Methods and apparatus to wirelessly power an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,418,853 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Songnan, Wong, Hong W., Yao, Zhen, Elkhouly, Essam, Karacaoglu, Ulun
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuhfuss, Zachary L
• Application Number:
  US15/282,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20180095468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/52 Skis or runners
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• 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 50/38 by wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• 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 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to wirelessly power an unmanned aerial vehicle are disclosed. An example unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a first electrode assembly to capacitively couple to a first power cable. The example UAV includes a second electrode assembly to capacitively couple to a second power cable. The first and second electrode assemblies, when capacitively coupled to the respective first and second power cables, are to receive power from at least one of the first and second power cables. The example UAV includes a power storage circuit to store the received power.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a first electrode assembly configured to capacitively couple to a first power cable to receive power from the first power cable;

a second electrode assembly configured to capacitively couple to a second power cable to receive power from the second power cable; and

a power storage circuit configured to store the received power from the first power cable and/or the second power cable,

wherein the first and second power cables carry respectively first and second phases of a three phase high voltage alternating current power delivery system, and

wherein the first and second electrode assemblies are spaced apart by a distance corresponding to a distance between the first power cable and the second power cable.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, further including an electrode position controller configured to control a first position of the first electrode assembly and a second position of the second electrode assembly, the electrode position controller configured to control the first and second position so that the first electrode assembly does not touch the first power cable and the second electrode assembly does not touch the second power cable.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, further including:

a first arm coupling the first electrode assembly to a body of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

a second arm coupling the second electrode assembly to the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3, further including an actuator configured to control a length of the first arm.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3, further including an arm pitch servo configured to control an angle of the first arm with respect to the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3, further including an electrode pitch servo configured to control an angle of the first electrode assembly with respect to the first arm.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3, wherein the first electrode assembly includes a first electrode and a first dielectric.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7, wherein the first dielectric is made of Teflon.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, further including a first wire configured to interconnect the unmanned aerial vehicle to a second unmanned aerial vehicle when the first electrode assembly is capacitively coupled to the first power cable.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 9, wherein the first wire is configured to interconnect the unmanned aerial vehicle to the second unmanned aerial vehicle by electrically connecting to a second wire of the second unmanned aerial vehicle.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10, wherein the first wire comprises a magnetic coupling terminal configured to electrically connect to a magnetic coupling terminal of the second wire of the second unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a first electrode assembly comprising a first electrode, the first electrode assembly configured to capacitively couple to a first power cable to receive power from the first power cable;

a second electrode assembly configured to capacitively couple to a second power cable to receive power from the second power cable;

a power storage circuit configured to store the power received from the first power cable and/or the second power cable; and

wherein the first electrode assembly further includes an electrode actuator configured to adjust a length of the first electrode assembly.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, the first electrode assembly further comprising a third electrode electrically and mechanically coupled to the first electrode.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 13, wherein the length of the first electrode assembly is a length from a distal end of the first electrode to a distal end of the third electrode.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 13, wherein the first electrode assembly further comprises a third dielectric coupled to the third electrode and a first dielectric coupled to the first electrode.

16. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the second electrode assembly includes a second dielectric coupled to a second electrode.

17. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a first electrode assembly comprising a first electrode and a first dielectric, the first electrode assembly configured to capacitively couple to a first power cable to receive power from the first power cable;

a second electrode assembly configured to capacitively couple to a second power cable to receive power from the first power cable;

a power storage circuit configured to store the power received from the first power cable and/or the second power cable;

an electrode position controller configured to control a first position of the first electrode assembly and a second position of the second electrode assembly, the electrode position controller configured to control the first and second position to facilitate capacitive coupling with the first and second power cables, and

wherein the electrode position controller is further configured to control a distance between the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly to correspond to a separation between the first power cable and the second power cable.

18. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 17, further including a guidance system configured to control operation of one or more rotors to position the first electrode assembly within a capacitive coupling distance of the first power cable and to position the second electrode assembly within the capacitive coupling distance of the second power cable.

19. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 18, wherein the capacitive coupling distance is less than ten centimeters.