UAV cargo distribution equipment, cargo distribution system, cargo distribution method and cargo distribution device

Abstract

The present application discloses a UAV cargo distribution equipment, a cargo distribution system, a cargo distribution method and a cargo distribution device. The UAV cargo distribution equipment includes a cargo warehouse placement platform and a rotating assembly; the cargo warehouse placement platform is used to place the cargo warehouse to be assembled; a plurality of pressure sensors are provided on the upper surface of the cargo warehouse placement platform; the cargo warehouse placement platform is connected to the rotating assembly and can be driven to rotate by the rotating assembly; the rotating assembly can rotate in response to a first drive instruction, and the first drive instruction is determined according to the distribution of pressure values. The beneficial effect of the present application is that, without the need for hardware modification of the UAV or its cargo warehouse, by adjusting the center of gravity position of the cargo warehouse to match the performance status of each arm of the UAV, the overall center of gravity distribution of the UAV is optimized, thereby reducing the loss and life difference of the electronic speed regulator, motor and propeller in different directions of the UAV, improving the safety of unmanned delivery, extending the overall life of the UAV, and significantly reducing the cost of cargo delivery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of drone technology, and in particular to a drone cargo distribution equipment, a cargo distribution system cargo distribution method, and a cargo distribution device. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the rapid development of e-commerce, express delivery and takeout businesses have become more and more common. In order to save manpower and improve delivery efficiency, drones are often used in the logistics field. Usually, a take-off and landing pad for docking with the warehouse is set up at the location where the drone picks up the goods, also known as a drone airport. The operator first puts the goods into the warehouse, and then the take-off and landing pad transmits the warehouse to a specific location through a fixed transmission channel for docking with the drone.

[0003] Since current logistics cargo drones are mainly multi-rotor drones, the center of gravity position of the aircraft is a key issue affecting flight performance and flight safety. The center of gravity of the cargo hold of logistics cargo drones will change with the weight and distribution of the cargo. Different center of gravity distributions will cause power changes in different directions of the drone, thereby affecting the loss and life of the drone's electronic speed regulator, motor and propeller in different directions.

[0004] In the existing technology, the above problem is usually overcome by designing and manufacturing complex cargo holds so that the center of gravity of the cargo can be adjusted within the hold. This type of cargo hold is not only expensive to manufacture, but also heavy, which increases the load of the drone flight, seriously affecting the flight performance of the drone and having poor applicability. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present application is proposed to provide a drone cargo distribution equipment, cargo distribution system, cargo distribution method and cargo distribution device that overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present application, there is provided a drone cargo distribution device, the drone cargo distribution device comprising a cargo storage platform and a rotating assembly;

[0007] The cargo hold platform is used to place cargo holds to be assembled;

[0008] The upper surface of the cargo warehouse placement table is provided with multiple pressure sensors, which are used to collect the pressure values of the cargo warehouse to be assembled at the corresponding positions;

[0009] The cargo storage platform is connected to the rotating assembly and can be rotated by the rotating assembly;

[0010] The rotating component may rotate in response to a first driving instruction, where the first driving instruction is determined according to a distribution of pressure values.

[0011] Optionally, in the above device, the setting position of the pressure sensor corresponds to the direction of the drone arm when the drone is distributing goods.

[0012] Optionally, in the above-mentioned device, the upper surface of the cargo warehouse placement table is a convex polygon, the number of pressure sensors is the same as the number of corners of the convex polygon, and each pressure sensor is respectively arranged in a preset interval corresponding to the corner of the convex polygon.

[0013] Optionally, in the above device, the convex polygon is a rectangle.

[0014] Optionally, in the above device, the rotating assembly includes a rotating shaft, a first connecting portion, and a control portion;

[0015] The rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the cargo storage platform through the first connecting portion;

[0016] The control unit is electrically connected to the rotating shaft and is used to output the first driving instruction.

[0017] Optionally, the above device further includes a transmission shaft and a second connecting portion;

[0018] The transmission shaft is connected to the rotating shaft via a second connecting portion, and the transmission shaft is electrically connected to the control portion;

[0019] The transmission shaft can drive the cargo storage platform to a target position according to the second driving instruction output by the control unit.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present application, a drone cargo distribution system is provided, comprising a drone, a cargo warehouse, and the drone cargo distribution equipment as described above.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present application, a drone cargo distribution method is provided, the method comprising:

[0022] Receive the pressure value collected by the drone delivery equipment mentioned above;

[0023] Get the drone's historical cargo information;

[0024] Determine the posture of the cargo hold platform of the drone delivery equipment based on historical delivery information and the distribution of pressure values;

[0025] A first driving instruction is generated according to the above-mentioned posture to make the cargo storage platform assume the above-mentioned posture.

[0026] Preferably, the method further comprises:

[0027] After the drone takes off, the historical cargo distribution information of the drone is updated according to the distribution of pressure values and the above-mentioned posture.

[0028] Preferably, in the above method, updating the historical cargo distribution information of the drone according to the distribution of the pressure values and the posture includes:

[0029] Determine the current load of each arm of the drone based on the distribution of pressure values and posture;

[0030] Update the accumulated load of the arm in the historical distribution information according to the current load of the arm.

[0031] Preferably, in the above method, determining the posture of the cargo storage platform of the drone cargo distribution device according to the distribution information and the pressure value includes:

[0032] Determine the center of gravity of the cargo hold to be assembled based on the distribution of pressure values;

[0033] The posture of the above-mentioned cargo warehouse placement platform is determined according to the center of gravity and the accumulated load of the machine arm in the historical cargo distribution information.

[0034] Preferably, in the above method, determining the center of gravity of the cargo hold to be assembled according to the distribution of pressure values includes:

[0035] Determine that the center of gravity of the cargo hold to be assembled is within the spatial range corresponding to the pressure sensor with the maximum pressure value;

[0036] Determining the posture according to the center of gravity and the accumulated load of the arm in the historical cargo distribution information includes:

[0037] Determine the posture so that the angle between the center of gravity in this posture and the direction of the drone's arm with the smallest cumulative load value is smaller than the angle between the center of gravity in this posture and the directions of the other drone arms.

[0038] According to another aspect of the present application, a drone cargo distribution device is provided, comprising:

[0039] A receiving unit, configured to receive the pressure value collected by the drone delivery device as described above;

[0040] The acquisition unit is used to obtain the historical distribution information of the drone;

[0041] A data processing unit, configured to determine the posture of the cargo storage platform of the drone cargo distribution device based on the historical cargo distribution information and the distribution of the pressure values;

[0042] The execution unit is used to generate a first driving instruction according to the posture to make the cargo storage platform take the above posture.

[0043] Preferably, in the above-mentioned device, the acquisition unit is further used to update the historical cargo distribution information of the drone according to the distribution of the pressure values and the above-mentioned posture after the drone takes off.

[0044] Preferably, in the above device, the acquisition unit is used to determine the current load of each arm of the drone according to the distribution and posture of the pressure value; and update the cumulative load of the arm in the historical distribution information according to the current load of the arm.

[0045] Preferably, in the above-mentioned device, the data processing unit is used to determine the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse to be assembled according to the distribution of pressure values; and determine the posture of the above-mentioned cargo warehouse placement platform according to the center of gravity and the cumulative load of the machine arm in the historical distribution information.

[0046] Preferably, in the above-mentioned device, the data processing unit is used to determine that the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse to be assembled is located within the spatial range corresponding to the pressure sensor with the largest pressure value; it is also used to determine the posture so that the angle between the center of gravity in this posture and the direction of the arm of the drone with the smallest cumulative load value is smaller than the angle between the center of gravity in this posture and the directions of other arms of the drone.

[0047] According to yet another aspect of the present application, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory arranged to store computer-executable instructions, wherein the executable instructions, when executed, enable the processor to perform any of the above methods.

[0048] According to yet another aspect of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores one or more programs, and when the one or more programs are executed by a processor, they implement any of the methods described above.

[0049] As can be seen from the above, the technical solution of the present application provides a drone cargo distribution equipment, which includes a cargo warehouse placement platform and a rotating assembly; the cargo warehouse placement platform is used to place the cargo warehouse to be assembled; a plurality of pressure sensors are provided on the upper surface of the cargo warehouse placement platform, respectively used to collect the pressure values of the cargo warehouse to be assembled at corresponding positions; the cargo warehouse placement platform is connected to the rotating assembly and can be driven to rotate by the rotating assembly; the rotating assembly can rotate in response to a first drive instruction, and the first drive instruction is determined according to the distribution of the pressure values. The beneficial effect of the present application is that, without the need for hardware modification of the drone or its cargo warehouse, by adjusting the center of gravity position of the cargo warehouse to match the performance status of each arm of the drone, the overall center of gravity distribution of the drone is optimized, thereby reducing the loss and life difference of the electronic speed regulator, motor and propeller in different directions of the drone, improving the safety of unmanned delivery, extending the overall life of the drone, and significantly reducing the cost of cargo delivery.

[0050] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment below. The accompanying drawings are for illustration purposes only and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. The same reference symbols are used throughout the drawings to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0052] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a drone cargo distribution device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0053] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a drone delivery system according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0054] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a drone cargo distribution method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0055] Figure 4 The operating process of the drone delivery method according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0056] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing a flow chart of a drone cargo distribution method according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0057] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a drone cargo distribution device according to one embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0058] Figure 7 shows a schematic structural diagram of an electronic structure according to yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of a computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] The following describes exemplary embodiments of the present application in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although exemplary embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present application and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0061] The idea of this application is that in order to maintain the overall balance of the drone during flight, the motors that are closer to the center of gravity of the drone body (including the cargo hold) rotate faster, resulting in greater losses, which in turn leads to differences in the lifespan of the electronic speed regulator, motor and propeller in different directions of the drone. Long-term operation will not only affect flight safety, but also increase the operating costs caused by equipment maintenance and replacement.

[0062] In view of the fact that existing fixed transmission channels can only realize the transmission function of the cargo warehouse, this application proposes a drone cargo distribution device and method, so that the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse can match the load status of each drone arm, reducing the differential loss between the drone arms.

[0063] Figure 1 The following is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a drone cargo distribution device according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a drone delivery system according to an embodiment of the present application is shown, with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 ,from Figure 1 and Figure 2 As can be seen in the figure, the drone cargo distribution device 100 includes a cargo storage platform 101 and a rotating component 102.

[0064] The cargo hold platform is used to place the cargo hold 201 to be assembled. Multiple pressure sensors 202 are installed on its upper surface, each used to collect pressure values at corresponding locations within the cargo hold. The cargo hold platform is connected to a rotating assembly and can be rotated by the rotating assembly. The rotating assembly can rotate in response to a first drive command, which is determined based on the distribution of the pressure values.

[0065] Existing logistics drones consist of a drone body and a cargo warehouse. There is a storage space under the drone body to accommodate the drone's cargo warehouse. When carrying out logistics transportation, the goods are placed in the cargo warehouse. The goods can be packaged in cardboard boxes or plastic. The drone stops at a designated location on the cargo warehouse, and then the drone docks with the cargo warehouse. After the docking is completed, the drone can take off and carry out the delivery of goods.

[0066] In the prior art, the drone basically docks with the cargo hold at a designated location on the drone's landing pad. Currently, the drone's landing pad is fixed and cannot adjust the position and orientation of the cargo hold.

[0067] This application proposes a drone cargo distribution device that can adjust the relative position of the cargo hold to achieve the purpose of adjusting the cargo hold's center of gravity, further distributing the center of gravity of the drone as a whole, and facilitating the safe flight of the drone. Specifically, the device 100 includes a cargo hold placement platform 101 and a rotating assembly 102.

[0068] Among them, the cargo warehouse placement platform 101 is used to place the cargo warehouse to be assembled 201, which is filled with goods. A plurality of pressure sensors 202 are set on the upper surface of the cargo warehouse placement platform, which are used to collect the pressure values of the cargo warehouse to be assembled at the corresponding positions. When the goods are placed in the cargo warehouse 201, each pressure sensor can measure the pressure value of the cargo warehouse to be assembled at the corresponding position due to the gravity of the goods, thereby determining the distribution of the pressure value of the cargo warehouse at each position of the cargo warehouse placement platform 101. The larger the pressure value, the greater the mass of the corresponding goods here, and the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse will be biased toward the position corresponding to this sensor.

[0069] The lower surface of the cargo storage platform 101 is fixedly connected to the rotating component 102. The rotating component can rotate in response to a first driving instruction. The first driving instruction is determined according to the distribution of the pressure value.

[0070] Each arm of a multi-rotor drone is equipped with a motor, an electronic speed regulator, a rotor, etc. In order to maintain flight balance, when flying with cargo of uneven weight or adjusting the flight attitude, the power provided by each motor is different. The motor that is closer to the center of gravity of the drone body (including the cargo hold) rotates faster, resulting in greater losses. Accumulating over a long period of time, this causes the load status of the drone's arms in different directions to be different. Some arms have serious losses, while others have minor losses. Since drones are usually manufactured using an integrated molding method, if the arm or component in one direction is damaged, it is very likely that the entire drone will be scrapped. Therefore, reducing the differences in the arms corresponding to each direction of the drone can significantly improve the service life of the drone.

[0071] To address the above issues, the rotating component in the device of the present application can rotate in response to the first drive instruction, driving the cargo hold placement platform to rotate, thereby adjusting the center of gravity of the cargo hold to adapt to the performance status of the drone's arms in different directions.

[0072] The first driving instruction is determined based on the distribution of the pressure values. The sensor with the greater pressure means that the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse is located within a certain spatial range of the sensor. The relative position of the cargo warehouse can be adjusted based on the position of the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse and the performance status of each arm in different directions of the drone. The drone then docks with the cargo warehouse. After the docking is completed, the drone can take off and carry out cargo delivery.

[0073] The drone cargo distribution equipment provided in this application can be used alone or on an existing drone landing pad.

[0074] Depend on Figure 1It can be seen from the equipment shown that the cargo distribution equipment of the present application optimizes the overall center of gravity distribution of the drone by adjusting the center of gravity position of the cargo hold to match the performance status of each arm of the drone without the need for hardware modification of the drone or its cargo hold, thereby reducing the loss differences of the electronic speed regulator, motor and propeller in different directions of the drone, improving the safety of unmanned delivery, extending the overall life of the drone, and significantly reducing the cost of cargo delivery.

[0075] According to one embodiment of the present application, in the above-mentioned device, the setting position of the pressure sensor corresponds to the direction of the drone arm when the drone is delivering goods.

[0076] Usually, every time a drone lands, the direction of its nose is fixed, that is, every time a drone lands on a cargo hold, its position relative to the cargo hold platform remains unchanged. Therefore, the location of the pressure sensor can be matched to the direction of the drone's arm when it is loading cargo. Figure 2 As shown, when the UAV is a quad-rotor UAV, and the cargo hold placement platform and the cargo hold are square, the pressure sensors can be set on the diagonals of the cargo hold placement platform, and specifically, two pressure sensors can be set opposite to each diagonal.

[0077] In one embodiment of the present application, in the above-mentioned device, the upper surface of the cargo warehouse placement table is a convex polygon, the number of pressure sensors is the same as the number of corners of the convex polygon, and each pressure sensor is respectively arranged in each preset interval corresponding to the corner of the convex polygon.

[0078] The present application recommends a method for setting up sensors. When the upper surface of the cargo warehouse placement table is a convex polygon, the number of pressure sensors is the same as the number of corners of the convex polygon, and each pressure sensor is respectively set in a preset interval corresponding to the corner of the convex polygon. Taking one pressure sensor as an example, it can be set but not limited to within the range of 45° clockwise to 45° counterclockwise from the vertex of the corner and the center of the rectangle. More precisely, it can be set within the range of 25° clockwise to 25° counterclockwise from the vertex of the corner and the center of the rectangle.

[0079] When the convex polygon is a regular shape, its center of gravity is the geometric center of the convex polygon. A rectangle is the most common design for a convex polygon, and its center of gravity is at the geometric center of the rectangle. For a quadrotor, four sensors can be installed, one at each corner of the rectangle, within a range of 45° to 45° clockwise from the line connecting the vertex and the geometric center of the rectangle. Recommended locations are at the diagonals of the rectangle. For a hexacopter or octacopter, the pressure sensor locations can be determined based on the position of the drone's arms and the corners of the convex polygon.

[0080] In one embodiment of the present application, in the above-mentioned device, the rotating assembly includes a rotating shaft 1021, a first connecting part 1022 and a control part (not shown in the figure); the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the cargo warehouse placement table through the first connecting part; the control part is electrically connected to the rotating shaft for outputting the first drive instruction.

[0081] In this embodiment, the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the cargo warehouse placement platform through a first connecting part, wherein the first connecting part is composed of a connecting part outer ring and a connecting part inner ring, and a connecting protrusion is provided on one side of the connecting part outer ring; the side of the connecting part outer ring without the connecting protrusion is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the connecting part inner ring is provided opposite to and non-contacting to the side of the connecting part outer ring, a spring is provided in the space between the connecting part outer ring and the connecting part inner ring, and the connecting part inner ring and the connecting part outer ring are connected together by a snap; the connecting protrusion is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the cargo warehouse placement platform.

[0082] The control unit is electrically connected to the rotating shaft and is used to output the first driving instruction. The rotating shaft can rotate the cargo hold placement platform according to the second instruction, and then rotate the cargo hold placed on the cargo hold placement platform, such as rotating 90° counterclockwise, thereby adjusting the position of the cargo hold's center of gravity relative to the drone body.

[0083] In one embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned equipment also includes a transmission shaft and a second connecting part; the transmission shaft is connected to the rotating shaft through the second connecting part, and the transmission shaft is electrically connected to the control part; the transmission shaft can drive the cargo warehouse placement platform to the target position according to the second driving instruction output by the control part.

[0084] To accommodate more drones, a single landing pad often features multiple locations for drones to take off and land. In this embodiment, the device also includes a drive shaft and a second connecting portion for transporting the cargo platform to a designated location. For example, if a single landing pad can accommodate nine drones simultaneously, the drive shaft can transport the cargo platform to any designated landing location on the landing pad.

[0085] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a drone cargo delivery system according to one embodiment of the present application is shown. As can be seen from the diagram, it includes a drone, a cargo warehouse, and the drone cargo delivery equipment described above. The drone and the cargo warehouse in this system form a cargo drone, which, in conjunction with the drone cargo delivery equipment, can be equipped with cargo to enable the drone to complete cargo delivery. This description will not be repeated here.

[0086] Figure 3 A flow chart of a drone cargo distribution method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As can be seen from the figure, the method includes:

[0087] Step S310: receiving the pressure value collected by the drone delivery equipment described above.

[0088] The drone cargo distribution method provided in this application is implemented based on the drone cargo distribution device provided in the application. When the cargo warehouse is placed on the cargo warehouse placement table, the pressure values collected by each pressure sensor on the surface of the cargo warehouse placement table are obtained to determine the distribution of pressure values of the cargo warehouse at each position of the cargo warehouse placement table.

[0089] Step S320: Obtain the historical delivery information of the drone.

[0090] Every flight of a drone will have a certain impact on the mechanical properties of the drone itself. Most existing cargo drones are multi-rotor drones, and the most common ones are quad-rotor, hexacopter and octo-rotor drones. Each arm of a multi-rotor drone is equipped with a motor, an electronic speed regulator, a rotor, etc. In order to maintain flight balance, when flying with cargo of uneven weight or adjusting the flight attitude, the power provided by each motor is different. The motor that is closer to the center of gravity of the drone body (including the cargo hold) rotates faster, and the loss generated is greater. Accumulating over a long period of time, this causes the load status of the drone's arms in different directions to be different. Some arms have serious losses, while others have minor losses. Since drones are usually manufactured using an integrated molding method, if the arm or component in one direction is damaged, it is very likely that the entire drone will be scrapped. Therefore, reducing the differences in the arms corresponding to different directions of the drone can significantly improve the service life of the drone.

[0091] By understanding the historical cargo distribution information of the drone, we can know the current status of each arm of the drone, and know which arm of the drone has the greatest loss of motor, electronic speed regulator, rotor, etc., so as to avoid the expansion of the differences between the various arms of the drone by adjusting the center of gravity of the cargo hold.

[0092] In order to understand the historical cargo distribution information of the drone, the flight log information of each drone can be read. The flight log information may include but is not limited to: the load of each drone arm in each flight, the historical cumulative load of each arm, the mass of the cargo carried by the drone, the correspondence between the center of gravity of the cargo carried by the drone and each arm, the flight route, flight mileage, flight time, etc.

[0093] Step S330: Determine the posture of the cargo storage platform of the drone cargo distribution equipment based on the historical cargo distribution information and the distribution of pressure values.

[0094] The pressure value collected by the sensor is generated by the gravity of the goods. The larger the pressure value, the greater the mass of the corresponding goods, and the center of gravity of the warehouse will be biased towards the spatial range corresponding to this sensor.

[0095] Based on the drone's historical cargo distribution information, we can determine which drone arm has the least cumulative damage. The center of gravity of the cargo hold can be matched with the arm with the least damage, which can reduce the difference in wear between the arms. Since the drone's landing direction is fixed, the posture of the cargo hold placement table can be determined based on this correspondence.

[0096] Step S340: Generate a first driving instruction according to the above posture to make the cargo storage platform assume the above posture.

[0097] According to the posture of the cargo warehouse placement platform obtained above, a driving instruction is generated, such as rotating the cargo warehouse placement platform 90° clockwise. According to this instruction, the rotating device can drive the cargo warehouse placement platform to the above posture.

[0098] Depend on Figure 3 It can be seen from the method shown that the present application optimizes the overall center of gravity distribution of the drone by adjusting the center of gravity position of the cargo hold to match the performance status of each arm of the drone without the need for hardware modification of the drone or its cargo hold, thereby reducing the loss and life difference of the electronic speed regulator, motor and propeller in different directions of the drone, improving the safety of unmanned delivery, extending the overall life of the drone, and significantly reducing the cost of cargo delivery.

[0099] Figure 4 The following is a drone delivery method according to another embodiment of the present application; the specific steps are as follows:

[0100] After placing the cargo hold on the cargo hold platform, the pressure sensor reads data in four different directions, recorded as D1, D2, D3, and D4. By default, the corresponding relationship between this data and the four arms of the drone is P1-D1, P2-D2, P3-D3, and P4-D4.

[0101] The center of gravity of the cargo hold is deviated based on D1, D2, D3, and D4, assuming that D2 is the largest.

[0102] The load status of the four current arms of the UAV that is about to perform the docking mission is calculated based on the historical flight records of the UAV, assuming that P1 is the smallest.

[0103] Based on the deviation of the cargo hold's center of gravity and the current load status of each arm of the drone, the matching relationship is calculated. For example, the arm carrying the cargo hold's center of gravity is P1.

[0104] Based on the above matching relationship, a drive instruction is generated, and the cargo hold platform is rotated according to the instruction to match the center of gravity deviation of the machine arm and the cargo hold. The corresponding relationships after matching are P1-D2, P2-D3, P3-D4, and P4-D1.

[0105] In one embodiment of the present application, the method further includes: after the drone takes off, updating the historical cargo distribution information of the drone based on the distribution of pressure values and the above-mentioned posture.

[0106] After the drone takes off, the cargo distribution information of the drone can be recorded in the drone's flight log for subsequent use. The flight log information may include but is not limited to the following information: the load of each drone arm in each flight, the historical cumulative load of each arm, the mass of the cargo carried by the drone, the correspondence between the center of gravity of the cargo carried by the drone and each arm, the flight route, flight mileage, flight time, etc.

[0107] In one embodiment of the present application, in the above method, updating the historical cargo distribution information of the drone based on the distribution of pressure values and the posture includes: determining the current arm load of each arm of the drone based on the distribution of pressure values and the posture; and updating the cumulative arm load in the historical cargo distribution information based on the current arm load.

[0108] When matching the cargo hold with the arms of the drone, this application focuses more on the cumulative loss of each arm. This loss can be characterized by the cumulative load of each arm. Therefore, by accumulating the load corresponding to each arm each time, the cumulative load of each arm in the drone's flight history distribution information can be obtained. When matching the cargo hold with the arms of the drone, this value can be directly read, and the posture of the drone and the cargo hold can be matched based on this value.

[0109] In one embodiment of the present application, in the above method, determining the posture of the cargo storage platform of the drone cargo distribution device based on the distribution information and the pressure value includes:

[0110] Determine the center of gravity of the cargo hold to be assembled based on the distribution of pressure values;

[0111] The posture of the above-mentioned cargo warehouse placement platform is determined according to the center of gravity and the accumulated load of the machine arm in the historical cargo distribution information.

[0112] In one embodiment of the present application, in the above method, determining the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse to be assembled based on the distribution of pressure values includes: determining that the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse to be assembled is located within the spatial range corresponding to the pressure sensor with the largest pressure value; determining the posture based on the center of gravity and the cumulative load of the arm in the historical cargo distribution information includes: determining the posture so that the angle between the center of gravity in this posture and the direction of the arm with the smallest cumulative load value of the drone is smaller than the angle between the center of gravity in this posture and the directions of other arms of the drone are located.

[0113] The larger the pressure value of the pressure sensor, the greater the mass of the cargo warehouse to be assembled within the corresponding spatial range. Accurately determining the position of the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse is very tedious or complicated. During the flight of the drone, since the posture needs to be constantly adjusted, the power output of the motors of each arm of the drone is different under different postures. Therefore, in this embodiment, there is no need to determine the exact position of the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse. When determining the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse to be assembled based on the distribution of pressure values, it is sufficient to determine that the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse to be assembled is within the spatial range corresponding to the pressure sensor with the largest pressure value.

[0114] When determining the posture based on the center of gravity and the accumulated arm loads from historical cargo allocation information, the angle between the center of gravity and the drone's arm with the smallest accumulated load in this posture is smaller than the angle between the center of gravity and the other drone arms in this posture. This places the center of gravity closest to the arm with the smallest accumulated wear, maximizing the motor output power for that arm in normal flight. This effectively mitigates variations in wear across the drone's arms.

[0115] Figure 5 A flowchart of a drone cargo distribution method according to another embodiment of the present application is shown. The specific process includes: receiving pressure values collected by the drone cargo distribution equipment, determining that the center of gravity of the cargo hold to be assembled is within the spatial range corresponding to the pressure sensor with the maximum pressure value, determining the current load of each drone arm, and obtaining the cumulative load value of each drone arm. It is determined whether, in this flight attitude, the angle between the center of gravity and the direction of the arm with the minimum cumulative load value is smaller than the angle between the center of gravity and the directions of the other drone arms in this attitude.

[0116] If so, the drone docks with the cargo warehouse and takes off to complete the cargo delivery. The accumulated load of the arm in the historical cargo distribution information is updated according to the current load of the arm.

[0117] If not, the cargo platform's posture is determined to meet the above conditions. Based on the posture of the cargo platform, a first drive command is generated. Based on the first drive command, the cargo platform is rotated, the drone docks with the cargo, and then takes off, completing the cargo delivery. Finally, the accumulated arm load in the historical delivery information is updated based on the current arm load.

[0118] Figure 6 FIG. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a drone cargo distribution device according to an embodiment of the present application. As can be seen from the figure, the drone cargo distribution device 600 includes:

[0119] The receiving unit 610 is used to receive the pressure value collected by the drone distribution equipment as described above.

[0120] The drone cargo distribution method provided in this application is implemented based on the drone cargo distribution device provided in the application. When the cargo warehouse is placed on the cargo warehouse placement table, the pressure values collected by each pressure sensor on the surface of the cargo warehouse placement table are obtained to determine the distribution of pressure values of the cargo warehouse at each position of the cargo warehouse placement table.

[0121] The acquisition unit 620 is used to obtain the historical distribution information of the drone.

[0122] Every flight of a drone will have a certain impact on the mechanical properties of the drone itself. Most existing cargo drones are multi-rotor drones, and the most common ones are quad-rotor, hexacopter and octo-rotor drones. Each arm of a multi-rotor drone is equipped with a motor, an electronic speed regulator, a rotor, etc. In order to maintain flight balance, when flying with cargo of uneven weight or adjusting the flight attitude, the power provided by each motor is different. The motor that is closer to the center of gravity of the drone body (including the cargo hold) rotates faster, and the loss generated is greater. Accumulating over a long period of time, this causes the load status of the drone's arms in different directions to be different. Some arms have serious losses, while others have minor losses. Since drones are usually manufactured using an integrated molding method, if the arm or component in one direction is damaged, it is very likely that the entire drone will be scrapped. Therefore, reducing the differences in the arms corresponding to different directions of the drone can significantly improve the service life of the drone.

[0123] By understanding the historical cargo distribution information of the drone, we can know the current status of each arm of the drone, and know which arm of the drone has the greatest loss of motor, electronic speed regulator, rotor, etc., so as to avoid the expansion of the differences between the various arms of the drone by adjusting the center of gravity of the cargo hold.

[0124] In order to understand the historical cargo distribution information of the drone, the flight log information of each drone can be read. The flight log information may include but is not limited to: the load of each drone arm in each flight, the historical cumulative load of each arm, the mass of the cargo carried by the drone, the correspondence between the center of gravity of the cargo carried by the drone and each arm, the flight route, flight mileage, flight time, etc.

[0125] The data processing unit 630 is used to determine the posture of the cargo storage platform of the drone cargo distribution device according to the historical cargo distribution information and the distribution of the pressure value.

[0126] The pressure value collected by the sensor is generated by the gravity of the goods. The larger the pressure value, the greater the mass of the corresponding goods, and the center of gravity of the warehouse will be biased towards the spatial range corresponding to this sensor.

[0127] Based on the drone's historical cargo distribution information, we can determine which drone arm has the least cumulative damage. The center of gravity of the cargo hold can be matched with the arm with the least damage, which can reduce the difference in wear between the arms. Since the drone's landing direction is fixed, the posture of the cargo hold placement table can be determined based on this correspondence.

[0128] The execution unit 640 is used to generate a first driving instruction according to the posture, so that the cargo storage platform assumes the above posture.

[0129] According to the posture of the cargo warehouse placement platform obtained above, a driving instruction is generated, such as rotating the cargo warehouse placement platform 90° clockwise. According to this instruction, the rotating device can drive the cargo warehouse placement platform to the above posture.

[0130] Depend on Figure 6 As can be seen from the device shown, this application optimizes the overall center of gravity distribution of the drone by adjusting the center of gravity position of the cargo hold to match the performance status of each arm of the drone without the need for hardware modification of the drone or its cargo hold, thereby reducing the loss and life difference of the electronic speed regulator, motor and propeller in different directions of the drone, improving the safety of unmanned delivery, extending the overall life of the drone, and significantly reducing the cost of cargo delivery.

[0131] In one embodiment of the present application, in the above-mentioned device, the acquisition unit 610 is further used to update the historical cargo distribution information of the drone according to the distribution of the pressure values and the above-mentioned posture after the drone takes off.

[0132] In one embodiment of the present application, in the above-mentioned device, the acquisition unit 610 is used to determine the current load of each arm of the drone based on the distribution and posture of the pressure value; and update the cumulative load of the arm in the historical distribution information based on the current load of the arm.

[0133] In one embodiment of the present application, in the above-mentioned device, the data processing unit 630 is used to determine the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse to be assembled based on the distribution of pressure values; and determine the posture of the above-mentioned cargo warehouse placement platform based on the center of gravity and the cumulative load of the machine arm in the historical distribution information.

[0134] In one embodiment of the present application, in the above-mentioned device, the data processing unit 630 is used to determine that the center of gravity of the cargo warehouse to be assembled is located within the spatial range corresponding to the pressure sensor with the largest pressure value; it is also used to determine the posture so that the angle between the center of gravity in this posture and the direction of the arm of the drone with the smallest cumulative load value is smaller than the angle between the center of gravity in this posture and the directions of other arms of the drone.

[0135] It should be noted that the specific implementation of the above-mentioned device embodiments can refer to the specific implementation of the above-mentioned corresponding method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0136] In summary, the drone cargo distribution equipment of the present application includes a cargo hold placement platform and a rotating assembly; the cargo hold placement platform is used to place the cargo hold to be assembled; a plurality of pressure sensors are provided on the upper surface of the cargo hold placement platform; the lower surface of the cargo hold placement platform is fixedly connected to the rotating assembly, and the cargo hold placement platform can be driven to rotate by the rotating assembly; the rotating assembly can rotate in response to a first drive instruction, and the first drive instruction is determined according to the pressure value. The beneficial effect of the present application is that, without the need for hardware modification of the drone or its cargo hold, by adjusting the center of gravity position of the cargo hold to match the performance status of each arm of the drone, the overall center of gravity distribution of the drone is optimized, thereby reducing the loss and life difference of the electronic speed regulator, motor and propeller in different directions of the drone, improving the safety of unmanned delivery, extending the overall life of the drone, and significantly reducing the cost of cargo delivery.

[0137] It should be noted that:

[0138] The algorithms and displays provided herein are not inherently related to any particular computer, virtual device, or other device. Various general-purpose devices may also be used together with the teachings herein. Based on the above description, it is apparent that the structure required for constructing such devices is suitable. In addition, the present application is not directed to any specific programming language. It should be understood that various programming languages may be utilized to implement the present application described herein, and the description of the specific languages above is provided for the purpose of disclosing the preferred embodiment of the present application.

[0139] In the description provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it is understood that the embodiments of the present application can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0140] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present application and aid in understanding one or more of the various application aspects, in the above description of the exemplary embodiments of the present application, various features of the present application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this disclosed method should not be interpreted as reflecting the following intention: that the claimed application requires more features than those explicitly recited in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the claims below, the application aspects lie in less than all the features of the individual embodiments disclosed above. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim itself serving as a separate embodiment of the present application.

[0141] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modules in the devices in the embodiments may be adaptively changed and arranged in one or more devices different from the embodiments. The modules or units or components in the embodiments may be combined into one module or unit or component, and in addition may be divided into multiple submodules or subunits or subcomponents. All features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or device disclosed herein may be combined in any combination, except that at least some of such features and / or processes or units are mutually exclusive. Unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature providing the same, equivalent or similar purpose.

[0142] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and to form different embodiments. For example, in the claims below, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

[0143] The various component embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware, or in software modules running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. Those skilled in the art should understand that a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some or all of the components of the drone delivery device according to the embodiment of the present application. The present application can also be implemented as a device or apparatus program (e.g., a computer program and a computer program product) for executing part or all of the methods described herein. Such a program implementing the present application can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can be in the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0144] For example, Figure 7A schematic structural diagram of a drone according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The drone 700 includes a processor 710 and a memory 720 arranged to store computer-executable instructions (computer-readable program code). The memory 720 may be an electronic memory such as a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), an EPROM, a hard disk or a ROM. The memory 720 has a storage space 730 for storing a computer-readable program code 731 for executing any method step in the above method. For example, the storage space 730 for storing computer-readable program code may include individual computer-readable program codes 731 for respectively implementing various steps in the above method. The computer-readable program code 731 may be read from or written to one or more computer program products. These computer program products include program code carriers such as a hard disk, a compact disk (CD), a memory card or a floppy disk. Such a computer program product is typically, for example Figure 8 The computer-readable storage medium. Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer-readable storage medium according to one embodiment of the present application is shown. This computer-readable storage medium 800 stores computer-readable program code 731 for executing the method steps according to the present application. This computer-readable program code 731 can be read by the processor 710 of a drone 700. When executed by the drone 700, the drone 700 executes the various steps of the method described above. Specifically, the computer-readable program code 731 stored in this computer-readable storage medium can execute the method described in any of the above embodiments. The computer-readable program code 731 can be compressed in any suitable format.

[0145] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the present application, and that a person skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference symbols placed between brackets should not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The present application may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of appropriately programmed computers. In a unit claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third etc. does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

Claims

1. A drone cargo distribution device, characterized in that: The drone cargo distribution equipment includes a cargo storage platform and a rotating assembly; The cargo hold placement platform is used to place cargo holds to be assembled; The upper surface of the cargo warehouse placement platform is provided with a plurality of pressure sensors, each for collecting the pressure value of the cargo warehouse to be assembled at the corresponding position; The cargo storage platform is connected to the rotating assembly and can be driven to rotate by the rotating assembly; The rotating component may rotate in response to a first driving instruction, where the first driving instruction is determined according to a distribution of the pressure values.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The setting position of the pressure sensor corresponds to the direction of the drone arm when the drone is distributing goods.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The upper surface of the cargo storage platform is a convex polygon, the number of the pressure sensors is the same as the number of corners of the convex polygon, and each pressure sensor is respectively arranged in a preset interval corresponding to the corner of the convex polygon.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that The convex polygon is a rectangle.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The rotating assembly includes a rotating shaft, a first connecting portion and a control portion; The rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the cargo storage platform through a first connecting portion; The control unit is electrically connected to the rotating shaft and is configured to output the first driving instruction.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that The device also includes a transmission shaft and a second connecting portion; The transmission shaft is connected to the rotating shaft via the second connecting portion, and the transmission shaft is electrically connected to the control portion; The transmission shaft can drive the cargo storage platform to a target position according to a second driving instruction output by the control unit.

7. A drone cargo distribution system, comprising a drone, a cargo warehouse, and the drone cargo distribution equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A drone cargo distribution method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Receiving a pressure value collected by the drone delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 6; Get the drone's historical cargo information; Determining the posture of the cargo storage platform of the drone cargo distribution device based on the historical cargo distribution information and the distribution of the pressure values; A first driving instruction is generated according to the posture to make the cargo storage platform assume the posture.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: After the drone takes off, the historical cargo distribution information of the drone is updated according to the distribution of the pressure values and the posture.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The updating of the historical cargo distribution information of the drone according to the distribution of the pressure values and the posture includes: Determining the current load of each arm of the drone according to the distribution of the pressure values and the posture; The accumulated load of the arm in the historical distribution information is updated according to the current load of the arm.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The determining, based on the historical cargo distribution information and the distribution of the pressure values, of the posture of the cargo storage platform of the drone cargo distribution device includes: Determining the center of gravity of the cargo hold to be assembled based on the distribution of the pressure values; The posture is determined according to the center of gravity and the accumulated load of the machine arm in the historical cargo distribution information.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that Determining the center of gravity of the cargo hold to be assembled according to the distribution of the pressure values includes: Determining that the center of gravity of the cargo hold to be assembled is within the spatial range corresponding to the pressure sensor having the maximum pressure value; Determining the posture according to the center of gravity and the accumulated load of the arm in the historical cargo distribution information includes: The posture is determined so that the angle between the center of gravity and the direction of the arm with the smallest cumulative load value of the drone in the posture is smaller than the angle between the center of gravity and the directions of other arms of the drone in the posture.

13. A drone cargo distribution device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A receiving unit, configured to receive a pressure value collected by the drone cargo distribution device according to any one of claims 1 to 6; The acquisition unit is used to obtain the historical distribution information of the drone; A data processing unit, configured to determine the posture of the cargo storage platform of the drone cargo distribution device based on the historical cargo distribution information and the distribution of the pressure values; An execution unit is used to generate a first driving instruction according to the posture to make the cargo warehouse placement platform assume the posture.

14. An electronic device, wherein: The electronic device comprises: a processor; and a memory arranged to store computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 8 to 12.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein: The computer-readable storage medium stores one or more programs, which, when executed by a processor, implement the method according to any one of claims 8 to 12.

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