UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE LANDING INTERFACE

• US 20160001883A1
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skycatch, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Skycatch, Inc.
• Inventors: Sanz, Christian, Miller, Samuel Giles, Noorani, Jonathan Shyaun, Sirang, Behrooze
• Granted Patent: US 9,499,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/00 Alighting gear air-cushion alighting gear B60V3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/02 for arresting aircraft, e.g. nets or cables
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/37 Charging when not in flight
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/90 Launching from or landing on platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed toward systems and methods for autonomously landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In particular, systems and methods described herein enable a UAV to land within and interface with a UAV ground station (UAVGS). In particular, one or more embodiments described herein include systems and methods that enable a UAV to conveniently interface with and land within a UAV ground station (UAVGS). For example, one or more embodiments include a UAV that includes a landing base and landing frame that interfaces with a landing housing of a UAVGS.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a ground station comprising a conically-shaped landing housing; and

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising;

a main body;

a plurality of rotors coupled to the main body; and

a landing base coupled to the main body, the landing base having a shape complementary to the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station such that when the UAV enters the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station, contact between the landing base and the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station causes the UAV to self-align within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the landing base further comprises a landing pad and a plurality of charging contacts on the landing pad.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the ground station comprises one or more UAVGS charging contacts that couple to at least one of the plurality of charging contacts on the landing pad of the landing base when the UAV lands within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of charging contacts on the UAV are positioned around a perimeter of the landing pad of the landing base based on corresponding positions of a plurality of UAVGS charging contacts within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

5. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the system comprises:

a first UAVGS charging contact on the ground station that couples to a first group of one or more contacts from the plurality of charging contacts on the UAV when the UAV lands within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station; and

a second UAVGS charging contact on the ground station that couples to a second group of one or more contacts from the plurality of charging contacts on the UAV when the UAV lands within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the plurality of charging contacts on the UAV are spaced apart on the landing pad of the landing base such that none of the first group of one or more contacts connect to a same UAVGS charging contact from the first UAVGS charging contact and the second UAVGS charging contact as any of the second group of one or more contacts when the UAV lands within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

7. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the ground station charges a battery on the main body of the UAV when one or more of the plurality of charging contacts on the UAV on the landing pad of the landing base connect to one or more UAVGS charging contacts within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

8. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the landing base comprises one or more legs that extend from the main body downward and inward to the landing pad.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein a slope of the one or more legs is equal to a slope of the conically-shaped landing housing.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the landing base comprises a conically-shaped shell having a complimentary shape and size as the conically-shaped landing housing, the conically-shaped shell extending around a central axis of the UAV.

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

a main body;

a plurality of rotors coupled to the main body; and

a landing base positioned below the main body, the landing base comprising a landing pad and a landing frame connecting the main body to the landing pad, the landing frame comprising one or more legs extending downward and inward from the main body to the landing pad such that as the UAV enters a conically-shaped ground station interaction between the one or more legs and the conically-shaped landing housing of a ground station cause the UAV to self-align within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

12. The UAV as recited in claim 11, wherein the landing base is a circular ring.

13. The UAV as recited in claim 12, further comprising a camera with a line of sight aimed through the circular ring of the landing base.

14. The UAV as recited in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of charging contacts spaced around a perimeter of the landing pad.

15. The UAV as recited in claim 14, further comprising one or more electrical conduits extending through the one or more legs to the main body.

16. The UAV as recited in claim 15, further comprising a rechargeable battery within the main body, the rechargeable battery being electrically coupled to the plurality of charging contacts on the landing pad via the one or more electrical conduits.

17. The UAV as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more legs extend radially outward beyond the plurality of rotors.

18. The UAV as recited in claim 17, wherein the UAV comprises four legs equally spaced about an axis of the UAV.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

detecting that one or more charging contacts on the UAV are coupled to one or more charging contacts on the UAVGS; and

in response to detecting that the one or more charging contacts on the UAV are coupled to the one or more charging contacts on the UAVGS, charging a battery on board the UAV.

19. A method comprising:

guiding an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to a vertical space above a landing housing of an unmanned aerial vehicle ground station (UAVGS);

lowering the UAV within a landing housing of the UAVGS; and

causing a landing base of the UAV to contact a landing housing of the UAVGS as the UAV lowers into the UAVGS such that when the UAV enters the landing housing of the UAVGS, contact between the landing base of the UAV and the landing housing of the UAVGS causes the UAV to self-align within the landing housing of the UAVGS.