UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE, UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE CHARGING SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20160250933A1
• Filed: 11/20/2015
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation Gyeongsang National University (Gyeongsang National University)
• Original Assignee: Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation Yonsei University
• Inventors: KIM, Ki-il, LEE, Chung-jae, KIM, Kyong-hoon
• Granted Patent: US 9,944,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• 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: 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle is provided. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes: a battery; a battery residual quantity detector configured to detect a residual quantity of the battery; a communicator configured to perform communication with a rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle used in charging or replacement of the battery; and a processor configured to control the communicator to transmit its operation information to the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle detected within a predetermined distance when the detected residual quantity of the battery is less than the predetermined reference quantity and control to wirelessly charge the battery by the power supplied from the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle to maintain an operable state of the unmanned aerial vehicle or replace the battery to a new battery provided from the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle when being close to the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle receiving the operation information.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a battery;

a battery residual quantity detector configured to detect a residual quantity of the battery;

a communicator configured to perform communication with a rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle used in charging or replacement of the battery; and

a processor configured to control the communicator to transmit its operation information to the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle detected within a predetermined distance when the detected residual quantity of the battery is less than a predetermined reference quantity and control to wirelessly charge the battery by power supplied from the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle to maintain an operable state of the unmanned aerial vehicle or replace the battery to a new battery provided from the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle when being close to the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle receiving the operation information.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation information includes set status information regarding a destination, a current speed, a height, a coordinate, a progress direction, an air flow, and charging or replacement of the battery.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor performs the charging or replacement of the battery when the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle is close to the chargeable or replaceable range of the battery while maintaining an operation route of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and

the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle calculates a cross point with the unmanned aerial vehicle within a shortest time on the operation route of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the operation information of the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle and the operation information received from the unmanned aerial vehicle and changes the operation route to the cross point to move to the chargeable or replaceable range of the battery.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor performs docking with the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle and performs the replacement of the battery by a method of receiving and attaching a new battery from the docked rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle, when the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle is close to the replaceable range of the battery.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor performs the charging of the battery by a method of wirelessly charging the battery by the power supplied from the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle while the unmanned aerial vehicle maintains level with the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle, when the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle is close to the chargeable range of the battery.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor calculates a quantity of the battery required for the unmanned aerial vehicle to reach a target point and compares the calculated quantity and the residual quantity of the battery to detect the rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle only when the residual quantity of the battery is smaller than the calculated quantity.