CN220491196U

CN220491196U - Control device applied to unmanned mobile device

Info

Publication number: CN220491196U
Application number: CN202321316864.5U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 菲利普·乔纳森·劳斯
Original assignee: Hexing Airlines Private Ltd
Current assignee: Hexing Airlines Private Ltd
Priority date: 2022-05-28
Filing date: 2023-05-29
Publication date: 2024-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 2033-05-29
Also published as: DE202023102934U1; JP3242974U; TWM650657U

Abstract

A control device for an unmanned mobile device, comprising: the circuit carrier board, the carrier board and the control element. The circuit carrier has a mounting portion. The mounting portion is provided with a multiport data connector extending in a vertical direction. The multi-port data connector includes a plurality of first communication ports disposed parallel to one another. The bearing plate is used for coating at least one part of the circuit bearing plate and exposing the mounting part of the circuit bearing plate. The control element is suitable for sending at least one control signal to the unmanned mobile device, and the control element is detachably arranged on the circuit carrier plate through a plurality of first communication ports so as to be electrically connected with the circuit carrier plate. And one of the control element and the circuit carrier plate replicates a plurality of transmission signals between the control element and the circuit carrier plate so as to transmit the replicated plurality of transmission signals to the other of the control element and the circuit carrier plate through a plurality of first communication ports respectively.

Description

Control device applied to unmanned mobile device

Technical Field

The present utility model relates generally to a control device. More particularly, the present utility model relates to a control device applied to an unmanned mobile device.

Background

Unmanned autonomous mobile devices (e.g., unmanned aerial vehicles) are typically equipped with flight controllers that require wired communication with external devices to obtain and communicate information. The flight controller is typically figurative to the brain of the drone, and is responsible for processing the information from each sensor and issuing control commands to the corresponding sensor. The flight controller sends a control signal to the electronic speed controller, which then controls the speed of the motor. Commercially available flight controllers typically include a main processing chip, microelectromechanical system (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, MEMS) sensors, and interfaces for connecting with other external electronic devices. In actual use, a common flight controller would be connected to a number of electronic devices, such as electronic speed controllers, global positioning systems (Global Positioning System, GPS), cameras, etc. The unmanned aerial vehicle flight controller communicates with other external devices using an external interface. The communication protocol corresponds to a separate external interface such as PWM, CAN, serial port, etc. Traditionally, the external interface typically employs a JST-GH or DF13 interface.

Currently, many cables are connected to the flight controller, resulting in complex wiring, since the market flight controller requires cable connections to communicate with other electronic devices during use. The existing closely arranged external interfaces result in excessive number of cables during use, resulting in mess of cables, and easy installation and troubleshooting difficulties. Meanwhile, the unmanned aerial vehicle flight controller is not connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle frame in a reliable mode, and is usually fixed by double-sided adhesive tape, so that the risk of falling off is inevitably generated in the flight process. In addition, when the cables are too many, it is inconvenient for the user to replace the flight controller. This is inconvenient if the user wants to replace or upgrade the flight controller, by pulling out the cable for replacement. Similar problems exist with other types of unmanned autonomous mobile devices, and no effective solution has been proposed.

Disclosure of Invention

One aspect of the utility model relates to a control device for controlling an unmanned mobile device, comprising a circuit carrier plate, a carrier plate, and a control element. The circuit carrier has a mounting portion. The mounting portion is provided with a multiport data connector protruding in a vertical direction. The multi-port data connector includes a plurality of first communication ports. The bearing plate is used for coating at least one part of the circuit bearing plate and exposing the mounting part of the circuit bearing plate. The control element is suitable for sending at least one control signal to the unmanned mobile device, and the control element is detachably arranged on the circuit carrier board through a plurality of first communication ports of the multi-port data connector so as to be electrically connected with the circuit carrier board. And one of the control element and the circuit carrier plate replicates a plurality of transmission signals between the control element and the circuit carrier plate so as to transmit the replicated plurality of transmission signals to the other of the control element and the circuit carrier plate through a plurality of first communication ports.

Based on the above, in the embodiment of the utility model, the control device may be fixed on the unmanned mobile device through the carrier plate, and send the control signal to the unmanned mobile device through the control element thereof. The circuit board of the control device has a multiport data connection unit. The control element of the control device is provided with a corresponding data interface, and the control element can be detachably arranged on the multiport data connection part on the circuit carrier board through the data interface, so that the control element can be conveniently installed and detached. This design not only provides more flexible system configuration options, but also increases maintainability and upgradeability of the system.

Drawings

Aspects of the disclosure can be readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the various features may not be drawn to scale. Indeed, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

Embodiments of the utility model are described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, in which:

aspects of the utility model will be readily appreciated from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the various features may not be drawn to scale. That is, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion. Embodiments of the present utility model will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a control device according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the control device of FIG. 1 from another perspective;

fig. 3 and fig. 4 are schematic top views of a portion of the circuit carrier exposed in the control device;

fig. 5A is an external view of the control element.

Fig. 5B is a bottom view of the control element.

FIG. 6 is a circuit layout of an exposed portion of a circuit carrier;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an output pin layout of a multi-port data connector according to another embodiment of the present utility model;

fig. 8 is a layout of output pins of a multiport data connector according to yet another embodiment of the present utility model.

Detailed Description

The same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the detailed description to refer to the same or like elements. Embodiments of the present utility model will be readily understood from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present utility model, a technical solution in the embodiments of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present utility model. The embodiments described herein are part of the present utility model and are not intended to be exhaustive. All other embodiments, which can be made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the utility model without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the utility model.

It should be noted that, the terms "first," "second," and the like in the description of the present utility model, the claims, and the above drawings are used for distinguishing between similar objects and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It will be appreciated that such data may be exchanged as appropriate for the embodiments of the utility model described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprise" and "include," as well as any variations thereof, are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or elements is not necessarily limited to those steps or elements explicitly recited, but may include other steps or elements not explicitly recited or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

In the present utility model, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "inner", "outer", "middle" and the like refer to directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. These terms are used primarily to better describe the utility model and its embodiments and are not intended to limit the device elements or components to a particular orientation or to limit their construction and operation in a particular orientation.

Furthermore, some of the terms described above may also be used to indicate meanings other than azimuth or positional relationships. For example, in some cases, the term "upper" may also be used to denote some kind of attachment or connection. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand the specific meaning of these terms in the present utility model as the case may be.

Furthermore, the terms "mounted," "arranged," "connected," and "connected" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral arrangement; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intervening medium, or an internal connection between two devices or elements. The specific meaning of the terms described above in the present utility model will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art according to the specific circumstances.

It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments of the present utility model and features of the embodiments may be combined with each other. The utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings in connection with embodiments.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a control device 10 according to the present utility model. Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the control device 10 of fig. 1 from another perspective. Fig. 3 and 4 are schematic top views of a portion of the circuit carrier 3 exposed in the control device. Fig. 5A is an external view of the control element. Fig. 5B is a bottom view of the control element. Fig. 6 is a circuit layout diagram of the exposed part of the circuit carrier 3.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, in the present embodiment, the control device 10 is used for controlling an unmanned mobile device (not shown), wherein the unmanned mobile device is, for example, an unmanned aerial vehicle, an autopilot land vehicle, an autopilot surface vessel, an autopilot underwater vehicle, an autopilot, or other types of unmanned mobile devices, and the utility model is not limited thereto. The control device 10 comprises a carrier plate 1, a control element 2 and a circuit carrier plate 3. The configuration relationships between the above elements will be described in detail in the following paragraphs.

The carrier plate 1 is used for protecting part of the components in the control device 10, and can be fixed on the unmanned mobile device and electrically connected with the unmanned mobile device. In the present embodiment, the carrier plate 1 has a substantially rectangular shape. In other embodiments, the shape of the carrier plate 1 can be changed according to design requirements, but is not limited thereto. The carrier plate 1 includes a top 1a and a bottom 1b opposite to the top 1a, and a slot is provided between the top 1a and the bottom 1 b. The carrier plate 1 covers at least a portion of the circuit carrier plate 3 through its top 1a and bottom 1b, and exposes the mounting portion 3a of the circuit carrier plate 3 through the slot. The carrier plate 1 is electrically connected with the circuit carrier plate 3.

The top 1a includes at least one power interface 12, and is for example, but not limited to, two. An external power source (not shown) may be electrically connected to the carrier plate 1 through the power interface 12 and power the control device 10. The bottom 1b includes at least one functional interface 14, and is, for example, 10, but not limited thereto. The functional interface 14 is used for connecting different external electronic devices (not shown), so that the control element 2 can be electrically connected with the external electronic devices through the functional interface 14, thereby realizing the function of exchanging data and signals. For example, in some embodiments, the functional interface 14 of the bottom 1b may be configured with various bus interfaces (businesface). The functional interface 14 is, for example, but not limited to, a CAN bus interface (CAN bus interface), an I2C bus interface (I2C businerface), a USB interface, and/or an s.bus interface for connecting to different types of external electronic devices.

The other sides of the carrier plate 1 may also be provided with one or more connection interfaces, such as USB-C interfaces 16 and 18 on one side of the carrier plate 1 and PWM interface 19 on the other side. Furthermore, the carrier plate 1 may comprise wireless communication interfaces, such as a remote control interface (TELEM interface) for accessing remote control signals, a telemetry interface (Spektrum interface) for accessing telemetry signals, and a GPS interface for accessing GPS signals. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other communication protocols may be employed to implement different configurations of the carrier plate 1, thereby including different communication interfaces.

In other embodiments, the carrier plate 1 may be optionally provided with no functional interface 14 for reducing the volume of the whole control device, which is not limited by the present utility model.

The control element 2 generally refers to an element capable of sending control signals, which is adapted to send at least one control signal to the unmanned mobile device, thereby controlling the operation of the unmanned mobile device. In this embodiment, the control element 2 is, for example, a core or multi-core central processing unit (Central Processing Unit, CPU), microprocessor (Micro-Processor), or other programmable processing unit, digital signal Processor (Digital Signal Processor, DSP), programmable controller, application specific integrated circuit (Application Specific Integrated Circuits, ASIC), field programmable gate array (field programmable gate arrays, FPGA), programmable logic device (ProgrammableLogic Device, PLD), or other similar device. Computer instructions or software code running in a computing device, computer processor, or programmable logic device can be readily prepared by one of ordinary skill in the software or electronics arts based on the teachings of the present utility model.

The control element 2 may be selected from a plurality of different types of controllers and may be configured for a particular application and/or type of unmanned autonomous mobile device, without limitation. In the present embodiment, the control element 2 has a substantially cubic shape, and a data interface (not shown) is provided at the bottom thereof.

The mounting portion 3a of the circuit carrier 3 is provided with a multiport data connector 31 extending in the vertical direction. The slot of the carrier plate 1 exposes the mounting portion 3a of the circuit carrier plate 3. Referring to fig. 3 and fig. 4, the multi-port data connector 31 includes a plurality of first communication ports 311, 312 (communication port) disposed parallel to each other, wherein the number of the first communication ports is, for example, two, and the utility model is not limited thereto. The plurality of first communication ports 311, 312 arranged in parallel facilitate subsequent assembly. In other words, the multi-port data connector 31 may also be referred to as a dual-port data connector (dual-port data connector). Each of the two first communication ports 311, 312 is a DF17 connector, and the DF17 connector is a connector (80-pin connector) having 80 pins, but not limited thereto. In other embodiments, other compatible connectors known in the art may be implemented as the first communication port, which is not limited to the above embodiment. Fig. 5 is a circuit detailed layout of the exposed circuit carrier 3.

The data interface of the control element 2 is compatible with the multiport data connector 31. The data interface of the control element 2 has a number of second communication ports (not shown) which is the same as the number of first communication ports of the multi-port data connector 3. Herein, by "compatible" is meant: during the assembly of the control element 2 to the multi-port data connector 3, the positions of the plurality of second communication ports of the control element 2 and the positions of the plurality of first communication ports of the multi-port data connector 3 correspond to each other. And, each second communication port is complementary in shape to the corresponding first communication port.

Accordingly, when the control element 2 is mounted to the socket of the carrier board 1 along the assembly line (as shown in the dashed line in fig. 1), the two first communication ports 311, 312 of the multi-port data connector 31 may be respectively inserted into the two second communication ports at the bottom of the control element 2, thereby achieving an electrical connection between the circuit carrier board 3 and the control element 2, so as to facilitate data signal and power transmission between the carrier board 1 and the control element 2. Moreover, such a configuration provides a structural rigidity and stability of the control device 10 against any pulling forces attempting to detach the control element 2 from the carrier plate 1. In this way, the control element 2 can be more safely arranged in the unmanned mobile device.

Moreover, the configuration of the plurality of first communication ports 311, 312 of the multi-port data connector 3 may further enhance the fault tolerance of the control device 2. In detail, in some embodiments, one of the control element 2 and the circuit carrier 3 (e.g. the control element 2) can copy a plurality of transmission signals through appropriate circuits and electronic elements, and transmit the copied plurality of transmission signals to the other of the control element 2 and the circuit carrier 3 (e.g. the circuit carrier 3) through a plurality of first communication ports 311, 312, respectively. By the method, even if one of the first communication ports fails, the system can still normally operate, and therefore the reliability of the whole system is improved. Meanwhile, the two copied signals can be compared, and whether the first communication ports are faulty or not can be judged according to the comparison result.

In other embodiments, the data interface of the control element 2 has a single second communication port and, when the control element 2 is assembled with the multi-port data connector 3, it is connected to only one of the two first communication ports 311, 312 of the multi-port data connector 3.

In some embodiments, the plurality of first communication ports 311, 312 of the multi-port data connector 3 includes at least one power pin, and the plurality of second communication ports of the data interface of the control element 2 includes at least one power pin interface. When the control element 2 is mounted on the circuit carrier 3, the power pins can be connected with the power pin interface, so that the control element 2 can be powered by the carrier 1.

The extending directions of the plurality of first communication ports of the multi-port data connector 3 are not necessarily the same. In some embodiments, one of the first communication ports may extend in a horizontal direction, and the other of the first communication ports may extend in a direction different from the horizontal direction, so as to meet different requirements, which is not limited by the present utility model.

Fig. 7 is a layout diagram of output pins of a multiport data connector 31 according to another embodiment of the present utility model. Fig. 8 is a layout of the output pins of a multiport data connector 31 according to yet another embodiment of the present utility model.

Referring to fig. 7 and 8, different layouts of output pins of the multi-port data connector 31 are shown, which is suitable for the control device 10 of the present utility model, so that it can be known that the control device 10 of the present utility model can be applied to different pin layouts with high flexibility.

In an embodiment of the utility model, the carrier plate may be fixedly disposed on the unmanned mobile device. A slot is arranged between the top and the bottom of the circuit carrier plate so as to expose a local circuit carrier plate. The exposed circuit carrier board is provided with a multi-port data connector comprising a plurality of first communication ports. The control element for controlling the unmanned mobile device can be detachably arranged on the circuit carrier plate through a plurality of first communication ports of the multi-port data connector, so that at least one control signal can be sent to the unmanned mobile device through the circuit carrier plate and the carrier plate to control the unmanned mobile device. With this configuration, only the control element is required to be replaced when the controller of the unmanned mobile device is upgraded, and rewiring is not required, so that the problems of complex cables and inconvenience in replacing the controller caused by connecting a plurality of peripherals to the unmanned mobile device are solved.

Meanwhile, when the control element is connected to the circuit carrier board, each second communication port of the data interface of the control element is respectively connected to each of the plurality of first communication ports of the multiport data connector, and the configuration can provide structural rigidity and stability of the control element installation in the unmanned mobile device. In addition, the multiport data connector can improve the fault tolerance of the control device.

Embodiments include a computer storage medium having stored therein computer instructions or software code which can be used to program a computer or microprocessor to perform any of the processes of the present utility model. The storage medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, blu-ray disks, DVDs, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, ROM, RAM, SD memory cards, flash memory devices, or any type of media or device suitable for storing instructions, code, and/or data.

The above description is only of the preferred embodiments of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Various modifications and changes may be made to the present utility model by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, or the like, which are within the spirit and principles of the present utility model, are intended to be included within the scope of the present utility model. Accordingly, the drawings and description are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model as claimed.

While the utility model has been described and illustrated with reference to specific embodiments thereof, the description and illustration is not intended to be limiting. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents substituted without departing from the true spirit and scope of the utility model as defined by the appended claims. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. There may be differences between the technical reproduction and the actual equipment in the present utility model due to manufacturing processes and tolerances. Other embodiments of the utility model not specifically shown are possible. The specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. Modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation, material, composition of matter, method or process to the objective, spirit and scope of the present utility model. All such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims. Although the methods disclosed herein have been described with reference to particular operations being performed in a particular order, it will be understood that these operations may be combined, sub-divided, or reordered to form an equivalent method without departing from the teachings of the present utility model. Thus, unless specifically indicated herein, the order and grouping of operations is not limiting.

Claims

1. A control device for an unmanned mobile device, comprising:

the circuit carrier board is provided with a mounting part, wherein the mounting part is provided with a multi-port data connector extending towards the vertical direction, and the multi-port data connector comprises a plurality of first communication ports which are arranged in parallel;

the bearing plate is used for coating at least one part of the circuit carrier plate and exposing the mounting part of the circuit carrier plate; and

a control element which is suitable for sending at least one control signal to the unmanned mobile device and is detachably arranged on the circuit carrier board through the plurality of first communication ports so as to be electrically connected with the circuit carrier board,

and one of the control element and the circuit carrier plate replicates a plurality of transmission signals between the control element and the circuit carrier plate, so that the replicated plurality of transmission signals are respectively transmitted to the other of the control element and the circuit carrier plate through the plurality of first communication ports.

2. The control device for an unmanned mobile device of claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of first communication ports of the multi-port data connector is two and the multi-port data connector is a dual-port data connector.

3. The control device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of first communication ports comprises at least one first power pin.

4. The control device for an unmanned mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the extending direction of at least one of the plurality of first communication ports is different from the extending direction of another one of the plurality of first communication ports.

5. The control device of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of first communication ports is a DF17 connector.

6. The control device of claim 5, wherein said DF17 connector is a 80 pin connector.

7. The control device for an unmanned mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the control element is provided with a data interface that is compatible with the multiport data connector.

8. The control device of claim 7, wherein when the control element is mounted on the circuit carrier, the plurality of first communication ports of the multi-port data connector are respectively inserted into the plurality of second communication ports of the data interface with the control element.

9. The control device for an unmanned mobile device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of second communication ports comprises at least one power pin interface.

10. The control device of claim 1, wherein the circuit carrier has a top and a bottom, wherein the mounting portion is located between the top and the bottom, wherein the carrier includes a first portion and a second portion that cover the top and the bottom of the circuit carrier, respectively.

11. The control device of claim 10, wherein the first portion of the carrier comprises at least one power interface adapted to be electrically connected to an external power source, and the second portion of the carrier comprises at least one functional interface adapted to be electrically connected to an external electronic device.

12. The control device for an unmanned mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the functional interface comprises a CAN bus interface, an I2C bus interface, a USB interface, or an s.bus interface.

13. The control device of claim 10, wherein the carrier further comprises a slot between the first and second portions, and the slot exposes the mounting portion of the circuit carrier.

14. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier plate is configured to be fixedly disposed on the unmanned mobile device and electrically connected to the unmanned mobile device.

15. The control device of claim 1, wherein the unmanned mobile device comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle, an autonomous land vehicle, an autonomous surface vessel, an autonomous underwater vehicle, or a robot.

16. Control device for unmanned mobile devices according to claim 1, wherein the control element is provided with a sealed static port.