Charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles and method thereof

• US 9,855,852 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Railroad Institute
• Original Assignee: Korea Railroad Research Institute
• Inventors: Cho, In Ho, Jung, Shin Myung, Kwon, Yong Jang, Lee, Byung Song
• Primary Examiner(s): Patton, Spencer D
• Application Number:
  US15/051,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20170057365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/16 Single-axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/36 Other airport installations ground installations for de-icing aircraft B64F5/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• 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: B64U 50/37 Charging when not in flight
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• 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

A charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles and a charging method thereof. The charging apparatus includes: a transmit coil provided to a charging station and generating a magnetic field; a reception coil generating induced electromotive force according to variation of magnetic flux of the transmit coil; a reception coil adjuster adjusting at least one of an inclination and an orientation of the reception coil; and a controller controlling at least one of the inclination and the orientation of the reception coil by controlling the reception coil adjuster according to magnitude of the induced electromotive force generated in the reception coil by the magnetic field generated in the transmit coil.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising:

a reception coil generating induced electromotive force according to variation of magnetic flux of a transmit coil which is provided to a charging station and generates a magnetic field;

a reception coil adjuster adjusting at least one of an inclination and an orientation of the reception coil;

a controller controlling at least one of the inclination and the orientation of the reception coil by controlling the reception coil adjuster according to magnitude of the induced electromotive force generated in the reception coil by the magnetic field generated in the transmit coil; and

a plurality of magnetic flux detectors measuring a magnetic flux generated in the transmit coil and being arranged around the reception coil;

wherein the controller controls the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle to land after moving the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle to a location at which magnitudes of the magnetic fluxes detected by the magnetic flux detectors are within a preset range of deviation.

2. The charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the reception adjuster such that the induced electromotive force generated in the reception coil reaches a maximum value.

3. The charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1,

wherein the magnetic flux detectors sense a magnetic flux pattern based on the measured magnetic flux,

wherein the controller recognizes the charging station based on the magnetic flux pattern sensed by the magnetic flux detectors.

4. The charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 3, wherein the magnetic flux detectors are provided to a lower side of the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic flux detectors are radially arranged around the reception coil.

6. The charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, further comprising:

a GPS receiver receiving a GPS signal from a global positioning system (GPS) satellite to detect positional coordinates of the unmanned aerial vehicle,

wherein the controller controls the unmanned aerial vehicle to move to the charging station based on positional coordinates of the charging station and the positional coordinates detected by the GPS receiver.

7. A charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising:

a reception coil generating induced electromotive force according to variation of magnetic flux of a transmit coil which is provided to a charging station and generates a magnetic field;

a plurality of magnetic flux detectors measuring a magnetic flux generated in the transmit coil and sensing a magnetic flux pattern based on the measured magnetic flux; and

a controller recognizing a charging station based on the magnetic flux pattern sensed by the magnetic flux detectors,

wherein the magnetic flux detectors are arranged around the reception coil;

wherein the controller controls the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle to land after moving the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle to a location at which magnitudes of the magnetic fluxes detected by the magnetic flux detectors are within a preset range of deviation.

8. The charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 7, wherein the magnetic flux detectors are radially arranged about the reception coil.

9. The charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 7, wherein the magnetic flux detectors are provided to a lower side of the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

10. The charging apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 7, further comprising:

a GPS receiver receiving a GPS signal from a global positioning system (GPS) satellite to detect positional coordinates of the unmanned aerial vehicle,

wherein the controller controls the unmanned aerial vehicle to move to the charging station based on positional coordinates of the charging station and the positional coordinates detected by the GPS receiver.

11. A charging method of an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

measuring, by magnetic flux detectors, a magnetic flux generated in a transmit coil of a charging station, and sensing a magnetic flux pattern based on the measured magnetic flux;

recognizing, by a controller, the charging station based on the magnetic flux pattern sensed by the magnetic flux detectors, and controlling a body of the unmanned aerial vehicle to land through a drive module; and

generating, by a reception coil, induced electromotive force according to variation of the magnetic flux of the transmit coil to charge a battery,

wherein in the step of controlling the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle to land through the drive module, the controller controls the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle to land after moving the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle to a location at which magnitudes of the magnetic fluxes detected by the magnetic flux detectors are within a preset range of deviation.

12. The charging method of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by a GPS receiver, a GPS signal from a GPS satellite to detect positional coordinates of the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle,

wherein the controller controls the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle to move to the charging station based on the positional coordinates detected by the GPS receiver through a drive module, followed by recognizing the charging station based on the magnetic flux patterns sensed by the magnetic flux detectors.

13. The charging method of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 11, wherein in the step of charging the battery, the controller adjusts at least one of an inclination and an orientation of the reception coil through a reception coil adjuster such that the induced electromotive force generated by the reception coil reaches a maximum value.

14. The charging method of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising:

controlling, by the controller, the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle to move to the positional coordinates of the charging station through the drive module based on the positional coordinates detected by a GPS receiver.