Drone

• US 10,336,441 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jungsik, Kim, Hyoungrock, Park, Joongtae, Yang, Sunho
• Primary Examiner(s): Ingram, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/616,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20170355453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2025/008 Comprising means for modifying their length, e.g. for kneeling, for jumping, or for leveling the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2025/325 specially adapted for helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/24 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/52 Skis or runners
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/62 Spring shock-absorbers; Springs
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/06 actuated automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/04 Landing aids; Safety measures to prevent collision with earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/06 mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing

Abstract

Disclosed is a drone. The present invention includes a plurality of propellers creating a lift to prevent inclination and overturn of the drone due to a lift difference generated from uneven ground, a power driving unit providing a rotation power to each of a plurality of the propellers, a ground sensing unit measuring a distance to a first region of the ground and a shape of the first region, and a controller controlling the power driving unit to differentiate rotation ratios of a plurality of the propellers based on the measured distance and shape if receiving an input signal for landing at the first region.

Claims

1. A drone, comprising:

a plurality of propellers configured for creating a lift;

a power driving unit configured for providing a rotation power to each of the plurality of propellers;

a ground sensing unit configured for measuring a distance to a first region of the ground and a shape of the first region;

a controller configured for controlling the power driving unit to differentiate rotation ratios of the plurality of propellers based on the measured distance and shape in response to an input for landing at the first region; and

a variable leg provided to a bottom end of the drone, the variable leg configured to come into a contact with the ground on making the landing and maintain level according to a distance to the ground by withdrawing or inserting the variable leg,

wherein the variable leg comprises;

a first shaft;

a second shaft coupled with a bottom end of the first shaft to be withdrawn or inserted; and

a spring provided between the first shaft and the second shaft.

2. The drone of claim 1, wherein the plurality of propellers comprise a first propeller and a second propeller and wherein if a height of a first point of the ground corresponding to the first propeller is higher than that of a second point of the ground corresponding to the second propeller, the controller is further configured to control the power driving unit to provide a rotation power of the first propeller smaller than that of the second propeller.

3. The drone of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the power driving unit to differentiate the rotation ratios of the plurality of propellers only if an altitude of the drone is equal to or smaller than a first threshold altitude.

4. The drone of claim 1, wherein the ground sensing unit comprises a plurality of sensors configured to measure distances to a vertically downward ground by being provided to locations corresponding to the plurality of propellers, respectively.

5. The drone of claim 4, wherein when at least one of the difference between a plurality of the measured distances to the vertically downward ground exceeds a first threshold, the controller is further configured to control the power driving unit to hover or land by moving in a predetermined distance in a horizontal direction.

6. The drone of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of seating legs provided to locations corresponding to a plurality of the sensors, respectively and wherein if a value corresponding to a shortest one of a plurality of the measured distances to the vertically downward ground exceeds a majority of the whole plural numbers, the controller is further configured to control the power driving unit to land at the ground.

7. The drone of claim 1, the variable leg further comprising:

a driving unit provided between the first shaft and the second shaft, the driving unit including a gear to withdraw or insert the second shift from or in the first shaft by being engaged with a motor rotation under the control of the controller.

8. The drone of claim 1, further comprising:

a first housing having a plurality of propellers; and

a second housing coupled with the first housing to enable a yaw, a pitch and a roll, the second housing having a camera,

wherein if receiving the signal for landing at the first region, the controller is further configured to control the yaw, pitch and roll of the second housing based on the measured ground shape of the first region to enable the first housing to maintain level on an earth center and enable the second housing to be in parallel with the ground.