# US 11,029,684 B2 · Safety system for operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle

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- Number: US 11,029,684 B2
- Document ID: US11029684B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/241,341
- Filed: 2019-01-07
- Published: 2019-05-09
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-11
- Assignees: AeroVironment, Inc.
- Applicants: AeroVironment, Inc.
- Inventors: Thaddeus Benjamin Matuszeski; William Arden Lott; Derek Lisoski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029684B2

## CPC

- G05D 1/0055: {with safety arrangements}
- B64C 39/024: {of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV}
- B64U 10/20: Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft (flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17)
- G05D 1/0016: {characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00)}
- G05D 1/223: Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens
- G05D 1/617: Safety or protection, e.g. defining protection zones around obstacles or avoiding hazards (arrangements for controlling the position or course of two or more vehicles for avoiding collisions therebetween G05D1/693; arrangements for reacting to or preventing system or operator failure G05D1/80)
- B64U 10/10: Rotorcrafts
- B64U 10/25: Fixed-wing aircraft (VTOL aircraft B64U10/20)
- B64U 30/10: Wings
- B64U 30/20: Rotors; Rotor supports
- B64U 70/00: Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
- B64U 70/80: Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets (rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20)
- B64U 80/25: for recharging batteries; for refuelling
- B64U 80/30: with arrangements for data transmission
- B64U 2101/30: for imaging, photography or videography
- B64U 2201/10: autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
- B64U 2201/20: Remote controls
- G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
- H04N 7/185: {from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control}
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a UAV having a processor and addressable memory, 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;
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; and
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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:
command the UAV to land now at the UAV current location if the determined remaining battery state of charge is under a set limit for returning and landing at the launch location.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine if a fault condition has occurred.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 wherein the processor is further configured to:
command the UAV to return to and land on the launch location and land now at the UAV current location.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 wherein the processor is further configured to:
command the UAV to land now at the UAV current location.

### Claim 6

A method for operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
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 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; and
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.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the direction of movement of the button in the slider of the second activator is horizontal relative to a display of the controller, and wherein the generated UAV command is a return and land command.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein the return and land command directs the UAV to land at a location it launched from.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 further comprising:
receiving, by the UAV, the return and land UAV command; and
executing the received return and land UAV command on the UAV, wherein the executed return and land UAV command comprises a substantially horizontal movement of the UAV from a current location of the UAV.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the direction of movement of the button in the slider of the second activator is vertical and downward relative to a display of the controller, and wherein the generated UAV command is a land now command.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the land now command directs the UAV to land at a location proximate to a geographical position of the UAV when the UAV receives the land now command.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 further comprising:
receiving, by the UAV, the land now UAV command; and
executing the received land now UAV command on the UAV, wherein the executed land now UAV command comprises a substantially vertical and downward movement of the UAV from a current location of the UAV.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the direction of movement of the button in the slider of the second activator is vertical and downward relative to a display of the controller, and wherein the generated UAV command is an emergency stop command.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein the emergency stop command directs the UAV to stop at least one motor of the UAV.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising:
receiving, by the UAV, the emergency stop UAV command; and
executing the received emergency stop UAV command on the UAV, wherein the executed emergency stop UAV command comprises a substantially vertical and downward movement of the UAV from a current location of the UAV.

### Claim 16 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the direction of movement of the button in the slider of the second activator is vertical and upward relative to a display of the controller, and wherein the generated UAV command is a launch command.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 wherein the launch command directs the UAV to launch from a current location when the UAV receives the launch command.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 further comprising:
receiving, by the UAV, the launch UAV command; and
executing the received launch UAV command on the UAV, wherein the executed launch UAV command comprises a substantially vertical and upward movement of the UAV from the current location of the UAV.

### Claim 19

A system for operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a controller having a processor and addressable memory, wherein the controller is configured to:
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;
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; and
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.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19 further comprising:
the UAV having a processor and addressable memory, the UAV processor configured to:
receive the UAV command; and
executing the received UAV command on the UAV, wherein the executed UAV command comprises a direction of movement of the UAV corresponding to the direction of movement of the button in the slider of the second activator.