Unmanned aerial vehicle charging station management

• US 10,364,025 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Krishnamoorthy, Parthasarathy, Mohan, Prashanth, Vasanthasenan, KrishnaKumar, Sinha, Suman Kumar, Gadde, Prasad, Thondapu, Ramu, Kandakatla, Sri Sai, Agrawal, Prachi
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US15/814,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20180074486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• 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 1/362 Installations for supplying conditioned air to parked aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• 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: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• 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 50/37 Charging when not in flight
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems of various embodiments are disclosed for managing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In various embodiments, the UAV may charge an onboard battery while docked at a docking terminal of a charging station. The UAV may receive a message from the charging station with an instruction to undock from the docking terminal. The UAV may undock from the docking terminal before charging of the onboard battery is complete in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock.

Claims

1. A method of managing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) charging, comprising:

charging an onboard battery of the UAV while docked at a docking terminal of a charging station;

receiving a message from the charging station with an instruction to undock from the docking terminal; and

undocking from the docking terminal before charging of the onboard battery is complete in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the docking terminal comprises a first docking terminal, and the charging station comprises a first charging station, the method further comprising:

determining, in response to receiving the message from the first charging station with the instruction to undock, whether an available power level of the onboard battery is sufficient to reach a second charging station or a second docking terminal at the first charging station; and

landing the UAV at a location removed from the first docking terminal to wait for the first docking terminal to become available to the UAV for charging in response to determining that the available power level of the onboard battery is insufficient to reach the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein landing the UAV at the location removed from the first docking terminal includes landing the UAV at the first charging station in a waiting zone separate from the first docking terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received message from the charging station with the instruction to undock includes authorization to remain at the charging station but not in the docking terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

directing the UAV, in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock, to move to a location at the charging station that is not in the docking terminal.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the docking terminal has become available; and

redocking at the docking terminal in response to determining that the docking terminal has become available.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock, whether an available power level of the onboard battery is sufficient to reach a destination of the UAV; and

directing the UAV to head to the destination after undocking from the charging station in response to determining that the available power level of the onboard battery is sufficient to reach the destination of the UAV.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the docking terminal comprises a first docking terminal, and the charging station comprises a first charging station, the method further comprising:

determining, in response to determining that the available power level of the onboard battery is not sufficient to reach the destination of the UAV, whether an available power level of the onboard battery is sufficient to reach a second charging station or a second docking terminal at the first charging station;

directing the UAV to the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station in response to determining that the available power level of the onboard battery is sufficient to reach the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station; and

landing the UAV at a location removed from the first docking terminal to wait for the first docking terminal to become available to the UAV for charging in response to determining that the available power level of the onboard battery is insufficient to reach the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock, whether the UAV is able to undock from the docking terminal at the charging station; and

staying docked at the docking terminal in response to determining that the UAV is not able to undock from the docking terminal.

10. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with charging stations;

a battery configured to power a component of the UAV;

a charging interface configured to receive power for recharging the battery; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver, the charging interface, and the battery, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to;

charge the battery while docked at a docking terminal of a charging station;

receive a message from the charging station with an instruction to undock from the docking terminal; and

undock from the docking terminal before charging of the battery is complete in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock.

11. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the docking terminal comprises a first docking terminal, and the charging station comprises a first charging station, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, in response to receiving the message from the first charging station with the instruction to undock, whether an available power level of the battery is sufficient to reach a second charging station or a second docking terminal at the first charging station; and

land the UAV at a location removed from the first docking terminal to wait for the first docking terminal to become available to the UAV for charging in response to determining that the available power level of the battery is insufficient to reach the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station.

12. The UAV of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that landing the UAV at the location removed from the first docking terminal includes landing the UAV at the first charging station in a waiting zone separate from the first docking terminal.

13. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that the received message from the charging station with the instruction to undock includes authorization to remain at the charging station but not in the docking terminal.

14. The UAV of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

direct the UAV, in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock, to move to a location at the charging station that is not in the docking terminal.

15. The UAV of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the docking terminal has become available; and

redock at the docking terminal in response to determining that the docking terminal has become available.

16. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock, whether an available power level of the battery is sufficient to reach a destination of the UAV; and

direct the UAV to head to the destination after undocking from the charging station in response to determining that the available power level of the battery is sufficient to reach the destination of the UAV.

17. The UAV of claim 16, wherein the docking terminal comprises a first docking terminal, and the charging station comprises a first charging station, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, in response to determining that the available power level of the battery is not sufficient to reach the destination of the UAV, whether an available power level of the battery is sufficient to reach a second charging station or a second docking terminal at the first charging station;

direct the UAV to the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station in response to determining that the available power level of the battery is sufficient to reach the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station; and

land the UAV at a location removed from the first docking terminal to wait for the first docking terminal to become available to the UAV for charging in response to determining that the available power level of the battery is insufficient to reach the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station.

18. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock, whether the UAV is able to undock from the docking terminal at the charging station; and

stay docked at the docking terminal in response to determining that the UAV is not able to undock from the docking terminal.

19. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

means for charging an onboard battery of the UAV while docked at a docking terminal of a charging station;

means for receiving a message from the charging station with an instruction to undock from the docking terminal; and

means for undocking from the docking terminal before charging of the onboard battery is complete in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock.

20. A processor configured for use in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and configured to:

charge an onboard battery of the UAV while docked at a docking terminal of a charging station;

receive a message from the charging station with an instruction to undock from the docking terminal; and

undock from the docking terminal before charging of the onboard battery is complete in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock.

21. The processor of claim 20, wherein the docking terminal comprises a first docking terminal, and the charging station comprises a first charging station, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, in response to receiving the message from the first charging station with the instruction to undock, whether an available power level of the onboard battery is sufficient to reach a second charging station or a second docking terminal at the first charging station; and

land the UAV at a location removed from the first docking terminal to wait for the first docking terminal to become available to the UAV for charging in response to determining that the available power level of the onboard battery is insufficient to reach the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station.

22. The processor of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that landing the UAV at the location removed from the first docking terminal includes landing the UAV at the first charging station in a waiting zone separate from the first docking terminal.

23. The processor of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that the received message from the charging station with the instruction to undock includes authorization to remain at the charging station but not in the docking terminal.

24. The processor of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to:

direct the UAV, in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock, to move to a location at the charging station that is not in the docking terminal.

25. The processor of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the docking terminal has become available; and

redock at the docking terminal in response to determining that the docking terminal has become available.

26. The processor of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock, whether an available power level of the onboard battery is sufficient to reach a destination of the UAV; and

direct the UAV to head to the destination after undocking from the charging station in response to determining that the available power level of the onboard battery is sufficient to reach the destination of the UAV.

27. The processor of claim 26, wherein the docking terminal comprises a first docking terminal, and the charging station comprises a first charging station, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, in response to determining that the available power level of the onboard battery is not sufficient to reach the destination of the UAV, whether an available power level of the onboard battery is sufficient to reach a second charging station or a second docking terminal at the first charging station;

direct the UAV to the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station in response to determining that the available power level of the onboard battery is sufficient to reach the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station; and

land the UAV at a location removed from the first docking terminal to wait for the first docking terminal to become available to the UAV for charging in response to determining that the available power level of the onboard battery is insufficient to reach the second charging station or the second docking terminal at the first charging station.

28. The processor of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, in response to receiving the message from the charging station with the instruction to undock, whether the UAV is able to undock from the docking terminal at the charging station; and

stay docked at the docking terminal in response to determining that the UAV is not able to undock from the docking terminal.