WO2017181513A1

WO2017181513A1 - Flight control method and device for unmanned aerial vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2017181513A1
Application number: PCT/CN2016/086316
Authority: WO
Inventors: 高鹏; 张利军; 李玉刚
Original assignee: 高鹏
Priority date: 2016-04-20
Filing date: 2016-06-17
Publication date: 2017-10-26
Also published as: CN105867400A

Abstract

Flight control method and device for unmanned aerial vehicle. The flight control method for the unmanned aerial vehicle mainly comprises: with a user-selected target position serving as the origin, establishing an angular coordinate system (101); acquiring the angular position of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the angular coordinate system (102); determining whether a change in the angular position complies a flight maneuver that the unmanned aerial vehicle needs to execute (103); if not, controlling the flight posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the basis of the change in the angular position so that the unmanned aerial vehicle complies with the flight maneuver that needs to be executed (104). Precision control of the relative angular position relation between the unmanned aerial vehicle and a photographed object is allowed, thus flight maneuvers of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be controlled at increased accuracy.

Description

UAV flight control method and device

cross reference

The present application claims the priority of the Chinese Patent Application No. 2016 1024 874 5.9 filed on Apr. 20, 2016, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Technical field

The invention relates to the field of drones, and in particular to a flight control method and device for a drone.

Background technique

With the rapid development of technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become popular, widely used in aerial photography, agriculture, plant protection, self-timer, express transportation, disaster relief, observation of wildlife, monitoring of infectious diseases, mapping, News reports, power inspections, disaster relief, film and television shooting, and manufacturing romance.

UAV shooting is different from the effects captured by satellites, airplanes or helicopters, presenting a new perspective on the world. At present, based on the video capture or image acquisition of the drone, a three-dimensional coordinate system is generally adopted, and the control parameter may be the distance coordinate information of the drone. In the process of shooting video by the drone, the above-mentioned three-dimensional coordinate system cannot describe the relative angular positional relationship between the drone and the object.

Summary of the invention

technical problem

In view of this, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is how to accurately control the flight action of the drone.

solution

In order to solve the above technical problem, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a flight control method for a drone is provided, including:

Establishing an angular coordinate system with the target position selected by the user as an origin;

Obtaining an angular position of the drone in the angular coordinate system;

Determining whether the change in the angular position conforms to a flight action currently required by the drone;

In case of non-conformity, the flight attitude of the drone is controlled according to the change of the angular position, so that the drone conforms to the flight action currently required to be performed.

For the flight control method of the above-mentioned drone, in a possible implementation manner, the angle coordinate system is established by using the target position selected by the user as an origin, including:

The target position selected by the user is taken as an origin of the angular coordinate system, and the starting position of the drone is located in a plane of the angular coordinate system, and the angular coordinate system is established.

For a flight control method of the above-mentioned drone, in a possible implementation, the target position selected by the user is taken as an origin of the angular coordinate system, and the starting position of the drone is located at the a plane of the angular coordinate system, the angle coordinate system is established, including:

Taking the target position selected by the user as an origin, the direction of gravity is the Z axis, the X axis and the Y axis are respectively perpendicular to the Z axis, the X axis is perpendicular to the Y axis, and the UAV is The starting position is on the XZ plane or on the YZ plane.

For a flight control method of the above-mentioned drone, in a possible implementation manner, it is determined whether the change of the angular position conforms to a flight action currently required by the drone, including:

Determining, according to a flight control instruction from the client, a flight action that the drone currently needs to perform;

Determining whether the change in the angular coordinate value of the drone on the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis conforms to a flight action currently required by the drone.

For the flight control method of the above-mentioned drone, in a possible implementation manner, in the non-compliance The flight attitude of the drone is controlled according to the change of the angular position, so that the drone conforms to a flight action that needs to be performed currently, including:

Determining, according to a change in an angular coordinate value of the U-axis, the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, the UAV in the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis Angle adjustment value;

Calculating flight attitude data of the drone according to the angle adjustment value;

Adjusting a flight attitude of the drone according to the flight attitude data, so that the drone conforms to a flight action currently required to be performed.

In order to solve the above technical problem, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a flight control apparatus for a drone is provided, including:

Establishing a module for establishing an angular coordinate system with the target position selected by the user as an origin;

An acquiring module, configured to be connected to the establishing module, configured to acquire an angular position of the drone in the angular coordinate system;

a determining module, configured to be connected to the acquiring module, configured to determine whether the change in the angular position conforms to a flight action currently required by the drone;

And an adjustment module, configured to be connected to the judging module, configured to control, according to the change of the angular position, a flight attitude of the UAV according to the change of the angular position, so that the UAV conforms to a flight action currently required to be performed .

For a flight control device of the above-mentioned drone, in a possible implementation manner, the establishing module is specifically configured to:

Taking the target position selected by the user as an origin, the direction of gravity is the Z axis, the X axis and the Y axis are respectively perpendicular to the Z axis, the X axis is perpendicular to the Y axis, and the UAV is Starting position On the XZ plane or on the YZ plane.

For a flight control device of the above-mentioned drone, in a possible implementation manner, the determining module includes:

An action determining unit, configured to determine, according to a flight control instruction from the client, a flight action that the drone currently needs to perform;

a determining unit, configured to be connected to the action determining unit, configured to determine whether a change in an angular coordinate value of the U-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis meets a current requirement of the UAV Flight action.

For a flight control device of the above-mentioned drone, in a possible implementation manner, the adjustment module includes:

An adjustment value determining unit, configured to determine, according to a change in an angular coordinate value of the drone on the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis, the UAV in the X axis, the Y An angle adjustment value of the axis and the Z axis;

a calculating unit, configured to be connected to the adjustment value determining unit, configured to calculate flight attitude data of the drone according to the angle adjustment value;

The flight attitude adjustment unit is connected to the calculation unit, and is configured to adjust a flight attitude of the drone according to the flight attitude data, so that the drone conforms to a flight action currently required to be performed.

Beneficial effect

The flight control method of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention adjusts the flight position of the drone by acquiring the angular position of the drone in the established angular coordinate system, so that the drone conforms to the current needs. Flight action. The invention can precisely control the relative angular positional relationship between the drone and the object, and more accurately control the flight action of the drone.

Further features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the Detailed Description of the Drawing.

DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in FIG

1 shows a flow chart of a flight control method for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 shows another flow chart of a flight control method of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a diagram showing an angular coordinate system of a flight control method of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 shows another flow chart of a flight control method of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the structure of a flight control device for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

6 is a block diagram showing another structure of a flight control device for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the structure of a flight control device of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

detailed description

Various exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar elements. Although the various aspects of the embodiments are illustrated in the drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless otherwise indicated.

The word "exemplary" is used exclusively herein to mean "serving as an example, embodiment, or illustrative." Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or preferred.

In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in the Detailed Description of the invention in the Detailed Description. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced without some specific details. In some instances, methods, means, components, and circuits that are well known to those skilled in the art are not described in detail in order to facilitate the invention.

Example 1

1 shows a flow chart of a flight control method for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the method mainly includes steps 101 to 104. In the present embodiment, steps 101 to 104 are mainly performed on the side of the drone.

Step 101: Establish an angular coordinate system by using the target position selected by the user as an origin.

The angle coordinate system may refer to a coordinate system that expresses a point position by an angle. The target position may refer to a specific location of the target (place, person, scene, etc.) in which the drone makes relative flight motion. This embodiment does not limit the selection manner of the target location, and may be selected by the user in a similar manner according to the map display location or the input location name. A client is a program or device that can interact with a drone, including but not limited to a remote control, a computer, a tablet, and a mobile phone.

In this embodiment, the origin of the angular coordinate system is limited to the target position selected by the user, and the selection manners of the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are not limited. Preferably, the starting position of the drone is located in a plane of the established angular coordinate system. Wherein, the starting position of the drone can refer to the position of the drone before the flight action is started. By adopting the above-mentioned angle coordinate system establishing manner, the angle coordinate value of the drone with an axis in the initial angular position can be made 90 degrees, which is convenient for calculation and simplifies the processing.

It should be noted that the angle coordinate system is established before the drone performs one or a whole set of flight actions. During the flight of the drone, the origin (target position) of the angular coordinate system can be moved to be closer to the actual operational requirements. For example, in the process of shooting a video by a drone, a position where a subject, such as a controller, is selected is selected as a target position. The angle coordinate system is established with the position of the controller as the origin. Specifically, the gravity direction may be selected as a Z axis, the X axis and the Y axis are respectively perpendicular to the Z axis, the X axis is perpendicular to the Y axis, and the starting position of the drone is located at the XZ plane. Upper (angle coordinate value with the Y axis is 90 degrees) or YZ plane (the angular coordinate value with the X axis is 90 degrees).

Step 102: Obtain an angular position of the drone in the angular coordinate system.

In the angular coordinate system, the angular position of the drone can pass through its angle with the X, Y and Z axes. The degree coordinate value is expressed. The angular position of the drone provides a relative angular relationship between the drone and the target position. This embodiment does not limit the method of acquiring the angular position of the drone in the angular coordinate system. For example, an angular position of a drone preset time interval such as 0.5 s or 1 s can be acquired by video feedback, setting a dual camera, or the like to achieve precise control. It should be noted that because the distance between the drone and the target position is uncertain, the specific position of the drone cannot be determined only by the angular position.

Step 103: Determine whether the change in the angular position conforms to a flight action that the drone currently needs to perform.

In a possible implementation, as shown in FIG. 2, it is determined that the change of the angular position is consistent with the flight action that the UAV currently needs to perform (step 103), and the method may include:

Step 201: Determine, according to a flight control instruction from a client, a flight action that the drone currently needs to perform;

Step 202: Determine whether a change in an angular coordinate value of the UAV on the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis conforms to a flight action currently required by the UAV.

Preferably, a plurality of control commands corresponding to the respective flight actions may be preset in the client as flight control commands, such as up/down motion commands, overhead/upward motion commands, forward/backward motion commands, and the like. Specifically, the client can transmit flight control commands to the flight control system of the drone through wireless communication methods such as WIFI, radio or Bluetooth. After receiving the flight control command, the flight control system of the drone is analyzed and executed according to the general protocol of the drone, such as MAVLINK (Micro Air Vehicle Link). The flight control system may be one or more processing devices installed on the drone, such as a single chip microcomputer, a digital signal processor, a field programmable array, or a computer.

Step 104: If not, the flight attitude of the drone is controlled according to the change of the angular position, so that the drone conforms to a flight action that needs to be performed currently.

In a possible implementation manner, as shown in FIG. 2, in the case of non-conformity, controlling the flight attitude of the drone according to the change of the angular position, so that the drone meets the current needs The flight action to be performed (step 104) may mainly include:

Step 203: Determine, according to a change in an angular coordinate value of the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, the UAV in the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the The angle adjustment value of the Z axis;

Step 204: Calculate flight attitude data of the drone according to the angle adjustment value.

Step 205: Adjust a flight attitude of the drone according to the flight attitude data, so that the drone conforms to a flight action that needs to be performed currently.

The flight attitude of the drone may refer to an angular position of the body axis of the drone relative to the ground during flight, and the flight attitude data may specifically include a pitch angle, a yaw angle and a roll angle. Specifically, the elevation angle may represent an angle between the longitudinal axis of the UAV body and the horizontal plane; the yaw angle may represent an angle between the projection of the longitudinal axis of the UAV body on the horizontal plane and the parameter line on the surface; the roll angle It can represent the angle between the symmetry plane of the drone and the vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the drone.

This embodiment is exemplified by taking the self-timer of the drone as an example. As shown in FIG. 3, the drone establishes an angular coordinate system according to the specific position of the controller and the initial position of the drone (step 101). The specific position of the controller is the origin 0 of the angular coordinate system, and the drone is represented by a circle. The initial angular position of the drone (position 1 in Figure 3) is on the YZ plane. At this time, in the initial angular position of the drone, the angular coordinate value with the X axis is 90 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 4, the drone receives a bird's-eye view motion command (step 401). The UAV obtains an angular coordinate value of the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis corresponding to the overhead flight motion that needs to be performed currently (the position 2 in FIG. 3 corresponds to (90, θ ₂ , θ ₃ ) of the angular coordinate value) (Step 402) ). According to the real-time data acquired by the inertial sensor and the position sensor, the angular coordinate values of the U-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis at the current moment are calculated (the angular coordinate values corresponding to the position 3 in FIG. 3 (θ' ₁ , θ' ₂ , θ' ₃ )) (step 403). It is judged whether the angular coordinate value of the drone at the current time conforms to the flying motion of the overhead motion (step 404). If so, the drone directly calculates flight attitude data for the next time drone based on the flight control command (step 406), controlling the flight attitude of the drone (step 407). If not, the drone determines the angle adjustment value according to the change of the angle coordinate value (step 405), and calculates the flight attitude data of the corresponding unmanned aerial vehicle according to the angle adjustment value (step 406), and controls the flight of the drone. Gesture (step 407). Among them, inertial sensors can be used to measure the acceleration, tilt, shock, vibration, rotation and multi-degree of freedom (DoF) motion of the drone. A position sensor can be used to measure the position of the drone.

Example 2

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the structure of a flight control device for a drone according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the device mainly includes: an establishing module 11 configured to establish an angular coordinate system with a target position selected by a user as an origin; and an obtaining module 13 connected to the establishing module 11 for acquiring the unmanned An angle position of the machine in the angular coordinate system; the determining module 15 is connected to the obtaining module 13 for determining whether the change of the angular position meets a flight action that the drone currently needs to perform; the adjusting module 17 And connecting to the judging module 15 for controlling the flight attitude of the drone according to the change of the angular position in case of non-conformity, so that the drone conforms to a flight action currently required to be performed. For specific principles and examples, refer to Embodiment 1 and the related description of FIG.

In a possible implementation, the establishing module 11 is specifically configured to use the target location selected by the user as an origin of the angular coordinate system, and set a starting position of the drone to the angular coordinate A plane of the system establishes the angular coordinate system.

In a possible implementation, the establishing module 11 is specifically configured to use the target position selected by the user as an origin, the gravity direction as a Z axis, and the X axis and the Y axis respectively perpendicular to the Z axis, where the X The shaft is perpendicular to the Y axis, and the starting position of the drone is on the XZ plane or the YZ plane.

In a possible implementation manner, as shown in FIG. 6, the determining module 15 includes: an action determination list a unit 151, configured to determine, according to a flight control instruction from the client, a flight action that the drone currently needs to perform; the determining unit 153 is connected to the action determining unit, and configured to determine that the drone is in the X Whether the change in the angular coordinate values of the axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis conforms to the flight action that the drone currently needs to perform. For specific principles and examples, refer to the related description of Embodiment 1 and FIG. 2.

In a possible implementation manner, as shown in FIG. 6, the adjustment module 17 includes: an adjustment value determining unit 171, configured to be based on the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis of the drone And determining, by the change of the angular coordinate value, an angle adjustment value of the UAV in the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis; the calculating unit 173 is connected to the adjustment value determining unit, according to the An angle adjustment value, calculating flight attitude data of the drone; a flight attitude adjustment unit 175, coupled to the calculation unit, for adjusting a flight attitude of the drone according to the flight attitude data, so that the The drone meets the current flight action that needs to be performed. For specific principles and examples, refer to the related description of Embodiment 1 and FIG. 2.

The flight control device of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention adjusts the flight position of the drone by acquiring the angular position of the drone in the established angular coordinate system, so that the drone conforms to the current needs. Flight action. The invention can precisely control the relative angular positional relationship between the drone and the object, and more accurately control the flight action of the drone.

Example 3

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the structure of a flight control device of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flight control device 1100 of the drone may be a host server having a computing capability, a personal computer PC, or a portable computer or terminal that can be carried. The specific embodiments of the present invention do not limit the specific implementation of the computing node.

The flight control device 1100 of the drone includes a processor 1110, a communication interface 1120, a memory 1130, and a bus 1140. The processor 1110, the communication interface 1120, and the memory 1130 complete communication with each other through the bus 1140.

Communication interface 1120 is for communicating with network devices, including, for example, a virtual machine management center, shared storage, and the like.

The processor 1110 is configured to execute a program. The processor 1110 may be a central processing unit CPU, or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of the present invention.

The memory 1130 is used to store files. The memory 1130 may include a high speed RAM memory and may also include a non-volatile memory such as at least one disk memory. Memory 1130 can also be a memory array. The memory 1130 may also be partitioned, and the blocks may be combined into a virtual volume according to certain rules.

In a possible implementation, the above program may be program code including computer operating instructions. The program can be specifically used to: implement the operations of the steps in Embodiment 1.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various exemplary elements and algorithm steps in the embodiments described herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the solution. A person skilled in the art can select different methods for implementing the described functions for a particular application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of the present invention.

If the function is implemented in the form of computer software and sold or used as a stand-alone product, it is considered to some extent that all or part of the technical solution of the present invention (for example, a part contributing to the prior art) is It is embodied in the form of computer software products. The computer software product is typically stored in a computer readable non-volatile storage medium, including instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to perform all of the methods of various embodiments of the present invention. Or part of the steps. The foregoing storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a removable hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

The above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited. In this regard, any person skilled in the art can easily conceive changes or substitutions within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Practicality

Claims

A flight control method for a drone, characterized in that it comprises:

Establishing an angular coordinate system with the target position selected by the user as an origin;

Obtaining an angular position of the drone in the angular coordinate system;

Determining whether the change in the angular position conforms to a flight action currently required by the drone;

In case of non-conformity, the flight attitude of the drone is controlled according to the change of the angular position, so that the drone conforms to the flight action currently required to be performed.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the angle coordinate system is established by using the target position selected by the user as an origin, including:

The target position selected by the user is taken as an origin of the angular coordinate system, and the starting position of the drone is located in a plane of the angular coordinate system, and the angular coordinate system is established.
The method according to claim 2, wherein the target position selected by the user is taken as an origin of the angular coordinate system, and a starting position of the drone is located at one of the angular coordinate systems Plane, establishing the angular coordinate system, including:

Taking the target position selected by the user as an origin, the direction of gravity is the Z axis, the X axis and the Y axis are respectively perpendicular to the Z axis, the X axis is perpendicular to the Y axis, and the UAV is The starting position is on the XZ plane or on the YZ plane.
The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the change in the angular position conforms to a flight action currently required by the drone includes:

Determining, according to a flight control instruction from the client, a flight action that the drone currently needs to perform;

Determining whether the change in the angular coordinate value of the drone on the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis conforms to a flight action currently required by the drone.
The method according to claim 4, wherein, in the case of non-conformity, the flight attitude of the drone is controlled according to the change in the angular position, so that the drone conforms to Previous flight actions that need to be performed, including:

Determining, according to a change in an angular coordinate value of the U-axis, the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, the UAV in the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis Angle adjustment value;

Calculating flight attitude data of the drone according to the angle adjustment value;

Adjusting a flight attitude of the drone according to the flight attitude data, so that the drone conforms to a flight action currently required to be performed.
A flight control device for a drone, comprising:

Establishing a module for establishing an angular coordinate system with the target position selected by the user as an origin;

An acquiring module, configured to be connected to the establishing module, configured to acquire an angular position of the drone in the angular coordinate system;

a determining module, configured to be connected to the acquiring module, configured to determine whether the change in the angular position conforms to a flight action currently required by the drone;

And an adjustment module, configured to be connected to the judging module, configured to control, according to the change of the angular position, a flight attitude of the UAV according to the change of the angular position, so that the UAV conforms to a flight action currently required to be performed .
The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said establishing module is specifically configured to:

The target position selected by the user is taken as an origin of the angular coordinate system, and the starting position of the drone is located in a plane of the angular coordinate system, and the angular coordinate system is established.
The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said establishing module is specifically configured to:

Taking the target position selected by the user as an origin, the direction of gravity is the Z axis, the X axis and the Y axis are respectively perpendicular to the Z axis, the X axis is perpendicular to the Y axis, and the UAV is The starting position is on the XZ plane or on the YZ plane.
The device according to claim 8, wherein the determining module comprises:

An action determining unit, configured to determine, according to a flight control instruction from the client, a flight action that the drone currently needs to perform;

a determining unit, configured to be connected to the action determining unit, configured to determine whether a change in an angular coordinate value of the U-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis meets a current requirement of the UAV Flight action.
The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the adjustment module comprises:

An adjustment value determining unit, configured to determine, according to a change in an angular coordinate value of the drone on the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis, the UAV in the X axis, the Y An angle adjustment value of the axis and the Z axis;

a calculating unit, configured to be connected to the adjustment value determining unit, configured to calculate flight attitude data of the drone according to the angle adjustment value;

The flight attitude adjustment unit is connected to the calculation unit, and is configured to adjust a flight attitude of the drone according to the flight attitude data, so that the drone conforms to a flight action currently required to be performed.