A wireless charging system and charging method for unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The present invention discloses a wireless charging system and charging method for a drone, the system comprising: a ground terminal system and an airborne terminal system; the ground terminal system is arranged on a ground mechanism, comprising a laser positioning tracker and a laser transmitter; the airborne terminal system is arranged on the drone, comprising an optical positioning tracking module and a laser photovoltaic cell module; the laser positioning tracker is used to emit a first laser; the optical positioning tracking module is used to receive the first laser, so as to realize the primary positioning of the drone by the ground terminal system; the laser transmitter is used to emit a second laser; the laser photovoltaic cell module comprises a photovoltaic cell array, the photovoltaic cell array is used to receive the second laser and convert the second laser from light energy to electrical energy; the laser photovoltaic cell module also comprises a charging group, which is used to store electrical energy and power the drone. The technical solution provided by the present invention can greatly improve the operation endurance of the drone, and realize accurate, efficient and stable unlimited endurance charging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular to a wireless charging system and a charging method for unmanned aerial vehicles. Background Art

[0002] UAV, or unmanned aircraft, is an unmanned aircraft that is mainly controlled by radio remote control equipment or self-provided programs. Compared with manned aircraft, it is small in size, low in cost, easy to use, and has low requirements for the operating environment. It is widely used in reconnaissance and surveillance, ground attack, communication relay, transportation capacity, disaster relief applications, and interference due to its accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility. However, with the growing demand for work, the disadvantage of UAV's short endurance time is exposed.

[0003] Existing drones have multiple power sources. The mainstream one is to use batteries as the energy source of the drone. The vast majority of drones, especially small and medium-sized drones, use batteries as an energy source to directly drive the rotors. This is a very mature technology at present, but due to the limitations of their own load and battery capacity, they face the disadvantage of short battery life, which is generally only tens of minutes. They need to return and land regularly to charge or replace the battery. They are not suitable for occasions with high requirements for flight time, and frequent take-offs and landings will increase the probability of accidents. Others use fuel engines, hydrogen fuel cells, solar cells, etc. as power sources. The battery life ranges from tens of minutes to several hours. There are still many shortcomings in their application, such as safety and cost. During operation, battery life is a key factor limiting the expansion of the application of drones in the field of power inspection. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present invention provide a wireless charging system and charging method for a drone, which can greatly improve the operation endurance of the drone and achieve accurate, efficient, and stable unlimited endurance charging.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless charging system for a drone, comprising: a ground terminal system and an airborne terminal system; wherein the ground terminal system is arranged on a ground mechanism, and comprises a laser positioning tracker and a laser transmitter; the airborne terminal system is arranged on the drone, and comprises an optical positioning tracking module and a laser photovoltaic cell module;

[0006] The laser positioning tracker is used to emit a first laser; the optical positioning tracking module is used to receive the first laser to achieve primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system; the laser transmitter is used to emit a second laser; the laser photovoltaic cell module includes a photovoltaic cell array, which is used to receive the second laser and convert the second laser from light energy to electrical energy; the laser photovoltaic cell module also includes a charging group, which is used to store the electrical energy and power the UAV.

[0007] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for wireless charging of a drone, which is applicable to a wireless charging system for a drone provided by any embodiment of the present invention, and the method for wireless charging of a drone includes:

[0008] Turn on the optical positioning tracking module and the laser positioning tracker; emit a first laser to the optical positioning tracking module through the laser positioning tracker to achieve primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system;

[0009] Turning on the laser emitter and controlling the laser emitter to emit a second laser; the photovoltaic unit array of the laser photovoltaic cell module receives the second laser and converts the second laser from light energy to electrical energy;

[0010] The charging group of the laser photovoltaic cell module stores the electrical energy and supplies power to the drone.

[0011] In the present invention, a ground terminal system including a laser positioning tracker and a laser transmitter is arranged on the ground mechanism, and an airborne terminal system including an optical positioning tracking module and a laser photovoltaic cell module is arranged on the drone, and the laser photovoltaic cell module is composed of a photovoltaic cell array and a charging group; firstly, the laser positioning tracker transmits a first laser to the optical positioning tracking module to establish a laser link, that is, rough aiming and tracking are performed to realize the primary positioning of the drone by the ground terminal system; secondly, the laser transmitter transmits a second laser to the photovoltaic cell array of the laser photovoltaic cell module to realize the laser charging of the drone by the ground terminal system; finally, the photovoltaic cell array converts the second laser from light energy to electrical energy, and the charging group of the laser photovoltaic cell module stores the electrical energy and supplies power to the drone. When the present invention performs wireless charging of the drone, the ground end can realize aiming and tracking of the airborne end through rough aiming and tracking positioning, thereby improving the laser charging efficiency, thereby greatly improving the operation endurance of the drone, and realizing accurate, efficient, and stable unlimited endurance charging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a structural block diagram of a wireless charging system for a drone provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a wireless charging system for a drone provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 3 is a structural block diagram of another wireless charging system for drones provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 4 is a structural block diagram of another wireless charging system for drones provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 5 It is a flow chart of a method for wireless charging of a drone provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 6 is a flow chart of another wireless charging method for a drone provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 7 It is a flow chart of another wireless charging method for a drone provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only parts related to the present invention, rather than all structures, are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Drones are widely used in reconnaissance and surveillance, ground attack, communication relay, transportation, disaster relief, interference and other fields due to their accuracy, efficiency and flexibility. However, due to the limitations of their own load capacity and battery capacity, their flight time is short and they cannot be used in occasions with high requirements on flight time. They also have many shortcomings such as safety and cost.

[0021] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless charging system for a drone, which includes: a ground terminal system and an airborne terminal system; wherein the ground terminal system is arranged on a ground mechanism, and includes a laser positioning tracker and a laser transmitter; the airborne terminal system is arranged on the drone, and includes an optical positioning tracking module and a laser photovoltaic cell module;

[0022] The laser positioning tracker is used to emit a first laser; the optical positioning tracking module is used to receive the first laser to achieve primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system; the laser transmitter is used to emit a second laser; the laser photovoltaic cell module includes a photovoltaic unit array, which is used to receive the second laser and convert the second laser from light energy to electrical energy; the laser photovoltaic cell module also includes a charging group, which is used to store electrical energy and power the UAV.

[0023] In the embodiment of the present invention, a ground terminal system including a laser positioning tracker and a laser transmitter is arranged on the ground mechanism, and an airborne terminal system including an optical positioning tracking module and a laser photovoltaic cell module is arranged on the drone, and the laser photovoltaic cell module is composed of a photovoltaic unit array and a charging group; firstly, the laser positioning tracker transmits a first laser to the optical positioning tracking module to establish a laser link, that is, rough aiming and tracking are performed to realize the primary positioning of the drone by the ground terminal system; secondly, the laser transmitter transmits a second laser to the photovoltaic unit array of the laser photovoltaic cell module to realize the laser charging of the drone by the ground terminal system; finally, the photovoltaic unit array converts the second laser from light energy to electrical energy, and the charging group of the laser photovoltaic cell module stores the electrical energy and supplies power to the drone. When the present invention performs wireless charging of the drone, the ground end can realize aiming and tracking of the airborne end through rough aiming and tracking positioning, thereby improving the laser charging efficiency, thereby greatly improving the operation endurance of the drone, and realizing accurate, efficient, and stable unlimited endurance charging.

[0024] The above is the core idea of ​​the present invention. The technical scheme in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] The embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless charging system for an unmanned aerial vehicle. Figure 1 is a structural block diagram of a wireless charging system for drones provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the wireless charging system for drones includes:

[0026] A ground terminal system 11 and an airborne terminal system 12; wherein the ground terminal system 11 is arranged on a ground mechanism, and includes a laser positioning tracker 13 and a laser transmitter 14; the airborne terminal system 12 is arranged on a drone, and includes an optical positioning tracking module 15 and a laser photovoltaic cell module 16;

[0027] The laser positioning tracker 13 is used to emit a first laser; the optical positioning tracking module 15 is used to receive the first laser to achieve primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system 11; the laser transmitter 14 is used to emit a second laser; the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 includes a photovoltaic unit array 17, which is used to receive the second laser and convert the second laser from light energy to electrical energy; the laser photovoltaic cell module 15 also includes a charging group 18, which is used to store electrical energy and power the UAV.

[0028] Most drones use batteries as their energy source, but they have a small load capacity and a small battery capacity, so their battery life is relatively short. Existing laser charging technology can realize wireless charging of drones by the ground end during flight, but due to the movement of the drone in flight, the laser charging is unstable and inefficient. The embodiment of the present invention adds an aiming and tracking step between the ground end and the airborne end, which can achieve accurate, efficient, and stable unlimited-endurance laser charging. Specifically, the drone wireless charging system provided by the embodiment of the present invention is composed of two subsystems, a ground terminal system 11 and an airborne terminal system 12, wherein the ground terminal system 11 is composed of a laser positioning tracker 13 and a laser transmitter 14, and the airborne terminal system 12 includes an optical positioning tracking module 15 and a laser photovoltaic cell module 16, and the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 is composed of a photovoltaic unit array 17 and a charging group 18.

[0029] Specifically, the ground terminal system 11 can be set in a ground mechanism, and can be used for identification, positioning and tracking of drones, and can also be used for laser wireless charging of drones. The laser positioning tracker 13 can emit a single beam of first laser to the optical positioning tracking module 15 to establish a laser link, so as to locate and identify the optical positioning tracking module 15, and perform coarse aiming and tracking to achieve primary positioning. The laser transmitter 14 can be a laser group that emits multiple laser beams and has adjustable output power. The laser transmitter 14 first emits a second laser composed of multiple laser beams to the photovoltaic cell array 17 of the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 to form a light spot, and performs fine aiming and tracking to achieve more accurate positioning. Then, the laser transmitter 14 increases the output power of the second laser by adjusting the number of laser beams to continue to irradiate the photovoltaic cell array 17, and starts laser charging for the drone.

[0030] Specifically, the airborne terminal system 12 is arranged on the UAV, and can be used to receive the laser emitted from the ground terminal system 11, be identified, located and tracked by the ground terminal system 11, and control the ground terminal system 11 to achieve stable and efficient laser charging. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a wireless charging system for a drone provided by an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to Figure 2 Optionally, the optical positioning and tracking module 15 is installed on the lower part of the fuselage of the UAV; the photovoltaic unit array 17 is installed on the lower part of the fuselage of the UAV.

[0031] Specifically, the optical positioning and tracking module 15 can be a single-beam laser receiver with a positioning and identification function, which can be installed on the lower part of the fuselage of the UAV to receive the single-beam first laser from the laser positioning tracker 13 so that the laser positioning tracker 13 can perform rough aiming and tracking, so that the UAV can be searched, located and tracked in a 360° direction by the laser positioning tracker 13 at any position within a fixed range.

[0032] Specifically, the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 is the core component of the laser charging drone, and can be composed of a photovoltaic cell array 17 and a charging group 18. The photovoltaic cell array 17 can be installed on the lower part of the drone body, and can be composed of at least one group of photovoltaic cells, and can be used to receive the second laser emitted by the laser transmitter 14 to power the drone flight operation. Preferably, in the embodiment of the present invention, the photovoltaic cell array 17 uses a gallium arsenide photovoltaic cell, and its photoelectric conversion efficiency is 21%. Compared with silicon photovoltaic cells, gallium arsenide photovoltaic cells have a wider bandgap, better temperature resistance, and a higher theoretical photoelectric conversion rate. When the drone is laser charged, it has a higher photoelectric conversion rate and can meet the electrical energy required for the drone flight operation. The charging group 18 can be set inside the drone body and electrically connected to the photovoltaic cell array 17. It can be a battery pack with the function of storing electrical energy, and can be used to store the electrical energy converted by the photovoltaic cell array 17 for use in the drone flight operation.

[0033] Figure 3 is a structural block diagram of another wireless charging system for drones provided by an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to Figure 3 Optionally, the ground mechanism is a movable mechanism, which is used to drive the ground terminal system 11 to move to track the UAV; the airborne terminal system 12 also includes: a first controller 19; the first controller 19 is electrically connected to the GPS positioning module 20 of the UAV, and is used to obtain the coordinate information of the UAV; the first controller 19 is electrically connected to the acceleration sensor 21 and the gyroscope 22 of the UAV, and is used to obtain the flight attitude of the UAV; the first controller 19 is wirelessly connected to the ground mechanism, and is used to move the ground mechanism according to the coordinate information and flight attitude of the UAV, so that the optical positioning tracking module 15 receives the first laser emitted by the laser positioning tracker 13.

[0034] Specifically, the ground terminal system 11 is arranged on a ground mechanism, which can be a movable mechanism, which can be used to drive the ground terminal system 11 to track and cooperate with the long-distance flight operation of the UAV, and can also actively avoid various obstacles blocking the laser link between the ground terminal system 11 and the UAV.

[0035] Specifically, the airborne terminal system 12 may also include: a first controller 19. During flight operations, the battery is often low on power. If the battery is charged or replaced during return landing, the frequent take-off and landing may increase the probability of accidents. The UAV post-charging system provided in the embodiment of the present invention can realize laser wireless charging during the flight operation of the UAV, without returning to land or interrupting the flight operation, so as to realize laser charging while flying. The first controller 19 can be electrically connected to the GPS positioning module 20 of the UAV, and can be used to obtain the current position coordinate information of the UAV in real time. It can also be electrically connected to the acceleration sensor 21 and the gyroscope 22 of the UAV, and can be used to obtain the current flight attitude of the UAV in real time. The above-mentioned flight attitude may include the UAV flight speed, flight altitude, head up, head down, left tilt, right tilt and other attitudes. The first controller 19 is wirelessly connected to the ground mechanism. Exemplarily, the ground mechanism may include a second controller. The first controller 19 may be connected to the second controller of the ground mechanism, so that the second controller controls the ground mechanism, and specifically moves the ground mechanism according to the current position coordinate information and the current flight attitude of the UAV. For example, when the UAV is obtained to be in a left-tilted flight attitude, the moving mechanism of the ground mechanism may be adjusted by the second controller, so that the ground terminal system 11 can follow the movement of the UAV, and the pitch angle of the ground terminal system 11 is moved, so that the optical positioning tracking module 15 of the UAV is facing the laser positioning tracker 13, that is, the emission direction of the first laser is facing the optical positioning tracking module 15. The optical positioning tracking module 15 can receive the first laser emitted by the laser positioning tracker 13, establish a laser link between the ground terminal system 11 and the airborne terminal system 12, and realize effective primary positioning between the UAV and the ground mechanism. Optionally, the above-mentioned ground mechanism may be provided with at least three rollers, and the movement of the ground mechanism is realized by the above-mentioned rollers. The above-mentioned second controller may drive the above-mentioned rollers to rotate by a motor to realize the movement of the ground mechanism.

[0036] Optionally, the airborne terminal system 12 may also include: a battery management module 23, which is installed inside the fuselage of the drone; the battery management module 23, which is electrically connected to the laser photovoltaic cell module 16, and is used to convert the voltage transmitted by the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 into a power supply voltage for various components of the drone and power each component.

[0037] The battery management module 23 is arranged inside the drone and can convert the voltage generated by the charging group 18 into various voltages for use by the drone. For example, the flight control module, electrodes, and load components require different power supply voltages for driving. The battery management module 23 can convert the voltage output by the charging group 18 of the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 into the power supply voltage of the above components, thereby ensuring the power required for the drone flight operation.

[0038] Optionally, the battery management module 23 can also be used to detect the battery power of the charging group 18 in real time; the onboard terminal system 12 also includes a first controller 19; the battery management module 23 is connected to the first controller 19, and is used to send the battery power to the first controller 19; the first controller 19 is also used to control the laser emitter 14 to increase the value of the second power when the battery power is less than a set power threshold, and / or the battery power consumption rate is greater than a set speed threshold.

[0039] The battery management module 23 is also connected to the first controller 19, and can be used to detect the battery power of the charging group 18 in real time and send the battery power to the first controller 19. The first controller 19 is also used to control the opening and closing of the laser positioning tracker 13 according to the specific power, and control the output power of the laser transmitter 14. In this embodiment, the UAV may cause the power consumption rate to be too fast due to the high operation intensity. In order to prevent the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 from being unable to meet the power consumption of the UAV, when the battery power consumption rate is greater than the set speed threshold, the first controller 19 controls the laser transmitter 14 to increase the value of the second power. In addition, the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 is not always in the state of charging the UAV. After the charging group 18 is fully charged, the charging can be suspended so that the UAV is only in the working state. At this time, it is necessary to detect the remaining battery power in the charging group 18 when the UAV is in the working state. When the battery power is less than the set power threshold, the ground terminal system 11 can be controlled to work, and the laser transmitter 14 can be controlled to provide the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 with the second power laser charging. It should be noted that when the battery management module 23 detects that the battery power of the drone is less than the set power threshold, or the battery power consumption rate is greater than the set speed threshold, or the battery power is less than the set power threshold and the battery power consumption rate is greater than the set speed threshold, the battery power shortage signal and / or the power consumption rate fast signal are sent to the first controller 19, and the first controller 19 controls the laser positioning tracker 13 to perform coarse aiming and tracking and controls the laser transmitter 14 to start laser wireless charging for the drone through the second power. The battery management module 23 converts the electric energy stored in the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 into the power supply voltage of each component of the drone to power each component, and provides a signal when the battery power of the charging group 18 is insufficient and / or the power consumption rate is fast, so as to ensure that stable electric energy is provided to the aircraft, which greatly improves the endurance of the laser wireless charging of the drone.

[0040] In the embodiment of the present invention, firstly, the laser positioning tracker transmits a first laser to the optical positioning tracking module for rough aiming and tracking to realize the primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system; secondly, the laser transmitter transmits a second laser to the photovoltaic cell array of the laser photovoltaic cell module to realize the laser charging of the UAV by the ground terminal system. In this embodiment, the optical positioning tracking module is installed at the lower part of the fuselage of the UAV so that the UAV can be searched, located and tracked within the 360° effective range of the laser positioning tracker; the photovoltaic cell array is installed at the lower part of the fuselage of the UAV to facilitate the conversion of light energy into electrical energy to power the UAV flight operation; the charging group is set inside the fuselage of the UAV to store electrical energy for the UAV and power various components; a first controller is set in the airborne terminal system to control the moving position and laser emission angle of the laser positioning tracker and the laser transmitter by obtaining the coordinate information and flight attitude of the UAV to avoid obstacles or interruption of the charging process; the battery management module converts electrical energy into the power supply voltage of various components of the UAV for power supply, and provides signals when the aircraft battery is low and / or the power consumption rate is fast to ensure stable power supply for the aircraft. When the wireless charging of the UAV is performed, the present invention can realize the aiming and tracking of the airborne end by the ground end through coarse aiming and tracking positioning, thereby improving the laser charging efficiency, ensuring accurate and stable charging during the charging process, greatly improving the operation endurance of the UAV, and realizing accurate, efficient, and stable unlimited endurance charging.

[0041] Based on the above embodiments, the embodiment of the present invention further describes the structure of the wireless charging system for unmanned aerial vehicles in detail, especially the specific structure of the precise aiming and tracking process. Figure 4 , Figure 4 is a structural block diagram of another wireless charging system for drones provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, optionally, the airborne terminal system 12 also includes a first controller 19 and a plurality of first photosensors 24; the first controller 19 is wirelessly connected to the laser emitter 14, and is used to control the laser emitter 14 to emit a second laser of a first power after the primary positioning of the UAV; the plurality of first photosensors 24 are evenly arranged at the edge of the photovoltaic unit array 17, and are used to determine whether a first light spot formed by a second laser of a first power covers the photovoltaic unit array 17 according to a voltage mutation; the first controller 19 is electrically connected to the first photosensors 24, and is used to control the laser emitter 14 to emit a second laser of a second power after the first light spot covers the photovoltaic unit array 17; the second power is greater than the first power.

[0042] Specifically, the airborne terminal system 12 may also include a first controller 19 and a plurality of first light sensors 24. After the drone completes the primary positioning of the rough aiming and tracking, the first light sensor 24 and the laser transmitter 14 are used for precise aiming and tracking positioning: the first controller 19 wirelessly controls the laser transmitter 14 to emit the second laser of the first power, and the first light spot formed irradiates the photovoltaic cell array 17. At this time, even if the area of ​​the first light spot is larger than the area of ​​the photovoltaic cell array 17, there may be a situation where the first light spot does not completely cover the photovoltaic cell array 17. Therefore, a plurality of first light sensors 24 are evenly arranged at the edge of the photovoltaic cell array 17. Through the feedback of the detection circuit, that is, according to the voltage mutation of the plurality of first light sensors 24, it can be judged whether the first light spot formed by the second laser of the first power covers the photovoltaic cell array 17. If so, the precise aiming and tracking is completed, and the laser transmitter 14 can be subsequently controlled to emit the second laser of the second power greater than the first power to start charging the drone. If not, it is necessary to return to the rough aiming and tracking positioning. The two-step aiming and tracking positioning can maximize the precise positioning of the ground end and the drone end, greatly improving the charging efficiency.

[0043] It should be noted that the first laser emitted by the laser positioning tracker 13 can be a single-beam laser, which can be used to establish a laser connection with the optical positioning tracking module 15 to perform primary positioning for coarse aiming and tracking; the second laser of the first power emitted by the laser emitter 14 can be a plurality of laser beams with an array mode, and the first power can be determined by a small number of laser beams, and can be used to cooperate with the photovoltaic unit array 17 of the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 to perform precise positioning for fine aiming and tracking; the second laser of the second power emitted by the laser emitter 14 can be a plurality of laser beams with an array mode, and the second power can be determined by a large number of laser beams, and can be used to irradiate the photovoltaic unit array 17 of the laser photovoltaic cell module 16 to perform laser wireless charging, and accordingly, the second power needs to be greater than the first power.

[0044] Continue to refer Figure 4 Optionally, the onboard terminal system 12 may further include a plurality of second photosensors 25; the plurality of second photosensors 25 are arranged around the photovoltaic unit array 17, and are used to determine whether the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic unit array 17 according to the voltage mutation; the first controller 19 is electrically connected to the second photosensors 25, and is used to control the laser emitter 14 to emit a second laser of a second power after the first light spot covers the photovoltaic unit array 17 and the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic unit array 17.

[0045] Specifically, the airborne terminal system 12 may also include a plurality of second photosensors 25. After determining whether the first light spot covers the photovoltaic unit array 17 based on the voltage mutation of the plurality of first photosensors 24, a plurality of second photosensors 25 may be arranged around the photovoltaic unit array 17. The first controller 19 may also determine whether the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic unit array 17 based on the voltage mutation of the plurality of second photosensors 25. By arranging a plurality of second photosensors 25 in this way, it is possible to ensure that the central area with the strongest second laser light intensity is irradiated on the photovoltaic unit array 17 to maximize the charging efficiency, and it is also possible to effectively prevent the strong second laser from irradiating other parts of the drone fuselage, thereby reducing damage to the drone or nearby equipment. Therefore, after the drone completes the primary positioning of the rough aiming and tracking, the precise aiming and tracking positioning includes: the first controller 19 wirelessly controls the laser transmitter 14 to emit the second laser of the first power, the first light spot formed irradiates the photovoltaic cell array 17, a plurality of first light sensors 24 are evenly arranged at the edge of the photovoltaic cell array 17, and a plurality of second light sensors 25 are arranged around the photovoltaic cell array 17, and feedback is given through the detection circuit, that is, according to the voltage mutation of the plurality of first light sensors 24, it is judged whether the first light spot covers the photovoltaic cell array 17, and then according to the voltage mutation of the plurality of second light sensors 25, it is judged whether the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic cell array 17. If so, the precise aiming and tracking is completed, and the laser transmitter 14 can be subsequently controlled to emit the second laser of the second power greater than the first power to start charging the drone. If not, it is necessary to return to the rough aiming and tracking positioning. The two-step aiming and tracking positioning can maximize the precise positioning of the ground end and the drone end, greatly improve the charging efficiency, and reduce energy loss and damage to other equipment near the drone or the photovoltaic cell array 17, ensuring the safety of charging.

[0046] Optionally, the laser emitter 14 includes at least one group of fiber-coupled semiconductor lasers; the laser emitter 14 includes a plurality of laser beams arranged in an array; and the first controller 19 is used to control the output power of the laser emitter 14 by adjusting the number of laser beams emitting the second laser.

[0047] Specifically, the laser emitter 14 includes at least one group of fiber-coupled semiconductor lasers, and may include multiple laser beams arranged in an array. Preferably, in the embodiment of the present invention, the laser emitter 14 uses an 808nm laser with an output power of 200W-800W, and its output power can be adjusted according to actual conditions by changing the number of laser beams emitted by the laser emitter to emit the second laser. In the embodiment of the present invention, when performing coarse aiming and tracking, the laser positioning tracker 13 does not charge, and only emits the first laser to the optical positioning tracking module 15 for identification and tracking; after the primary positioning and aiming of the target, fine aiming and tracking is performed, and the laser emitter 14 emits a second laser with a first power to the photovoltaic unit array 17; after the target is accurately positioned, the laser emitter 14 automatically increases the emission power and laser beam, and emits a second laser with a second power to the photovoltaic unit array 17, so as to perform laser wireless charging for the drone.

[0048] In the embodiment of the present invention, firstly, a laser positioning tracker transmits a first laser to an optical positioning tracking module for coarse aiming and tracking to realize primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system; secondly, a laser transmitter whose output power can be adjusted according to the number of emitted laser beams transmits a second laser of a first power to the photovoltaic unit array of the laser photovoltaic cell module for fine aiming and tracking, and feedback is given by the detection circuit, that is, according to the voltage mutation of multiple first photosensors, it is judged whether the first light spot formed by the second laser of the first power covers the photovoltaic unit array, so as to realize more accurate positioning and tracking of the photovoltaic unit array by the laser transmitter. In addition, according to the voltage mutation of multiple second photosensors, it is judged whether the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic unit array, so as to further realize the maximum accurate positioning and tracking of the photovoltaic unit array by the laser transmitter; finally, the output power of the laser transmitter is increased by changing the number of laser beams, and a second laser of a second power is emitted to irradiate the photovoltaic unit array to realize laser charging of the UAV by the ground terminal system, and the charging group stores the electric energy converted by the photovoltaic unit array and supplies power to the UAV. The embodiment of the present invention only emits a single laser beam or a low-power laser beam through the laser positioning tracker during tracking and aiming, and does not charge. After aiming, the number of laser beams of the laser emitter is adjusted to increase the laser output power. The two-step aiming and tracking positioning is adopted to improve the utilization rate of energy and maximize the precise positioning of the ground end and the UAV end, greatly improve the charging efficiency, reduce energy loss and damage to other equipment near the UAV or photovoltaic unit array, ensure the safety of charging, greatly improve the operating endurance of the UAV, and realize accurate, efficient and stable unlimited endurance charging.

[0049] Based on the same concept, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a drone wireless charging method, which is applicable to a drone wireless charging system provided by any embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method for wireless charging of a drone provided by an embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 5 As shown, the wireless charging method for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0050] S110, turning on the optical positioning and tracking module and the laser positioning and tracking device; emitting a first laser to the optical positioning and tracking module through the laser positioning and tracking device, so as to realize the primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system.

[0051] S120, turning on the laser emitter and controlling the laser emitter to emit a second laser; the photovoltaic unit array of the laser photovoltaic cell module receives the second laser and converts the second laser from light energy to electrical energy.

[0052] S130, the charging group of the laser photovoltaic cell module stores the electrical energy and powers the drone.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present invention, a ground terminal system including a laser positioning tracker and a laser transmitter is arranged on the ground mechanism, and an airborne terminal system including an optical positioning tracking module and a laser photovoltaic cell module is arranged on the drone, and the laser photovoltaic cell module is composed of a photovoltaic unit array and a charging group; firstly, the optical positioning tracking module and the laser positioning tracker are turned on, and the laser positioning tracker emits a first laser to the optical positioning tracking module to establish a laser link, that is, rough aiming and tracking are performed to realize the primary positioning of the drone by the ground terminal system; secondly, the laser transmitter is turned on, and the laser transmitter is controlled to emit a second laser, and the photovoltaic unit array of the laser photovoltaic cell module receives the second laser, so as to realize the laser charging of the drone by the ground terminal system; the charging group of the laser photovoltaic cell module stores the electric energy and supplies power to the drone. When the present invention performs wireless charging of the drone, the ground terminal can realize the aiming and tracking of the airborne terminal through rough aiming and tracking positioning, thereby improving the laser charging efficiency, thereby greatly improving the operation endurance of the drone, and realizing accurate, efficient and stable unlimited endurance charging.

[0054] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiment, the embodiment of the present invention further describes in detail the process steps of the wireless charging method for unmanned aerial vehicles, especially the process flow before starting the optical positioning tracking module and the laser positioning tracker for coarse aiming and tracking, refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 is a flow chart of another method for wireless charging of unmanned aerial vehicles provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Optionally, the airborne terminal system of the wireless charging system for unmanned aerial vehicles further includes: a first controller; a ground mechanism is a movable mechanism, which is used to drive the ground terminal system to move to track the unmanned aerial vehicle, such as Figure 6 As shown, the wireless charging method for the drone includes:

[0055] S210, the first controller obtains the coordinate position of the UAV; the first controller obtains the flight attitude of the UAV.

[0056] S220: The first controller controls the ground mechanism to move according to the coordinate position and flight attitude of the UAV, so that the optical positioning and tracking module receives the first laser emitted by the laser positioning and tracking device.

[0057] Before turning on the optical positioning tracking module and the laser positioning tracker, this embodiment may also include S210 and S220, so that the first controller can control the relative position of the airborne terminal system and the airborne terminal system according to the coordinate position and flight attitude of the drone, so as to facilitate the subsequent establishment of the communication link of the first laser.

[0058] S230, turning on the optical positioning and tracking module and the laser positioning and tracking device; emitting a first laser to the optical positioning and tracking module through the laser positioning and tracking device, so as to realize the primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system.

[0059] S240, turning on the laser emitter and controlling the laser emitter to emit a second laser; the photovoltaic unit array of the laser photovoltaic cell module receives the second laser and converts the second laser from light energy to electrical energy.

[0060] The S250 and laser photovoltaic cell module charging packs store electrical energy and power the drone.

[0061] In an embodiment of the present invention, a first controller is provided in the airborne terminal system, which firstly obtains the coordinate information and flight attitude of the UAV, controls the ground mechanism to drive the laser positioning tracker and the laser transmitter to move, and adjusts the laser emission angle to avoid being blocked by obstacles or interrupting the charging process; secondly, turns on the optical positioning tracking module and the laser positioning tracker, and realizes the primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system by transmitting a first laser to the optical positioning tracking module through the laser positioning tracker for coarse aiming and tracking; further, turns on the laser transmitter, controls the laser transmitter to emit a second laser, and the photovoltaic cell array of the laser photovoltaic cell module receives the second laser, so as to realize more accurate positioning and tracking of the photovoltaic cell array by the laser transmitter, and converts the second laser from light energy to electrical energy, so as to realize laser charging of the UAV by the ground terminal system; the charging group of the laser photovoltaic cell module stores the electrical energy and supplies power to the UAV; finally, the charging group of the laser photovoltaic cell module stores the electrical energy converted by the photovoltaic cell array and supplies power to the UAV. When the wireless charging of the UAV is performed, the present invention can realize the aiming and tracking of the airborne end by the ground end through coarse aiming and tracking positioning, thereby improving the laser charging efficiency, ensuring accurate and stable charging during the charging process, greatly improving the operation endurance of the UAV, and realizing accurate, efficient, and stable unlimited endurance charging.

[0062] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiment, the embodiment of the present invention further describes in detail the process steps of the wireless charging method for the drone, especially for the process of turning on the laser transmitter and controlling the laser transmitter to emit the second laser. This embodiment adds a method process for accurately aiming and tracking the drone according to the laser transmitter, refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 is a flow chart of another wireless charging method for unmanned aerial vehicles provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Optionally, the onboard terminal system of the wireless charging system for unmanned aerial vehicles also includes: a first controller, a plurality of first light sensors and a plurality of second light sensors; the plurality of first light sensors are evenly arranged at the edge of the photovoltaic unit array; the plurality of second light sensors are arranged around the photovoltaic unit array, such as Figure 7 As shown, the wireless charging method for the drone includes:

[0063] S310, turning on the optical positioning and tracking module and the laser positioning and tracking device; emitting a first laser to the optical positioning and tracking module through the laser positioning and tracking device, so as to realize the primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system.

[0064] S320: The first controller turns on the laser emitter; and controls the laser emitter to emit a second laser with a first power.

[0065] S330, the first controller determines whether the first light spot formed by the second laser with the first power covers the photovoltaic unit array according to the voltage mutation of the first photosensor, and if so, executes S340.

[0066] S340, the first controller determines whether the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic unit array according to the voltage mutation of the second photosensor, and if so, executes S350.

[0067] S350, controlling the laser emitter to emit a second laser with a second power; the second power is greater than the first power.

[0068] The process of turning on the laser emitter and controlling the laser emitter to emit a second laser specifically includes the above-mentioned processes S320 to S350. The first controller determines whether the first light spot formed by the second laser of the first power covers the photovoltaic unit array according to the voltage mutation of the first photosensor, so as to achieve more accurate positioning and tracking of the photovoltaic unit array by the laser emitter. Furthermore, the first controller determines whether the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic unit array according to the voltage mutation of the second photosensor, so as to further achieve maximum accurate positioning and tracking of the photovoltaic unit array by the laser emitter. If so, the precise aiming and tracking is completed. If not, the coarse aiming and tracking positioning is returned.

[0069] The first controller turns on a laser transmitter whose output power can be adjusted according to the number of emitted laser beams; and controls the laser transmitter to emit a second laser with a first power to the photovoltaic unit array of the laser photovoltaic cell module for precise aiming and tracking.

[0070] The S360 laser photovoltaic cell module charging pack stores electrical energy and powers the drone.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present invention, the optical positioning tracking module and the laser positioning tracker are turned on, and the laser positioning tracker emits a first laser to the optical positioning tracking module for rough aiming and tracking to realize the primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system, and the laser emitter and the photovoltaic unit array are used for precise aiming and positioning. After the first light spot covers the photovoltaic unit array and the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic unit array, the first controller controls the laser emitter to emit a second laser with a second power to irradiate the photovoltaic unit array by changing the number of laser beams to realize the laser charging of the UAV by the ground terminal system. In the embodiment of the present invention, when tracking and aiming, only a single laser beam or a low-power laser beam is emitted by the laser positioning tracker, and charging is not performed. After aiming, the number of laser beams of the laser emitter is adjusted to increase the laser output power. The two-step aiming and tracking positioning can improve the utilization rate of energy and maximize the accurate positioning of the ground terminal and the UAV end, greatly improve the charging efficiency, and reduce energy loss and damage to other equipment near the UAV or the photovoltaic unit array, ensure the safety of charging, greatly improve the operation endurance of the UAV, and realize accurate, efficient and stable unlimited endurance charging.

[0072] Note that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and that various obvious changes, readjustments and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include more other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wireless charging system for drones, characterized in that: include: A ground terminal system and an airborne terminal system; wherein the ground terminal system is arranged on a ground mechanism, including a laser positioning tracker and a laser transmitter; the airborne terminal system is arranged on a drone, including an optical positioning tracking module and a laser photovoltaic cell module; The laser positioning tracker is used to emit a first laser; the optical positioning tracking module is used to receive the first laser to achieve primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system; the laser transmitter is used to emit a second laser; the laser photovoltaic cell module includes a photovoltaic unit array, which is used to receive the second laser and convert the second laser from light energy to electrical energy; the laser photovoltaic cell module also includes a charging group, which is used to store the electrical energy and power the UAV; The onboard terminal system further includes a first controller and a plurality of first light sensors; The first controller is wirelessly connected to the laser transmitter, and is used to control the laser transmitter to emit a second laser with a first power after the primary positioning of the UAV; A plurality of the first light sensors are evenly arranged at the edge of the photovoltaic unit array, and are used to determine whether the first light spot formed by the second laser with the first power covers the photovoltaic unit array according to the voltage mutation; The first controller is electrically connected to the first photosensor, and is used to control the laser emitter to emit a second laser with a second power after the first light spot covers the photovoltaic unit array; the second power is greater than the first power; The optical positioning and tracking module is installed at the lower part of the fuselage of the UAV; The photovoltaic unit array is installed on the lower part of the fuselage of the drone.

2. The UAV wireless charging system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The onboard terminal system further includes a plurality of second light sensors; A plurality of the second light sensors are arranged around the photovoltaic unit array, and are used to determine whether the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic unit array according to a voltage mutation; The first controller is electrically connected to the second photosensor, and is used to control the laser emitter to emit the second laser of the second power after the first light spot covers the photovoltaic unit array and the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic unit array.

3. The UAV wireless charging system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laser transmitter includes at least one group of fiber-coupled semiconductor lasers; The laser emitter includes a plurality of laser beams arranged in an array; the first controller is used to control the output power of the laser emitter by adjusting the number of laser beams emitting the second laser.

4. The UAV wireless charging system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ground mechanism is a movable mechanism, which is used to drive the ground terminal system to move so as to track the UAV; The airborne terminal system further includes: a first controller; the first controller is electrically connected to the GPS positioning module of the drone, and is used to obtain the coordinate information of the drone; the first controller is electrically connected to the acceleration sensor and the gyroscope of the drone, and is used to obtain the flight attitude of the drone; The first controller is wirelessly connected to the ground mechanism and is used to move the ground mechanism according to the coordinate information and the flight attitude of the UAV so that the optical positioning tracking module receives the first laser emitted by the laser positioning tracker.

5. The UAV wireless charging system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The airborne terminal system further comprises: a battery management module, wherein the battery management module is installed inside the fuselage of the drone; The battery management module is electrically connected to the laser photovoltaic cell module, and is used to convert the voltage transmitted by the laser photovoltaic cell module into the power supply voltage of each component of the drone and to power each component.

6. The UAV wireless charging system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The battery management module is also used to detect the battery power of the charging group in real time; The onboard terminal system further includes a first controller; the battery management module is connected to the first controller and is used to send the battery power to the first controller; The first controller is also used to control the laser transmitter to increase the value of the second power when the battery power is less than a set power threshold and / or the battery power consumption rate is greater than a set speed threshold.

7. A method for wireless charging of a drone, characterized in that: The wireless charging system for unmanned aerial vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 6 above comprises: Turn on the optical positioning tracking module and the laser positioning tracker; emit a first laser to the optical positioning tracking module through the laser positioning tracker to achieve primary positioning of the UAV by the ground terminal system; Turning on the laser emitter and controlling the laser emitter to emit a second laser; the photovoltaic unit array of the laser photovoltaic cell module receives the second laser and converts the second laser from light energy to electrical energy; The charging group of the laser photovoltaic cell module stores the electrical energy and supplies power to the drone.

8. The wireless charging method for a drone according to claim 7, characterized in that: The onboard terminal system of the wireless charging system for unmanned aerial vehicles further includes: a first controller; the ground mechanism is a movable mechanism, which is used to drive the ground terminal system to move so as to track the unmanned aerial vehicle; Before starting the optical positioning tracking module and the laser positioning tracker, the method further includes: The first controller obtains the coordinate position of the UAV; the first controller obtains the flight attitude of the UAV; The first controller controls the movement of the ground mechanism according to the coordinate position and the flight attitude of the UAV, so that the optical positioning tracking module receives the first laser emitted by the laser positioning tracker.

9. The wireless charging method for drones according to claim 7, characterized in that: The onboard terminal system of the wireless charging system for unmanned aerial vehicles further includes: a first controller, a plurality of first light sensors and a plurality of second light sensors; the plurality of first light sensors are evenly arranged at the edge of the photovoltaic unit array; the plurality of second light sensors are arranged around the photovoltaic unit array; The step of starting the laser emitter and controlling the laser emitter to emit a second laser comprises: The first controller turns on the laser emitter; and controls the laser emitter to emit a second laser with a first power; The first controller determines whether a first light spot formed by a second laser with a first power covers the photovoltaic unit array according to a voltage mutation of the first photosensor; The first controller determines whether the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic unit array according to the voltage mutation of the second photosensor; The first controller controls the laser emitter to emit a second laser with a second power after the first light spot covers the photovoltaic unit array and the center of the first light spot coincides with the center of the photovoltaic unit array; the second power is greater than the first power.

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