Invertible drone for selective power capture

• US 10,095,242 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2017
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Von Novak, William Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/641,590
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 701 10
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/353 using solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/60 UAVs characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/80 Arrangement of on-board electronics, e.g. avionics systems or wiring
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 40/00 On-board mechanical arrangements for adjusting control surfaces or rotors; On-board mechanical arrangements for in-flight adjustment of the base configuration control of position, course, altitude or attitude of air or space vehicles, e.g. automatic pilot, G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/30 with arrangements for data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0005 with arrangements to save energy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0808 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/00 Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/807 Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 : On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 : Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

Various embodiments include methods for operating a photovoltaic-powered drone having a photovoltaic surface on one side of at least one of wing or fuselage body of the drone. The method may include determining a flight attitude for the drone based on a first drone attitude for optimizing light energy harvesting by the photovoltaic surface and a second drone attitude for minimizing power expenditure by an onboard propulsion system of the drone to reach a designated destination. The method may include flying the drone in the determined flight attitude while converting light into electricity en route to the designated destination.

Claims

1. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a drone having photovoltaic cells on at least one side of the drone (the “

photovoltaic surface”

) to perform operations, comprising;

determining, by the processor of the drone, a flight attitude for the drone based on one or more of a first drone attitude and a second drone attitude,

wherein in the first drone attitude, more light energy is harvested by the drone as compared to when in the drone is in the second drone attitude, and

wherein in the second drone attitude, power expenditure by an onboard propulsion system of the drone is reduced as compared to when the drone is in the first drone attitude; and

flying the drone, by the processor controlling the drone, in the determined flight attitude while converting light into electricity en route to a designated destination.

2. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein in the first drone attitude the drone is controlled by the processor to face the photovoltaic surface directly at a primary light source of the light energy harvesting.

3. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first drone attitude is determined based on a current date and time.

4. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the flight attitude includes a roll angle at which light energy harvesting supplies enough power to sustain level flight while considering an amount of lift and drag generated by wings of the drone in the roll angle.

5. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining the flight attitude comprises:

rolling the drone toward a first lateral direction for a first period;

measuring a first series of light energy reception levels during the first period;

rolling the drone toward a second lateral direction, opposite the first lateral direction, for a second period;

measuring a second series of light energy reception levels during the second period; and

determining the first drone attitude from a highest light energy reception level measured from the first and second series of light energy reception levels.

6. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein measuring the first and second series of light energy reception levels each comprise measuring a plurality of light energy reception levels at regular intervals.

7. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the first and second periods end at the shorter of a predetermined period or a time corresponding to consecutive decreases in the measured light energy reception levels following an increase in the measured light energy reception levels.

8. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the flight attitude is further determined based on a third drone attitude that minimizes a time to reach the designated destination.

9. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the flight attitude is further determined based on a third drone attitude that minimizes a distance traveled to reach the designated destination.

10. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the flight attitude is further determined based on a third drone attitude that minimizes a total energy required to reach the designated destination.