Safety device and safety method for an aircraft, and aircraft comprising the safety device

A safety method executed by a safety device for an unmanned aircraft having a flight control device for flight control of the aircraft based on global position coordinates or flight altitude values of the aircraft detected by a sensor apparatus of the flight control device, said safety method comprising:

• detecting a current flight altitude of the aircraft independently of the sensor apparatus,
• determining whether the detected current flight altitude of the aircraft exceeds a predetermined maximum altitude,
• interrupting the flight control of the aircraft when the detected current flight altitude of the aircraft exceeds the predetermined maximum altitude, so that the aircraft returns to flying at an altitude that does not exceed the predetermined maximum altitude,
• detecting a current global position of the aircraft independently of the sensor apparatus,
• determining whether the current global position is outside a first predetermined space that the aircraft is allowed to fly,
• outputting an instruction to the flight control device to control the aircraft to fly back into the first predetermined space when the current global position detected by the global position detection apparatus is outside the first predetermined space,
• determining whether a difference between global position coordinates detected by the sensor apparatus and the current global position of the aircraft exceeds a predetermined difference value, and
• interrupting flight control of the aircraft when the difference between the global position coordinates detected by the sensor apparatus and the current global position of the aircraft exceeds the predetermined difference value, by controlling the aircraft to return to flying at a position in which the difference between the global position coordinates and the current global position do not exceed the predetermined difference value,
• wherein the safety device and the flight control device each comprise a respective independent power supply, and
• wherein interrupting the flight control of the aircraft comprises cutting off the power supply of the flight control device while maintaining power of the safety device.

An unmanned aircraft comprising:

• a safety device having a flight control device for flight control of the aircraft based on global position coordinates or flight altitude values of the aircraft detected by a sensor apparatus of the flight control device,
• said safety device comprising computer hardware configured to cause the safety device at least to
• detect a current flight altitude of the aircraft independently of the sensor apparatus,
• determine whether the current flight altitude of the aircraft exceeds a predetermined maximum altitude,
• interrupt the flight control of the aircraft when the current flight altitude of the aircraft exceeds the predetermined maximum altitude, so that the aircraft returns to flying at an altitude that does not exceed the predetermined maximum altitude,
• detect a current global position of the aircraft independently of the sensor apparatus,
• determine whether the current global position is outside a first predetermined space that the aircraft is allowed to fly, and
• output an instruction to the flight control device to control the aircraft to fly back into the first predetermined space when the current global position is outside the first predetermined space,
• determine whether a difference between the global position coordinates detected by the sensor apparatus of the flight control device and the current global position of the aircraft exceeds a predetermined difference value, and
• interrupt the flight control of the aircraft when the difference between the global position coordinates detected by the sensor apparatus of the flight control device and the current global position of the aircraft exceeds the predetermined difference value, by controlling the aircraft to return to flying at a position in which the difference between the global position coordinates and the current global position do not exceed the predetermined difference value,
• wherein the safety device and the flight control device each comprise a respective independent power supply, and
• wherein the computer hardware is configured to cause the safety device to interrupt the flight control device of the aircraft by cutting off the power supply of the flight control device while maintaining power of the safety device.

A safety device for an unmanned aircraft having a flight control device, said safety device comprising:

• computer hardware, the computer hardware being configured to cause the apparatus at least to:
• detect a current flight altitude of an aircraft independently of an output of a sensor apparatus, wherein the sensor apparatus senses flight altitude information;
• determine whether a detected current flight altitude of the aircraft exceeds a predetermined maximum altitude;
• interrupt flight control of the aircraft when the detected current flight altitude of the aircraft exceeds the predetermined maximum altitude, so that the aircraft returns to flying at an altitude that does not exceed the predetermined maximum altitude;
• detect a current global position of the aircraft independently of the sensor apparatus;
• determine whether the current global position is outside of a first predetermined space that the aircraft is allowed to fly;
• control the aircraft to fly back into the first predetermined space when the current global position detected by the global position detection apparatus is outside the first predetermined space;
• determine whether a difference between global position coordinates detected by the sensor apparatus and the current global position of the aircraft exceeds a predetermined difference value;
• and
• interrupt flight control of the aircraft when the difference between the global position coordinates detected by the sensor apparatus and the current global position of the aircraft exceeds the predetermined difference value, by controlling the aircraft to return to flying at a position in which the difference between the global position coordinates and the current global position do not exceed the predetermined difference value,
• wherein the safety device and the flight control device each comprise a respective independent power supply, and
• wherein interrupting the flight control of the aircraft comprises cutting off the power supply of the flight control device while maintaining power of the safety device.