Systems and methods for unmanned aerial vehicle landing

• US 10,124,908 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firmatek Software LLC
• Original Assignee: Kespry, Inc.
• Inventors: Stabler, Benjamin Stuart, Hall-Snyder, Nathaniel, Doersch, Paul, Hammond, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, Garrett F
• Application Number:
  US15/030,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20160257424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/00 Toy aircraft; Other flying toys toys with parachutes A63H33/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/02 for arresting aircraft, e.g. nets or cables
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/12 for anchoring aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/20 Arrangement of optical beacons
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/362 Installations for supplying conditioned air to parked aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• 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 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 70/97 Means for guiding the UAV to a specific location on the platform, e.g. platform structures preventing landing off-centre
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Provided herein are systems and method for autonomously or semi-autonomously landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on a landing pad. The landing pad can include features configured to correct misalignment of the UAV on the landing pad. The landing pad can additionally include one or more markers than can be identified by the UAV to aid the UAV in locating the landing pad and determining the location of the UAV relative to the landing pad.

Claims

1. A system for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a landing pad with a base and a track, wherein the track is elevated off the base on separated risers, and wherein the track comprises an undulating surface forming a plurality of peaks and valleys around a central opening, wherein the landing pad (i) comes in contact with a plurality of elongated landing members of the UAV that extend radially from a center of the UAV, which elongated landing members are below a plurality of propulsion units of the UAV, and (ii) corrects misalignment of the UAV as the elongated landing members come in contact with the track.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the track is a substantially closed track.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the track is configured to absorb impact of the UAV during landing.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the landing pad is configured such that, upon the landing members coming in contact with the track, the elongated landing members rest at the valleys when the UAV is aligned on track.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electrical contacts, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts is activated by pressure from the UAV aligned on the track.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the electrical contacts, when activated, provide power to an energy storage system on-board the UAV.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the electrical contacts, when activated, exchange data with the UAV.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the landing pad permits the UAV to autonomously land on the track.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the landing pad permits the UAV to autonomously take off from the track.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of markers in a predetermined geometric configuration on the landing pad, wherein the markers are detectable by the UAV to identify a location of the landing pad relative to a given location of the UAV.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of markers is protected from impact with the UAV during landing of the UAV on the landing pad.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the markers are detectable by the UAV while the UAV is in flight.

13. A method for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

providing a landing pad with a base and a track, wherein the track is elevated off the base on separated risers, and wherein the track comprises an undulating surface forming a plurality of peaks and valleys around a central opening;

bringing a plurality of elongated landing members of the UAV in contact with the track, wherein the plurality of elongated landing members extend radially from a center of the UAV and are below a plurality of propulsion units of the UAV; and

correcting any misalignment of the UAV as the elongated landing members come in contact with the track.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the track is a substantially closed track.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the track absorbs impact of the UAV during landing.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein upon the landing members coming in contact with the track, the elongated landing members rest at the valleys when the UAV is aligned on track.

17. The method of claim 13, the landing pad further comprises a plurality of electrical contacts that are activated by pressure when the UAV is aligned on the track.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the electrical contacts, when activated, provide power to an energy storage system on-board the UAV.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the electrical contacts, when activated, exchange data with the UAV.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein (b) and (c) are performed autonomously as the UAV lands on the landing pad.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the landing pad further comprises a plurality of markers in a predetermined geometric configuration, wherein the plurality of markers is detectable by the UAV to identify a location of the landing pad relative to a location of the UAV.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of markers is protected from impact with the UAV during landing of the UAV on the landing pad.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of markers are detectable by the UAV while the UAV is in flight.

24. A method for autonomously landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

capturing one or more images of a plurality of markers on a landing station using one or more cameras on-board the UAV, wherein the plurality of markers have a predetermined geometric configuration;

with a computer processor, calculating from the one or more images a location of the UAV relative to the plurality of markers on the landing station;

landing the UAV on a track of the landing station, wherein the track is elevated above a base of the landing pad on separated risers, and wherein the track comprises an undulating surface forming a plurality of peaks and valleys around a central opening, and wherein the calculated location of the UAV relative to the plurality of markers on the landing station is used to approach and land the UAV on the track; and

correcting any misalignment of the UAV on the track.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the calculating is performed using one or more computer processor onboard the UAV or the landing station.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more images of the plurality of markers are captured by the UAV while the UAV is in flight.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the plurality of markers comprise each comprises one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs).

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising synchronizing (1) a flashing of light from the one or more LEDs with (2) capturing one or more images of the plurality of markers using one or more cameras on-board the UAV.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the track absorbs impact of the UAV during landing on the track.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising activating a plurality of electrical contacts when the UAV is aligned on the track.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the electrical contacts provide power to an energy storage system on-board the UAV when activated.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the electrical contacts exchange data with the UAV when activated.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the plurality of markers is protected from impact with the UAV during landing of the UAV on the landing station.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the track is a closed track.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein correcting any misalignment of the UAV on the track comprises correcting any misalignment in three dimensions.