Midair tethering of an unmanned aerial vehicle with a docking station

• US 10,007,272 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2016
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Tirpak, Christopher Boyd, Minnick, Danny J., Gerhards, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/228,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20180039286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/022 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/00 Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations specially adapted for captive aircraft B64F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/007 Helicopter portable landing pads
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/35 by wireless transmission, e.g. by induction
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/39 Battery swapping
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/95 Means for guiding the landing UAV towards the platform, e.g. lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/99 Means for retaining the UAV on the platform, e.g. dogs or magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/30 with arrangements for data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/40 for two or more UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 : involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/042 : specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0653 : during a phase of take-off or landing
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 : specially adapted for landing

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicle docking systems and methods are presented herein. A UAV can hover in a hovering position above a docking pad of the UAV docking system based on positioning measurements. An on-board camera can image a machine-readable code present on the docking pad. The hovering position of the UAV above the docking pad can be adjusted based on imaging of the machine-readable code and ranging measurements to the docking pad. A tether can be extended from the UAV towards the docking pad. The hovering position of the UAV and extension of the tether can be adjusted such that a mating device present on a distal end of the tether engages with a coupling device of the UAV docking pad. The tether can be reeled in to the UAV to assist in lowering the UAV from the hovering position to a landing position on the docking pad.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) docking system, comprising:

a UAV docking station, comprising;

a UAV landing pad;

a magnetic coupler; and

a recharging system; and

an on-board UAV docking system incorporated as part of a UAV, the on-board UAV docking system comprising;

a camera coupled with the UAV such that the camera images a field-of-view below the UAV;

one or more processors that receive one or more images of the field-of-view below the UAV from the camera and locates the UAV landing pad at least partially based on the one or more received images; and

a reel and tether system, comprising a tether line, a reel, and a UAV mating device located at an end of the tether line, wherein;

the UAV mating device removably magnetically couples with the magnetic coupler of the UAV docking station; and

the one or more processors are configured to, as part of a landing procedure, activate the reel to retract the tether line while the UAV mating device is coupled with the magnetic coupler of the UAV docking station to pull the UAV toward the UAV landing pad while the UAV is hovering.

2. The UAV docking system of claim 1, wherein the tether line, while the magnetic coupler of the UAV docking station is coupled with the UAV mating device, the tether line transfers power to a battery on-board the UAV.

3. The UAV docking system of claim 1, the on-board UAV docking system further comprising a ranging sensor that determines an altitude of the UAV above the UAV landing pad.

4. The UAV docking system of claim 1, wherein the recharging system of the UAV docking station comprises a wireless charger that wirelessly transfers power to the UAV when the UAV is docked with the UAV docking station.

5. The UAV docking system of claim 1, wherein the UAV landing pad comprises multiple visual machine-readable codes that identify different zones of the UAV landing pad, wherein the UAV landing pad accommodates multiple UAVs in the different zones.

6. The UAV docking system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic coupler of the UAV docking station comprises an electromagnet, wherein the electromagnet is powered down during a takeoff procedure of the UAV after the UAV has begun hovering above the UAV landing pad.

7. The UAV docking system of claim 1, wherein the tether line, while the magnetic coupler of the UAV docking station is coupled with the UAV mating device, transfers data to the one or more processors of the UAV.

8. The UAV docking system of claim 1, wherein the UAV comprises a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) module which provides location information to the one or more processors of the UAV, wherein the one or more processors use the location information from the GNSS module to hover the UAV in a general location above the UAV docking station prior to performing the landing procedure.

9. The UAV docking system of claim 1, wherein the UAV docking station further comprises an enclosure system that is controlled by one or more processors of the UAV docking station to open and close as part of the landing procedure and a takeoff procedure.

10. The UAV docking system of claim 1, wherein the tether line and mating device of the reel and tether system of the on-board UAV docking system is located approximately directly beneath a center of gravity of the UAV.

11. The UAV docking system of claim 1, wherein the UAV docking station further comprises a support system that elevates the UAV landing pad at least four feet from the ground.

12. A method for using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) docking system, the method comprising:

hovering, by the UAV, in a hovering position above a docking pad of the UAV docking system based on global navigation satellite system measurements;

capturing, using an on-board camera of the UAV, an image of a machine-readable code present on a surface of the docking pad of the UAV docking system;

adjusting, by one or more processors of the UAV, the hovering position of the UAV above the docking pad based on imaging of the machine-readable code and ranging measurements to the docking pad;

extending, by the one or more processors of the UAV, a tether from the UAV towards the docking pad;

adjusting, by the one or more processors of the UAV, the hovering position of the UAV such a mating device present on a distal end of the tether engages with a coupling device of the UAV docking pad; and

reeling, by the one or more processors of the UAV, the tether in to the UAV to assist in lowering the UAV from the hovering position to a landing position on the docking pad.

13. The method for using the UAV docking system of claim 12, further comprising:

charging one or more batteries of the UAV via the tether and mating device engaged with the coupling device of the UAV docking pad.

14. The method for using the UAV docking system of claim 12, wherein engaging the mating device with the coupling device of the UAV docking pad is performed using magnetic attraction.

15. The method for using the UAV docking system of claim 12, further comprising:

opening, by the UAV docking system, one or more enclosure doors to permit access to expose the docking pad and permit the mating device to engage with the coupling device of the UAV docking pad.

16. The method for using the UAV docking system of claim 15, further comprising:

closing, by the UAV docking system, the one or more enclosure doors after the UAV has been determined to have touched down on the docking pad of the UAV docking system.

17. The method for using the UAV docking system of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, by the UAV docking system, that the UAV has touched down onto the docking pad.

18. The method for using the UAV docking system of claim 17, further comprising:

ceasing to power a propulsion system of the UAV in response to determining that the UAV has touched down onto the docking pad.

19. A non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising processor-readable instructions that cause one or more processors of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to:

cause the UAV to hover in a hovering position above a docking pad of a UAV docking system based on global navigation satellite system measurements;

image, using an on-board camera of the UAV, a machine-readable code present on a surface of the docking pad of the UAV docking system;

adjust the hovering position of the UAV above the docking pad based on imaging of the machine-readable code and ranging measurements to the docking pad;

cause a tether to be extended from the UAV towards the docking pad;

adjust the hovering position of the UAV such a mating device present on a distal end of the tether engages with a coupling device of the UAV docking pad; and

cause the tether to be reeled in to the UAV to assist in lowering the UAV from the hovering position to a landing position on the docking pad.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the processor-readable instructions further cause the one or more processors of the UAV to cause a propulsion system of the UAV to cease being powered in response to determining that the UAV has touched down onto the docking pad.