Unmanned aerial vehicle and water sampling method thereof

• US 10,338,608 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: Wang, Mingyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US15/604,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20170261998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/54 Floats
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/35 for science, e.g. meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/12 Dippers; Dredgers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/14 Suction devices, e.g. pumps; Ejector devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/021 Correlating sampling sites with geographical information, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/1031 Sampling from special places
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/18 Water
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/042 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

A water sampling method includes acquiring, by an unmanned aerial vehicle, a sampling depth at which a water sample is to be taken. The sampling depth is sent by a portable electronic device or is a preset default depth. The method further includes calculating a descending distance based on the sampling depth and a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and a water surface, controlling the water sampler to descend for the descending distance, sampling, by the water sampler, a water sample, and sending a sampling result to a ground station or the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A water sampling method comprising:

controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle hovering above a water surface of a sampling site;

acquiring, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, a sampling depth at which a water sample is to be taken, the sampling depth being sent by a portable electronic device or being a preset default depth;

calculating a descending distance based on a sum of the sampling depth and a distance between a bottom of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the water surface;

controlling the water sampler to descend for the descending distance;

sampling, by the water sampler, a water sample; and

sending a sampling result to a ground station or the portable electronic device.

2. The water sampling method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, position information of the sampling site; and

flying to the sampling site based on the position information of the sampling site.

3. The water sampling method according to claim 2, wherein receiving the position information of the sampling site includes receiving the position information of the sampling site sent by the portable electronic device selected from a satellite map displayed on the portable electronic device or input into the portable electronic device.

4. The water sampling method according to claim 1, further comprising:

flying to the sampling site under a control of a remote controller.

5. The water sampling method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the sampling depth includes acquiring a depth value input into the portable electronic device and sent by the portable electronic device to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

6. The water sampling method according to claim 1, further comprising:

floating on the water surface through a floating board attached to the unmanned aerial vehicle, such that the distance between the bottom of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the water surface is zero.

7. The water sampling method according to claim 1, wherein the preset default depth is about 0.4 m to about 1 m underwater.

8. The water sampling method according to claim 1, further comprising:

measuring, by a distance sensor attached to the unmanned aerial vehicle, the distance between the bottom of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the water surface.

9. The water sampling method according to claim 8, wherein the distance sensor is an ultrasonic sensor or a barometer.

10. The water sampling method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a lifting device to drive the water sampler to descend by the descending distance.

11. A water sampling system comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle; and

a water sampler coupled to the unmanned aerial vehicle, and configured to ascend and descend relative to the unmanned aerial vehicle and to sample a water sample,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to;

hover above a water surface of a sampling site,

acquire a sampling depth at which a water sample is to be taken, the sampling depth being sent by a portable electronic device or being a preset default depth,

calculate a descending distance based on a sum of the sampling depth and a distance between a bottom of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the water surface, and

control the water sampler to descend for the descending distance.

12. The water sampling system according to claim 11, wherein:

the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a signal transceiver configured to receive position information of the sampling site,

the unmanned aerial vehicle is further configured to fly to the sampling site based on the position information of the sampling site, and

the signal transceiver is further configured to send a sampling result to the portable electronic device or a ground station.

13. The water sampling system according to claim 12, wherein the signal transceiver is configured to receive the position information of the sampling site sent by the portable electronic device selected from a satellite map displayed on the portable electronic device or input into the portable electronic device.

14. The water sampling system according to claim 12, wherein:

the signal transceiver is further configured to receive a control signal from a remote controller, and

the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to fly to the sampling site under a control of the remote controller.

15. The water sampling system according to claim 11, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive a depth value input into and sent by the portable electronic device as the sampling depth at which the water sample is to be taken.

16. The water sampling system according to claim 11, wherein:

the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a floating board, and

the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to float on the water surface through the floating board, such that the distance between the bottom of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the water surface is zero.

17. The water sampling system according to claim 11, wherein the preset default depth is about 0.4 m to about 1 m underwater.

18. The water sampling system according to claim 11, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a distance sensor configured to measure the distance between the unmanned aerial and the water surface.

19. The water sampling system according to claim 18, wherein the distance sensor is an ultrasonic sensor or a barometer.

20. The water sampling system according to claim 11, wherein:

the unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises a lifting device configured to drive the water sampler to ascend or descend relative to the unmanned aerial vehicle, and

the unmanned aerial vehicle is further configured to control the lifting device to drive the water sampler to descend by the descending distance.