Unmanned aerial vehicle and operations thereof

• US 9,221,536 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• 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, Tao, Zhao, Tao, Chen, Shaojie, Ou, Zhigang
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzell, Philip J
• Assistant Examiner(s): KREINER, MICHAEL B
• Application Number:
  US14/515,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20150060606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2025/325 specially adapted for helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/06 fixed
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/32 characterised by elements which contact the ground or similar surface arrester hooks B64C25/68
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/00 Rotorcraft; Rotors peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/54 Mechanisms for controlling blade adjustment or movement relative to rotor head, e.g. lag-lead movement
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/14 Transmitting means between initiating means and power plants
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/80 Arrangement of on-board electronics, e.g. avionics systems or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/291 : Detachable rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/293 : Foldable or collapsible rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 : using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 : with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/00 : Transport or storage specially adapted for UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/0047 : Housings or packaging of magnetic sensors packaging of semiconductor devices H01L23/00; Holders
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/16 : specially adapted for use from aircraft G01V3/165 - G01V3/175 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 : Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with improved reliability. According to one aspect of the invention, interference experienced by onboard sensors from onboard electrical components is reduced. According to another aspect of the invention, user-configuration or assembly of electrical components is minimized to reduce user errors.

Claims

1. A multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a central body comprising a housing, the housing comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface forms a cavity;

a plurality of branch members extending from the central body, each branch member comprising an upper branch housing member and a lower branch housing member forming a branch cavity;

a plurality of actuator assemblies configured to effect movement of the UAV;

a plurality of electronic speed control (ESC) modules each electrically coupled to a corresponding actuator assembly of the plurality of actuator assemblies in order to control actuation of said actuator assemblies, wherein each ESC module is located within the branch cavity and positioned on the lower branch housing member of a respective branch member; and

a flight control module disposed inside the cavity of the housing and connected to each of the plurality of ESC modules via an electrical coupling permitting two-way communication between the flight control module and each ESC module.

2. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising a magnetometer located at a position away from said plurality of ESC modules to effect a reduction of interference therefrom.

3. The UAV of claim 2, wherein a minimum distance between the magnetometer and the plurality of ESC modules is at least about 3 cm.

4. The UAV of claim 2, wherein the magnetometer is located inside the cavity.

5. A method of reducing interference experienced by a magnetometer from one or more components of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

providing the UAV of claim 2, thereby reducing said interference.

6. The UAV of claim 1, comprising at least three actuator assemblies and at least three ESC modules.

7. The UAV of claim 1, comprising at least four actuator assemblies and at least four ESC modules.

8. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the plurality of actuator assemblies each comprise a rotor blade and an actuator configured to drive rotation of the rotor blade.

9. The UAV of claim 8, wherein each ESC module is electrically coupled to the actuator of the corresponding actuator assembly.

10. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the two-way communication comprises control signals provided by the flight control module for at least one of the plurality of ESC modules.

11. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the control signals are generated by the flight control module based on signals received by the flight control module from a remote control device.

12. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the control signals are configured to adjust a state of the UAV.

13. The UAV of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of actuator assemblies are located within the branch cavity of a respective branch member.

14. The UAV of claim 13, wherein the plurality of branch members are foldable relative to the central body.

15. The UAV of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ESC modules are configured to provide feedback signals, wherein the two-way communication comprises the feedback signals provided by at least one of the plurality of the ESC modules for the flight control module.

16. The UAV of claim 1 further comprising a magnetometer secured onto an extension member at a position sufficiently distal from the housing to effect a reduction of interference from the plurality of ESC modules, wherein said extension member is a landing stand configured to bear weight of the UAV when the UAV is not airborne.