US 11,687,100 B2
Loosely coupled distributed control over drone and payloads carried by the drone
Moshe Kipnis, Bitzaron (IL)
Assigned to Cando Drones Ltd., Ganot Hadar (IL)
Filed by Cando Drones Ltd., Ganot Hadar (IL)
Filed on Aug. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/897,168.
Application 17/897,168 is a continuation of application No. PCT/IL2021/051097, filed on Sep. 9, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/077,493, filed on Sep. 11, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0413515 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 39/02 (2023.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); B64D 7/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/10 (2006.01); B64D 47/00 (2006.01); B64U 101/60 (2023.01)
CPC G05D 1/101 (2013.01) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64D 47/00 (2013.01); B64U 2101/60 (2023.01); B64U 2201/20 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for distributing a control over a drone carrying an active-payload, wherein the drone is an aircraft that is able to hover and the active-payload comprises a self-embedded payload controller and at least one thrust source and/or moving weight, to a drone controller and the payload controller, comprising:
identifying by the drone controller a current active-payload type of the active-payload, temporarily and detachably coupled to the drone;
selecting by the drone controller a control-type from a predefined list of control-types; wherein each of the control-types defines degrees of freedom (DOFs) to be controlled by the drone controller and released DOFs to be controlled by the payload controller, according to the identified current active-payload type and according to one or more tasks planned to be performed by the drone and the current active-payload;
performing the one or more tasks by the drone and the current active-payload temporarily and detachably coupled to the drone; wherein the drone controller controls maneuver instructions in drone controller controlled DOFs and simultaneously and asynchronously the payload controller controls maneuver instructions in the released DOFs by exerting controllable force or torque in the released DOFs by the at least one thrust source and/or moving weight.