Take-off and landing response system and method of unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a take-off and landing response system and method for an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a fuselage with a shell and a flight power module connected to the fuselage. The take-off and landing strain system comprises a first sensor, at least one second sensor and a processing unit. The first sensor is arranged at the bottom of the shell and located at the position below the gravity center of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and is configured to detect first sensing information. The second sensor is arranged on the side portion of the shell, the side portion is adjacent to the bottom, and the second sensor is configured to detect second sensing information. The processing unit is coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, and is configured to: determine whether the first sensing information satisfies a first contact condition to determine a take-off and landing operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and judging whether the second sensing information meets a second contact condition or not so as to determine the on-off state of the flight power module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular to a take-off and landing response system and method for unmanned aerial vehicles. Background Art

[0002] Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) refers to a flying device without a pilot in the aircraft. It can be divided into a manual control mode controlled by a remote control, or an automatic flight mode in which the control system automatically flies and lands in various environments to perform multiple tasks. The take-off method of a UAV can include taking off from the ground or taking off by hand. For hand-thrown UAVs, the take-off and landing operations of the UAV are still dangerous to the owner of the hand-held UAV. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention provides a take-off and landing response system and method for an unmanned aerial vehicle, which can reduce the probability of accidents occurring when the owner is operating the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0004] Based on the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention proposes a take-off and landing strain system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a fuselage having a shell and a flight power module connected to the fuselage, wherein the take-off and landing strain system comprises: a first sensor, disposed at a position below the center of gravity of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the bottom of the shell, the first sensor being configured to detect first sensing information; at least one second sensor, disposed at a side portion of the shell, the side portion being adjacent to the bottom, the at least one second sensor being configured to detect second sensing information; and a processing unit, coupled to the first sensor and the at least one second sensor, the processing unit being configured to: determine whether the first sensing information satisfies a first contact condition to determine the take-off and landing operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and determine whether the second sensing information satisfies a second contact condition to determine the opening and closing state of the flight power module.

[0005] Preferably, the first contact condition is: the capacitance value change is greater than a preset value, or the detection distance is less than a preset distance; or, the second contact condition is: the capacitance value change is greater than a preset value, or the detection distance is less than a preset distance.

[0006] Preferably, the first sensor and the at least one second sensor are respectively one of a capacitive sensor, an image sensor and a distance sensor.

[0007] Preferably, if the second sensing information satisfies the second contact condition, the flight power module is in a closed state; if the second sensing information does not satisfy the second contact condition, the flight power module is in an activated state.

[0008] Preferably, if the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition, the take-off and landing operation of the drone is prohibited; if the first sensing information does not satisfy the first contact condition, the take-off and landing operation of the drone is allowed.

[0009] Preferably, the take-off and landing operation is to make the drone fly vertically upward or vertically downward.

[0010] Preferably, if the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition and the second sensing information does not satisfy the second contact condition, the flight power module is in an activated state and provides a lift force that is less than a force sufficient to make the drone take off vertically upward; or,

[0011] If the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition, and the second sensing information does not satisfy the second contact condition, the flight power module can provide a hovering lift sufficient to maintain the drone in a hovering mode.

[0012] Preferably, if the first sensing information and the second sensing information do not satisfy the first contact condition and the second contact condition respectively, the flight power module is in an activated state and can provide the take-off and landing force required for the drone to move vertically upward or vertically downward within a predetermined height.

[0013] Preferably, the drone can only move vertically upward or vertically downward within the predetermined height.

[0014] Based on the above purpose, the present invention also proposes a take-off and landing response method for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle includes a fuselage having a shell and a flight power module connected to the fuselage, characterized in that the take-off and landing response method includes: detecting first sensing information with a first sensor, the first sensor is arranged at a position below the center of gravity of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the bottom of the shell; detecting second sensing information with at least one second sensor, the at least one second sensor is arranged on a side of the shell, the side being adjacent to the bottom; judging whether the first sensing information satisfies a first contact condition to determine the take-off and landing operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and judging whether the second sensing information satisfies a second contact condition to determine the opening and closing state of the flight power module.

[0015] Preferably, if the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition and the second sensing information does not satisfy the second contact condition, the flight power module is in an activated state and provides a lift that is less than a force sufficient to make the drone take off vertically upward; or, if the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition and the second sensing information does not satisfy the second contact condition, the flight power module is able to provide a hovering lift sufficient to maintain the drone in a hovering mode.

[0016] Preferably, if the first sensing information and the second sensing information do not satisfy the first contact condition and the second contact condition, the flight power module is in an activated state and can provide the take-off and landing force required for the drone to move vertically upward or vertically downward within a predetermined height.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the drone take-off and landing response system and method proposed in the present invention determines the relevant response actions for drone take-off and landing by judging whether the sensing information provided by the first sensor and at least one second sensor meets the contact conditions, thereby reducing the probability of accidents occurring during the operation of the holder. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A block diagram of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0019] Figure 2 A perspective view of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown from a first viewing angle; and

[0020] Figure 3 A stereoscopic view of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown from a second viewing angle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In order to provide a further understanding of the purpose, structure, features, and functions of the present invention, the following detailed description is given in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0022] The drone take-off and landing response system and method of the present invention determines the response actions related to the drone take-off and landing by judging whether the sensing information provided by the first sensor and at least one second sensor meets the contact condition, so as to reduce the probability of accidents when the holder operates. Further, the drone take-off and landing operation can be determined by judging whether the first sensing information meets the first contact condition; and the opening and closing state of the flight power module can be determined by judging whether the second sensing information meets the second contact condition.

[0023] The following will describe in detail various embodiments of the present invention, and will be illustrated with drawings. In addition to these detailed descriptions, the present invention can also be widely implemented in other embodiments, and any easy replacement, modification, and equivalent changes of the embodiments are included in the scope of the present invention, and are subject to the scope of the subsequent patent. In the description of the specification, in order to give the reader a more complete understanding of the present invention, many specific details and implementation examples are provided; however, these specific details and implementation examples should not be regarded as limitations of the present invention. In addition, well-known steps or elements are not described in detail to avoid unnecessary limitations of the present invention. In the drawings, the same or similar element symbols are used to represent the same or similar elements.

[0024] Figure 1A block diagram of a drone 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 2 A perspective view of a drone 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in a first perspective; Figure 3 A perspective view of the drone 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown from a second viewing angle.

[0025] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The take-off and landing response system 120 is installed and applied in the drone 100. The take-off and landing response system 120 can detect whether the drone 100 is currently held by the holder, and then provide relevant response actions.

[0026] The drone 100 may include a fuselage 110, a flight power module 130, and an attitude sensor 140. The fuselage 110 may have a housing 111. The flight power module 130 is connected to the fuselage 110 and may include at least one motor 131a, 131b, 131c, 131d and at least one propeller 132a, 132b, 132c, 132d. The motors 131a, 131b, 131c, 131d may be connected to corresponding propellers 132a, 132b, 132c, 132d, and may drive the propellers 132a, 132b, 132c, 132d to provide ascending or descending thrust to the drone 100. The attitude sensor 140 may be disposed in the fuselage 110, including but not limited to a gravity sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, an electronic compass, etc., to detect the current attitude of the drone 100.

[0027] The take-off and landing response system 120 includes a first sensor 121, at least one second sensor 122, and a processing unit 123. The first sensor 121 is disposed at the bottom 111a of the housing 111 and is located below the center of gravity Cg of the drone 100. That is, the gravity exerted on the center of gravity Cg of the drone 100 passes through the first sensor 121. In one embodiment, the housing 111 may include a battery pack, and the first sensor 121 may be disposed at the bottom of the battery pack, and the bottom of the battery pack may be a part of the bottom 111a of the housing 111. The second sensor 122 is disposed at the side 111b1 and / or 111b2 of the housing 111. The side 111b1 and 111b2 are disposed opposite to each other and are respectively adjacent to the bottom 111a. In one embodiment, the number of the second sensor 122 may be two, respectively disposed on the two side portions 111b1 and 111b2 of the shell 111 ; in another embodiment, the number of the second sensor 122 may be one, disposed on one of the two side portions 111b1 and 111b2 of the shell 111 .

[0028] The first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122 may be one of a capacitive sensor, an image sensor, and a distance sensor, respectively. If the first sensor 121 and / or the second sensor 122 are capacitive sensors, the first sensor 121 and / or the second sensor 122 may be disposed on the inner side of the housing 111 and hidden in the bottom 111a; if the first sensor 121 and / or the second sensor 122 are image sensors or distance sensors, the first sensor 121 and / or the second sensor 122 may be disposed on the outer side of the housing 111 and exposed outside the bottom 111a. Therefore, the configuration position of the first sensor 121 and / or the second sensor 122 may be disposed on the inner surface or the outer surface of the bottom 111a according to different types of sensors.

[0029] In addition, the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122 can be set at a position that the holder can easily grasp and reach with one hand. Furthermore, the shell 111 can have a long side and a short side. The long side is parallel to the X-axis, and the short side is parallel to the Y-axis, so it can have a relatively narrow and long appearance, so that the holder can naturally hold the shell 111 with the palm of one hand facing the positive direction of the Z-axis. When the holder's hand holds the shell 111, the palm corresponds to the position of the first sensor 121, and the thumb and the other four fingers correspond to the positions of the second sensors 122 arranged oppositely on both sides. In other words, the shell 111 is configured to be suitable for being held by a single hand, and the first sensor 121 is suitable for sensing whether the palm is in contact, and thereby detecting the first sensing information; the second sensor 122 is suitable for sensing whether the thumb or the other four fingers are in contact, and thereby detecting the second sensing information. In a specific embodiment, if Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the second sensor 122 can have a long strip shape and be arranged along the X-axis to accommodate different hand sizes of different people. Furthermore, the bottom 111a and the two side portions 111b1, 111b2 can also be designed to accommodate different curvatures of human palms when they are flat or gripping.

[0030] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The processing unit 123 is coupled to the attitude sensor 140 and the motors 131a, 131b, 131c, and 131d. In addition, the processing unit 123 is also coupled to the first sensor 121 and at least one second sensor 122, and receives the first sensing information and the second sensing information detected by the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122. The processing unit 123 can determine whether the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition to determine the take-off and landing operation of the drone 100; and determine whether the second sensing information satisfies the second contact condition to determine the opening and closing state of the flight power module 130.

[0031] In some embodiments, when the first sensor 121 and / or the second sensor 122 is a capacitive sensor, the first sensing information and / or the second sensing information includes a capacitance value; when it is determined that the capacitance value changes by more than a preset value, it can be determined that the first sensing information and / or the second sensing information meets the first contact condition and / or the second contact condition. In other embodiments, when the first sensor 121 and / or the second sensor 122 is an image sensor or a distance sensor, the first sensing information and / or the second sensing information includes the detected distance; when it is determined that the detected distance is less than the preset value, it can be determined that the first sensing information and / or the second sensing information meets the first contact condition and / or the second contact condition.

[0032] Table 1 is an embodiment of the relevant strain actions of the hand-thrown UAV 100 during take-off and landing.

[0033]

[0034] Table 1

[0035] When the holder holds the housing 111 of the drone 100 with one hand, as shown in the holding mode of Table 1, the palm of the holder touches the first sensor 121 at the bottom 111a, and the thumb and / or other four fingers touch the second sensor 122 at the side 111b1 and / or 111b2. In this case, the processing unit 123 determines that the first sensing information detected by the first sensor 121 meets the first contact condition, and the second sensing information detected by the second sensor 122 meets the second contact condition, so that the motors 131a, 131b, 131c, and 131d are turned off, and the propellers 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d cannot rotate accordingly. In other words, when the processing unit 123 determines that the first sensing information and the second sensing information meet the first contact condition and the second contact condition respectively, the flight power module 130 is in a closed state to avoid starting the propellers 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d of the drone 100 and injuring the holder. At this time, the drone 100 cannot fly vertically upward or downward, and the take-off and landing operations of the drone 100 are prohibited.

[0036] When the holder holds the housing 111 of the drone 100 with one hand, such as the holding mode in Table 1, the palm of the holder touches the first sensor 121, and the thumb and other four fingers do not touch the second sensor 122. In this case, the processing unit 123 determines that the first sensing information detected by the first sensor 121 meets the first contact condition, but the second sensing information detected by the second sensor 122 does not meet the second contact condition, and the motors 131a, 131b, 131c, and 131d can be activated, and accordingly the propellers 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d can rotate and provide a lift, which is less than the force sufficient to make the drone 100 take off vertically. The processing unit 123 can control the rotation speed of each motor 131a, 131b, 131c, 131d according to the information of the attitude sensor 140, so that the lift generated by the four propellers 132a, 132b, 132c, 132d of the drone 100 is less than or equal to the downward force exerted on the drone 100, so that the drone 100 cannot take off vertically. If the lift generated by the propellers 132a, 132b, 132c, 132d is almost equal to the weight of the drone 100, it means that the palm only slightly touches the bottom 111a of the housing 111 but hardly provides the upward support force for the drone 100, so that the drone 100 can be maintained in the hovering mode. That is, when the processing unit 123 determines that the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition, but the second sensing information does not satisfy the second contact condition, the flight power module 130 is in the activated state and can provide a hovering lift sufficient to keep the drone 100 in the hovering mode, that is, the maximum lift is the hovering lift that keeps the drone 100 in the hovering mode. At this time, the drone 100 still cannot fly vertically upward or downward, and the take-off and landing operations of the drone 100 are prohibited.

[0037] When the holder throws the drone 100 upward, the palm of the hand is detached from the drone 100, or the drone 100 is landing from the air, such as the hand-throwing take-off and landing mode in Table 1, the palm, thumb and other four fingers of the holder do not touch the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122. In this case, the processing unit 123 determines that the first sensing information detected by the first sensor 121 does not meet the first contact condition, and the second sensing information detected by the second sensor 122 does not meet the second contact condition, and the motors 131a, 131b, 131c, and 131d can be started, and the propellers 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d can rotate accordingly, and can provide a downward force required to make the drone 100 move vertically upward or downward within a predetermined height. When the drone 100 is within a predetermined height, the processing unit 123 can control the rotation speed of each motor 131a, 131b, 131c, 131d according to the information of the attitude sensor 140, so that the four propellers 132a, 132b, 132c, 132d of the drone 100 generate a downward force required for vertical upward or downward movement. In other words, when the processing unit 123 determines that both the first sensing information and the second sensing information do not meet the first contact condition and the second contact condition, the flight power module 130 is in an activated state and can provide a downward force required for the drone 100 to move vertically upward or downward. At this time, the drone 100 can fly vertically upward or downward, allowing the drone 100 to perform take-off and landing operations.

[0038] In the aforementioned hand-throw takeoff and landing mode, the drone 100 can only move vertically upward or downward within a predetermined height. For example, once the processing unit 123 determines that both the first sensing information and the second sensing information do not meet the first contact condition and the second contact condition, the drone 100 can only fly vertically upward or downward within a predetermined height of 3 meters; after the height exceeds 3 meters, it can fly left and right, thereby reducing the risk of injuring or colliding with the holder. Furthermore, the processing unit 123 can receive information transmitted by the holder using remote control, and use the information to determine whether the drone 100 can only move vertically upward or downward. For example, if the holder turns on the switch on the remote control that controls only vertical upward or downward movement, the drone 100 can only move vertically upward or downward, or turns off the switch, and the drone 100 is not restricted to only move vertically upward or downward movement.

[0039] According to the above-mentioned relevant response actions when the drone 100 takes off and lands, the processing unit 123 can determine the take-off and landing operation of the drone 100 by judging whether the first sensing information meets the first contact condition. For example, when the palm touches the first sensor 121, it means that the holder holds the drone 100 in a holding mode or a flat support mode, and the processing unit 123 prohibits the execution of the take-off and landing operation of the drone 100, so that the drone 100 cannot fly vertically upward or downward; when the palm does not touch the first sensor 121, it means that the holder is in a hand-throwing take-off and landing mode, and the processing unit 123 allows the execution of the take-off and landing operation of the drone 100, so that the drone 100 can fly vertically upward or downward. In addition, the processing unit 123 can determine the on / off state of the flight power module 130 by judging whether the second sensing information meets the second contact condition. For example, when the thumb and / or other four fingers touch the second sensor 122, it means that the holder holds the drone 100 in a holding mode, and the processing unit 123 controls the flight power module 130 to be in a closed state. At this time, the motors 131a~131d are turned off, and the propellers 132a~132d cannot rotate to avoid hurting the holder; when the thumb and other four fingers do not touch the second sensor 122, it means that the holder holds the drone 100 in a flat support mode, or performs a hand-throw take-off and landing mode, and the processing unit 123 controls the flight power module 130 to be in an activated state, and the motors 131a~131d are activated, and the propellers 132a~132d can rotate.

[0040] Through the above-mentioned relevant response actions when the drone 100 takes off and lands, in the manual control mode of the drone 100, when the operator and the holder of the drone 100 are different persons, the danger that may be caused by the uncoordinated actions of the operator and the holder can be avoided. In the automatic flight mode of the drone 100, the blind spots of the automatic flight program can also be avoided to ensure the safety of the holder.

[0041] In summary, the present invention proposes a drone take-off and landing response system and method, which determines the relevant response actions of the drone take-off and landing by judging whether the sensing information provided by a first sensor and at least one second sensor meets the contact conditions, so as to reduce the probability of accidents during the operation of the holder and ensure the safety of the holder.

[0042] The present invention has been described by the above-mentioned relevant embodiments, however, the above-mentioned embodiments are only examples for implementing the present invention. It must be pointed out that the disclosed embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. On the contrary, changes and modifications made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention are all within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A take-off and landing strain system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a fuselage having a shell and a flight power module connected to the fuselage, characterized in that: The take-off and landing response system includes: A first sensor is disposed at a bottom of the housing below the center of gravity of the drone, the first sensor being configured to detect first sensing information; at least one second sensor disposed on a side of the housing, the side being adjacent to the bottom, the at least one second sensor being configured to detect second sensing information; and A processing unit is coupled to the first sensor and the at least one second sensor, and the processing unit is configured to: Determining whether the first sensing information satisfies a first contact condition to determine a take-off and landing operation of the drone; and It is determined whether the second sensing information satisfies a second contact condition to determine the on / off state of the flight power module.

2. The take-off and landing response system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first contact condition is: the capacitance value change is greater than a preset value, or the detection distance is less than a preset distance; or the second contact condition is: the capacitance value change is greater than a preset value, or the detection distance is less than a preset distance.

3. The take-off and landing response system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first sensor and the at least one second sensor are respectively one of a capacitive sensor, an image sensor and a distance sensor.

4. The take-off and landing response system according to claim 1, characterized in that: If the second sensing information satisfies the second contact condition, the flight power module is in a closed state; if the second sensing information does not satisfy the second contact condition, the flight power module is in an activated state.

5. The take-off and landing response system according to claim 1, characterized in that: If the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition, the take-off and landing operation of the drone is prohibited; if the first sensing information does not satisfy the first contact condition, the take-off and landing operation of the drone is allowed.

6. The take-off and landing response system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The take-off and landing operation is to make the drone fly vertically upward or vertically downward.

7. The take-off and landing response system according to claim 1, characterized in that: If the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition, and the second sensing information does not satisfy the second contact condition, the flight power module is in an activated state and provides a lift force that is less than a force sufficient to make the drone take off vertically; or, If the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition, and the second sensing information does not satisfy the second contact condition, the flight power module can provide a hovering lift sufficient to maintain the drone in a hovering mode.

8. The take-off and landing response system according to claim 1, characterized in that: If the first sensing information and the second sensing information do not satisfy the first contact condition and the second contact condition respectively, the flight power module is in an activated state and can provide the take-off and landing force required for the drone to move vertically upward or vertically downward within a predetermined height.

9. The take-off and landing response system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The drone can only move vertically upward or vertically downward within the predetermined height.

10. A take-off and landing response method for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a fuselage having a shell and a flight power module connected to the fuselage, characterized in that: The take-off and landing response method includes: Detecting first sensing information with a first sensor, wherein the first sensor is disposed at a position below the center of gravity of the drone at the bottom of the housing; Detecting second sensing information with at least one second sensor, wherein the at least one second sensor is disposed on a side portion of the housing, the side portion being adjacent to the bottom; Determining whether the first sensing information satisfies a first contact condition to determine a take-off and landing operation of the drone; and It is determined whether the second sensing information satisfies a second contact condition to determine the on / off state of the flight power module.

11. The take-off and landing strain method according to claim 10, characterized in that: If the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition, and the second sensing information does not satisfy the second contact condition, the flight power module is in an activated state and provides a lift force that is less than a force sufficient to enable the drone to take off vertically upward; or, If the first sensing information satisfies the first contact condition, and the second sensing information does not satisfy the second contact condition, the flight power module can provide a hovering lift sufficient to maintain the drone in a hovering mode.

12. The method for taking off and landing as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that: If the first sensing information and the second sensing information do not satisfy the first contact condition and the second contact condition, the flight power module is in an activated state and can provide the take-off and landing force required for the drone to move vertically upward or vertically downward within a predetermined height.

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