Method of fishing with unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,268,193 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ningbo Pelican Drone Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ningbo Pelican Drone Company Limited
• Inventors: Gan, Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US15/644,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20180373241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 653 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 79/00 Methods or means of catching fish in bulk not provided for in groups A01K69/00 - A01K77/00, e.g. fish pumps; Detection of fish; Whale fishery
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 83/00 Fish-hooks
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 91/02 Devices for casting lines
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 93/00 Floats for angling, with or without signalling devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/02 Devices for laying ground-bait, e.g. chum dispensers , e.g. also for throwing ground-bait
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/125 using electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 99/00 Methods or apparatus for fishing not provided for in groups A01K69/00 - A01K97/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/00 Dropping, ejecting, releasing, or receiving articles, liquids, or the like, in flight with respect to weapon sights devices F41G takes precedence, parachutes per se B64D17/00; ejectable seats B64D25/10; ejectable capsules B64D25/12; refuelling during flight B64D39/00; launching apparatus for projecting projectiles or missiles F41F1/00, F41F7/00; rocket or torpedo launchers F41F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• 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 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish
• 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 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/81 Aquaculture, e.g. of fish

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a method of using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a housing, a processor, a positioning unit, a sonar unit, a launching unit and a fishhook unit in fishing. The method comprises manipulating the UAV to fly to a designated destination determined by the processor according to one of a received wireless communication and a preset program, adjusting the sonar unit to a predetermined height by the positioning unit, determining a coordinate corresponding to a signal detected by the sonar unit as a fishing region when the signal is consistent with a predetermined value, launching bait to the fishing region by the launching unit, releasing a fishhook from the fishhook unit to the fishing region, and manipulating the UAV to hover or return by the processor according to one of a received wireless communication and a preset program.

Claims

1. A method of using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a housing, a processor, a positioning unit, a sonar unit, a launching unit and a fishhook unit in fishing, the method comprising:

manipulating the UAV to fly to a designated destination determined by the processor according to one of a received wireless communication and a preset program;

adjusting the sonar unit to a predetermined height by the positioning unit;

determining a coordinate corresponding to a signal detected by the sonar unit as a fishing region when the signal is consistent with a predetermined value;

launching bait to the fishing region by the launching unit;

releasing a fishhook from the fishhook unit to the fishing region;

maintaining the sonar unit at the predetermined height after releasing the fishhook from the fishhook unit to the fishing region;

and

manipulating the UAV to hover or return by the processor according to one of a received wireless communication and a preset program;

wherein the step of adjusting the sonar unit to the predetermined height by the positioning unit comprises;

applying a first sensor of the positioning unit to sense a tension on a wire which connects the sonar unit to the positioning unit;

sending the tension sensed by the first sensor to the processor; and

instructing the wire to stop or decelerate by the processor if the tension is less than a first threshold;

wherein the step of adjusting the sonar unit to the predetermined height by the positioning unit comprises;

applying a second sensor of the positioning unit to sense a distance between the sonar unit and the housing;

sending the distance sensed by the second sensor to the processor; and

instructing the wire to stop or decelerate by the processor if the distance is less than a second threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending signals detected by the sonar unit to the processor at a predetermined interval.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising wirelessly transmitting video information collected by a camera on the UAV to a remote user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the launching unit comprises a first slide bar used to hang the bait and a first driving component used to actuate the first slide bar to launch the bait to the fishing region according to instructions received from the processor, one end of the first slide bar is connected to a first pivot, the other end of the first slide bar is slidably connected to a first supporting component which is slidably connected to the housing along a direction perpendicular to the first slide bar, and the first driving component actuates the first slide bar to detach from the first supporting component and rotate around the first pivot when launching the bait to the fishing region.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the fishhook unit comprises a second slide bar used to hang the fishhook and a second driving component used to actuate the second slide bar to launch the fishhook to the fishing region according to instructions received from the processor, one end of the second slide bar is connected to a second pivot, the other end of the second slide bar is slidably connected to a second supporting component which is slidably connected to the housing along a direction perpendicular to the second slide bar, and the second driving component actuates the second slide bar to detach from the second supporting component and rotate around the second pivot when releasing the fishhook to the fishing region.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first driving component is to enable sliding movement of the first pivot along a first sliding groove on the housing, and the second driving component is to enable sliding movement of the second pivot along a second sliding groove on the housing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a first elastic component between the first supporting component and the housing induces movement of the first supporting component when a force induced by the first slide bar to the first supporting component is greater than a third threshold, and a second elastic component between the second supporting component and the housing induces movement of the second supporting component when a force induced by the second slide bar to the second supporting component is greater than a fourth threshold.