DEVICE AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING A WINCH DEVICE AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH SAID DEVICE

• US 20150191259A1
• Filed: 04/02/2013
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: OTO Melara SPA (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: OTO Melara SPA (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Giovannini, Andrea, Varone, Fabio
• Application Number:
  US14/390,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20150191259A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 3/00 Ground installations specially adapted for captive aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 3/02 with means for supplying electricity to aircraft during flight
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/17 Helicopters flying platforms B64U10/13
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/202 using tethers for connecting to ground station
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/485 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/505 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0866 specially adapted to captive aircraft

Abstract

A method automatically controls the movement of a winch device (2), which is adapted to pull in or let out a cable (T), to which at least one flying device 4 is connected. The method includes the following subsequent steps: a) determining the relative position between the winch device (2) and the flying device (4); b) calculating the optimal length of the cable “T” as a function of the relative distance determined during the previous step; c) activating said winch device (2), so as to obtain the desired length of the cable “T” calculated during the previous step; d) repeating the sequence of steps a)-c) for a desired amount of time; in order to obtain, in real time, the optimal length of the cable (T) as a function of the changes in the relative position between the winch device (2) and the flying device (4).

Claims

1. A method for automatically controlling movement of a winch device, for pulling in or letting out a cable, to which at least one flying device is connected, said method comprising the following subsequent steps:

a) determining a relative position between the winch device and the flying device;

b) calculating an optimal length of the cable as a function of the relative position determined during the previous step;

c) activating said winch device, so as to obtain the desired length of the cable calculated during the previous step;

d) repeating the sequence of steps a) through c) for a desired amount of time;

to obtain, in real time, the optimal length of the cable as a function of the changes in the relative position between the winch device and the flying device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step a) of determining the relative position comprises the following sub-steps:

a1) determining the spatial position of said winch device;

a2) determining the spatial position of the flying device;

a3) calculating the relative position between the flying device and the winch device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step b) of calculating the optimal length of the cable (T) is carried out by a recursive algorithm.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a further step b0) for acquiring environmental parameters, which are useful to calculate the optimal length of the cable, is provided prior to the step b) for calculating the optimal length of the cable.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step c) of activating said winch device comprises a step c1) for accelerating and decelerating a rotation speed of said winch according to a predetermined development in time.

12. A vehicle comprising a winch device, for pulling in or letting out a cable, which connects at least one flying device to said vehicle;

wherein the vehicle comprises a control device according to claim 1.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said at least one flying device comprises at least one propelling member.

14. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said cable comprises at least one data communication line communicating data between said flying device and said control device.

15. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said flying device is remotely controlled by a console or joystick arranged in said vehicle.

16. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said flying device comprises a plurality of sensors, for both acquiring environmental parameters and providing images of places that cannot directly be seen from the vehicle.

6. A control device for a winch device applied to a base unit;

said winch device is adapted to pull in or let out a cable, which connects at least one flying device to said base unit;

provided with a first spatial locating system;

said at least one flying device is provided with a second spatial locating system;

said control device comprises;

a data processing unit, for determining a relative position between said at least one flying device and said base unit as a function of the data obtained from said first and second spatial locating systems, so as to control movement of said winch device, in order to obtain, in real time, an optimal length of the cable as a function of changes in the relative position.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said first spatial locating system is a GPS system, for determining the spatial position, with an uncertainty lower than one meter, in space defined by the three Cartesian axes.

8. Device according to claim 6, wherein said second spatial locating system is a GPS system, for determining the spatial position, with an uncertainty lower than one meter, in space defined by the three Cartesian axes.

9. The device according to claim 6, wherein said control device comprises a non-volatile memory medium connected to said data processing unit, on which a recursive algorithm is stored, for calculating optimal tension of the cable and, as a consequence, to determine the optimal length of the cable.

10. The device according to claim 6, wherein said control device is adapted to be connected to a plurality of sensors, for acquiring environmental parameters, which are useful to calculate the optimal length of the cable.

11. The device according to claim 6, wherein the control device, as a function of the signals received from said data processing unit and as a function of a plurality of parameters, generates a control signal for the winch device to obtain an acceleration or deceleration of a rotation speed of said winch device according to a predetermined function.