Automatic docking and separating method and device of hovercar and related equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic docking and separating method and device for a hovercar and related equipment, the method is applied to a road vehicle included in the hovercar, the hovercar further comprises an aircraft, and the road vehicle and the aircraft can be separated and combined. The method comprises the following steps: responding to a combination coupling request of the road vehicle and the aircraft, and automatically driving to an automatic coupling area of the aircraft; the aircraft is pulled to a containing cavity of the road vehicle through an automatic butt joint structure of the road vehicle and the aircraft to achieve coupling; in response to a separation and decoupling request of the road vehicle and the aircraft, the aircraft is pushed out of the accommodating cavity through the automatic docking structure to realize decoupling and separation; and automatically driving away from the aircraft to the first safe area. According to the embodiment of the invention, the cost of the road vehicle can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of flying cars, and in particular to a method, a device and related equipment for automatic docking and separation of a flying car. Background Art

[0002] Flying cars have always been a key research direction. With the development of pure electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, flying cars have ushered in a new research boom. In addition to integrated flying cars, some studies have proposed the research direction of split flying cars, which is to split the functions of flying cars into a road part and a flying part, including two-part, three-part and other different types.

[0003] In the case of a flying car that is split into two parts, the flying car can be divided into a road vehicle and an aircraft. Currently, during the docking process between the aircraft and the road vehicle, the aircraft directly lands on the road vehicle, and during the separation process between the aircraft and the road vehicle, the aircraft directly takes off from the road vehicle. This requires the road vehicle to have sufficient space, resulting in a high cost for the road vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application disclose a method, a device and related equipment for automatically docking and separating a flying car, which are used to reduce the cost of road vehicles.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses an automatic docking and separation method for a flying car, the method being applied to a road-going vehicle included in the flying car, the flying car also including an aircraft, the road-going vehicle and the aircraft being separable and combinable, the method comprising:

[0006] In response to a request for coupling between the road vehicle and the aircraft, automatically driving to an automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft;

[0007] Through the automatic docking structure between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft, the aircraft is pulled into the receiving cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling;

[0008] In response to a separation and decoupling request from the road vehicle and the aircraft, the aircraft is pushed out of the accommodating cavity by the automatic docking structure to achieve decoupling and separation;

[0009] Automatically drive away from the aircraft to a first safe area.

[0010] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses an automatic docking and separation device for a flying car, the device is applied to a road-going vehicle included in the flying car, the flying car also includes an aircraft, the road-going vehicle and the aircraft are separable and combinable, and the device includes:

[0011] A driving unit, configured to automatically drive to an automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft in response to a coupling request between the road vehicle and the aircraft;

[0012] A coupling unit, used to pull the aircraft into the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling through the automatic docking structure between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft;

[0013] A separation unit, configured to respond to a separation and decoupling request from the road vehicle and the aircraft, and to push the aircraft out of the accommodating cavity through the automatic docking structure to achieve decoupling and separation;

[0014] The driving unit is also used to automatically drive the aircraft away from the aircraft to a first safety area.

[0015] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a road vehicle, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor calls a computer program stored in the memory to execute the method disclosed in the first aspect.

[0016] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a flying car, comprising the road-going vehicle and the aircraft disclosed in the third aspect.

[0017] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program or computer instructions are stored. When the computer program or computer instructions are executed by a processor, the method disclosed in the first aspect above is implemented.

[0018] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a computer program product, which includes a computer program code. When the computer program code is executed by a processor, the above method is executed.

[0019] In the embodiment of the present application, when the road-going vehicle and the aircraft of the flying car are in a separated state and the aircraft is not in a flying state, the road-going vehicle automatically drives to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft in response to the coupling request input by the user; the aircraft is pulled to the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling through the automatic docking structure of the road-going vehicle and the aircraft; in response to the separation and decoupling request of the road-going vehicle and the aircraft, the aircraft is pushed out of the accommodating cavity through the automatic docking structure to achieve decoupling and separation; and the aircraft is automatically driven away from the aircraft to the first safety area. It can be seen that the road-going vehicle can automatically drive to the aircraft for coupling, and can also automatically drive away from the aircraft after separation. The aircraft does not need to take off and land on the road-going vehicle, which can reduce the area of ​​the road-going vehicle, thereby reducing the cost of the road-going vehicle. In addition, with a multi-angle and large-range planning area, long-distance and large-angle path planning can be realized, so that the road-going vehicle can be automatically driven from a long-distance and large-angle position to the coupling position with the aircraft, which can better meet the combination requirements of the aircraft and the road-going vehicle of the flying car. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a road vehicle and an aircraft in a separated state disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of another flying car disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic flow chart of an automatic docking and separation method of a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of automatic docking, energy replenishment and separation of a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of a method for automatically driving to an automatic coupling area of ​​an aircraft disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an X pattern disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a positioning pattern set on a target object disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of an initial position and an adjusted position disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of a curved trajectory for bypassing an obstacle disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Fig.11 It is a flowchart diagram of another method for automatically driving to an automatic coupling area of ​​an aircraft disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of determining a relative position based on an image disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram of determining a third path disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Fig.14 It is a flowchart diagram of another method for automatically driving to an automatic coupling area of ​​an aircraft disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Fig.15 It is a structural schematic diagram of an automatic docking and separation device of a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Fig.16 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a road-going vehicle disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present application, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0038] The present application discloses a method, device and related equipment for automatically docking and separating a flying car, which are used to reduce the cost of road vehicles. Detailed descriptions are given below.

[0039] In order to better understand the embodiments of the present application, the flying car is first described below.

[0040] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a flying car disclosed in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1As shown, the flying car may include a road vehicle and an aircraft. The state of the flying car may be a combined state or a separated state. When the state of the flying car is a combined state, the road vehicle and the aircraft are combined together. Figure 1 The diagram shows the situation that the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a combined state. When the state of the flying car is a separated state, the road vehicle and the aircraft are separated. Figure 2 It shows the situation that the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state.

[0041] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the road vehicle may include an engine, a generator, a power distribution box, a land power battery, a land drive component, a contactor, a thermal management component, a power distribution management component, a communication management component, and a network management component.

[0042] The engine can control the generator to generate electricity, which can then charge the land power battery through the distribution box. The land power battery can supply power to the land drive component. The land drive component can drive the road vehicle to travel or move.

[0043] The thermal management component can control the vehicle to dissipate heat to prevent the vehicle from being overheated. Exemplarily, the vehicle may further include a heat dissipation component. When the temperature of the vehicle is detected to be higher than a first temperature, the thermal management component may control the heat dissipation component to dissipate heat. When the temperature of the vehicle is detected to be lower than a second temperature, the thermal management component may control the heat dissipation component to stop working. The second temperature is lower than the first temperature.

[0044] The power distribution management component can control the state of the engine according to the power of the land power battery. Exemplarily, when it is detected that the power of the land power battery is less than the first power, the engine can be controlled to work, so that the engine can control the generator to generate electricity to charge the land power battery. Exemplarily, when the engine is in a working state and it is detected that the power of the land power battery is full, the engine can be controlled to stop working, so as to avoid the situation of charging the land power battery all the time, thereby increasing the service life of the land power battery.

[0045] The communication management component can manage the communication components of the road vehicle. There can be one or more communication components. The communication management component can control the communication component to send information to an aircraft, electronic equipment, etc., and can also control the communication component to receive information from an aircraft, electronic equipment, etc. The communication component can be a component that can perform wireless communication, such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, WIFI, the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G), ultra-wideband (UWB), etc.

[0046] The network management component can control the network components in the road vehicle to connect to the network. The network can be one or more of a data network, a WIFI network, etc.

[0047] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the aircraft may include contactors, a power distribution box, a flight power battery, a flight drive component, a thermal management component, a power distribution management component, a communication management component, and a network management component.

[0048] The thermal management component can control the aircraft to dissipate heat to prevent the temperature of the aircraft from being too high. Exemplarily, the aircraft may further include a heat dissipation component. When it is detected that the temperature of the aircraft is higher than a third temperature, the thermal management component may control the heat dissipation component to dissipate heat. When it is detected that the temperature of the aircraft is lower than a fourth temperature, the thermal management component may control the heat dissipation component to stop working. The fourth temperature is lower than the third temperature.

[0049] The communication management component can manage the communication components of the aircraft. There can be one or more communication components. The communication management component can control the communication component to send information to road vehicles, electronic devices, etc., and can also control the communication component to receive information from road vehicles, electronic devices, etc. For a detailed description of the communication component, please refer to the above related description.

[0050] When the flying car is in the combined state, the power distribution management component can control the state of the engine in the road vehicle according to the power of the flying power battery. Exemplarily, when the flying car is combined with the road vehicle and it is detected that the power of the flying power battery is less than the second power, the engine can be controlled to work, and then the engine can control the generator to generate electricity to charge the flying power battery. Exemplarily, when the engine is in the working state and it is detected that the power of the flying power battery is full, the engine can be controlled to stop working, which can avoid the situation of charging the flying power battery all the time, thereby improving the service life of the flying power battery.

[0051] When the flying car is in a separated state and it is detected that the power level of the flight power battery is less than the third power level, the power distribution management component can control the communication component to send a low-power message to the road-going vehicle, or send a charging request or a recharging request to the road-going vehicle, so that the road-going vehicle can travel to the vicinity of the aircraft to charge the aircraft.

[0052] The flight power battery can supply power to the flight drive components, which can drive the rotors of the aircraft to work, thereby making the aircraft fly.

[0053] The network management component can control the network components of the aircraft to connect to the network. For detailed description, please refer to the relevant description above.

[0054] When the flying car is in a combined state, the network management component of the road vehicle is electrically coupled to the network management component of the aircraft, the communication management component of the road vehicle is electrically coupled to the communication management component of the aircraft, the power distribution management component of the road vehicle is electrically coupled to the power distribution management component of the aircraft, the thermal management component of the road vehicle is electrically coupled to the thermal management component of the aircraft, the contactor of the road vehicle is electrically coupled to the contactor of the aircraft, and at the same time, the road vehicle and the aircraft are locked together by a physical locking structure.

[0055] The locking structure may be provided on a road-going vehicle or on an aircraft, or may be provided partially on the road-going vehicle and partially on the aircraft. When the road-going vehicle and the aircraft are in a combined state, the aircraft may be fixed to the road-going vehicle by the locking structure, thereby preventing the aircraft from being separated from the road-going vehicle. Exemplarily, a partial locking structure may be provided on the road-going vehicle, and another partial locking structure corresponding to the partial locking structure may be provided on the aircraft. In the process of combining the road-going vehicle and the aircraft, the road-going vehicle and the aircraft may be physically locked together by the partial locking structure on the road-going vehicle and the other partial locking structure on the aircraft.

[0056] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another flying car disclosed in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the road-going vehicle may further include a positioning component, which may locate the position of the road-going vehicle. The positioning component may be one or more of a global positioning system (GPS), an assisted global satellite positioning system (AGPS), a radar, and the like.

[0057] like Figure 3As shown, the road-going vehicle may further include one or more cameras, which may collect images. The cameras may be arranged behind the road-going vehicle, in front of the road-going vehicle, or at other locations of the road-going vehicle.

[0058] The road vehicle may also include sensors. The sensors may be various sensors required for use in the vehicle, such as gravity sensors, acceleration sensors, etc. Different sensors have different functions.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, the aircraft may further include a positioning component, which may locate the position of the aircraft. The detailed description of the positioning component may refer to the above description.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, a positioning pattern is provided on the aircraft. The positioning pattern can be provided in front of the aircraft, or in the back of the aircraft, or in the left side of the aircraft, or in the right side of the aircraft. A road vehicle can use a camera to capture an image including the positioning pattern, and then use the positioning pattern to determine the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft.

[0061] Flying cars can use independent decoupling to achieve the separation of road vehicles and aircraft, so that road vehicles can realize all the attributes of land cars and aircraft can realize all the flight attributes of aircraft. Or they can use associated coupling to achieve the coupling of road vehicles and aircraft, so that road vehicles can "carry" aircraft to a suitable flight site for flight and recharge the aircraft.

[0062] When the user needs the aircraft in the flying car to fly, the flying car can carry the aircraft to a suitable flying site. At this time, the road-going vehicle and the aircraft are in a combined state. While the road-going vehicle is driving to the flying site, the aircraft can be charged according to the power of the aircraft, so that the energy storage preparation before the aircraft flight can be made.

[0063] It should be understood that the above is an exemplary description of the structure of the flying car, and does not limit the structure of the flying car. For example, a road vehicle has all the properties of a land vehicle, and an aircraft has all the flight properties of an aircraft.

[0064] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 The figure is a flow chart of an automatic docking and separation method of a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. The automatic docking and separation method of a flying car can be applied to a road-going vehicle included in the flying car, and the flying car also includes an aircraft, and the road-going vehicle and the aircraft can be separated and combined. Figure 4 As shown, the automatic docking and separation method of the flying car may include the following steps.

[0065] 401. In response to a request for coupling between a road vehicle and an aircraft, automatically drive to an automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft.

[0066] When the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state, if the aircraft is not in a flying state, that is, the aircraft is stopped on the ground, that is, the aircraft is in a stationary state, then when a coupling request for combining the road vehicle and the aircraft is detected, the road vehicle can respond to the coupling request and automatically drive to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft.

[0067] The automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft is an area where a road-going vehicle can automatically couple with the aircraft. The road-going vehicle can determine the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft based on the current position of the aircraft. Specifically, the road-going vehicle can determine the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft based on the current position of the aircraft and the positioning pattern. Exemplarily, in the case where the positioning pattern is set in front of the aircraft, the automatic coupling area can be an area at a preset distance from the front of the aircraft, or an area within a preset distance range from the front of the aircraft. For a detailed description of the positioning pattern, please refer to the relevant content below.

[0068] 402. Through the automatic docking structure between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft, the aircraft is pulled into the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling.

[0069] The road-going vehicle and the aircraft are respectively provided with automatic docking structures, which correspond to the automatic docking structures on the aircraft, that is, the automatic docking structures on the road-going vehicle and the automatic docking structures on the aircraft are matched or matched.

[0070] After the road-going vehicle drives to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft, the aircraft can be pulled into the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling through the automatic docking structure of the road-going vehicle and the aircraft.

[0071] The road-going vehicle can control the automatic docking structure of the road-going vehicle to connect with the automatic docking structure of the aircraft, and then the aircraft can be pulled into the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle through the connected automatic docking structure to achieve coupling.

[0072] Exemplarily, the automatic docking structure on the road vehicle includes a traction member, and the automatic docking structure on the aircraft includes a pull ring structure. The road vehicle can control the automatic docking structure to extend the traction member to the pull ring structure, control the traction member to connect with the pull ring structure, and then pull the aircraft to the accommodating cavity of the road vehicle through the connected traction member and pull ring structure to achieve coupling.

[0073] After the automatic docking structure of the road-going vehicle is connected to the automatic docking structure of the aircraft, the road-going vehicle can determine whether the angle between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft is less than or equal to the angle threshold. When it is determined that the angle between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft is less than or equal to the angle threshold, the aircraft can be directly pulled to the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle through the connected automatic docking structure to achieve coupling. When it is determined that the angle between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft is greater than the angle threshold, the angle between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft can be adjusted first so that the angle between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft is less than or equal to the angle threshold, and then the aircraft can be pulled to the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle through the connected automatic docking structure to achieve coupling. It can be seen that when the angle between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft is greater than the angle threshold, the angle between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft can be adjusted first, which helps the subsequent road-going vehicle to pull the aircraft to the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle.

[0074] After the road-going vehicle pulls the aircraft into the accommodation chamber of the road-going vehicle, the aircraft can be fixed in the accommodation chamber. The road-going vehicle can use the above-mentioned locking structure to fix the aircraft in the accommodation chamber to prevent the aircraft from escaping from the road-going vehicle.

[0075] 403. In response to a request for separation and decoupling of the road vehicle and the aircraft, the aircraft is pushed out of the accommodating cavity by the automatic docking structure to achieve decoupling and separation.

[0076] When the road-going vehicle and the aircraft are in a coupled state, upon detecting a separation and decoupling request for separating the road-going vehicle from the aircraft, the road-going vehicle can respond to the separation and decoupling request and push the aircraft out of the accommodating cavity through the automatic docking structure to achieve decoupling.

[0077] The road-going vehicle can first control the locking structure to unlock it, and then the aircraft can be pushed out of the accommodating cavity through the automatic docking structure to achieve decoupling and separation.

[0078] 404. Automatically leave the aircraft to a first safe area.

[0079] After the road-going vehicle pushes the aircraft out of the accommodation cavity through the automatic docking structure, the road-going vehicle can automatically drive away from the aircraft to the first safety area. The first safety area is an area that does not affect the flight of the aircraft.

[0080] After the road-going vehicle is separated from the aircraft, the aircraft can perform a flight mission. During the flight mission, if the battery is insufficient, it can return to the ground and then send a request for energy replenishment to the road-going vehicle. After receiving the energy replenishment request from the aircraft, the road-going vehicle can automatically drive to the aircraft's energy replenishment area according to the energy replenishment request, and the aircraft can be recharged in the energy replenishment area. When the road-going vehicle recharges the aircraft, it is not necessary for the road-going vehicle and the aircraft to be in a combined state, thereby improving the efficiency of energy replenishment.

[0081] The refueling request may include the current location of the aircraft. The road-going vehicle may determine the refueling area of ​​the aircraft based on the current location information of the aircraft, and then automatically drive to the refueling area. The road-going vehicle may determine the refueling path based on the refueling area, and then automatically drive to the refueling area based on the refueling path.

[0082] The road-going vehicle can detect in real time or periodically whether the energy replenishment is completed, that is, whether the aircraft is fully charged. When it is detected that the energy replenishment is completed, the road-going vehicle can automatically drive away from the aircraft to a second safe area so that the aircraft can continue to fly.

[0083] The first security area and the second security area may be the same or different.

[0084] exist Figure 4 In the automatic docking and separation method of the described flying car, when the road-going vehicle and the aircraft of the flying car are in a separated state and the aircraft is not in a flying state, the road-going vehicle automatically drives to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft in response to the coupling request input by the user; the aircraft is pulled to the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling through the automatic docking structure of the road-going vehicle and the aircraft; in response to the separation and decoupling request of the road-going vehicle and the aircraft, the aircraft is pushed out of the accommodating cavity through the automatic docking structure to achieve decoupling and separation; and the aircraft is automatically driven away from the aircraft to the first safe area. It can be seen that the road-going vehicle can automatically drive to the aircraft for coupling, and can also automatically drive away from the aircraft after separation. The aircraft does not need to take off and land on the road-going vehicle, which can reduce the area of ​​the road-going vehicle, thereby reducing the cost of the road-going vehicle. In addition, with a multi-angle and large-range planning area, long-distance and large-angle path planning can be realized, so that the road-going vehicle can be automatically driven from a long-distance and large-angle position to the coupling position with the aircraft, which can better meet the requirements of the combination of the aircraft and the road-going vehicle of the flying car. Furthermore, since the aircraft does not need to take off and land on a road-going vehicle, the performance requirements for the road-going vehicle are reduced, which can further reduce the cost and design difficulty of the road-going vehicle.

[0085] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5 Schematic diagram of automatic docking, energy replenishment and separation of a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5As shown, after the flying car drives to the flying site, the user can trigger the separation switch for separating the road-going vehicle and the aircraft through the user interface (UI) set on the road-going vehicle or the aircraft, or through the separation button set on the road-going vehicle or the aircraft. After the flying car receives the separation operation, it can start the separation program to separate. The flying car is provided with an automatic docking structure, and the flying car can control the separation of the automatic docking structure through the separation program to achieve automatic separation between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft.

[0086] When the road vehicle of the flying car is separated from the aircraft, the road vehicle can automatically drive to a safe area to wait, that is, the road vehicle can drive away from the aircraft to ensure that the aircraft has enough space to fly normally, that is, the road vehicle drives to an area that will not affect the flight of the aircraft. The safe area is an area whose distance from the current location of the aircraft is greater than or equal to the safe distance. The safe distance is the minimum distance that can ensure the normal flight of the aircraft.

[0087] After the road vehicle leaves the aircraft, the aircraft can perform a flight mission, that is, it can make corresponding take-off preparations according to the flight mission and fly.

[0088] During the flight mission, if the aircraft detects that the power of the aircraft is insufficient, that is, the aircraft needs to be recharged, the aircraft can land to prepare for recharging. The landing position of the aircraft can be the previous take-off position or a nearby position, that is, near the flight position of the aircraft.

[0089] When the aircraft is low on power and the flight mission has not been completed, the aircraft can send a request for energy replenishment or charging to a road-based vehicle after landing. The request for energy replenishment or charging can carry or include the current location of the aircraft. After receiving the request for energy replenishment or charging from the aircraft, the road-based vehicle can drive to the vicinity of the aircraft according to the current location of the aircraft and charge the aircraft. The road-based vehicle can charge the aircraft by wire or by wireless charging.

[0090] In the case where a road-going vehicle can wirelessly charge an aircraft, in one case, after the aircraft detects that the distance between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft is less than or equal to the charging distance, the aircraft can send a charging request to the road-going vehicle, and after the road-going vehicle receives the charging request, the aircraft can be wirelessly charged. In another case, after the road-going vehicle detects that the distance between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft is less than or equal to the charging distance, the aircraft can be wirelessly charged.

[0091] When the road-going vehicle charges the aircraft by wire, the road-going vehicle can realize automatic docking between the charging cable and the charging port of the aircraft, and then charge the aircraft through the connecting cable. The road-going vehicle can also output a prompt message for prompting the user to connect the charging cable, so that the user can connect the charging cable according to the prompt message and then charge the aircraft.

[0092] After the road-going vehicle detects that the aircraft is fully charged, it can drive away from the aircraft and wait in a safe area. In the case where the road-going vehicle charges the aircraft by wireless charging, after the road-going vehicle detects that the aircraft is fully charged, it can automatically drive away from the aircraft, and can also output a prompt message to remind the user that the aircraft has been charged. In the case where the aircraft does not require manual control, the aircraft can make a go-around according to the previous flight mission to continue to complete the unfinished mission. In the case where the aircraft requires manual control, the user can control the aircraft to make a go-around according to the prompt message to complete the unfinished mission. In the case where the road-going vehicle charges the aircraft by wired charging, after the road-going vehicle detects that the aircraft is fully charged, it can output a prompt message to remind the user that the aircraft has been charged, so that the user can retract the charging cable according to the prompt message.

[0093] After the aircraft is fully charged, it can continue to fly, that is, perform a go-around. After the flight mission is completed (that is, the go-around), the aircraft can land. In addition, the aircraft can also output a prompt message for prompting the user to land the aircraft.

[0094] After the aircraft lands, if the user needs to combine the road-based vehicle with the aircraft, the user can input a combination coupling request, a combination request or a combination instruction to the road-based vehicle through the UI interface, a button or a terminal device. After receiving the combination coupling request, the combination request or the combination instruction, the road-based vehicle can approach the aircraft according to the position of the aircraft to complete automatic docking.

[0095] After the automatic docking is completed, the automatic docking structure of the road-going vehicle and the aircraft can be used to pull the aircraft into the receiving cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling. Since the road-going vehicle may be uneven, the attitude of the road-going vehicle can be adjusted to be level first, and then the automatic docking structure of the road-going vehicle and the aircraft can be used to pull the aircraft into the receiving cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling.

[0096] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6 4 is a flow chart of a method for automatically driving to an automatic coupling area of ​​an aircraft disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. The method is a refinement of step 401. Figure 6 As shown, the method may include the following steps.

[0097] 601. Determine a first position according to a position of an aircraft.

[0098] When the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state, if the aircraft is not in a flying state, that is, the aircraft is stopped on the ground, that is, the aircraft is in a stationary state, then when a coupling request for combining the road vehicle and the aircraft is detected, the first position can be determined according to the position of the aircraft in response to the coupling request.

[0099] The coupling request may be inputted to the road vehicle by the user through the function area or function button of the UI interface set on the road vehicle, or inputted to the road vehicle through the mechanical button set on the road vehicle, or sent to the road vehicle through the terminal device. The terminal device may be a terminal device specially used to control the flying car, or a terminal device installed with the corresponding client of the flying car.

[0100] The position of the aircraft is the current position of the aircraft, that is, the current docking position of the aircraft. The position of the aircraft is obtained by positioning the aircraft through a positioning component.

[0101] After the road-going vehicle detects the coupling request, it can send a position acquisition request to the aircraft. After the aircraft receives the position acquisition request from the road-going vehicle, it can use the positioning component to determine the position of the aircraft according to the position acquisition request, and then send the position of the aircraft to the road-going vehicle. Correspondingly, the road-going vehicle can receive the position of the aircraft from the aircraft, and then store the position of the aircraft for subsequent retrieval.

[0102] The distance between the first position and the aircraft is the first preset distance, that is, the first position is a position at a first preset distance from the aircraft. A positioning pattern is provided on the aircraft, and the road vehicle can determine the first position according to the setting surface of the positioning pattern on the aircraft and the first preset distance. Exemplarily, in the case where the positioning pattern is provided in front of the aircraft, the first position may be a position at a first preset distance from the front of the aircraft. Exemplarily, in the case where the positioning pattern is provided behind the aircraft, the first position may be a position at a first preset distance from the back of the aircraft. Exemplarily, in the case where the positioning pattern is provided on the left side of the aircraft, the first position may be a position at a first preset distance from the left side of the aircraft. Exemplarily, in the case where the positioning pattern is provided on the right side of the aircraft, the first position may be a position at a first preset distance from the right side of the aircraft.

[0103] The aircraft may be provided with multiple positioning patterns, and the multiple positioning patterns are different. The multiple positioning patterns may be X patterns, circular patterns, or other recognizable patterns. For example, please refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7is a schematic diagram of an X pattern disclosed in the embodiment of the present application. These multiple positioning patterns can be Figure 7 Part or all of the X pattern in .

[0104] The number of positioning patterns set on the aircraft may be greater than or equal to 3. Exemplarily, the number of positioning patterns set on the aircraft may be 3, 5, 6, or other values ​​greater than 3. It should be understood that the specific number of positioning patterns set on the aircraft is not limited, and only needs to be greater than or equal to 3.

[0105] Different positioning patterns among the multiple positioning patterns can be arranged on the same plane or on different planes. Therefore, the positioning pattern is arranged in front of the aircraft (or the back or the left or the right), which can be understood as the positioning pattern being arranged in front of the aircraft, that is, all positioning patterns on the aircraft can be seen in front of the aircraft (or the back or the left or the right).

[0106] For example, see Figure 8 , Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a positioning pattern set on a target object disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, 8 different X patterns are arranged on the target object. The 8 X patterns are arranged in front of the target object and on different planes.

[0107] The road vehicle may store the setting surfaces of multiple positioning patterns on the aircraft and the setting position of each positioning pattern in the multiple positioning patterns. The setting position of the positioning pattern is the specific position of the positioning pattern on the aircraft.

[0108] 602. Determine a path between an initial position of the vehicle on the road and a first position to obtain a first path.

[0109] The initial position of the road vehicle is the position of the road vehicle determined by the positioning component when the road vehicle detects the coupling request. The road vehicle can determine the path between the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position according to the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position to obtain the first path. The first path can be a straight path or a curved path.

[0110] The location information of different locations is different. The location information may include heading angle and coordinates. The coordinates of the location are the coordinates of the location in the world coordinate system. The heading angle of the location is the angle between the front of the vehicle and the x-axis of the local coordinate. The local coordinate is the coordinate established with the x-axis as the forward direction of the front of the vehicle when the vehicle is started.

[0111] In some embodiments, after the road vehicle determines the first position, it can first be determined whether the angle between the heading angle of the initial position of the road vehicle and the heading angle of the first position is less than the first angle. When it is determined that the angle between the heading angle of the initial position of the road vehicle and the heading angle of the first position is less than the first angle, it indicates that a straight path can be planned between the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position, and the path between the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position can be directly determined by the planner to obtain the first path. At this time, the first path can be a straight path, and a straight path with the shortest distance can be planned, thereby improving the combination efficiency of the road vehicle and the aircraft. The first angle is a preset angle, which can be 10°, 20°, or other values.

[0112] When it is determined that the angle between the heading angle of the initial position of the road vehicle and the heading angle of the first position is greater than or equal to the first angle, it indicates that a straight path cannot be planned between the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position, and a path can be planned first, so that the angle between the heading angle of the position of the end point of the path and the heading angle of the first position is the second angle (i.e., the standard angle). The adjustment position can be determined first, and the angle between the heading angle of the adjustment position and the heading angle of the first position is the second angle. After that, the position of the road vehicle can be adjusted from the initial position of the road vehicle to the adjustment position, and the path between the adjustment position and the first position can be determined by the planner to obtain the first path. The second angle is a preset angle, which can be 90° or other values. At this time, the first path is a curved path. The position of the road vehicle is adjusted in order to be able to plan a path with a minimum turning radius forward or backward.

[0113] The vehicle may first determine a path between the initial position and the adjusted position of the vehicle to obtain a fourth path, and then may travel from the initial position to the adjusted position according to the fourth path.

[0114] The road-going vehicle can first determine the relative distance between the initial position of the road-going vehicle and the first position, and then determine the adjustment position according to the relative distance between the initial position of the road-going vehicle and the first position. When the relative distance is greater than the first distance, it indicates that the distance between the road-going vehicle and the first position is far, and the road-going vehicle can travel to the first position, that is, the distance between the adjustment position and the first position is less than the relative distance, and the distance between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft can be reduced without affecting the path planning, thereby improving the efficiency of the combination of the road-going vehicle and the aircraft. When the relative distance is less than or equal to the first distance, it indicates that the distance between the road-going vehicle and the first position is small, and the road-going vehicle can travel in the opposite direction of the first position, that is, the distance between the adjustment position and the first position is greater than the relative distance, and the problem that the road-going vehicle cannot turn because the arc connecting the first position and the adjustment position is less than the minimum turning radius of the road-going vehicle can be avoided.

[0115] For example, see Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of an initial position and an adjusted position disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 9 As shown, position A is the first position, position B is the initial position of the road vehicle, and a is the driving direction of the front of the road vehicle. When the distance between A and B is greater than the first distance, the road vehicle can travel to position E along direction f, or travel to position F along direction j. Whether to travel to position E or position F is determined by the heading angle of position A and the heading angle of position B. When the distance between A and B is less than or equal to the first distance, the road vehicle can travel to position C along direction b, or travel to position D along direction e. Whether to travel to position C or position D is determined by the heading angle of position A and the heading angle of position B.

[0116] In some embodiments, after the road vehicle determines the first position, it can first determine whether the angle between the heading angle of the initial position of the road vehicle and the heading angle of the first position is within a preset range. When it is determined that the angle between the heading angle of the initial position of the road vehicle and the heading angle of the first position is within the preset range, it indicates that in the process of combining the road vehicle with the aircraft, the road vehicle does not need to bypass the aircraft, and the path between the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position can be directly determined to obtain the first path, that is, the path between the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position can be directly determined in the above manner.

[0117] When it is determined that the angle between the heading angle of the initial position of the road vehicle and the heading angle of the first position is outside the preset range, it indicates that in the process of combining the road vehicle with the aircraft, the road vehicle needs to bypass the aircraft, that is, the road vehicle needs to approach the aircraft-move away from the aircraft-approach the aircraft in sequence. In the process of the road vehicle first approaching the aircraft and then moving away from the aircraft, the road vehicle may not consider the relative position or relative posture between the road vehicle and the aircraft, such as the rear of the road vehicle facing the front of the aircraft, so as to reduce the processing process of the road vehicle, thereby reducing the power consumption of the road vehicle, and saving the computing resources and storage resources of the road vehicle. The road vehicle can first determine the fifth position according to the position of the aircraft, determine the path between the initial position of the road vehicle and the fifth position to obtain the fifth path, and travel to the fifth position according to the fifth path, and then use the fifth position to update the initial position of the road vehicle, and then determine the path between the updated initial position of the road vehicle and the first position to obtain the first path. The fifth position and the first position are on the same surface of the aircraft, and the distance between the fifth position and the aircraft is greater than the distance between the first position and the aircraft.

[0118] Exemplarily, the positioning pattern is set in front of the aircraft. In the case where it is determined that the angle between the heading angle of the initial position of the road vehicle and the heading angle of the first position is outside the range of 180° (i.e., greater than 180°), the initial position of the road vehicle can be determined to be behind the aircraft, and the fifth position can be first determined in front of the aircraft. The vehicle can first travel to the fifth position according to the path between the initial position of the road vehicle and the fifth position, and then the fifth position is used as the new initial position of the road vehicle to determine the path between the fifth position and the first position to obtain the first path. In the case where it is determined that the angle between the heading angle of the initial position of the road vehicle and the heading angle of the first position is within the range of 180° (i.e., less than 180°), the initial position of the road vehicle can be determined to be in front of the aircraft, and the path between the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position can be directly determined to obtain the first path.

[0119] It should be understood that the first path may be an optimal path determined by the vehicle according to the cost required for each path. The cost required for the path may be determined according to the length of the path, the time required for the path, the shape of the path, etc.

[0120] 603. Travel to the first location according to the first path.

[0121] After obtaining the first path, the traveling vehicle can travel to the first position according to the first path.

[0122] During the process of the road vehicle traveling to the first position according to the first path, the road vehicle can detect in real time or periodically whether there is an obstacle on the first path. When it is detected that there is no obstacle on the first path, the road vehicle can continue to travel to the first position according to the first path. When it is detected that there is an obstacle on the first path, the road vehicle can first determine a curved trajectory to bypass the obstacle, and then use the curved trajectory to update the first path, that is, use the curved trajectory to replace a section of the trajectory corresponding to the obstacle in the first path. After that, the road vehicle can continue to travel to the first position according to the updated first path. It can be seen that obstacles can be detected during the driving of the road vehicle, and when obstacles are detected, obstacles can be automatically avoided, which can improve the flexibility of the road vehicle. In addition, since obstacles on the path do not need to be considered when performing path planning, the efficiency of path planning can be improved, thereby improving the efficiency of the combination between the road vehicle and the aircraft. Further, since obstacles on the path do not need to be considered when performing path planning, long-distance path planning can be achieved. The road vehicle can detect obstacle areas through sensors, cameras, etc.

[0123] The road vehicle can determine the minimum radius circle that includes the obstacle, and then determine the curved trajectory that has no intersection with the minimum radius circle as the curved trajectory that bypasses the obstacle. Set multiple intermediate positions near the circle based on empirical values, and use multiple trajectory connectors to try to connect the two trajectories separated by the obstacle. Continue to traverse all the set intermediate positions. If the connection is successful and does not interfere with the circle, a curved trajectory that bypasses the obstacle is obtained. The curved trajectory that bypasses the obstacle can be a curved trajectory with the shortest trajectory length that has no intersection with the minimum radius circle, which can improve the driving efficiency of the road vehicle. The curved trajectory that bypasses the obstacle can also be other curved trajectories that have no intersection with the minimum radius circle.

[0124] For example, see Fig.10 , Fig.10 Schematic diagram of a curved trajectory for bypassing obstacles disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. Fig.10 As shown, in the process of a road vehicle traveling from position A to position D on a first path, an obstacle is detected when the road vehicle travels to position B. The minimum radius circle E including the obstacle can be determined first, and then a curved trajectory CD that has no intersection with the minimum radius circle can be determined as a curved trajectory that bypasses the obstacle, and the curved trajectory CD is used to replace the straight trajectory CD in the first path, and then the vehicle continues to travel along the replaced first path to position D.

[0125] It can be seen that the obstacle avoidance trajectory can be generated in real time when the vehicle is moving, without stopping to replan the trajectory, which can effectively avoid obstacles while ensuring the driving efficiency of the vehicle.

[0126] 604. Determine a second position according to the first image captured by the camera.

[0127] The second position belongs to an automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft. The first image may include the aircraft.

[0128] 605. Determine a path between the current position of the vehicle on the road and the second position to obtain a second path.

[0129] In one case, the road vehicle can first travel to the first position according to the first path, and then use the camera at the first position to capture the first image, and then determine the second position according to the first image, and then determine the path between the first position and the second position to obtain the second path. At this time, the first position is the position where the camera on the road vehicle can capture the aircraft. The distance between the second position and the aircraft is less than the first preset distance, that is, the distance between the first position and the aircraft is greater than the distance between the second position and the aircraft.

[0130] In another case, when the road vehicle is traveling toward the first position, the road vehicle can use a camera to collect images in real time or periodically. After collecting the image, it can identify whether the collected image is the first image. When the collected image is identified as the first image, the first position can be corrected according to the first image to obtain an accurate position at a first preset distance from the aircraft, that is, the second position. The first position and the second position belong to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft. The first position is the position of the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft determined according to the positioning position, and the second position is the position of the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft determined according to the image.

[0131] In the above two cases, the first preset distance between the first position and the position of the aircraft may be different.

[0132] 606. Drive to a second location according to a second path.

[0133] After obtaining the second path, the traveling vehicle can travel to the second location according to the second path.

[0134] In the case where the second position is a correction position of the first position, the road vehicle may use the second path to replace the first path, and then may travel to the second position according to the second path.

[0135] See also Fig.11 , Fig.11 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of another method for automatically driving to the automatic coupling area of ​​an aircraft disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. Fig.11 As shown, the method for automatically driving to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft may include the following steps.

[0136] 1101. Determine a first position according to a position of the aircraft.

[0137] For a detailed description of step 1101 , please refer to step 601 .

[0138] 1102. Determine a path between an initial position of a vehicle on the road and a first position to obtain a first path.

[0139] For a detailed description of step 1102 , please refer to step 602 .

[0140] 1103. Drive to a first position according to a first path.

[0141] For a detailed description of step 1103 , please refer to step 603 .

[0142] 1104. Capture a first image using a camera at a first position.

[0143] The first image may also include an image of at least one positioning pattern, that is, the first image includes an aircraft, and the aircraft includes at least one positioning pattern. At least one positioning pattern is set on the aircraft, and the plurality of positioning patterns include the at least one positioning pattern. The first position is a position where a camera on a road vehicle can capture the position where the aircraft is provided with a positioning pattern.

[0144] The number of the first images may be one or more.

[0145] After the vehicle travels to the first position, the camera can be used to capture an image, and then it can be identified whether the captured image is the first image. If the captured image is not the first image, the position or angle of the camera can be adjusted so that the image captured by the camera is the first image.

[0146] The road vehicle may first identify whether the captured image includes an aircraft. If the captured image includes an aircraft, the vehicle may continue to identify whether the region where the aircraft is located in the captured image includes a positioning pattern set on the aircraft. If the captured image includes the positioning pattern set on the aircraft, the captured image may be determined to be the first image. If the captured image does not include an aircraft, or if the region where the aircraft is located in the captured image does not include a positioning pattern set on the aircraft, the captured image may be determined to be not the first image.

[0147] 1105. Determine a second position according to the first image.

[0148] After the road vehicle captures the first image, the aircraft in the first image can be identified first, and then the area corresponding to the aircraft in the first image can be cropped to obtain the second image. The positioning pattern in the second image can be identified to obtain the pattern to be positioned, and the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft can be determined based on the pattern to be positioned to obtain the first relative position. Finally, the second position can be determined based on the first relative position.

[0149] The road vehicle can use the first network model to identify the aircraft in the first image. The first network model can be trained by an image including the aircraft. The first network model can be a network model capable of target detection. The first network model can be a two-stage network model, a one-stage network model, an anchor-based network model, an anchor-free network model and other target detection network models. The two-stage network model can be a network model such as a faster region-based convolutional neural network (RCNN) model, a cascade RCNN model, a mask RCNN model, etc. The first-order network model can be a Yolo series network model, a single shot multibox detector (SSD) model, a retina network (RetinaNet) model, a full convolutional one-stage object detection (FCOS) model, a corner (CornerNet) model and other network models.

[0150] Cropping the area corresponding to the aircraft in the first image by the road vehicle can be understood as extracting a region of interest (ROI) from the first image, or can be understood as subtracting the aircraft from the first image.

[0151] The road vehicle can use the second network model to identify the positioning pattern in the second image to obtain the pattern to be positioned. The pattern to be positioned can be a partial positioning image or all patterns among the multiple positioning patterns set on the aircraft. The second network model can be trained by an image including the positioning pattern. The second network model can be a network model capable of target detection, and a detailed description can refer to the first network model.

[0152] The first network model and the second network model may be the same or different. When the first network model and the second network model are the same, the first network model and the second network model may be trained by images including the aircraft and the positioning pattern. The first network model and the second network model may be different in that both the initial network model (i.e., the network model before training) and the training data are different, or the training data are different.

[0153] The road vehicle can first extract the sub-pixel corner points corresponding to the pattern to be located in the second image to obtain the first sub-pixel corner points, and then determine the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft according to the first sub-pixel corner points to obtain the first relative position.

[0154] The road vehicle can first determine the sub-pixel corner point corresponding to the first sub-pixel corner point in the first image to obtain the second sub-pixel corner point, that is, map the sub-pixel corner point in the second image to the first image, and then determine the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft according to the second sub-pixel corner point to obtain the first relative position. The second sub-pixel corner point can be converted from a two-dimensional coordinate to a three-dimensional coordinate to obtain the first relative position, that is, the second sub-pixel corner point can be solved for multi-point perspective imaging (Perspective-n-Point, PNP) to obtain the first relative position.

[0155] The vehicle on the road may first determine the pixel corner points of the pattern to be positioned in the second image, and then perform sub-pixel corner point detection on the second image according to the pixel corner points of the positioning pattern in the second image to obtain first sub-pixel corner points.

[0156] For example, the pixel corner point of the pattern to be located may be (100, 200), while the sub-pixel corner point of the pattern to be located may be (100.23, 199.98). It can be seen that the sub-pixel corner point is more accurate than the pixel corner point, so the detection accuracy can be improved according to the sub-pixel corner point detection.

[0157] For example, see Fig.12 , Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of determining a relative position based on an image disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. Fig.12 As shown, target detection can be performed on the first image to obtain the position or area of ​​the target object in the first image, and then ROI extraction can be performed on the first image to obtain the second image. Target detection can be performed on the second image to obtain the position or area of ​​the positioning pattern in the second image, and ROI extraction can be performed on the second image to obtain the pattern to be positioned. Then, sub-pixel corner point extraction can be performed on the second image according to the pattern to be positioned to obtain the sub-pixel corner points of the image to be positioned, and then the sub-pixel corner points can be solved PnP to obtain the relative distance to the target object.

[0158] It should be understood that Fig.12This is an exemplary description of determining the relative position based on the image, and does not limit it. The above-mentioned target object may be an aircraft of a flying car.

[0159] It can be seen that the road vehicle uses a two-stage deep learning detection method. The first stage detects the aircraft, and the second stage detects the positioning pattern, which can greatly improve the detection efficiency and accuracy of the positioning pattern, and thus improve the positioning speed and accuracy.

[0160] In addition, since different positioning patterns are set at different positions on the aircraft, different positioning patterns have unique identifiers, which can deal with missed detections, making the positioning result more robust, and there are no special requirements for the layout position (or setting position) of the positioning pattern. Further, since the positioning pattern has a unique identifier and multiple positioning patterns are set on the aircraft, there will be no mismatching, resulting in the inability to calculate the correct position.

[0161] The road vehicle can also determine the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft based on the first position and the position of the aircraft to obtain a second relative position, and then compare the first relative position and the second relative position. When the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is greater than the preset deviation, it indicates that the result of coarse positioning through positioning components such as GPS is quite different from the result of precise positioning through images, and the first position determined by the positioning component is inaccurate.

[0162] When the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is less than or equal to the preset deviation, it indicates that the result of coarse positioning through positioning components such as GPS is similar to the result of precise positioning through images, indicating that the distance between the first position and the position of the aircraft is approximately the first preset distance.

[0163] Comparing the first relative position and the second relative position may include comparing the heading angle of the first relative position and the heading angle of the second relative position, and comparing the coordinates of the first relative position and the coordinates of the second relative position. Accordingly, the preset deviation may include a preset heading angle deviation and a preset coordinate deviation. Exemplarily, the preset heading angle deviation may be 3°, or other values. Exemplarily, the preset coordinate deviation may be 3-4 cm, or other values.

[0164] When the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is greater than the preset deviation, the road vehicle can correct the first position according to the first relative position to obtain a third position, and then determine the second position according to the third position. The third position can be a position determined according to the first relative position and having a first preset distance from the position of the aircraft. The second position belongs to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft and is between the third position and the position of the aircraft.

[0165] The automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft can be determined based on the position of the aircraft and the positioning tag.

[0166] The first image may be one or more images. In the case of multiple first images, multiple second positions may be determined based on the multiple first images, and then the final second position may be determined based on the multiple second positions. Exemplarily, the average position of the multiple second positions may be calculated to obtain the final second position. In the case of multiple first images, the accuracy of determining the second position may be improved.

[0167] 1106. Determine a path between the first position and the second position to obtain a second path.

[0168] In the case where the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is greater than the preset deviation, the position of the road vehicle needs to be corrected, and then a correction path needs to be determined. The road vehicle can first determine the fourth position according to the third position, and can determine the lateral distance between the first position and the fourth position, and then can determine whether the lateral distance is less than the second distance. In the case where it is determined that the lateral distance is less than the second distance, it indicates that the lateral distance between the first position and the fourth position is relatively close, and the road vehicle does not need to turn. The straight path between the first position and the fourth position can be determined as the path between the first position and the fourth position to obtain the third path, which can reduce the distance of the shortened path, thereby improving the correction efficiency. In the case where the lateral distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, it indicates that the lateral distance between the first position and the fourth position is relatively far, and the road vehicle needs to turn. The curved path between the first position and the fourth position can be determined as the path between the first position and the fourth position to obtain the third path, so that the road vehicle can turn. The fourth position is a position between the third position and the position of the aircraft, and the distance between the fourth position and the third position is the second preset distance.

[0169] See also Fig.13 , Fig.13 is a schematic diagram of determining a third path disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. Fig.13As shown, the lateral distance between the first position A and the fourth position C is relatively far, and two tangent arc trajectories can be determined to eliminate the lateral error between the first position A and the fourth position C, and then a straight line trajectory can be determined to connect with the fourth position C. The lateral distance between the first position D and the fourth position F is relatively close, and a straight line trajectory can be determined between the first position D and the fourth position F to eliminate the lateral error between the first position D and the fourth position F. It can be seen that the paths determined by the two methods are finally straight lines. When the road vehicle uses the camera set at the rear to shoot the aircraft, it is beneficial to use the camera to correct the positioning. When the road vehicle retreats to the aircraft, the position of the road vehicle can also be adjusted in real time according to the update of the positioning.

[0170] The unique straight-line correction trajectory function can correct the lateral error between the road vehicle and the target position. This adjustment method is conducive to the camera capturing the positioning pattern on the aircraft, thereby determining an accurate and effective relative position. In the process of the road vehicle retreating in a straight line, the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft can also be determined in real time based on the image transmitted by the camera, and then the driving position of the road vehicle can be adjusted in real time based on the relative position, ultimately reducing the position error between the road vehicle and the aircraft.

[0171] When the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is greater than the preset deviation, the vehicle can also determine a fourth path according to the fourth position and the second position. It can be seen that when the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is greater than the preset deviation, the second path can include the third path and the fourth path. The fourth path is a straight line path.

[0172] In the case where the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is not greater than the preset deviation, the path between the first position and the second position can be directly determined to obtain the second path.

[0173] 1107. Drive to a second location according to a second path.

[0174] After obtaining the second path, the traveling vehicle can travel to the second location according to the second path.

[0175] When the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is greater than the preset deviation, the vehicle may first travel from the first position to the fourth position according to the third path, and then travel from the fourth position to the second position according to the fourth path.

[0176] In the case where the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is not greater than the preset deviation, the vehicle can directly travel from the first position to the second position according to the second path.

[0177] It can be seen that the path from the road vehicle to the aircraft can be divided into at least two paths for planning. The first path is the first path. When the difference between the positioning result of the positioning component and the image data is small, that is, the positioning component is more accurate, the second path is the second path. When the difference between the positioning result of the positioning component and the image data is large, that is, the positioning component is inaccurate, the second path is the third path, and the third path is the fourth path. There may be other paths in the first path.

[0178] See also Fig.14 , Fig.14 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of another method for automatically driving to the automatic coupling area of ​​an aircraft disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. Fig.14 As shown, the method for automatically driving to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft may include the following steps.

[0179] 1401. Determine a first position according to a position of the aircraft.

[0180] The detailed description of step 1401 may refer to step 601 .

[0181] 1402. Determine a path between an initial position of a vehicle on the road and a first position to obtain a first path.

[0182] For a detailed description of step 1402 , please refer to step 602 .

[0183] 1403. Travel to the first location according to the first path.

[0184] For a detailed description of step 1403 , please refer to step 603 .

[0185] 1404. Use a camera to capture images during the process of traveling to the first position.

[0186] When the road vehicle is traveling toward the first position, the road vehicle may use a camera to collect images in real time or periodically.

[0187] 1405. When the image captured by the camera is a first image, correct the first position according to the first image to obtain a second position.

[0188] After the road vehicle captures the image, it can identify whether the captured image is the first image. When it is identified that the captured image is the first image, the first position can be corrected according to the first image to obtain an accurate position at a first preset distance from the aircraft, or an accurate position in the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft, that is, the second position.

[0189] In the case where the first image includes the aircraft, identifying whether the captured image is the first image can be understood as identifying whether the captured image includes the aircraft.

[0190] In the case where the first image includes an aircraft and at least one positioning pattern, identifying whether the captured image is the first image can be understood as identifying whether the captured image includes the aircraft and whether the area corresponding to the aircraft in the captured image includes the positioning pattern. The captured image is the first image, which can be understood as the captured image includes the aircraft and the area corresponding to the aircraft includes the positioning pattern. The road vehicle can first identify whether the captured image includes the aircraft. In the case where the captured image includes the aircraft, it can continue to identify whether the area corresponding to the aircraft in the captured image includes the positioning pattern set on the aircraft. In the case where it is identified that the area corresponding to the aircraft includes the positioning pattern set on the aircraft, it can be determined that the captured image is the first image. In the case where it is identified that the captured image does not include the aircraft, or the area corresponding to the aircraft does not include the positioning pattern set on the aircraft, it can be determined that the captured image is not the first image and the capture can continue.

[0191] The road vehicle can first crop the area corresponding to the aircraft in the first image to obtain the second image, then identify the positioning pattern in the second image to obtain the pattern to be positioned, determine the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft according to the pattern to be positioned to obtain the first relative position, and then correct the first position according to the first relative position to obtain the second position. For detailed description, please refer to the above related description, which will not be repeated here.

[0192] The first image may be one or more images. In the case of multiple first images, the first position may be corrected according to the multiple first images to obtain multiple second positions, and then the final second position may be determined according to the multiple second positions. Exemplarily, the average position of the multiple second positions may be calculated to obtain the final second position. In the case of multiple first images, the accuracy of determining the second position may be improved.

[0193] 1406. Determine a path between the current position of the vehicle on the road and the second position to obtain a second path.

[0194] After the vehicle on the road obtains the second position according to the first image, the path between the current position of the vehicle on the road and the second position can be determined to obtain the second path.

[0195] Exemplarily, a camera is arranged behind the road-going vehicle. After the aircraft lands, the road-going vehicle detects the combination instruction and starts the automatic docking function. The positioning information of the aircraft can be obtained from the aircraft. After receiving the positioning information of the aircraft, the expected position of the road-going vehicle can be given according to the positioning information of the aircraft. In this stage, since the aircraft may not be within the field of view of the camera, it is based on the position given by the positioning component. This stage is called the rough positioning stage. After that, the road-going vehicle performs path planning according to the expected position of the road-going vehicle, that is, determines the path between the position of the road-going vehicle and the expected position of the road-going vehicle, and controls the road-going vehicle to move. After the aircraft enters the field of view of the camera behind the road-going vehicle, the road-going vehicle can calculate a more accurate precise position of the road-going vehicle according to the image data collected by the camera. Since the positioning accuracy based on the camera is higher than that based on the positioning component, this stage is called the fine positioning stage. After that, the planned path can be updated according to the precise position of the road-going vehicle and the movement of the road-going vehicle can be continued to be controlled until the road-going vehicle moves to the precise position of the road-going vehicle. The positioning information of the aircraft is the position of the aircraft above.

[0196] 1407. Drive to a second location according to a second path.

[0197] After obtaining the second path, the traveling vehicle can travel to the second location according to the second path.

[0198] It should be understood that the above is an explanation of the path planning during the process of the road vehicle driving to the aircraft combination position, but does not limit the number of segments of the path planning. For example, the path between the road vehicle and the aircraft can be divided into three or more segments, such as four or five segments, for planning.

[0199] It should be understood that the same or corresponding information in the above different embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0200] See also Fig.15 , Fig.15 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic docking and separation device for a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. The automatic docking and separation device for a flying car is applied to a road-going vehicle included in the flying car, and the flying car also includes an aircraft, and the road-going vehicle and the aircraft are separable and combinable. Fig.15 As shown, the automatic docking and separation device of the flying car may include:

[0201] The driving unit 1501 is used to automatically drive to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft in response to the coupling request between the road vehicle and the aircraft;

[0202] The coupling unit 1502 is used to pull the aircraft into the receiving cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling through the automatic docking structure of the road-going vehicle and the aircraft;

[0203] The separation unit 1503 is used to respond to the separation and decoupling request of the road vehicle and the aircraft, and push the aircraft out of the accommodation cavity through the automatic docking structure to achieve decoupling and separation;

[0204] The driving unit 1501 is also used to automatically drive the aircraft away from the first safety area.

[0205] In some embodiments, the driving unit 1501 automatically drives to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft including:

[0206] Determining a first position based on the current position of the aircraft;

[0207] Determine a path between an initial position of the vehicle on the road and a first position to obtain a first path;

[0208] Traveling to a first location according to a first path;

[0209] determining a second position according to a first image captured by a camera, the first image including the aircraft, and the second position belonging to an automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft;

[0210] Determine a path between the current position of the vehicle on the road and the second position to obtain a second path;

[0211] Travel to the second location according to the second path.

[0212] In some embodiments, the automatic docking and separation device of the flying car may further include:

[0213] a determination unit, configured to determine a curved trajectory to bypass an obstacle when an obstacle is detected on the first path during driving to the first position according to the first path;

[0214] An updating unit, configured to update the first path using a curved trajectory;

[0215] The driving unit 1501 drives toward the first position according to the first path, including:

[0216] Travel toward the first location according to the updated first route.

[0217] In some embodiments, the automatic docking and separation device of the flying car may further include:

[0218] A collection unit, used to collect images using a camera during the process of traveling to a first position, the first position belonging to an automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft;

[0219] The driving unit 1501 determines the second position according to the first image captured by the camera, including:

[0220] In the case where the acquired image is a first image, the first position is corrected according to the first image to obtain a second position.

[0221] In some embodiments, the driving unit 1501 drives toward the first position according to the first path, including:

[0222] Driving to a first position according to a first path, where the distance between the first position and the aircraft is a first preset distance;

[0223] The automatic docking and separation device of the flying car may also include:

[0224] A collection unit, configured to collect a first image using the camera at a first position;

[0225] The driving unit 1501 determines a path between the current position of the vehicle and the second position, and obtaining the second path includes:

[0226] A path between the first position and the second position is determined to obtain a second path, wherein a distance between the second position and the aircraft is less than a first preset distance.

[0227] In some embodiments, the coupling unit 1502 is specifically used for:

[0228] Controlling the automatic docking structure of the road vehicle to connect with the automatic docking structure of the aircraft;

[0229] The coupling is achieved by pulling the aircraft into the accommodating cavity of the road vehicle through the connected automatic docking structure.

[0230] In some embodiments, the coupling unit 1502 pulls the aircraft to the receiving cavity of the road vehicle through the connected automatic docking structure to achieve coupling, including:

[0231] When the angle between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft is less than or equal to the angle threshold, the aircraft is pulled into the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle through the connected automatic docking structure to achieve coupling.

[0232] In some embodiments, the coupling unit 1502 is further used to adjust the angle between the road vehicle and the aircraft so that the angle between the road vehicle and the aircraft is less than or equal to the angle threshold when the angle between the road vehicle and the aircraft is greater than the angle threshold.

[0233] In some embodiments, the automatic docking and separation device of the flying car may further include:

[0234] The fixing unit is used to fix the aircraft in the accommodating cavity.

[0235] In some embodiments, the automatic docking and separation device of the flying car may further include:

[0236] A receiving unit, used for receiving a request for energy replenishment from an aircraft;

[0237] The driving unit 1501 is further used to automatically drive the aircraft to a refueling area according to the refueling request;

[0238] The energy recharging unit is used to recharge the aircraft in the energy recharging area.

[0239] In some embodiments, the refueling request includes the current position of the aircraft;

[0240] The driving unit 1501 automatically drives the aircraft to the energy replenishment area according to the energy replenishment request, including:

[0241] Determine the energy replenishment area of ​​the aircraft according to the current position information of the aircraft;

[0242] Automatically drive to the recharging area.

[0243] In some embodiments, the driving unit 1501 is also used to automatically drive the aircraft away from the aircraft to a second safety area when it is detected that the energy replenishment is completed.

[0244] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the automatic docking and separation device, driving unit 1501, coupling unit 1502, separation unit 1503, determination unit, update unit, collection unit, fixing unit, receiving unit and energy replenishment unit of the flying car described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0245] In several embodiments provided in the present application, the coupling between the units may be electrical, mechanical or other forms of coupling.

[0246] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application 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. The above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0247] Please refer to Fig.16 , Fig.16 Schematic diagram of the structure of a road vehicle disclosed in the embodiment of the present application. Fig.16 As shown, the road vehicle may include a processor 1601 and a memory 1602. The memory 1602 may store one or more computer programs. The one or more computer programs are configured to execute the method described in the above method embodiment. The memory 1602 may exist independently or be integrated with the processor 1601.

[0248] The processor 1601 may include one or more processing cores. The processor 1601 may use various interfaces and lines to connect various parts of the entire road vehicle, and may execute various functions of the road vehicle and process data by running or executing instructions, programs, code sets or instruction sets stored in the memory 1602, and calling data stored in the memory 1602. Optionally, the processor 1601 may be implemented in at least one hardware form of digital signal processing (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), and programmable logic array (PLA). The processor 1601 may integrate one or a combination of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a modem. Among them, the CPU mainly processes the operating system, user interface, and application programs; the GPU is responsible for rendering and drawing display content; and the modem is used to process wireless communications. It is understandable that the above-mentioned modem may not be integrated into the processor 1601, but may be implemented separately through a communication chip.

[0249] The memory 1602 may include a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM). The memory 1602 may be used to store instructions, programs, codes, code sets or instruction sets. The memory 1602 may include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area may store instructions for implementing an operating system, instructions for implementing at least one function (such as a touch function, a sound playback function, an image playback function, etc.), instructions for implementing the above-mentioned various method embodiments, etc. The data storage area may also store data created by a road vehicle during use (such as a phone book, audio and video data, chat record data), etc.

[0250] When the computer program instructions stored in the memory 1602 are executed, the processor 1601 can be used to execute various operations performed by the road-going vehicle in the above method embodiments. The specific implementation of these operations can be referred to the previous embodiments, and will not be described in detail here.

[0251] The present application also discloses a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program code is stored, and the computer program code can be called by a processor to perform various operations in the above method embodiment. The specific implementation of each of the above operations can be referred to the previous embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0252] The computer readable storage medium may be an electronic memory such as a flash memory, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), a hard disk or a ROM. Alternatively, the computer readable storage medium may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer readable storage medium has storage space for program codes that execute any of the method steps in the above method. These computer program codes may be read from or written to one or more computer program products. The computer program code may be compressed, for example, in an appropriate form.

[0253] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for automatic docking and separation of a flying car, characterized in that: The method is applied to a road-going vehicle included in the flying car, and the flying car also includes an aircraft, the road-going vehicle and the aircraft are separable and combinable, and the method includes: In response to a request for coupling between the road vehicle and the aircraft, automatically driving to an automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft; Through the automatic docking structure between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft, the aircraft is pulled into the receiving cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling; In response to a separation and decoupling request from the road vehicle and the aircraft, the aircraft is pushed out of the accommodating cavity by the automatic docking structure to achieve decoupling and separation; Automatically drive away from the aircraft to a first safe area.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The automatic driving to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft includes: determining a first position according to a current position of the aircraft; Determine a path between an initial position of the vehicle on the road and the first position to obtain a first path; driving toward the first location according to the first path; determining a second position according to a first image captured by a camera, the first image including the aircraft, and the second position belonging to an automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft; Determine a path between the current position of the vehicle on the road and the second position to obtain a second path; Travel to the second location according to the second path.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the process of traveling toward the first position along the first path, if an obstacle is detected on the first path, determining a curved trajectory to bypass the obstacle; updating the first path using the curved trajectory; The traveling to the first location according to the first path includes: Travel toward the first location according to the updated first route.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The method further comprises: During the process of traveling to the first position, using the camera to collect images, the first position belonging to the automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft; Determining the second position according to the first image captured by the camera includes: In the case that the image is a first image, the first position is corrected according to the first image to obtain a second position.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The traveling to the first location according to the first path includes: Driving to the first position according to the first path, the distance between the first position and the aircraft is a first preset distance; The method further comprises: capturing the first image using the camera at the first position; Determining a path between the current position of the vehicle on the road and the second position to obtain the second path includes: A path between the first position and the second position is determined to obtain a second path, wherein the distance between the second position and the aircraft is less than the first preset distance.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The step of pulling the aircraft into the receiving cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling through the automatic docking structure between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft comprises: Controlling the automatic docking structure of the road vehicle to connect with the automatic docking structure of the aircraft; The coupling is achieved by pulling the aircraft to the accommodating cavity of the road vehicle through the connected automatic docking structure.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The step of pulling the aircraft to the receiving cavity of the road vehicle through the connected automatic docking structure to achieve coupling includes: When the angle between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft is less than or equal to the angle threshold, the aircraft is pulled into the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle by the connected automatic docking structure to achieve coupling.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The step of pulling the aircraft into the receiving cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling through the automatic docking structure between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft further comprises: When the angle between the road vehicle and the aircraft is greater than the angle threshold, the angle between the road vehicle and the aircraft is adjusted so that the angle between the road vehicle and the aircraft is less than or equal to the angle threshold.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The aircraft is fixed in the accommodating cavity.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The method further comprises: receiving a request for energy replenishment from the aircraft; Automatically driving to a refueling area of ​​the aircraft according to the refueling request; The aircraft is recharged in the recharge area.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The energy replenishment request includes the current position of the aircraft; The step of automatically driving to the energy replenishment area of ​​the aircraft according to the energy replenishment request comprises: Determining a refueling area of ​​the aircraft according to the current position of the aircraft; Automatically drive to the energy replenishment area.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The method further comprises: When it is detected that the energy replenishment is completed, the aircraft is automatically driven away from the aircraft to a second safety area.

13. An automatic docking and separation device for a flying car, characterized in that: The device is applied to the road-going vehicle included in the flying car, and the flying car also includes an aircraft. The road-going vehicle and the aircraft are separable and combinable. The device includes: A driving unit, configured to automatically drive to an automatic coupling area of ​​the aircraft in response to a coupling request between the road vehicle and the aircraft; A coupling unit, used to pull the aircraft into the accommodating cavity of the road-going vehicle to achieve coupling through the automatic docking structure between the road-going vehicle and the aircraft; A separation unit, configured to respond to a separation and decoupling request from the road vehicle and the aircraft, and to push the aircraft out of the accommodating cavity through the automatic docking structure to achieve decoupling and separation; The driving unit is also used to automatically drive the aircraft away from the aircraft to a first safety area.

14. A road-going vehicle, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the processor calls a computer program stored in the memory to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A flying car, characterized in that: It comprises an aircraft and a road-going vehicle as claimed in claim 14.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or a computer instruction. When the computer program or the computer instruction is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is implemented.

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