Parachute deployment system for an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,112,721 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flirtey Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flirtey Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Sweeny, Matthew, Fathallah, Michel, Bass, Tom, Baddam, Kranthi, Foggia, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tissot, Adam D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US15/294,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20170106986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/58 Arrangements or adaptations of shock-absorbers or springs shimmy-dampers B64C25/50
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/70 by springs
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/80 in association with aircraft, e.g. for braking thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/83 using parachutes, balloons or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/105 specially adapted for unpowered flight, e.g. glider, parachuting, forced landing parachutes per se B64D17/00

Abstract

Disclosed is a technique for landing a drone using a parachute. The technique includes a parachute deployment system (PDS) that can deploy a parachute installed in a drone and land the drone safely. The parachute may be deployed automatically, e.g., in response to a variety of failures such as a free fall, or manually from a base unit operated by a remote user. For example, the PDS can determine the failure of the drone based on data obtained from an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer and a barometer of the drone and automatically deploy the parachute if any failure is determined. In another example, the remote user can “kill” the drone, that is, cut off the power supply to the drone and deploy the parachute by activating an onboard “kill” switch from the base unit.

Claims

1. A drone comprising:

a lift mechanism configured to lift and propel the drone;

an error detection circuit configured to;

detect an error in operation of the drone, the error indicating a failure of the drone, the failure including a failure in all or a subset of motors of the lift mechanism, and

upon detecting the error, send a trigger event;

a parachute securely attached to the drone and configured to slow a decent of the drone when deployed;

a parachute deployment mechanism configured to release the parachute in response to the trigger event, or in response to another trigger event generated in response to a command from a base unit operated by a remote user; and

a cut-off circuit configured to control the lift mechanism in response to the trigger event, wherein the cut-off circuit is configured to control the lift mechanism by disabling the lift mechanism.

2. The drone of claim 1 further comprising:

a first power source configured to power the lift mechanism.

3. The drone of claim 1 further comprising:

a second power source configured to power the error detection circuit.

4. The drone of claim 3, wherein the second power source is further configured to power the parachute deployment mechanism.

5. The drone of claim 1, wherein the parachute is securely attached to the drone by being permanently attached to the drone.

6. The drone of claim 1, wherein the parachute is securely attached to the drone by being interchangeably affixed to the drone.

7. The drone of claim 1 further comprising:

a navigation circuit configured to navigate the drone from a first location to a second location.

8. The drone of claim 7, wherein the first location is a present location of the drone.

9. The drone of claim 1 further comprising:

a video system configured to capture an image from the drone; and

a communication system configured to transmit the image to the remote user.

10. The drone of claim 1 further comprising:

a communication system configured to communicate with the base unit operated by the remote user.

11. The drone of claim 1 further comprising:

a parachute controller configured to steer the drone with the parachute deployed and by steering the parachute.

12. The drone of claim 11, wherein the parachute controller is configured to steer the drone autonomously using one or more of multiple sensors on board the drone and a steering logic of the parachute controller.

13. The drone of claim 11, wherein the parachute controller is configured to steer the drone based on a command received from the remote user from the base unit.

14. The drone of claim 11, wherein the parachute controller is configured to steer the drone to a specified location based on a video feed received from a video camera installed onboard the drone.

15. The drone of claim 1, wherein the error detection circuit is configured to detect the error when there is a loss of heartbeat signal from a flight controller of the drone.

16. The drone of claim 1, wherein the error detection circuit is configured to detect the error when there is a geo fence breach by the drone.

17. The drone of claim 1, wherein the error detection circuit is configured to detect the error when a tilt of the drone exceeds a specified value.

18. The drone of claim 1, wherein the error detection circuit is configured to detect the error when a tilt of the drone exceeds a specified value for a specified duration.

19. The drone of claim 1, wherein the error detection circuit is configured to detect the error when a speed at which the drone is descending exceeds a specified value.

20. The drone of claim 1, wherein the error detection circuit is configured to detect the error when an ability to communicate with a control station is lost.

21. The drone of claim 1, wherein the error detection circuit is configured to detect the error when there is a power loss to the drone or a charge in any of multiple power sources of the drone is below a specified threshold.

22. The drone of claim 1, wherein the error detection circuit is configured to detect the error when there is a collision between the drone and another object.

23. The drone of claim 1, wherein the error detection circuit is configured to detect the error when there is a loss of flight control.

24. The drone of claim 1, wherein the parachute is steerable.

25. The drone of claim 1, wherein the parachute deployment mechanism is configured to release the parachute without requiring power from a power source that supplies power to the drone.

26. The drone of claim 1 further comprising:

a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a two way radio, configured to communicate a status of the error detection circuit to the remote user.

27. The drone of claim 1, wherein the cut-off circuit is configured to include an onboard “

kill”

switch that is configured to control the lift mechanism in response to the trigger event.

28. The drone of claim 27, wherein the onboard kill switch is powered by an independent power source.

29. The drone of claim 1, wherein the cut-off circuit is configured to disable the lift mechanism by substituting a throttle signal to the lift mechanism from a flight controller with a zero throttle signal.

30. The drone of claim 1, wherein the cut-off circuit is configured to disable the lift mechanism by breaking an electrical connection between a power source of the drone and the lift mechanism.

31. The drone of claim 1, wherein the cut-off circuit is configured to disable the lift mechanism by breaking an electrical connection between a speed controller and a motor of the lift mechanism.

32. The drone of claim 1, wherein the cut-off circuit is configured to disable the lift mechanism by disconnecting a power source of the drone using a spring loaded mechanical switch.

33. The drone of claim 1, wherein the cut-off circuit is configured to disable the lift mechanism by failing a subset of multiple motors of the lift mechanism.

34. The drone of claim 33 further comprising:

a flight controller, wherein the flight controller is configured to;

readjust a load on a remaining of the motors that are not failed, and

land the drone using the remaining of the motors.

35. The drone of claim 1, wherein the cut-off circuit is configured to control the lift mechanism before the parachute is deployed.

36. The drone of claim 1, wherein the parachute deployment mechanism is configured to receive the trigger event from an onboard “

kill”

switch that is activated from the base unit by the remote user.

37. The drone of claim 1 further comprising:

an airbag deployment module to deploy an airbag in response to a specified trigger event, the specified trigger event generated by the remote user or automatically by the airbag deployment module based on an indication that an impact of the drone upon landing exceeds a specified threshold.

38. The drone of claim 1 further comprising:

a passive safety system.

39. The drone of claim 38, wherein the passive safety system is a layer of padding underneath the drone.

40. The drone of claim 39, wherein the passive safety system is made of foam.

41. The drone of claim 39, wherein the passive safety system is incorporated in an airframe of the drone, and wherein the passive safety system or a portion thereof is removably attached to the drone.

42. The drone of claim 39, wherein the padding has a thickness that is proportional to a center of gravity of the drone.

43. The drone of claim 39, wherein the padding is an inflatable air cushion that is permanently deployed.

44. The drone of claim 39, wherein the padding is an inflatable air cushion that is deployed in response to a specified trigger event.

45. A method of deploying a parachute of a drone, the method comprising:

detecting an error in operation of the drone while the drone is in flight;

determining whether the error is of a type that requires a deployment of the parachute, the error indicating a failure of the drone, the failure including a failure in all or a subset of motors of a lift mechanism of the drone; and

responsive to the determination that the error is of the type that requires the parachute to be deployed,

controlling the lift mechanism by disabling the lift mechanism, the disabling including sending a zero throttle signal to the lift mechanism that renders the drone unflyable, and

sending a signal to a parachute deployment mechanism on the drone to deploy the parachute.

46. The method of claim 45 further comprising:

steering the parachute to navigate the drone to a specified location.

47. A base unit for deploying a parachute on a drone, comprising:

a communication system configured to send and receive instructions from the drone;

an auto deployment switch configured to enable or disable auto deployment of the parachute on the drone in response to a failure of the drone, the failure including a failure in all or a subset of motors of a lift mechanism of the drone;

an arming switch configured to enable or disable manual deployment of the parachute from the base unit; and

a deploy switch configured to send a signal to an onboard “

kill”

switch on the drone that, when activated, causes the drone to;

control the lift mechanism by disabling the lift mechanism, the disabling including stopping one or more motors of the lift mechanism, and

deploy the parachute after controlling the lift mechanism, wherein the deploy switch sends the signal if the arming switch is enabled and when the deploy switch is activated by a user.

48. A method of deploying a parachute of a drone, the method comprising:

receiving a command at the drone from a base unit operated by a user for deploying the parachute, wherein the command is received from the base unit in response to the user activating a deploy switch at the base unit, and wherein the base unit and the drone communicate via a satellite or radio signals; and

activating an onboard “

kill”

switch of the drone in response to receiving the command, the “

kill”

switch configured to;

control a lift mechanism of the drone by disabling the lift mechanism, the disabling including substituting a throttle signal to the lift mechanism with a zero throttle signal for terminating a flight of the drone, and

send a signal to a parachute deployment mechanism on the drone to deploy the parachute after controlling the lift mechanism.