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Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Low-Power Operation

  • US 20170075360A1
  • Filed: 09/16/2015
  • Published: 03/16/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using rotors for propulsion, the method comprising:

  • determining, in a processor while the UAV is flying, whether an emergency-recovery state of a battery of the UAV has been reached;

    activating an emergency recovery mode in response to determining that the emergency-recovery state has been reached, wherein the emergency recovery mode switches the rotors from drawing power from the battery for generating propulsion to harvesting energy from airflow that is used to recharge the battery;

    determining, in the processor, whether a braking altitude has been reached; and

    activating a braking mode in response to determining the braking altitude has been reached, wherein the braking mode switches the rotors from energy harvesting to drawing power from the battery to generate propulsion in order to reduce a descent rate of the UAV.

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