SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LANDING A MOBILE PLATFORM VIA A MAGNETIC FIELD

• US 20170038778A1
• Filed: 10/20/2016
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: WANG, Mingxi
• Granted Patent: US 10,509,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/001 Devices not provided for in the groups B64C25/02 - B64C25/68
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/99 Means for retaining the UAV on the platform, e.g. dogs or magnets
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

A system for landing a mobile platform, such as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (“UAV”) and methods for making and using the same. The system can land the UAV by applying a magnetic levitation force upon the UAV and adjusting the applied magnetic levitation force. The system can initiate a landing process to a designated docking station and can guide the UAV to an adjacency of the designated docking station. Once the UAV has entered the adjacency, the magnetic levitation forces can take control of the landing process. During the landing process, certain magnetic sensitive devices installed on the UAV and/or on the designated docking station can be protected by turning them off or by shielding them. The system overcomes disadvantages of currently-available landing systems by restricting a size and weight of the landing arrangements, as well as, avoiding potential damage to the UAV and the designated docking station.

Claims

1. A method for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

), comprising;

applying a magnetic levitation force upon the UAV; and

controlling the magnetic levitation force to land the UAV.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling the magnetic levitation force comprises landing the UAV at a predetermined location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said landing the UAV comprises landing the UAV at a selected spot of a designated docking station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said applying the magnetic levitation force comprises emitting a first electromagnetic field from the UAV for opposing a second electromagnetic field to generate the magnetic levitation force upon the UAV.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said emitting the first electromagnetic field comprises emitting a high-frequency electromagnetic field from the UAV.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said controlling the magnetic levitation force comprises adjusting a frequency, a magnitude, a direction, a distribution, or any combination thereof, of the first electromagnetic field to land the UAV in an orientation and at a selected spot of a designated docking station.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said emitting the first electromagnetic field comprises running an electric current through an electrical conductor for activating a magnetic device associated with the UAV.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising emitting the second electromagnetic field from the designated docking station for opposing the first electromagnetic field by emitting a high-frequency electromagnetic field from the designated docking station.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the controlling the magnetic levitation force comprises adjusting a frequency, a magnitude, a direction, a distribution, or any combination thereof, of the second electromagnetic field to land the UAV in an orientation and at a selected spot of the designated docking station.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said emitting the second electromagnetic field comprises running an electric current through an electrical conductor for activating a magnetic device associated with the designated docking station.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising controlling the landing of the UAV via the first electromagnetic field or the second electromagnetic field.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a landing request from the UAV at a selected docking station.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising emitting a position signal from the selected docking station or presenting a visual sign at a designated docking station.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising locating the designated docking station with a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) positioned at the UAV, guiding the UAV toward an adjacency of the designated docking station via the GPS or guiding the UAV into the adjacency via visual positioning,

wherein the adjacency of the designated docking station comprises a half-sphere axially aligned with the designated docking station.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said applying the magnetic levitation force comprises emitting the first electromagnetic field or emitting the second electromagnetic field when the UAV enters the adjacency of the designated docking station.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising protecting magnetic sensitive devices of the UAV, while the first electromagnetic field is emitted, by deactivating the magnetic sensitive devices or shielding the magnetic sensitive devices with one or more magnetic shields for attenuating the first electromagnetic field or the second electromagnetic field.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising protecting magnetic sensitive devices of the docking station, while the second electromagnetic field is emitted, by deactivating the magnetic sensitive devices or shielding the magnetic sensitive devices with one or more magnetic shields for attenuating the first electromagnetic field or the second electromagnetic field.

18. The method of claim 4, further comprising deactivating the first electromagnetic field when the UAV is landed at a predetermined location or deactivating the second electromagnetic field when the UAV is landed at the predetermined location.

19. A method for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

), comprising;

receiving a landing request from the UAV at a selected docking station;

emitting a first electromagnetic field from the UAV;

protecting magnetic sensitive devices of the UAV during said emitting the first electromagnetic field;

emitting a second electromagnetic field from a designated docking station for opposing the first electromagnetic field to generate a magnetic levitation force upon the UAV;

protecting magnetic sensitive devices of the designated docking station during said emitting the second electromagnetic field; and

adjusting a frequency, a magnitude, a direction, a distribution, or any combination thereof, of the first electromagnetic field or the second electromagnetic field to land the UAV in an orientation and at a selected spot of the designated docking station.

20. A system, comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

) configured to emit a first electromagnetic field;

a docking station configured to emit a second electromagnetic field for opposing the first electromagnetic field to generate a magnetic levitation force upon the UAV; and

one or more processors, individually or collectively, configured to operate to;

adjust a frequency, a magnitude, a direction, a distribution, or any combination thereof, of the first electromagnetic field to land the UAV in an orientation and at a selected spot of the docking station;

or

adjust a frequency, a magnitude, a direction, a distribution, or any combination thereof, of the second electromagnetic field to land the UAV in the orientation and at the selected spot of the docking station.

21. A docking station for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

), comprising;

a magnetic device associated with the docking station for applying a controllable magnetic levitation force upon the UAV; and

a processor configured to control the magnetic levitation force to land the UAV.

22. The docking station of claim 21, wherein the controllable magnetic levitation force is generated by a second magnetic field emitted from said magnetic device opposing a first magnetic field emitted from the UAV.

23. The docking station of claim 22, wherein the second magnetic field is a second electromagnetic field emitted from the docking station by running an electric current through an electrical conductor of said magnetic device.

24. The docking station of claim 23, wherein the second electromagnetic field is controlled by said magnetic device via adjusting a frequency, a magnitude, a direction, a distribution, or a combination thereof, of the second electromagnetic field to land the UAV in an orientation and at a selected spot of the docking station.

25. The docking station of claim 23, wherein said processor is configured to control said magnetic device to land the UAV via the second electromagnetic field.

26. The docking station of claim 22, wherein said processor is configured to emit the second magnetic field when the UAV enters an adjacency of the docking station.

27. The docking station of claim 22, wherein said processor is configured to deactivate the second magnetic field when the UAV is landed at the selected spot of the docking station.

28. The docking station of claim 21, wherein said processor is configured to emit a position signal from the docking station for positioning by the UAV or to present a visual sign from the docking station for visual positioning by the UAV.

29. The docking station claim 21, wherein said processor is configured to protect one or more magnetic sensitive devices associated with the docking station, the magnetic sensitive devices comprising a high-definition image transferring device, a compass, an electrical circuit or a combination thereof.

30. The docking station of claim 29, wherein said processor is configured deactivate the magnetic sensitive devices when second magnetic field is activated, or initiate one or more magnetic shields for protecting the magnetic sensitive devices while the second magnetic field is activated.