Control methods and apparatuses based on headless mode for unmanned aerial vehicle

A flight controller for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive remote control information including a controller nose orientation of a remote controller and an operating angle of a rudder stick of the remote controller, the controller nose orientation of the remote controller corresponding to a positive half axis of a vertical axis of a first coordinate system of the remote controller;
• an attitude sensor configured to acquire UAV attitude information of the UAV to determine a second coordinate system of the UAV;
• and
• a smart controller configured to:
• determine an operating direction of the rudder stick to be along a direction that is determined by the operating angle of the rudder stick measured from a positive half axis of a horizontal axis of the first coordinate system;
• identifying a target flight direction in the second coordinate system to be a direction along the operating direction of the rudder stick in the first coordinate system when an origin of the first coordinate system coincides with an origin of the second coordinate system;
• and
• control the UAV to fly in the target flight direction based on a target flight angle in the second coordinate system, the target flight angle being measured from a horizontal axis of the second coordinate system and based on the operating angle in the first coordinate system.

A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using a remote controller, comprising:

• obtaining an operating angle of a rudder stick of the remote controller;
• acquiring a nose orientation of the remote controller, the nose orientation of the remote controller corresponding to a positive half axis of a vertical axis of a first coordinate system of the remote controller;
• generating remote control information in accordance with the operating angle of the rudder stick and the nose orientation;
• and
• sending the remote control information to the UAV,
• wherein:
• an operating direction of the rudder stick is determined to be a direction that is determined by the operating angle of the rudder stick measured from a positive half axis of a horizontal axis of the first coordinate system,
• a second coordinate system of the UAV is determined according to UAV attitude information of the UAV,
• a target flight direction of the UAV is determined, in the second coordinate system, as a direction along the operating direction of the rudder stick in the first coordinate system when an origin of the first coordinate system coincides with an origin of the second coordinate system,
• and
• the UAV is controlled to fly in the target flight direction based on a target flight angle in the second coordinate system, the target flight angle being measured from a horizontal axis of the second coordinate system and based on the operating angle in the first coordinate system.

A remote controller comprising:

• a smart controller configured to:
• obtain an operating angle of a rudder stick of the remote controller, and
• generate remote control information in accordance with the operating angle of the rudder stick and a nose orientation of the remote controller, the nose orientation of the remote controller corresponding to a positive half axis of a vertical axis of a first coordinate system of the remote controller;
• an attitude sensor configured to acquire the nose orientation;
• and
• a transmitter configured to send the remote control information to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV),
• wherein:
• an operating direction of the rudder stick is determined to be a direction that is determined by the operating angle of the rudder stick measured from a positive half axis of a horizontal axis of the first coordinate system,
• a second coordinate system of the UAV is determined according to UAV attitude information of the UAV,
• a target flight direction of the UAV is determined, in the second coordinate system, as a direction along the operating direction of the rudder stick in the first coordinate system when an origin of the first coordinate system coincides with an origin of the second coordinate system,
• and
• the UAV is controlled to fly in the target flight direction based on a target flight angle in the second coordinate system, the target flight angle being measured from a horizontal axis of the second coordinate system and based on the operating angle in the first coordinate system.