WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM OF INTELLIGENT UAV

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system of an intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which may perform real-time communication between an intelligent UAV in air or in water and a ground control station by using visible light communication.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system of an intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the system comprising: a flight control module installed in the intelligent UAV, receiving detection information from sensors installed in advance in the UAV, and controlling the flight operation and flight posture of the UAV; a mission control module installed in the UAV, generating mission flight data based on received data, transmitting the generated mission flight data to the flight control module or transmitting either flight data collected while the UAV performs a mission flight or requested data; a first wireless communication module installed in the UAV and performing communication between the UAV and a ground control station (GCS); a control module installed in the ground control station and controlling a process of the mission flight of the UAV; and a second wireless communication module installed in the ground control station and performing the communication between the ground control station and the UAV.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication module and the second wireless communication module perform visible light communication (VLC).

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first wireless communication module includes a transmission means for the visible light communication, and the transmission means includes a transceiver unit connected to the mission control module to receive the data; a data processing unit sampling a transmission rate of the received data according to a preset communication rate; and a light emitting diode (LED) switching unit driving an LED driver based on the sampled data to transmit the data by switching LEDs.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first wireless communication module includes a receiving means for the visible light communication, and the receiving means includes a receiver unit receiving a switching data of the LED; a digital conversion unit amplifying and processing the received switching data to convert the data into digital data; a data processing unit verifying validity of the converted data, and processing the verified data to be transmitted to the mission control module; and a transceiver unit transmitting the processed data to the mission control module.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the second wireless communication module includes a transmission means for the visible light communication, and the transmission means includes a transceiver unit connected to the control module to receive the data; a data processing unit sampling a transmission rate of the received data according to a preset communication rate; and an LED switching unit driving an LED driver based on the sampled data to transmit the data by switching LEDs.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the second wireless communication module includes a receiving means for the visible light communication, and the receiving means 520 includes a receiver unit receiving a switching data of the LED; a digital conversion unit amplifying and processing the received switching data to convert the data into digital data; a data processing unit verifying validity of the converted data, and processing the verified data to be transmitted to the control module; and a transceiver unit transmitting the processed data to the control module.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the second wireless communication module is installed in a docking station of the ground control station, to which the UAV is coupled.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the control module is installed outside or inside the docking station, and is connected to the second wireless communication module wirelessly or wired.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing visible light communication used in a wireless communication system of an intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 2 is an exemplary view showing a configuration of the wireless communication system of an intelligent UAV according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 3 is an exemplary view showing a detailed configuration of the wireless communication system of an intelligent UAV according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 4 is an exemplary view showing a transmission/reception communication protocol format of the wireless communication system of an intelligent UAV according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 5 is an exemplary view showing an operation of a transmission means of the wireless communication system of an intelligent UAV according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 6 is an exemplary view showing an operation of a reception means of the wireless communication system of an intelligent UAV according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE

[0029] Hereinafter, a wireless communication system of an intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings below are provided as examples for those skilled in the art to fully understand the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the accompanying drawings provided below, and may be implemented in another type. In addition, like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the specification.

[0030] Technical terms and scientific terms used in the present specification have the general meaning understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains unless otherwise defined, and a description for the known function and configuration unnecessarily obscuring the gist of the present invention is omitted in the following description and the accompanying drawings.

[0031] In addition, a system refers to a set of components including a device, a mechanism, a means and the like, systematized to perform a required function and regularly interacting with one another.

[0032] A wireless communication system of an intelligent UAV according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to a wireless communication system of an intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which may transmit data obtained from an UAV 10, which is an aerial or underwater drone, by using a wireless communication module mounted on the UAV 10 to a storage means by using a wireless communication module installed on the ground or underwater, while the UAV 10 is charged after taking off according to a control command by a ground control station 20, performing autonomous flight (mission flight) according to an entered navigation, obtaining flight data by taking a picture, performing terrain recognition or the like, and then returning to a pre-specified location (usually take-off point).

[0033] That is, the present invention relates to the wireless communication system of an intelligent UAV which may communicate data collected by visible light communication to the ground control station 20 in real-time while the UAV 10, which is equipped with the wireless communication module capable of performing the visible light communication, is wirelessly charged at its landing point after the UAV 10 accomplishes its mission flight based on an entered way-point input and then returns. Therefore, the UAV 10 may freely transmit and receive data with the control system through visible light wireless communication in real time at a point where the UAV 10 returns after accomplishing the mission flight in the air or in the water by using the wireless communication module (receiving module) installed at its landing point where the UAV 10 returns after taking off.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing data communication using lighting flicker, i.e. visible light communication, used in a wireless communication system of an intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In detail, the visible light communication is technology in which a visible light band signal is used for short-distance wireless communication, and technology in which information is transmitted or exchanged using light used for lighting.

[0035] Even though using a wavelength most similar to a wavelength used in Infrared Data Association (IrDA), i.e. 800 to 900 nm, the visible light communication may have an advantage of simultaneously performing the communication and the lighting.

[0036] Therefore, an integrated control system of the intelligent UAV according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may request a current battery state of the drone, operation states and any abnormality of various sensors (posture control sensor, compass sensor, camera, gimbal, GPS and the like), and stored information on the mission flight (way-point, relative distance, mission assignment by using terrain or the like) from the ground control station by using the visible light communication while the aerial drone prepares for takeoff on the ground in case that the UAV is the aerial drone, or the underwater drone waits for its mission performance at an underwater docking station if the UAV is the underwater drone, for example.

[0037] The drone may return the information requested by the ground control station by using the visible light communication, and the ground control station may check and confirm the received information, prepare for the mission flight of the drone, and then instruct the drone to perform the mission.

[0038] The drone may then return to the landing point after accomplishing the mission flight, transmit information on the current battery state, flight log, data on the flight and the like to the ground control station by using the visible light communication again, and receive information on the flight, necessary for a next mission flight, from the ground control station, based on a result of the mission performance.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the wireless communication system of an intelligent UAV according to an exemplary embodiment of this present invention may preferably include: a flight control module 100, a mission control module 200, and a first wireless communication module 300, installed in the UAV 10; and a control module 400 and a second wireless communication module 500, installed in the ground control station 20.

[0040] The respective components are described in detail.

[0041] The flight control module 100 is a flight control device module installed in the UAV 10, generally controlling a flight posture of the aerial or underwater drone, driving a propeller, and receiving flight control data (e.g. RC wireless data) to change the posture of the drone. As described above, the flight control module 100 may be installed in the intelligent UAV. Therefore, it may be preferable that the flight control module 100 receives detection information from sensors (e.g. inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor and collision detection sensor) installed in advance in the UAV 10, and controls the flight operation and flight posture of the UAV 10.

[0042] Here, it may be preferable that the intelligent UAV receives flight route data for the mission flight in advance rather than the flight control data (e.g. RC wireless data) from the ground control station 20, and then controls the flight operation and flight posture of the UAV 10 by receiving the detection information from the sensors (e.g. IMU sensor and collision detection sensor) installed in advance in the UAV 10 through the flight control module 100.

[0043] The mission control module 200 is a mission computer module installed in the UAV 10, and may operate additional equipment such as a communication module which cannot be operated in the flight control module 100, analyze obtained camera image data in real time, or generate mission data through the communication with the ground control station 20. That is, it may be preferable that the mission control module 200 analyzes the data received from the ground control station 20 to generate mission flight data, and transmits the generated mission flight data to the flight control module 100 for the flight operation and flight posture of the UAV 10 to be controlled, converts flight data collected while the UAV performs the mission flight, that is, the obtained flight data to be transmitted to the ground control station 20, or converts requested data instructed by the ground control station 20 for the data to be transmitted to the ground control station 20.

[0044] It may be preferable that the first wireless communication module 300 is installed on the UAV 10, and in detail, is linked with the mission control module 200 and installed on the UAV 10, thereby performing the communication between the UAV 10 and the ground control station 20 in real time. It may be preferable that the first wireless communication module 300 performs the visible light communication as described above.

[0045] The mission control module 200 and the first wireless communication module 300 may be connected to each other by a serial interface or Ethernet. When receiving the data serially through the protocol receiving software (SW), the serial interface may put the data in a physical transmit queue (TX queue) and then deliver the same immediately. The Ethernet may enable the communication between the two modules by using a pre-stored internet protocol (IP) setting.

[0046] The control module 400 is a control software installed in the ground control station 20, and it may be preferable that the control module 400 performs various control operations, such as controlling a process of the mission flight of the UAV 10, in detail, transmitting the flight route data for the mission flight, receiving the flight data obtained from the UAV 10, analyzing the received data and transmitting additional flight route data, or requesting information on the state of the UAV 10, receiving the information and analyzing the mission flight that the UAV 10 may perform. In addition, the control module 400 may perform an operation of a recording storage device.

[0047] It may be preferable that the second wireless communication module 500 is installed in the ground control station 20 and performs the communication between the ground control station 20 and the UAV 10. It may be preferable that the second wireless communication module 500 performs the visible light communication like the first wireless communication module 300.

[0048] In addition, the flight control module 100, the mission control module 200 and the first wireless communication module 300 may all be installed in the UAV 10, and it is thus generally preferable that all the modules are included in a housing referred to as the UAV 10.

[0049] However, in some cases, the control module 400 and the second wireless communication module 500 may be connected to each other wirelessly or wired, and located far apart from each other.

[0050] For example, if the UAV 10 is the underwater drone, the second wireless communication module 500 may be installed in a docking station located in the water, and if the UAV 10 is the aerial drone, the second wireless communication module 500 may be installed in a docking station located at the landing point of the UAV 10. However, the control module 400 may here be located far apart from the second wireless communication module 500.

[0051] In particular, if the UAV is the underwater drone, the second wireless communication module 500 may be installed in the docking station located in the water. However, the control module 400 may be connected to the second wireless communication module 500 in real time through the Ethernet or the serial interface, which is provided in advance in the docking station, and may thus perform the communication between the UAV 10 and the ground control station 20 in real time.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, it may be preferable that the first wireless communication module 300 and the second wireless communication module 500 include transmission means 310 and 510 and receiving means 320 and 520, respectively, because the UAV 10 and the ground control station 20 are required to perform two-way communication rather than one-way communication.

[0053] FIG. 4 is an exemplary view showing a communication protocol format transmitted/received between the intelligent UAV 10 and the ground control station 20. In general, a format used for device-to-device transmission may include start of text (STX) indicating start of a protocol, payload data including header information, actual control commands and response contents, and checksum data used for checking integrity of the protocol.

[0054] It is also possible to efficiently improve data transmission speed by minimizing an amount of data by implementing the communication based on the payload data of the protocol excluding the header data.

[0055] First, the description focuses on the first wireless communication module 300.

[0056] The transmission means 310 is a means for the visible light communication, and may preferably include a transceiver unit 311, a data processing unit 312 and an LED switching unit 313 as shown in FIG. 5.

[0057] It may be preferable that the transceiver unit 311 includes a physical layer protocol (PHY) transceiver, and is connected to the mission control module 200 to receive the data included in a physical receive queue (RX queue) from the mission control module 200.

[0058] The data processing unit 312 may preferably sample a transmission rate of the received data according to a preset communication rate. In detail, in the case of visible light communication, the transmission rate of the received data may be sampled to ensure stable data transmission and due to a limit in a speed at which light emitting diodes (LEDs) are physically switched to each other. For example, when a transmission rate of the visible light communication is 115,200 to 1,500,000 bps, a maximum data transmission rate may be physically implemented up to a speed provided by Ethernet depending on a speed of an LED-driving driver and a switching speed of the LED.

[0059] The LED switching unit 313 may preferably drive the LED-driving driver based on the sampled data to transmit the data to be transmitted from the mission control module 200 to the ground control station 20 by switching the LEDs.

[0060] A receiving means 320 of the first wireless communication module 300 is a means for visible light communication. As shown in FIG. 6, the receiving means 320 may preferably include a receiver unit 321, a digital conversion unit 322, a data processing unit 323 and a transceiver unit 324.

[0061] The receiver unit 321 may generally include a photo diode, and may also include a solar panel. The receiver unit 321 may preferably receive a switching signal of the LED.

[0062] The digital conversion unit 322 may preferably amplify and process the received switching signal to convert the signal into digital data.

[0063] The data processing unit 323 may preferably verify validity of the converted data by using protocol reception software (SW), and process the verified data to be transmitted to the mission control module 200. In detail, it may be preferable that the verified data is transmitted to the TX Queue, protocol data included in the TX Queue is processed and then transmitted to the transceiver unit 324, and the data is transmitted through the serial interface or the Ethernet, connected to the mission control module 200.

[0064] Hereinafter, the description focuses on the second wireless communication module 500.

[0065] Even though operated in the same manner as the transmission means 310 and the receiving means 320 of the first wireless communication module 300, the second wireless communication module 500 may preferably be connected to the control module 400.

[0066] The transmission means 510 is the means for the visible light communication, and may preferably include a transceiver unit 511, a data processing unit 512 and an LED switching unit 513 as shown in FIG. 5.

[0067] It may be preferable that the transceiver unit 511 includes the physical layer protocol (PHY) transceiver, and is connected to the control module 400 to receive the data included in the RX Queue from the control module 400.

[0068] The data processing unit 512 may preferably sample the transmission rate of the received data according to the preset communication rate. In detail, in the case of visible light communication, the transmission rate of the received data may be sampled to ensure the stable data transmission and due to the limit in the speed at which the light emitting diodes (LEDs) are physically switched to each other. For example, when the transmission rate of the visible light communication is 115,200 to 1,500,000 bps, the maximum data transmission rate may be physically implemented up to the speed provided by Ethernet depending on the speed of the LED-driving driver and the switching speed of the LED.

[0069] The LED switching unit 513 may preferably drive the LED-driving driver based on the sampled data to transmit data to be transmitted from the control module 400 to the UAV 10 by switching the LEDs.

[0070] A receiving means 520 of the second wireless communication module 500 is the means for the visible light communication. As shown in FIG. 6, the receiving means 520 may preferably include a receiver unit 521, a digital conversion unit 522, a data processing unit 523 and a transceiver unit 524.

[0071] The receiver unit 521 may generally include the photo diode, and may also include the solar panel. The receiver unit 521 may preferably receive the switching signal of the LED.

[0072] The digital conversion unit 522 may preferably amplify and process the received switching signal to convert the signal into the digital data.

[0073] The data processing unit 523 may preferably verify the validity of the converted data by using the protocol reception software (SW), and process the verified data to be transmitted to the control module 400. In detail, it may be preferable that the verified data is transmitted to the TX Queue, the protocol data included in the TX Queue is processed and then transmitted to the transceiver unit 524, and the data is transmitted to the control module 400.

[0074] The integrated control system of an intelligent UAV according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is most suitable for a radio telemetry system in which the UAV is used by a remote control, the UAV not including the LTE communication device or the like, or the underwater drone which may not use the wireless communication. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0075] However, when performing the remote control using short-distance and long-distance communication means such as the radio telemetry system and the LTE, a ground drone may be highly likely to experience communication loss, such as radio interference and the LTE communication impossible. In addition, the underwater drone (other than special military equipment such as a submarine) may not perform the real-time communication. Meanwhile, the integrated control system of an intelligent UAV according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may perform an autonomous flight and be under the remote control in any environment.

[0076] Hereinabove, although the present invention has been described by specific matters such as the detailed components, the exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, they have been provided only for assisting in comprehensive understanding of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments, and various modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from this description.

[0077] Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and the claims and all modifications equal or equivalent to the claims are intended to fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

TABLE-US-00001 Description of Reference Numerals 10: unmanned aerial vehicle 100: flight control module 200: mission control module 300: first wireless communication module 310: transmission means 311: transceiver unit 312: data processing unit 313: LED SWITCHING UNIT 320: receiving means 321: receiver unit 322: digital conversion unit 323: data processing unit 324: transceiver unit 400: control module 500: second wireless communication module 510: transmission means 511: transceiver unit 512: data processing unit 312: LED SWITCHING UNIT 520: receiving means 521: receiver unit 522: digital conversion unit 523: data processing unit 524: transceiver unit