Drone charging stations

• US 10,112,728 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2018
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Steward Evans
• Original Assignee: Michael Steward Evans
• Inventors: Evans, Michael Steward
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US15/950,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20180229859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 203 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/35 for supplying electrical power to stationary aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/36 Other airport installations ground installations for de-icing aircraft B64F5/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/362 Installations for supplying conditioned air to parked aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/61 for transporting passengers
• 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 50/35 by wireless transmission, e.g. by induction
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0095 Aspects of air-traffic control not provided for in the other subgroups of this main group
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/00 Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A charging system for a drone carrying a passenger pod has a base structure connected to a power grid, a row of substantially planar wireless charging pads supported by the base structure, and a computerized controller enabled to communicate with a drone and to initiate, control and stop charging power. As a drone carrying a passenger pod approaches the charging-system, the computerized controller directs the moving drone into a path bringing a charging receiver pad of the passenger pod carried by the drone, and connected to a battery of the passenger pod, into proximity with the row of substantially planar charging pads, and directs the drone to move the carried passenger pod along the row of charging pods, managing speed and direction of the moving drome along the path, as charging of the battery of the passenger pod is accomplished.

Claims

1. A charging system, comprising;

a drone having electrically-powered motors;

a passenger pod carried beneath the drone and detachable from the drone, the passenger pod having a rechargeable battery enabled to power the electrically-powered motors of the drone;

a base structure connected to a power grid;

a row of substantially planar wireless charging pads supported by the base structure; and

a computerized controller enabled to communicate with the drone and to initiate, control and stop charging power;

wherein, as the drone carrying the passenger pod approaches the row of substantially planar charging pads, the computerized controller directs the moving drone into a path bringing a charging receiver pad of the passenger pod carried by the drone, and connected to the battery of the passenger pod, into proximity with the row of substantially planar charging pads, and directs the drone to move the carried passenger pod along the row of charging pads, keeping the charging receiver pad of the passenger pod in proximity to the row of charging pads, managing speed and direction of the moving drone along the path, as charging of the battery of the passenger pod is accomplished.

2. The charging system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of rows of substantially planar wireless charging pads, individual ones of the rows facing in different directions, and positioned at different levels, enabling a plurality of drones carrying passenger pods to charge the pod batteries.

3. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the row of charging pads is sized to accommodate the drone carrying a plurality of passenger pods.

4. The charging system of claim 2 wherein the rows of charging pads are supported from a central pole structure.

5. The charging system of claim 2 wherein the rows of charging pads are supported by framework on a roof of a building.

6. The charging system of claim 2 wherein the rows of charging pads are supported in a framework between two buildings.

7. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the row of substantially planar charging pads is oriented with the plane of the row substantially vertical, to accommodate receiver pads that are oriented substantially vertically on passenger pods.

8. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the computerized controller interacts with the drone, determining whether the drone can reach a next destination, how much charge is required, and a rate of charging to accomplish the charge.

9. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the computerized controller communicates with other charging systems at other geographic locations.

10. The charging system of claim 1, further comprising a central computer system managing and gathering data from and sharing data with a plurality of charging stations.

11. A method for charging a battery of a passenger pod carried by a separate and detachable drone having electrically-powered motors powered by the battery of the passenger pod, comprising;

providing a a row of substantially planar wireless charging pads supported by a base structure connected to a power grid;

communicating with the drone carrying the passenger pod by a computerized controller;

directing the drone into a path bringing a charging receiver pad of the passenger pod carried by the drone, and connected to the battery of the passenger pod, into proximity with the row of substantially planar wireless charging pads;

directing the drone to move the carried passenger pod along the row of charging pads, managing speed and direction of the moving passenger pod along the path, as charging of the battery of the passenger pod is accomplished.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of rows of substantially planar wireless charging pads, individual ones of the rows facing in different directions, and positioned at different levels, wherein drones are directed to move the passenger pods to follow individual ones of the rows of pads.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the row of charging pads is sized to accommodate the drone carrying a plurality of passenger pods.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the rows of charging pads are supported from a central pole structure.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the rows of charging pads are supported by framework on a roof of a building.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the rows of charging pads are supported in a framework between two buildings.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the row of substantially planar charging pads is oriented with the plane of the row substantially vertical, to accommodate receiver pads that are oriented substantially vertically on passenger pods.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the computerized controller interacts with the drone, determining whether the drone can reach a next destination, how much charge is required, and a rate of charging to accomplish the charge.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the computerized controller communicates with other charging systems at other geographic locations.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising a central computer system managing and gathering data from and sharing data with a plurality of charging stations.