Systems and methods for UAV battery exchange

• US 9,440,545 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2016
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US15/056,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20160236582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 197 Days
• Field of Search: 544/172.5, 544/110.E, 544/53.R, 544/129.1, 544/171.6, 544/1.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/42 with use of more than one motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/667 Precipitation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/007 Helicopter portable landing pads
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/0297 adjustable to align with aircraft trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/18 Visual or acoustic landing aids taxiing aids B64F1/002
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/20 Arrangement of optical beacons
• 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 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• 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 50/39 : Battery swapping
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 : with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/90 : Launching from or landing on platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 : associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 : specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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

Systems and methods are provided for swapping the battery on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV may be able to identify and land on an energy provision station autonomously. The UAV may take off and/or land on the energy provision station. The UAV may communicate with the energy provision station. The energy provision station may store and charge batteries for use on a UAV.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) battery changing station, said station comprising:

a UAV landing area configured to support a UAV when the UAV is resting on the station, said UAV coupled to a first battery configured to power the UAV, wherein the UAV landing area comprises a detectable marker configured to aid the UAV in landing;

a battery storage unit comprising at least one holding station configured to store a battery capable of powering the UAV upon being coupled to the UAV;

a communication unit in communication with the UAV and configured to receive a signal indicative of a remaining level of charge of the first battery; and

one or more processors programmed to effect display of the detectable marker based at least on the remaining level of charge of the first battery, wherein the detectable marker is utilized to direct the UAV to land on the UAV landing area or to bypass the battery changing station.

3. The battery changing station of claim 1, wherein the landing area comprises multiple detectable markers configured to aid the UAV in landing or bypassing the battery changing station.

4. The battery changing station of claim 1, wherein the detectable marker is a raised pattern, a recessed pattern, an image, a symbol, a decal, a barcode, a QR code, or a light visible on the energy provision station landing area.

6. The battery changing station of claim 1, wherein the detectable marker comprises one or more images, wherein the images aid a UAV in landing when the UAV recognizes a particular image indicative that the UAV is to land.

8. The battery changing station of claim 1, wherein the detectable marker comprises LED lights, wherein the LED lights flash in a specific spatial or temporal pattern that the UAV recognizes at the specific spatial or temporal pattern that is indicative that the UAV is to land.

10. The battery changing station of claim 1, wherein the detectable marker indicates an orientation of the UAV to be landed on the UAV landing area.

11. The battery changing station of claim 10, wherein the detectable marker is asymmetric to be indicative of the orientation.

12. The battery changing station of claim 1, wherein the detectable marker is indicative of the distance of the landing area relative to the UAV.

13. The battery changing station of claim 1, wherein the detectable marker is discernable to the UAV from above the UAV landing area.

15. The battery changing station of claim 1, wherein the detectable marker is on an exterior surface of the battery changing station.

17. The battery changing station of claim 1, wherein the detectable marker is uniquely recognized by an approaching UAV.

19. The battery changing station of claim 1, wherein the battery changing station emits intra-red (IR), ultra-violet (UV), radio, and/or audio signals.

21. A method of processing information from a battery changing station at an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), said method comprising:

detecting, by the UAV, a detectable marker from the battery changing station of claim 1; and

generating, with aid of one or more processors at the UAV, a command signal that affects operation of the UAV based on the detection of the detectable marker.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the command signal drives one or more propulsion units of the UAV.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the command signal causes the UAV to land on the battery changing station after the UAV detects the detectable marker on the battery changing station, and wherein the UAV does not receive any other information from the battery changing station.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the command signal causes the UAV to effect a choice between (1) bypassing the UAV landing area, or (2) landing on the UAV landing area, based on the detectable marker.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the command signal is generated without any input by a user.

2. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) battery changing station, said station comprising, said station comprising:

a UAV landing area configured to support a UAV when the UAV is resting on the station, said UAV coupled to a first battery configured to power the UAV, wherein the UAV landing area comprises a detectable marker configured to aid the UAV in landing; and

a battery storage unit comprising at least one holding station each configured to store one or more batteries capable of powering the UAV upon being coupled to the UAV,

wherein one or more processors are programmed to cause the detectable marker to indicate a state of charge of at least one battery stored in the battery storage unit.

5. The battery changing station of claim 2, wherein the detectable marker is a raised pattern, a recessed pattern, an image, a symbol, a decal, a barcode, a QR code, or a light visible on the energy provision station landing area.

7. The battery changing station of claim 2, wherein the detectable marker comprises one or more images, wherein the images aid a UAV in landing when the UAV recognizes a particular image indicative that the UAV is to land.

9. The battery changing station of claim 2, wherein the detectable marker comprises LED lights, wherein the LED lights flash in a specific spatial or temporal pattern that the UAV recognizes at the specific spatial or temporal pattern that is indicative that the UAV is to land.

14. The battery changing station of claim 2, wherein the detectable marker is discernable to the UAV from above the UAV landing area.

16. The battery changing station of claim 2, wherein the detectable marker is on an exterior surface of the battery changing station.

18. The battery changing station of claim 2, wherein the detectable marker is uniquely recognized by an approaching UAV.

20. The battery changing station of claim 2, wherein the battery changing station emits intra-red (IR), ultra-violet (UV), radio, and/or audio signals.

26. A method of processing information from a battery changing station at an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), said method comprising:

detecting, by the UAV, a detectable marker from the battery changing station of claim 2; and

generating, with aid of one or more processors at the UAV, a command signal that affects operation of the UAV based on the detection of the detectable marker.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the command signal drives one or more propulsion units of the UAV to land on the UAV landing area when detectable marker is indicative that the one or more batteries stored in the battery changing station are fully charged.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the UAV lands in an autonomous or semiautonomous fashion.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the command signal does not drive one or more propulsion units of the UAV to land on the UAV landing area when the detectable marker is indicative that no battery on the battery changing station is fully charged.