U.S. patent application number 12/071753 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-11 for wireless remote-control model.
Invention is credited to Shigetada Taya.
Application Number | 20080220687 12/071753 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39410070 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080220687 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Taya; Shigetada |
September 11, 2008 |
Wireless remote-control model
Abstract
A wireless remote-control model includes a safety management
portion having a central control device, and the safety management
portion includes a determination portion, such that when a battery
is connected correctly, a first mode buzz signal instruction is
sent to a buzzer control portion for indicating that the battery is
connected. If the battery is connected correctly and a start
pushbutton is pressed during an examination period, or a second
mode buzz signal instruction is sent to the buzzer control portion
for indicating that the operation is started, or a third mode buzz
signal instruction is sent to the buzzer control portion for
indicating that a power motor is at a driving idle state when the
examination determines a normal condition, so as to assure the
safety of an operator (or a user) as well as the safety of the
wireless remote-control model itself.
Inventors: |
Taya; Shigetada; (Yokohama
City, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROXELL LAW OFFICE PLLC
SUITE 1404, 5205 LEESBURG PIKE
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22041
US
|
Family ID: |
39410070 |
Appl. No.: |
12/071753 |
Filed: |
February 26, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/37 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 30/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/37 |
International
Class: |
A63H 27/127 20060101
A63H027/127 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 26, 2007 |
JP |
2007-045455 |
Claims
1. A wireless remote-control model, comprising a signal receiver, a
detector portion, a control module, a power motor, a servomotor, a
battery, a start pushbutton and a buzzer, wherein: said signal
receiver comprises: a signal receiving circuit, for receiving an
operating control instruction signal transmitted from the signal
transmitter by electric waves; and a decoder, for decoding said
operating control instruction signal from a received signal; said
detector portion comprises: a current detector, a voltage detector
and a temperature detector for detecting the current, voltage and
temperature of said battery respectively, a rotation detector for
detecting the rotation of said power motor, and a rotary angle
detector for detecting the rotary angle and the angular speed of
said servomotor; said control module comprises: a central control
device, and a memory having a control-parameter storage area; said
central control device comprises: a centralized control portion,
for storing a detection signal for detecting said detector portion
and a control parameter stored in said memory to generate an
operating control instruction signal for decoding said decoder, and
generating an operating control signal, and applying the operating
control signal for controlling and operating said power motor and
said servomotor; a safety management portion, for performing a
normal/abnormal determination for said power motor, said servomotor
and said battery according to a detection signal detected by said
detector portion; and a buzzer control portion, for providing a
plurality of modes of buzz signals to the said buzzer according to
the determination result of said safety management portion;
wherein, said safety management portion includes a determination
portion, such that if said determination portion is connected
corrected to said battery, a first mode buzz signal instruction is
sent to said buzzer control portion for indicating the connected
battery; if said battery is connected correctly and said start
pushbutton is pressed during an examination period, a second mode
buzz signal instruction is sent to said buzzer control portion for
indicating a start operation; if the determination of said
examination is normal, a third mode buzz signal instruction is sent
to said buzzer control portion for indicating an driving idle state
of said power motor; said buzzer, for issuing a first mode buzz, a
second mode buzz and a third mode buzz according to said each mode
buzz of said determination portion of said safety management
portion.
2. The wireless remote-control model of claim 1, wherein said first
mode buzz is a heavy continuous sound, said second mode buzz is a
simulated engine starter sound, and said third mode buzz is a
simulated engine idling sound.
3. The wireless remote-control model of claim 1, wherein said
memory includes a history storage area, for storing a determination
result of said safety management portion into said history storage
area.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a wireless remote-control
model, and more particularly to a wireless remote-control model
that can assure the user safety of the wireless remote-control
model employing an electric motor as a motive power source as well
as the safety of the wireless remote-control model itself.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Wireless controlled models such as remote-control
helicopters or vehicles are also known as wireless models or
wireless remote controls, not only applied in the area of amateur
hobbies, but also used extensively in many industries.
Particularly, a wireless remote-control model using electric motor
for its motive power (such as an electric wireless remote-control
model) generally installs a signal receiver, a servomotor, a speed
controller, a gyroscope, an operation control device and a battery
serving as a motive power source, used in an operating control
machine and a control device for controlling the flying and driving
of the wireless remote-control model.
[0005] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of controlling a wireless
remote-control model, and FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a control
module of a wireless remote-control model as depicted in FIG. 5. In
these figures, a wireless remote-control helicopter is used as an
example for illustrating a wireless remote-control model that uses
an electric motor as its motive power source. In FIG. 5, the
wireless remote-control helicopter 100 is operated and controlled
by a signal transmitter 1. The wireless remote-control helicopter
100 installs a signal receiver 2, a control module 3, a battery 27
and an electric motor or a servomotor (not shown in the
figure).
[0006] In FIG. 6, the signal receiver 2 includes a signal receiving
portion 2A and a decoder 2B, and the control module 3 has a control
portion 31 or a memory 32 for storing a control parameter, and a
steering servomotor 8, 9. A power motor 7 drives a servomotor 8, 9
according to an operating control instruction signal received from
a signal transmitter 1 by a receiving antenna 17 for controlling a
collective pitch, a rudder, an elevating rudder, and an aileron,
and the steering portion 18, 19 is controlled for the flying,
elevating or circling of a wireless remote-control helicopter.
[0007] At the position of the signal transmitter 1, a joystick 20,
21, a display device 22, a signal transmitting antenna 304, a
channel selector 307, 308 and other switches 24, are installed, so
that the operating control information or the setup characteristics
of a carrying machine can be displayed visually. The operating
control information transmitted from the signal transmitter 1 is
received by the signal receiver 1, and the signal receiving portion
2A is used for amplifying and detecting the RF waves, and the
decoder 2B is used for decoding. The decoded operating control
information (or operating control instruction signal) of the
control module 3 is stored as a control parameter (or operating
control characteristic parameter) in the memory 32 for driving a
servomotor 8, 9 to control a steering portion 18, 19 that drives
the power motor 7, collective pitch, rudder, elevating rudder or
aileron.
[0008] The wireless remote-control model that uses an electric
motor as its motive power source is disclosed in a patent
literature 1 (Japan Patent Laid Open Publication No. 10-290888 of
Patent Gazette). Although there may be different types of wireless
remote-control models, a wireless control device with a
non-starting engine when the required conditions are not satisfied,
has been disclosed in a patent literature 2 (Japan Patent Laid Open
Publication No. 11-124295 of Patent Gazette).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] As the popularity and performance of a wireless
remote-control model that uses an electric motor as its motive
power source improve increasingly, the output of the electric motor
becomes larger, and the energy capacity of the battery also becomes
larger. In addition, more and more users or operators having little
knowledge or not familiar with the wireless remote-control model,
and thus it is necessary to assure the safety of the electric motor
with a large output as well as the safety of the battery with a
large energy capacity. If an operating control device of its
control device installed on a wireless remote-control model has
problems, then serious failure of the flying or driving of the
wireless remote-control model may occur.
[0010] It is a primary objective of the present invention to
provide a wireless remote-control model that can assure the safety
of an operator (or a user) as well as the safety of the wireless
remote-control model itself.
[0011] To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention
provides a wireless remote-control model, comprising a signal
receiver, a detector portion, a control module, a power motor, a
servomotor, a battery, a start pushbutton and a buzzer. The signal
receiver comprises: a signal receiving circuit, for receiving an
operating control instruction signal transmitted from a signal
transmitter via electric waves; and a decoder, for decoding the
received operating control instruction signal. The detector portion
comprises a current detector, a voltage detector and a temperature
detector for detecting the current, voltage and temperature of the
battery respectively, a rotation detector for detecting the
rotation of the power motor, and an angular speed detector for
detecting the rotation angle of the servomotor and the angular
speed of the frame body.
[0012] The control module comprises a central control portion, and
a memory having a control parameter storage area. The central
control portion comprises: a centralized control portion, for
detecting a detection signal by using a detector portion and a
control parameter stored in the memory, and the decoder is used for
decoding an operating control instruction signal, and generating an
operating control signal, and the operating control signal is
applied to the power motor and the servomotor for the control and
operation; a safety management portion, for determining a
normal/abnormal condition of a power motor, a servomotor and a
battery according to the detection signal detected by the detector
portion; and a buzzer control portion, for according to the
determination result of the safety management portion, for
providing a plurality of modes of buzz signals to the buzzer.
[0013] The safety management portion includes a determination
portion, such that a first mode buzz signal instruction is sent to
the buzzer control portion for indicating that the battery is
connected to the determination portion correctly; a second mode
buzz signal instruction is sent to the buzzer control portion for
indicating that the operation is started, when the battery is
connected correctly and a start pushbutton is pressed during an
examination period; and a third mode buzz signal instruction is
sent to the buzzer control portion for indicating that the power
motor is at a driving idle state, when the examination determines a
normal condition.
[0014] The buzzer issues a first mode buzz, a second mode buzz and
a third mode buzz according to each mode buzz of the determination
portion of the safety management portion.
[0015] In the present invention, the first mode buzz is a heavy
continuous sound, the second mode buzz is a simulated engine
starter sound, and the third mode buzz is a simulated engine idling
sound, so that if an internal combustion engine used for driving
the wireless remote-control model has the same touch feeling, and
the invention can enhance the safety even for a wireless
remote-control model that adopts a silent and stable electric motor
as the motive power source.
[0016] The memory has a history storage area, for recording the
determination result of the safety management portion into the
history storage area for making the replacement of components and
the maintenance of the wireless remote-control model more
easily.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control system of a wireless
remote-control model in accordance with a first preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of determining a normal/abnormal
control of a control system as depicted in FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a control sequence of flying or
stopping a wireless remote-control helicopter;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a wireless remote-control
helicopter used as an example for illustrating a wireless
remote-control model of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of controlling a wireless
remote-control model; and
[0022] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control module of a wireless
remote-control model as depicted in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Refer to FIG. 1 for a block diagram of a control system of a
wireless remote-control model in accordance with a first preferred
embodiment of the present invention, the numeral 1 stands for a
signal transmitter, 2 for a signal receiver, 2A for a signal
receiving portion (RF amplification and wave detection), 2B for a
decoder, 3 for a control module, 31 for a central control device,
311 for a centralized control portion, 312 for a safety management
portion, 313 for a buzzer control portion, 314 for a determination
portion, 32 for a memory, 321 for a set value storage portion, 322
for a history storage portion. The detector portion 4 includes a
current detector 41, a voltage detector 42, a temperature detector
43, a rotation detector 44, a rotary angle detector 45 and an
angular speed detector 46. Another appropriate detector such as
acoustic radar or electric wave radar can be used as well.
[0024] Further a power motor 7 is installed at the position of a
control module 3 for controlling a servomotor 8, 9, 10 of a
steering portion and a battery 27. The numeral 5 stands for a start
switch, and 6 stands for a buzzer. The start switch 5 is a main
switch for controlling the status of a wireless remote-control
helicopter. If the start switch 5 is pressed and secured to an ON
status, electric power will be supplied to the carrying machine,
for detecting each part of a safety management portion 312 and
determine a normal/abnormal condition of a determination portion
314. The buzzer 6 will issue a first mode buzz, a second mode buzz
and a third mode buzz according to the determination of the
determination portion 314.
[0025] In this embodiment, the current detector 41, voltage
detector 42 and temperature detector 43 are detectors for detecting
the current, voltage and temperature of a battery respectively. The
rotation detector 44 is provided for detecting the rotation of an
output shaft of a power motor. The rotary angle detector 25 and the
angular speed detector are detectors for detecting a steering angle
and a rotation angle of an operation of a servomotor and an angular
speed of a frame body respectively, but the above can be measured
by the number of driving pulses and pulse width of the servomotor.
The servomotor is installed at a position of controlling flying
such as the position of a collective pitch, a rudder, an elevating
rudder or an aileron.
[0026] Before or after the flying of a wireless remote-control
helicopter 100, a personal computer (PC) 200 can be used for
changing and modifying a control parameter setting, and the changed
or modified control parameter setting is stored into the set value
storage portion 321 of the memory 32 installed in the wireless
remote-control helicopter 100. In this operation, a communication
line is connected to a connector 33 for transmitting the control
parameter settings from the personal computer 200. Therefore, the
driving characteristics of the power motor such as the operating
characteristics of a collective pitch, a rudder, an elevating
rudder and an aileron are stored as control parameter settings in
the memory 32.
[0027] During the periods of the power motor 7 of the wireless
remote-control helicopter 100 starts rotating for a take-off,
flying and landing, and each control signal of the operating
control instruction signal transmitted from the signal transmitter
1 is modulated and received by the signal receiver 2 of the
wireless remote-control helicopter 100. The received modulated wave
is detected in the signal receiver, and the decoder 3 is used for
decoding, and various operating control instruction signals are
regenerated. The regenerated operating control instruction signals
are centralized in a control circuit 311, and generated
respectively according to the setting (or a setup characteristic of
a control parameter) stored in a set value storage portion 321 of
the memory 32.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 2 for a flow chart of determining a
normal/abnormal control of a control system as depicted in FIG. 1,
the battery is installed, and the start pushbutton is pressed until
the determination is produced. The time required for the
normal/abnormal determination depends on the movement
speed/processing speed of the installed detector or the central
control portion (CPU or microprocessor). In actual practice, all
detectors must be normal and require sufficient time for the
determination. The sequence of the determination is described as
follows.
[0029] Firstly, when the battery is installed to the wireless
remote-control helicopter and electrically connected to an electric
system (Step 1, which is referred to as "P-1"), and then the safety
management portion 312 will detect such connection and instructs
the buzzer control portion 313 to buzz. The buzzer 6 issues a first
mode buzz (P-2). The first mode buzz informs the operator about the
situation of the battery being connected and electrically conducted
with an operating control system. The buzz is preferably a heavy
continuous sound, but a continuous sound around 1 kHz with a very
sensitive hearing frequency can be used for a noisy environment.
However, the present invention is not limited to such arrangement.
In addition, the sound volume of the buzzer can be adjusted, and
the sound alarm device is not limited to the buzzer only, but a
loudspeaker and/or an LED lamp can be used for improve the
alert.
[0030] If the start switch 5 is pressed and held till it is ON, the
buzzer 6 will switch to a second mode buzz (P-4). When the start
switch 5 is switched ON, each portion is examined according to the
detection signal detected by a detector in the detector portion 4
(P-5). During the examination period, the number (n) of detectors,
and the processing time of the safety management portion 312 and
its determination portion 314 are detected. In the examination, the
buzzer 6 will continue issuing the second mode buzz. The second
mode buzz is preferably a simulated engine starter sound, so that
the same touch feeling of the wireless remote-control model that
uses an internal combustion engine as its motive power is provided
to the operator to generate a tense feeling. Further, this abnormal
determination information is stored in a memory 32 of the history
storage portion 322 as shown in FIG. 1, so that records can be
stored in the history storage portion 322, and this structure can
be used for maintenance at a later time. The invention is not
limited to this second mode buzz only, but any other appropriate
buzz can be used as well.
[0031] During the examination, if the condition is determined to be
abnormal (such as the voltage of the battery is lower than a
predetermined value) (P-6), the examination will be interrupted
(P-7). Now, the buzzer 6 will return to the first mode buzz for its
buzz. The buzzer 6 will maintain the second mode buzz, until the
abnormal condition is determined to be eliminated. The interrupt of
an examination may not be used, but a certain abnormal condition is
indicated by returning the buzz to the first mode buzz after the
whole examination is completed.
[0032] If the examination for determining a predetermined number
(n) of examination items (+1) to be normal (P-8), the buzzer 6 will
switch to a third mode buzz (P-9). The third mode buzz is
preferably a simulated idling sound of a wireless remote-control
model that uses an internal combustion engine as its motive power.
In other words, if a signal for starting the flying from the signal
transmitter, the signal is an alarm signal indicating that the
power motor is ready to start rotating or situated at a take-off
state (or an idle state).
[0033] In the idle state, a signal for starting the flight (or
starting a power motor) is received from the signal transmitter,
such that the flying starts or a start signal of shutting the power
motor stops the flying. The start pushbutton is pressed again to
return to the status of turning on a battery. Referring to FIG. 3
for a flow chart of a control sequence of flying or stopping a
wireless remote-control helicopter, a start switch of the signal
transmitter is turned ON (P-10). The safety management portion 312
determines an idle state as illustrated in FIG. 2 (P-11). The power
motor 7 starts rotating, and the buzzer 6 becomes OFF (P-12). If
the elevating instruction signal from the signal transmitter (or a
rotation speed increase signal of the power motor 7) is received,
the wireless remote-control helicopter will elevate, and various
operating control signals transmitted from the signal transmitter
are used for different ways of flying.
[0034] A landing instruction signal from the signal transmitter is
received for landing the wireless remote-control helicopter, and a
rotation stop instruction of the power motor 7 stops the power
motor 7 (P-14). If the power motor 7 stops, the buzzer 6 will be
situated at an idle state (In other words, the buzzer 6 buzzes a
third mode buzz) (P-15). When the third mode buzz is outputted and
a determination of flying the helicopter again is made, the start
switch of the signal transmitter is turned ON (P-10), and the same
procedure as described above will be performed. In addition, if
determination for not flying again is made in (P-15), the start
pushbutton is turned OFF. Now, the buzzer 6 will return to the
first mode buzz for its buzz. If the battery is removed, the buzzer
6 will stop. If the start pushbutton is not switched to OFF within
a predetermined time, the power will be disconnected
automatically.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 4 for a schematic view of a wireless
remote-control helicopter used as an example for illustrating a
wireless remote-control model of the present invention, the
wireless remote-control helicopter 100 comprises a power motor 7, a
battery 27, a servomotor 8, 9, 10 and a signal receiver 2 installed
in a frame body, and an operating mechanism having a control module
3, a detector portion 4 and a gyroscope.
[0036] The frame body installs a main rotor 13 and a landing gear
16, and the axial shaft 14 installs a tail rotor 15. The operating
mechanism or the power motor is triggered by a start pushbutton,
and an operating control instruction received from an antenna 17 is
used for controlling an operating mechanism for the flight. The
buzzer 6 as described above buzzes with the first, second and third
mode buzzes, wherein the numeral 12 stands for a light emitting
diode (or an indicating lamp), which will be lit when power is
supplied to the carrying machine.
[0037] In summation of the description above, the safety of the
operators as well as the safety of the wireless remote-control
model can be achieved. The present invention is not limited to a
wireless remote-control helicopter, but the invention can be
applied to any fixed-wing wireless control airplane, wireless
remote-control car, wireless remote-control boat, and various
wireless remote-control models as well.
* * * * *