Intruder aerial capture system

Abstract

The application provides an intruding flying object capturing system, comprising: a sight and a drone; the sight is held by a user and aims at the intruding flying object; the sight acquires the current position, posture and heading of the sight and determines a guiding direction of the intruding flying object; the guiding direction is sent to the drone through wireless communication; the drone generates a flight path according to the guiding direction and flies along the flight path; the intruding flying object is searched in the flying process, and a capturing net is shot towards the intruding flying object, so that the intruding flying object can be quickly tracked and captured, and the system is especially suitable for the case that the intruding flying object suddenly moves, can timely react and switch a new flight path, and effectively attacks black flying.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to aircraft technology, and more particularly to an intrusion flying object capture system. Background Technology

[0002] To address airspace security issues in low-altitude scenarios such as airports, there is an urgent need to deploy low-altitude target interception systems to effectively intercept and capture unknown aerial targets, thereby eliminating potential threats. Currently, low-altitude target interception systems are widely used in military protection, critical infrastructure protection, and material transportation, typically employing manually operated drones or automated systems to interfere with or intercept aerial targets. These existing systems generally use radar, infrared sensors, and visual tracking technologies for target detection and location, and rely on drones to perform interception missions. However, these systems still have significant limitations in terms of accuracy, real-time performance, and intelligence. Especially in rapidly changing targets or complex environments, the reaction speed and stability of existing drones are insufficient, making them unable to effectively deal with fast-moving and highly maneuverable aerial targets. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address one of the aforementioned technical deficiencies, this application provides an intrusion flying object capture system.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, an intrusion flying object capture system is provided, comprising: a targeting device and a drone; The aiming device is handheld by the user and used to aim at the intruding flying object. The aiming device obtains its current position, attitude and heading and determines the guiding direction of the intruding flying object. The guiding direction is then transmitted to the drone via wireless communication. The drone generates a flight path based on the guide direction and flies along the flight path; during the flight, it searches for intruding flying objects and launches a capture net toward the intruding flying objects.

[0005] The technical solution provided in this embodiment uses a sight that the user can hold and aim at the intruding flying object. The sight obtains its current position, attitude, and heading and determines the guidance direction of the intruding flying object. The guidance direction is then transmitted to the drone via wireless communication. The drone generates a flight path based on the guidance direction and flies along the flight path. During the flight, it searches for the intruding flying object and launches a capture net towards it. This allows for rapid tracking and capture of the intruding flying object. It is especially suitable for situations where the intruding flying object suddenly moves, enabling timely response and switching to a new flight path, effectively combating unauthorized flights. Attached Figure Description

[0006] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the intrusion flying object capture system provided in the embodiments of this application during use; Figure 2 A perspective view of the sight provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 A side view of the sight provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the UAV provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 5 A side view of a drone provided for an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 A partial schematic diagram of the drone provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the capture net provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the capture net suspended below the drone according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the state switching of a drone provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 10 A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of estimating target position information using the epipolar geometry principle; Figure 11 A schematic diagram illustrating the performance of the target localization method based on epipolar geometry; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the control logic for the capture process; Figure 13 This is a simulation diagram of the autonomous flight process of a drone on the ground in a real-world scenario. Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram showing a drone gradually approaching a target on a cylindrical surface at a certain distance from the azimuth vector. Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a drone's flight during the terminal lock-on phase.

[0007] Figure label: 1-Sight; 11-Main frame; 111-Grip; 12-Optical sight; 13-Satellite positioning antenna; 14-Display screen; 15-Communication module; 16-Attitude sensing unit; 17-Trigger; 181-First button; 182-Second button; 183-Joystick control; 19-Battery; 2-Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); 21-Main frame; 22-Communication module; 23-Main control module; 24-Gimbal camera; 25-Acquisition mechanism; 26-Wire roller; 27-Grabber mechanism; 28-Flight power unit; 29-Acquisition net; 291-Rectangular net; 292-Counterweight; 210-Parachute module; 211-Image acquisition unit; 212-Satellite antenna; 213-Power battery; 3-Intrusive flying objects. Detailed Implementation

[0008] To make the technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the exemplary embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not an exhaustive list of all embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0009] This embodiment provides an intrusion flying object capture system for tracking and capturing intrusion flying objects. The intrusion flying object can be a small, flying object, such as a drone, a flying toy, etc. Figure 1 As shown, the capture system includes: a sight 1 and a drone 2.

[0010] The aiming device 1 is held by the user and used to aim at the intruding flying object 3. After aiming at the intruding flying object 3, the aiming device 1 obtains its current position, attitude and heading and determines the guiding direction of the intruding flying object. The guiding direction is then sent to the drone 2 via wireless communication.

[0011] The position of sight 1 can be obtained through communication with satellites, specifically its position coordinates. The attitude and heading of sight 1 can be obtained through attitude sensors; the attitude includes pitch angle, and the heading includes cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) and yaw angle. The position, attitude, and heading of sight 1 serve as the guiding direction.

[0012] The drone generates a flight path based on the guidance direction and flies along the path. During flight, when the drone detects an intruding flying object, it launches a capture net 29 towards the intruding flying object to capture it, thus solving the problem of unauthorized flights.

[0013] In traditional solutions, there are situations where intruding flying objects suddenly change course. If the operator manually controls the drone to track them, it will take a long time to bring the intruding flying object back into the drone's field of vision. If the drone tracks them on its own, the gimbal camera needs to be adjusted to search around, which takes even more time.

[0014] The technical solution provided in this embodiment allows operators to promptly detect the location of intruding flying objects on the ground. When the object suddenly changes course, the operator immediately adjusts the aiming device to re-aime at the intruding flying object. After determining the new guiding direction, the operator instructs the drone to fly directly toward the target, which is faster and more effective in capturing the intruding flying object.

[0015] The above technical solution employs a sight that the user can hold and aim at the intruding flying object. The sight acquires its current position, attitude, and heading, and determines the guiding direction of the intruding flying object. This guiding direction is then transmitted to the drone via wireless communication. The drone generates a flight path based on the guiding direction and flies along the path. During flight, it searches for the intruding flying object and launches a capture net towards it. This allows for rapid tracking and capture of the intruding flying object, and is particularly suitable for situations where the intruding flying object suddenly moves, enabling timely response and switching to a new flight path, effectively combating unauthorized flights.

[0016] Based on the above technical solution, this embodiment illustrates the implementation of the aiming device 1 with examples: Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the aiming device provided in this embodiment includes: a main frame 11, an optical sight 12, a satellite positioning antenna 13, a display screen 14, a communication module 15, an attitude sensing unit 16, and control components.

[0017] The main frame 11 can resemble a toy gun in shape, with a gripping part 111 in its center. The gripping part 111 has open front and rear sides for easy gripping. Specifically, the main frame 11 includes a parallel upper beam and a lower beam, with the gripping part 111 connected between the upper and lower beams. The gripping part 111 can be perpendicular to or not perpendicular to the upper and lower beams. In this embodiment, the gripping part 111 is inclined and not perpendicular to either the upper or lower beams. The top of the gripping part 111 connects to the upper beam at a forward position and to the lower beam at a rearward position for easy hand gripping.

[0018] The operator can grip the handle 111 with their right hand to hold the sight with one hand while using their left hand for other operations. Alternatively, the left hand can be used to support the main frame 11 at the front.

[0019] The rear of the main frame 11 is provided with a receiving cavity, and the main control board is installed inside the receiving cavity. The upper and lower beams can be square beams with cavities inside for wire threading.

[0020] An optical sight 12 is mounted on the top of the main frame 11. The optical sight 12 is used to acquire images from the front of the sight and transmit them to the main control board. The optical sight 12 has optical zoom functionality and can utilize any device already available in the art. The wiring of the optical sight 12 passes through the cavity from the upper beam and connects to the main control board.

[0021] The satellite positioning antenna 13 is located on the top of the main frame 11 and is capable of transmitting and receiving satellite signals to obtain the current position coordinates of the aiming device. The wiring of the satellite positioning antenna 13 passes through the cavity from the upper beam and connects to the main control board.

[0022] The attitude sensing unit 16 is mounted on the main frame 11, and its wiring is electrically connected to the satellite positioning antenna 13 and the main control board, respectively. The attitude sensing unit 16 is used to collect the attitude and heading information of the main frame, including pitch angle and azimuth information. Existing devices in the field can be directly used, such as a Kalman filter, to fuse the attitude and heading information to obtain attitude angle information. The attitude sensing unit 16 also acquires the position coordinates emitted by the satellite positioning antenna 13 and, combined with the pitch angle and azimuth information of the aiming device, determines the guidance direction of the intruding flying object.

[0023] By using a Kalman filter, the real-time global pose information of the aiming device can be obtained by fusing the current attitude information of the aiming device, such as angular velocity, acceleration and magnetic heading information, which are sensed in real time by the inertial sensor, with the current position and heading angle of the aiming device determined by the global satellite positioning system.

[0024] The global satellite positioning system is a dual-satellite orientation system, equipped with at least two GNSS receivers. It determines the pose information based on at least two sets of satellite information and attitude information. Each set of satellite information includes at least longitude and latitude information. Specifically, the longitude and latitude components in each direction are calculated based on the longitude and latitude information from the at least two sets of satellite information. The relative azimuth angle between at least two positioning points is calculated based on the arctangent function of the longitude and latitude components in each direction. The global pose information is calculated based on the calibrated initial direction and relative azimuth angle.

[0025] Magnetometers are susceptible to interference from external magnetic fields, which can easily lead to increased errors in heading information. This application's embodiment employs a dual-satellite orientation system for heading observation, using two GNSS receivers to receive satellite positioning information and differentially determining global heading information using prior attitude angle information. Specifically, at least two GNSS receivers, the primary GNSS positioning device A and the secondary GNSS positioning device B, can determine their latitude and longitude information in real time. )and ),in , This indicates the longitude information of the main and auxiliary equipment. , The latitude information of the primary and secondary devices is represented. The azimuth angle between the two GPS points is calculated using the arctangent function. Then, based on the initial calibration direction information, the angle with true north can be obtained, which is the azimuth information of the global coordinate system. The azimuth angle between the two GPS points can be calculated using the following formula:

[0026] in, This indicates the relative azimuth angle between two positioning points. and These represent the latitude information of two sets of GNSS receivers, A and B, respectively. , This represents the longitude information of two GNSS receivers, A and B, where a and b represent the longitude component and the latitude component, respectively.

[0027] This application embodiment, by configuring at least two GNSS receivers in the global satellite positioning system, determines the global pose information based on at least two sets of satellite information and attitude information, which can minimize interference from external magnetic fields, thereby reducing heading information errors and further improving the accuracy and reliability of UAV cooperative interception.

[0028] In actual flight, drones may exist in multiple coordinate systems, such as satellite positioning coordinate system and drone global coordinate system. Satellite positioning coordinate system is used to determine latitude and longitude, while drone global coordinate system is the northeast-sky coordinate system. With the drone's takeoff position as zero point, and combined with the latitude, longitude and altitude coordinates of the ground station, the position coordinates of the ground station in this coordinate system can be calculated. This, along with the ground station's guidance direction, forms the guidance line information, i.e. heading information. By transforming the coordinate system, the calculation of heading information and the determination of other subsequent information can be facilitated, thereby improving the interception efficiency of the drone cooperative interception system provided in this application embodiment.

[0029] The communication module 15 is mounted on the main frame 11 and is used for wireless data exchange with the UAV and to send the exchanged data to the main control board. The wiring of the communication module 15 passes through the cavity from the upper beam and connects to the main control board. The communication module 15 is the communication module on the sight, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 The location shown.

[0030] The display screen 14 is located at the front of the main frame and is electrically connected to the main control board. It is used to display images captured by the optical sight 12 or images sent by the UAV. The wiring of the display screen 14 passes through the cavity from the upper or lower beam and connects to the main control board. When the operator moves the sight to aim at the intruding flying object, they can view the view in front of the sight on the display screen 14, positioning the intruding flying object at the center of the image.

[0031] The control unit is mounted on the main frame 11, and its wiring passes through the upper or lower beam to connect electrically to the main control board. The control unit is used to send control commands to the main control board. These control commands include at least one of the following: control commands, switching commands, and operation commands. Control commands are used to control the UAV to start, terminate, or return to base. Switching commands are used to switch the UAV between manual and automatic modes to search for intruding objects. Operation commands are used to manually control the UAV to search for intruding objects.

[0032] The control components can be buttons, joysticks, toggle switches, etc., and can be operated by pressing and holding, shaking, flicking, etc., to send control signals to the main control board.

[0033] The above-mentioned aiming device is used as follows: when the operator discovers an intruding flying object in the air, he grabs the main frame 11, moves the aiming device toward the intruding flying object, finds the intruding flying object on the display screen 14, continues to move the aiming device so that the intruding flying object is located at the center of the display screen 14, and then sends a control signal through the control unit to control the drone to start the mission.

[0034] The satellite positioning antenna 13 in the aiming device obtains the current position coordinates of the aiming device by interacting with the satellite. The attitude sensing unit 16 obtains the pose data and heading of the aiming device at the moment the control signal is issued, and uses the position coordinates, pose data and heading of the aiming device to determine the location of the intruding flying object, which is then sent to the UAV as a guide direction so that the UAV can generate a flight path according to the guide direction.

[0035] For example, the satellite positioning antenna 13 obtains the position coordinates of the aiming device, and the attitude sensing unit 16 learns that the front end of the aiming device is facing northeast and that the aiming device is at a 60° angle to the horizontal plane. Based on this information, a guiding direction is formed and used as the flight path to control the UAV to fly towards the intruding flying object.

[0036] As the drone flies along its flight path, it can automatically search for intruding flying objects using a gimbal mounted on its front end. The drone's front end is equipped with a capture mechanism; upon locating an intruding flying object, it aims its launch mechanism at the object and then fires a capture net.

[0037] Alternatively, when the drone reaches the target location, the operator can switch to manual mode via the controls on the sight and manually control the gimbal on the drone. The view from the drone gimbal is transmitted back to the sight in real time and displayed on the screen, meaning the operator sees the view from the drone gimbal. This method allows the operator to locate the intruding flying object and update the flight path to guide the drone to the target location to launch the capture net.

[0038] Because the operator can quickly locate the intruding flying object from the ground, and react rapidly when the object moves quickly, the operator can adjust the aiming device to re-aime at the intruding object and control the drone to change its flight path. Compared to the drone's autonomous search for intruding flying objects, the technical solution provided in this embodiment is faster and more efficient.

[0039] Based on the above technical solution, the aiming device provided in this embodiment further includes a trigger 17 and a trigger touch control. The trigger 17 is disposed at the front end of the grip 111, and one end of the trigger 17 is rotatably connected to the main frame 11. The trigger touch control is disposed beside the trigger and electrically connected to the main control board. Rotation of the trigger triggers the output signal of the trigger touch control to control the flight speed of the UAV.

[0040] The operator's finger pulls the trigger 17. As the trigger 17 rotates, it touches the trigger contact control, causing the trigger contact control to emit an electrical signal. In one specific implementation, the trigger contact control can be a device similar to a sliding rheostat. During the rotation of the trigger 17, different positions of the trigger contact control are touched, which is equivalent to changing the resistance of the sliding rheostat, thereby generating different electrical signals. These signals are then converted into different speed signals by the main control board and sent to the drone to control its flight speed. The implementation of the trigger 17 and trigger contact control can utilize devices already existing in the art.

[0041] This embodiment provides an implementation of a control component, which includes a first button 181, a second button 182, and a joystick control 183, all disposed on the front end face of the main frame 11. The first button 181 can be green, and the second button 182 can be blue.

[0042] The first button 181 is a press-triggered button, used to send control commands to the main control board after being triggered. The first button 181 can be pressed briefly (triggering the first time period) or pressed for a long duration (triggering the second time period, longer than the first time period). Different control commands can be issued when the first button 181 is pressed briefly or for a long duration.

[0043] For example, when the drone is in working mode (i.e., target lock mode or automatic mode), a short press of the first button 181 is used to issue a control command to terminate the drone's mission, and then the drone switches to standby mode. When the drone is in standby mode, a long press of the first button 181 is used to issue a control command to return the drone to its home position.

[0044] The second button 182 is located below the first button 181 and is triggered by pressing. After being triggered, the second button 182 is used to send a switching command to the main control board to switch between automatic target search and manual operation control of the drone to search for targets.

[0045] For example, when the drone is in automatic mode, the second button 182, after being triggered, is used to send a switching command to the main control board to switch to manual mode; when the drone is in manual mode, the second button 182, after being triggered, is used to send a switching command to the main control board to switch to automatic mode.

[0046] The joystick control 183 is located below the second button and can be triggered by pressing or swinging. After being triggered, the joystick control 183 sends control commands to the main control board; for example, swinging the joystick control 183 allows for manual control of the drone to search for targets. The joystick control 183 can be a Hall effect joystick, including X and Y direction analog joysticks and a push button.

[0047] For example, when the drone is in target lock state, the pressing action of the joystick control 183 is used to send a control command to the main control board to control the drone to start capture, so that the drone can launch the capture net towards the intruding flying object when it is confirmed to be stable.

[0048] When the drone is in automatic or manual mode, pressing the joystick control 182 for a short period of time is used to send a control command to the main control board to control the drone to change targets. Specifically, when the intruding flying object suddenly moves quickly and leaves the drone's monitoring range, the operator needs to move the aiming device to re-aime at the intruding flying object, and then press the joystick control 182 briefly to send the updated flight path to the drone, so that the drone can fly according to the new flight path and track the intruding flying object.

[0049] When the drone is in manual mode, pressing the joystick control 183 during the second time period (long press) is used to send a control command to the main control board to control the drone to lock onto the target, so that the drone continues to autonomously track and aim at the intruding flying object. During this process, the display screen of the aiming device shows the drone's gimbal image. When the intruding flying object enters the target center of the image, a short press of the joystick control 183 controls the drone to start the capture control command.

[0050] When the drone is in manual or automatic mode, the rotation of the joystick control 183 is used to send control commands to the main control board to control the rotation of the gimbal on the drone. The operator moves the joystick control 183 up and down to adjust the pitch angle of the gimbal, and left and right to adjust the left and right rotation of the gimbal.

[0051] Furthermore, a battery 19 is also provided on the sight, located at the rear of the main frame 11. The wiring of the battery 19 passes through the cavity of the main frame 11 and connects to the main control board to supply power to various components. The battery 19 has a detachable structure, which facilitates removal, charging, or replacement.

[0052] Based on the above technical solution, this embodiment also provides a small drone that can cooperate with a handheld aiming device held by a user on the ground to track and capture intruding flying objects. The user aims the handheld aiming device at the intruding flying object and sends a command to the drone to fly toward and capture it. When the intruding flying object suddenly moves, the user can quickly spot it and adjust the aiming device to re-aime at the intruding flying object, and then instruct the drone to adjust its flight path, thus more effectively capturing the intruding flying object.

[0053] like Figures 4 to 8 As shown, the drone provided in this embodiment includes: a main frame 21, a communication module 22, a main control module 23, a gimbal camera 24, and a capture mechanism 25.

[0054] The main frame 21 forms the core structure of the UAV, providing mounting interfaces for various components and possessing a certain level of strength. Its materials and structure can be designed with reference to existing UAVs in the field. A flight propulsion unit 28, comprising a drive motor and propellers, is mounted on the main frame 21 and positioned at the four corners of the main frame 21. The drive motors drive the propellers to rotate, and the UAV flies using the lift generated by the air beneath the propellers. The flight propulsion unit 28 can also be implemented using existing technologies in the field.

[0055] Both the communication module 22 and the main control module 23 are mounted on the main frame 21. The communication module 22 is used to interact with the user's handheld aiming device via wireless communication. After the user aims at the intruding flying object with the handheld aiming device, the guiding direction is determined based on the aiming device's pose, orientation, and coordinates. This guiding direction is transmitted wirelessly to the UAV's main control module 23 via the communication module. The main control module 23 uses the guiding direction as the flight path to control the flight propulsion unit 28 to operate, thereby driving the UAV to fly towards the intruding flying object along the flight path. The communication module 22 is a component mounted on the UAV, such as... Figure 4 The location shown.

[0056] The gimbal camera 24 is mounted on the top of the main frame 21 and is used to capture images from the front of the drone. The gimbal camera 24 is electrically connected to the main control module 23 and sends the images from the front of the drone to the main control module 23. The main control module 23 can also send the images from the front of the drone captured by the gimbal camera 24 to the aiming device via the communication module, where they are displayed on the aiming device's screen for user viewing.

[0057] The gimbal camera 24 can rotate left and right and tilt, and can operate automatically under the control of the control module 23, or it can be operated according to the aiming device via the communication module. After the UAV receives the guidance direction from the aiming device, it switches from standby mode to automatic mode. During flight, the UAV uses the gimbal camera 24 to collect front-end images, and processes and analyzes the images to confirm whether there are intruding flying objects in the images.

[0058] The capture mechanism 25 is located at the front end of the main frame 21. A capture net 29 is installed inside the capture mechanism 25 and connected to the main frame 21 via a cable. The capture mechanism 25 is electrically connected to the main control module 23. When the main control module 23 confirms the presence of an intruding flying object in the image captured by the gimbal camera, it controls the capture mechanism 25 to launch the capture net 29. The capture net 29 captures the intruding flying object, preventing it from continuing to fly. The intruding flying object is then suspended below the drone, which returns to base and retrieves it.

[0059] Based on the above technical solution, the UAV provided in this embodiment also includes: a wire roller 26 and a grabbing hook mechanism 27. The wire roller 26 is used to collect the pull line connected to the capture net 29. When the capture net 29 is collected by the capture mechanism 25, it is connected to one end of the pull line, which is wound around the wire roller 26. After the capture net 29 is launched, the pull line is released from the wire roller 26 under the action of the capture net 29.

[0060] The top of the hook mechanism 27 is set on the main frame 21, and the bottom of the hook mechanism 27 is set with a hook claw. When the hook claw is in the closed state, it connects to the wire roller 26. When the wire roller 26 is subjected to the tension of the wire, it rotates to release the wire.

[0061] The grabbing mechanism 27 is also electrically connected to the main control module 23, and is used to open the grabbing claws and release the wire roller 26 according to the release roller command issued by the main control module 23. For example, when the weight of the captured intruding flying object is large and affects the stability of the UAV during hoisting, the main control module 23 issues a release roller command to open the grabbing claws and release the wire roller 26. The wire roller 26, the pull line, the capture net 29 and the intruding flying object fall under the action of gravity, avoiding affecting the normal flight of the UAV and allowing the UAV to return safely.

[0062] The hook mechanism 27 can be driven by a cylinder or a motor, and in conjunction with a linkage mechanism, it can realize the opening and closing of the hook claw. It can be implemented using common technical means in this field.

[0063] Furthermore, a tension sensor is also installed on the main frame 21, specifically on the gripper mechanism 27, to detect the tension force on the gripper. The tension sensor is electrically connected to the main control module 23, sending the detected tension data to the main control module 23 so that the main control module can issue a release roller command when the tension is too high. For example, if the intruding object is heavy, the resulting tension is transmitted to the wire roller and gripper through the tension line. When the main control module 23 receives the tension sent by the tension sensor and determines that it exceeds a preset value, it issues a release roller command, opens the gripper, and releases the wire roller 26.

[0064] Based on the above technical solution, this embodiment also provides an implementation method for the capture net 29: the capture net 29 includes a rectangular net 291 and counterweights 292. The rectangular net 291 is formed by interlacing horizontal and vertical lines to form a hollow mesh structure, and the counterweights 292 are connected to the four vertices of the rectangular net 291 and the midpoints of the four sides of the rectangular net 291 through the mesh lines.

[0065] During the launch, counterweight 292 was first thrown out of the drone, which caused the rectangular net 291 to open smoothly.

[0066] This embodiment also provides a specific implementation of the capture mechanism 25. The capture mechanism 25 includes a capture housing and a triggering mechanism. The capture housing is located below the main frame 21. A high-pressure gas cylinder is housed inside the capture housing. The front end of the high-pressure gas cylinder has a launch channel, and the rear end of the launch channel communicates with the gas outlet of the high-pressure gas cylinder. A counterweight 292 for the capture net is located at the front end of the launch channel. The front end of the capture housing also has a net receiving cavity, in which a rectangular net is received.

[0067] The outlet of the high-pressure gas cylinder opens, and high-pressure gas enters the launch channel, generating an impact force on the counterweight 292, causing the counterweight 292 to be launched out of the launch channel at a relatively high speed, and driving the rectangular net out of the net receiving cavity and opening to wrap around the intruding flying object.

[0068] Furthermore, a trigger mechanism is installed on the capture housing to control the opening and closing of the high-pressure gas cylinder outlet. The trigger mechanism can rely on an electromagnetic lock to release a spring or lever structure, pushing a striking pin to move and puncture the sealing membrane of the high-pressure gas cylinder outlet, causing high-pressure gas to be ejected. Alternatively, the trigger mechanism can also directly control the opening and closing of the high-pressure gas cylinder outlet via a solenoid valve.

[0069] The triggering mechanism is also electrically connected to the main control module 23 and operates according to the launch command issued by the main control module 23. The launch command issued by the main control module 23 is used to control the electromagnetic lock to release the spring or lever structure.

[0070] Based on the above technical solution, a parachute module 210 is also adopted, which is set on the top of the main frame 21. The parachute module 210 can be implemented using existing technologies in the field, and is electrically connected to the main control module 23. It releases the parachute according to the control commands issued by the main control module 23, so that the UAV can land stably under the protection of the parachute.

[0071] An attitude perception sensor is mounted on the main frame 21 and electrically connected to the main control module 23 to sense the flight attitude of the main frame 21. When the main control module 23 determines that the UAV cannot fly stably based on the flight attitude, it controls the parachute module 210 to open. For example, when the main control module 23 detects that the UAV's battery is low or that a fault in a flight power unit 28 is affecting flight, it controls the parachute module 210 to open.

[0072] Alternatively, based on the above technical solutions, if the captured intrusion object is too heavy and affects flight, not only can the hook mechanism 27 release the line roller 26 and the intrusion object, but a parachute can also be opened to allow the drone to land stably.

[0073] Based on the above technical solution, the front end of the UAV is also equipped with an image acquisition device 211. The image acquisition device 211 is rigidly connected to the main frame 21 and remains relatively stationary with respect to the main frame 21. It can acquire images in front of the UAV in real time, with high timeliness and accuracy. The image acquisition device 211, in conjunction with the gimbal camera 24, can expand the image range acquired by the UAV, thereby enabling faster and more accurate searching and tracking of intruding flying objects.

[0074] Furthermore, a satellite antenna 212 is also provided on the main frame 21. The satellite antenna 212 is used to communicate with satellites to obtain the position coordinates of the UAV.

[0075] The power battery 213 is located in the middle of the main frame 21 and is used to supply power to the various components of the drone.

[0076] The information processing unit in the UAV includes an embedded computing platform, configured with at least one of an autonomous navigation system, a mission state machine, and a target perception system. The embedded computing platform is a mission-specific optimized platform, possessing advantages such as low power consumption, small size, strong real-time performance, and good environmental tolerance. Since the UAV needs to fly and be controlled simultaneously, the UAV information processing unit in this embodiment is configured with an embedded computing platform, thereby improving the performance of the UAV interception system.

[0077] Based on the above technical solution, the processor on the main control board of the aiming device executes the following steps: First, it acquires the trigger signal of the control unit and the operating status of the UAV. Then, it generates control commands corresponding to the trigger signals based on the trigger signals and the operating status of the UAV. The control commands are then sent to the UAV to control it to switch states and execute operations to capture intruding flying objects or return to base according to the control commands.

[0078] Based on the above, the processor of the main control module 23 of the UAV performs the following steps: acquiring the command information sent by the aiming device; when the command information contains the guiding direction, flying according to the flight path corresponding to the guiding direction; acquiring the image in front of the UAV during flight; and when the presence of an intruding flying object is confirmed in the image, controlling the capture mechanism to launch a capture net toward the intruding flying object.

[0079] Furthermore, if excessive tension is detected during flight, the grab mechanism is controlled to open its claws to release the wire rollers connected to the capture net.

[0080] The drone's operating states include: initialization, standby, automatic, manual, target lock, target acquisition, and return-to-home. Trigger signals from the control unit allow the drone to switch between these states, as shown in the table below. The drone's state switching is as follows: Figure 9 .

[0081] During the system initialization phase: After arriving at the designated location, the operator powers on the drone and the aiming device. The aiming device and drone will then perform initial calibration of sensors such as the inertial sensor, and the satellite positioning system will be activated and begin satellite acquisition. Once sufficient satellites are acquired, the aiming device and drone positions converge. At this point, the state machine records the initial states of each device and uses coordinate system transformation to unify the poses of both devices to the global coordinate system. When the initialization task is complete, the current status information of the drone and aiming device is displayed on the screen via the communication module to indicate to the operator that initialization is complete and the drone enters standby mode. In standby mode, the drone will initially fly to a height of 3 meters and then hover, awaiting commands from the aiming device.

[0082] The operator searches for the target using the optical sight on the sight. During the target locking phase, the target's location information is sent to the UAV, which then flies in the indicated direction.

[0083] During the manual control phase, ground operators control the drone from a first-person perspective, using image information acquired by the optical sight unit. The drone flies to the vicinity of the target, ensuring it remains within the drone's target engagement range, and then autonomously executes the acquisition mission.

[0084]

[0085] Based on the above, one specific implementation method is as follows: Step 1: Start the system.

[0086] S11. The operator turns on the aiming device and the power switch of the drone to begin the interception mission.

[0087] S12. Observe the sight's display to see if it prompts that the system has entered the initialization state. The display screen has multiple display windows, showing the status of each module of the sight and the UAV respectively.

[0088] For example, the status display window of the sight determines whether each subsystem is in an available state, including the status of the sight's optical sight, attitude sensing unit, information processing unit, and communication module.

[0089] The availability of each subsystem, including the information processing unit, the perception and interception unit, and the communication module, is determined by the drone's status display window. The perception and interception unit may include the capture mechanism.

[0090] S13. After successful startup, proceed to step two.

[0091] Step 2: Use the aiming device to search for intrusion targets.

[0092] S21. The information processing unit of the sight enters the instruction waiting stage and begins to initiate the search tasks of each subsystem, including: S211. The drone takes off to the preset position and hovers to await mission instructions.

[0093] S212, the sight's display screen shows the image from the optical sight and loads the real-time image of the UAV into the display screen as a thumbnail.

[0094] S22. The operator uses an optical sight to aim at the aerial intrusion target and adjusts the focal length of the optical sight appropriately to make the intrusion target clear in the image.

[0095] S23. After the operator confirms that the optical sight has locked onto the intrusion target, briefly presses the joystick at position 183. At this time, the information processing unit of the sight will extract the image information of the intrusion target from the optical sight and use a tracking algorithm to maintain lock on the intrusion target in subsequent images. The drone will then approach the target according to the ground control mode.

[0096] S231. Press the second button 182 during flight to enter the terminal lock stage (i.e., automatic state). At this time, the UAV will approach the target according to the guidance information (flight path) sent by the ground, and will only update the execution direction after the operator briefly presses the joystick control 183 button, and approach the target in the new direction.

[0097] S232. Press the second button 182 again to enter manual control mode. At this time, the drone will approach the target based on the guidance information of the forward direction in the global coordinate system according to the gimbal image. The execution direction will be updated only after the operator briefly presses the joystick control 183, and the drone will approach the target along the new direction.

[0098] S24. The operator confirms the drone mission execution status based on the real-time image of the drone in the aiming device. After confirming that it is an intrusion target, press and hold the joystick control 183 to switch the mode to the drone target locking stage.

[0099] Step 3: Intercept the drone as it approaches the target.

[0100] S31. The information processing unit system of the aiming device enters the UAV target locking stage, determines whether the UAV information processing unit, perception and interception unit, communication system and other subsystems are in normal condition, and transmits the current intrusion target azimuth information to the UAV information processing unit.

[0101] S32. After receiving the azimuth information of the current intruding target and the state machine stage information in the information processing unit system of the aiming device, the UAV moves towards the target direction according to the following logic.

[0102] S321. The UAV performs intrusion target image recognition and detection on the current frame image, and uses the intrusion target azimuth information to determine whether the intrusion target is the target locked by the aiming device.

[0103] S3211. If there is a discrepancy, the distance between the UAV and the intrusion target is greater than 30 meters, and the UAV cannot detect the intrusion target. This indicates that the intrusion target is not within the perception range of the UAV's sensing unit. At this time, the UAV will calculate the speed control direction based on the current azimuth information of the intrusion target and fly along the azimuth vector direction for 20 milliseconds. After that, the UAV will transmit the current intrusion target information to the aiming device and enter step S321 again to perceive the target information.

[0104] S3212. If the target location information of the identified target matches that of the aiming device, it means that the intrusion target has entered the drone's perception range. At this time, the drone will take the intrusion target as the guiding direction and fly to the point where the drone is 2 meters away from the intrusion target. The execution cycle is 20 milliseconds. After that, the drone will transmit the current intrusion target information to the aiming device and enter the step S321 again to perceive the target information.

[0105] S33. The operator determines whether the target is an intrusion target based on the information fed back by the drone. After confirmation, the operator briefly presses the joystick space 183 to activate the intercept command.

[0106] S34. After receiving the interception command, the UAV approaches the intruding target further based on the perceived target location information and activates the onboard interception device (i.e., capture mechanism) within 1 meter, launching a capture net to intercept the intruding target. The UAV determines whether the intruding target has been successfully captured and sends the result to the aiming device. At this time, the UAV remains in a hovering state.

[0107] Step 4: Drone recovery.

[0108] S41. The targeting device receives the perception information sent by the drone and displays it on the screen. The operator determines whether the interception has been completed. After confirmation, a short press of the first button 181 enters the waiting command stage. Pressing and holding the first button 181 again switches the mode to the drone return-to-home stage.

[0109] S42. After receiving the command from the aiming device, the UAV enters return-to-home mode, ascends to a safe altitude, and then returns to the starting point to land.

[0110] Based on the above, this embodiment also provides a control method for capturing intruding drones, including the following steps.

[0111] Step 601: Search for the target to be intercepted using the optical sights of the sight until it is locked; This means the target is locked. For example, in response to a zoom command for an optical sight, the optical sight transmits the newly acquired field-of-view image to the sight's information processing unit and display in real time until the target is locked in the field-of-view image.

[0112] Step 602: Determine the global heading information of the locked target and send the global heading information to the UAV; The global heading information can be, for example, the forward direction vector of the aiming device and the global heading information, etc. This embodiment does not exhaustively list them, and can be flexibly set according to the actual situation.

[0113] Step 603: The UAV starts manual control mode. The UAV information processing unit determines the flight guidance direction of the UAV in real time based on the manual operation instructions sent by the aiming device in real time and the flight scene information collected by the perception and interception unit in the UAV; that is, it is in the above-mentioned manual state.

[0114] Step 604: The UAV information processing unit controls the UAV to move along the flight guidance direction to the preset interception range of the target and enter the UAV target lock state.

[0115] Step 605: Within the preset interception range, the UAV activates the perception and interception unit and the capture mechanism to autonomously execute the interception task and capture the target, i.e., the target capture state.

[0116] The above-mentioned technical solution has two main aspects. First, it can accurately and efficiently perform target locking and interception tasks, greatly improving the accuracy and efficiency of target interception. Second, it searches for targets through optical sights until they are locked, and then activates the manual control mode of the UAV. By operating the sight, users can interact with the UAV, resulting in greater flexibility and convenience in autonomous operation.

[0117] In one optional embodiment of this application, before the drone starts manual control mode in step 603 above, the following steps 701-703 are also included.

[0118] Step 701: The information processing unit in the aiming device responds to the manual control mode command and sends the manual control mode command to the UAV information processing unit of the UAV.

[0119] Step 702: The UAV information processing unit controls the UAV to switch to manual control mode.

[0120] Step 703: The information processing unit in the aiming device responds to the manual operation command and sends the manual operation command to the UAV information processing unit in real time.

[0121] In manual control mode, the operator can use the optical sight to search for suspicious targets in the airspace. The optical sight can observe targets up to 2km away and allows for high-resolution observation of distant targets via zoom. The optical sight acquires real-time images and displays them on the screen for easy viewing. This stage serves as a transition; the drone hovers, awaiting further instructions from the sight. Once the optical sight locks onto the target, the operator activates the drone to enter the final target lock phase by manually controlling the trigger. Optionally, the mission can be terminated at any stage using a button, returning the drone to standby mode to handle unforeseen events.

[0122] In this embodiment, in response to a manual control mode command, the drone is switched to manual control mode, and the manual operation command is sent to the drone information processing unit in real time. The drone is remotely controlled through the manual operation command, enabling interaction with the drone and providing greater flexibility and convenience for autonomous operation.

[0123] In one optional embodiment of this application, the UAV is equipped with a gimbal, and the flight scene information includes at least the forward direction of the UAV. Correspondingly, in step 603 above, the UAV starts the manual control mode, and the UAV information processing unit determines the flight guidance direction of the UAV in real time based on the manual operation command sent by the real-time receiving aiming device and the flight scene information collected by the perception and interception unit in the UAV, including the following steps 801-802.

[0124] Step 801: The UAV starts manual control mode. The UAV information processing unit determines the rotation matrix of the current attitude angle and the global position coordinates of the UAV based on the initial guidance direction corresponding to the manual operation command in the preset global coordinate system, the forward direction of the UAV in the gimbal coordinate system, the correspondence between the pre-configured gimbal coordinate system and the UAV coordinate system, and the correspondence between the UAV coordinate system and the global coordinate system.

[0125] Here, the rotation matrix refers to the rotation matrix from the camera coordinate system to the global coordinate system, or the rotation matrix between the gimbal coordinate system and the global coordinate system in this application, which is composed of the rotation angles of the attitude angles between these two coordinate systems. The global position coordinates can be determined by the initial guidance direction after coordinate transformation and the forward direction of the UAV.

[0126] Step 802: Determine the flight path of the UAV based on the rotation matrix and global position coordinates.

[0127] This embodiment determines the rotation matrix and global position coordinates of the current attitude angle of the UAV based on the initial guidance direction corresponding to the manual operation command in the preset global coordinate system, the forward direction of the UAV in the gimbal coordinate system, and the correspondence between the pre-configured gimbal coordinate system, UAV coordinate system and global coordinate system. The rotation matrix and global position coordinates can be obtained by calculation, without the need to introduce high-cost sensors, thus reducing costs and simplifying the structure of the UAV and the aiming device.

[0128] In one optional embodiment of this application, the perception and interception unit is configured with a target library; wherein the target library includes various target objects. Correspondingly, within a preset interception range, the UAV activates the perception and interception unit, and the capture mechanism autonomously executes the interception task. Before capturing the target, the UAV also performs the following steps 901-904: Step 901: The perception and interception unit performs target recognition on the field-of-view image based on the pre-configured target recognition model, and determines whether the field-of-view image contains a target object from the target database.

[0129] Step 902: If the field of view image contains a target object from the target library, then the target object in the field of view image is identified as the target to be intercepted.

[0130] Step 903: Determine the current position of the target to be intercepted based on the flight scene information collected by the perception and interception unit and the current field of view image.

[0131] Step 904: Activate the capture mechanism to autonomously execute the interception task and capture the target at its current location.

[0132] During flight, once the UAV's own perception system detects a target, it enters the target locking phase. In the target perception stage, a visual sensor is used to perform deep learning-based target recognition on real-time images. The UAV perception and interception unit system establishes a database of common aerial targets and trains a recognition model using the YOLO algorithm, possessing a certain level of target recognition capability. Because visual neural networks can extract deep-level feature information of targets and are adaptable to various image types, they can be deployed on fisheye images for target recognition.

[0133] Considering the possibility of interfering targets near the target to be intercepted, the drone will maintain a distance and continuously track the target after it approaches the target at a certain distance during the actual execution process. At this time, the ground operator confirms the captured target through the aiming device image. After confirming that there is no error, the drone enters the autonomous acquisition phase by pressing the start button and performs autonomous strike missions. The target to be intercepted can be quickly identified by the pre-set target database, resulting in higher overall interception efficiency.

[0134] In an optional embodiment of this application, step 903 above, determining the current position of the target to be intercepted based on the flight scene information collected by the perception and interception unit and the current field-of-view image, includes the following steps: Based on the epipolar geometry principle, the position of the target to be intercepted is estimated according to the flight scene information and the current field of view image, thus obtaining the current position of the target. For example, in an optional embodiment of this application, the current position of the target to be intercepted can be determined by the following steps 1001-1002.

[0135] Step 1001: Construct a model of the target to be intercepted based on the flight scenario information and the current field of view image.

[0136] Step 1002: Solve the model of the target to be intercepted based on the preset epipolar constraints to obtain the current position of the target to be intercepted.

[0137] When the drone is far from the target to be intercepted, the onboard equipment cannot directly measure the target's position information. This embodiment uses the epipolar geometry principle to estimate the target's position information, and its principle diagram is shown below. Figure 10 As shown. Among them, , Indicates the location of the observation point. The boxes represent the true location of the target, and the rectangles represent the images from the cameras in two different viewpoints. Multi-view observations can transform the target location estimation problem into a solution under epipolar constraints, as shown in the following formula:

[0138] in, , express Dot at , The camera's normalized 3D coordinates on the plane. , express Click , The camera's depth information, , express , Transformation relationship between elements. Through left multiplication... It is possible to obtain the depth The solution equation is:

[0139] Furthermore, combine The global position information of the target is obtained from the global position information of the UAV. After detecting the target during flight, the UAV enters an autonomous control program and approaches the optimal target acquisition position, such as... Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown.

[0140] In an optional embodiment of this application, to verify the performance of the target localization method based on epipolar geometry, a test can be constructed using Python. The ground position is kept constant, and the aerial target advances 0.5 meters in the direction of the identified target each time its position is detected. The results show that the UAV can correctly approach the target. By introducing noise to simulate GNSS positioning errors, the depth information of the target on the UAV's onboard image can be obtained through epipolar geometry, making the UAV's target interception more accurate.

[0141] In one optional embodiment of this application, after step 604 above, in which the UAV information processing unit controls the UAV to move along the flight guidance direction to the preset interception range of the target to be intercepted, the following steps are also included.

[0142] If the drone moves into the preset interception range of the target to be intercepted, the point cloud sensor configured on the drone will collect the target depth information. The depth information refers to the actual physical distance from the target object to the optical center (or camera plane) of the drone camera.

[0143] In an optional embodiment of this application, the above method further includes the following steps 1101-1103.

[0144] Step 1101: Substitute the direction information from the global navigation information into the point cloud, and filter the point cloud according to the direction information.

[0145] Step 1102: Obtain the point cloud clusters of the target to be intercepted based on the clustering algorithm.

[0146] Step 1103: Determine the current location of the target to be intercepted based on the point cloud cluster location information of the target to be intercepted.

[0147] When the UAV approaches the target to be intercepted, the onboard point cloud sensor can effectively measure the target's depth information, greatly improving the interception success rate. Since the target is in motion, the lightweight point cloud sensing sensor has a limited field of view, making it difficult to maintain target detection at every moment. Therefore, the UAV perception and interception unit system in this embodiment can adopt a multi-sensor fusion target perception and positioning system, utilizing loosely coupled information fusion technology to quickly obtain target position information. Specifically, visual positioning acquires the target's direction information, which is then substituted into the point cloud. The point cloud is filtered based on the direction information, and a clustering algorithm is used to obtain point cloud clusters representing the target, thereby obtaining high-precision target position information. This results in higher overall efficiency and more accurate target position information.

[0148] In an optional embodiment of this application, step 1103, determining the current position of the target to be intercepted based on the point cloud cluster position information of the target to be intercepted, includes using a position information fusion method based on Kalman filtering to fuse the first target position determined by the acquired field-of-view image with the second target position determined by the point cloud cluster to obtain the current position of the target to be intercepted.

[0149] In an optional embodiment of this application, if the perception and interception unit adopts a multi-sensor fusion target perception and positioning system, the above-mentioned UAV cooperative interception and control method further includes adopting a loosely coupled information fusion method to fuse the flight scene information collected by each sensor to obtain fused flight scene information.

[0150] Because the frame rates of visual images and point cloud information differ, making it difficult to unify acquisition times, and because the field of view angles of the visual and point cloud information sensors do not completely overlap, an optimal position information fusion technique based on Kalman filtering is adopted. The visual positioning results and LiDAR results are subjected to EKF filtering, and a comprehensive optimal estimation fusion mechanism is established for cases where the two estimates exhibit correlation. This is achieved by establishing a cross-variance matrix of the estimation errors. The two estimated states are then fused, and the calculation formula is as follows:

[0151] in, Represents the state transition matrix. This represents the error covariance matrix of the fusion estimate at time k. , This represents the Kalman filter gain of the radar filter and the visual filter. Represents the noise covariance matrix of the state equation. Represents the identity matrix. The cross-variance matrix is ​​calculated. The state and error covariance matrices of the fusion estimate can then be updated, as shown in the following formula:

[0152] in, , It is a visual and radar estimator in Time-state quantity , Indicating visual and radar estimators in The time error covariance matrix. This allows us to obtain position values ​​that offer both real-time performance and positioning accuracy, and provide good tracking of dynamic targets.

[0153] In an optional embodiment of this application, the control method further includes the following steps: If the weight of the drone exceeds the preset maximum weight after the target is captured, the drone information processing unit will activate the parachute system to control the drone's flight.

[0154] like Figure 12 As shown, once the drone reaches the vicinity of the target location, it tracks the target and keeps it within the drone's effective interception range. At this point, the operator observes the target perception information transmitted back by the drone in real time through the aiming device to determine whether to activate the interception, and then initiates the target interception function via the control unit. The drone's onboard capture mechanism uses high-pressure gas to launch the capture net. After interception, the drone often struggles to maintain a stable flight state. To improve operational efficiency, an automatic parachute deployment system can be installed on the drone. Upon detecting instability, the parachute system is triggered, allowing for a smooth landing and completing the interception mission. If the drone fails to capture the target or can maintain a stable state after capture, it will switch to standby mode, awaiting commands from the aiming device.

[0155] In an optional embodiment of this application, the above control method further includes the following steps: after the target is captured, or if the duration of the drone in standby mode is greater than a preset standby duration threshold, the information processing unit controls the drone to automatically return to its home position.

[0156] If a drone remains in standby mode for an extended period during a mission, it will automatically execute a return-to-home command, returning to its takeoff point to prepare for reuse, thus reducing mission costs, due to its limited battery life. Additionally, operators can manually switch a drone from standby mode to return-to-home mode to facilitate continuation of subsequent capture operations.

[0157] In an optional embodiment of this application, target interception based on the above-mentioned drone can be achieved by performing the following steps 610-640.

[0158] Step 610: Search for the target to be intercepted using the optical sight in the sight until it locks on. This is the target locking stage described above. For example, in response to a zoom operation command for the optical sight, the sight transmits the acquired new field-of-view image to the display in real time until the target to be intercepted is locked in the new field-of-view image.

[0159] Step 620: The aiming device determines the global heading information of the locked target to be intercepted and sends the global heading information to the UAV.

[0160] Step 630: The UAV moves along the heading information corresponding to the global heading information to the preset interception range of the target to be intercepted. This marks the UAV target locking phase.

[0161] For example, the aiming device uses a communication module to send target location information to the UAV, and the UAV begins to approach the target based on this information. To this end, the UAV employs a PX4-based flight controller-host computer joint control system, establishing a communication link between the flight controller and the host computer via a data cable. During operation, the flight controller is primarily responsible for the stable control of the UAV's position, velocity, and angular velocity loops, ensuring stable flight. The host computer transmits the expected speed control commands to the UAV's main control module via the MAVROS communication protocol as speed control input, enabling real-time control of the UAV to fly along a specified speed vector. The UAV calculates and outputs speed control information based on its current position information, and can complete corresponding control commands by inputting control information to a designated target.

[0162] Step 640: Within the preset interception range, the UAV activates its perception and interception unit and intelligent capture system to autonomously execute the interception task and capture the target. This marks the UAV's autonomous capture phase.

[0163] The above solution can accurately and efficiently perform target locking and interception tasks, greatly improving the accuracy and efficiency of target interception. Secondly, the optical sight unit in the sight searches for the target to be intercepted until it is locked, and then the manual control mode of the UAV is activated. By operating the sight, the UAV can interact with itself, making autonomous control more flexible and convenient.

[0164] In summary, the embodiments of this application provide a UAV collaborative interception and control method with higher interception accuracy and efficiency, greater autonomous control flexibility and convenience, and better overall interception effect.

[0165] In an optional embodiment of this application, before step 610 above searches for the target to be intercepted by the optical sight in the aiming device, the method performed by the UAV further includes the following steps 710-730.

[0166] Step 710: The aiming device calibrates the inertial sensor in the pose sensing unit.

[0167] Step 720: Activate the global satellite positioning system in the aiming device pose perception unit to search for satellites. If the number of satellites is not less than the preset number of satellites, determine the initial position of the aiming device and the UAV.

[0168] Step 730: If the aiming device and the UAV system pass the verification, control the UAV to hover at the first preset altitude position.

[0169] The acquisition system is in the system initialization phase. During the system initialization phase, after the operator arrives at the designated location, he turns on the drone and the aiming device. The aiming device and the drone will run the initial calibration of the inertial sensor and other sensors, and the satellite positioning system will start and begin searching for satellites. When there are enough satellites, the positions of the aiming device and the drone converge. At this time, the state machine records the initial state of each device and uses coordinate system transformation to unify the poses of the two devices into the global coordinate system.

[0170] In one optional embodiment of this application, the initialization and verification of the aiming device and the UAV further includes the following step: converting the coordinates in the initial state information of the aiming device and the UAV after verification into global coordinates in a preset global coordinate system.

[0171] In actual flight, drones may exist in multiple coordinate systems, such as satellite positioning coordinate system and drone global coordinate system. Satellite positioning coordinate system is used to determine latitude and longitude, while drone global coordinate system is the northeast-sky coordinate system. With the drone's takeoff position as zero point, and combined with the latitude, longitude and altitude coordinates of the ground station, the position coordinates of the ground station in this coordinate system can be calculated. This, along with the ground station's guidance direction, forms the guidance line information, i.e. heading information. By transforming the coordinate system, the calculation of heading information and the determination of other subsequent information can be facilitated, thereby improving the interception efficiency of the system in this application embodiment.

[0172] In one optional embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned drone positioning and dynamic interception further includes: sending the initial status information of the aiming device and the drone after verification to the display screen.

[0173] Once the initialization task is complete, the current status information of the UAV and the sight is displayed on the screen via the sight communication module to indicate to the operator that the initialization is complete, allowing the operator to observe it intuitively.

[0174] In an optional embodiment of this application, step 610 above searches for the target to be intercepted by an optical sight until it is locked, including the following steps 810-830.

[0175] Step 810: Transmit the field of view image acquired by the optical sight to the information processing unit and display screen of the sight in real time.

[0176] Step 820: The display screen shows the field of view image.

[0177] Step 830: In response to the zoom operation command for the optical sight, the optical sight transmits the acquired new field-of-view image to the information processing unit and the display in real time until the target to be intercepted is locked in the new field-of-view image.

[0178] The optical sight in this embodiment is a multi-zoom sight, supporting up to 40x zoom. Operators can use the optical sight to search for suspicious targets in the airspace. The sight can observe targets up to 2km away and achieve high-definition observation of distant targets through zoom. The optical sight transmits real-time images to the information processing unit and displays them in real-time for easy viewing. This stage serves as a transition phase; the UAV hovers, awaiting further instructions from the sight. Once the optical sight locks onto the target, the operator manually activates the UAV to enter the terminal target locking phase. Optionally, at any stage, the mission can be terminated via a button, returning the UAV to standby mode to handle unforeseen events.

[0179] In an optional embodiment of this application, step 830 above locks the target to be intercepted in the new field of view image, including the following steps 910-930.

[0180] Step 910: The information processing unit of the aiming device responds to the target locking command and extracts a specific image region within the preset area of ​​the center of the new field of view image.

[0181] Step 920: Identify the color block in a specific image region that has the greatest difference from the background color of the new field of view image as the feature image region.

[0182] Step 930: Perform edge detection on the feature image region to determine the target image region where the target to be intercepted is located.

[0183] Once the target clearly appears in the center of the image on the display screen, the operator clicks the lock button on the aiming device. The information processing unit will extract the image from a fixed area in the center of the image using an edge detection algorithm, and then identify color blocks with significant differences from the background color as feature image regions. Edge detection will then be performed on these feature image regions to determine the target image region where the target to be intercepted is located. This subsequent identification of the target from the target image region is more efficient.

[0184] In an optional embodiment of this application, step 930 above performs edge detection on the feature image region to determine the target image region where the target to be intercepted is located, including the following steps 1010-1030.

[0185] Step 1010: Perform Gaussian filtering on the feature image region.

[0186] Step 1020: Use the Sobel operator to calculate the gradient of the filtered feature image region to obtain the gradient intensity matrix and direction matrix of the specific image region.

[0187] Step 1030: Determine the target image region based on the gradient intensity matrix and the direction matrix.

[0188] For example, in this embodiment, edge detection can be performed based on the Canny operator. After Gaussian filtering the image, the gradient intensity matrix is ​​obtained using the Sobel operator. Each element in the gradient intensity matrix... This represents the joint gradient strength of the current pixel in both directions, indicating the gradient strength of this point in the x and y directions. and The formula for the square root of the sum of squares is:

[0189] The orientation matrix, also known as the angle matrix, is a matrix with the same size as the original image. Each element represents the direction angle of the gradient vector at that pixel, which is the angle between the direction of the fastest grayscale change and the horizontal axis (X-axis). The result of gradient calculation on the filtered feature image region can be directly exported by using the Sobel operator.

[0190] The Sobel operator is highly efficient. In this embodiment, the Sobel operator is used to calculate the gradient of the filtered feature image region to obtain the gradient intensity matrix and direction matrix of the specific image region. Then, the target image region is determined based on the gradient intensity matrix and the direction matrix, which can greatly improve the overall interception efficiency of this method.

[0191] In an optional embodiment of this application, after searching for the target to be intercepted using an optical sight in step 610 until it is locked, the method further includes: if there are multiple target image regions, determining the target image region closest to the center point of the new field of view as the tracking box. The target to be intercepted is then searched and tracked based on the tracking box.

[0192] In one optional embodiment of this application, the target to be intercepted can be searched and tracked based on the tracking box and a pre-configured KCF model.

[0193] The pre-configured KCF model can be a ridge regression classifier. If there are multiple target image regions, after extracting the color patches, the ground information processing unit system selects the color patch closest to the image center as the initial bounding box for KCF (Kernelized Correlation Filter) tracking and starts the tracking process. This makes it less likely to lose the target and makes the tracking more reliable.

[0194] In an optional embodiment of this application, the method further includes: performing sample augmentation on the solution process of the KCF model based on a pre-configured cyclic matrix.

[0195] The pre-configured KCF model described above can serve as a ridge regression classifier. It can simplify the calculation of closed-form solutions and broaden the sample size using a circulant matrix. For the "linearly inseparable" problem of ridge regression, the ridge regression classifier is "kernelized" to solve the closed-form solution. This allows for tracking the position of the same target in adjacent image frames, reducing operator jitter during manual aiming and providing accurate target location information. Furthermore, to avoid accidental locking, operators can manually start or stop KCF tracking via buttons on the camera body, offering greater flexibility.

[0196] In one optional embodiment of this application, step 620 involves the aiming device determining the global heading information of the locked target to be intercepted and sending the global heading information to the UAV, including the following steps 1110-1120.

[0197] Step 1110: The aiming device determines the global heading information of the locked target to be intercepted.

[0198] Step 1120: Convert the coordinates in the global heading information into global coordinates in a preset global coordinate system and then send them to the UAV. This facilitates the calculation of heading information and the determination of other subsequent information, thereby improving the interception efficiency of the capture system provided in this embodiment.

[0199] In one optional embodiment of this application, step 630 above, in which the UAV moves along the heading corresponding to the global heading information to the preset interception range of the target to be intercepted, includes the following steps 1210-1220.

[0200] Step 1210: The UAV information processing unit determines the speed control information of the UAV at its current position based on the set desired flight speed, the pre-built flight ray model, and the current position of the UAV; wherein, the pre-built flight ray model is a ray equation with the global coordinates of the UAV as the starting point and the direction of the guidance sent by the aiming device as the direction.

[0201] The operator manually controls the aircraft's flight path through the first-person view of the sight. Switching from the terminal target lock phase to manual control is done via a button. At this point, the UAV uses the gimbal image as its first-person view. The operator can control the gimbal's pitch and yaw angles using the sight's joystick. Pressing the joystick button triggers an updated motion guide ray based on the gimbal image and the UAV's current attitude angle. The UAV then uses this ray as a guide line to ensure it flies along the observed viewpoint guidance information.

[0202] This requires calculating the equation for the guide ray in the global coordinate system based on the current state of the drone. The guide ray passes through the drone's position in the global coordinate system after being pressed, and its direction is calculated using the following equation:

[0203] in, Indicates the forward direction in the gimbal coordinate system; Represents a three-dimensional vector that indicates direction in the global coordinate system; This represents the transformation matrix from the gimbal coordinate system to the UAV coordinate system. To represent rotational relationships, the three-axis Euler angles of the gimbal can be used for calculation. The translation relationship can be obtained using the positional relationship between the gimbal and the flight controller in the prior model; This represents the transformation matrix from the UAV coordinate system to the global coordinate system. , The rotation matrix corresponding to the current attitude angle of the UAV and its global position coordinates are used to obtain the vector representation of the guiding direction.

[0204] Step 1220: The main control module in the UAV controls the UAV to move along the heading corresponding to the global heading information to the preset interception range of the target to be intercepted, based on the speed control information.

[0205] To control the drone to approach the target along the red line, the host computer needs to calculate the desired control input for the drone based on the target's orientation information and input it into the drone information processing unit for execution. The drone perception and interception unit system employs a speed-controlled autonomous navigation algorithm to ensure that the aiming device can still effectively track the target and provide continuous orientation information even when the distance between the drone and the target is relatively large. Optionally, the difference between the target point's position and the drone's current position can be used as input, and a PD controller can output the drone's three-dimensional speed control input. The formula for the PD controller at any given time is as follows:

[0206] in, This indicates the speed control value input to the flight controller. Indicates the estimated target location. This indicates the current location value of the drone. This indicates the current speed of the drone. (Adjustments can be made to this setting.) and This can enhance the stability of drones during close-range strikes. Furthermore, to limit the drone's movement when the distance is too great, a limiter is set to display the maximum speed input command. In a real-world scenario, the drone's autonomous flight process runs on the ground-based RVIZ software, as shown in the diagram. Figure 13As shown, once the drone senses the target's location, it will use its own perceived orientation as the primary basis for capturing the target. In actual scenarios, the drone will autonomously capture the target, regardless of its orientation and heading.

[0207] In an optional embodiment of this application, the main control module in the UAV in step 1220 above controls the UAV to move along the heading corresponding to the global heading information to the preset interception range of the target to be intercepted according to the speed control information, including the following steps: the main control module controls the UAV to move along the heading corresponding to the global heading information to the preset interception range of the target to be intercepted on a virtual surface with a distance of a preset distance threshold from the flight ray model, based on the speed control information.

[0208] To ensure that the drone does not obstruct the image of the targeting reticle when approaching the target, this embodiment controls the drone to gradually approach the target on a cylindrical surface at a certain distance from the heading information corresponding to the global heading information. Figure 14 As shown. Among them, This represents the minimum distance to the azimuth line. During flight, the distance between the current UAV and the azimuth line will be calculated, and the difference will be used as input to calculate the speed control command in this direction. A schematic diagram of UAV flight during the terminal lock phase is shown below. Figure 15 As shown, the UAV will maintain its flight parallel to the aiming vector and approach the target along the guided target orientation information.

[0209] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0210] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0211] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0212] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0213] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An intrusion flying object capture system, characterized in that, include: Targeting devices and drones; The aiming device is handheld by the user and used to aim at the intruding flying object. The aiming device obtains its current position, attitude and heading and determines the guiding direction of the intruding flying object. The guiding direction is then transmitted to the drone via wireless communication. The drone generates a flight path based on the guide direction and flies along the flight path; during the flight, it searches for intruding flying objects and launches a capture net toward the intruding flying objects.

2. The intrusion flying object capture system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aiming device includes: Main frame; a gripping part is provided in the middle of the main frame; a receiving cavity is provided inside the main frame, and a main control board is installed in the receiving cavity; An optical sight is mounted on the top of the main frame; the optical sight is used to acquire the image at the front of the sight and send it to the main control board. A satellite positioning antenna, mounted on the top of the main frame, is used to obtain the current position of the aiming device; The attitude sensing unit is located on the main frame and is electrically connected to the satellite positioning antenna and the main control board. It is used to sense the attitude and heading of the main frame and determine the guidance direction of the intruding flying object in combination with the current position of the aiming device. The communication module, located on the main frame, is used to interact with the drone and send the interaction data to the main control board; The display screen is located at the front of the main frame; the display screen is electrically connected to the main control board and is used to display images captured by the optical sight or images sent by the UAV. The control unit, located on the main frame, is electrically connected to the main control board and is used to send command information to the main control board to control the UAV to perform operations corresponding to the command information.

3. The intrusion flying object capture system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The instructions issued by the control unit include at least one of the following: control instructions, switching instructions, and operation instructions; control instructions are used to control the drone to start a mission, terminate a mission, or return to home; switching instructions are used to switch the drone to search for intruding flying objects in manual or automatic mode; operation instructions are used to manually control the drone to search for intruding flying objects.

4. The intrusion flying object capture system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: A trigger is located at the front end of the grip; one end of the trigger is rotatably connected to the main frame. The trigger touch control is located next to the trigger and is electrically connected to the main control board; the rotation of the trigger is used to trigger the output signal of the trigger touch control to control the flight speed of the drone.

5. The intrusion flying object capture system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control components include: The first button is located on the front face of the main frame; when triggered, the first button is used to send control commands to the main control board. The second button is located on the front face of the main frame and below the first button; when triggered, the second button is used to send a switching command to the main control board. The joystick control is located on the front face of the main frame and below the second button. After being triggered, the joystick control is used to send control commands to the main control board.

6. The intrusion flying object capture system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drone includes: Main frame; the flight power unit is mounted on the main frame; The communication module, located on the main frame, is used to interact with the user's handheld aiming device to obtain the flight path determined by the aiming device based on the current position of the intruding flying object. The main control module is located on the main frame; the main control module is electrically connected to the communication module and controls the flight power unit to work according to the flight path, so as to drive the UAV to fly towards the intruding flying object according to the flight path; The gimbal camera, mounted on the top of the main frame, is used to capture images from the front of the drone; the gimbal camera is electrically connected to the main control module and sends the images from the front of the drone to the main control module. The capture mechanism is located at the front end of the main frame. A capture net is installed inside the capture mechanism and connected to the main frame via a cable. The capture mechanism is electrically connected to the main control module. When the main control module confirms the presence of an intruding flying object in the image captured by the gimbal camera, it controls the capture mechanism to launch the capture net.

7. The intrusion flying object capture system according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: Wire roller; when the capture net is stored in the capture mechanism, it is connected to one end of the pull line, which is wound around the wire roller; The hook mechanism is mounted on the main frame at its top. The bottom of the hook mechanism is equipped with a hook claw. When the hook claw is in the closed state, it connects to the wire roller. When the wire roller is subjected to the tension of the wire, it rotates to release the wire. The hook mechanism is electrically connected to the main control module and is used to open the hook claw according to the release roller command issued by the main control module to release the wire roller.

8. The intrusion flying object capture system according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: A tension sensor is installed on the gripper mechanism to detect the tension force on the gripper. The tension sensor is electrically connected to the main control module and sends the detected tension data to the main control module so that the main control module can issue a roll release command when it confirms that the tension is too large based on the tension data.

9. The intrusion flying object capture system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The capture net includes: A rectangular grid formed by interlacing horizontal and vertical lines; The counterweights are connected to the four vertices of the rectangular grid and the midpoints of the four sides of the rectangular grid via network cables. The capture mechanism includes: The capture shell contains a high-pressure gas cylinder with a launch channel at its front end. The rear end of the launch channel is connected to the gas outlet of the high-pressure gas cylinder. The counterweight of the capture net is located at the front end of the launch channel. The front end of the capture shell also contains a net receiving cavity, in which a rectangular net is received. The triggering mechanism, located on the capture housing, is used to control the opening and closing of the high-pressure gas cylinder outlet; the triggering mechanism is also electrically connected to the main control module and operates according to the launch command issued by the main control module.

10. The intrusion flying object capture system according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: The image acquisition device is mounted on the main unit rack and is stationary relative to the main unit rack.

Images