft to avoid mechanical limits and avoid looking at the propellers.

[0038] In an embodiment of the present invention, it is necessary to coordinate the control of the gimbal and the aircraft during avoidance. Specifically, in step S120, when it is detected that the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction reaches the first preset angle, the increase rate of the Euler angle of the aircraft is controlled to be no greater than the first preset speed. Wherein, when the gimbal is a three-axis gimbal, the first direction may be any one of the pitch direction, the roll direction and the yaw direction. By limiting the increase rate of the Euler angle of the aircraft in the first direction, more time can be reserved for the avoidance of the gimbal, so that the gimbal can avoid slowly, avoiding sudden changes in the picture taken by the imaging device fixed to the gimbal, and at the same time avoiding the problem that the Euler angle of the aircraft changes too fast and the gimbal fails to avoid in time.

[0039] At the same time, in step S130, when it is detected that the angle of the gimbal's joint angle corresponding to the first direction reaches the second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter, so as to avoid mechanical limit and avoid looking at the propeller. Among them, the first preset avoidance parameter is related to the increase rate of the aircraft's Euler angle. For example, by configuring the first preset avoidance parameter and the increase rate of the aircraft's Euler angle, the gimbal can be able to avoid slowly while not hitting the limit or looking at the propeller due to untimely avoidance. Exemplarily, in the process of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter, the increase rate of the angle of the gimbal's joint angle corresponding to the first direction is not less than the increase rate of the angle of the aircraft's Euler angle corresponding to the first direction, so as to avoid the problem of untimely avoidance.

[0040] In one embodiment, the avoidance mode of the above-mentioned collaborative control of the gimbal and the aircraft is called the first avoidance mode, that is, when it is detected that the angle corresponding to the first direction in the Euler angle of the aircraft reaches the first preset angle, the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft is controlled to be no greater than the first preset speed; when it is detected that the angle corresponding to the first direction in the joint angle of the gimbal reaches the second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter related to the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft, so as to avoid mechanical limit and avoid looking at the propeller. Optionally, when it is detected that the state of the aircraft, the gimbal and the imaging device carried by the gimbal meets the preset conditions, the above-mentioned first avoidance mode is entered, and the gimbal is controlled to avoid slowly while limiting the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft. On the contrary, if it is detected that the state of the aircraft, the gimbal and the imaging device carried by the gimbal does not meet the preset condition, the second avoidance mode can be entered. In the second avoidance mode, the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft is not limited, and the avoidance speed of the gimbal is relatively fast. The specific details of the second avoidance mode will be described later.

[0041] Exemplarily, the states of the aircraft, the gimbal, and the imaging device of the gimbal meet preset conditions, including: the aircraft is in a non-braking state, the imaging device of the gimbal is in an imaging state, and the target Euler angle of the gimbal is within a first preset range.

[0042] Specifically, first, the increase rate of the Euler angle of the aircraft needs to be limited in the first avoidance mode. Therefore, one of the conditions that needs to be met to enter the first avoidance mode is that the aircraft is in a non-braking state; and when the aircraft is in a braking state, considering flight safety, the aircraft needs to be stopped as soon as possible, and it is not appropriate to limit the increase rate of the Euler angle of the aircraft, so the first avoidance mode is not entered. Among them, the braking state of the aircraft includes brake by releasing the lever, brake triggered by remote control button, or emergency brake automatically triggered by the aircraft.

[0043] Second, the main purpose of adopting the above-mentioned first avoidance mode is to avoid sudden changes in the images captured by the imaging device of the gimbal, so that the state of the imaging device of the gimbal can be detected in real time, and the first avoidance mode is entered when the imaging device of the gimbal is in the imaging state. Conversely, if the imaging device of the gimbal is not in the imaging state, the first avoidance mode may not be entered.

[0044] Third, the Euler angle of the aircraft can usually only change within a certain range. When the Euler angle of the gimbal is within a certain range, there is no possibility of hitting the limit or looking at the paddle, so there is no need to enter the avoidance mode. Specifically, the maximum Euler angle and the minimum Euler angle of the aircraft and the positive and reverse mechanical limits of the gimbal in the first direction can be comprehensively considered to determine the angle range where there is a possibility of hitting the limit; on this basis, the maneuverability of the aircraft can be further considered to ultimately determine the first preset range that avoids excessive loss of maneuverability of the aircraft. For general aircraft and gimbals, it is more appropriate to set the upper limit range of avoidance to 5°~-8° and the lower limit range of avoidance to -70°~-90°.

[0045] After entering the first avoidance mode, when the Euler angle of the aircraft in the first direction reaches the first preset angle, the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft begins to be limited, that is, the speed at which the Euler angle of the aircraft increases is limited. Wherein, the first preset angle is, for example, -25°, and the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft can be limited to no more than -1° / s, the purpose of which is to slow down the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft, extend the time for the aircraft to reach the maximum Euler angle (for example, -35°), and reserve sufficient time for the gimbal to actively avoid downward. Wherein, the first preset angle can include two, for example, a positive first preset angle and a negative first preset angle, and the first preset angle can be reached when the aircraft is tilted forward or backward.

[0046] For example, taking the first direction as the pitch direction, if the first avoidance mode is not entered, the control process of the pitch angle of the aircraft is as follows:

[0047] When fc_pitch_cmd>-PITCH_THRD,

[0048] Fc_pitch_cmd=fc_pitch_cmd_last+pitch_cmd_spd*tick;

[0049] Among them, Fc_pitch_cmd is the attitude instruction of the pitch angle of the aircraft, PITCH_THRD is the first preset angle in the pitch direction, for example, -25°, fc_pitch_cmd_last is the attitude instruction of the pitch angle of the aircraft in the last operation cycle, pitch_cmd_spd is the pitch angle increase speed before limiting the pitch angle increase speed, which is much greater than the first preset speed, for example, 200° / s, and tick is the operation cycle. The above expression means that when the attitude instruction of the pitch angle of the aircraft does not reach the first preset angle, the increase speed of the pitch angle of the aircraft is not limited.

[0050] In contrast, in the first avoidance mode, the pitch angle control process of the aircraft is as follows:

[0051] When fc_pitch_cmd<-PITCH_THRD and fc_pitch_cmd_target<-PITCH_THRD,

[0052] Fc_pitch_cmd=fc_pitch_cmd_last+pitch_cmd_spd_smooth*tick;

[0053] Among them, Fc_pitch_cmd_target is the final target value of the aircraft's pitch angle. For example, when the aircraft flies forward at the maximum speed with the full stick in S gear, Fc_pitch_cmd_target is -35°.

[0054] Pitch_cmd_spd_smooth is the speed of increase of the pitch angle of the aircraft after being restricted, which is no greater than the first preset speed, for example, it can be 1° / s. The above expression means that when the attitude command of the pitch angle of the aircraft and the final target value of the pitch angle of the aircraft are both greater than the first preset angle, the speed of increase of the pitch angle of the aircraft is limited to no greater than the first preset speed, and the pitch angle of the aircraft is controlled to increase slowly at the restricted speed, thereby extending the time taken by the aircraft to reach the target Euler angle. The first preset speed can be the set change rate of the Euler angle of the corresponding drone when the speed of the drone is controlled normally by using the stick without avoiding the limit or looking at the paddle.

[0055] As described above, since the increase speed of the aircraft's Euler angle is limited when the gimbal needs to avoid mechanical limits and avoid looking at the propeller, the time taken by the aircraft to reach the target Euler angle is extended, so the gimbal can be controlled to avoid slowly to avoid sudden changes in the picture taken by the imaging device. The following shows three exemplary first avoidance modes that the gimbal can adopt, but the gimbal can also adopt other feasible first avoidance modes for slow avoidance.

[0056] Among them, the first avoidance mode of the gimbal can be called a fixed target Euler angle avoidance mode. In the fixed target Euler angle avoidance mode, the above-mentioned control of the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter, so that the Euler angle of the gimbal reaches a preset target Euler angle, wherein the target Euler angle may include two, respectively close to the upper limit range and the lower limit range of avoidance; the target Euler angle may also be one. Specifically, in the first avoidance mode, the joint angle of the gimbal in the first direction is detected in real time. If the joint angle of the gimbal in the first direction reaches a second preset angle, for example, greater than 30°, or less than -128°, the Euler angle of the gimbal in the first direction is controlled to reach a fixed target Euler angle. Since the Euler angle of the aircraft has a certain range when it flies in a normal flight attitude, if the gimbal moves to the fixed target Euler angle, when the aircraft flies in a normal attitude, it will not cause the problem of looking at the propeller or hitting the limit.

[0057] Exemplarily, in the fixed target Euler angle avoidance mode, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter so that the Euler angle of the gimbal reaches the preset target Euler angle, including: determining the angle difference between the current Euler angle of the gimbal and the target Euler angle; determining the maximum avoidance speed according to the angle difference and the preset avoidance running time; planning the avoidance acceleration section and the avoidance deceleration section according to the maximum avoidance speed and the preset avoidance acceleration time and the preset avoidance deceleration time; adjusting the Euler angle of the gimbal according to the planned avoidance acceleration section and avoidance deceleration section so that the Euler angle of the gimbal reaches the preset target Euler angle when the avoidance speed of the gimbal is decelerated to zero. Among them, parameters such as the target Euler angle and the preset avoidance running time are reasonable parameters determined according to the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft. Of course, the method for making the Euler angle of the gimbal reach the preset target Euler angle is not limited to this, as long as the Euler angle of the gimbal can reach the target Euler angle within the avoidance time reserved by the aircraft.

[0058] Continuing with the example that the first direction is the pitch direction and the Euler angle of the gimbal in the first direction is the pitch angle, when the joint angle of the gimbal reaches the second preset angle, the target Euler angle of the gimbal is first obtained, for example,

[0059] When the joint angle of the gimbal joint_angle>30°, the target Euler angle of the gimbal

[0060] gb_target_avoid_pitch=-8°;

[0061] When the gimbal's joint angle joint_angle<-128°, the gimbal's target Euler angle gb_target_avoid_pitch=-85°;

[0062] Get the preset avoidance running time, for example avoid_time = 5s;

[0063] Get the preset avoidance acceleration time, for example avoid_time_acc=1s;

[0064] Get the preset avoidance deceleration time, for example avoid_time_dec = 4s;

[0065] Exemplarily, a preset uniform speed running time avoid_time_avg may be set between the preset avoidance acceleration time and the preset avoidance deceleration time, but the preset uniform speed running time is only optional, and the uniform speed running time may be 0, that is, avoid_time_avg=0s;

[0066] The total avoidance time is the sum of the preset avoidance acceleration time, the preset avoidance deceleration time and the preset uniform speed running time, that is:

[0067] avoid_time=avoid_time_acc+avoid_time_dec+avoid_time_avg.

[0068] Calculate the angle difference between the gimbal's current Euler angle and the target Euler angle at the moment of avoidance:

[0069] Error=gb_target_cur–gb_target_avoid_pitch;

[0070] Calculate the maximum movement speed based on the angle difference and the total avoidance time:

[0071] Pitch_spd_max=Error / avoid_time*2;

[0072] The acceleration of the acceleration section is calculated based on the maximum movement speed and the preset avoidance acceleration time:

[0073] Avoid_acc=pitch_spd_max / avoid_time_acc;

[0074] Calculate the deceleration acceleration based on the maximum motion speed and the preset avoidance deceleration time:

[0075] Avoid_dec=pitch_spd_max / avoid_time_dec;

[0076] Calculate the deceleration distance at the maximum avoidance speed:

[0077] Avoid_dec_distance = 1 / 2 * avoid_dec * avoid_time_dec^2。

[0078] After triggering avoidance, the real-time update process of the target Euler angles of the pan-tilt is as follows:

[0079] Calculate the error between the current pitch of the pan-tilt and the target pitch in real time:

[0080] Error_current = gb_target_cur – gb_target_avoid_pitch;

[0081] Calculate the current deceleration distance in real time:

[0082] Avoid_dec_distance_cur = 1 / 2 * pitch_avoid_spd_cur^2 / avoid_dec^2;

[0083] If pitch_avoid_spd_cur < pitch_spd_max and the current error is greater than the current deceleration distance, then during the acceleration phase of avoidance, accelerate according to the above acceleration Avoid_acc:

[0084] Pitch_avoid_spd_cur = pitch_avoid_spd_cur_last + avoid_acc * tick;

[0085] Gb_target_cur = gb_target_cur_last + pitch_avoid_spd_cur * tick;

[0086] If the current avoidance speed pitch_avoid_spd_cur = pitch_spd_max, then during the constant-speed phase of avoidance, maintain constant-speed operation:

[0087] Gb_target_cur = gb_target_cur_last + pitch_avoid_spd_cur * tick;

[0088] If the current error is less than or equal to the current deceleration distance or the deceleration distance at the maximum avoidance speed, that is, Avoid_dec_distance_cur >= Error_current or avoid_dec_distanc >= Error_current, then during the deceleration phase of avoidance, decelerate according to the deceleration phase:

[0089] pitch_avoid_spd_cur=pitch_avodi_spd_cur_last–avoid_dec*tick;

[0090] gb_target_cur=gb_target_cur_last+pitch_avoid_spd_cur*tick;

[0091] When the current avoidance speed is decelerated to 0, the avoidance is considered to be completed, that is, Pitch_avoid_spd_cur=0;Gb_target_cur=gb_target_cur_last=gb_target_avoid_pitch;

[0092] At this point, the current Euler angle of the gimbal has reached the preset target Euler angle.

[0093] The second avoidance mode of the gimbal can be called a fixed-stroke avoidance mode. In the fixed-stroke avoidance mode, the above-mentioned control of the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: controlling the gimbal to rotate a preset stroke according to the first preset avoidance parameter, thereby avoiding the limit. Specifically, the joint angle of the gimbal is detected in real time, and when the joint angle of the gimbal reaches the second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate a preset stroke, that is, the Euler angle of the gimbal in the first direction is controlled to change a fixed angle, such as 8°. In this mode, each time the gimbal avoidance is triggered, the rotation stroke of the gimbal is consistent, so the operating speed and operating time of the gimbal are also basically consistent.

[0094] Exemplarily, in the fixed-stroke avoidance mode, the gimbal is controlled to rotate a preset stroke according to the first preset avoidance parameter, including: determining the maximum avoidance speed according to the preset stroke and the preset avoidance operation time; planning the avoidance acceleration section and the avoidance deceleration section according to the maximum avoidance speed and the preset avoidance acceleration time and the preset avoidance deceleration time; adjusting the Euler angle of the gimbal according to the planned avoidance acceleration section and avoidance deceleration section, so that the gimbal runs the preset stroke when the avoidance speed is decelerated to zero. Parameters such as the preset stroke and the preset avoidance operation time are reasonable parameters determined according to the increase rate of the Euler angle of the aircraft. Of course, the method of rotating the gimbal by a preset stroke is not limited to this, as long as the gimbal can be rotated by a preset stroke within the avoidance time reserved for the aircraft.

[0095] Continuing to take the first direction as the pitch direction and the Euler angle of the gimbal in the first direction as the pitch angle as an example, when the joint angle of the gimbal in the first direction reaches the second preset angle, first obtain the preset travel avoid_distance_total of the gimbal, for example, avoid_distance_total = 8°;

[0096] Obtain the preset avoidance running time avoid_time, obtain the preset avoidance acceleration time avoid_time_acc, and obtain the preset avoidance deceleration time avoid_time_dec; optionally, the uniform running time avoid_time_avg can also be obtained;

[0097] Calculate the maximum movement speed based on the preset travel distance and the preset avoidance running time:

[0098] Pitch_spd_max = avoid_distance_total / avoid_time * 2;

[0099] Calculate the acceleration in the acceleration phase based on the maximum movement speed and the preset avoidance acceleration time:

[0100] Avoid_acc = pitch_spd_max / avoid_time_acc;

[0101] Calculate the deceleration in the deceleration phase based on the maximum movement speed and the preset avoidance deceleration time:

[0102] Avoid_dec = pitch_spd_max / avoid_time_dec;

[0103] Calculate the distance in the deceleration phase at the maximum avoidance speed:

[0104] Avoid_dec_distance = 1 / 2 * avoid_dec * avoid_time_dec^2;

[0105] After triggering the avoidance, the real-time update process of the gimbal target pitch is as follows:

[0106] Calculate the error between the current pitch of the gimbal and the target pitch in real time:

[0107] Error_current = gb_target_cur – gb_target_avoid_pitch;

[0108] If the current avoidance speed pitch_avoid_spd_cur is less than the maximum movement speed pitch_spd_max, that is, pitch_avoid_spd_cur < pitch_spd_max, then in the acceleration phase of the avoidance, accelerate according to the acceleration avoid_acc in the acceleration phase:

[0109] Pitch_avoid_spd_cur = pitch_avoid_spd_cur_last + avoid_acc * tick;

[0110] Gb_target_cur=gb_target_cur_last+pitch_avoid_spd_cur*tick;

[0111] If pitch_avoid_spd_cur = pitch_spd_max, then in the uniform speed section to be avoided, the vehicle will maintain uniform speed:

[0112] Gb_target_cur=gb_target_cur_last+pitch_avoid_spd_cur*tick;

[0113] If the current error is less than or equal to the speed limit distance under the maximum avoidance speed, that is, avoid_dec_distance>=Error_current, then in the avoidance deceleration segment, deceleration is performed according to the deceleration segment acceleration Avoid_dec:

[0114] pitch_avoid_spd_cur=pitch_avodi_spd_cur_last–avoid_dec*tick;

[0115] gb_target_cur=gb_target_cur_last+pitch_avoid_spd_cur*tick;

[0116] When the gimbal's current avoidance speed Pitch_avoid_spd_cur decelerates to 0, the avoidance ends. At this time, the gimbal has run the preset stroke, that is, the pitch angle of the gimbal has changed by a preset angle in the opposite direction of the limit compared to when the avoidance was triggered.

[0117] The third avoidance mode of the gimbal can be called a fixed target joint angle avoidance mode. In the fixed target joint angle avoidance mode, the above-mentioned control of the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter, so that the joint angle of the gimbal reaches the target joint angle, and the target joint angle is determined based on the preset margin and the second preset angle. Specifically, in this avoidance mode, the current joint angle of the gimbal is detected in real time. If the current joint angle is greater than the second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft until the current joint angle is less than the second preset angle, and a certain preset margin is left. In this avoidance mode, the joint angle of the gimbal can be detected in real time. Whenever the joint angle reaches the second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft, so that the joint angle of the gimbal reaches the target joint angle, and the stroke of each operation is shorter.

[0118] Exemplarily, in the fixed target joint angle avoidance mode, controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter so that the joint angle of the gimbal reaches the preset target joint angle includes: obtaining in real time the current angle difference between the current joint angle of the gimbal and the second preset angle; determining the avoidance speed according to the current angle difference and the preset margin; controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the avoidance speed, so that the joint angle of the gimbal reaches the target joint angle when the avoidance speed decelerates to zero. Of course, the method of making the joint angle of the gimbal reach the preset target joint angle is not limited to this, as long as the joint angle of the gimbal can reach the target joint angle within the avoidance time reserved by the aircraft.

[0119] Continuing with the first direction being the pitch direction and the Euler angle of the gimbal in the first direction being the pitch angle as an example, when the joint angle of the gimbal reaches the second preset angle, that is, when Joint_angle > joint_angle_limit_up (for example, 30 deg) or Joint_angle < joint_angle_limit_down (for example, -128 deg),

[0120] Calculate the angle value by which the joint angle of the gimbal exceeds the second preset angle:

[0121] Avoid_over_angle = joint_angle – joint_angle_limit_up;

[0122] (Or Avoid_over_angle = joint_angle – joint_angle_limit_down);

[0123] Obtain the preset margin:

[0124] Avoid_angle = 3 - 5 deg;

[0125] Obtain the preset speed coefficient:

[0126] Avoid_spd_coef = 2 - 5;

[0127] The angle that the gimbal needs to avoid is the sum of the angle value by which the joint angle of the gimbal exceeds the second preset angle and the preset margin, and calculate the avoidance speed according to the angle that the gimbal needs to avoid and the speed coefficient:

[0128] Avoid_spd = avoid_spd_coef * (avoid_over_angle + avoid_angle);

[0129] Update the target pitch angle of the gimbal in real time according to the avoidance speed:

[0130] Gb_target_cur=gb_target_cur_last+avoid_spd*tick;

[0131] When the avoidance speed avoid_spd = 0 is detected, the avoidance ends, and the joint angle of the gimbal has reached the target joint angle.

[0132] As described above, when it is detected that the status of the aircraft and the gimbal do not meet the preset conditions for entering the first avoidance mode, the second avoidance mode can be entered. Specifically, when any one of the conditions that the aircraft is in a non-braking state, the imaging device of the gimbal is in an imaging state, and the target Euler angle of the gimbal is within the first preset range is not met, the second avoidance mode is entered. For example, if the aircraft is in a braking state, considering flight safety, the aircraft should be stopped as soon as possible, so the first avoidance mode that requires limiting the Euler angle of the aircraft is not entered.

[0133] Among them, the second avoidance mode includes: when it is detected that the angle of the aircraft's Euler angle corresponding to the first direction reaches the first preset angle, and the angle of the gimbal's joint angle corresponding to the first direction reaches the second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the second preset avoidance parameter to avoid the mechanical limit. In the second preset avoidance mode, the duration of the gimbal avoiding the mechanical limit is less than the duration of the gimbal avoiding the mechanical limit in the first preset avoidance mode. In other words, the second avoidance mode does not additionally limit the increase speed of the aircraft's Euler angle, and the aircraft can quickly reach the target Euler angle, so the gimbal needs to quickly avoid in a short time.

[0134] The second avoidance mode can also be implemented by making the Euler angle of the gimbal reach a fixed target Euler angle when the avoidance is triggered, making the gimbal run a fixed stroke or making the joint angle of the gimbal reach the target joint angle. Unlike the first avoidance mode, its avoidance speed is faster. For example, when the joint angle of the gimbal reaches the target joint angle, the preset speed coefficient can be set larger, so that the gimbal can quickly avoid the limit. In this case, the picture taken by the imaging device may change suddenly, but the limit can be avoided quickly, and the gimbal will not hit the mechanical limit or the shooting device will not see the blade; at the same time, it will not affect the rapid braking of the aircraft.

[0135] The above exemplarily describes the exemplary steps included in the collaborative control method of the gimbal and the aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention. The collaborative control method of the gimbal and the aircraft according to the embodiment of the present invention limits the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft when the gimbal needs to avoid mechanical limits and avoid looking at the propellers, reserving time for the gimbal to avoid, and at the same time controls the gimbal to avoid according to a first preset avoidance parameter related to the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft, so that the gimbal can avoid slowly, thereby ensuring the smoothness of the shooting picture.

[0136] Another aspect of the present invention provides a collaborative control system for a gimbal and an aircraft. Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a collaborative control system 300 of a gimbal and an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the collaborative control system 300 of the gimbal and the aircraft includes an aircraft 310, a control device 320 and a gimbal 330. The gimbal 330 is mounted on the aircraft 310, and the gimbal 330 and the aircraft 310 are communicated with the control device 320. Only the main functions of the collaborative control system 300 of the gimbal and the aircraft are described below, and some details described above are omitted.

[0137] The aircraft 310 may be a drone, such as a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle. The gimbal 330 carried on the aircraft 310 may be a two-axis gimbal or a three-axis gimbal, and the control device 320 may be a flight controller of the aircraft 310 or other general or dedicated processors.

[0138] Specifically, the control device 320 is used to: obtain the Euler angles of the aircraft 310 and the joint angles of the gimbal 330; when it is detected that the angle of the Euler angles of the aircraft 310 corresponding to the first direction reaches a first preset angle, control the increase speed of the Euler angles of the aircraft 310 to be no greater than the first preset speed; when it is detected that the angle of the joint angles of the gimbal 330 corresponding to the first direction reaches a second preset angle, control the gimbal 330 to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, and the first preset avoidance parameter is related to the increase speed of the Euler angles of the aircraft 310.

[0139] The control device 320 is also used to: enter a first avoidance mode when it is detected that the states of the aircraft 310, the gimbal 330 and the imaging device carried by the gimbal 330 meet preset conditions; wherein the first avoidance mode includes: when it is detected that the angle corresponding to the first direction in the Euler angle of the aircraft 310 reaches a first preset angle, controlling the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft 310 to be no greater than the first preset speed; when it is detected that the angle corresponding to the first direction in the joint angle of the gimbal 330 reaches a second preset angle, controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, and the first preset avoidance parameter is related to the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft 310.

[0140] Exemplarily, the states of the aircraft 310, the gimbal 330 and the imaging device of the gimbal 330 meet preset conditions, including: the aircraft 310 is in a non-braking state, the imaging device of the gimbal 330 is in an imaging state, and the target Euler angle of the gimbal 330 is within a first preset range.

[0141] Exemplarily, the first preset range includes an upper limit range for avoidance and a lower limit range for avoidance. The upper limit range for avoidance and the lower limit range for avoidance may be determined according to the maximum Euler angle and the minimum Euler angle of the aircraft 310, the mechanical limit of the gimbal 330, and the maneuverability of the aircraft 310. For example, the upper limit range for avoidance may be 5° to -8°, and the lower limit range for avoidance may be -70° to -90°.

[0142] Exemplarily, in the process of controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter, the increasing rate of the angle in the joint angle of the gimbal 330 corresponding to the first direction is not less than the increasing rate of the angle in the Euler angle of the aircraft 310 corresponding to the first direction.

[0143] Exemplarily, controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 in a first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 according to the first preset avoidance parameter so that the Euler angle of the gimbal 330 reaches a preset target Euler angle.

[0144] Specifically, controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 in a first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter so that the Euler angle of the gimbal 330 reaches a preset target Euler angle may include the following steps: determining the angle difference between the current Euler angle of the gimbal 330 and the target Euler angle; determining the maximum avoidance speed according to the angle difference and a preset avoidance running time; planning an avoidance acceleration section and an avoidance deceleration section according to the maximum avoidance speed and a preset avoidance acceleration time and a preset avoidance deceleration time; adjusting the Euler angle of the gimbal 330 according to the planned avoidance acceleration section and avoidance deceleration section so that the Euler angle of the gimbal 330 reaches the preset target Euler angle when the avoidance speed of the gimbal 330 is decelerated to zero.

[0145] Exemplarily, controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate a preset stroke according to the first preset avoidance parameter. Specifically, controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate a preset stroke according to the first preset avoidance parameter may include the following steps: determining a maximum avoidance speed according to a preset stroke and a preset avoidance running time; planning an avoidance acceleration section and an avoidance deceleration section according to the maximum avoidance speed and a preset avoidance acceleration time and a preset avoidance deceleration time; adjusting the Euler angle of the gimbal 330 according to the planned avoidance acceleration section and avoidance deceleration section, so that the gimbal 330 runs the preset stroke when the avoidance speed is decelerated to zero.

[0146] Exemplarily, controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter, so that the joint angle of the gimbal 330 reaches the target joint angle, and the target joint angle is determined based on the preset margin and the second preset angle. Specifically, controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter, so that the joint angle of the gimbal 330 reaches the target joint angle, may include the following steps: obtaining in real time the current angle difference of the current joint angle of the gimbal 330 exceeding the second preset angle; determining the avoidance speed according to the current angle difference and the preset margin; controlling the gimbal 330 to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 in the first direction according to the avoidance speed, so that the joint angle of the gimbal 330 reaches the target joint angle when the avoidance speed is decelerated to zero.

[0147] In one embodiment, the control device 320 is also used to: enter a second avoidance mode when it is detected that the states of the aircraft 310 and the gimbal 330 do not meet the preset conditions; wherein the second avoidance mode includes: when it is detected that the angle corresponding to the first direction in the Euler angle of the aircraft 310 reaches the first preset angle, and the angle corresponding to the first direction in the joint angle of the gimbal 330 reaches the second preset angle, the gimbal 330 is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft 310 in the first direction according to the second preset avoidance parameter to avoid mechanical limit. In the second preset avoidance mode, the duration of the gimbal 330 avoiding the mechanical limit is shorter than the duration of the gimbal 330 avoiding the mechanical limit in the first preset avoidance mode.

[0148] The above describes the main functions of the various components of the collaborative control system 300. For further details, please refer to the relevant description in the collaborative control method 100 of the gimbal and the aircraft above, which will not be repeated here.

[0149] In addition, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the aforementioned collaborative control method 100 of the gimbal and the aircraft can be implemented.

[0150] For example, the computer storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium. The computer storage medium may include, for example, a memory card of a smart phone, a storage component of a tablet computer, a hard disk of a personal computer, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media. The computer-readable storage medium may be any combination of one or more computer-readable storage media.

[0151] To summarize, the collaborative control method and system of the gimbal and the aircraft according to the embodiments of the present invention limits the speed of increase of the aircraft's Euler angle when the gimbal needs to avoid mechanical limits and avoid looking at the propellers, thereby reserving time for the gimbal to avoid and allowing the gimbal to avoid slowly, thereby ensuring the smoothness of the captured image.

[0152] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of the present invention.

[0153] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0154] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0155] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0156] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0157] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the methods described in each embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0158] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, which should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

[0159] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto. Various changes and modifications may be made therein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as required by the appended claims.

[0160] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of the present invention.

[0161] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed.

[0162] In the description provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it is understood that embodiments of the present invention can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0163] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present invention and help understand one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the various features of the present invention are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, the method of the present invention should not be interpreted as reflecting the following intention: the claimed invention requires more features than the features explicitly stated in each claim. More specifically, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the inventive point is that the corresponding technical problem can be solved with less than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the specific embodiment are hereby expressly incorporated into the specific embodiment, wherein each claim itself serves as a separate embodiment of the present invention.

[0164] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, except for mutually exclusive features, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or device disclosed in this specification may be combined in any combination. Unless otherwise expressly stated, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature that provides the same, equivalent or similar purpose.

[0165] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, the combination of features of different embodiments is meant to be within the scope of the present invention and form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any one of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

[0166] The various component embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, or in software modules running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some modules according to embodiments of the present invention. The present invention can also be implemented as a device program (e.g., a computer program and a computer program product) for executing part or all of the methods described herein. Such a program implementing the present invention can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can have the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0167] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference symbol between brackets shall not be construed as a limitation on the claims. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising a number of different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim enumerating a number of means, several of these means may be embodied by the same hardware item. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc., does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

[0168] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present invention or an explanation of a specific embodiment. The protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, which should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A collaborative control method of a gimbal and an aircraft, wherein the gimbal is mounted on the aircraft, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtaining the Euler angles of the aircraft and the joint angles of the gimbal; When it is detected that the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction reaches a first preset angle, limiting the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft; When it is detected that the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction reaches a second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, and the first preset avoidance parameter is related to the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft.

2. The collaborative control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When it is detected that the status of the aircraft, the gimbal, and the imaging device carried by the gimbal meet preset conditions, entering a first avoidance mode; Among them, the first avoidance mode includes: when it is detected that the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction reaches a first preset angle, limiting the increase rate of the Euler angle of the aircraft; when it is detected that the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction reaches a second preset angle, controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, and the first preset avoidance parameter is related to the increase rate of the Euler angle of the aircraft.

3. The collaborative control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The states of the aircraft, the gimbal, and the imaging device of the gimbal meet preset conditions, including: The aircraft is in a non-braking state, an imaging device of the gimbal is in an imaging state, and a target Euler angle of the gimbal is within a first preset range.

4. The collaborative control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first preset range includes an avoidance upper limit range and an avoidance lower limit range.

5. The collaborative control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The avoidance upper limit range and the avoidance lower limit range are determined according to the maximum Euler angle and the minimum Euler angle of the aircraft, the mechanical limit of the gimbal, and the maneuverability of the aircraft.

6. The collaborative control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The avoidance upper limit ranges from 5° to -8°, and the avoidance lower limit ranges from -70° to -90°.

7. The collaborative control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the process of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter, the increasing speed of the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction is not less than the increasing speed of the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction.

8. The collaborative control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: The gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, so that the Euler angle of the gimbal reaches a preset target Euler angle.

9. The collaborative control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The step of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter so that the Euler angle of the gimbal reaches a preset target Euler angle includes: Determine the angle difference between the current Euler angle of the gimbal and the target Euler angle; determining a maximum avoidance speed according to the angle difference and a preset avoidance operation time; Planning the avoidance acceleration section and the avoidance deceleration section according to the maximum avoidance speed and the preset avoidance acceleration time and the preset avoidance deceleration time; The Euler angle of the gimbal is adjusted according to the planned avoidance acceleration section and avoidance deceleration section, so that when the avoidance speed of the gimbal is decelerated to zero, the Euler angle of the gimbal reaches the preset target Euler angle.

10. The collaborative control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: The pan / tilt head is controlled to rotate a preset stroke according to a first preset avoidance parameter.

11. The collaborative control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The step of controlling the pan / tilt head to rotate a preset stroke according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: Determining a maximum avoidance speed according to the preset travel distance and the preset avoidance operation time; Planning the avoidance acceleration section and the avoidance deceleration section according to the maximum avoidance speed and the preset avoidance acceleration time and the preset avoidance deceleration time; The Euler angle of the gimbal is adjusted according to the planned avoidance acceleration section and avoidance deceleration section, so that the gimbal runs the preset stroke when the avoidance speed is decelerated to zero.

12. The collaborative control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: The gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, so that the joint angle of the gimbal reaches a target joint angle, and the target joint angle is determined based on a preset margin and the second preset angle.

13. The collaborative control method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The step of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter so that the joint angle of the gimbal reaches a target joint angle includes: Acquire a current angle difference of the current joint angle of the gimbal exceeding the second preset angle; Determining an avoidance speed according to the current angle difference and the preset margin; The gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the avoidance speed, so that when the avoidance speed is decelerated to zero, the joint angle of the gimbal reaches the target joint angle.

14. The collaborative control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When it is detected that the status of the aircraft and the gimbal do not satisfy the preset condition, entering the second avoidance mode; Among them, the second avoidance mode includes: when it is detected that the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction reaches a first preset angle, and the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction reaches a second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a second preset avoidance parameter. In the second avoidance mode, the duration of the gimbal avoiding mechanical limit is shorter than the duration of the gimbal avoiding mechanical limit in the first avoidance mode.

15. A collaborative control system of a gimbal and an aircraft, characterized in that: The collaborative control system includes a gimbal, an aircraft, and a control device, wherein the gimbal is mounted on the aircraft, and the control device is used to: Obtaining the Euler angles of the aircraft and the joint angles of the gimbal; When it is detected that the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction reaches a first preset angle, limiting the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft; When it is detected that the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction reaches a second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, and the first preset avoidance parameter is related to the increase speed of the Euler angle of the aircraft.

16. The collaborative control system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The control device is also used for: When it is detected that the status of the aircraft, the gimbal, and the imaging device carried by the gimbal meet preset conditions, entering a first avoidance mode; Among them, the first avoidance mode includes: when it is detected that the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction reaches a first preset angle, limiting the increase rate of the Euler angle of the aircraft; when it is detected that the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction reaches a second preset angle, controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, and the first preset avoidance parameter is related to the increase rate of the Euler angle of the aircraft.

17. The collaborative control system according to claim 16, characterized in that: The states of the aircraft, the gimbal, and the imaging device of the gimbal meet preset conditions, including: The aircraft is in a non-braking state, an imaging device of the gimbal is in an imaging state, and a target Euler angle of the gimbal is within a first preset range.

18. The collaborative control system according to claim 17, characterized in that: The first preset range includes an avoidance upper limit range and an avoidance lower limit range.

19. The collaborative control system according to claim 18, characterized in that: The avoidance upper limit range and the avoidance lower limit range are determined according to the maximum Euler angle and the minimum Euler angle of the aircraft, the mechanical limit of the gimbal, and the maneuverability of the aircraft.

20. The collaborative control system according to claim 19, characterized in that: The avoidance upper limit ranges from 5° to -8°, and the avoidance lower limit ranges from -70° to -90°.

21. The collaborative control system according to claim 15, characterized in that: In the process of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter, the increasing speed of the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction is not less than the increasing speed of the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction.

22. The collaborative control system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The step of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: The gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter, so that the Euler angle of the gimbal reaches a preset target Euler angle.

23. The collaborative control system according to claim 22, characterized in that: The step of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter so that the Euler angle of the gimbal reaches a preset target Euler angle includes: Determine the angle difference between the current Euler angle of the gimbal and the target Euler angle; determining a maximum avoidance speed according to the angle difference and a preset avoidance operation time; Planning the avoidance acceleration section and the avoidance deceleration section according to the maximum avoidance speed and the preset avoidance acceleration time and the preset avoidance deceleration time; The Euler angle of the gimbal is adjusted according to the planned avoidance acceleration section and avoidance deceleration section, so that when the avoidance speed of the gimbal is decelerated to zero, the Euler angle of the gimbal reaches the preset target Euler angle.

24. The collaborative control system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The step of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: The pan / tilt head is controlled to rotate a preset stroke according to a first preset avoidance parameter.

25. The collaborative control system according to claim 24, characterized in that: The step of controlling the pan / tilt head to rotate a preset stroke according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: Determining a maximum avoidance speed according to the preset travel distance and the preset avoidance operation time; Planning the avoidance acceleration section and the avoidance deceleration section according to the maximum avoidance speed and the preset avoidance acceleration time and the preset avoidance deceleration time; The Euler angle of the gimbal is adjusted according to the planned avoidance acceleration section and avoidance deceleration section, so that the gimbal runs the preset stroke when the avoidance speed is decelerated to zero.

26. The collaborative control system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The step of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter includes: The gimbal and the aircraft are controlled to rotate in the same direction according to a first preset avoidance parameter so that a joint angle of the gimbal reaches a target joint angle, where the target joint angle is determined based on a preset margin and the second preset angle.

27. The collaborative control system according to claim 26, characterized in that: The step of controlling the gimbal to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the first preset avoidance parameter so that the joint angle of the gimbal reaches a target joint angle includes: Acquire a current angle difference of the current joint angle of the gimbal exceeding the second preset angle; Determining an avoidance speed according to the current angle difference and the preset margin; The gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to the avoidance speed, so that when the avoidance speed is decelerated to zero, the joint angle of the gimbal reaches the target joint angle.

28. The collaborative control system according to claim 16, characterized in that: The control device is also used for: When it is detected that the status of the aircraft and the gimbal do not satisfy the preset condition, entering the second avoidance mode; Among them, the second avoidance mode includes: when it is detected that the angle of the Euler angle of the aircraft corresponding to the first direction reaches a first preset angle, and the angle of the joint angle of the gimbal corresponding to the first direction reaches a second preset angle, the gimbal is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the aircraft in the first direction according to a second preset avoidance parameter. In the second avoidance mode, the duration of the gimbal avoiding mechanical limit is shorter than the duration of the gimbal avoiding mechanical limit in the first avoidance mode.

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