Automatic alignment method and device for flying car, road-going vehicle and flying car

Abstract

This application discloses an automatic alignment method, apparatus, road vehicle, and flying car for a flying car. The method, applied to the road vehicle included in the flying car, includes: when the road vehicle and the flying car are separated and the flying car is not in flight, responding to a rendezvous command, determining a first position based on the position of the flying car; determining a first path between the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position; traveling to the first position according to the first path; acquiring a first image at the first position using a sensor device installed on the road vehicle; determining a second position based on the first image; determining a second path between the first position and the second position; and traveling to the second position according to the second path. In this embodiment, the road vehicle in the flying car can automatically align with the flying car according to a planned path, achieving automatic alignment between the road vehicle and the flying car.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of flying car technology, specifically to an automatic alignment method, device, road vehicle, and flying car for a flying car. Background Technology

[0002] Flying cars have always been a key research area, and with the development of pure electric vertical takeoff 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 divides the function of flying cars into road and flight parts, including various types such as two-part and three-part models.

[0003] In the case of a two-part flying car, the flying car can be divided into a road vehicle and an aircraft. During the automatic docking process between the aircraft and the road vehicle, how to achieve automatic alignment between the road vehicle and the aircraft has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application discloses an automatic alignment method, device, road vehicle, and flying car for realizing automatic alignment between road vehicles and aircraft.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application disclose an automatic alignment method for a flying car, the flying car comprising a road vehicle and an aircraft, the road vehicle and the aircraft being separable and combinable, the method being applied to the road vehicle, the method comprising:

[0006] When the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state and the aircraft is not in flight, in response to a combination command for combining the road vehicle and the aircraft, a first position is determined based on the position of the aircraft, and the distance between the first position and the aircraft is a first preset distance;

[0007] Determine the path between the initial position of the traveling vehicle and the first position to obtain the first path;

[0008] Travel to the first location according to the first route;

[0009] A first image is acquired at the first location using a sensing device installed on the road vehicle, the first image including the aircraft;

[0010] A second position is determined based on the first image, and the distance between the second position and the aircraft is a second preset distance, which is less than the first preset distance.

[0011] Determine the path between the first position and the second position to obtain the second path;

[0012] Travel to the second location according to the second path.

[0013] Secondly, embodiments of this application disclose an automatic alignment device for a flying car, the flying car comprising a road vehicle and an aircraft, the road vehicle and the aircraft being separable and combustable, the device being applied to the road vehicle, the device comprising:

[0014] The first determining unit is configured to, in the case that the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state and the aircraft is not in a flight state, respond to a combination command for combining the road vehicle and the aircraft, determine a first position based on the position of the aircraft, wherein the distance between the first position and the aircraft is a first preset distance;

[0015] The second determining unit is used to determine the path between the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position to obtain the first path;

[0016] The first driving unit is used to travel to the first location according to the first path;

[0017] A data acquisition unit is configured to acquire a first image at the first location using a sensing device installed on the road vehicle, the first image including the aircraft.

[0018] The third determining unit is used to determine a second position based on the first image, wherein the distance between the second position and the aircraft is a second preset distance, and the second preset distance is less than the first preset distance;

[0019] The fourth determining unit is used to determine the path between the first position and the second position to obtain the second path.

[0020] The second driving unit is used to travel to the second position according to the second path.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the second determining unit is specifically used to determine the path between the initial position and the first position, and obtain a first path, when 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 a first angle.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the second determining unit is further configured to:

[0023] When the angle is greater than or equal to the first angle, the position of the road vehicle is adjusted from the initial position to the adjusted position, and the angle between the heading angle of the adjusted position and the heading angle of the first position is the second angle;

[0024] Determine the path between the adjusted position and the first position to obtain the first path.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the second determining unit is further configured to:

[0026] Determine the relative distance between the initial position and the first position;

[0027] The adjustment position is determined based on the relative distance;

[0028] If the relative distance is greater than the first distance, the distance between the adjusted position and the first position is less than the relative distance;

[0029] When the relative distance is less than or equal to the first distance, the distance between the adjusted position and the first position is greater than the relative distance.

[0030] As one possible implementation, the device further includes:

[0031] The fifth determining unit is used to determine a curved trajectory that avoids the obstacle when an obstacle is detected on the first path during the process of traveling to the first position according to the first path.

[0032] An update unit is used to update the first path using the curve trajectory;

[0033] The first driving unit is specifically used to travel to the first location according to the updated first path.

[0034] As one possible implementation, the fifth determining unit is specifically used for:

[0035] Determine the minimum radius circle that includes the obstacle;

[0036] The curve trajectory that does not intersect with the circle of minimum radius is determined as the curve trajectory that bypasses the obstacle.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the aircraft is provided with multiple positioning patterns, which are different. The first image also includes at least one positioning pattern, which is provided on the aircraft. The multiple positioning patterns include the at least one positioning pattern.

[0038] The third determining unit is specifically used for:

[0039] The second image is obtained by cropping the region corresponding to the aircraft in the first image;

[0040] Identify the positioning pattern in the second image to obtain the pattern to be positioned;

[0041] The relative positions between the road vehicle and the aircraft are determined based on the pattern to be located, thus obtaining a first relative position;

[0042] The second position is determined based on the first relative position.

[0043] As one possible implementation, the third determining unit determines the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft based on the positioning pattern to obtain the first relative position, including:

[0044] Extract the sub-pixel corner points corresponding to the pattern to be located in the second image;

[0045] The relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft is determined based on the sub-pixel corner points to obtain the first relative position.

[0046] As one possible implementation, the device further includes:

[0047] The sixth determining unit is used to determine the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft based on the first position and the position of the aircraft, and obtain the second relative position;

[0048] The third determining unit determines the second position based on the first relative position by:

[0049] If the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is greater than a preset deviation, the first position is corrected based on the first relative position to obtain the third position;

[0050] The second position is determined based on the third position.

[0051] As one possible implementation, the device further includes:

[0052] A communication unit is used to send a position acquisition request to the aircraft;

[0053] The communication unit is also used to receive the position of the aircraft from the aircraft.

[0054] Thirdly, embodiments of this application disclose a road vehicle, including a processor and a memory, wherein the processor invokes a computer program stored in the memory to execute the method disclosed in the first aspect.

[0055] Fourthly, embodiments of this application disclose a flying car, including the road vehicle and aircraft disclosed in the third aspect.

[0056] Fifthly, embodiments of this application disclose a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method disclosed in the first aspect above.

[0057] Sixthly, embodiments of this application disclose a computer program product including computer program code, which, when executed by a processor, causes the above-described method to be performed.

[0058] In this embodiment, when the road vehicle and the aircraft are separated and the aircraft is not in flight, in response to a docking command for docking the road vehicle and the aircraft, a first position is determined based on the aircraft's position, a first path is obtained by determining the path between the road vehicle's initial position and the first position, and the vehicle travels to the first position according to the first path. At the first position, a first image including the aircraft is acquired using a sensor device installed on the road vehicle, a second position is determined based on the first image, a second path is obtained by determining the path between the first position and the second position, and the vehicle travels to the second position according to the second path. Therefore, the road vehicle in the flying car can automatically navigate to the aircraft according to the planned path, achieving automatic alignment between the road vehicle and the aircraft. Furthermore, with a multi-angle, large-range planning area, long-distance, large-angle path planning can be achieved, enabling the road vehicle to automatically navigate from a long-distance, large-angle position to the docking position with the aircraft, thus meeting the docking requirements of the flying car's aircraft and road vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0059] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0060] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a road vehicle and an aircraft in a separated state, as disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another flying car disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic docking and refueling separation of a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an automatic alignment method for a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an X-pattern disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a positioning pattern set on a target object, as disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an initial position and an adjusted position disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a curved trajectory that bypasses an obstacle, as disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating another automatic alignment method for a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating how a relative position is determined based on an image, as disclosed in an embodiment of this application.

[0071] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the determination of a third path as disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating another automatic alignment method for a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic alignment device for a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a road vehicle disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0075] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0076] This application discloses an automatic alignment method, device, road vehicle, and flying car, used to achieve automatic alignment between road vehicles and flying vehicles. These will be described in detail below.

[0077] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the flying car will be described below first.

[0078] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, a flying car can include road vehicles and aircraft. The flying car can be in a coupled or disassembled state. When the flying car is in a coupled state, the road vehicle and the aircraft are combined together. Figure 1 This illustration shows the road vehicle and the aircraft in a combined state. When the flying car is in a separated state, the road vehicle and the aircraft separate. Figure 2 This illustrates a situation where road vehicles and aircraft are separated.

[0079] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a road vehicle may include an engine, generator, power distribution box, land-based power battery, land-based drive components, contactor, thermal management components, power distribution management components, communication management components, and network management components.

[0080] The engine controls the generator to produce electricity, which in turn charges the land-based propulsion battery via a distribution box. The land-based propulsion battery then powers the land-based drive components. These components propel the vehicle forward or into motion.

[0081] A thermal management component can control the cooling of a road vehicle to prevent the vehicle from overheating. For example, the road vehicle may also include a cooling component. If the temperature of the road vehicle is detected to be higher than a first temperature, the thermal management component can control the cooling component to dissipate heat; if the temperature of the road vehicle is detected to be lower than a second temperature, the thermal management component can control the cooling component to stop operating. The second temperature is lower than the first temperature.

[0082] The power distribution management component can control the engine's status based on the land-based power battery's charge level. For example, if the land-based power battery's charge level is detected to be below a certain threshold, the engine can be controlled to operate, thereby enabling the engine to control the generator to generate electricity to charge the land-based power battery. Alternatively, if the engine is operating and the land-based power battery is detected to be fully charged, the engine can be controlled to stop operating, avoiding continuous charging of the land-based power battery and thus extending its lifespan.

[0083] The communication management component manages the communication components of road vehicles. There can be one or multiple communication components. The communication management component can control the communication components to send information to aircraft, electronic devices, etc., and can also control the communication components to receive information from aircraft, electronic devices, etc. Communication components can be Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, 5G, UltraWide Band (UWB), or other wireless communication technologies.

[0084] The network management component can control the network components in road vehicles to connect to the network. This network can be one or more of the following: a data network, a Wi-Fi network, etc.

[0085] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the aircraft may include a contactor, a power distribution box, a flight power battery, flight drive components, thermal management components, power distribution management components, communication management components, and network management components.

[0086] Thermal management components can control the aircraft to dissipate heat to prevent the aircraft from overheating. For example, the aircraft may also include a heat dissipation component. If the aircraft's temperature is detected to be higher than a third temperature, the thermal management component can control the heat dissipation component to dissipate heat; if the aircraft's temperature is detected to be lower than a fourth temperature, the thermal management component can control the heat dissipation component to stop operating. The fourth temperature is lower than the third temperature.

[0087] The communication management component manages the aircraft's communication components. There can be one or multiple communication components. The communication management component can control the communication components to send information to road vehicles, electronic devices, etc., and can also control the communication components to receive information from road vehicles, electronic devices, etc. A detailed description of the communication components can be found in the relevant descriptions above.

[0088] When the flying car is in a coupled state, the power distribution management unit can control the state of the engine in the road vehicle based on the charge level of the flying power battery. For example, when the aircraft is coupled to the road vehicle and the flying power battery's charge level is detected to be less than a second charge level, the engine can be controlled to operate, thereby enabling the engine to control the generator to generate electricity to charge the flying power battery. For example, when the engine is operating and the flying power battery is detected to be fully charged, the engine can be controlled to stop operating, avoiding continuous charging of the flying power battery and thus extending its lifespan.

[0089] When the flying car is in a separated state and the power of the flying power battery is detected to be less than the third power level, the power distribution management component can control the communication component to send a power shortage information to the road vehicle, or send a charging request or recharge request to the road vehicle, so that the road vehicle can drive to the vicinity of the aircraft to charge the aircraft.

[0090] The flight power battery can power the flight drive components, which in turn drive the aircraft's rotors, enabling the aircraft to fly.

[0091] The network management component controls the aircraft's network components to connect to the network; for a detailed description, please refer to the relevant description above.

[0092] When the flying car is in the coupled state, the network management components of the road vehicle and the network management components of the aircraft are electrically coupled, the communication management components of the road vehicle and the communication management components of the aircraft are electrically coupled, the power distribution management components of the road vehicle and the power distribution management components of the aircraft are electrically coupled, the thermal management components of the road vehicle and the thermal management components of the aircraft are electrically coupled, and the contactors of the road vehicle and the contactors of the aircraft are electrically coupled. At the same time, the road vehicle and the aircraft are locked together by a physical locking structure.

[0093] The locking structure can be installed on a road vehicle, an aircraft, or partially on both. When the road vehicle and the aircraft are engaged, the locking structure can secure the aircraft to the road vehicle, preventing it from detaching. For example, the road vehicle can have a partial locking structure, and the aircraft can have a corresponding partial locking structure. During the engagement process, the road vehicle and the aircraft can be physically locked together using both the partial locking structure on the road vehicle and the partial locking structure on the aircraft.

[0094] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another flying car disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the road vehicle may also include a positioning component, which can determine the position of the road vehicle. The positioning component can be one or more of the following: Global Positioning System (GPS), Assisted Global Positioning System (AGPS), radar, etc.

[0095] like Figure 3As shown, the vehicle may also include one or more cameras that can capture images. The cameras may be positioned behind the vehicle, in front of the vehicle, or at other locations on the vehicle.

[0096] Vehicles on the road can also include sensors. These sensors can be various types of sensors used in vehicles, such as gravity sensors and acceleration sensors. Different sensors have different functions.

[0097] like Figure 3 As shown, the aircraft may also include a positioning component, which can determine the aircraft's position. A detailed description of the positioning component can be found in the description above.

[0098] like Figure 3 As shown, the aircraft is equipped with a positioning pattern. This positioning pattern can be positioned at the front, rear, left, or right of the aircraft. Road vehicles can use cameras to capture images including the positioning pattern, and then use the positioning pattern to determine the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft.

[0099] Flying cars can be separated into road vehicles and aircraft in an independent decoupling manner, where the road vehicle can have all the attributes of a land vehicle and the aircraft can have all the flight attributes of an aircraft. Alternatively, they can be coupled in a related coupling manner, which enables the road vehicle to "transport" the aircraft to a suitable flight site for flight and to recharge the aircraft.

[0100] When a user needs the aircraft in the flying car to fly, the flying car can carry the aircraft to a suitable flight site. At this time, the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a combined state. During the journey of the road vehicle to the flight site, the aircraft can be recharged according to its battery level, so as to prepare for the energy storage before the aircraft takes off.

[0101] It should be understood that the above is an exemplary description of the structure of a flying car and does not limit the structure of a flying car. For example, a road vehicle has all the attributes of a land vehicle, and a flying vehicle has all the flight attributes of an aircraft.

[0102] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic docking and refueling separation of a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4As shown, after the flying car arrives at the flight site, the user can trigger the separation switch to separate the road vehicle and the aircraft via the user interface (UI) on the road vehicle or aircraft, or via the separation button on the road vehicle or aircraft. Upon receiving the separation command, the flying car can initiate the separation procedure. The flying car is equipped with an automatic docking structure, which can be controlled by the separation procedure to achieve automatic separation between the road vehicle and the aircraft.

[0103] After the flying car separates from the aircraft, the road vehicle can automatically drive to a safe area to wait. This means the road vehicle can leave the aircraft to ensure it has sufficient space to fly normally; in other words, the road vehicle must travel to an area that will not interfere with the aircraft's flight. The safe area is defined as the region at a distance greater than or equal to the aircraft's current location. The safe distance is the minimum distance required to ensure the aircraft's normal flight.

[0104] After the road vehicle leaves the aircraft, the aircraft can perform flight missions, that is, it can make corresponding takeoff preparations according to the flight mission and take off.

[0105] During a flight mission, if the aircraft detects insufficient battery power, indicating a need for recharging, it can land to prepare for recharging. The landing location can be the previous takeoff location or a nearby location, i.e., close to the aircraft's current flight position.

[0106] If the aircraft's battery is low and the flight mission is not yet complete, the aircraft can send a power replenishment or charging request to road vehicles after landing. The power replenishment or charging request may carry or include the aircraft's current location. Upon receiving the power replenishment or charging request from the aircraft, the road vehicle can travel to the vicinity of the aircraft based on its current location and provide power replenishment. The road vehicle can charge the aircraft via wired or wireless charging.

[0107] In scenarios where road vehicles can wirelessly charge aircraft, in one scenario, after the aircraft detects that the distance between it and the road vehicle is less than or equal to the charging distance, it can send a charging request to the road vehicle. Upon receiving the charging request, the road vehicle can then wirelessly charge the aircraft. In another scenario, after the road vehicle detects that the distance between it and the aircraft is less than or equal to the charging distance, it can also wirelessly charge the aircraft.

[0108] When a road vehicle is providing wired charging for an aircraft, the vehicle can automatically connect the charging cable to the aircraft's charging port, allowing the aircraft to be charged via the connection. The road vehicle can also output a prompt to the user to connect the charging cable, enabling the user to charge the aircraft accordingly.

[0109] Once a road vehicle detects that the aircraft is fully charged, it can drive away to a safe area to wait. When the vehicle is wirelessly charging the aircraft, it can automatically drive away upon detecting a full charge and can also output a notification message to the user indicating that charging is complete. If no manual control is required, the aircraft can perform a go-around to complete any unfinished tasks. If manual control is required, the user can use this notification to initiate a go-around to finish the unfinished tasks. When the vehicle is wired charging the aircraft, it can output a notification message to the user indicating that charging is complete, allowing the user to retract the charging cable.

[0110] After the aircraft has recharged, it can continue flying, i.e., perform a go-around. Once the flight mission (i.e., the go-around) is complete, the aircraft can land. Furthermore, the aircraft can output a notification message to the user indicating when the aircraft is landing.

[0111] After the aircraft lands, if a road vehicle needs to dock with the aircraft, the user can input a docking request, combination request, or docking command to the road vehicle through the UI interface, buttons, or terminal device. Upon receiving the docking request, combination request, or docking command, the road vehicle can approach the aircraft based on its position to complete the automatic docking.

[0112] After automatic docking is completed, the aircraft can be pulled into the receiving cavity of the road vehicle through the automatic docking structure between the road vehicle and the aircraft to achieve coupling. Since the road vehicle may not be level, the attitude of the road vehicle can be adjusted first to level it, and then the aircraft can be pulled into the receiving cavity of the road vehicle through the automatic docking structure to achieve coupling.

[0113] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an automatic alignment method for a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of this application. The flying car includes a road vehicle and an aircraft, which are separable and combinable. The automatic alignment method for the flying car is applied to the road vehicle. Figure 5As shown, the automatic alignment method for the flying car may include the following steps.

[0114] 501. When the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state and the aircraft is not in flight, in response to the engagement command for engaging the road vehicle and the aircraft, a first position is determined based on the position of the aircraft.

[0115] When the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state, if the aircraft is not in flight, that is, the aircraft is stationary on the ground, then upon detecting a docking command for docking the road vehicle and the aircraft, a first position can be determined based on the position of the aircraft in response to the docking command.

[0116] The commands can be input by the user through the function areas or function buttons on the vehicle's UI, through mechanical buttons on the vehicle, or sent to the vehicle via a terminal device. This terminal device can be a dedicated terminal for controlling the flying car, or a terminal device with a corresponding client installed.

[0117] The aircraft's position is its current location, i.e., its current docking position. The aircraft's position is determined by its positioning components.

[0118] After a road vehicle detects the docking command, it can send a location acquisition request to the aircraft. Upon receiving the request, the aircraft can use its positioning components to determine its position and then transmit that position back to the road vehicle. The road vehicle can then receive and store the aircraft's position for later retrieval.

[0119] The first position can be a position at a first preset distance from the aircraft. The aircraft is equipped with a positioning pattern, and road vehicles can determine their first position based on the positioning pattern's placement on the aircraft and the first preset distance. For example, if the positioning pattern is located in front of the aircraft, the first position can be a position at a first preset distance from the front of the aircraft. For example, if the positioning pattern is located behind the aircraft, the first position can be a position at a first preset distance from the rear of the aircraft. For example, if the positioning pattern is located on the left side of the aircraft, the first position can be a position at a first preset distance from the left side of the aircraft. For example, if the positioning pattern is located on the right side of the aircraft, the first position can be a position at a first preset distance from the right side of the aircraft.

[0120] The aircraft can have multiple, different positioning patterns. These positioning patterns can be X-shaped, circular, or other recognizable patterns. For an example, please refer to [link to example]. Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an X-pattern disclosed in an embodiment of this application. These multiple positioning patterns can be... Figure 6 The X pattern in the image refers to part or all of the pattern.

[0121] The number of positioning patterns set on the aircraft can be greater than or equal to 3. For example, the number of positioning patterns set on the aircraft can be 3, 5, 6, or other values ​​greater than 3. It should be understood that there is no limit to the specific number of positioning patterns set on the aircraft, as long as it is greater than or equal to 3.

[0122] These multiple positioning patterns can be placed on the same plane or on different planes. Therefore, the positioning patterns being placed in front of the aircraft (or behind, to the left, or to the right) can be understood as the positioning patterns being placed in the front of the aircraft, meaning that all the positioning patterns on the aircraft can be seen from directly in front of (or behind, to the left, or to the right) the aircraft.

[0123] For example, please refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a positioning pattern set on a target object, as disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 As shown, the target object has 8 different X patterns set on its front, and these 8 X patterns are set on different planes.

[0124] The road vehicle can store the setting surfaces of multiple positioning patterns on the aircraft, as well as the setting position of each positioning pattern. The setting position of the positioning pattern is the specific location of the positioning pattern on the aircraft.

[0125] 502. Determine the path between the initial position and the first position of the traveling vehicle to obtain the first path.

[0126] The initial position of the road vehicle is determined by the positioning component when the road vehicle detects the engagement command. Based on the initial position and the first position, the road vehicle can determine a first path between the initial position and the first position. The first path can be a straight path or a curved path.

[0127] Position information differs depending on the location. Position information can include heading angle and coordinates. The coordinates of the location are those in the world coordinate system. The heading angle is the angle between the vehicle's front end and the x-axis of the local coordinate system. The local coordinate system is established with the direction the vehicle's front end is pointing forward as the x-axis when it starts moving.

[0128] In some embodiments, after the road vehicle determines its first position, it can first determine whether the angle between the heading angle of the road vehicle's initial position and the heading angle of the first position is less than a first angle. If it is determined that the angle between the heading angle of the road vehicle's initial position 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 road vehicle's initial position and the first position. The first path can be obtained directly by the planner. In this case, 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.

[0129] If the angle between the initial heading angle of the vehicle and the heading angle at the first position is greater than or equal to the first angle, it indicates that a straight path cannot be planned between the initial and first positions. A path can be planned first, such that the angle between the heading angle of the endpoint of this path and the heading angle at the first position is the second angle (i.e., the standard angle). An adjustment position can be determined first, with the angle between the heading angle of the adjustment position and the heading angle at the first position being the second angle. Then, the vehicle's position can be adjusted from its initial position to the adjustment position. The planner can determine the path between the adjustment position and the first position to obtain the first path. The second angle is a preset angle, which can be 90° or other values. In this case, the first path is a curved path. Adjusting the vehicle's position is to plan a path with the minimum turning radius for either forward or backward movement.

[0130] A road vehicle can first determine the path between its initial position and its adjusted position to obtain a fourth path, and then travel from its initial position to its adjusted position according to the fourth path.

[0131] A road vehicle can first determine the relative distance between its initial position and a first position. Then, it can determine its adjustment position based on this relative distance. If the relative distance is greater than the first distance, it indicates a large distance between the road vehicle and the first position, allowing the road vehicle to move towards the first position. In other words, if the distance between the adjusted position and the first position is less than this relative distance, the distance between the road vehicle and the aircraft can be reduced without affecting path planning, thus improving their coordination efficiency. If the relative distance is less than or equal to the first distance, it indicates a small distance between the road vehicle and the first position, allowing it to move in the opposite direction. In other words, if the distance between the adjusted position and the first position is greater than this relative distance, it avoids the problem of the arc connecting the first position and the adjusted position being smaller than the road vehicle's minimum turning radius, preventing the road vehicle from turning.

[0132] For example, please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an initial position and an adjusted position as disclosed in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 8 As shown, position A is the first position, position B is the initial position of the vehicle, and 'a' represents the direction of travel of the vehicle's front end. If the distance between A and B is greater than the first distance, the vehicle can travel along direction f to position E or along direction j to position F. The specific direction (e.g., to position E or F) is determined by the heading angles of positions A and B. If the distance between A and B is less than or equal to the first distance, the vehicle can travel along direction b to position C or along direction e to position D. Again, the specific direction (e.g., to position C or D) is determined by the heading angles of positions A and B.

[0133] In some embodiments, after the road vehicle determines its first position, it can first determine whether the angle between the heading angle of the road vehicle's initial position and the heading angle of the first position is within a preset range. If it is determined that the angle between the heading angle of the road vehicle's initial position and the heading angle of the first position is within the preset range, it indicates that during the process of the road vehicle and the aircraft combining, the road vehicle does not need to bypass the aircraft and can directly determine the path between the road vehicle's initial position and the first position to obtain the first path. That is, the path between the road vehicle's initial position and the first position can be directly determined in the manner described above.

[0134] If the angle between the heading angle of the initial position and the heading angle of the first position of the road vehicle is determined to be outside the preset range, it indicates that during the interaction between the road vehicle and 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, and then approach the aircraft again. During the process of the road vehicle approaching and then moving away from the aircraft, the relative position or attitude between the road vehicle and the aircraft can be disregarded, such as the rear of the road vehicle facing the front of the aircraft. This reduces the processing time for the road vehicle, thereby reducing its power consumption and saving computational and storage resources. The road vehicle can first determine its fifth position based on the position of the aircraft, and then determine the path between the road vehicle's initial position and the fifth position to obtain the fifth path. The road vehicle can then travel to the fifth position according to the fifth path. Afterwards, the fifth position can be used to update the road vehicle's initial position, and then the path between the updated initial position and the first position can be determined to obtain the first path. The fifth position and the first position are on the same side 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.

[0135] For example, the positioning pattern is set in front of the aircraft. If 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 180° range (i.e., greater than 180°), the initial position of the road vehicle can be determined to be behind the aircraft. A fifth position can be determined in front of the aircraft first. The road vehicle can then travel to the fifth position based on the path between its initial position and the fifth position. The fifth position is then used as the new initial position of the road vehicle, and the path between the fifth position and the first position is determined to obtain the first path. If 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 180° range (i.e., less than 180°), the initial position of the road vehicle can be determined to be in front of the aircraft. The path between the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position can be directly determined to obtain the first path.

[0136] It should be understood that the first path can be an optimal path determined by the traveling vehicles based on the cost required for each path. The cost required for a path can be determined based on factors such as the path length, the time required for the path, and the shape of the path.

[0137] 503. Proceed to the first position according to the first path.

[0138] Once a vehicle obtains the first path, it can travel to the first location based on the first path.

[0139] During the journey of a road vehicle towards a first position along a first path, the vehicle can detect the presence of obstacles on the first path in real time or periodically. If no obstacles are detected, the vehicle can continue its journey along the first path. If obstacles are detected, the vehicle can first determine a curved trajectory to avoid the obstacle, and then update the first path using this trajectory, replacing the segment of the trajectory corresponding to the obstacle. The vehicle can then continue its journey along the updated first path. Thus, the vehicle can detect obstacles during its journey and automatically avoid them, improving its maneuverability. Furthermore, since obstacle planning is not required, path planning efficiency is improved, thereby increasing the efficiency of the interaction between the road vehicle and the aircraft. Moreover, because obstacle planning is not required, long-distance path planning is possible. The road vehicle can detect obstacle areas using sensors, cameras, etc.

[0140] A road vehicle can determine the minimum radius circle including the obstacle. Then, a curved trajectory that does not intersect with the minimum radius circle is identified as the trajectory to bypass the obstacle. Multiple intermediate positions are set near this circle based on empirical values, and multiple trajectory connectors are used to attempt to connect the two trajectory segments separated by the obstacle. This process is continuously iterated through all the set intermediate positions. If a connection is successful and does not interfere with the circle, the curved trajectory to bypass the obstacle is obtained. The curved trajectory to bypass the obstacle can be the shortest trajectory that does not intersect with the minimum radius circle, which can improve the driving efficiency of the road vehicle. The curved trajectory to bypass the obstacle can also be any other curved trajectory that does not intersect with the minimum radius circle.

[0141] For example, please refer to Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a curved trajectory for bypassing obstacles, as disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 As shown, during the process of a road vehicle traveling from position A to position D on the first path, when the road vehicle detects an obstacle at position B, it can first determine the minimum radius circle E that includes the obstacle. Then, the curved trajectory CD that does not intersect with the minimum radius circle can be determined as the curved trajectory that bypasses the obstacle. The curved trajectory CD is used to replace the straight trajectory CD in the first path. Then, the vehicle continues to travel along the replaced first path to position D.

[0142] It is evident that obstacle avoidance trajectories can be generated in real time while vehicles are moving on the road, without the need to stop and replan the trajectory. This can effectively avoid obstacles while ensuring the driving efficiency of vehicles.

[0143] 504. Determine the second location based on the first image collected by the sensor device installed on the road vehicle.

[0144] 505. Determine the path between the current position of the traveling vehicle and the second position to obtain the second path.

[0145] The first image may include an aircraft.

[0146] In one scenario, a road vehicle can first travel along a first path to a first location. Then, at that location, a sensor installed on the road vehicle can capture a first image. Based on this first image, a second location can be determined, and thus the path between the first and second locations can be established, resulting in a second path. In this case, the first location is the position of the aircraft that the sensor installed on the road vehicle can capture. The distance between the second location and the aircraft is a second preset distance, which is less than the first preset distance; that is, the distance between the first location and the aircraft is greater than the distance between the second location and the aircraft. The sensor installed on the road vehicle can be a camera or other image-capturing sensor.

[0147] In another scenario, as the road vehicle travels towards the first position, it can use the sensors installed on the road vehicle to collect images in real time or periodically. After collecting the images, it can identify whether the collected images are the first images. If the collected images are identified as the first images, the first position can be corrected based on the first images to obtain the precise position at a first preset distance from the aircraft, i.e., the second position.

[0148] In both of the above cases, the first preset distance between the first position and the position of the aircraft can be different.

[0149] 506. Proceed to the second location according to the second route.

[0150] Once a vehicle obtains the second route, it can travel to the second location based on the second route.

[0151] When the second position is the corrected position of the first position, the traveling vehicle can replace the first path with the second path, and then travel to the second position according to the second path.

[0152] After the road vehicle reaches the second position, it can use the automatic docking structure to pull the aircraft into the road vehicle's receiving cavity for coupling. The road vehicle can then secure the aircraft within the receiving cavity. The aforementioned locking structure can be used to secure the aircraft within the receiving cavity, preventing it from detaching from the road vehicle.

[0153] exist Figure 5In the described automatic alignment method for flying cars, road vehicles within the flying car can automatically align with the aircraft according to a planned path, achieving automatic alignment between the road vehicles and the aircraft. Furthermore, the method possesses a large-scale, multi-angle planning area, enabling long-distance, large-angle path planning. This allows road vehicles to automatically align with the aircraft from a distant, large-angle position, meeting the aircraft-road vehicle alignment requirements. Moreover, depending on different needs, the path planning between the road vehicles and the aircraft can be divided into multiple segments, improving the flexibility of path planning.

[0154] Please see Figure 10 , Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating another automatic alignment method for a flying car disclosed in this application. The flying car includes a road vehicle and an aircraft, which are separable and combinable. The automatic alignment method for the flying car is applied to the road vehicle. Figure 10 As shown, the automatic alignment method for the flying car may include the following steps.

[0155] 1001. When the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state and the aircraft is not in flight, in response to the engagement command for engaging the road vehicle and the aircraft, a first position is determined based on the position of the aircraft.

[0156] For a detailed description of step 1001, please refer to step 501.

[0157] 1002. Determine the path between the initial position and the first position of the traveling vehicle to obtain the first path.

[0158] For a detailed description of step 1002, please refer to step 502.

[0159] 1003. Proceed to the first position according to the first path.

[0160] For a detailed description of step 1003, please refer to step 503.

[0161] 1004. At the first location, use the sensing device installed on the road vehicle to acquire the first image.

[0162] The first image may further include an image of at least one positioning pattern, i.e., the first image includes an aircraft, and the aircraft includes at least one positioning pattern. At least one positioning pattern is disposed on the aircraft, and the plurality of positioning patterns include this at least one positioning pattern. The first location is a sensing device installed on a road vehicle that can capture the location of the aircraft where the positioning pattern is disposed.

[0163] The number of images in the first image can be one or more.

[0164] After a road vehicle reaches the first position, it can first use the sensors installed on the road vehicle to collect images. Then it can identify whether the collected image is the first image. If the collected image is not the first image, the position or angle of the sensors installed on the road vehicle can be adjusted so that the image collected by the sensors installed on the road vehicle is the first image.

[0165] Vehicles traveling on the road can first identify whether the captured image includes an aircraft. If the captured image includes an aircraft, they can further identify whether the area where the aircraft is located includes the positioning pattern set on the aircraft. If the area where the aircraft is located includes the positioning pattern, the captured image can be determined as the first image. If the captured image does not include an aircraft, or if the area where the aircraft is located does not include the positioning pattern, the captured image can be determined as not the first image.

[0166] 1005. Determine the second position based on the first image.

[0167] After the road vehicle acquires the first image, it can first identify the aircraft in the first image, then crop the corresponding area of ​​the aircraft in the first image to obtain the second image, identify the positioning pattern in the second image to obtain the positioning pattern, determine the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft based on the positioning pattern to obtain the first relative position, and finally determine the second position based on the first relative position.

[0168] Vehicles traveling on the road can use a first network model to identify aircraft in a first image. The first network model can be trained from images including aircraft. The first network model can be a network model capable of object 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, or other object detection network models. The two-stage network model can be a faster region-based convolutional neural network (RCNN) model, a cascaded RCNN model, a masked RCNN model, or other network models. The one-stage network model can be a YOLO series network model, a single-shot multibox detector (SSD) model, a Retina Network (RetinaNet) model, a fully convolutional one-stage object detection (FCOS) model, a Corner Network (CornerNet) model, or other network models.

[0169] Cropping the area corresponding to the aircraft in the first image from the road vehicle can be understood as extracting the Region of Interest (ROI) from the first image, or as cutting out the aircraft from the first image.

[0170] Vehicles traveling on the road can use a second network model to identify the localization pattern in a second image to obtain the pattern to be localized. The pattern to be localized can be a partial or complete localization image of multiple localization patterns set on the aircraft. The second network model can be trained from images including the localization patterns. The second network model can be a network model capable of object detection; a detailed description can be found in the first network model.

[0171] The first network model and the second network model can be the same or different. If the first and second network models are the same, they can be trained using images including the aircraft and the positioning pattern. If the first and second network models are different, it can be that both the initial network model (i.e., the network model before training) and the training data are different, or it can be that the training data is different.

[0172] For road vehicles, the sub-pixel corner points corresponding to the pattern to be located in the second image can be extracted first, obtaining the first sub-pixel corner point. Then, the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft can be determined based on the first sub-pixel corner point to obtain the first relative position.

[0173] For a road vehicle, the first sub-pixel corner point can be determined by identifying the corresponding sub-pixel corner point in the first image to obtain the second sub-pixel corner point. This involves mapping the sub-pixel corner point in the second image to the first image. Then, the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft can be determined based on the second sub-pixel corner point to obtain the first relative position. The second sub-pixel corner point can be converted from two-dimensional coordinates to three-dimensional coordinates to obtain the first relative position; this can be achieved by performing multi-point perspective imaging (PNP) on the second sub-pixel corner point.

[0174] For road vehicles, the pixel corner points of the pattern to be located in the second image can be determined first. Then, based on the pixel corner points of the positioning pattern in the second image, sub-pixel corner point detection can be performed on the second image to obtain the first sub-pixel corner point.

[0175] For example, the pixel corner of the pattern to be located can be (100, 200), while the sub-pixel corner can be (100.23, 199.98). It is evident that sub-pixel corners are more precise than pixel corners, thus improving detection accuracy through sub-pixel corner detection.

[0176] For example, please refer to Figure 11 , Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating how a relative position is determined based on an image, as disclosed in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 11 As shown, target detection can be performed on the first image to obtain the position or region of the target object in the first image. Then, ROI extraction can be performed on the first image to obtain the second image. Target detection can then be performed on the second image to obtain the position or region of the positioning pattern in the second image. ROI extraction can then be performed on the second image to obtain the pattern to be positioned. Sub-pixel corner points can then be extracted from the second image based on the pattern to be positioned to obtain the sub-pixel corner points of the image to be positioned. Finally, PnP can be obtained by solving the sub-pixel corner points to get the relative distance between the target object and the target object.

[0177] It should be understood that Figure 11 This is an illustrative example of determining relative position based on an image and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. The target object described above could be the aircraft of a flying car.

[0178] It is evident that the road vehicle detection method employs a two-stage deep learning approach. The first stage detects the aircraft, and the second stage detects the positioning pattern. This approach can significantly improve the detection efficiency and accuracy of the positioning pattern, thereby enhancing the position speed and accuracy.

[0179] Furthermore, since different positioning patterns are set at different locations on the aircraft, each positioning pattern has a unique identifier, which can handle missed detections and make the positioning results more robust. There are no special requirements regarding the placement (or setting) of the positioning patterns. Moreover, because the positioning patterns have unique identifiers and multiple positioning patterns are set on the aircraft, mismatches will not occur, preventing the calculation of the correct position.

[0180] The road vehicle can also determine the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft based on the first position and the aircraft's position to obtain the second relative position. Then, the first relative position and the second relative position can be compared. If 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 by positioning components such as GPS is significantly different from the result of precise positioning by image, and the first position determined by the positioning components is inaccurate.

[0181] If 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 using GPS or other positioning components is similar to the result of precise positioning using images, and that the distance between the first position and the position of the aircraft is approximately the first preset distance.

[0182] Comparing the first relative position and the second relative position can involve comparing the heading angles of the first relative position and the second relative position, as well as comparing the coordinates of the first relative position and the second relative position. Accordingly, the preset deviation can include a preset heading angle deviation and a preset coordinate deviation. For example, the preset heading angle deviation can be 3°, or it can be other values. For example, the preset coordinate deviation can be 3-4 cm, or it can be other values.

[0183] If the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is greater than a preset deviation, or if a third position needs to be determined based on the first relative position, the road vehicle can correct the first position based on the first relative position to obtain the third position, and then determine the second position based on the third position. The third position is the position at a first preset distance from the aircraft determined based on the first relative position. The second position can be a position between the third position and the aircraft's position, and the distance between the third position and the aircraft is a second preset distance.

[0184] The first image can be one or multiple images. If there are multiple first images, multiple second positions can be determined based on each image, and then the final second position can be determined based on these multiple second positions. For example, the final second position can be obtained by calculating the average of the multiple second positions. Using multiple first images can improve the accuracy of the second position determination.

[0185] 1006. Determine the path between the first position and the second position to obtain the second path.

[0186] If the deviation between the first and second relative positions exceeds a preset deviation, the position of the road vehicle needs to be corrected, requiring the determination of a correction path. The road vehicle can first determine its fourth position based on the third position, thus determining the lateral distance between the first and fourth positions. Then, it can be determined whether this lateral distance is less than the second distance. If it is, the lateral distance between the first and fourth positions is relatively short, and the road vehicle does not need to turn. A straight path between the first and fourth positions can be determined as the third path, reducing the distance of the shortened path and improving correction efficiency. If the lateral distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, the lateral distance between the first and fourth positions is relatively long, and the road vehicle needs to turn. A curved path between the first and fourth positions can be determined as the second path, allowing the road vehicle to turn. The fourth position is located between the third position and the aircraft's position, with a distance from the third position equal to a third preset distance.

[0187] Please see Figure 12 , Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the determination of a third path as disclosed in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the lateral distance between the first position A and the fourth position C is relatively large. Two tangent circular arc trajectories can be determined to eliminate the lateral error between positions A and C, and then a straight line trajectory can be determined to connect with position C. The lateral distance between the first position D and the fourth position F is relatively small. A straight line trajectory between positions D and F can be determined to eliminate the lateral error between them. It is evident that the paths determined by both methods ultimately result in straight lines. When road vehicles use sensors installed on vehicles behind them to photograph the aircraft, this is advantageous for using the sensors on the road vehicles for positioning correction. Furthermore, as the road vehicles move backward towards the aircraft, their positions can be adjusted in real-time based on positioning updates.

[0188] The unique straight-line trajectory correction function can correct the lateral error between the road vehicle and the target position. This adjustment method is beneficial for the sensors installed on the road vehicle to capture the positioning pattern on the aircraft, thereby determining the accurate and effective relative position. During the straight-line reverse movement of the road vehicle, the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft can also be determined in real time based on the images transmitted by the sensors installed on the road vehicle. Then, the driving position of the road vehicle can be adjusted in real time based on the relative position, ultimately reducing the positional error between the road vehicle and the aircraft.

[0189] If the deviation between the first and second relative positions is greater than a preset deviation, the traveling vehicle can also determine a fourth path based on the fourth and second positions. Therefore, if the deviation between the first and second relative positions is greater than the preset deviation, the second path can include both the third and fourth paths. The fourth path is a straight line.

[0190] If 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.

[0191] 1007. Proceed to the second location according to the second route.

[0192] Once a vehicle obtains the second route, it can travel to the second location based on the second route.

[0193] If the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is greater than the preset deviation, the traveling vehicle can 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.

[0194] If the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is not greater than the preset deviation, the vehicle can travel directly from the first position to the second position according to the second path.

[0195] It is evident that the path from the road vehicle to the aircraft can be planned in at least two segments. The first segment is the first path. If the difference between the positioning device and the image data positioning result is small, meaning the positioning device is relatively accurate, the second segment is the second path. If the difference between the positioning device and the image data positioning result is large, meaning the positioning device is inaccurate, the second segment is the third path, and the third segment is the fourth path. There may be other paths within the first path.

[0196] After the road vehicle reaches the second position, it can use the automatic docking structure to pull the aircraft into the road vehicle's receiving cavity for coupling. The road vehicle can then secure the aircraft within the receiving cavity. The aforementioned locking structure can be used to secure the aircraft within the receiving cavity, preventing it from detaching from the road vehicle.

[0197] Please see Figure 13 , Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating another automatic alignment method for a flying car disclosed in this application. The flying car includes a road vehicle and an aircraft, which can be separated or combined. This automatic alignment method for the flying car is applied to the road vehicle. Figure 13 As shown, the automatic alignment method for the flying car may include the following steps.

[0198] 1301. When the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state and the aircraft is not in flight, in response to the engagement command for engaging the road vehicle and the aircraft, a first position is determined based on the position of the aircraft.

[0199] For a detailed description of step 1301, please refer to step 501.

[0200] 1302. Determine the path between the initial position and the first position of the traveling vehicle to obtain the first path.

[0201] For a detailed description of step 1302, please refer to step 502.

[0202] 1303. Proceed to the first position according to the first path.

[0203] For a detailed description of step 1303, please refer to step 503.

[0204] 1304. During the journey to the first position, images are collected using the sensors installed on the road vehicle.

[0205] As the road vehicle travels towards the first position, it can use the sensors installed on the road vehicle to collect images in real time or periodically.

[0206] 1305. If the acquired image is the first image, the second position is obtained by correcting the first position based on the first image.

[0207] After the road vehicle collects the image, it can identify whether the collected image is the first image. If the collected image is identified as the first image, the first position can be corrected according to the first image to obtain the precise position at a first preset distance from the aircraft, that is, the second position.

[0208] In cases where the first image includes an aircraft, identifying whether the acquired image is the first image can be understood as identifying whether the acquired image includes an aircraft.

[0209] If the first image includes an aircraft and at least one positioning pattern, identifying whether the acquired image is the first image can be understood as identifying whether the acquired image includes an aircraft and whether the area corresponding to the aircraft in the acquired image includes a positioning pattern. An acquired image being the first image can be understood as the acquired image including an aircraft, and the area corresponding to the aircraft including a positioning pattern. Road vehicles can first identify whether the acquired image includes an aircraft. If the acquired image includes an aircraft, they can further identify whether the area corresponding to the aircraft includes a positioning pattern set on the aircraft. If the area corresponding to the aircraft includes a positioning pattern set on the aircraft, the acquired image can be determined to be the first image. If the acquired image does not include an aircraft, or the area corresponding to the aircraft does not include a positioning pattern set on the aircraft, the acquired image can be determined not to be the first image, and acquisition can continue.

[0210] The road vehicle can first crop the area corresponding to the aircraft in the first image to obtain the second image. Then, the positioning pattern in the second image can be identified to obtain the positioning pattern. The relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft can be determined based on the positioning pattern to obtain the first relative position. Then, the first position can be corrected based on the first relative position to obtain the second position. For a detailed description, please refer to the relevant description above, which will not be repeated here.

[0211] The first image can be one or multiple images. If there are multiple first images, the first position can be corrected based on each of the multiple first images to obtain multiple second positions. Then, the final second position can be determined based on these multiple second positions. For example, the final second position can be obtained by calculating the average of the multiple second positions. Using multiple first images can improve the accuracy of the second position determination.

[0212] 1306. Determine the path between the current position of the traveling vehicle and the second position to obtain the second path.

[0213] After a road vehicle obtains its second position based on the first image, the path between the road vehicle's current position and the second position can be determined to obtain the second path.

[0214] For example, a camera is installed at the rear of the road vehicle. After the aircraft lands, the road vehicle detects the docking command and initiates the automatic docking function. It can obtain the aircraft's positioning information and, upon receiving this information, determine the road vehicle's expected position. Since the aircraft may not be within the camera's field of view at this stage, the position is based on the positioning component; this stage is called the coarse positioning stage. The road vehicle then plans its path based on its expected position, determining the path between its current position and the expected position, and controls its movement. Once the aircraft enters the field of view of the camera behind the road vehicle, the road vehicle can calculate a more precise position based on the image data collected by the camera. Because camera-based positioning is more accurate than positioning component-based positioning, this stage is called the fine positioning stage. The planned path is then updated based on the precise position, and the road vehicle's movement continues until it reaches its precise position. The aircraft's positioning information is the same as the aircraft's position described above.

[0215] 1307. Proceed to the second location according to the second route.

[0216] Once a vehicle obtains the second route, it can travel to the second location based on the second route.

[0217] After the road vehicle reaches the second position, it can use the automatic docking structure to pull the aircraft into the road vehicle's receiving cavity for coupling. The road vehicle can then secure the aircraft within the receiving cavity. The aforementioned locking structure can be used to secure the aircraft within the receiving cavity, preventing it from detaching from the road vehicle.

[0218] It should be understood that the above describes the path planning for road vehicles traveling towards the docking point with the aircraft, but does not limit the number of segments in 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.

[0219] It should be understood that the same or corresponding information in the different embodiments above can be referenced to each other.

[0220] Please see Figure 14 , Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic alignment device for a flying car disclosed in an embodiment of this application. The flying car includes a road vehicle and an aircraft, which are separable and combinable. The automatic alignment device for the flying car is applied to the road vehicle. Figure 14 As shown, the automatic alignment device of the flying car may include:

[0221] The first determining unit 1401 is used to determine a first position based on the position of the aircraft when the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state and the aircraft is not in flight state, in response to a combination command for combining the road vehicle and the aircraft, and the distance between the first position and the aircraft is a first preset distance.

[0222] The second determining unit 1402 is used to determine the path between the initial position and the first position of the road vehicle, and obtain the first path;

[0223] The first driving unit 1403 is used to travel to the first position according to the first path;

[0224] Acquisition unit 1404 is used to acquire a first image at a first location using a sensing device installed on a road vehicle, the first image including the aircraft;

[0225] The third determining unit 1405 is used to determine the second position based on the first image, wherein the distance between the second position and the aircraft is a second preset distance, and the second preset distance is less than the first preset distance;

[0226] The fourth determining unit 1406 is used to determine the path between the first position and the second position to obtain the second path;

[0227] The second driving unit 1407 is used to travel to the second position according to the second path.

[0228] In some embodiments, the second determining unit 1402 is specifically used to determine the path between the initial position and the first position when 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, thereby obtaining a first path.

[0229] In some embodiments, the second determining unit 1402 is further configured to:

[0230] If the angle is greater than or equal to the first angle, the position of the road vehicle is adjusted from the initial position to the adjusted position, and the angle between the heading angle of the adjusted position and the heading angle of the first position is the second angle.

[0231] Determine the path between the adjusted position and the first position to obtain the first path.

[0232] In some embodiments, the second determining unit 1402 is further configured to:

[0233] Determine the relative distance between the initial position and the first position;

[0234] The adjustment position is determined based on this relative distance;

[0235] If the relative distance is greater than the first distance, adjust the distance between the adjusted position and the first position to be less than the relative distance.

[0236] If the relative distance is less than or equal to the first distance, the distance between the adjusted position and the first position is greater than the relative distance.

[0237] In some embodiments, the autonomous driving device may further include:

[0238] The fifth determining unit is used to determine a curved trajectory that avoids obstacles when an obstacle is detected on the first path during the process of traveling to the first position according to the first path.

[0239] The update unit is used to update the first path using the curve trajectory;

[0240] The first driving unit 1403 is specifically used to drive to the first position according to the updated first path.

[0241] In some embodiments, the fifth determining unit is specifically used for:

[0242] Determine the minimum radius circle that includes the obstacle;

[0243] The curve trajectory that does not intersect with the circle of minimum radius is determined as the curve trajectory that bypasses the obstacle.

[0244] In some embodiments, the aircraft is provided with a plurality of positioning patterns, which are different. The first image also includes at least one positioning pattern, which is provided on the aircraft. The plurality of positioning patterns include at least one positioning pattern.

[0245] The third determining unit 1405 is specifically used for:

[0246] The second image is obtained by cropping the region corresponding to the aircraft in the first image;

[0247] Identify the positioning pattern in the second image to obtain the pattern to be positioned;

[0248] The relative positions between the road vehicles and the aircraft are determined based on the pattern to be located, thus obtaining the first relative position;

[0249] The second position is determined based on the first relative position.

[0250] In some embodiments, the third determining unit 1405 determines the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft based on the positioning pattern to obtain the first relative position, including:

[0251] Extract the sub-pixel corner points corresponding to the pattern to be located in the second image;

[0252] The relative positions between the road vehicle and the aircraft are determined based on the sub-pixel corner points, thus obtaining the first relative position.

[0253] In some embodiments, the autonomous driving device may further include:

[0254] The sixth determining unit is used to determine the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft based on the first position and the aircraft's position, thereby obtaining the second relative position;

[0255] The third determining unit 1405 determines the second position based on the first relative position, including:

[0256] If the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is greater than a preset deviation, the first position is corrected based on the first relative position to obtain the third position;

[0257] The second position is determined based on the third position.

[0258] In some embodiments, the automatic calculation apparatus may further include:

[0259] A communication unit is used to send a position acquisition request to the aircraft;

[0260] The communication unit is also used to receive the position of the aircraft from the aircraft.

[0261] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the automatic alignment device, the first determining unit 1401, the second determining unit 1402, the first driving unit 1403, the data acquisition unit 1404, the third determining unit 1405, the fourth determining unit 1406, the second driving unit 1407, the fifth determining unit, the updating unit, the sixth determining unit, and the communication unit of the flying car described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0262] In the several embodiments provided in this application, the coupling between the units can be electrical, mechanical or other forms of coupling.

[0263] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0264] Please refer to Figure 15 , Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a road vehicle disclosed in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 15As shown, the road vehicle may include a processor 1501 and a memory 1502. The memory 1502 may store one or more computer programs. The one or more computer programs are configured to perform the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments. The memory 1502 may be independent or integrated with the processor 1501.

[0265] Processor 1501 may include one or more processing cores. Processor 1501 can connect to various parts of the vehicle using various interfaces and lines. It can perform various functions and process data of the vehicle by running or executing instructions, programs, code sets, or instruction sets stored in memory 1502, and by calling data stored in memory 1502. Optionally, processor 1501 may be implemented using at least one hardware form of digital signal processing (DSP), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or programmable logic array (PLA). Processor 1501 may integrate one or more of the following: central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), and modem. The CPU primarily handles the operating system, user interface, and applications; the GPU is responsible for rendering and drawing the displayed content; and the modem handles wireless communication. It is understood that the modem may also not be integrated into processor 1501 and may be implemented separately using a communication chip.

[0266] The memory 1502 may include random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM). The memory 1502 can be used to store instructions, programs, code, code sets, or instruction sets. The memory 1502 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store instructions for implementing an operating system, instructions for implementing at least one function (such as touch functionality, sound playback functionality, image playback functionality, etc.), and instructions for implementing the various method embodiments described above. The data storage area may also store data created during the use of the vehicle (such as phone books, audio and video data, chat log data, etc.).

[0267] When the computer program instructions stored in memory 1502 are executed, processor 1501 can be used to perform various operations performed by the road vehicle in the above method embodiments. Specific implementations of these operations can be found in the preceding embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0268] This application discloses a schematic diagram of a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable medium stores computer program code, which can be called by a processor to execute various operations described in the above method embodiments. Specific implementations of each of these operations can be found in the preceding embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0269] Computer-readable storage media can be electronic storage devices such as flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), hard disk, or ROM. Optionally, computer-readable storage media can include non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium has storage space for program code that performs any of the method steps described above. This computer program code can be read from or written to one or more computer program products. The computer program code can be compressed, for example, in a suitable form.

[0270] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions 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 this application.

Claims

1. An automatic alignment method for a flying car, characterized in that, The flying car includes a road vehicle and an aircraft, the road vehicle and the aircraft being separable and combinable, the method being applied to the road vehicle, the method comprising: When the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state and the aircraft is not in flight, in response to a combination command for combining the road vehicle and the aircraft, a first position is determined based on the position of the aircraft, and the distance between the first position and the aircraft is a first preset distance; Determine the path between the initial position of the traveling vehicle and the first position to obtain the first path; Travel to the first location according to the first route; A first image is acquired at the first location using a sensing device installed on the road vehicle, the first image including the aircraft; A second position is determined based on the first image, and the distance between the second position and the aircraft is a second preset distance, which is less than the first preset distance. Determine the path between the first position and the second position to obtain the second path; Travel to the second location according to the second path.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the path between the initial position of the traveling vehicle and the first position to obtain the first path includes: If the angle between the heading angle of the initial position of the traveling vehicle and the heading angle of the first position is less than a first angle, the path between the initial position and the first position is determined to obtain the first path.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining the path between the initial position of the traveling vehicle and the first position to obtain the first path further includes: When the angle is greater than or equal to the first angle, the position of the road vehicle is adjusted from the initial position to the adjusted position, and the angle between the heading angle of the adjusted position and the heading angle of the first position is the second angle; Determine the path between the adjusted position and the first position to obtain the first path.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Determining the path between the initial position of the traveling vehicle and the first position to obtain the first path further includes: Determine the relative distance between the initial position and the first position; The adjustment position is determined based on the relative distance; If the relative distance is greater than the first distance, the distance between the adjusted position and the first position is less than the relative distance; When the relative distance is less than or equal to the first distance, the distance between the adjusted position and the first position is greater than the relative distance.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: During the process of traveling to the first position according to the first path, if an obstacle is detected on the first path, a curved trajectory to bypass the obstacle is determined; Update the first path using the curve trajectory; The step of traveling to the first location according to the first path includes: Travel to the first location according to the updated first path.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The determination of the curved trajectory that bypasses the obstacle includes: Determine the minimum radius circle that includes the obstacle; The curve trajectory that does not intersect with the circle of minimum radius is determined as the curve trajectory that bypasses the obstacle.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aircraft is provided with multiple positioning patterns, which are different. The first image also includes at least one positioning pattern, which is provided on the aircraft. The multiple positioning patterns include the at least one positioning pattern. Determining the second position based on the first image includes: The second image is obtained by cropping the region corresponding to the aircraft in the first image; Identify the positioning pattern in the second image to obtain the pattern to be positioned; The relative positions between the road vehicle and the aircraft are determined based on the pattern to be located, thus obtaining a first relative position; The second position is determined based on the first relative position.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Determining the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft based on the positioning pattern to obtain the first relative position includes: Extract the sub-pixel corner points corresponding to the pattern to be located in the second image; The relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft is determined based on the sub-pixel corner points to obtain the first relative position.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the first position and the position of the aircraft, the relative position between the road vehicle and the aircraft is determined, and the second relative position is obtained; Determining the second position based on the first relative position includes: If the deviation between the first relative position and the second relative position is greater than a preset deviation, the first position is corrected based on the first relative position to obtain the third position; The second position is determined based on the third position.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a location acquisition request to the aircraft; Receive the location of the aircraft from the aircraft.

11. An automatic alignment device for a flying car, characterized in that, The flying car includes a road vehicle and an aircraft, the road vehicle and the aircraft being separable and combustible, the device being applied to the road vehicle, and the device comprising: The first determining unit is configured to, in the case that the road vehicle and the aircraft are in a separated state and the aircraft is not in a flight state, respond to a combination command for combining the road vehicle and the aircraft, determine a first position based on the position of the aircraft, wherein the distance between the first position and the aircraft is a first preset distance; The second determining unit is used to determine the path between the initial position of the road vehicle and the first position to obtain the first path; The first driving unit is used to travel to the first location according to the first path; A data acquisition unit is configured to acquire a first image at the first location using a sensing device installed on the road vehicle, the first image including the aircraft. The third determining unit is used to determine a second position based on the first image, wherein the distance between the second position and the aircraft is a second preset distance, and the second preset distance is less than the first preset distance; The fourth determining unit is used to determine the path between the first position and the second position to obtain the second path. The second driving unit is used to travel to the second position according to the second path.

12. A road vehicle, characterized in that, It includes a processor and a memory, wherein the processor invokes a computer program stored in the memory to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

13. A flying car, characterized in that, This includes aircraft and road vehicles as described in claim 12.

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