Unmanned aerial vehicle landing interface

• US 9,499,265 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Skycatch, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Skycatch, Inc.
• Inventors: Sanz, Christian, Miller, Samuel Giles, Noorani, Jonathan Shyaun, Sirang, Behrooze
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fabula, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US14/815,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20160001883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/00 Alighting gear air-cushion alighting gear B60V3/08
• 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: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/37 Charging when not in flight
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/90 Launching from or landing on platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed toward systems and methods for autonomously landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In particular, systems and methods described herein enable a UAV to land within and interface with a UAV ground station (UAVGS). In particular, one or more embodiments described herein include systems and methods that enable a UAV to conveniently interface with and land within a UAV ground station (UAVGS). For example, one or more embodiments include a UAV that includes a landing base and landing frame that interfaces with a landing housing of a UAVGS.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a ground station comprising a conically-shaped landing housing; and

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising;

a main body;

a plurality of struts which extend outward from the main body;

a plurality of rotors coupled to the main body; and

a landing base comprising;

a landing pad; and

a landing frame, the landing frame comprising;

one or more legs that extend diagonally upward and outward from the landing pad and extend outward beyond the main body and connect to the plurality of struts, wherein the landing base has a complimentary shape to the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station such that when the UAV enters the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station, contact between the one or more legs of the landing base, the landing pad, and the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station causes the UAV to self-align within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the landing base further comprises a plurality of charging contacts on the landing pad.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the ground station comprises one or more unmanned aerial vehicle ground station (UAVGS) charging contacts that couple to at least one of the plurality of charging contacts on the landing pad of the landing base when the UAV lands within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of charging contacts on the UAV are positioned around a perimeter of the landing pad based on corresponding positions of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle ground station (UAVGS) charging contacts within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

5. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the system comprises:

a first unmanned aerial vehicle ground station (UAVGS) charging contact on the ground station that couples to a first group of one or more contacts from the plurality of charging contacts on the UAV when the UAV lands within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station; and

a second UAVGS charging contact on the ground station that couples to a second group of one or more contacts from the plurality of charging contacts on the UAV when the UAV lands within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the plurality of charging contacts on the UAV are spaced apart on the landing pad of the landing base such that none of the first group of one or more contacts connect to a same UAVGS charging contact from the first UAVGS charging contact and the second UAVGS charging contact as any of the second group of one or more contacts when the UAV lands within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

7. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the ground station charges a battery on the main body of the UAV when one or more of the plurality of charging contacts on the UAV on the landing pad of the landing base connect to one or more unmanned aerial vehicle ground station (UAVGS) charging contacts within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein a slope of the one or more legs extending upward and outward from the landing pad is equal to a slope of a wall of the conically-shaped landing housing.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of rotors are connected to the plurality of struts.

10. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a main body;

a plurality of struts which extend outward from the main body;

a plurality of rotors coupled to the main body; and

a landing base, the landing base comprising;

a landing pad positioned below the main body; and

a landing frame connecting the main body to the landing pad via the plurality of struts, the landing frame comprising;

one or more legs that extend diagonally upward and outward from the landing pad and extend outward beyond the main body and connect to the plurality of struts such that as the UAV enters a conically-shaped ground station, interaction between the one or more legs, the landing pad, and the conically-shaped landing housing of a ground station cause the UAV to self-align within the conically-shaped landing housing of the ground station.

11. The UAV as recited in claim 10, wherein the landing pad comprises a circular ring.

12. The UAV as recited in claim 10, further comprising a plurality of charging contacts spaced around a perimeter of the landing pad.

13. The UAV as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more legs further extend outward beyond the plurality of rotors.

14. The UAV as recited in claim 13, wherein the one or more legs of the landing frame comprise four legs equally spaced about a central axis of the UAV.

15. The UAV as recited in claim 10, wherein the plurality of rotors are connected to the plurality of struts.

16. A method comprising:

guiding an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to a vertical space above a landing housing of an unmanned aerial vehicle ground station (UAVGS)

wherein the UAV comprises;

a main body;

a plurality of struts extending outward from the main body; and

a landing base comprising;

a landing pad; and

a landing frame;

wherein the landing frame comprises;

one or more legs that extend diagonally upward and outward from the landing pad, extend outward beyond the main body, and connect to the plurality of struts;

lowering the UAV from the vertical space to within a landing housing of the UAVGS; and

causing the landing base of the UAV to contact a landing housing of the UAVGS as the UAV lowers into the UAVGS such that when the UAV enters the landing housing of the UAVGS, contact between the one or more legs and the landing pad of the landing base of the UAV and the landing housing of the UAVGS causes the UAV to self-align within the landing housing of the UAVGS.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein causing the UAV to self-align within the landing housing of the UAVGS causes one or more charging contacts on the UAV to couple to one or more charging contacts on the UAVGS.