UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE TAKE-OFF AND LANDING CONTROL SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD

• US 20190009926A1
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Published: 01/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goertek Technology Co., Ltd. (Goertek Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Goertek Technology Co., Ltd. (Goertek Incorporated)
• Inventors: HU, Tengfei
• Granted Patent: US 10,287,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: B64F 1/04 for launching aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/362 Installations for supplying conditioned air to parked aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/99 Means for retaining the UAV on the platform, e.g. dogs or magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/202 Electromagnets for high magnetic field strength for superconducting electromagnets H01F6/00; for transformers or inductances without a magnetic core H01F30/08
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 15/00 Holding or levitation devices using magnetic attraction or repulsion, not otherwise provided for electric or magnetic devices for holding work on machine tools B23Q3/15 ; monorail vehicle propulsion or suspension B60L13/00; sliding or levitation devices for railway systems B61B13/08; material handling devices associated with conveyors incorporating devices with electrostatic or magnetic grippers B65G47/92; separating thin or filamentary articles from piles using magnetic force B65H3/16; delivering thin or filamentary articles from magnetic holders by air blast or suction B65H29/24; bearings using magnetic or electric supporting means F16C32/04; relieving bearing loads using magnetic means F16C39/06; magnets H01F7/00; dynamo-electric clutches or brakes H02K49/00 ; electric furnaces with simultaneous levitation and heating H05B6/32

Abstract

Disclosed is an unmanned aerial vehicle take-off and landing control system and a control method. The system comprises a magnet assembly at the side of an unmanned aerial vehicle and a magnetic field assembly at the side of a parking platform. An electrified coil is provided in the magnetic field assembly and current is supplied into the coil. A magnetic field is generated by the magnetic field assembly to form a thrust force acting on the unmanned aerial vehicle. A resultant force is formed by the thrust force and a lift or resistance force in the process of take-off or landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle to supplement the lift force or resistance. In this process, the current in the coil is changed to form a uniform magnetic field, the thrust force acting on the unmanned aerial vehicle is generated to supplement the lift force or the resistance.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle take-off and landing control system, comprising:

a magnet assembly provided at the side of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a magnetic field assembly provided at the side of a landing platform, wherein an electrified coil is provided in the magnetic field assembly;

the electrified coil is supplied with a current, and the magnetic field assembly generates a supporting magnetic field at the side of the landing platform, to form a thrust force that acts on an unmanned aerial vehicle; and

a resultant force is formed by the thrust force and a lift force of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the process of take-off or landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle or a resistance force that acts on the unmanned aerial vehicle, to supplement the lift force or the resistance force;

wherein after the air gap is formed between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the landing platform, the wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle starts to rotate;

the forward current supplied into the electrified coil decreases with the increasing of the rotational speed of the wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

when the rotational speed of the wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle is equal to a preset rotational speed, the current supplied into the electrified coil decreases to zero.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle take-off and landing control system according to claim 1, further comprising a rotational speed measuring device, a distance measuring device and a controller;

the rotational speed measuring device measures a rotational speed of a wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle,

the distance measuring device measures a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and a predetermined parking location; and

the controller changes the direction and the magnitude of the current supplied into the electrified coil according to the rotational speed obtained by the rotational speed measuring device and/or the distance obtained by the distance measuring device.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle take-off and landing control system according to claim 2, wherein the controller receives a take-off instruction, and controls the electrified coil to be supplied with a forward current which is continuously increased, and the supporting magnetic field generates an upward thrust force that acts on the unmanned aerial vehicle;

and

when the thrust force acting on the unmanned aerial vehicle by the supporting magnetic field is equal to a gravity of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the forward current supplied into the electrified coil reaches its maximum, and an air gap is formed between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the landing platform.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle take-off and landing control system according to claim 3, wherein the controller receives a landing instruction, and the distance measuring device detects whether the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the landing platform is within a landing allowable range;

and if the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the landing platform is within the landing allowable range, the rotational speed of the wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle keeps unchanged, and the controller controls a reverse current to be supplied into the electrified coil to drag the unmanned aerial vehicle to right above the predetermined parking location.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle take-off and landing control system according to claim 4, wherein after the unmanned aerial vehicle is dragged right above the predetermined parking location, the controller controls the electrified coil to be supplied with a forward current which is continuously increased;

and when the rotational speed of the wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle is zero and the distance measuring device detects that the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the landing platform is zero, the controller stops electrifying the electrified coil.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle take-off and landing control system according to claim 5, further comprising an energy storage device provided, in the unmanned aerial vehicle and a charge coil provided on an undercarriage of the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the energy storage device and the charge coil are electrically connected;

when the unmanned aerial vehicle is flying, the energy storage device and the charge coil are disconnected;

when the unmanned aerial vehicle is parking on the landing platform, the controller controls the electrified coil to be supplied with a charging current, the magnetic field assembly generates a varying charging magnetic field at the side of the landing platform, and the energy storage device and the charge coil are connected to charge the energy storage device.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle take-off and landing control system according to claim 7, wherein the distance measuring device comprises an infrared distance measuring device provided in the unmanned aerial vehicle and an infrared receiving device provided at the side of the landing platform, and the width of the infrared receiving device is greater than the width of the infrared distance measuring device.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle take-off and landing control system according to claim 8, wherein the magnet assembly comprises a permanent magnet provided on a corresponding contact surface between the undercarriage of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the landing platform, and the magnetic field assembly comprises an iron core provided at the landing platform, and the electrified coil is wound around the iron core.

10. A control method for controlling take-off and landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle by using the unmanned aerial vehicle take-off and landing control system according to claim 9, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

S1, the controller receives the take-off instruction, controls the electrified coil to be supplied with the forward current which is continuously increased; and

when the thrust force acting on the unmanned aerial vehicle by the supporting magnetic field is equal to a gravity of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the forward current supplied into the electrified coil reaches its maximum, and an air gap is formed between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the landing platform;

S2, after the air gap is formed between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the landing platform, the maximum forward current supplied into the electrified coil is controlled by the controller to be unchanged, and the wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle starts to rotate;

a rotational speed detection signal that is fed back by a rotational speed detecting device is inputted to an input end of the controller, and a controlling signal is outputted according to the inputted rotational speed detection signal to control the forward current supplied into the electrified coil to decrease with the increasing of the rotational speed of the wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

when the rotational speed of the wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle is equal to a preset rotational speed, the current supplied into the electrified coil is controlled by the controller to decrease to zero;

S3, the controller receives a landing instruction, and the distance measuring device detects whether the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the landing platform is within a landing allowable range;

S4, if the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the landing platform is within the landing allowable range, the controller inputs a controlling signal to keep the rotational speed of the wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle unchanged, and controls the electrified coil to be supplied with a reverse current to drag the unmanned aerial vehicle to right above a predetermined parking location;

S5, the electrified coil is controlled by the controller to be supplied with a forward current which is continuously increased, to form a thrust force that acts on an unmanned aerial vehicle to supplement the loss of a resistance force caused by the decreasing of the rotational speed of the wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

when the rotational speed of the wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle is zero and the distance measuring device detects that the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the landing platform is zero, the controller inputs a controlling signal to stop electrifying the electrified coil; and

S6, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is working, the energy storage device and the charge coil are disconnected;

when the unmanned aerial vehicle is parking on the landing platform, the controller outputs a controlling signal, and controls the electrified coil to be supplied with a charging current, the magnetic field assembly generates a varying charging magnetic field at the side of the landing platform, and the energy storage device and the charge coil are connected to charge the energy storage device.

6. (canceled)