UAV Diagonal Flight Control on Sloped Surfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control systems face difficulties in assisting operators to move the vehicles diagonally, particularly on sloping surfaces like roads or stairs, requiring complex and training-intensive operations.

Innovation Solution

An information processing device that calculates and adjusts movement amounts based on the ratio of horizontal and vertical distances to a surface, allowing the UAV to move diagonally by simultaneously controlling horizontal and vertical movements, assisted by sensors and a decision unit that adjusts movement based on operator input and surface topography.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional two-stick control is used for UAV operation, then basic flight control is achieved, but diagonal movement operation becomes difficult and requires extensive training

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of diagonal movement operationVSAvoidcontrol operation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device introduces a conversion unit as an intermediary between the operator's simple diagonal direction input and the UAV's complex horizontal and vertical movement commands. This conversion unit automatically calculates and converts the single diagonal direction and magnitude input into appropriate horizontal and vertical movement amounts, eliminating the need for operators to manually coordinate multiple stick movements while maintaining precise control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the control parameter from separate horizontal and vertical movement commands to a unified diagonal direction and magnitude parameter. By detecting the diagonal direction via sensors and accepting magnitude input through a simple interface, the system then converts this unified parameter into the necessary horizontal and vertical movement commands, simplifying the operator's task while achieving the desired complex motion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If automatic movement amount adjustment is implemented, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of diagonal movement operationVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device performs self-service by automatically detecting the diagonal direction using sensors and autonomously calculating the appropriate horizontal and vertical movement amounts based on the detected direction and operator input magnitude. This self-service capability eliminates the need for complex manual coordination by the operator while keeping the overall system relatively simple through automated conversion rather than adding multiple complex control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3901727B1Information processing device, information processing method, and unmanned aerial vehicle
Publication Date: 2022.09.28 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP3901727B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3901727B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3901727B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A controller (2) obtains a first horizontal distance and a first vertical distance which are respectively a component in a horizontal direction and a component in a vertical direction among distances from an unmanned aerial vehicle (1) to a surface of a particular place where elevation gradually increases or decreases along the horizontal direction, decides, based on a ratio of the first horizontal distance to the first vertical distance, a movement amount by which the unmanned aerial vehicle (1) is to be moved simultaneously in both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and moves the unmanned aerial vehicle (1) based on the movement amount.