Holder and holder control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a pan-tilt and a pan-tilt control method, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining the posture information of the pan-tilt; determining whether the holder is in a falling state or not according to the attitude information; when the holder is in the falling state, a protection mode is triggered, and the holder is controlled to rotate to a set posture. By means of the method, when it is determined that the holder is in the falling state, the protection mode is triggered, the holder is controlled to rotate to the set posture, it can be understood that the posture is not prone to being broken, and the probability that the holder is broken due to falling is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of a pan / tilt platform, and in particular to a pan / tilt platform and a pan / tilt platform control method. Background Art

[0002] A gimbal is a device that is used to achieve stable control of the target object's posture. In other words, it allows the object to remain still during motion. Taking photography as an example, a gimbal can be a stabilization gimbal. As a support device for installing and fixing the camera, the application of a stabilization gimbal allows the camera operator to still shoot a stable picture during motion. In the actual work of commercial aerial photography, photography, cruise surveillance and hovering platforms, most of them must use a gimbal to stabilize the direction of the camera to keep the shooting picture clear and stable.

[0003] Taking the three-axis gimbal as an example, the gimbal mainly consists of an IMU (Inertial measurement unit) feedback system composed of a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis acceleration sensor, and a servo motor. There are three servo motors distributed on the support arm, which are responsible for the rotation of the three directions of pitch, roll, and yaw. The existing gimbal has a low strength due to the above-mentioned rotation mechanism. The gimbal may fall when the user is operating it, which is very easy to damage, break or crush the gimbal. Summary of the invention

[0004] The invention provides a pan / tilt platform and a pan / tilt platform control method.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a pan / tilt control method is provided, comprising:

[0006] Acquire posture information of a gimbal, wherein the gimbal includes a handle and a gimbal body disposed on the handle;

[0007] Determine whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the posture information;

[0008] When the gimbal is in a falling state, a protection mode is triggered to control the gimbal to rotate to a set posture; wherein, in the set posture, the gimbal body is tilted relative to the handle.

[0009] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a gimbal, comprising: a handle, a gimbal body disposed on the handle, and a processor electrically connected to the gimbal body, wherein the processor is configured to:

[0010] Determining whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the posture information of the gimbal;

[0011] When the gimbal is in a falling state, a protection mode is triggered to control the gimbal to rotate to a set posture; the set posture includes: the central axis of the gimbal body is tilted relative to the central axis of the handle.

[0012] The gimbal control method of the present invention triggers a protection mode when it is determined that the gimbal is in a falling state, and controls the gimbal to rotate to a set posture, which can be understood as a posture that is not easy to be broken, so as to reduce the probability of the gimbal being broken. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] 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.

[0014] Figure 1 It is a flow chart of a pan / tilt control method shown in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a pan / tilt platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gimbal in a falling state shown in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figures 4 to 7 The present invention is a schematic diagram showing the state of a pan / tilt after a protection mode is triggered, as shown in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figures 8 to 11 It is a detailed flow chart of a pan / tilt control method shown in one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0021] The terms used in the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular forms "a", "the" and "the" used in the present invention and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates other meanings. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0022] The following is a detailed description of the pan / tilt and pan / tilt control method of the present invention 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.

[0023] See also Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a pan / tilt control method, comprising the following steps:

[0024] Step S11: Acquire the posture information of the gimbal, wherein the gimbal includes a handle and a gimbal body arranged on the handle.

[0025] Step S12: determining whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the posture information.

[0026] Step S13: When the gimbal is in a falling state, a protection mode is triggered to control the gimbal to rotate to a set posture, wherein in the set posture, the gimbal body is tilted relative to the handle.

[0027] The gimbal control method of the present invention triggers a protection mode when it is determined that the gimbal is in a falling state, and controls the gimbal to rotate to a set posture, which can be understood as a posture that is not easy to be broken, thereby reducing the probability of the gimbal being broken, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0028] In some optional embodiments, the roll axis corresponding to the gimbal body is tilted relative to the handle, and the tilt angle is not 90°. In this way, when the gimbal falls, the contact area between the gimbal body and the ground is not the entire plane, but may only be one side of the gimbal body, and the contact surface is small. The tilted setting can allow the gimbal body to have a certain rotation buffer process after the collision, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0029] In some optional embodiments, the gimbal body includes a roll axis assembly, and in the set posture, the axis corresponding to the roll axis assembly is tilted relative to the handle, and the tilt angle is not 90°. In this way, when the gimbal falls, the contact area between the gimbal body and the ground is small, and the tilted setting method can allow the gimbal body to have a certain rotation buffer process after the collision, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0030] In some optional embodiments, the gimbal is used to carry a camera. In the set posture, an angle is formed between the axis of the camera's lens and the axis of the roll axis corresponding to the gimbal body, so that the camera's lens is set inward, which can protect the lens and the lens lens.

[0031] In some optional embodiments, the gimbal is used to carry a camera, and in the set posture, the camera lens is arranged toward the direction of the roll axis assembly. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the lens 31 of the camera 30 is arranged inwardly (ie, toward the direction of the rolling axis assembly 22), as shown in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the axial direction of the lens 31 (such as Figure 6 The O direction in the figure) and the roll axis (as shown in the figure Figure 6 An included angle β (ie, the angle value of the second set angle) is formed between the lens 31 and the lens 31, which can protect the lens 31 and the lens 31.

[0032] In some optional embodiments, the posture information may include motion information. In the above step S12, the step of determining whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the posture information may further include: determining whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the motion information. Optionally, the motion information of the gimbal may be detected and acquired by an inertial measurement unit to determine whether the gimbal is in a falling state. The height information of a barometer may also be used to determine whether the gimbal is in a falling state. The image and video information captured by the gimbal may also be used to determine whether the gimbal is in a falling state.

[0033] In this embodiment, the motion information includes acceleration, and determining whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the motion information may further include: determining whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the acceleration. Normally, the acceleration of the gimbal when in use is generally not too large. When the gimbal falls off from the hand, the acceleration of the gimbal will rise to a value close to or equal to the acceleration of gravity, thereby determining whether the gimbal is in a falling state. Optionally, the acceleration information of the gimbal can be detected and obtained by an accelerometer arranged inside the gimbal body.

[0034] In order to improve the accuracy of determining whether the gimbal is in a falling state, the determining whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the acceleration may include the following two situations:

[0035] (1) When the accelerometer detects that the magnitude of the acceleration of the gimbal is greater than or equal to a first set value, it is determined that the gimbal is in a falling state. The protection mode is triggered to control the gimbal to rotate to a set posture that is not easy to be broken, so as to reduce the probability of the gimbal being broken. Optionally, the first set value may be a gravity acceleration value.

[0036] (2) When the accelerometer detects that the magnitude of the gimbal's acceleration is greater than or equal to a first set value and the duration of the gimbal maintaining the acceleration is not less than a first set time, it is determined that the gimbal is in a falling state. The protection mode is triggered to control the gimbal to rotate to a set posture that is not easy to be broken, so as to reduce the probability of the gimbal being broken. Optionally, the first set value may be a gravity acceleration value.

[0037] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the gimbal includes a handle 10, a gimbal body 20 disposed on the handle 10, and a camera 30 mounted on the gimbal body 20. The gimbal body 20 includes a yaw axis assembly 21, a roll axis assembly 22 connected to the yaw axis assembly 21, and a pitch axis assembly 23 connected to the roll axis assembly 22, the roll axis assembly 22 is respectively connected to the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21, and the handle 10 is connected to the yaw axis assembly 21. The handle 10 may be provided with a display screen 11, a joystick 12, a button 13, a connection port 14, and an adapter port 15 for connecting an adapter. The connection port 14 may include a data interface and a power interface. The pitch axis assembly 23 may drive the camera 30 to rotate around the pitch axis (such as Figure 2 The roll axis assembly 22 can drive the pitch axis assembly 23 to rotate around the yaw axis and the roll axis Raw axis (as shown in the P direction). Figure 2 The yaw axis assembly 21 can drive the roll axis assembly 22 to rotate around the Yaw axis (as shown in the R direction). Figure 2 The device rotates in the Y direction.

[0038] Optionally, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) may be provided inside the gimbal to detect angle information and acceleration information of the gimbal. The inertial measurement unit may include an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

[0039] In one case, an inertial measurement unit is disposed in the handle 10. The inertial measurement unit can calculate the angle of the handle 10 in space and control the gimbal body 20 to rotate to a corresponding set posture, that is, an angle that is not easily damaged, thereby protecting the gimbal when the gimbal falls to the ground.

[0040] In another case, the inertial measurement unit is set in the camera 30, and the relative angle of the gimbal body 20 in space is detected by the inertial measurement unit, and the relative angle of the handle 10 in space is calculated through the joint angle of the gimbal motor, and the gimbal body 20 is controlled to rotate to a corresponding set posture, that is, an angle that is not easy to be broken, thereby protecting the gimbal when it falls to the ground.

[0041] Figure 2 The central gimbal is in normal condition. Figure 3 The middle gimbal is in a falling state. In the above step S13, the step of controlling the gimbal to rotate to a set posture may further include: Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the roll axis assembly 22 is controlled to rotate by a first set angle α so that the distance h between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 satisfies the set distance. It can be understood that the set distance may refer to the minimum distance between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 during the 360° rotation of the roll axis assembly 22. In this way, the distance between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 can be made as small as possible, so that the pitch axis assembly 23 can be as close to the surface of the yaw axis assembly 21 as possible. When the camera 30 of the gimbal falls downward, the camera 30 directly hits the ground. Along with the impact, the pitch axis assembly 23 used to support the camera 30 is slightly deformed in the direction of reducing h under the action of the impact force. When the deformation is equal to the distance h, the yaw axis assembly 21 can support the pitch axis assembly 23 to prevent the pitch axis assembly 23 from further deformation, thereby solving the problem that the distance between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 is too large, causing the camera 30 to be deformed due to the collision or the motor or shaft arm of the yaw axis assembly 21 to be deformed due to the collision, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0042] Furthermore, the size of h can be the maximum distance that the pitch axis assembly 23 is allowed to deform, that is, the pitch axis assembly 23 can restore the deformation when the deformation amount is less than or equal to h, thereby avoiding permanent damage to the gimbal, while when the deformation amount is greater than h, irreversible damage may occur.

[0043] Optionally, the first setting angle α ranges from 57.5° to 62.5°. In this embodiment, the first setting angle α is 60°, which can minimize the distance between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 .

[0044] See also Figures 2 to 4 , Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the gimbal may include at least one of a limiting structure 16 and a camera 30. In the above step S13, the step of controlling the gimbal to rotate to a set posture may include at least one of the following:

[0045] (1) See Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, the camera includes a lens 31, and the pitch axis assembly 23 is controlled to rotate to a second set angle, so as to drive the lens 31 of the camera 30 to rotate to a direction toward the roll axis assembly 22. It can be understood that Figure 2 The middle head is in a normal state, and the lens of the camera 30 is facing outward (ie, facing away from the rolling axis assembly 22), which is convenient for shooting. Figure 3 As shown), the pitch axis assembly 23 is controlled to rotate to drive the lens 31 of the camera 30 to be arranged inwardly (ie, toward the direction of the roll axis assembly 22), as shown in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the axial direction of the lens 31 (such as Figure 6 The O direction in the figure) and the roll axis (as shown in the figure Figure 6 The angle β (i.e., the angle value of the second set angle) is formed between the lens 31 and the lens 31, which can protect the lens 31 and the lens of the lens 31. Optionally, the range of the second set angle is 177.5° to 182.5°. In this embodiment, the second set angle can be 180°.

[0046] (2) See Figure 7 As shown, the yaw axis assembly 21 is controlled to rotate to a third set angle to drive the camera 30 to rotate in a direction away from the limiting structure 16, so that the camera 30 faces away from the limiting structure 16. Through the above setting, the camera 30 is rotated to a position away from the limiting structure 16. On the one hand, the possibility of the camera 30 colliding with the limiting structure 16 after the gimbal falls can be reduced, thereby protecting the gimbal. On the other hand, by changing the position of the gimbal, the user can be reminded that the gimbal has fallen and triggered a protection mode, thereby improving the user experience. Optionally, the third set angle ranges from 87.5° to 92.5°. In this embodiment, the third set angle can be 90°.

[0047] See also Figure 8 As shown, in some optional embodiments, in the above step S12, triggering the protection mode when the gimbal is in a falling state may further include:

[0048] Step S121: determining whether the gimbal is in a triggering posture according to the posture information.

[0049] Step S122: When the gimbal is in a first triggering posture, a first protection mode is triggered.

[0050] Step S123: When the gimbal is in a second triggering posture, a second protection mode is triggered.

[0051] Since the camera 30 may fall upward or downward when the gimbal falls, different protection modes may be triggered according to different situations of the gimbal falling, so as to better protect the gimbal. Whether the camera 30 falls upward or downward may be determined by the positional relationship between the handle 10 and the gimbal body 20. In this embodiment, the gimbal being in the first triggering posture may mean that the camera 30 falls upward, and the gimbal being in the second triggering posture may mean that the camera 30 falls downward.

[0052] See also Fig. 9 As shown, in the above step S121, determining whether the gimbal is in a triggering posture according to the posture information may further include:

[0053] Step S1211: Determine the positional relationship between the gimbal body 20 and the handle 10 .

[0054] Step S1212: When the gimbal is in a falling state and the gimbal body 20 is located below the handle 10, it is determined that the gimbal is in a first triggering posture, that is, the camera 30 falls upward. Or,

[0055] Step S1213: when the gimbal is in a falling state and the gimbal body 20 is located above the handle 10, it is determined that the gimbal is in a second triggering posture, that is, the camera 30 falls downward.

[0056] Optionally, the positional relationship between the gimbal body 20 and the handle 10 may be determined by an inertial measurement unit. Fig.10 As shown, in the above step S1211, determining the positional relationship between the gimbal body 20 and the handle 10 may further include:

[0057] Step S12111: Obtain the angle information and acceleration information of the gimbal.

[0058] Step S12112: Determine the positional relationship between the gimbal body 20 and the handle 10 according to the angle information and the acceleration information.

[0059] In this embodiment, an inertial measurement unit is provided in the camera 30, and the inertial measurement unit includes an accelerometer, which is used to detect the first posture information qmesa of the camera 30. The second posture information of the handle 10 is determined based on the first posture information of the camera 30 and the joint angle of the gimbal. Taking the three-axis gimbal as an example, when the gimbal is in the forward shooting mode, the roll axis component 22 is configured to rotate around the yaw axis, the pitch axis component 23 is configured to rotate around the roll axis, and the camera 30 is configured to rotate around the pitch axis. The joint angle of the gimbal includes the yaw joint angle joint_yaw, the roll joint angle joint_roll and the pitch joint angle joint_pitch, and each joint angle is the joint angle of the corresponding axis motor. According to the shaft angle conversion formula, q_yaw, q_roll and q_pitch are obtained, and the conjugate or inverse of q_yaw, q_roll and q_pitch are q_yaw_inv, q_roll_inv and q_pitch_inv respectively. The calculation formula of the second posture information qhandle of the handle 10 is as follows (1):

[0060] qhandle=qmesa*q_pitch_inv*q_roll_inv*q_yaw_inv, formula (1); wherein joint represents the joint angle, and q represents the quaternion.

[0061] As described above, different protection modes can be triggered according to different situations in which the gimbal falls. In the above step S1212:

[0062] The triggering of the first protection mode may include: controlling the pitch axis assembly 23 and the roll axis assembly 22 to rotate to a first set position. It can be understood that controlling the pitch axis assembly 23 and the roll axis assembly 22 to rotate to the first set position may refer to controlling the roll axis assembly 22 to rotate by a first set angle α so that the distance h between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 meets the set distance; and controlling the pitch axis assembly 23 to rotate by a second set angle so as to drive the lens 31 of the camera 30 to rotate to a direction toward the roll axis assembly 22. In this way, when the gimbal falls to the ground, the lens 31 and the lens 31 can be protected, and the yaw axis assembly 21 can support the pitch axis assembly 23 to prevent the distance between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 from being too large, resulting in deformation of the camera 30 due to collision or deformation of the motor or shaft arm of the yaw axis assembly 21 due to collision, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0063] Triggering the second protection mode may include: controlling the pitch axis assembly 23 to rotate to the second set position. It is understandable that controlling the pitch axis assembly 23 to rotate to the second set position may refer to controlling the yaw axis assembly 21 to rotate to a third set angle to drive the camera 30 to rotate in a direction away from the limiting structure 16, so that the camera 30 faces away from the limiting structure 16. In this way, rotating the camera 30 to a position away from the limiting structure 16 can, on the one hand, reduce the possibility of the camera 30 colliding with the limiting structure 16 after the gimbal falls, thereby protecting the gimbal. On the other hand, by changing the position of the gimbal, the user can be reminded that the gimbal has fallen and triggered the protection mode, thereby improving the user experience.

[0064] See also Fig.11 As shown, in some optional embodiments, after the above step S13, that is, after the control of the gimbal to rotate to the set posture, the following steps may also be included:

[0065] Step S14: determining whether the gimbal is in a collision state according to the posture information.

[0066] Step S15: When it is determined that the gimbal is in a collision state, a recording mode is triggered to record the posture information of the gimbal before the collision state, and the entire falling situation is inferred through time integration to improve the user experience.

[0067] Optionally, the posture information may include motion information. In the above step S14, determining whether the gimbal is in a collision state according to the posture information may further include: determining whether the gimbal is in a collision state according to the motion information. Optionally, the motion information of the gimbal may be detected and acquired by an inertial measurement unit to determine whether the gimbal is in a collision state. It is also possible to use the altitude information of a barometer to determine whether the gimbal is in a collision state. It is also possible to use the image and video information captured by the gimbal to determine whether the gimbal is in a collision state.

[0068] In this embodiment, the motion information includes acceleration, and determining whether the gimbal is in a collision state according to the motion information may further include: determining whether the gimbal is in a collision state according to the acceleration. Normally, the acceleration of the gimbal when in use is generally not too large. The acceleration is close to or equal to the acceleration of gravity when falling. When the gimbal collides, the acceleration of the gimbal will rise sharply and exceed the acceleration of gravity, so that it can be determined whether the gimbal is in a collision state. Optionally, the acceleration information of the gimbal can be detected and obtained by an accelerometer arranged inside the gimbal body.

[0069] In order to improve the accuracy of judging whether the gimbal is in a collision state, the determination of whether the gimbal is in a collision state according to the acceleration may further include: when the magnitude of the acceleration is greater than or equal to a first set value and the duration of the acceleration is not less than a second set time, determining that the gimbal is in a collision state. Record the posture information of the gimbal before it is in a collision state, and reversely infer the entire fall situation by time integration to improve the user experience. Optionally, the first set value may be a gravity acceleration value.

[0070] In some optional embodiments, in the above step S11, the obtaining of the posture information of the gimbal may further include: detecting and obtaining the posture information of the gimbal in real time when the gimbal is running, thereby adjusting the gimbal to a set posture in real time according to the real-time detection result, so as to reduce the probability of the gimbal being damaged, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0071] In practical applications, the gimbal may include an inertial measurement unit, a control decision module, an execution module, and a recording module. The gimbal control method of the present invention may be implemented by the following steps:

[0072] Step 1: You can maintain a communication connection between the gimbal and the client (such as a mobile phone, etc.), and you can set the drop protection mode to be turned on (that is, trigger the protection mode) in the client's APP.

[0073] Step 2: Collect the gimbal's acceleration information (ax, ay, az) and angle information (rotx, roty, rotz) in real time through the inertial measurement unit.

[0074] Step 3: The control decision module performs fall detection and collision detection based on the acceleration and angle information of the gimbal collected in real time by the inertial measurement unit. and duration T, determine whether the gimbal is in a falling state or a collision state. If the current acceleration of the gimbal is equal to the gravity acceleration and the duration T is not less than the shortest time Tmin1 for triggering a fall, the fall protection mode is triggered, and the execution module executes the following steps 4 and 5. If the current acceleration of the gimbal is not less than the minimum acceleration amin for collision triggering and the duration T is not less than the shortest time Tmin2 for collision triggering, the fall protection mode is triggered, and the execution module executes the following step 6.

[0075] Step 4: The control decision module outputs the control signal of the execution module according to the real-time collected data of the inertial measurement unit and the internal preset protection algorithm.

[0076] Step 5: The execution module controls the gimbal to move to the corresponding set posture according to the control signal output by the control decision module, thereby reducing the probability of the gimbal being damaged, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0077] Step 6: The recording module records the acceleration information and angle information before the gimbal collides, and infers the entire fall through time integration to improve the user experience.

[0078] Step 7: Repeat steps 2-6 above to detect and adjust the gimbal's posture in real time, so that the gimbal is always in the set posture during the fall, reducing the probability of the gimbal being damaged, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0079] See also Figure 2 As shown, the embodiment of the present invention further provides a gimbal, which can be a gimbal camera, a gimbal without a camera, or a gimbal of various drones. It includes: a gimbal body 20 and a processor electrically connected to the gimbal body 20, wherein the processor is used to:

[0080] Determine whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the posture information of the gimbal.

[0081] When the gimbal is in a falling state, a protection mode is triggered to control the gimbal to rotate to a set posture.

[0082] When the processor determines that the gimbal of the present invention is in a falling state, a protection mode is triggered to control the gimbal to rotate to a set posture, which can be understood as a posture that is not easy to be broken, thereby reducing the probability of the gimbal being broken, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0083] In some optional embodiments, the gimbal may further include a collection unit for collecting the posture information of the gimbal, which is electrically connected to the processor. The collection unit is used to send the collected posture information of the gimbal to the processor, so that the processor determines whether the gimbal is in a falling state based on the posture information of the gimbal. Optionally, the collection unit is also used to detect and obtain the posture information of the gimbal in real time when the gimbal is running, so that the processor adjusts the gimbal to a set posture in real time based on the real-time detection results, so as to reduce the probability of the gimbal being broken, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0084] In some optional embodiments, the acquisition unit includes an inertial measurement unit for acquiring angle information and acceleration information of the gimbal, and the inertial measurement unit is electrically connected to the processor. The inertial measurement unit is used to send the acquired angle information and acceleration information of the gimbal to the processor, so that the processor determines whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the posture information of the gimbal.

[0085] Optionally, the posture information includes motion information, the inertial measurement unit is used to collect the motion information of the gimbal and send it to the processor, and the processor is used to determine whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the motion information.

[0086] In this embodiment, the motion information includes acceleration, and the processor is used to determine whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the acceleration. Generally, the acceleration of the gimbal when in use is generally not too large. When the gimbal falls off from the hand, the acceleration of the gimbal will rise to a value close to or equal to the acceleration of gravity, so as to determine whether the gimbal is in a falling state.

[0087] In order to improve the accuracy of determining whether the gimbal is in a falling state, the processor is further used to:

[0088] When the magnitude of the acceleration is greater than or equal to the first set value, it is determined that the gimbal is in a falling state, the protection mode is triggered, and the gimbal is controlled to rotate to a set posture that is not easily broken, so as to reduce the probability of the gimbal being broken. Optionally, the first set value may be a gravity acceleration value. Or when the magnitude of the acceleration is greater than or equal to the first set value and the duration of the acceleration is not less than a first set time, it is determined that the gimbal is in a falling state, the protection mode is triggered, and the gimbal is controlled to rotate to a set posture that is not easily broken, so as to reduce the probability of the gimbal being broken. Optionally, the first set value may be a gravity acceleration value. Optionally, the first set value is a gravity acceleration value.

[0089] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the gimbal includes a handle 10, a gimbal body 20 disposed on the handle 10, and a camera 30 mounted on the gimbal body 20. The gimbal body 20 includes a yaw axis assembly 21, a roll axis assembly 22 connected to the yaw axis assembly 21, and a pitch axis assembly 23 connected to the roll axis assembly 22. The handle 10 may be provided with a display screen 11, a rocker 12, a button 13, a connection port 14, and an adapter port 15 for connecting an adapter. The connection port 14 may include a data interface and a power interface.

[0090] Optionally, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) may be provided inside the gimbal to detect angle information and acceleration information of the gimbal. The inertial measurement unit may include an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

[0091] In one case, an inertial measurement unit is disposed in the handle 10. The inertial measurement unit can calculate the angle of the handle 10 in space and control the gimbal body 20 to rotate to a corresponding set posture, that is, an angle that is not easily damaged, thereby protecting the gimbal when the gimbal falls to the ground.

[0092] In another case, the inertial measurement unit is set in the camera 30, and the relative angle of the gimbal body 20 in space is detected by the inertial measurement unit, and the relative angle of the handle 10 in space is calculated through the joint angle of the gimbal motor, and the gimbal body 20 is controlled to rotate to a corresponding set posture, that is, an angle that is not easy to be broken, thereby protecting the gimbal when it falls to the ground.

[0093] Figure 2 The central gimbal is in normal condition. Figure 3 The center gimbal is in a falling state. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the processor is also used to control the roll axis assembly 22 to rotate to a first set angle α, so that the distance h between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 meets the set distance. It can be understood that the set distance can refer to the minimum distance between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 during the 360° rotation of the roll axis assembly 22. In this way, the distance between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 can be made as small as possible, so that the pitch axis assembly 23 can be as close to the surface of the yaw axis assembly 21 as possible. When the gimbal falls to the ground, the yaw axis assembly 21 can support the pitch axis assembly 23, avoiding the distance between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 being too large, resulting in deformation of the camera 30 due to collision or deformation of the motor or shaft arm of the yaw axis assembly 21 due to collision, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0094] Optionally, the first setting angle α ranges from 57.5° to 62.5°. In this embodiment, the first setting angle α is 60°, which can minimize the distance between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 .

[0095] See also Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the gimbal may include at least one of a limiting structure 16 and a camera 30. The processor is further configured to perform at least one of the following:

[0096] (1) See Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, the camera includes a lens 31, and the processor is further used to control the pitch axis assembly 23 to rotate to a second set angle, so as to drive the lens 31 of the camera 30 to rotate to a direction toward the roll axis assembly 22. It can be understood that Figure 2When the middle gimbal is in a normal state, the lens of the camera 30 is set to face outward (i.e., facing away from the roll axis assembly 22) for easy shooting. When the gimbal is in a falling state, the pitch axis assembly 23 is controlled to rotate to drive the lens 31 of the camera 30 to face inward (i.e., facing the roll axis assembly 22), which can protect the lens 31 and the lens 31. Optionally, the range of the second setting angle is 177.5° to 182.5°. In this embodiment, the second setting angle can be 180°.

[0097] (2) See Figure 7 As shown, the processor is also used to control the yaw axis assembly 21 to rotate to a third set angle to drive the camera 30 to rotate in a direction away from the limiting structure 16, so that the camera 30 faces away from the limiting structure 16. Through the above setting, the camera 30 is rotated to a position away from the limiting structure 16. On the one hand, the possibility of the camera 30 colliding with the limiting structure 16 after the gimbal falls can be reduced, thereby protecting the gimbal. On the other hand, by changing the position of the gimbal, the user can be reminded that the gimbal has fallen and triggered a protection mode, thereby improving the user experience. Optionally, the third set angle ranges from 87.5° to 92.5°. In this embodiment, the third set angle can be 90°.

[0098] See also Figure 8 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0099] Determining whether the gimbal is in a triggering posture according to the posture information;

[0100] When the gimbal is in a first triggering posture, a first protection mode is triggered;

[0101] When the gimbal is in a second triggering posture, a second protection mode is triggered.

[0102] Since the camera 30 may fall upward or downward when the gimbal falls, the processor can trigger different protection modes according to different situations of the gimbal falling, which can better protect the gimbal. Whether the camera 30 falls upward or downward can be determined by the positional relationship between the handle 10 and the gimbal body 20. In this embodiment, the gimbal being in the first trigger posture may mean that the camera 30 falls upward, and the gimbal being in the second trigger posture may mean that the camera 30 falls downward.

[0103] See also Fig. 9 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0104] Determine the positional relationship between the gimbal body 20 and the handle 10;

[0105] When the gimbal is in a falling state and the gimbal body 20 is located below the handle 10, it is determined that the gimbal is in a first triggering posture, that is, the camera 30 falls upward. Alternatively, when the gimbal is in a falling state and the gimbal body 20 is located above the handle 10, it is determined that the gimbal is in a second triggering posture, that is, the camera 30 falls downward.

[0106] Optionally, the angle information of the gimbal and the acceleration information may be obtained by an inertial measurement unit. The processor is further configured to determine the positional relationship between the gimbal body 20 and the handle 10 according to the obtained angle information and acceleration information of the gimbal.

[0107] In this embodiment, an inertial measurement unit is provided in the camera 30, and the inertial measurement unit includes an accelerometer, which is used to detect the first posture information qmesa of the camera 30. The second posture information of the handle 10 is determined based on the first posture information of the camera 30 and the joint angle of the gimbal. Taking the three-axis gimbal as an example, when the gimbal is in the forward shooting mode, the roll axis component 22 is configured to rotate around the yaw axis, the pitch axis component 23 is configured to rotate around the roll axis, and the camera 30 is configured to rotate around the pitch axis. The joint angle of the gimbal includes the yaw joint angle joint_yaw, the roll joint angle joint_roll and the pitch joint angle joint_pitch, and each joint angle is the joint angle of the corresponding axis motor. According to the shaft angle conversion formula, q_yaw, q_roll and q_pitch are obtained, and the conjugate or inverse of q_yaw, q_roll and q_pitch are q_yaw_inv, q_roll_inv and q_pitch_inv respectively. The calculation formula of the second posture information qhandle of the handle 10 is as follows:

[0108] qhandle=qmesa*q_pitch_inv*q_roll_inv*q_yaw_inv, formula (1); wherein joint represents the joint angle, and q represents the quaternion.

[0109] As described above, the processor can trigger different protection modes according to different situations of the gimbal falling. The processor is also used for:

[0110] The first protection mode is triggered, and the pitch axis assembly 23 and the roll axis assembly 22 are controlled to rotate to the first set position. It can be understood that controlling the pitch axis assembly 23 and the roll axis assembly 22 to rotate to the first set position may refer to controlling the roll axis assembly 22 to rotate by the first set angle α, so that the distance h between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 meets the set distance. And the pitch axis assembly 23 is controlled to rotate by the second set angle to drive the lens 31 of the camera 30 to rotate to the direction of the roll axis assembly 22. In this way, when the gimbal falls to the ground, the lens 31 and the lens 31 can be protected, and the yaw axis assembly 21 can support the pitch axis assembly 23, so as to avoid the distance between the pitch axis assembly 23 and the yaw axis assembly 21 being too large, resulting in the deformation of the camera 30 due to collision or the deformation of the motor or shaft arm of the yaw axis assembly 21 due to collision, thereby protecting the gimbal.

[0111] Trigger the second protection mode and control the pitch axis assembly 23 to rotate to the second set position. It can be understood that controlling the pitch axis assembly 23 to rotate to the second set position may refer to controlling the yaw axis assembly 21 to rotate to a third set angle to drive the camera 30 to rotate in a direction away from the limiting structure 16, so that the camera 30 faces away from the limiting structure 16. In this way, rotating the camera 30 to a position away from the limiting structure 16 can, on the one hand, reduce the possibility of the camera 30 colliding with the limiting structure 16 after the gimbal falls, thereby protecting the gimbal. On the other hand, by changing the position of the gimbal, the user can be reminded that the gimbal has fallen and triggered the protection mode, thereby improving the user experience.

[0112] In some optional embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0113] After controlling the gimbal to rotate to a set posture, determining whether the gimbal is in a collision state according to the posture information;

[0114] When it is determined that the gimbal is in a collision state, a recording mode is triggered to record the posture information of the gimbal before the collision state, and the entire fall situation is inferred by time integration to improve the user experience. Optionally, the posture information may include motion information, and the processor is further used to: determine whether the gimbal is in a collision state according to the motion information.

[0115] In this embodiment, the motion information includes acceleration, and the processor is further used to: determine whether the gimbal is in a collision state according to the acceleration. Under normal circumstances, the acceleration of the gimbal when in use is generally not too large. When falling, the acceleration is close to or equal to the acceleration of gravity. When the gimbal collides, the acceleration of the gimbal will rise sharply and exceed the acceleration of gravity, and the processor can determine whether the gimbal is in a collision state.

[0116] In order to improve the accuracy of judging whether the gimbal is in a collision state, the processor is further used to determine whether the gimbal is in a collision state according to the acceleration: when the magnitude of the acceleration is greater than or equal to a first set value and the duration of the acceleration is not less than a second set time, determine that the gimbal is in a collision state. Record the posture information of the gimbal before it is in a collision state, and reverse the entire fall situation by time integration to improve the user experience. Optionally, the first set value can be a gravity acceleration value.

[0117] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. The terms "include", "comprises" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the statement "comprises a ..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0118] The method and device provided in the embodiments of the present invention are introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present invention and its core idea. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scopes. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0119] The disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright is reserved by the copyright owner. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it exists in the official records and files of the Patent and Trademark Office.

Claims

1. A pan / tilt control method, characterized in that: include: Acquire posture information of a gimbal, wherein the gimbal includes a handle and a gimbal body disposed on the handle; Determine whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the posture information; When the gimbal is in a falling state, a protection mode is triggered to control the gimbal to rotate to a set posture, wherein in the set posture, the gimbal body is tilted relative to the handle.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the set posture, the roll axis corresponding to the gimbal body is tilted relative to the handle, and the tilt angle is not 90°.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The gimbal body includes a roll axis assembly. In the set posture, the axis corresponding to the roll axis assembly is tilted relative to the handle, and the tilt angle is not 90°.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gimbal is used to carry a camera. In the set posture, an angle is formed between the axis of the camera lens and the axis of the roll axis corresponding to the gimbal body.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The gimbal is used to carry a camera, and in the set posture, the lens of the camera is arranged toward the direction of the roll axis assembly.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The gimbal body includes a yaw axis assembly, a roll axis assembly connected to the yaw axis assembly, and a pitch axis assembly connected to the roll axis assembly, and controlling the gimbal to rotate to a set posture includes: The roll axis assembly is controlled to rotate at a first set angle so that a distance between the pitch axis assembly and the yaw axis assembly is less than or equal to a set distance.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The first setting angle ranges from 57.5° to 62.5°.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The gimbal further includes at least one of a limiting structure and a camera mounted on the pitch axis assembly; and the step of controlling the gimbal to rotate to a set posture further includes at least one of the following: Controlling the pitch axis assembly to rotate to a second set angle, so as to drive the camera to rotate to a direction toward the roll axis assembly; The yaw axis assembly is controlled to rotate to a third set angle to drive the camera to rotate in a direction away from the limiting structure.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The second setting angle ranges from 177.5° to 182.5°.

10. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The set distance is the maximum distance that the pitch axis assembly is allowed to deform.

11. The method according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that: The gimbal body is used to carry the camera, and the gimbal body includes a yaw axis assembly, a roll axis assembly and a pitch axis assembly. The pitch axis assembly is used to connect with the camera, the handle is connected with the yaw axis assembly, and the roll axis assembly is respectively connected with the pitch axis assembly and the yaw axis assembly.

12. A pan / tilt head, characterized in that: include: A handle, a gimbal body disposed on the handle, and a processor electrically connected to the gimbal body, wherein the processor is used to: Determining whether the gimbal is in a falling state according to the posture information of the gimbal; When the gimbal is in a falling state, a protection mode is triggered to control the gimbal to rotate to a set posture; The set posture includes: the central axis of the gimbal body is tilted relative to the central axis of the handle.

13. The pan / tilt head according to claim 12, characterized in that: In the set posture, the roll axis corresponding to the gimbal body is tilted relative to the handle, and the tilt angle is not 90°.

14. The pan / tilt head according to claim 12, characterized in that: The gimbal body includes a roll axis assembly. In the set posture, the axis corresponding to the roll axis assembly is tilted relative to the handle, and the tilt angle is not 90°.

15. The pan / tilt head according to claim 12, characterized in that: The gimbal body is used to carry the camera, and the gimbal body includes a yaw axis assembly, a roll axis assembly and a pitch axis assembly. The pitch axis assembly is used to connect with the camera, the handle is connected with the yaw axis assembly, and the roll axis assembly is respectively connected with the pitch axis assembly and the yaw axis assembly.

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