# US 2018/0321676 A1 · Safety System for Operation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

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- Number: US 2018/0321676 A1
- Document ID: US20180321676A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/808,783
- Filed: 2017-11-09
- Published: 2018-11-08
- 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/US20180321676A1

## 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 method comprising:
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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, by the UAV, the UAV command; and
executing the received UAV command on the UAV.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the UAV command is sent if the first activator is selected prior to the selection of the second activator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the UAV command is sent if the first activator is selected concurrent with the selection of the second activator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the first activator further comprises:
maintaining selection of the first activator while the second activator is selected.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the selected UAV command is a launch command, wherein the first activator is a button, wherein the second activator is a vertical slider, and wherein selecting the second activator comprises sliding a button in an upward direction in the slider relative to a display of the controller.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising:
determining, by the controller, a remaining flight time based on a battery state of charge needed by the UAV to return to and land at a launch location.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 further comprising:
presenting the remaining flight time on the display of the controller.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising:
determining, by the controller, a position of the UAV relative to the controller; and
presenting a wayfinder on the display of the controller, wherein the wayfinder is oriented toward the position of the UAV.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the selected UAV command is a return and land command, wherein the first activator is a button, wherein the second activator is a horizontal slider, and wherein selecting the second activator comprises sliding a button horizontally in the slider relative to a display of the controller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the return and land command directs the UAV to land at a location it launched from.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the selected UAV command is a land now command, wherein the first activator is a button, wherein the second activator is a vertical slider, and wherein selecting the second activator comprises sliding a button in a downward direction in the slider relative to a display of the controller.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 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 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the selected UAV command is an emergency stop command, wherein the first activator is a button, wherein the second activator is a vertical slider, and wherein selecting the second activator comprises sliding a button in a downward direction in the slider relative to a display of the controller.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein the emergency stop command directs the UAV to stop at least one motor of the UAV.

### Claim 16

A method comprising:
determining, by a processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a remaining battery state of charge needed by the UAV to return to and land at a launch location; and
commanding, by the processor of the UAV, the UAV to return to and land on the launch location if the determined remaining battery state of charge is within a set limit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 further comprising:
commanding, by the processor of the UAV, 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 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 further comprising:
determining, by the processor of the UAV, if a fault condition has occurred; and
commanding, by the processor of the UAV, the UAV to at least one of: return to and land on the launch location and land now at the UAV current location.

### Claim 19

A system comprising:
an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a processor and addressable memory; the processor configured to:
determine a UAV command based on a set of status information of the UAV, wherein the set of status information is received from at least one sensor associated with the UAV;
transmit the determined command to a controller for confirmation; and
a controller having a processor and addressable memory, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive a transmitted UAV command from the UAV;
present 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;
confirm that the first activator and the second activator are executed successfully; and
send the UAV command confirmation to the UAV for execution at the UAV of the command;
wherein the UAV executes the UAV command based on receiving the confirmation.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the UAV command is at least one of: a return and land command, a land now command, and an emergency stop command.