Drone storage devices, vehicles, and drone battery swapping methods

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a drone storage device, a vehicle, and a drone battery swapping method, belonging to the field of drone technology. The drone storage device includes: a first shell, a second shell, a battery swapping module, and a control module. The first shell is connected to the top of the vehicle. The second shell has an open state and a closed state. In the closed state, the second shell and the first shell can form a storage space for storing the drone. The battery swapping module is used to replace the drone's battery when the drone is stored in the storage space. The control module is used to control the battery swapping module to replace the drone's battery when the drone's remaining battery power is lower than a preset battery power threshold. The beneficial effect of this disclosure is that it can quickly replace the drone with a fully charged battery, thereby enabling the drone to take off quickly without waiting for charging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, specifically to a UAV storage device, a vehicle, and a UAV battery swapping method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of drone and vehicle technology, more and more vehicles are being equipped with vehicle-mounted drones. In order to enable drones to take off and land, vehicles are generally equipped with drone storage devices.

[0003] In related technologies, drone storage devices are generally just cabins mounted on vehicles to store drones, with only basic takeoff and landing functions, and their application scenarios are extremely limited. When a drone is stored in a storage device, the device can only charge the drone; current drone storage devices cannot achieve rapid takeoff of the drone. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a drone storage device, a vehicle, and a drone battery swapping method, wherein the drone storage device partially solves the aforementioned technical problems.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a drone storage device is provided, comprising:

[0006] First shell;

[0007] The second housing has an open state and a closed state with the first housing. In the closed state, the second housing can form a storage space with the first housing for storing the drone.

[0008] A battery swapping module, disposed in the first housing, is used to replace the battery of the drone when the drone is stored in the storage space;

[0009] A control module, which is connected to the battery swapping module, is used to control the battery swapping module to replace the battery of the drone when the remaining power of the drone is lower than a preset power threshold.

[0010] In some embodiments, the battery swapping module includes:

[0011] A charging compartment is disposed in the first housing, and the charging compartment is connected to the control module;

[0012] A robotic arm is disposed in the first housing and is connected to the control module. The robotic arm is used to remove the battery from the drone and put it into the charging compartment for charging, and to replace the fully charged battery in the charging compartment with the battery on the drone.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second housing is connected to the first housing via a rotating member, and when the second housing is in the closed state, it can be flipped away from the first housing to the open state; when the second housing is in the open state, it can be flipped closer to the first housing to the closed state.

[0014] When in the open state, the second housing is capable of holding the drone.

[0015] In some embodiments, the drone's battery is located at the top of the drone, and the robotic arm is located at the bottom of the first housing;

[0016] The drone storage device also includes a fixing device, which is disposed on the second housing and is used to fix the drone parked on the second housing.

[0017] The second housing can be flipped into the closed state near the first housing while the drone is secured by the fixing device, so that the drone is stored in the storage space and the battery on the drone faces the robotic arm.

[0018] In some embodiments, the drone storage device further includes:

[0019] A cooling fan is disposed in the first housing and connected to the control module, and is used to reduce the temperature in the storage space when the temperature in the storage space is greater than a first preset temperature threshold.

[0020] A solar panel is disposed on the first housing or the second housing, and the solar panel is used to power the cooling fan.

[0021] In some embodiments, the control module is further configured to:

[0022] When the temperature of the battery removed from the drone is greater than the second preset temperature threshold, the cooling fan is controlled to reduce the temperature of the removed battery until the temperature of the battery is less than or equal to the second preset temperature threshold, at which point the charging compartment is controlled to charge the battery.

[0023] In some embodiments, the drone storage device is mounted on a vehicle, and the control module is further configured to:

[0024] When the drone lands, the location and speed information of the vehicle are sent to the drone via the communication module, so that the drone can fly above the vehicle based on the location and speed information of the vehicle.

[0025] The drone storage device also includes:

[0026] A beacon module is disposed on the second housing, and the beacon module is used to guide the UAV to land on the second housing.

[0027] In some embodiments, the beacon module includes a QR code.

[0028] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, including a drone storage device as described in any of the above embodiments, the drone storage device being disposed on the top of the vehicle.

[0029] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method for swapping batteries for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is provided, applied to a UAV storage device as described in any of the above embodiments, the method comprising:

[0030] When the drone is stored in the storage space, the remaining battery power of the drone is detected;

[0031] If the remaining battery power of the drone is lower than a preset battery power threshold, the battery swapping module is controlled to replace the battery of the drone.

[0032] With the above technical solution, the battery swapping module is installed inside the first housing and is electrically connected to the control module. When the drone is stored in the storage space, the control module detects the remaining battery power of the drone. If the remaining battery power is lower than a preset power threshold, the control module controls the battery swapping module to remove the battery from the drone and replace it with a fully charged battery, thereby enabling the drone to take off quickly without waiting for charging.

[0033] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a drone storage device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the module connection of a drone storage device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of drone storage according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for battery swapping of a drone according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 10 includes a drone storage device 20, which is attached to the top of the vehicle 10.

[0042] It should be understood that Figure 1 The drone storage device 20 shown is attached to the top of the vehicle 10 only to illustrate the application scenario of the drone storage device 20 proposed in this disclosure. In actual use, the drone storage device 20 is not limited to being installed on the vehicle.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a drone storage device according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the module connection of a drone storage device according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the drone storage device 20 includes:

[0044] First shell 201;

[0045] The second housing 202 has an open state and a closed state with the first housing 201. In the closed state, the second housing 202 can form a storage space with the first housing 201 for storing the drone.

[0046] A battery swapping module 203 is disposed in the first housing 201 and is used to replace the battery of the drone when the drone is stored in the storage space;

[0047] The control module 204 is connected to the battery swapping module 203. The control module 204 is used to control the battery swapping module 203 to replace the battery of the drone when the remaining power of the drone is lower than a preset power threshold.

[0048] Here, the first housing 201 can be connected to the top of the vehicle, for example, it can be mounted on the vehicle's roof rack, and the mounting method can be detachable. The drone storage device is detachably mounted on the top of the vehicle, allowing it to be removed when not in use, thus reducing the vehicle's energy consumption. Furthermore, it can be easily removed for maintenance when needed. It should be understood that the first housing 201 can also be connected to the top of the vehicle in other ways, such as by screwing, snap-fitting, or welding, forming an integral structure with the vehicle's top.

[0049] The battery swapping module 203 is housed within the first housing 201 and is electrically connected to the control module 204. When the drone is stored in the storage space, the control module 204 detects the remaining battery power of the drone. If the remaining battery power is lower than a preset threshold, the control module 204 controls the battery swapping module 203 to remove the battery from the drone and replace it with a fully charged one. The control module 204 can communicate with the drone to obtain its remaining battery power, or it can be electrically connected to the drone to obtain its remaining battery power when the drone is stored in the storage space.

[0050] In some embodiments, the battery swapping module 203 includes:

[0051] A charging compartment 2031 is disposed on the first housing 201, and the charging compartment 2031 is connected to the control module 204;

[0052] A robotic arm 2032 is disposed on the first housing 201 and is connected to the control module 204. The robotic arm 2032 is used to remove the battery from the drone and put it into the charging compartment 2031 for charging, and to replace the fully charged battery in the charging compartment 2031 with the battery on the drone.

[0053] Here, the first housing 201 houses a charging compartment 2031 and a robotic arm 2032, both of which are electrically connected to the control module 204. The charging compartment 2031 may contain multiple battery compartments. When the drone is stored in the storage space, if the control module 204 detects that the drone's remaining battery power is below a preset threshold, the robotic arm 2032 moves to the location of the drone's battery, clamps the battery clip to release the battery, and removes the battery from the drone. The removed battery is then carried to an empty battery compartment, inserted, and the robotic arm 2032 moves to the compartment containing a fully charged battery, retrieves the fully charged battery, and moves to the location where the drone's battery is installed, replacing the drone's battery with a fully charged one.

[0054] In some embodiments, one end of the second housing 202 is connected to one end of the first housing 201, allowing the second housing 202 to rotate relative to the first housing 201, forming an open state and a closed state. The second housing 202 can be connected to the first housing 201 via a rotating component. When in the closed state, the second housing 202 can be flipped away from the first housing 201 to the open state; when in the open state, the second housing 202 can be flipped closer to the first housing 201 to the closed state. When the second housing 202 is in the open state, it can hold the drone. The storage space formed by the first housing 201 and the second housing 202 can be located within the first housing 201. When the first housing 201 and the second housing 202 are closed, the second housing 202 covers the storage space within the first housing 201. Alternatively, the first housing 201 and the second housing 202 can each have a portion of the storage space, and when the first housing 201 and the second housing 202 are closed, the two portions of the storage space together form a complete storage space.

[0055] It is worth noting that the rotating component can be electrically controlled. When the drone needs to take off, the rotating component is driven to rotate, causing the second housing 202 to move away from the first housing 201, thus opening the drone. The drone then takes off from the second housing 202. When the drone has finished taking off, the rotating component is driven to rotate, controlling the second housing 202 to move closer to the first housing 201, thus closing the drone. When the drone needs to land, the rotating component is driven, and the second housing 202 rotates to a preset position, allowing the drone to land on the second housing 202.

[0056] It is worth noting that the preset position can be a position parallel to the horizontal plane, wherein the second housing 202 can be detected by a horizontal sensor to ensure that it remains parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0057] In some embodiments, the battery of the drone is disposed at the top of the drone, and the robotic arm 2032 is disposed at the bottom of the first housing 201;

[0058] The drone storage device also includes a fixing device 208, which is disposed on the second housing 202 and is used to fix the drone parked on the second housing 202.

[0059] The second housing 202 can be flipped into the closed state near the first housing 201 while the drone is fixed in place by the fixing device 208, so that the drone can be stored in the storage space and the battery on the drone faces the robotic arm 2032.

[0060] Here, when the drone needs to land, the drive mechanism rotates the second housing 202 to a preset position, allowing the drone to rest on it. When the drone is on the second housing 202, the fixing device 208 secures it. With the drone secured, the second housing 202 flips close to the first housing 201 to a closed state, allowing the drone to be stored in the storage space. Since the drone's battery is located at the top, when stored in the storage space, the battery faces the robotic arm 2032 mounted at the bottom of the first housing 201, allowing the robotic arm 2032 to reduce its travel distance and directly remove or replace the battery from the drone.

[0061] The fixing device 208 may include a first magnetic component connected to the control module 204. This first magnetic component generates an attractive force with a second magnetic component mounted on the drone during landing, thereby securing the drone to the second housing 202. It should be understood that the first magnetic component can be an electromagnet, and the second magnetic component can be an electromagnet or made of other materials that can be attracted by magnets, such as iron or steel.

[0062] Here, by positioning the robotic arm 2032 at the bottom of the first housing 201, when the drone is stored in the storage space, the drone's battery can face the gripping part of the robotic arm 2032, facilitating the removal of the battery from the drone and the replacement of the battery. This reduces the height of the robotic arm 2032, thereby reducing the overall height of the drone storage device. It also reduces the loss of gripping precision caused by vibrations during vehicle movement, enhances the stability of the robotic arm 2032, and makes the entire drone storage device more compact and small.

[0063] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 4 The method of storing drones is explained in detail.

[0064] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating drone storage according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 4 As shown, when the drone needs to land, the second housing 202 flips to the open state, and then the drone lands on the second housing 202. The fixing device 208 fixes the drone to the second housing 202. Then the second housing 202 flips to the closed state, flipping the drone over and storing it in the storage space. At this time, the drone's battery faces downward, that is, towards the robotic arm.

[0065] In some embodiments, the drone storage device further includes:

[0066] A cooling fan 206 is disposed in the first housing 201 and connected to the control module 204, and is used to reduce the temperature in the storage space when the temperature in the storage space is greater than a first preset temperature threshold.

[0067] A solar panel 207 is disposed on the first housing 201 or the second housing 202, and the solar panel 207 is used to supply power to the cooling fan 206.

[0068] Here, a cooling fan 206 is housed within the first housing 201 and electrically connected to the control module 204. The cooling fan 206 is powered by a solar panel 207. The solar panel 207 can be disposed on the outer surface of either the first housing 201 or the second housing 202 to receive sunlight. The solar panel 207 receives sunlight, converts it into electrical energy, stores it in a battery, and uses this battery to power the cooling fan 206. By using the solar panel 207 for power, the cooling fan 206 does not consume any power from the vehicle or drone storage device.

[0069] When the control module 204 detects through the temperature sensor that the temperature inside the storage space is greater than a first preset temperature threshold, it controls the cooling fan 206 to run until the control module 204 detects that the temperature inside the storage space is less than or equal to the first preset temperature threshold. It should be understood that the first preset temperature threshold can be set according to the suitable operating temperature of the drone.

[0070] In some embodiments, the control module 204 is further configured to:

[0071] When the temperature of the battery removed from the drone is greater than the second preset temperature threshold, the cooling fan 206 is controlled to reduce the temperature of the removed battery until the temperature of the battery is less than or equal to the second preset temperature threshold, and then the charging compartment 2031 is controlled to charge the battery.

[0072] Here, a cooling fan 206 can also be installed in the charging compartment 2031 of the drone storage device. When the control module 204 detects that the temperature of the battery removed from the drone is greater than a second preset temperature threshold, it controls the cooling fan 206 to lower the temperature of the removed battery until the battery temperature is less than or equal to the second preset temperature threshold, and then controls the charging compartment 2031 to charge the battery. For example, when the robotic arm 2032 removes the battery from the drone and inserts it into the charging compartment 2031, it detects the temperature of the battery. If the battery temperature is greater than the second preset temperature threshold, it runs the cooling fan 206 to dissipate heat from the battery until the battery temperature is less than or equal to the second preset temperature threshold, and then the control module 204 controls the charging compartment 2031 to charge the battery.

[0073] In some embodiments, the drone storage device is mounted on a vehicle, and the control module 204 is further configured to:

[0074] When the drone lands, the communication module 205 sends the vehicle's position and speed information to the drone, so that the drone can fly above the vehicle based on the vehicle's position and speed information.

[0075] The drone storage device also includes:

[0076] A beacon module is disposed on the second housing 202, and the beacon module is used to guide the UAV to land on the second housing 202.

[0077] Here, when the drone storage device receives a landing command, the control module 204 controls the second housing 202 to rotate into the open state. Simultaneously, the control module 204 sends the vehicle's position and speed information to the drone via the communication module 205. Based on the vehicle's position and speed information, the drone flies to the airspace above the vehicle and then lands on the second housing 202 via the beacon module mounted on it.

[0078] It should be understood that landing commands can be control commands sent by the user through the vehicle to enable interaction between the vehicle and the drone storage device. Of course, landing commands can also be sent through a mobile terminal, or control commands sent by the drone when it detects that its own battery is low.

[0079] In some embodiments, the beacon module may include a QR code. The drone uses its camera to visually recognize the QR code set on the second housing 202 to determine the target landing location, thereby landing on the second housing 202.

[0080] The following is a detailed description of the drone landing process, which may include the following steps:

[0081] The control module 204 of the drone storage device responds to a landing command and controls the second housing 202 to open.

[0082] The control module 204 sends the vehicle's location and speed information to the drone;

[0083] The drone flies above the vehicle based on its location and speed information;

[0084] The drone photographed the top of the vehicle to determine the location of the QR code;

[0085] The drone flew over the location of the QR code and landed on the second housing 202;

[0086] The drone storage device secures the drone and controls the second housing 202 to store the drone in the storage space.

[0087] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, a vehicle is also provided, including a drone storage device as described in any of the above embodiments, the drone storage device being disposed on the top of the vehicle.

[0088] Here, the vehicle can communicate with the drone to control it and / or receive information from it. For example, the vehicle can display aerial images from the drone in real time via its central control unit, and control the drone through this unit, such as using virtual buttons on the central control screen. This makes it more convenient for users to control the drone and increases their enjoyment of using it. It's also worth noting that the vehicle's voice system can receive voice commands from the user to control the drone, or the drone can be controlled via an onboard drone controller.

[0089] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a drone battery swapping method according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 5 As shown, according to an embodiment of this disclosure, a method for swapping batteries for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is also provided, applied to a UAV storage device as described in any of the above embodiments, the method comprising:

[0090] S210, when the drone is stored in the storage space, detect the remaining battery power of the drone;

[0091] S220: When the remaining battery power of the drone is lower than a preset battery power threshold, control the battery swapping module to replace the battery of the drone.

[0092] The execution process of each step in the above-mentioned drone battery swapping method has been described in detail in the section on drone storage devices, and will not be repeated here.

[0093] The preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of this disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of this disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0094] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, this disclosure will not describe the various possible combinations separately.

[0095] Furthermore, various different embodiments of this disclosure can be combined in any way, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this disclosure, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A drone storage device, characterized in that, include: First shell; The second housing has an open state and a closed state with the first housing. In the closed state, the second housing can form a storage space with the first housing for storing the drone. A battery swapping module, disposed in the first housing, is used to replace the battery of the drone when the drone is stored in the storage space; A control module, which is connected to the battery swapping module, is used to control the battery swapping module to replace the battery of the drone when the remaining battery power of the drone is lower than a preset battery power threshold. The battery swapping module includes: A charging compartment is disposed in the first housing, and the charging compartment is connected to the control module; A robotic arm is disposed in the first housing and connected to the control module. The robotic arm is used to remove the battery from the drone and put it into the charging compartment for charging, and to replace the fully charged battery in the charging compartment with the battery on the drone. The drone's battery is located at the top of the drone, and the robotic arm is located at the bottom of the first housing; the second housing can be flipped into a closed state near the first housing when the drone is fixedly parked on the second housing, so that the drone can be stored in the storage space, with the drone's battery facing the robotic arm; The second housing is connected to the first housing via a rotating component. When the second housing is in the closed state, it can be flipped away from the first housing to the open state. When the second housing is in the open state, it can be flipped closer to the first housing to the closed state. When in the open state, the second housing is capable of holding the drone.

2. The drone storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drone storage device also includes a fixing device, which is disposed on the second housing and is used to fix the drone parked on the second housing.

3. The drone storage device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The drone storage device also includes: A cooling fan is disposed in the first housing and connected to the control module, and is used to reduce the temperature in the storage space when the temperature in the storage space is greater than a first preset temperature threshold. A solar panel is disposed on the first housing or the second housing, and the solar panel is used to power the cooling fan.

4. The drone storage device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The control module is also used for: When the temperature of the battery removed from the drone is greater than the second preset temperature threshold, the cooling fan is controlled to reduce the temperature of the removed battery until the temperature of the battery is less than or equal to the second preset temperature threshold, at which point the charging compartment is controlled to charge the battery.

5. The drone storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drone storage device is mounted on the vehicle, and the control module is also used for: When the drone lands, the location and speed information of the vehicle are sent to the drone via the communication module, so that the drone can fly above the vehicle based on the location and speed information of the vehicle. The drone storage device also includes: A beacon module is disposed on the second housing, and the beacon module is used to guide the UAV to land on the second housing.

6. The drone storage device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The beacon module includes a QR code.

7. A vehicle, characterized in that, The device includes a drone storage device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the drone storage device is disposed on the top of the vehicle.

8. A method for swapping batteries for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characterized in that, The method, applied to the drone storage device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, comprises: When the drone is stored in the storage space, the remaining battery power of the drone is detected; If the remaining battery power of the drone is lower than a preset battery power threshold, the battery swapping module is controlled to replace the battery of the drone.

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