UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE LANDING SYSTEM

• US 20160274577A1
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharper Shape Oy (Sharper Shape, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sharper Shape Oy (Sharper Shape, Inc.)
• Inventors: Heinonen, Tero
• Granted Patent: US 9,551,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/80 in association with aircraft, e.g. for braking thereof
• 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: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/105 specially adapted for unpowered flight, e.g. glider, parachuting, forced landing parachutes per se B64D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an unmanned flying vehicle (UAV) operable in a plurality of operating modes including a normal operations mode, a safe landing mode and an emergency landing mode. The normal operations mode is initiated when no errors are detected in the system. The safe landing mode is initiated when one or more non-critical components of the UAV are in non-responsive mode or do not work as desired. The emergency landing mode is initiated when one or more critical components are in non-responsive mode or do not work as desired. Further, the safe landing mode overrides the normal operations mode and the emergency landing mode overrides both the normal operations mode and the safe landing mode.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle configured to operate in a plurality of operating modes, said unmanned aerial vehicle comprising

a sensor system, and

a flight control system comprising a diagnostic module communicatively coupled with the sensor system, which diagnostic module is configured to initiate an operation mode of the unmanned aerial vehicle, which operation mode is selected from the group consisting of

a first mode, wherein said first mode is a normal operation mode configured to be used when no errors are detected;

a second mode, wherein said second mode is a safe landing mode configured to be initiated when one or more non-critical components of the unmanned aerial vehicle are in a non-responsive mode or not working according to pre-defined conditions; and

a third mode, wherein said third mode is an emergency landing mode configured to be initiated when one or more critical components of the unmanned aerial vehicle are in non-responsive mode or not working according to pre-defined conditions;

wherein said second mode is configured to override said first mode and said third mode is configured to override both said first mode and said second mode.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third mode is configured to deploy at least one of a parachute, an airbag and a self-destruct mode.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ground control station is configured to control said unmanned aerial vehicle by remotely communicating signals to said unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. An unmanned aerial system comprising at least one unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 and a ground control station communicatively coupled with the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising

operating said unmanned aerial vehicle in a first mode, wherein said first mode is a normal operations mode, when no errors are detected;

operating said unmanned aerial vehicle in a second mode, wherein said second mode is a safe landing mode, when one or more non-critical components of the unmanned aerial vehicle are in a non-responsive mode or not working according to pre-defined conditions; and

operating said unmanned aerial vehicle in a third mode, wherein said third mode is an emergency landing mode, when one or more critical components of the unmanned aerial vehicle are in non-responsive mode or not working according to pre-defined conditions,

wherein said second mode overrides said first mode and said third mode overrides both said first mode and said second mode.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said safe landing procedure comprises

scanning an environment of the unmanned aerial vehicle with at least one sensor;

ranking possible landing sites;

selecting a landing site; and

landing.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said scanning an environment of the unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises using information from at least one of a map and a memory.