Multi-power control device and method for unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides a kind of unmanned plane multi-power control device and method, the device includes: charging switch, charging switch is connected with multiple power supplies, for controlling the charging of multiple power supplies, multiple power supplies are connected with unmanned plane, multiple power supplies are parallelly connected;Discharge switch, discharge switch is connected with multiple power supplies through charging switch, discharge switch is used to adjust the discharge of multiple power supplies;Power management chip, with multiple power supplies are connected, for obtaining the voltage of multiple power supplies;Power microprocessor, with power management chip is connected, for determining the first current value of discharge switch based on the voltage difference between the voltage of multiple power supplies, wherein, in the case where discharge switch is turned on, multiple power supplies are in the state of supplying power to unmanned plane. Through the present application, the problem of mutual charging between multiple power supplies in the related art, causing safety risk, is solved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular, to a multi-power supply control device and method for unmanned aerial vehicles. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, the use of lithium batteries for power supply is generally short of endurance. In order to achieve the effect of long endurance, multiple batteries are used for power supply when designing unmanned aerial vehicles. On the one hand, there is mutual redundancy safety guarantee between multiple batteries, and on the other hand, the endurance of unmanned aerial vehicles will be greatly improved. The current required by unmanned aerial vehicles due to large maneuverability is generally large, and diodes cannot be isolated between the batteries connected in parallel. In this case, when multiple batteries are powered, there will be a situation of mutual charging due to inconsistent battery capacity, which leads to safety risks.

[0003] In view of the problem of mutual charging between multiple power supplies in the related art, which causes safety risks, no effective solution has been proposed so far. SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a multi-power supply control device and method for unmanned aerial vehicles to at least solve the problem of mutual charging between multiple power supplies in the related art, which causes safety risks.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present application, a multi-power supply control device for unmanned aerial vehicles is provided, comprising: a charging switch connected with multiple power supplies, used to control the charging of the multiple power supplies, the multiple power supplies are connected with unmanned aerial vehicles, and the multiple power supplies are connected in parallel; a discharging switch connected with the multiple power supplies through the charging switch, used to adjust the discharging of the multiple power supplies; a power management chip connected with the multiple power supplies, used to obtain the voltage of the multiple power supplies; and a power microprocessor connected with the power management chip, used to determine a first current value of the discharging switch based on the voltage difference between the voltages of the multiple power supplies, wherein, in the case that the discharging switch is turned on, the multiple power supplies are in a state of supplying power to the unmanned aerial vehicles.

[0006] In one exemplary embodiment, the multi-power supply control device for unmanned aerial vehicles further comprises at least one of the following: a temperature sampling module connected with the power management chip, used to collect temperature information of the multiple power supplies and transmit the temperature information to the power management chip; and a voltage sampling module connected with the power management chip, used to collect voltage information of the multiple power supplies and transmit the voltage information to the power management chip.

[0007] In an example embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device further comprises a power supply communication port connected with the plurality of power supplies, the power supply microprocessor and the unmanned aerial vehicle, configured to transmit a current signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle when the plurality of power supplies are connected with the unmanned aerial vehicle, and send a signal to the power supply microprocessor to stop working when the unmanned aerial vehicle stops working.

[0008] In an example embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device further comprises a voltage stabilizing power supply connected with the plurality of power supplies and the power supply microprocessor, configured to transmit the voltage of the plurality of power supplies to the power supply microprocessor after voltage stabilization.

[0009] In an example embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device further comprises a battery insertion detection module connected with the voltage stabilizing power supply and the power supply communication port, configured to detect the voltage of the voltage stabilizing power supply and the voltage of the power supply communication port.

[0010] In an example embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device further comprises a current sampling module connected with the plurality of power supplies, configured to collect the current between the plurality of power supplies and the power supply communication port.

[0011] According to another embodiment of the present application, an unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control method is also provided, applied to the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device as described above, comprising: controlling the charging switch and the discharging switch to be disconnected when it is determined that the plurality of power supplies are connected with the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the charging switch is configured to control the charging of the plurality of power supplies, and the plurality of power supplies are connected in parallel; acquiring the voltage of the plurality of power supplies; determining a first current value of the discharging switch based on the voltage difference between the voltages of the plurality of power supplies, wherein the discharging switch is connected with the plurality of power supplies through the charging switch, and the plurality of power supplies are in a state of supplying power to the unmanned aerial vehicle when the discharging switch is turned on.

[0012] According to the present application, when the plurality of power supplies are connected with the unmanned aerial vehicle, the charging switch and the discharging switch are disconnected, which can prevent the plurality of power supplies connected in parallel from charging each other due to different voltages when starting. Furthermore, the plurality of power supplies can be controlled based on the voltage difference to reduce the impact of mutual charging of the plurality of power supplies. Therefore, the problem of mutual charging between the plurality of power supplies in related technologies, which causes safety risks, can be solved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device of an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 2 is a hardware structure block diagram of the unmanned aerial vehicle in an unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control method of an embodiment of the present application.

[0015] Figure 3 is a flow chart of the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control method of the embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 4 is a circuit diagram of the power management chip controlling the charging switch and the discharging switch of the embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 5 is a flow chart of the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control method of the embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Legend:

[0019] charging switch 101; power supply 102; unmanned aerial vehicle 103; discharging switch 104; power management chip 105; power supply microprocessor 106; temperature sampling module 110; voltage sampling module 111; power supply communication port 120; voltage stabilizing power supply 130; battery insertion detection module 140; current sampling module 150; battery cell group 160; hardware protection module 170; processor 202; memory 204; transmission device 206; input and output device 208. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0021] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second" and the like in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not necessarily have to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0022] In the present embodiment, an unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device is provided, Figure 1 is a structural diagram of the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device according to the embodiment of the present application, as Figure 1 shown, the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device comprises:

[0023] The charging switch 101 is connected with the plurality of power supplies 102, and is used to control the charging of the plurality of power supplies 102. The plurality of power supplies 102 are all connected with the unmanned aerial vehicle 103, and are connected in parallel between the plurality of power supplies 102.

[0024] The discharging switch 104 is connected with the plurality of power supplies 102 through the charging switch 101, and is used to adjust the discharging of the plurality of power supplies 102.

[0025] The power management chip 105 is connected with the plurality of power supplies 102, and is used to obtain the voltage of the plurality of power supplies 102.

[0026] The power supply microprocessor 106 is connected with the power management chip 105, and is used for determining a first current value of the conduction discharge switch 104 based on a voltage difference between the voltages of the plurality of power supplies 102, wherein the plurality of power supplies 102 are in a state of supplying power to the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 when the discharge switch 104 is in a conduction state.

[0027] Optionally, the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 is a device that can take actions by using the voltage difference. For example, the unmanned aerial vehicle sends a warning information based on the voltage difference to stop taking off, or enters a standby state.

[0028] In the embodiment, the plurality of power supplies 102 can be a plurality of batteries, the plurality of batteries can be arranged in a battery pack, and the plurality of batteries can be a plurality of strings of large-capacity lithium batteries, lead-acid batteries, or the like. The charging switch 101 can be a MOS tube switch.

[0029] Optionally, the power management chip 105 is in communication connection with the power supply microprocessor 106. For example, the power management chip 105 sends the acquired voltages of the plurality of power supplies 102 to the power supply microprocessor 106, and receives a control instruction sent by the power supply microprocessor 106, and the power management chip 105 controls the opening and closing of the charging switch 101 and the working current of the discharge switch 104 according to the control instruction. For another example, when the power supply microprocessor calculates that the voltage difference between each battery is greater than a preset threshold value, the power management chip 105 is sent a control instruction, and the power management chip 105 controls the opening of the charging switch according to the control instruction, and adjusts the working current of the discharge switch 104 to a current that can be closed, so as to prevent the plurality of power supplies 102 from charging each other.

[0030] Optionally, the adjustment unit discharge switch 104 can be a device with an output adjustment function of current, for example, the discharge switch can be a diode, a body diode, or the like. The adjustment unit discharge switch 104 can further include a discharge switch for transmitting a current value to the target device unmanned aerial vehicle in a closed state. The second processor power supply microprocessor 106 can be a device that can realize a data processing function, for example, a central processing unit CPU, a single-chip microcomputer, or the like. For example, when the plurality of power supplies 102 are in communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 103, the charging switch 101 is closed and the body diode is not automatically opened. The first processor power management chip 105 reads the voltage of each battery power supply, sends the voltage of each battery power supply to the second processor power supply microprocessor 106, and the second processor power supply microprocessor 106 calculates the voltage difference between each battery. When the voltage difference is greater than a preset voltage, it indicates that the voltage difference between the batteries is too large, and the unmanned aerial vehicle sends an alarm prompt and does not take off. When the voltage difference is less than the preset voltage, it indicates that the voltage difference between the batteries is relatively small, and the current parameter of the body diode is modified to automatically open, and the unmanned aerial vehicle enters a standby state.

[0031] Optionally, one end of the charging switch 101 is connected with the plurality of power supplies 102, and the other end is connected with the power management chip 105. When the charging switch 101 is connected with the external charging power supply, the power management chip 105 controls the charging switch 101 to be closed, so that the external charging power supply can charge the plurality of power supplies 102 through the charging switch 101.

[0032] Through the above device, when the plurality of power supplies 102 are connected with the unmanned aerial vehicle 103, the charging switch 101 and the discharging switch 104 are disconnected, which can prevent the plurality of power supplies 102 in parallel from charging each other due to different voltages when starting. Based on the voltage difference, the plurality of power supplies 102 can supply power, which can reduce the impact of mutual charging of the plurality of power supplies 102. Therefore, the problem of mutual charging between the plurality of power supplies 102 in the related art, which causes a safety risk, can be solved.

[0033] In one example embodiment, as shown in Figure 1 The unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device further comprises:

[0034] The temperature sampling module 110 is connected with the power management chip 105, and is used to collect temperature information of the plurality of power supplies 102 and transmit the temperature information to the power management chip 105.

[0035] The voltage sampling module 111 is connected with the power management chip 105, and is used to collect voltage information of the plurality of power supplies 102 and transmit the voltage information to the power management chip 105.

[0036] Optionally, the temperature sampling module 110 includes a temperature sensor for collecting the temperature of the plurality of power supplies 102. The voltage sampling module 111 includes a plurality of voltage sensors for collecting the voltage of the plurality of power supplies 102.

[0037] The temperature sampling module 110 transmits the collected temperature information to the power management chip 105, and the power management chip 105 transmits the temperature information to the power microprocessor 106. The power microprocessor 106 sends a control instruction to the power management chip 105 according to the temperature information, and the power management chip 105 controls the closing and opening of the discharging switch according to the control instruction. For example, when the temperature of the plurality of power supplies is greater than a preset temperature, the discharging switch 104 is controlled to be opened, the power supply to the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 is stopped, and the charging switch 101 is controlled to be opened to prevent the external power supply from charging the battery and causing damage to the power supply.

[0038] The voltage sampling module 111 sends the collected voltage information to the power management chip 105, the power management chip 105 sends the voltage information to the power microprocessor 106, the power microprocessor 106 sends control instructions to the power management chip 105 according to the voltage information, and the power management chip 105 controls the closing and opening of the discharge switch according to the control instructions. For example, in the case that the voltage of the multiple power supplies is greater than the preset voltage, the discharge switch 104 is controlled to be opened to stop supplying power to the unmanned aerial vehicle 103. Thus, the purpose of controlling the charging switch 101 and the discharge switch 104 is achieved.

[0039] In one example embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device further comprises: Figure 1

[0040] The power communication port 120 is connected with the multiple power supplies 102, the power microprocessor 106 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 103, and is used to transmit current signals to the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 when the multiple power supplies 102 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 are in communication, and to send a signal of stopping working to the power microprocessor 105 when the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 stops working. The power communication port has the functions of transmitting current and communication. For example, when the unmanned aerial vehicle finishes flying and shuts down, the unmanned aerial vehicle informs the power microprocessor 105 through the power communication port 120, the power microprocessor 106 sends control instructions to the power management chip 105, the power management chip 105 controls the multiple power supplies 102 to shut down according to the control instructions, and modifies the current parameters of the automatically closed discharge switch 104 (for example, the current parameters of the automatically opened MOS of the body diode), and then the multiple power supplies 102 enter the shutdown state, the charging switch 101 is in the open state, and the external power supply can charge the multiple power supplies 102.

[0041] In one example embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device further comprises: Figure 1

[0042] The voltage-stabilizing power supply 130 is connected with the multiple power supplies 102 and the power microprocessor 106, and is used to transmit the voltage of the multiple power supplies 102 to the power microprocessor 106 after voltage stabilization. After the voltage is stabilized, the voltage-stabilizing power supply 130 can provide stable voltage to the power microprocessor 106, so as to avoid damage to the power microprocessor 106 caused by voltage fluctuation.

[0043] In one example embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device further comprises: Figure 1

[0044] ​​​The battery insertion detection module 140 is connected to the regulated power supply 130 and the power communication port 120, and is used to detect the voltage of the regulated power supply 130 and the voltage of the power communication port 120. By detecting the voltage of the regulated power supply 130 and the voltage of the power communication port 120, it is possible to know in a timely manner whether the power microprocessor 106 and the power communication port 120 are in a safe state.

[0045] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the UAV multi-power supply control device also includes:

[0046] A current sampling module 150, connected to multiple power supplies 102, is used to collect the current between the power supplies 102 and the power communication port 120. The current sampling module 150 includes a current sensor for detecting the current between the power supplies 102 and the power communication port 120. The current sampling module 150 sends the collected current to a power management chip 105, which in turn sends the current to a power microprocessor 106. If the power microprocessor 106 determines that the current exceeds a preset threshold, it sends a control command to the power management chip 105 to open the discharge switch 104, stopping the discharge to the drone 103. This prevents damage to the drone due to abnormal current.

[0047] The methods and embodiments provided in this application can be executed in a drone. Figure 2 This is a hardware structure block diagram of a drone according to an embodiment of the multi-power supply control method for drones of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, a mobile terminal may include one or more ( Figure 2 Only one is shown in the diagram. A processor 202 (which may include, but is not limited to, a microprocessor MCU or a programmable logic device FPGA, etc.) and a memory 204 for storing data are also shown. The mobile terminal may further include a transmission device 206 for communication functions and an input / output device 208. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 2 The structure shown is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the structure of the mobile terminal described above. For example, the mobile terminal may also include components that are more... Figure 2 The more or fewer components shown, or having the same Figure 1 The different configurations shown.

[0048] The memory 204 can be used to store computer programs, such as software programs of application software and modules, such as the computer program corresponding to the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control method in the embodiments of the present application. The processor 202 can execute various functional applications and data processing, i.e., implement the above method, by running the computer program stored in the memory 204. The memory 204 can be a high-speed random access memory or a nonvolatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memories, or other nonvolatile solid-state memories. In some examples, the memory 204 can also be a memory remotely arranged with respect to the processor 202, which can be connected to the mobile terminal through a network. Examples of the above network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and a combination thereof.

[0049] The transmission device 206 is used to receive or send data via a network. A specific example of the above network can be a wireless network provided by a communication provider of the mobile terminal. In one example, the transmission device 206 can be a network adapter (NIC) which can be connected to other network devices through a base station so as to communicate with the Internet. In one example, the transmission device 206 can also be a radio frequency (RF) module which is used to communicate with the Internet in a wireless manner.

[0050] In the present embodiment, an unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control method is provided, Figure 3 is a flowchart of the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control method according to the embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figure 3 The flowchart includes the following steps:

[0051] In step S302, the charging switch 101 and the discharging switch 104 are controlled to be disconnected in a case where it is determined that the plurality of power supplies 102 are in communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 103, wherein the charging switch 101 is used to control charging of the plurality of power supplies 102, and the plurality of power supplies 102 are connected in parallel.

[0052] In step S304, voltages of the plurality of power supplies 102 are obtained.

[0053] In step S306, a first current value of the discharging switch 104 is determined based on voltage differences between the voltages of the plurality of power supplies 102, wherein the discharging switch 104 is connected to the plurality of power supplies 102 through the charging switch 101, and the plurality of power supplies 102 are in a state of supplying power to the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 in a case where the discharging switch 104 is turned on.

[0054] The execution subject of the above steps can be a server, a terminal, or a specific processor arranged in the server, or a processor or processing device arranged independently of the server, but is not limited thereto.

[0055] Optionally, the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 is a device that can act on the voltage difference. For example, the unmanned aerial vehicle sends a warning message based on the voltage difference to stop taking off, or enter a standby flight state.

[0056] In this embodiment, the plurality of power supplies 102 can be a plurality of batteries, which can be arranged in a battery pack, and can be a plurality of strings of large-capacity lithium batteries, lead-acid batteries, etc. The charging switch 101 can be a MOS tube switch.

[0057] Optionally, the power management chip 105 is in communication connection with the power microprocessor 106. For example, the power management chip 105 sends the acquired voltage of the plurality of power supplies 102 to the power microprocessor 106, and receives the control instruction sent by the power microprocessor 106, and the power management chip 105 controls the opening and closing of the charging switch 101 and the working current of the discharge switch 104 according to the control instruction. For another example, when the power microprocessor calculates that the voltage difference between each battery is greater than a preset threshold, the power management chip 105 sends a control instruction, and the power management chip 105 controls the opening of the charging switch according to the control instruction, and adjusts the working current of the discharge switch 104 to a current that can be closed, to prevent mutual charging between the plurality of power supplies 102.

[0058] Optionally, the adjustment unit discharge switch 104 can be a device with current output adjustment function, for example, a diode, a body diode, etc. The discharge switch in the adjustment unit discharge switch 104 can also include a discharge switch for transmitting a current value to the target device unmanned aerial vehicle in a closed state. The second processor power microprocessor 106 can be a device that can realize data processing function, for example, a central processing unit CPU, a single-chip microcomputer, etc. For example, in the case where the plurality of power supplies 102 are in communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 103, the charging switch 101 is closed and the body diode is not automatically opened. The first processor power management chip 105 reads the voltage of each battery power supply, sends the voltage of each battery power supply to the second processor power microprocessor 106, and the second processor power microprocessor 106 calculates the voltage difference between each battery. In the case where the voltage difference is greater than a preset voltage, it indicates that the voltage difference between the batteries is too large, and the unmanned aerial vehicle sends an alarm prompt and does not take off. In the case where the voltage difference is less than a preset voltage, it indicates that the voltage difference between the batteries is relatively small, and the current parameter of the body diode is instructed to be modified, and the unmanned aerial vehicle enters a standby flight state.

[0059] Optionally, the charging switch 101 has one end connected with the plurality of power supplies 102 and the other end connected with the power management chip 105. When the charging switch 101 is connected with the external charging power supply, the power management chip 105 controls the charging switch 101 to be closed, so that the external charging power supply can charge the plurality of power supplies 102 through the charging switch 101.

[0060] Through the above steps, when the plurality of power supplies 102 are connected with the unmanned aerial vehicle 103, the charging switch 101 and the discharging switch 104 are disconnected, the mutual charging of the plurality of power supplies 102 in parallel connection due to the difference in voltage can be prevented. Based on the voltage difference, the power supply of the plurality of power supplies 102 can be controlled, and the impact of mutual charging of the plurality of power supplies 102 can be reduced. Therefore, the mutual charging between the plurality of power supplies 102 in the related art can be solved, and the problem of safety risk can be solved.

[0061] In an example embodiment, the voltage of the plurality of power supplies 102 is obtained, including:

[0062] S11, receiving the voltage information of the plurality of power supplies 102 sent by the power management chip 105, wherein the power management chip 105 is connected with the plurality of power supplies 102, and is used to obtain the voltage of each power supply 102 collected by the voltage sampling module 111.

[0063] Optionally, the power management chip 105 has the ability to control the body diode, and the current value of the automatic conduction and closure of the body diode can be set. For example, the model of the power management chip 105 can be bq76952, bq76942, etc. of TI. The current value of the body diode is used to indicate that when the charging switch 101 is closed, if the current flowing through the body diode is greater than the set current, the charging switch 101 can be automatically opened. The voltage sampling module 111 includes a plurality of voltage sensors for collecting the voltage of the plurality of power supplies 102.

[0064] Optionally, the voltage sampling module 111 sends the collected voltage information to the power management chip 105, the voltage sampling module 111 sends the collected voltage information to the power management chip 105, the power management chip 105 sends the voltage information to the power microprocessor 106, the power microprocessor 106 sends a control instruction to the power management chip 105 according to the voltage information, and the power management chip 105 controls the closure and disconnection of the discharging switch according to the control instruction. For example, when the voltage of the plurality of power supplies is greater than the preset voltage, the discharging switch 104 is controlled to be disconnected, and the power supply to the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 is stopped. Thus, the purpose of controlling the charging switch 101 and the discharging switch 104 is achieved.

[0065] In an example embodiment, the method further comprises: receiving temperature information of the plurality of power supplies 102 sent by the power management chip 105, wherein the power management chip 105 is connected with the plurality of power supplies 102, and is configured to obtain the temperature of each power supply 102 collected by the temperature sampling module 110.

[0066] Optionally, the temperature sampling module 110 comprises a temperature sensor configured to collect the temperature of the plurality of power supplies 102. The temperature sampling module 110 sends the collected temperature information to the power management chip 105, and the power management chip 105 sends the temperature information to the power microprocessor 106. The power microprocessor 106 sends a control instruction to the power management chip 105 according to the temperature information, and the power management chip 105 controls the closing and opening of the discharge switch according to the control instruction. For example, in the case that the temperature of the plurality of power supplies is greater than a preset temperature, the discharge switch 104 is controlled to be opened to stop supplying power to the unmanned aerial vehicle 103. The charging switch 101 is also controlled to be opened to prevent the damage of the power supply caused by the charging of the external power supply.

[0067] In an example embodiment, the first current value of the conductive discharge switch 104 is determined based on the voltage difference between the voltages of the plurality of power supplies 102, comprising:

[0068] S21, obtaining the voltage difference between the voltages of each power supply 102 to obtain a plurality of voltage difference values;

[0069] S22, in the case that all the plurality of voltage difference values are less than a first preset voltage, sending a first control instruction to the power management chip 105 to instruct the power management chip 105 to adjust the current value of the discharge switch 104 to the first current value.

[0070] Optionally, the purpose of the voltage difference between the voltages of each power supply 102 is to determine whether the voltage difference between each power supply 102 is too large, and if it is too large, the power supply is closed to prevent the safety hazard caused by the mutual charging between the plurality of batteries. The power management chip 105 has the function of adjusting the current value of the discharge switch 104 (for example, a body diode), and by adjusting the current value of the discharge switch 104, the mutual charging between the batteries due to unbalanced power supply or system load fluctuation can be prevented.

[0071] In an optional embodiment, after obtaining the voltages of the plurality of power supplies 102, the method further comprises:

[0072] S31, obtaining the voltage difference between the voltages of each power supply to obtain a plurality of voltage difference values;

[0073] S32, in the case that the plurality of voltage difference values include a voltage difference value greater than or equal to a first preset voltage, sending a prompt information, wherein the prompt information is used to prompt to close the power supply of the plurality of power supplies to the unmanned aerial vehicle 103.

[0074] Optionally, in a case where the plurality of voltage difference values are greater than or equal to the first preset voltage, it is indicated that the voltage between the respective power supplies is unbalanced, and a mutual charging condition is easily formed. Turning off the unmanned aerial vehicle or the power supply can prevent certain safety hazards. The prompt information can be a voice prompt, a text prompt, or an alarm prompt, etc., to remind the user that the power supply has a problem or the unmanned aerial vehicle has a safety hazard.

[0075] In one example embodiment, after determining the first current value of the conduction discharge switch based on the voltage difference between the voltages of the plurality of power supplies, the method further comprises:

[0076] S41, in a case where it is determined that the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 is in an off state, a second control instruction is sent to the power management chip 105 to instruct the power management chip 105 to adjust the current value of the discharge switch 104 to a second current value, wherein the second current value is less than the first current value.

[0077] Optionally, in order for the plurality of power supplies 102 to be charged in time, after the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 is turned off, the charging switch 101 needs to be turned on in time to charge the plurality of power supplies 102. For example, after the unmanned aerial vehicle is shut down after being grounded, the power supply microprocessor 106 sends the power management chip 105 to modify the current parameter of the body diode in the discharge switch 104 to automatically turn on the charging switch. Then the plurality of power supplies 102 enter the shutdown state, and the plurality of power supplies 102 can be charged.

[0078] In one example embodiment, after determining that the unmanned aerial vehicle 103 is in an off state, the second control instruction is sent to the power management chip 105 to instruct the power management chip 105 to adjust the current value of the discharge switch to the second current value, the method further comprises:

[0079] S51, the charging switch 101 is controlled to be closed to control the plurality of power supplies 102 to be in a charging state.

[0080] Optionally, closing the charging switch 101 can connect the external power supply and the plurality of power supplies 102, and the external power supply can charge the plurality of power supplies 102 in time.

[0081] The unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control device and the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control method will be described below in conjunction with specific embodiments:

[0082] As Figure 4As shown, the circuit diagram of the power management chip 105 controlling the charging switch 101 and the discharging switch 104 in the embodiment, the plurality of power supplies 102 includes a plurality of batteries, each battery includes a cell, and the plurality of cells form a cell group 160. BAT+, BAT-, PACK+, PACK-, RX / TX in the cell group 160 respectively represent the cell positive pole, the cell negative pole, the output positive pole, the output negative pole, and the communication port of the battery. The cell group 160 is connected with a hardware protection module 170, the hardware protection module 170 includes the charging switch 101 (Q1) for controlling the charging of the cell group 160, and the discharging switch 102 (Q2) for controlling the discharging of the cell group 160. The hardware protection module 170 further includes a power management chip 105 (U1), the power management chip 105 includes CELL1, CELL2, …, which respectively correspond to each cell in the cell group 160, wherein CELL1 corresponds to the first cell, CELL2 corresponds to the second cell, and so on. The power management chip 105 is used for detecting the voltage of each cell, detecting overcurrent and short circuit protection, and controlling the opening and closing of the charging switch 101 and the discharging switch 104.

[0083] The positive pole of the cell group 160 passes through the charging switch 101 or the discharging switch 104 and then outputs to the power supply communication port 120 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 103, and then passes through the current sampling module 150 and finally flows through the negative pole of the cell group 160, thereby forming a large current loop of the plurality of power supplies 102. The battery management chip 105 collects the temperature and voltage of the cell group 160 through the temperature sampling module 110 and the voltage collection module 111 respectively, and controls the opening and closing of the charging switch 101 and the discharging switch 104, and then the power management chip 105 and the power supply microprocessor 106 (U3) are in communication connection. The voltage of the cell group 160 is supplied to the power supply microprocessor 106 after passing through the voltage stabilizing power supply 130. It should be noted that the loop switch of the cell group 160 must be in the mode of positive pole control.

[0084] Optionally, the power supply microprocessor 106 (U3) is also used for controlling the functions of the battery and communicating with the unmanned aerial vehicle 103, and is the overall coordination hub of the entire device.

[0085] Optionally, as shown in the circuit diagram, Figure 4 VSYS in the circuit diagram is used to provide a voltage of about 3.3V for the power supply microprocessor 106. The voltage stabilizing power supply 130 (U2) (the voltage stabilizing power supply 130 can be a linear voltage stabilizing power supply chip) is used to provide a stable working voltage for U1. The battery insertion detection 140 (SENSE) is used to detect the resistance and the charging and discharging current of the battery.

[0086] Optionally, as shown in the circuit diagram, Figure 4As shown, a body diode D is further arranged between the charging switch 101 and the discharging switch 104, and when the charging switch 101 is closed, if the body diode has a current flowing therethrough greater than a set current, the charging switch 101 can be automatically opened. The reason why the charging switch 101 is closed after detecting the presence signal of the plurality of power supplies 102 and the body diode is not automatically opened is mainly to prevent the plurality of power supplies 102 in parallel connection from charging each other due to different voltages when starting up. After being closed first, the voltage difference is determined, which can avoid the problem of charging each other between the plurality of power supplies 102, and the discharging problem can also be improved.

[0087] Optionally, the battery management chip 105 in the embodiment is a protection chip of the plurality of power supplies 102, and has a function of controlling charging and discharging of the plurality of power supplies 102.

[0088] It should be noted that the model and specification of each device in the embodiment are not limited to Figure 4 the model and specification in the above embodiment. The communication mode between the power management chip 105 and the power microprocessor 106 is not limited, the form of the instruction sent by the power microprocessor 106 is not limited, and the number of series and parallel of the plurality of power supplies 106 is not limited, and the detection mode of inserting the plurality of power supplies is not limited.

[0089] As shown in Figure 5 , it is an operation flow chart of the unmanned aerial vehicle multi-power supply control method of the embodiment, including the following steps:

[0090] S501, the plurality of power supplies are in standby;

[0091] S502, after the power microprocessor detects that the plurality of power supplies are inserted, the charging switch is closed and the body diode is set not to be automatically opened. After the charging switch is closed first, the voltage difference between each power supply is determined, which can prevent the power supplies in parallel connection from charging each other due to different voltages when starting up.

[0092] S503, the power microprocessor acquires the voltage of each power supply and compares the voltage difference between each pair of power supplies.

[0093] S504, the power microprocessor determines whether the voltage difference is greater than a preset voltage V.

[0094] S505, if the voltage difference is greater than V, the unmanned aerial vehicle limits the unmanned aerial vehicle to take off and alarms.

[0095] S506, if the voltage difference is not greater than V, the unmanned aerial vehicle communicates with each power supply in the order from high to low voltage, and then the power microprocessor sends an instruction to the corresponding battery management chip to modify the current parameter of the body diode automatically opening the charging switch to A, and then the unmanned aerial vehicle enters a standby state.

[0096] S507, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is flying and shutting down, the unmanned aerial vehicle informs each power supply to shut down through communication respectively. Then the power supply microprocessor respectively sends instructions to the corresponding battery management chip to modify the current parameter B of the automatic opening of the charging switch of the body diode, and then the power supply enters the shutdown state. The current parameter B will be lower than the current parameter A. Because the modification of A is when the unmanned aerial vehicle is powered, at this time there is a current limit, which is also to prevent mutual charging between power supplies due to unbalanced power supply or system load fluctuation. Only A is generally not too large, otherwise the temperature rise of the charging switch will be high if the large current is always supplied by the body diode. When the unmanned aerial vehicle is flying and shutting down, the charging switch must be controlled to open, otherwise the power supply cannot be charged. In addition, the current parameter B can be very small or even 0, so that the power supply is used alone without affecting the discharge. The values of current values A and B can be set according to the specific application, and the size is limited. The pressure difference alarm mode is not limited. The value of the pressure difference V is not limited.

[0097] In the present embodiment, the power supply is opened in the order of voltage height, which can make the power supply with high voltage supply power first, and the voltage of the power supply will be pulled down, and the voltage difference will be closer when the other power supplies are turned on. The impact of mutual charging between power supplies will be smaller.

[0098] Obviously, those skilled in the art should understand that the above-mentioned modules or steps of the present application can be realized by general computing devices, which can be concentrated on a single computing device, or distributed on a network composed of multiple computing devices, which can be realized by program codes executable by computing devices, so that they can be stored in storage devices and executed by computing devices, and in some cases, the steps shown or described can be executed in different order, or they can be manufactured into individual integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be manufactured into a single integrated circuit module. Thus, the present application is not limited to any specific hardware and software combination.

[0099] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can have various changes and modifications. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. within the principles of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A multi-power supply control device for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characterized in that, include: A charging switch is connected to multiple power sources to control the charging of the multiple power sources, all of which are connected to the drone and are connected in parallel. A discharge switch, which is connected to multiple power sources via the charging switch, is used to regulate the discharge of the multiple power sources; A power management chip, connected to multiple power supplies, is used to acquire the voltage of the multiple power supplies; A power microprocessor, connected to the power management chip, is used to determine a first current value for turning on the discharge switch based on the voltage difference between the voltages of the multiple power supplies when the voltage differences of the multiple power supplies are all less than a first preset voltage. When the discharge switch is turned on, the multiple power supplies are in a state of supplying power to the drone.

2. The UAV multi-power supply control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The UAV multi-power supply control device also includes at least one of the following: A temperature sampling module, which is connected to the power management chip, is used to collect temperature information from multiple power supplies and transmit the temperature information to the power management chip. A voltage sampling module, which is connected to the power management chip, is used to collect voltage information from multiple power supplies and transmit the voltage information to the power management chip.

3. The UAV multi-power supply control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The UAV multi-power supply control device also includes: A power communication port, connected to multiple power supplies and to the power microprocessor and the drone, is used to transmit current signals to the drone when the multiple power supplies are connected to the drone, and to send a stop signal to the power microprocessor when the drone stops working.

4. The UAV multi-power supply control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The UAV multi-power supply control device also includes: A regulated power supply, connected to the plurality of power supplies and the power supply microprocessor, is used to regulate the voltage of the plurality of power supplies and transmit it to the power supply microprocessor.

5. The UAV multi-power supply control device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The UAV multi-power supply control device also includes: A battery insertion detection module is connected to the regulated power supply and the power communication port, and is used to detect the voltage of the regulated power supply and the voltage of the power communication port.

6. The UAV multi-power supply control device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The UAV multi-power supply control device also includes: A current sampling module, connected to multiple power supplies, is used to collect the current between the multiple power supplies and the power communication port.

7. A multi-power source control method for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characterized in that, Applied in the UAV multi-power supply control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising: When it is determined that multiple power sources are connected to the drone, the charging switch and the discharging switch are disconnected, wherein the charging switch is used to control the charging of the multiple power sources, and the multiple power sources are connected in parallel. Obtain the voltage of the multiple power sources; Based on the voltage difference between the voltages of the multiple power sources, a first current value is determined to turn on the discharge switch, wherein the discharge switch is connected to the multiple power sources through the charging switch, and when the discharge switch is turned on, the multiple power sources are in a state of supplying power to the drone.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Obtain the voltages of multiple power sources, including: The system receives voltages from multiple power sources sent by the power management chip, wherein the power management chip is connected to the multiple power sources and is used to acquire the voltage of each power source collected by the voltage sampling module.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The system receives temperature information from multiple power supplies sent by the power management chip, wherein the power management chip is connected to multiple power supplies and is used to acquire the temperature of each power supply collected by the temperature sampling module.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Determining a first current value for turning on the discharge switch based on the voltage difference between the voltages of the multiple power sources includes: The voltage difference between the voltages of each of the power sources is obtained to obtain multiple voltage difference values; A first control command is sent to the power management chip to instruct the power management chip to adjust the current value of the discharge switch to the first current value.

11. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, After obtaining the voltages of multiple power sources, the method further includes: The voltage difference between the voltages of each of the power sources is obtained to obtain multiple voltage difference values; If any of the multiple voltage differences includes a voltage difference greater than or equal to a first preset voltage, a prompt message is issued, wherein the prompt message is used to prompt the user to turn off the power supply of the multiple power sources to the drone.

12. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, After determining the first current value for turning on the discharge switch based on the voltage difference between the voltages of the multiple power sources, the method further includes: When it is determined that the drone is in a powered-off state, a second control command is sent to the power management chip to instruct the power management chip to adjust the current value of the discharge switch to a second current value, wherein the second current value is less than the first current value; The charging switch is closed to control the multiple power sources to be in a charging state.

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