CA2852891A1 - Flight system - Google Patents
Flight system Download PDFInfo
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- CA2852891A1 CA2852891A1 CA2852891A CA2852891A CA2852891A1 CA 2852891 A1 CA2852891 A1 CA 2852891A1 CA 2852891 A CA2852891 A CA 2852891A CA 2852891 A CA2852891 A CA 2852891A CA 2852891 A1 CA2852891 A1 CA 2852891A1
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- aircraft
- remote controller
- flight
- flight system
- speed
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- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 32
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000003491 array Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000009194 climbing Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000006378 damage Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000005057 finger movement Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003993 interaction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000007 visual effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- B64U10/00—Type of UAV
- B64U10/10—Rotorcrafts
- B64U10/13—Flying platforms
- B64U10/14—Flying platforms with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- B64U10/00—Type of UAV
- B64U10/10—Rotorcrafts
- B64U10/13—Flying platforms
- B64U10/16—Flying platforms with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- B64U2201/00—UAVs characterised by their flight controls
- B64U2201/20—Remote controls
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- B64U30/00—Means for producing lift; Empennages; Arrangements thereof
- B64U30/20—Rotors; Rotor supports
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- B64U50/00—Propulsion; Power supply
- B64U50/10—Propulsion
- B64U50/19—Propulsion using electrically powered motors
Abstract
Flight system comprising an aircraft that is equipped with at least four rotors and has a payload, a number of rotors that turn in one direction and a number of rotors that turn in the other direction, and a remote controller. The aircraft is in data-transmitting connection with the remote controller via a transmitter/receiver unit in each case. The aircraft and the remote controller each have a data processing device that is connected to the transmitter/receiver unit, and the aircraft as well as the remote controller have the same sensors for flight position recognition. When there is a change in the angle of the remote controller about its x and/or y and/or z axis, the measure of the change in the angle correlates with a specifiable speed of the aircraft, and the specified speed that corresponds to the change in the angle is transmitted as the setpoint value to the data processing device of the aircraft and/or of the remote controller. The actual value of the speed of the aircraft is determined and compared to the setpoint value in the data processing device. By controlling the rotational speed of the rotors, the thrust is changed until the setpoint value of the speed matches the actual speed of the aircraft.
Description
FLIGHT SYSTEM
Description The invention relates to a flight system comprising an aircraft that is equipped with at least four rotors and has a payload, a number of rotors that turn in one direction and a number of rotors that turn in the other direction, and a remote controller.
Flight systems of this type are known in the form of toys; the range of the aircraft is extremely limited, and sometimes the aircraft may be flown only inside enclosed spaces.
The range of the remote controller for controlling the flight movements, as well as the altitude of the aircraft, are limited. These differ from flight systems having aircraft that are used for commercial purposes.
Such flight systems likewise comprise an aircraft and a remote controller, whereby the aircraft may accommodate a payload such as a camera. The flight system is equipped in such a way that the flight distance of the aircraft, also referred to as a copter, is limited only by the range of the transmitter and receiver unit. Such an aircraft may ascend to an altitude of up to several hundred meters.
That is, unlike the situation in the toy sector, in which such aircraft are designed to reach an altitude of only approximately 3 to 5 m, and also to fly only within the visual range, i.e., a distance of 20 to 30 m, completely different requirements are imposed on a flight system that is to be used for commercial purposes. This concerns not only the power of the transmitter and receiver unit, but also the controllability of such a copter. The copter, which has at least four rotors, some of which turn in one direction and others that turn in the other direction, must be controllable in such a way that information concerning the flight position and the speed that are specified for the copter at the remote controller must be precisely transferred to the copter. That is, the setpoint data set at the remote controller for the copter must be implemented in an identical manner by the drive system of the copter.
A flight system that is able to directly and precisely implement the information that is specified by the remote controller is desirable.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a flight system comprising an aircraft that is equipped with at least four rotors and has a payload, a number of rotors that turn in one direction and a number of rotors that turn in an other direction, and a remote controller, =
the aircraft being in data-transmitting connection with the remote controller via a transmitter/receiver unit in each case, the aircraft and the remote controller each having a data processing device that is connected to the transmitter/receiver unit, and the aircraft as well as the remote controller having the same sensors for flight position recognition, wherein when there is a change in the angle of the remote controller about its x and/or y and/or z axis, the measure of the change in the angle correlates with a specifiable speed of the aircraft, the specified speed that corresponds to the change in the angle being transmitted as the setpoint value to the data processing device of the aircraft and/or of the remote controller, wherein the actual value of the speed of the aircraft is determined and compared to the setpoint value in the data processing device, and wherein by controlling the rotational speed of the rotors, the thrust is changed until the setpoint value of the speed matches the actual speed of the aircraft.
The described flight system is able not only to convert the setpoint values that are specified by the remote controller into actual values for the aircraft in an essentially identical manner, but also to intuitively control the aircraft by pivoting the remote controller about the x, y, and z axes. That is, the movements of the remote controller are equivalently reflected in the movement of the aircraft. This requires that the aircraft as well as the remote controller have appropriate sensors, such as accelerators and gyroscopes, for recognizing the flight position. The accelerators and gyroscopes, of which preferably three of each are provided in the remote controller and in the aircraft, are in each case oriented in the direction of an axis in the Cartesian coordinate system. In this regard the following is noted: it would be theoretically conceivable to determine the flight position of the copter with just three accelerators and one gyroscope. However, the accuracy of the determination of the flight position is increased significantly when three gyroscopes are provided in addition to the three accelerators. The gyroscopes and accelerators represent an initial measurement unit (IMU). This IMU allows the determination of translatory and rotatory movements. To conduct a measurement in all three spatial directions, preferably three-axis sensors whose three axes are mutually orthogonal are used. The determination of the flight position using a so-called IMU is an essential prerequisite for being able to fly via the remote controller. In this regard, it is provided that the data processing devices and the copter, and advantageously also the remote controller, have a control system. Thus, according to one advantageous feature of the invention the control system is implemented in the data processing device of the aircraft.
Description The invention relates to a flight system comprising an aircraft that is equipped with at least four rotors and has a payload, a number of rotors that turn in one direction and a number of rotors that turn in the other direction, and a remote controller.
Flight systems of this type are known in the form of toys; the range of the aircraft is extremely limited, and sometimes the aircraft may be flown only inside enclosed spaces.
The range of the remote controller for controlling the flight movements, as well as the altitude of the aircraft, are limited. These differ from flight systems having aircraft that are used for commercial purposes.
Such flight systems likewise comprise an aircraft and a remote controller, whereby the aircraft may accommodate a payload such as a camera. The flight system is equipped in such a way that the flight distance of the aircraft, also referred to as a copter, is limited only by the range of the transmitter and receiver unit. Such an aircraft may ascend to an altitude of up to several hundred meters.
That is, unlike the situation in the toy sector, in which such aircraft are designed to reach an altitude of only approximately 3 to 5 m, and also to fly only within the visual range, i.e., a distance of 20 to 30 m, completely different requirements are imposed on a flight system that is to be used for commercial purposes. This concerns not only the power of the transmitter and receiver unit, but also the controllability of such a copter. The copter, which has at least four rotors, some of which turn in one direction and others that turn in the other direction, must be controllable in such a way that information concerning the flight position and the speed that are specified for the copter at the remote controller must be precisely transferred to the copter. That is, the setpoint data set at the remote controller for the copter must be implemented in an identical manner by the drive system of the copter.
A flight system that is able to directly and precisely implement the information that is specified by the remote controller is desirable.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a flight system comprising an aircraft that is equipped with at least four rotors and has a payload, a number of rotors that turn in one direction and a number of rotors that turn in an other direction, and a remote controller, =
the aircraft being in data-transmitting connection with the remote controller via a transmitter/receiver unit in each case, the aircraft and the remote controller each having a data processing device that is connected to the transmitter/receiver unit, and the aircraft as well as the remote controller having the same sensors for flight position recognition, wherein when there is a change in the angle of the remote controller about its x and/or y and/or z axis, the measure of the change in the angle correlates with a specifiable speed of the aircraft, the specified speed that corresponds to the change in the angle being transmitted as the setpoint value to the data processing device of the aircraft and/or of the remote controller, wherein the actual value of the speed of the aircraft is determined and compared to the setpoint value in the data processing device, and wherein by controlling the rotational speed of the rotors, the thrust is changed until the setpoint value of the speed matches the actual speed of the aircraft.
The described flight system is able not only to convert the setpoint values that are specified by the remote controller into actual values for the aircraft in an essentially identical manner, but also to intuitively control the aircraft by pivoting the remote controller about the x, y, and z axes. That is, the movements of the remote controller are equivalently reflected in the movement of the aircraft. This requires that the aircraft as well as the remote controller have appropriate sensors, such as accelerators and gyroscopes, for recognizing the flight position. The accelerators and gyroscopes, of which preferably three of each are provided in the remote controller and in the aircraft, are in each case oriented in the direction of an axis in the Cartesian coordinate system. In this regard the following is noted: it would be theoretically conceivable to determine the flight position of the copter with just three accelerators and one gyroscope. However, the accuracy of the determination of the flight position is increased significantly when three gyroscopes are provided in addition to the three accelerators. The gyroscopes and accelerators represent an initial measurement unit (IMU). This IMU allows the determination of translatory and rotatory movements. To conduct a measurement in all three spatial directions, preferably three-axis sensors whose three axes are mutually orthogonal are used. The determination of the flight position using a so-called IMU is an essential prerequisite for being able to fly via the remote controller. In this regard, it is provided that the data processing devices and the copter, and advantageously also the remote controller, have a control system. Thus, according to one advantageous feature of the invention the control system is implemented in the data processing device of the aircraft.
2 This means that the control of the speed and of the flight direction takes place in the data processing device of the aircraft after receipt of the default values from the remote controller. This has the advantage that the aircraft responds much more rapidly than it would in an embodiment in which the control for the aircraft took place in the remote controller. However, the control system in the data processing device requires considerable computing power, which means additional weight, which for a correspondingly weak drive power of the aircraft in turn may have the result that the control system is situated in the remote controller anyway; i.e., the processing of the data takes place in the data processing device of the remote controller. However, this also means that the data for determining the actual ground speed of the copter, which are ascertained, for example, by means of GPS, radar sensors, or optical methods such as the "optical flow process," are transmitted from the copter to the data processing device of the remote controller, the same as for the data concerning flight position recognition, whereby the data processing device of the remote controller computes the values for thrust and flight position that are necessary for the control via a setpoint-actual comparison, and the computed thrust and flight position values are transmitted to the data processing device of the aircraft, which converts these defaults for flight position and thrust into the necessary rotational speeds of the individual rotors. In this regard, the following is noted.
According to one aspect, the present invention provides a copter that comprises a housing having at least four, but preferably six, rotors appropriately inclined in a certain direction in order to fly in this direction. That is, certain rotors of the copter run more slowly than other rotors, but in this flight position the speed of the rotors is adjusted upwardly for generating the necessary thrust. That is, if the angle of inclination of the remote controller is a measure of the speed of the copter, the predefined speed values that correspond to the angle of inclination are stored in the data processing device of the copter and also of the remote controller. In this way, the copter may be steered in the appropriate direction by moving the remote controller about the x and y axes. However, as previously stated, this also means that the copter and the remote controller each have a corresponding coordinate system.
According to another feature of the invention, it is provided that the copter is able to rotate about its own axis. For determining the rotational speed as the actual speed, in particular the gyroscopes are used here as flight position sensors. Here as well, the
According to one aspect, the present invention provides a copter that comprises a housing having at least four, but preferably six, rotors appropriately inclined in a certain direction in order to fly in this direction. That is, certain rotors of the copter run more slowly than other rotors, but in this flight position the speed of the rotors is adjusted upwardly for generating the necessary thrust. That is, if the angle of inclination of the remote controller is a measure of the speed of the copter, the predefined speed values that correspond to the angle of inclination are stored in the data processing device of the copter and also of the remote controller. In this way, the copter may be steered in the appropriate direction by moving the remote controller about the x and y axes. However, as previously stated, this also means that the copter and the remote controller each have a corresponding coordinate system.
According to another feature of the invention, it is provided that the copter is able to rotate about its own axis. For determining the rotational speed as the actual speed, in particular the gyroscopes are used here as flight position sensors. Here as well, the
3 change in the angular position of the remote controller about the z axis represents a measure of the rotational speed of the aircraft about its own axis.
According to another feature of the invention, for orienting the aircraft in the horizontal position, the data processing device has a position controller that is connected to the sensors for flight position recognition and to the rotors. It has been noted above that the aircraft are used for commercial purposes, including recording still images and also moving images, for example in the form of a video, with the aid of a camera situated beneath the aircraft. This requires that the aircraft be held as steady as possible to allow the camera to focus on an object. To carry out such position control, in particular in the horizontal position, the sensors for flight position recognition, namely, the above-mentioned accelerators and gyroscopes, are likewise used. The control is carried out in particular by controlling the rotational speed of the individual rotors.
According to another particular feature of the invention, it is provided that the sensors for flight position recognition are supplemented by at least one magnetometer;
i.e., as a compass, such a magnetometer opens up the possibility for detecting the degree of deviation of the orientation of the magnetometer from north.
The deviation may then be redetermined in all three spatial directions, a relatively accurate orientation of the aircraft being possible in combination with the above-mentioned accelerators and gyroscopes, in particular due to the interaction of the gyroscopes, the accelerators, and the at least one magnetometer. As described above, the gyroscopes and accelerators present in the aircraft and in the remote controller form a so-called inertial measurement unit (IMU) for determining the flight position of the aircraft.
Rotatory and translatory movements are determined in this way. To allow measurement in all three spatial directions, so-called three-axis sensors as gyroscopes and accelerators are provided that have three sensitive axes that are mutually orthogonal.
Lastly, the accuracy of the determination of the flight position may be further increased by additionally using the data of a three-axis magnetometer. Such a system, which includes a magnetic sensor for determining the angular position and the gravitation, as well as gyroscopes and accelerators, is known in the prior art as a magnetic angular rate and gravity (MARC) system. Such MARG systems are able to make a complete determination of the orientation of the aircraft or of the remote controller relative to the direction of gravitation of the magnetic field of the earth.
According to another feature of the invention, for orienting the aircraft in the horizontal position, the data processing device has a position controller that is connected to the sensors for flight position recognition and to the rotors. It has been noted above that the aircraft are used for commercial purposes, including recording still images and also moving images, for example in the form of a video, with the aid of a camera situated beneath the aircraft. This requires that the aircraft be held as steady as possible to allow the camera to focus on an object. To carry out such position control, in particular in the horizontal position, the sensors for flight position recognition, namely, the above-mentioned accelerators and gyroscopes, are likewise used. The control is carried out in particular by controlling the rotational speed of the individual rotors.
According to another particular feature of the invention, it is provided that the sensors for flight position recognition are supplemented by at least one magnetometer;
i.e., as a compass, such a magnetometer opens up the possibility for detecting the degree of deviation of the orientation of the magnetometer from north.
The deviation may then be redetermined in all three spatial directions, a relatively accurate orientation of the aircraft being possible in combination with the above-mentioned accelerators and gyroscopes, in particular due to the interaction of the gyroscopes, the accelerators, and the at least one magnetometer. As described above, the gyroscopes and accelerators present in the aircraft and in the remote controller form a so-called inertial measurement unit (IMU) for determining the flight position of the aircraft.
Rotatory and translatory movements are determined in this way. To allow measurement in all three spatial directions, so-called three-axis sensors as gyroscopes and accelerators are provided that have three sensitive axes that are mutually orthogonal.
Lastly, the accuracy of the determination of the flight position may be further increased by additionally using the data of a three-axis magnetometer. Such a system, which includes a magnetic sensor for determining the angular position and the gravitation, as well as gyroscopes and accelerators, is known in the prior art as a magnetic angular rate and gravity (MARC) system. Such MARG systems are able to make a complete determination of the orientation of the aircraft or of the remote controller relative to the direction of gravitation of the magnetic field of the earth.
4 In this regard, reference is made to the following publication: An efficient orientation filter for inertial and inertial/magnetic sensor arrays, Sebastian 0. H.
Madgwick, April 30, 2010.
According to another feature of the invention, the remote controller itself is provided with a touch-sensitive screen as the input and display device. The rate of climb and/or rate of descent, for example, may be specified via this touch-sensitive screen, i.e., the input device. That is, in particular with regard to the rate of descent of the aircraft, above a specified minimum altitude the rate of descent does not exceed a certain value in order to prevent the aircraft from crashing to the ground. In this regard, the aircraft also has sensors for determining the altitude, which are designed, for example, as ultrasonic sensors and as sensors designed for determining the air pressure. Ultrasonic sensors operate satisfactorily up to altitudes of approximately 5 to 10 m above ground, whereas air pressure sensors operate at ranges above those of the ultrasonic sensors, a certain overlap area being necessary in order to be able to conduct an accurate measurement in each case.
According to another feature of the invention, the aircraft has lateral distance sensors to allow recognition of lateral obstructions or also to determine the distance from the obstructions. Such obstructions are displayed on the touch-sensitive screen of the input device.
The aircraft itself includes multiple operating modes. An operating mode is characterized in that the flight directions of the aircraft are specified by the coordinate system of the remote controller. Thus, the x, y, and z axes in the remote controller are entered as fixed values. The position of this coordinate system is specified for the aircraft.
In concrete terms, this means that when the remote controller is pivoted about the x axis, i.e., from the point of view of the pilot, pivoted forward, the copter also steers in the corresponding direction. It is thus clear that, due to the movement of the remote controller, the pilot may always accurately determine in advance the direction in which the aircraft will be set in motion.
This operating mode is distinguished from a second operating mode, in which the flight direction of the aircraft is specified by a coordinate system in the aircraft (first person view system). The control takes place in such a way that the coordinate system of the copter specifies the flight direction in the x, y, and z directions. The orientation of the coordinate system in the copter may be completely different from that in the remote
Madgwick, April 30, 2010.
According to another feature of the invention, the remote controller itself is provided with a touch-sensitive screen as the input and display device. The rate of climb and/or rate of descent, for example, may be specified via this touch-sensitive screen, i.e., the input device. That is, in particular with regard to the rate of descent of the aircraft, above a specified minimum altitude the rate of descent does not exceed a certain value in order to prevent the aircraft from crashing to the ground. In this regard, the aircraft also has sensors for determining the altitude, which are designed, for example, as ultrasonic sensors and as sensors designed for determining the air pressure. Ultrasonic sensors operate satisfactorily up to altitudes of approximately 5 to 10 m above ground, whereas air pressure sensors operate at ranges above those of the ultrasonic sensors, a certain overlap area being necessary in order to be able to conduct an accurate measurement in each case.
According to another feature of the invention, the aircraft has lateral distance sensors to allow recognition of lateral obstructions or also to determine the distance from the obstructions. Such obstructions are displayed on the touch-sensitive screen of the input device.
The aircraft itself includes multiple operating modes. An operating mode is characterized in that the flight directions of the aircraft are specified by the coordinate system of the remote controller. Thus, the x, y, and z axes in the remote controller are entered as fixed values. The position of this coordinate system is specified for the aircraft.
In concrete terms, this means that when the remote controller is pivoted about the x axis, i.e., from the point of view of the pilot, pivoted forward, the copter also steers in the corresponding direction. It is thus clear that, due to the movement of the remote controller, the pilot may always accurately determine in advance the direction in which the aircraft will be set in motion.
This operating mode is distinguished from a second operating mode, in which the flight direction of the aircraft is specified by a coordinate system in the aircraft (first person view system). The control takes place in such a way that the coordinate system of the copter specifies the flight direction in the x, y, and z directions. The orientation of the coordinate system in the copter may be completely different from that in the remote
5 controller. In concrete terms, this means, for example, that when the remote controller is pivoted forward, the speed of the aircraft increases in the lateral direction, for example.
That is, the position of the coordinate system in the aircraft does not change, and instead remains fixed; in the same way, the coordinate system in the remote controller does not change.
According to another feature of the invention, it is provided that the aircraft has at least one GPS receiver that is connected to the data processing device of the aircraft and/or of the remote controller. A GPS allows position finding of the copter to be carried out during flight. According to another feature of the invention, it is provided that the remote controller has at least one GPS receiver that is connected to the data processing device in the remote controller and in the copter. This provides the option for carrying out position finding of the aircraft relative to the remote controller, for example to determine the distance of the aircraft from the remote controller.
Figure 1 schematically shows the three axes of a remote controller, the remote controller being designed as a tablet computer;
Figure 2 schematically shows the aircraft in a view from above; and Figure 3 shows a side view of the aircraft.
The remote controller 10 is advantageously designed in the form of a tablet computer; i.e., the remote controller has a touch-sensitive screen that is used for inputting data and also for displaying the image from the camera on the copter. The tablet computer has a touch-sensitive screen, which means that communication may take place with the aircraft via this screen. In addition, the copter is controlled by moving the tablet computer about the three axes of the Cartesian coordinate system, whereby, for example, a movement of the tablet computer about the x axis causes a flight movement of the copter in the y direction, and with increasing inclination the speed of the copter increases.
The same applies for a movement of the tablet computer about the y axis. Thus, movement in two spatial directions is now possible. A movement of the aircraft about its own axis, i.e., the z axis, is carried out by likewise rotating the tablet computer about the z axis, the measure of the rotation correlating with the rotational speed of the copter. The climbing height and the rate of climb and the rate of descent are directly input via the screen; for example, a short sliding movement of a finger on the screen to the front/rear results in a correspondingly slow upward/downward movement of the aircraft. In contrast, long sliding finger movements cause a rapid climb or descent of the copter.
That is, the position of the coordinate system in the aircraft does not change, and instead remains fixed; in the same way, the coordinate system in the remote controller does not change.
According to another feature of the invention, it is provided that the aircraft has at least one GPS receiver that is connected to the data processing device of the aircraft and/or of the remote controller. A GPS allows position finding of the copter to be carried out during flight. According to another feature of the invention, it is provided that the remote controller has at least one GPS receiver that is connected to the data processing device in the remote controller and in the copter. This provides the option for carrying out position finding of the aircraft relative to the remote controller, for example to determine the distance of the aircraft from the remote controller.
Figure 1 schematically shows the three axes of a remote controller, the remote controller being designed as a tablet computer;
Figure 2 schematically shows the aircraft in a view from above; and Figure 3 shows a side view of the aircraft.
The remote controller 10 is advantageously designed in the form of a tablet computer; i.e., the remote controller has a touch-sensitive screen that is used for inputting data and also for displaying the image from the camera on the copter. The tablet computer has a touch-sensitive screen, which means that communication may take place with the aircraft via this screen. In addition, the copter is controlled by moving the tablet computer about the three axes of the Cartesian coordinate system, whereby, for example, a movement of the tablet computer about the x axis causes a flight movement of the copter in the y direction, and with increasing inclination the speed of the copter increases.
The same applies for a movement of the tablet computer about the y axis. Thus, movement in two spatial directions is now possible. A movement of the aircraft about its own axis, i.e., the z axis, is carried out by likewise rotating the tablet computer about the z axis, the measure of the rotation correlating with the rotational speed of the copter. The climbing height and the rate of climb and the rate of descent are directly input via the screen; for example, a short sliding movement of a finger on the screen to the front/rear results in a correspondingly slow upward/downward movement of the aircraft. In contrast, long sliding finger movements cause a rapid climb or descent of the copter.
6 Figure 2 shows the copter in a view from above, the copter having six rotors 5. In the middle, the copter 1 has an enclosure 2 for accommodating the data processing device, including the flight position sensors. The camera, for example, is located in the cockpit 3 beneath the copter. The batteries for driving the electric motors and also for operating the data processing device and the transmitters and receivers are situated in the enclosure 2. The copter also has three legs 4 that have a resilient flexible design to allow a soft landing of the copter.
As stated above, the copter as well as the remote controller have multiple, in particular three, accelerators and gyroscopes, or in other words, three-axis sensors as gyroscopes and accelerators, these sensors forming an IMU system. It is advantageously also provided that the copter and the remote controller each have a three-axis magnetometer in order to also take the data of the magnetometer into account for a more accurate determination of the orientation of the copter. These flight position sensors then form the MARG system.
The control of the aircraft is now carried out as described below by way of example. An operating mode is set in which the coordinate system of the remote controller is dominant for the control of the copter.
The tablet computer is inclined about the x axis, for example, by a certain degree, for example 15 . If it is assumed that the aircraft is already at a certain altitude, and this is taken as the starting position, the copter will tilt slightly, which in particular takes place in that a portion of the motors of the rotors are throttled, whereas for another portion the power is increased. As a result, the copter moves forward perpendicularly with respect to the x axis of the tablet computer. The particular speed in this direction corresponds to the angular position of the tablet computer. The correlations between angle and speed are stored in the remote controller, for example. The same procedure is followed for a lateral movement of the tablet computer. For rotating the aircraft about its own axis, the tablet computer is likewise rotated about its own axis. The extent of the rotation is a measure of the rotational speed of the aircraft. The following procedure is followed for takeoff and landing of the aircraft:
The takeoff speed is specified for the copter by the tablet computer by inputting via the touch-sensitive screen. The maximum altitude to which the copter is to ascend may be specified in a similar way.
As stated above, the copter as well as the remote controller have multiple, in particular three, accelerators and gyroscopes, or in other words, three-axis sensors as gyroscopes and accelerators, these sensors forming an IMU system. It is advantageously also provided that the copter and the remote controller each have a three-axis magnetometer in order to also take the data of the magnetometer into account for a more accurate determination of the orientation of the copter. These flight position sensors then form the MARG system.
The control of the aircraft is now carried out as described below by way of example. An operating mode is set in which the coordinate system of the remote controller is dominant for the control of the copter.
The tablet computer is inclined about the x axis, for example, by a certain degree, for example 15 . If it is assumed that the aircraft is already at a certain altitude, and this is taken as the starting position, the copter will tilt slightly, which in particular takes place in that a portion of the motors of the rotors are throttled, whereas for another portion the power is increased. As a result, the copter moves forward perpendicularly with respect to the x axis of the tablet computer. The particular speed in this direction corresponds to the angular position of the tablet computer. The correlations between angle and speed are stored in the remote controller, for example. The same procedure is followed for a lateral movement of the tablet computer. For rotating the aircraft about its own axis, the tablet computer is likewise rotated about its own axis. The extent of the rotation is a measure of the rotational speed of the aircraft. The following procedure is followed for takeoff and landing of the aircraft:
The takeoff speed is specified for the copter by the tablet computer by inputting via the touch-sensitive screen. The maximum altitude to which the copter is to ascend may be specified in a similar way.
7 The situation is different for landing the copter. As stated above, the copter has sensors for determining the altitude above ground, in particular an ultrasonic sensor and an air pressure sensor. The ultrasonic sensor is provided for determining the altitude at close range, i.e., up to approximately 10 m, the altitude also being determined by the air pressure sensor. The rate of descent may also be input via the tablet computer, except that in this case, for ensuring safety when a certain minimum altitude is reached, the rate of descent is not to exceed a certain value in order to prevent destruction of the aircraft upon striking the ground. The two altitude sensors, i.e., the ultrasonic sensor and the air pressure sensor, operate at different altitude ranges, but overlap one another. That is, if the altitude is below a certain minimum value, the ultrasonic sensor is used for altitude determination, whereas the air pressure sensor is used for determining higher altitudes.
The remote controller also advantageously contains these types of sensors in order to allow a determination of the altitude above ground with the aid of the air pressure sensor.
Alternatively, for this purpose the air pressure above ground may be determined during the takeoff operation and stored.
As stated, at least two different modes are provided for the flight operation.
As described above, a first mode is characterized in that the position of the Cartesian coordinate system of the tablet computer always matches the position of the Cartesian coordinate system in the aircraft. That is, when the computer is rotated about its z axis, for example, the coordinate system in the aircraft also moves in a corresponding manner.
However, this also means that a movement of the tablet computer about a certain axis always directly causes a movement of the aircraft in the pivot direction.
A second operating mode is characterized in that the position of the Cartesian coordinate system in the aircraft is independent from the position of the tablet computer.
That is, the position of the coordinate system is specified once for the aircraft; when the tablet computer is moved about the x axis, from the point of view of the pilot on the tablet computer the aircraft may possibly undergo a movement in the direction of the x axis. This operating mode is also known by the term "first person view system." It may also be provided that the aircraft has at least one GPS receiver. The position of the aircraft is thus determinable, and is displayable on the tablet computer. If the remote controller also has a GPS receiver, position determination of the aircraft relative to the tablet computer is also possible. That is, the distance of the aircraft from the tablet computer may be determined.
The remote controller also advantageously contains these types of sensors in order to allow a determination of the altitude above ground with the aid of the air pressure sensor.
Alternatively, for this purpose the air pressure above ground may be determined during the takeoff operation and stored.
As stated, at least two different modes are provided for the flight operation.
As described above, a first mode is characterized in that the position of the Cartesian coordinate system of the tablet computer always matches the position of the Cartesian coordinate system in the aircraft. That is, when the computer is rotated about its z axis, for example, the coordinate system in the aircraft also moves in a corresponding manner.
However, this also means that a movement of the tablet computer about a certain axis always directly causes a movement of the aircraft in the pivot direction.
A second operating mode is characterized in that the position of the Cartesian coordinate system in the aircraft is independent from the position of the tablet computer.
That is, the position of the coordinate system is specified once for the aircraft; when the tablet computer is moved about the x axis, from the point of view of the pilot on the tablet computer the aircraft may possibly undergo a movement in the direction of the x axis. This operating mode is also known by the term "first person view system." It may also be provided that the aircraft has at least one GPS receiver. The position of the aircraft is thus determinable, and is displayable on the tablet computer. If the remote controller also has a GPS receiver, position determination of the aircraft relative to the tablet computer is also possible. That is, the distance of the aircraft from the tablet computer may be determined.
8 The aircraft itself has distance sensors on its end-face side that prevent the aircraft from striking objects. Distance sensors are designed as ultrasonic sensors or radar sensors, and measure the distance of the aircraft from possible obstructions.
Here as well, above a certain minimum distance the speed in the direction of the obstruction is reduced in such a way that danger to the aircraft is not possible, even if the aircraft collides with the obstruction.
The scope of the claims should not be limited by particular embodiments set forth herein, but should be construed in a manner consistent with the specification as a whole.
Here as well, above a certain minimum distance the speed in the direction of the obstruction is reduced in such a way that danger to the aircraft is not possible, even if the aircraft collides with the obstruction.
The scope of the claims should not be limited by particular embodiments set forth herein, but should be construed in a manner consistent with the specification as a whole.
9 List of reference numerals 1 Copter 2 Enclosure 3 Cockpit 4 Legs 5 Rotors Remote controller
10
Claims (24)
1. A flight system comprising an aircraft that is equipped with at least four rotors and has a payload, a number of rotors that turn in one direction and a number of rotors that turn in an other direction, and a remote controller, the aircraft being in data-transmitting connection with the remote controller via a transmitter/receiver unit in each case, the aircraft and the remote controller each having a data processing device that is connected to the transmitter/receiver unit, and the aircraft as well as the remote controller having the same sensors for flight position recognition, wherein when there is a change in the angle of the remote controller about its x and/or y and/or z axis, the measure of the change in the angle correlates with a specifiable speed of the aircraft, the specified speed that corresponds to the change in the angle being transmitted as the setpoint value to the data processing device of the aircraft and/or of the remote controller, wherein the actual value of the speed of the aircraft is determined and compared to the setpoint value in the data processing device, and wherein by controlling the rotational speed of the rotors, the thrust is changed until the setpoint value of the speed matches the actual speed of the aircraft.
2. The flight system according to claim 1, wherein the actual ground speed of the aircraft is determined by means of GPS, radar sensors, or optical methods.
3. The flight system according to claim 2, wherein the actual ground speed of the aircraft is determined by an optical flow process.
4. The flight system according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the data for determining the actual speed of the aircraft are transmitted to the remote controller, the data processing device of the remote controller computes the values for thrust and flight position that are necessary for the control via a setpoint-actual comparison, the computed thrust and flight position values are transmitted to the data processing device of the aircraft, and the data processing device of the aircraft converts these defaults for flight position and thrust into the necessary rotational speeds of the individual rotors.
5. The flight system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the predefined setpoint speed corresponding to the change in the angle of the remote controller is transmitted to the data processing device of the aircraft, and the control, which changes the rotational speed of the rotors until the setpoint value of the speed matches the transmitted actual value, is implemented in the data processing device of the aircraft
6. The flight system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the instantaneous rotational speed of the aircraft about the z axis is determined with the aid of flight position sensors
7. The flight system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, for orienting the aircraft in the horizontal position, the data processing device has a position controller that is connected to the sensors for flight position recognition and to the rotors
8. The flight system according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the sensors for flight position recognition include accelerators and/or gyroscopes
9. The flight system according to claim 8, wherein three accelerators, each of which is oriented in one spatial direction, are situated in the aircraft and also in the remote controller
10. The flight system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein at least one gyroscope is situated in the aircraft and also in the remote controller, one gyroscope being associated with each spatial direction
11. The flight system according to claim 10, wherein three gyroscopes are situated in the aircraft and also in the remote controller.
12 The flight system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the sensors for flight position recognition include at least one magnetometer
13. The flight system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the remote controller has a touch-sensitive screen as the input and display device
14. The flight system according to claim 13, wherein the rate of climb and/or rate of descent is specifiable via the input device.
15. The flight system according to claim 14, wherein above a certain altitude, the rate of descent of the aircraft does not exceed a predefinable value.
16. The flight system according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the aircraft has altitude sensors.
17. The flight system according to claim 16, wherein the altitude sensors comprise ultrasonic sensors and sensors for determining the air pressure.
18. The flight system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the aircraft has lateral distance sensors.
19. The flight system according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the flight system has multiple operating modes.
20. The flight system according to claim 19, wherein in a first operating mode the flight directions of the aircraft are specified by the coordinate system of the remote' controller.
21. The flight system according to claim 19, wherein in a second operating mode the flight directions of the aircraft are specified by a coordinate system in the aircraft.
22. The flight system according to claim 21, wherein the coordinate system is a First-Person-View-System.
23. The flight system according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the aircraft has at least one GPS receiver that is connected to the data processing device of the aircraft and/or of the remote controller.
24. The flight system according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the remote controller has at least one GPS receiver that is connected to the data processing device in the remote controller.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2852891A CA2852891A1 (en) | 2014-06-02 | 2014-06-02 | Flight system |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2852891A CA2852891A1 (en) | 2014-06-02 | 2014-06-02 | Flight system |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2852891A1 true CA2852891A1 (en) | 2015-12-02 |
Family
ID=54784077
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2852891A Abandoned CA2852891A1 (en) | 2014-06-02 | 2014-06-02 | Flight system |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2852891A1 (en) |
-
2014
- 2014-06-02 CA CA2852891A patent/CA2852891A1/en not_active Abandoned
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Discontinued |
Effective date: 20170602 |