KR102812603B1 - Unmanned aerial vehicles and operation method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an unmanned aerial vehicle includes: a flight driving unit for driving a plurality of propellers of the unmanned aerial vehicle; a sensing unit for sensing the front and generating sensing data; a rotational support unit coupled to a lower portion of a main body of the unmanned aerial vehicle and for rotatably supporting the sensing unit; a control unit for controlling the flight driving unit and the rotational support unit; and a state measuring unit for measuring a flight state of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a rotational state of the rotational support unit, wherein the control unit is characterized in that it rotates the rotational support unit such that the sensing unit faces a flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Description

{UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES AND OPERATION METHOD OF THE SAME}

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of aligning the orientation angle of a detection device according to a flight direction, and an operating method thereof, and more particularly, to an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of aligning a support portion on which a detection device is installed along the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle by rotating it by 360 degrees, and tracking an obstacle when an obstacle appears, and an operating method thereof.

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) consist of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ground control systems (GCS), and ground support systems (GCS).

An unmanned aerial vehicle is an aircraft that flies automatically or semi-automatically along a pre-programmed route without an actual pilot on board, and is collectively called a drone. The purpose of a drone's flight is to carry a payload and fly along a preset flight path or toward a target.

The payload may include various types of equipment depending on the purpose of the drone. For example, if the drone is for remote sensing and photogrammetry, the payload may include sensing devices such as a video camera, a multispectral sensor, a hyperspectral sensor, an infrared camera, an ultrasonic sensor, Lidar, and a synthetic aperture radar (SAR).

Conventional unmanned aerial vehicles have had the problem of not being able to simultaneously combine multiple sensing devices when equipped with sensing devices to achieve operational purposes.

In addition, conventional unmanned aerial vehicles had a problem in that the mounted sensing device was fixed by a gimbal device and could not rotate freely.

In addition, conventional unmanned aerial vehicles have a problem in that they cannot smoothly track obstacles using the detection device due to obstacle avoidance drive when the obstacle is detected by the detection device.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2020-0089110 'Radar Device Method for Drones' (Published on July 24, 2020) Korean Patent Publication No. 2020-0105012 'Drone including autonomous collision avoidance function based on lidar and its control method' (Published on September 7, 2020)

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle and an operating method thereof capable of improving usability in order to solve the above problems.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle and an operating method thereof, which can easily direct the sensing device in the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle by mounting the sensing device in a state where the sensing device can rotate 360 degrees.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle including a rotating support member capable of easily attaching and detaching a plurality of gimbal devices for fixing a plurality of sensing devices to the unmanned aerial vehicle, and an operating method thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle and an operating method thereof capable of stably mounting a plurality of sensing devices on a rotating support member coupled to the lower portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle and an operating method thereof that can easily detect obstacles by using a plurality of sensing devices capable of freely changing the orientation angle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of simultaneously performing obstacle avoidance and obstacle tracking when an obstacle is detected, and an operating method thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an unmanned aerial vehicle includes: a flight driving unit for driving a plurality of propellers of the unmanned aerial vehicle; a sensing unit for sensing the front and generating sensing data; a rotational support unit coupled to a lower portion of a main body of the unmanned aerial vehicle and for rotatably supporting the sensing unit; a control unit for controlling the flight driving unit and the rotational support unit; and a state measuring unit for measuring a flight state of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a rotational state of the rotational support unit, wherein the control unit is characterized in that it rotates the rotational support unit such that the sensing unit faces a flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In addition, the detection unit is characterized by including a plurality of detection devices for searching the surroundings of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a plurality of gimbal devices mounted on the rotating support member for maintaining the horizontality of each of the plurality of detection devices from vibrations generated by the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In addition, the control unit includes an obstacle detection unit for detecting an obstacle based on the detection data; a flight direction determination unit for determining the flight direction based on the flight state when the obstacle is not detected by the obstacle detection unit; a reference direction determination unit for determining a plurality of reference directions; a comparison unit for comparing the flight direction and the plurality of reference directions; a selection unit for selecting one of the plurality of reference directions that is closest to the flight direction when the flight direction and the plurality of reference directions are all different; and a first information generation unit for generating first rotation information for the rotation support unit and transmitting the same to the rotation support unit based on a difference between the one of the reference directions selected by the selection unit and the flight direction, wherein the plurality of reference directions are characterized in that they represent directions from the center of the rotation support unit to the device fixing units to which the plurality of gimbal devices are coupled.

In addition, the control unit further includes a mode switching unit for executing an obstacle detection mode when the obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit; a second information generating unit for generating second rotation information about the rotating support unit and transmitting it to the rotating support unit based on the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the position of the obstacle, and for generating third rotation information about the gimbal device and transmitting it to the gimbal device; a collision determination unit for calculating a collision probability between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the obstacle based on the flight state and the detection data; and an avoidance control unit for controlling the flight driving unit to perform an avoidance drive of the unmanned aerial vehicle when the collision probability is equal to or greater than a reference value, and when the avoidance drive of the unmanned aerial vehicle is completed, the mode switching unit is characterized in that it terminates the obstacle detection mode.

In addition, the rotation support member is characterized in that it yaws with respect to the flight direction based on at least one of the first rotation information and the second rotation information, and the gimbal device pitches with respect to the flight direction based on the third rotation information.

A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a step in which a flight driving unit drives a plurality of propellers of the unmanned aerial vehicle under the control of a control unit; a step in which a rotational support unit rotates under the control of the control unit so that a detection unit may face a flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle; a step in which the detection unit faces the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle and generates detection data; a step in which a state measuring unit measures a flight state of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a rotational state of the rotational support unit; and a step in which the control unit controls the flight driving unit and the rotational support unit based on the flight state and the rotational state, wherein the rotational support unit is coupled to a lower portion of a main body of the unmanned aerial device and rotatably supports the detection unit.

In addition, the detection unit is characterized by including a plurality of detection devices for searching the surroundings of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a plurality of gimbal devices mounted on the rotating support member for maintaining the horizontality of each of the plurality of detection devices from vibrations generated by the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In addition, the step of the control unit controlling the flight driving unit and the rotational support unit includes the step of the obstacle detection unit detecting an obstacle based on the detection data; the step of the flight direction determination unit determining the flight direction based on the flight state when the obstacle detection unit does not detect the obstacle; the step of the reference direction determination unit determining a plurality of reference directions; the step of the comparison unit comparing the flight direction and the plurality of reference directions; the step of the selection unit selecting one of the plurality of reference directions that is closest to the flight direction when the flight direction and the plurality of reference directions are all different; and the step of the first information generation unit generating first rotation information for the rotational support unit based on the difference between the one of the reference directions selected by the selection unit and the flight direction and transmitting the same to the rotational support unit, wherein the plurality of reference directions are characterized in that they represent directions from the center of the rotational support unit to the device fixing units to which the plurality of gimbal devices are coupled.

In addition, the step of controlling the flight drive unit and the rotation support unit is characterized in that it further includes a step of the mode switching unit executing an obstacle detection mode when the obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit; a step of the second information generating unit generating second rotation information based on the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the position of the obstacle and transmitting it to the rotation support unit, and generating third rotation information and transmitting it to the gimbal device; a step of the collision determination unit calculating a collision probability between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the obstacle based on the flight state and the detection data; a step of the avoidance control unit controlling the flight drive unit to perform avoidance operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle when the collision probability is greater than or equal to a reference value; and a step of the mode switching unit terminating the obstacle detection mode when the avoidance operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle is terminated.

In addition, the rotation support member is characterized in that it yaws with respect to the flight direction based on at least one of the first rotation information and the second rotation information, and the gimbal device pitches with respect to the flight direction based on the third rotation information.

The unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of improving usability.

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of easily directing the sensing device in the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle by mounting the sensing device in a state in which the sensing device can rotate 360 degrees.

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of allowing a plurality of gimbal devices fixing a plurality of sensing devices to be easily attached and detached from a rotating support member of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of stably mounting a plurality of sensing devices on a rotating support member coupled to the lower portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of easily detecting obstacles by using a plurality of detection devices whose aiming angles can be freely changed.

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of simultaneously performing obstacle avoidance operation and obstacle tracking when an obstacle is detected.

FIG. 1 is a drawing showing an unmanned aerial device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an operation method of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a flowchart showing in detail an operation method of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a rotation support according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a drawing showing a rotating frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention will be described in more detail.

Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention and other matters necessary for those skilled in the art to easily understand the contents of the present invention will be described in detail. However, since the present invention can be implemented in various different forms within the scope described in the claims, the embodiments described below are merely exemplary, regardless of whether they are expressed.

Identical drawing reference numerals refer to identical components. Also, in the drawings, the thicknesses, proportions, and dimensions of the components are exaggerated for the purpose of effectively explaining the technical contents. "And/or" may include one or more combinations that the associated configurations can define.

The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component. The singular expression may include the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Additionally, terms such as "below," "lower," "above," and "upper," are used to describe the relationships between components depicted in the drawings. These terms are relative concepts and are described based on the directions depicted in the drawings.

It should be understood that the terms "include" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

That is, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms, and when it is said that a part is connected to another part in the following description, this may include not only cases where they are directly connected, but also cases where they are electrically connected with another element in between. In addition, it should be noted that in the drawings, the same components are indicated with the same reference numbers and symbols as much as possible, even if they are shown in different drawings.

In this specification, the flight state of the drone is defined as a rotational motion state and a translational motion state. The rotational motion state means yaw (or rudder, rotating the body while maintaining the drone's horizontal position, z-axis rotation), pitch (pitch or elevator, moving the drone's nose up and down to move forward or backward, x-axis rotation), and roll (roll or aileron, the drone moves left and right by tilting the body left and right, y-axis rotation). The translational motion state means longitude, latitude, altitude, and speed.

Fig. 1 is a drawing showing an unmanned flying device (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an unmanned flying device (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) may include a flight driving unit (100), a sensing unit (200), a rotation support unit (300), a control unit (400), a status measuring unit (500), and a communication unit (600).

The flight drive unit (100) can drive a plurality of propellers (PP) under the control of the control unit (400). In addition, the flight drive unit (100) can generate drag that can fly the unmanned aerial device (10). For example, the flight drive unit (100) can include a motor, a propeller (PP), a motor transmission, a battery, etc. The motor transmission can receive a signal from the control unit (400) and drive the motor. In addition, the motor transmission can convert the direct current of the battery into alternating current and provide it to the motor. Depending on the embodiment, various types of batteries can be used, and preferably, a lithium polymer battery can be used. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The detection unit (200) can detect the front and generate detection data. To this end, the detection unit (200) can include a plurality of detection devices (SD) and a plurality of gimbal devices (GD).

The detection device (SD) can search the surroundings of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) according to the operational purpose of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10). The detection device (SD) can detect an area directed by the rotating support (300) and the gimbal device (GD). According to an embodiment, the detection device (SD) can be implemented with various sensors such as a video camera for remote sensing and photogrammetry, a multispectral sensor, a hyperspectral sensor, an infrared camera, an ultrasonic sensor, a Lidar, and SAR.

The gimbal device (GD) is mounted on the rotating support (300) and can maintain the horizontality of each of the plurality of sensing devices from vibrations generated by the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10). For example, the gimbal device (GD) can be installed on the rotating support (300) in a manner in which a coupling protrusion is inserted and coupled into a coupling groove formed on the rotating support (300). The gimbal device (GD) is a structure that is made so that an object can rotate around one axis and can fix the sensing device (SD). For example, it can correct a change in the orientation angle of the sensing device (SD) due to vibration and shock caused by the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10). Depending on the embodiment, the gimbal device (GD) can be implemented as a two-axis gimbal or a three-axis gimbal.

The rotation support member (300) is coupled to the lower end of the main body (MB) of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and can support the sensing unit (200) so as to be rotatable. The rotation support member (300) can be mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle (10). For example, the rotation support member (300) can be coupled to a payload coupling member located at the lower end of the main body (MB) of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10). The rotation support member (300) can fix the sensing unit (200) and move it under the control of the control unit (400). For example, the rotation support member (300) can freely rotate the fixed sensing unit (200) in the direction of travel. Through this, the rotation support member (300) of the present invention can direct the sensing unit (200) according to the traveling direction of the unmanned aerial device (10).

The control unit (400) can control the overall operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10). For example, the control unit (400) can control the flight drive unit (100), the sensing unit (200), and the rotation support unit (300). According to an embodiment, the control unit (400) can control the flight using a flight controller and a sensor fusion unit.

The state measuring unit (500) can measure the flight state of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and the rotational state of the rotational support unit (300). For example, the state measuring unit (500) can measure the motion state or the translational motion state of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10). In addition, the state measuring unit (500) can measure the position, movement speed, attitude, etc. of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10). According to an embodiment, the state measuring unit (500) can use a three-axis gyro sensor, a three-axis acceleration sensor, and a three-axis geomagnetic sensor to measure the rotational motion state, and can use a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) (e.g., GPS (Global Positioning System)) receiver and a barometric pressure sensor to measure the translational motion state. Through this, the state measuring unit (500) can detect the flight state in real time using various sensors so that the unmanned aerial device (10) can fly stably.

The communication unit (600) can transmit and receive data and signals with the ground controller. For example, the communication unit (600) can receive flight commands from the ground central control unit and transmit sensing data to the central control unit.

According to an embodiment, the communication unit (600) may include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver may receive a flight command from a central control unit on the ground. The transmitter may transmit data sensed by the detection device (SD) to the ground. In addition, the transmitter may transmit flight status information such as the position, speed, and remaining battery level of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) to the ground. According to an embodiment, the communication unit (600) may perform communication using at least one of telemetry, WiFi, and wireless mobile communication technology (e.g., 3rd generation to 5th generation or later). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and according to an embodiment, the communication unit (600) may perform communication using various types of communication methods within the scope of achieving the purpose of the present invention.

According to an embodiment, the main body (MB) is a configuration representing the main body of the unmanned aerial device (10) and may include a control unit (400), a status measurement unit (500), and a communication unit (600). A connecting structure and legs for loading a payload may be formed at the lower part of the main body (MB).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation method of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, an operation method of an unmanned aerial vehicle (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

First, the flight drive unit (100) can drive multiple propellers (PP) of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) according to the control of the control unit (400) (S10). For example, the control unit (400) can generate a flight control signal according to a flight command received from a central control unit and transmit it to the flight drive unit (100). The flight drive unit (100) can initiate a flight according to the flight control signal.

The rotation support member (300) can rotate so that the detection member (200) faces the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) under the control of the control member (400) (S20). For example, at least a part of the rotation support member (300) can rotate in the yaw direction with respect to the flight direction. Through this, the rotation support member (300) can adjust the orientation of the detection member (200) to be the same as the flight direction. At this time, the rotation support member (300) is coupled to the lower part of the main body (MB) of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and can support the detection member (200) so as to be able to rotate.

The sensing unit (200) can direct the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and generate sensing data (S30). For example, the sensing unit (200) includes a plurality of sensing devices (SD), and at least one of the plurality of sensing devices (SD) can direct the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and generate sensing data.

The state measurement unit (500) can measure the flight state of the unmanned aerial device (10) and the rotation state of the rotation support unit (300) (S40). For example, the state measurement unit (500) can measure the position, movement state, and attitude of the unmanned aerial device (10). In addition, the state measurement unit (500) can measure the rotation angle, rotation speed, and rotation direction of the rotation support unit (300).

The control unit (400) can control the flight drive unit (100) and the rotation support unit (300) based on the flight state and rotation state (S50). For example, the control unit (400) can control the flight drive unit (100) based on the measured flight state and rotation state so that the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) can perform the intended flight. Here, the control unit (400) can control the flight drive unit (100) to compensate for the rotational force of the rotation support unit (300).

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a control unit (400) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the control unit (400) of the present invention may include an obstacle detection unit (405), a flight direction determination unit (410), a reference direction determination unit (420), a comparison unit (430), a selection unit (440), a first information generation unit (450), a mode switching unit (460), a second information generation unit (470), a collision determination unit (480), and an avoidance control unit (490).

The obstacle detection unit (405) can detect an obstacle based on the detection data. For example, the obstacle detection unit (405) can detect an obstacle based on the detection data and generate information including the shape, location, movement speed, and posture of the obstacle.

If an obstacle is not detected by the obstacle detection unit (405), the flight direction determination unit (410) can determine the flight direction based on the flight status. For example, the flight direction determination unit (410) can determine the flight direction from the flight status measured by the status measurement unit (500). According to an embodiment, the flight direction can be two-dimensional vector data on a horizontal plane or three-dimensional vector data including a vertical component.

The reference direction determining unit (420) can determine a plurality of reference directions. Here, the plurality of reference directions can represent directions from the center of the rotation support unit (300) to the device fixing units (355) to which the plurality of gimbal devices (GDs) are coupled, as shown in FIG. 7.

The comparison unit (430) can compare the flight direction and a plurality of reference directions. For example, the comparison unit (430) can compare each of the flight direction and a plurality of reference directions. In addition, the comparison unit (430) can determine whether there are reference directions that are the same as the flight direction.

The selection unit (440) can select one of the plurality of reference directions that is closest to the flight direction when the flight direction and the plurality of reference directions are all different. That is, when there is no reference direction that is the same as the flight direction, it can mean that the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and the detection direction of the detection device (SD) are different from each other.

Through this, the selection unit (440) of the present invention can select one of the multiple reference directions that is closest to the flight direction, thereby minimizing the rotation angle of the rotation support unit (300).

The first information generating unit (450) can generate first rotation information for the rotating support unit (300) based on the difference between any one of the reference directions selected by the selecting unit and the flight direction, and transmit the same to the rotating support unit. For example, the first information generating unit (450) can calculate a rotation angle and a rotation direction based on the difference between the reference direction and the flight direction, and generate first rotation information including the rotation angle and the rotation direction. In addition, the rotating support unit (300) can rotate the sensing unit (200) according to the first rotation information, and cause the sensing device (SD) to face the flight direction.

When an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit (405), the mode switching unit (460) can execute the obstacle detection mode. In this specification, the obstacle detection mode means a mode for tracking and avoiding obstacles located around the unmanned aerial vehicle (10). At this time, the detection unit (200) of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) can track the obstacle without aiming at the flight direction.

The second information generation unit (470) can generate second rotation information for the rotation support unit (300) based on the position of the unmanned aerial device (10) and the position of the obstacle and transmit it to the rotation support unit, and generate third rotation information for the gimbal device (GD) and transmit it to the gimbal device (GD).

For example, the second information generating unit (470) can generate second rotation information by calculating a rotation angle and a rotation direction for the rotation support unit (300) based on the position of the unmanned aerial device (10) and the position of the obstacle so that the detection device (SD) can track the obstacle along the horizontal direction. In addition, the second information generating unit (470) can generate third rotation information by calculating a rotation angle and a rotation direction for the gimbal device (GD) based on the position of the unmanned aerial device (10) and the position of the obstacle so that the detection device (SD) can track the obstacle along the vertical direction.

The collision determination unit (480) can calculate the possibility of collision between the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and the obstacle based on the flight status and detection data. For example, the collision determination unit (480) can estimate the expected positions of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and the obstacle based on the positions, movement speeds, and attitudes of each of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and the obstacle, and calculate the possibility of collision based on this.

The avoidance control unit (490) can control the flight drive unit (100) to drive the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) to avoid collisions when the collision probability is higher than the reference value. For example, the reference value can be a preset value (e.g., 50%) or a value input by the user. The avoidance control unit (490) can transmit a flight control signal to the flight drive unit (100) to drive the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) to avoid collisions until the collision probability falls below the reference value.

When the avoidance drive of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) is completed, the mode switching unit (460) can terminate the obstacle detection mode. That is, when the possibility of collision falls below a reference value, the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) can terminate the avoidance drive, and the mode switching unit (460) can terminate the obstacle detection mode. At this time, the detection device (SD) can again direct the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10).

That is, the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) according to the embodiment of the present invention can stably generate detection data by directing the detection device (SD) toward the flight direction in a normal flight situation without obstacles. In addition, when an obstacle is detected, the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) can easily and quickly perform an avoidance operation by controlling the detection device (SD) to track the obstacle.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing in detail the operating method of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the step (S50) in which the control unit (400) controls the flight drive unit (100) and the rotation support unit (300) based on the flight state and the rotation state is described in detail.

First, the obstacle detection unit (405) can detect an obstacle based on the detection data (S51). For example, the obstacle detection unit (405) can detect the surroundings of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and detect an obstacle based on the detection data.

If an obstacle is not detected by the obstacle detection unit (405) (YES of S52), the flight direction determination unit (410) can determine the flight direction based on the flight state (S53). For example, the flight direction determination unit (410) can determine the flight direction based on the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) included in the flight state.

The reference direction determining unit (420) can determine a plurality of reference directions (S54). Here, the plurality of reference directions can represent directions from the center of the rotating support unit (300) to the device fixing units (355) to which the plurality of gimbal devices (GDs) are coupled.

The comparison unit (430) can compare the flight direction and a plurality of reference directions (S55). For example, the comparison unit (430) can compare the orientation of the detection device (SD) indicated by the plurality of reference directions with the flight direction.

If the flight direction and multiple reference directions are all different (YES of S56), the selection unit (440) can select one of the multiple reference directions that is closest to the flight direction (S57). That is, if the orientation direction of the detection device (SD) and the flight direction are different, the selection unit (440) can select one of the reference directions in order to minimize the amount of rotation of the rotation support unit (300).

If the flight direction and the multiple reference directions match (NO of S56), the detection device (SD) is considered to be facing the flight direction, and the process can proceed to the step of determining the flight direction (S52).

The first information generating unit (450) can generate first rotation information for the rotating support unit (300) based on the difference between one of the reference directions selected by the selecting unit (440) and the flight direction and transmit it to the rotating support unit (300) (S58). The rotating support unit (300) can rotate along the rotation angle and rotation direction included in the first rotation information. In addition, the sensing unit (200) installed in the rotating support unit (300) can direct the flight direction.

When an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit (405) (NO of S52), the mode switching unit (460) can execute the obstacle detection mode (S60). In the obstacle detection mode, the detection device (SD) can track the obstacle.

The second information generating unit (470) can generate second rotation information based on the position of the unmanned aerial device (10) and the position of the obstacle and transmit it to the rotation support unit (300), and generate third rotation information and transmit it to the gimbal device (GD) (S61). The rotation support unit (300) can yaw rotate based on the second rotation information, and the gimbal device (GD) can pitch rotate based on the third rotation information.

The collision judgment unit (480) can calculate the possibility of collision between the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) and an obstacle based on flight status and detection data (S62).

If the possibility of collision is greater than the reference value (YES of S63), the avoidance control unit (490) can control the flight drive unit (100) to drive the unmanned aerial vehicle to avoid collision (S64).

If the collision probability is less than the reference value (NO of S63), the mode switching unit (460) can proceed to the step (S65) of terminating the obstacle detection mode.

When the avoidance operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) is terminated, the mode switching unit (460) can terminate the obstacle detection mode (S65).

The rotation support member (300) can yaw with respect to the flight direction based on at least one of the first rotation information and the second rotation information. The gimbal device (GD) can pitch rotate with respect to the flight direction based on the third rotation information. Through this, the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) according to the embodiment of the present invention can easily track an obstacle while maintaining the horizontality of the detection device (SD) from vibrations due to flight.

FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a detection platform device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, the rotation support member (300) may include a main body coupling member (310), a driving motor (320), a central rotation shaft (330), a first rotation transmission member (340), a rotation frame (350), a second rotation transmission member (360), a fixed plate (370), a rotational connector (380), and a battery member (390).

The main body coupling part (310) can be coupled to the lower part of the main body (MB) of the unmanned aerial device (10). For example, the main body coupling part (310) can be coupled to a coupling structure located at the lower part of the main body (MB) of the unmanned aerial device (10). According to an embodiment, the main body coupling part (310) can be easily coupled to the main body (MB) with one touch, thereby providing an effect of easy attachment and detachment. In addition, the main body coupling part (310) can protect the drive motor (320), the central rotation shaft (330), and the battery part (390) from the outside through a protection bracket structure.

The driving motor (320) is located inside the main body coupling portion (310) and can generate rotational kinetic energy from electric energy. For example, the driving motor (320) can receive electric energy from at least one of the battery portion (390) and the main body portion (MB). The driving motor (320) can generate rotational kinetic energy through various possible methods. The driving motor (320) can be coupled and fixed inside the main body coupling portion (310).

The central rotation shaft (330) is rotatably supported by the main body coupling portion (310) and can receive rotational kinetic energy. For example, the central rotation shaft (330) can have a cylindrical shape. The central rotation shaft (330) can have a structure that extends toward the downward direction of the main body. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the central rotation shaft (330) is rotatably supported by the main body coupling portion (310) and a portion thereof can extend downwardly outside the main body coupling portion (310). The central rotation shaft (330) can receive rotational kinetic energy generated by the driving motor (320) through the second rotation transmission portion (360). That is, the central rotation shaft (330) can rotate as the driving motor (320) operates.

The first rotation transmission unit (340) is connected to the central rotation shaft (330) and can transmit rotational kinetic energy to the outer surface. For example, the first rotation transmission unit (340) has a structure in which a central rotation shaft (330) rotated by a driving motor (320) is inserted into the central portion, and rotational kinetic energy received through the central rotation shaft (330) can be transmitted to the outer surface of the first rotation transmission unit (340). Depending on the embodiment, the first rotation transmission unit (340) can be implemented in various ways, such as a gear or a belt. Details related to the first rotation transmission unit (340) are described in FIG. 3.

The rotating frame (350) is coupled to the outer surface of the first rotating transmission unit (340) and can rotate by rotational kinetic energy. For example, the rotating frame (350) is fixed in contact with the outer surface of the first rotating transmission unit (340) and can rotate as the contact surface rotates.

At this time, at least one device fixing part (355) for fixing the detection device (SD) may be formed in the rotating frame (350). The device fixing part (355) may be implemented as a hole into which the detection device (SD) and the gimbal device (GD) to which the detection device (SD) is fixed may be inserted and coupled. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be implemented in various ways to fix the detection device (SD) and the gimbal device (GD). Details related to the rotating frame (350) are described in FIG. 7.

The second rotation transmission unit (360) can transmit the rotational kinetic energy generated by the driving motor (320) to the central rotation shaft (330). Depending on the embodiment, the second rotation transmission unit (360) can be implemented in various ways, such as a gear or a belt.

The fixed plate (370) can be coupled to the leg (LG) of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10). For example, the fixed plate (370) is coupled to the leg (LG) and does not rotate, and can fix the central axis for at least one gear included in the first rotation transmission unit (340).

At this time, the leg (LG) of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) can penetrate the first rotation transmission unit (340) and the fixed plate (370). Specifically, the leg (LG) can penetrate the first rotation transmission unit (340) without separate contact. The leg (LG) can penetrate the fixed plate (370) while being connected to and fixed to the fixed plate (370).

The rotary connector (380) can electrically connect the drone (10) and the device fixture (355). For example, the rotary connector (380) may include a slip ring and a brush, depending on the embodiment in which the rotary connector (380) is included in the main body (MB) of the drone (10). The slip ring is connected to the central rotation shaft (330) and can maintain an electrical connection with the brush even when rotated. The brush is connected to the drone (10) and can transmit electrical signals and data to the device fixture (355) through an electrical connection with the slip ring.

The battery unit (390) can supply power to the detection device (SD). For example, the battery unit (390) can provide power for operating the detection device (SD). In addition, the battery unit (390) can be used as an emergency power source for the unmanned aerial vehicle (10), or can be supplied and stored from a battery included in the unmanned aerial vehicle (10).

According to an embodiment, the rotation support member (300) may further include at least one bearing (BR). In the present specification, the bearing (BR) means a mechanical element that reduces friction between the rotation shaft and the support member of the shaft. For example, the bearing (BR) located at the central rotation shaft (330) may reduce friction between the support member of the shaft (i.e., the main body coupling member (310)). In addition, the bearing (BR) located between the rotation frame (350) and the fixed plate (370) may reduce friction between the rotation frame (350) and the fixed plate (370).

Fig. 7 is a drawing showing a rotation frame (350) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 shows a cross-section along line segment L1 of the rotation frame (350) shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7, the rotation frame (350) may have a disk shape having a hole formed therein corresponding to the size of the first rotation transmission unit (340). That is, the first rotation transmission unit (340) may be inserted into the internal space of the rotation frame (350) and may transmit rotational kinetic energy provided to the central rotation axis (330) to the rotation frame (350). In addition, the rotation frame (350) may rotate according to the rotational kinetic energy.

At least one device fixing part (355) for fixing a detection device (SD) may be formed on the rotating frame (350). In FIG. 5, four device fixing parts (355) are illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Depending on the embodiment, a variety of device fixing parts (355) may be formed on the rotating frame (350).

In some embodiments, the device fixture (355) may include a magnetic connector. The device fixture (355) may be capable of using magnetism to couple with and power one of the sensing device (SD) and the gimbal device (GD).

The device fixing portion (355) may be implemented as a hole into which at least one of the detection device (SD) and the gimbal device (GD) to which the detection device (SD) is fixed may be inserted and coupled. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be implemented in various ways to fix the detection device (SD) and the gimbal device (GD).

That is, when the rotating frame (350) rotates, the detection device (SD) fixed to the device fixing part (355) can also rotate. Accordingly, the detection device (SD) according to the embodiment of the present invention can easily set the orientation angle of the detection device (SD) according to the direction of travel of the unmanned aerial device (10). In addition, when a gimbal device (GD) is additionally connected, the gimbal device (GD) can effectively maintain the orientation angle of the detection device (SD) by reducing vibration and shock.

The reference direction (RD) can represent the direction from the center of the rotation frame (350) to the device fixing part (355). That is, the number and orientation point of the reference direction (RD) can change as the number and arrangement of the device fixing parts (355) change.

Through the above-described method, the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of improving the convenience of use.

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of easily directing the sensing device in the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle by mounting the sensing device in a state in which the sensing device can rotate 360 degrees.

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of allowing a plurality of gimbal devices fixing a plurality of sensing devices to be easily attached and detached from a rotating support member of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of stably mounting a plurality of sensing devices on a rotating support member coupled to the lower portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of easily detecting obstacles by using a plurality of detection devices whose aiming angles can be freely changed.

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention and its operating method have the effect of simultaneously performing obstacle avoidance operation and obstacle tracking when an obstacle is detected.

The functional operations described in this specification and the embodiments relating to the subject matter herein may be implemented in digital electronic circuits or in computer software, firmware or hardware, or in a combination of one or more of these, including the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents.

Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification may be implemented as one or more modules relating to computer program products, i.e., computer program instructions encoded on a tangible program medium for execution by or to control the operation of a data processing device. The tangible program medium may be a radio signal or a computer-readable medium. A radio signal is an artificially generated signal, such as a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, that is generated to encode information for transmission to a suitable receiver device for execution by a computer. The computer-readable medium may be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a combination of materials that affect a machine-readable radio signal, or a combination of one or more of these.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script or code) may be written in any programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, a priori or procedural languages, and may be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program, a module, a component, a subroutine or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment.

A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file on a file device. A program may be stored within a single file provided to the requested program, within multiple interacting files (e.g., one or more files storing modules, subprograms, or portions of code), or within a portion of a file containing other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored within a markup language document).

A computer program may be deployed to run on a single computer or on multiple computers located at a single site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communications network.

Additionally, the logical flow and structural block diagrams described in this patent document describe corresponding functions and corresponding acts and/or specific methods supported by the steps and supported by the disclosed structural means, and can also be used to construct corresponding software structures and algorithms and their equivalents.

The processes and logic flows described herein are executable by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output.

Processors suitable for executing a computer program include, for example, both general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any type of digital computer. Typically, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both.

The central elements of a computer are one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data and a processor for executing instructions. Additionally, the computer will typically be coupled to or include one or more mass storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic, magneto-optical, or optical disks, which are operable to receive data from or transfer data to or perform both of these operations. However, a computer need not have such devices.

The present description sets forth the best mode of the invention and provides examples to explain the invention and to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The specification so written is not intended to limit the invention to the specific terms set forth.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art or having ordinary knowledge in the art that various modifications and changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and technical scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below.

Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification, but should be defined by the scope of the patent claims.

10: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
100: Flight Drive Unit
200: Detection Unit
300: Rotating support
400: Control Unit
500: Status measurement unit
600: Communication Department
MB: Main body
PP: Propeller
SD: Detection Device
GD: Gimbal device
LG: Bridge

Claims (10)

A flight drive unit for driving multiple propellers of an unmanned aerial vehicle;
A sensing unit for sensing the front and generating sensing data;
A rotation support unit coupled to the lower part of the main body of the above unmanned aerial device and configured to support the sensing unit so as to be rotatable;
A control unit for controlling the above flight driving unit and the above rotation support unit; and
Including a state measuring unit for measuring the flight state of the above unmanned aerial device and the rotation state of the above rotating support unit,
The control unit rotates the rotating support unit so that the sensing unit points in the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle,
The above control unit,
An obstacle detection unit for detecting an obstacle based on the above detection data;
A flight direction determining unit for determining the flight direction based on the flight status when the obstacle is not detected by the obstacle detection unit;
A reference direction determining unit for determining multiple reference directions;
A comparison unit for comparing the above flight direction and the plurality of reference directions;
A selection unit for selecting one of the plurality of reference directions that is closest to the flight direction when the above flight direction and the plurality of reference directions are all different;
A first information generating unit for generating first rotation information for the rotation support unit based on a difference between one of the reference directions selected by the above selection unit and the flight direction and transmitting the same to the rotation support unit;
A mode switching unit for executing an obstacle detection mode when an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit;
A second information generating unit for generating second rotation information for the rotating support unit based on the position of the unmanned aerial device and the position of the obstacle and transmitting the second rotation information to the rotating support unit, and generating third rotation information for a plurality of gimbal devices and transmitting the third rotation information to the plurality of gimbal devices;
A collision determination unit for calculating the possibility of collision between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the obstacle based on the above flight status and the above detection data; and
If the probability of the above collision is greater than the reference value, the avoidance control unit is further included to control the flight drive unit to avoid driving the unmanned aerial vehicle.
The above plurality of reference directions represent directions from the center of the rotating support to the device fixing parts to which the plurality of gimbal devices are coupled,
When the avoidance operation of the above unmanned aerial device is completed, the mode switching unit is characterized in that it terminates the obstacle detection mode.
Unmanned aerial vehicle.
In the first paragraph,
The above detection unit,
A plurality of sensing devices for exploring the surroundings of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
A device characterized by including a plurality of gimbal devices mounted on the rotating support and for maintaining the horizontality of each of the plurality of sensing devices from vibrations generated by the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
Unmanned aerial vehicle.
delete delete In the first paragraph,
The above rotation support member rotates yaw relative to the flight direction based on at least one of the first rotation information and the second rotation information,
The above plurality of gimbal devices are characterized in that they rotate pitch with respect to the flight direction based on the third rotation information.
Unmanned aerial vehicle.
A step for driving a plurality of propellers of an unmanned aerial vehicle by a flight driving unit under the control of a control unit;
A step in which the rotating support member rotates so that the sensing member points in the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the control of the control member;
A step for the sensing unit to direct the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle and generate sensing data;
A step for measuring the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the rotation status of the rotation support unit; and
The above control unit includes a step of controlling the flight driving unit and the rotation support unit based on the flight state and the rotation state,
The step of controlling the flight drive unit and the rotation support unit by the above control unit is:
A step in which an obstacle detection unit detects an obstacle based on the detection data;
A step in which, when the obstacle is not detected by the obstacle detection unit, the flight direction determination unit determines the flight direction based on the flight status;
A step for determining a plurality of reference directions by a reference direction determining unit;
A step of comparing the flight direction and the plurality of reference directions;
A step in which the selection unit selects one of the plurality of reference directions that is closest to the flight direction when the above flight direction and the plurality of reference directions are all different;
A step in which a first information generating unit generates first rotation information for the rotation support unit based on a difference between one of the reference directions selected by the selecting unit and the flight direction, and transmits the generated first rotation information to the rotation support unit;
A step of executing an obstacle detection mode when an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit in the mode switching unit;
A step of the second information generating unit generating second rotation information based on the position of the unmanned aerial device and the position of the obstacle and transmitting the second rotation information to the rotating support unit, and generating third rotation information and transmitting the third rotation information to a plurality of gimbal devices;
A step in which a collision judgment unit calculates the possibility of collision between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the obstacle based on the flight status and the detection data;
When the probability of the collision is greater than the reference value, a step of the avoidance control unit controlling the flight drive unit to drive the unmanned aerial vehicle to avoidance; and
When the avoidance operation of the above unmanned aerial device is terminated, the mode switching unit includes a step of terminating the obstacle detection mode,
The above-mentioned rotating support member is coupled to the lower part of the main body of the unmanned aerial device and supports the sensing member so as to be rotatable.
The above plurality of reference directions are characterized in that they represent directions from the center of the rotating support to the device fixing parts to which the plurality of gimbal devices are coupled.
A method of operating an unmanned aerial vehicle. delete delete delete In Article 6,
The above rotation support member rotates yaw relative to the flight direction based on at least one of the first rotation information and the second rotation information,
The above plurality of gimbal devices are characterized in that they rotate pitch with respect to the flight direction based on the third rotation information.
A method of operating an unmanned aerial vehicle.

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