Safety system for operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle
Inventors
Matuszeski, Thaddeus Benjamin • LOTT, WILLIAM ARDEN • Lisoski, Derek
Assignees
Publication Number
US-11029684-B2
Publication Date
2021-06-08
Expiration Date
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Abstract
Systems, devices, and methods for a safety system including: selecting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) command on a controller, the controller comprising a first processor with addressable memory; presenting a first activator and a second activator on a display of the controller for the selected UAV command, wherein the second activator is a slider; and sending the UAV command to a UAV if the first activator and the second activator are selected, the UAV comprising a second processor with addressable memory.
Core Innovation
Systems, devices, and methods for a safety system including selecting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) command on a controller, the controller comprising a first processor with addressable memory; presenting a first activator and a second activator on a display of the controller for the selected UAV command, wherein the second activator is a slider; and sending the UAV command to a UAV if the first activator and the second activator are selected, the UAV comprising a second processor with addressable memory.
One specific danger addressed is the unintentional, inadvertent, or accidental start and/or termination of flight of the UAV, which can result in injury to persons, damage to the UAV or surrounding property, or delayed and inefficient operation. The disclosed safety system is configured to prevent or limit unintended activation of a critical action by requiring manipulation of more than one separate activator before the desired event or action commences, and may in some embodiments initiate a set of actions without user interaction to preserve the safest outcome possible.
Claims Coverage
Independent claims: 1, 6, and 19. The claims recite nine inventive features.
Determining a remaining battery state of charge needed to return to and land at a launch location
the processor configured to determine a remaining battery state of charge needed by the UAV to return to and land at a launch location based on a location of the UAV determined by at least one sensor;
Commanding the UAV to return to and land on the launch location based on remaining battery state of charge within a set limit
command the UAV to return to and land on the launch location if the determined remaining battery state of charge is within a set limit;
Commanding the UAV to return to and land based on simultaneous selection of two activators on the controller display
command the UAV to return to and land on the launch location if a first activator and a second activator on a display of a controller are selected simultaneously.
Presenting a first activator and a second activator on a controller display where the second activator is a slider
presenting a first activator and a second activator on a display of a controller, the controller comprising a first processor with addressable memory, wherein the second activator is a slider;
Generating a UAV command based on direction of movement of a button in the slider corresponding to an action of the UAV
generating a UAV command for a UAV based on a direction of movement of a button in the slider of the second activator, wherein the direction of movement corresponds to an action of the UAV;
Transmitting a UAV command only if the first activator and the second activator are selected
transmitting a UAV command to the UAV via a transmitter of the controller if the first activator and the second activator are selected, the UAV comprising a second processor with addressable memory and a receiver configured to receive the transmitted command.
Controller configured to present first and second activators with the second activator as a slider
present a first activator and a second activator on a display of a controller, the controller comprising a first processor with addressable memory, wherein the second activator is a slider;
Controller configured to generate a UAV command based on the slider button movement direction corresponding to UAV action
generate a UAV command for a UAV based on a direction of movement of a button in the slider of the second activator, wherein the direction of movement corresponds to an action of the UAV;
Controller configured to transmit a UAV command when both activators are selected to a UAV with a processor and addressable memory
transmit a UAV command to the UAV via a transmitter of the controller if the first activator and the second activator are selected, the UAV comprising a second processor with addressable memory and a receiver configured to receive the transmitted command.
The independent claims (1, 6, and 19) center on: (1) UAV-side determination of remaining battery state of charge and conditioning a return-and-land or land-now action on that determination; and (2) controller-side presentation of a two-activator interface where a slider's direction of movement generates a UAV command and the UAV command is transmitted or executed only upon selection/confirmation of multiple activators.
Stated Advantages
Prevent or limit unintended activation of a critical action, such as initiation and/or termination of flight operations of the UAV.
Provide an acceptable level of usability by simplifying the user's operation and interface while doing so in a sufficiently safe and intuitive manner.
Provide an environment where the UAV may automatically execute certain actions based on data received by the safety system to preserve the safest outcome possible.
Provide warnings and indicators to convey visual confirmation to a user of the UAV status from a safe operating distance and to give time to move a safe distance prior to launch.
Documented Applications
Agriculture: defining property and flight areas to capture information about crops and detecting early signs of crop stress, water issues, and estimated crop yield.
Mission flight operations and aerial surveying: operating the UAV to navigate a preplanned route, capture segmented survey data, and display survey boundaries and land segment values on the controller.
Data management and analysis: uploading data from the UAV to a local drive, cloud system, or other database for further analysis and generating historical insights from repeated flights.
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