Control method, unmanned aerial vehicle, and remote control device

Abstract

A horizontal distance of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) relative to a remote control device and a height of the UAV relative to the remote control device are obtained. A remote control distance is calculated based on the horizontal distance and the height. It is determined whether the remote control distance increases or decreases. At least one of a first signal transmission power of the UAV or a second signal transmission power of the remote control device is controlled according to a result of the determination. The at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power is increased or maintained in response to determining that the remote control distance increases. The at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power is decreased or maintained in response to determining that the remote control distance decreases.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A signal transmission power control method comprising:
 detecting a remote control distance between an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a remote control device, including:
 obtaining a horizontal distance of the UAV relative to the remote control device; 
 obtaining a height of the UAV relative to the remote control device; and 
 calculating the remote control distance based on the horizontal distance and the height; 
   determining whether the remote control distance increases or decreases; and   controlling at least one of a first signal transmission power of the UAV or a second signal transmission power of the remote control device according to a result of the determination, including:
 increasing or maintaining the at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power in response to determining that the remote control distance increases; or 
 decreasing or maintaining the at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power in response to determining that the remote control distance decreases. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the remote control distance comprises detecting the remote control distance via at least one of a first distance detector of the UAV or a second distance detector of the remote control device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to detecting a change of the remote control distance, determining whether a current remote control distance between the UAV and the remote control device is within a distance range; and   in response to determining that the current remote control distance is within the distance range, maintaining the at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power unchanged.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 increasing the at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power comprises increasing the first signal transmission power and the second signal transmission power, an increase of the first signal transmission power and an increase of the second signal transmission power being equal.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 decreasing the at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power comprises decreasing the first signal transmission power and the second signal transmission power, a decrease of the first signal transmission power and a decrease of the second signal transmission power being equal.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of the UAV or the remote control device comprises a storage device configured to store a truth table including a distance range and a preset signal transmission power corresponding to the distance range; and   increasing or maintaining the at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power comprises controlling, based on the remote control distance and the distance range, the at least one of the UAV or the remote control device to execute the preset signal transmission power.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of the UAV or the remote control device comprises a storage device configured to store a truth table including a distance range and a preset signal transmission power corresponding to the distance range; and   decreasing or maintaining the at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power comprises controlling, based on the remote control distance and the distance range, the at least one of the UAV or the remote control device to execute the preset signal transmission power.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the remote control distance, determining whether the remote control distance increases or decreases, and controlling the at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power are performed once at every predetermined time interval. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined time interval is a value selected from a range of about 0.001 second to about 1 second. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the remote control distance increases or decreases comprises:
 detecting a current signal-to-noise ratio of a signal receiver of at least one of the UAV or the remote control device;   comparing the current signal-to-noise ratio with a reference signal-to-noise ratio; and   determining whether the remote control distance increases or decreases according a result of comparing the current signal-to-noise ratio with the reference signal-to-noise ratio, including:
 determining that the remote control distance increases in response to the current signal-to-noise ratio being smaller than the reference signal-to-noise ratio; or 
 determining that the remote control distance decreases in response to the current signal-to-noise ratio being greater than the reference signal-to-noise ratio. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the reference signal-to-noise ratio ranges from about −4 dB to about −2 dB. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the reference signal-to-noise ratio is obtained through a practical external field test. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein increasing or maintaining the at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power comprises:
 adding a predetermined change value to a current signal transmission power to obtain an updated signal transmission power, and maintaining an updated current signal-to-noise ratio to be the reference signal-to-noise ratio.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein decreasing or maintaining the at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power comprises:
 calculating a current difference between the current signal-to-noise ratio and the reference signal-to-noise ratio;   comparing the current difference and a predetermined difference; and   controlling at least one of a first current signal transmission power of the UAV or a second current signal transmission power of the remote control device according to a result of comparing the current difference and the predetermined difference, including:
 in response to the current difference being less than or equal to the predetermined difference, maintaining the at least one of the first current signal transmission power or the second current signal transmission power unchanged; or 
 in response to the current difference being greater than the predetermined difference, reducing the at least one of the first current signal transmission power or the second current signal transmission power by a predetermined change value to obtain an updated signal transmission power and maintaining an updated current signal-to-noise ratio to be the reference signal-to-noise ratio. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined difference is a value selected from a range of about 2 dB to about 3 dB. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein detecting the current signal-to-noise ratio, comparing the current signal-to-noise ration with the reference signal-to-noise ratio, determining whether the remote control distance increases or decreases, and controlling the at least one of the first signal transmission power or the second signal transmission power are performed every predetermined time interval. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the predetermined time interval is a value selected from a range of about 0.001 second to about 1 second. 
     
     
         18 . An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
 a distance detector configured to detect a remote control distance between the UAV and a remote control device, the distance detector including:
 a global positioning system configured to obtain a horizontal distance of the UAV relative to the remote control device; 
 a barometer configured to obtain a height of the UAV relative to the remote control device; and 
 a calculator configured to calculate the remote control distance based on the horizontal distance and the height; 
   a transmitter; and   a processor configured to:
 determine whether the remote control distance increases or decreases; and 
 control a signal transmission power of the transmitter by:
 increasing or maintaining the signal transmission power in response to determining that the remote control distance increases; or 
 decreasing or maintaining the signal transmission power in response to determining that the remote control distance decreases. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The UAV of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 in response to detecting a change of the remote control distance, determine whether a current remote control distance between the UAV and the remote control device is within a distance range; and   in response to determining that the current remote control distance is within the distance range, maintain the signal transmission power unchanged.   
     
     
         20 . A remote control device comprising:
 a distance detector configured to detect a remote control distance between the remote control device and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by:
 obtaining a horizontal distance of the UAV relative to the remote control device; 
 obtaining a height of the UAV relative to the remote control device; and 
 calculating the remote control distance based on the horizontal distance and the height; 
   a transmitter; and   a processor configured to:
 determine whether the remote control distance increases or decreases; and 
 control a transmission power of the transmitter by:
 increasing or maintaining the signal transmission power in response to determining that the remote control distance increases; and 
 decreasing or maintaining the signal transmission power in response to determining that the remote control distance decreases.