A drone base station

Abstract

The application discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle base station, which comprises a storage bin arranged on a communication tower and provided with an opening at the top, a plurality of charging platforms installed on the inner wall of the storage bin and arranged at intervals along the height direction of the inner wall, the charging platforms being used for charging the unmanned aerial vehicles parked thereon, a parking platform arranged in the storage bin and used for parking the unmanned aerial vehicles, a first lifting structure connected with the parking platform and used for driving the parking platform to be lifted to different height positions so as to be aligned with any charging platform, and a transfer structure arranged on the parking platform and used for transferring the unmanned aerial vehicle on the parking platform to the charging platform when the parking platform is lifted to the height of the corresponding charging platform. According to the unmanned aerial vehicle base station, the plurality of charging platforms are arranged in the height direction of the storage bin, and the unmanned aerial vehicle can be transferred to any charging platform for charging through the first lifting structure and the transfer structure, so that the space of the storage bin is reasonably utilized and resource waste is avoided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle application, in particular to an unmanned aerial vehicle base station. BACKGROUND

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicle, for short, is a kind of unmanned aircraft that is controlled by radio remote control equipment and self-provided program control device. Unmanned aerial vehicle can be widely applied to police, city management, agriculture, geology, meteorology, power, rescue and disaster relief, video shooting and many other industries. With the increasingly wide application of unmanned aerial vehicle and the increasingly complex aerial operation, the problem of insufficient power of unmanned aerial vehicle becomes more and more obvious. How to increase the endurance of unmanned aerial vehicle is a direction of development of unmanned aerial vehicle technology.

[0003] At present, the unmanned aerial vehicle hangar relying on the electric tower can realize the transfer charging and data backhaul of the unmanned aerial vehicle, but its performance in many aspects is not satisfactory. High-voltage electricity is transmitted on the electric tower. When the power of the unmanned aerial vehicle is exhausted, the electric tower cannot directly supply power to the unmanned aerial vehicle, but supplies power to the unmanned aerial vehicle through a solar charging panel and the like, which inevitably causes the problem that the unmanned aerial vehicle cannot be effectively charged under weather conditions such as insufficient light. Moreover, the existing unmanned aerial vehicle hangar can only park one unmanned aerial vehicle, and can only charge one unmanned aerial vehicle at a time, causing resource waste. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present application provides an unmanned aerial vehicle base station, which is provided with a plurality of charging platforms in the height direction of the storage bin, and can send the unmanned aerial vehicle to any charging platform for charging through the first lifting structure and the transfer structure, reasonably utilizes the space of the storage bin, and can simultaneously charge a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, thereby avoiding resource waste.

[0005] According to the unmanned aerial vehicle base station of the first aspect of the present application, the storage bin is provided on the communication tower, and the top of the storage bin is open. A plurality of charging platforms are installed on the inner wall of the storage bin and are spaced apart along the height direction of the inner wall. The space between the adjacent two charging platforms can accommodate the unmanned aerial vehicle. The charging platform charges the unmanned aerial vehicle parked thereon. A parking platform is provided in the storage bin for parking the unmanned aerial vehicle. The parking platform is connected with the first lifting structure, and the first lifting structure is used to drive the parking platform to ascend and descend to different height positions to align with any charging platform. The transfer structure is further provided on the parking platform. When the parking platform ascends to the height corresponding to the charging platform, the transfer structure transfers the unmanned aerial vehicle on the parking platform to the charging platform for charging.

[0006] The unmanned aerial vehicle base station has at least the following technical effects: the storage bin of the embodiment can use the power supply of the communication tower to charge the unmanned aerial vehicle, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle charging is not limited by weather, the endurance of the unmanned aerial vehicle during work is increased, and the working efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicle is improved; the embodiment can simultaneously charge multiple unmanned aerial vehicles by arranging multiple charging platforms, reasonably uses the space of the storage bin, and avoids resource waste; the transfer function is realized by arranging the parking platform, the unmanned aerial vehicle can vertically land towards the parking platform from the parking platform, and the unmanned aerial vehicle can enter and exit the storage bin, so that collision with the inner wall of the storage bin due to careless operation is avoided; the first lifting structure and the transfer structure are arranged, and the transfer of the unmanned aerial vehicle between the parking platform and the charging platform is completed.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present application, a fixing device is arranged on the charging platform, and is used for fixing the support leg of the unmanned aerial vehicle to fix the unmanned aerial vehicle on the charging platform.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present application, a positioning device is further arranged, and is used for positioning the unmanned aerial vehicle to align the support leg of the unmanned aerial vehicle with the fixing device for fixation.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present application, the positioning device is arranged on the parking platform, and includes a sensing structure and a rotating structure. The rotating structure is used for supporting the unmanned aerial vehicle and driving the unmanned aerial vehicle to rotate. The sensing structure is used for controlling the rotating direction of the rotating structure, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle is rotated to align the support leg with the fixing device.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present application, the rotating structure includes a support frame and a rotating driving member. The support frame is arranged above the parking platform, is used for supporting the main body of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and is provided with a clearance hole in the middle. When the unmanned aerial vehicle is parked on the support frame, the clearance hole can pass through the camera structure at the bottom of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The rotating driving member is connected with the support frame to drive the support frame and the unmanned aerial vehicle to rotate.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present application, the sensing structure is a sensor group, is arranged below the support frame, and when the unmanned aerial vehicle is parked on the support frame, the camera structure is located between the sensor group. The sensor group is used for sensing the direction of the camera structure, so as to determine whether the support leg is aligned with the fixing device, and to control the rotating direction of the rotating structure.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present application, the sensor group includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter and the receiver are oppositely arranged, and the receiver is used for receiving the signal emitted by the transmitter. When the support leg is not aligned, the camera structure is located between the transmitter and the receiver, and blocks the receiver from receiving the signal. The sensor group controls the rotating driving member to start and drive the support frame to rotate. When the support frame is rotated to align the support leg with the fixing device, the camera structure is avoided, and the receiver can receive the signal of the transmitter, so as to control the rotating driving member to stop, and the unmanned aerial vehicle is positioned.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present application, the support frame is connected with a second lifting structure for driving the support frame to lift relative to the parking table, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is positioned by turning, the second lifting structure drives the support frame to descend, and the support frame is separated from the camera structure to avoid hindering the unmanned aerial vehicle from moving to the charging table.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present application, the transfer structure is a conveyor belt arranged along the length direction of the parking table, and the conveyor belt moves towards the charging table when started; the conveyor belt is arranged on the upper surface of the parking table, and the unmanned aerial vehicle contacts the conveyor belt when parked, and the conveyor belt transfers the unmanned aerial vehicle to the charging table.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present application, the fixing device is a gripper arranged on the side of the charging table close to the inner wall of the storage bin, and the gripper can be opened and closed to clamp and fix the support leg.

[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the following description, become apparent from the following description, or be understood through practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] The present application will be further described below in combination with the drawings and embodiments.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic view of the installation structure of the embodiment of the present application on a communication tower;

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic view of the installation structure of the embodiment of the present application on a communication tower;

[0020] Figure 3 is a top view of the storage bin;

[0021] Figure 4 is Figure 3 is a sectional view in direction A in FIG. 5;

[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic view of the structure of the parking table and the charging table before parking of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

[0023] Figure 6 is a schematic view of the structure of the parking table and the charging table when the unmanned aerial vehicle is parked;

[0024] Figure 7A is a schematic view of the structure when the support leg of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not aligned with the fixing device;

[0025] Figure 7B is a schematic view of the structure when the support leg of the unmanned aerial vehicle is aligned with the fixing device;

[0026] Figure 8 is a schematic view of the structure when the transfer structure transfers the unmanned aerial vehicle to the charging table;

[0027] Figure 9It is the structural schematic view when the unmanned aerial vehicle is fixed on the charging platform.

[0028] Reference signs:

[0029] Storage bin 100, servo protection cover 101, pulley 102, first lifting structure 110, transfer structure 120;

[0030] Charging platform 200, paw 210, movement driving part 211;

[0031] Shutdown platform 300, positioning device 310, induction structure 311, transmitter 312, receiver 313, rotating structure 314, support frame 315, support ring 316, support column 317, give way hole 318, rotating driving part 319, second lifting structure 320;

[0032] Communication tower 400, cross arm 410, sliding rail 411, anti-falling baffle 412, camera 420;

[0033] Unmanned aerial vehicle 500, support leg 510, camera structure 520. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference signs represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the accompanying drawings are exemplary, only for explaining the present application, and cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0035] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application. In addition, the features defined as "first", "second" can be explicitly or implicitly included one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more.

[0036] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connecting" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixed connection, or detachable connection, or integral connection; it can be mechanical connection, or electrical connection; it can be direct connection, or indirect connection through intermediate medium, or internal communication of two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] With reference to Figures 1 to 9 , a kind of unmanned aerial vehicle base station of the embodiment of the present application, including receiving bin 100, charging platform 200, parking platform 300.

[0038] With reference to Figures 1 to 2 , receiving bin 100 is arranged on cross arm 410 of communication tower 400, with reference to Figure 3 , the top of receiving bin 100 is opened, to supply unmanned aerial vehicle 500 to enter and exit.

[0039] With reference to Figure 4 , multiple charging platforms 200 are installed on the inner wall of receiving bin 100, and are arranged in the height direction of the inner wall, the space between adjacent two charging platforms 200 can accommodate unmanned aerial vehicle 500, charging platform 200 charges unmanned aerial vehicle 500 parked on it, the embodiment can simultaneously charge multiple unmanned aerial vehicles 500, reasonably utilize the space of receiving bin 100, and avoid resource waste.

[0040] Specifically, three charging platforms 200 are arranged in the embodiment, but more charging platforms 200 can be arranged within the load bearing range according to actual conditions; either the height of receiving bin 100 can be increased to arrange more layers of charging platforms 200, or the width of receiving bin 100 can be increased horizontally, and compartments are arranged on each layer of charging platforms 200, so that each layer of charging platforms 200 can accommodate more than two unmanned aerial vehicles 500, and multiple unmanned aerial vehicles 500 can be charged simultaneously within a safe range, saving the takeoff preparation time of unmanned aerial vehicle 500.

[0041] Since the charging platform 200 is a multi-layer design, it is difficult for unmanned aerial vehicle 500 to fly into the charging platform 200 located on the second layer, the third layer to the bottom layer and park, and it is also difficult to take off from these charging platforms 200, so a transfer station needs to be arranged, and unmanned aerial vehicle 500 is first parked in the transfer station and then transferred to the charging platforms 200 on each layer from the transfer station; when taking off after charging is completed, it also needs to be transferred to the transfer station first and then take off from the transfer station.

[0042] Therefore, with reference to Figures 3 to 4The embodiment sets the parking platform 300 as a transfer station. The parking platform 300 is arranged in the storage bin 100 for parking the unmanned aerial vehicle 500. The parking platform 300 faces the opening of the storage bin 100 and is not interfered by the charging platform 200. The unmanned aerial vehicle 500 can vertically land on the parking platform 300, that is, enter or exit the storage bin 100, thereby avoiding collision with the inner wall of the storage bin 100 due to careless operation.

[0043] With reference to Figure 4 , the parking platform 300 is connected with the first lifting structure 110. The first lifting structure 110 is used to drive the parking platform 300 to lift to different height positions to align with any charging platform 200. The first lifting structure 110 is a lifting cylinder. The cylinder body is mounted on the bottom wall of the storage bin 100, and the lifting part is connected with the bottom surface of the parking platform 300. Figure 4 In the state shown in the figure, the first layer and the second layer of the charging platform 200 are idle and can be charged. Therefore, the first lifting structure 110 lifts the parking platform 300 to the position opposite to the second layer of the charging platform 200 (from top to bottom, the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer). The transfer structure 120 is arranged on the parking platform 300. When the parking platform 300 is lifted to the height position corresponding to the charging platform 200, the transfer structure 120 transfers the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 on the parking platform 300 to the charging platform 200 to be charged.

[0044] Specifically, the charging device (not shown in the figure) is arranged on the charging platform 200 and is electrically connected with the communication tower 400. The storage bin 100 of the embodiment can charge the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 by using the power supply of the communication tower 400. The charging of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 is not limited by weather, the endurance of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 during work is increased, and the working efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 is improved. The embodiment sets the multi-layer charging platform 200, which can simultaneously charge multiple unmanned aerial vehicles 500, reasonably uses the space of the storage bin 100, and avoids resource waste. The transfer function is realized by setting the parking platform 300. The unmanned aerial vehicle 500 can vertically land on the parking platform 300, that is, enter or exit the storage bin 100, thereby avoiding collision with the inner wall of the storage bin 100 due to careless operation. The transfer of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 between the parking platform 300 and the charging platform 200 is completed by setting the first lifting structure 110 and the transfer structure 120.

[0045] Since the storage bin 100 itself can only avoid exposure of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 to the air and cannot effectively fix the unmanned aerial vehicle 500, when the communication tower 400 shakes in bad weather, the storage bin 100 will shake, the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 in the storage bin 100 will displace and collide, which will cause damage to the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 and economic loss.

[0046] To solve the above problems, with reference to Figure 4In some specific embodiments of the present application, the charging platform 200 is provided with a fixing device for fixing the support leg 510 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500, so as to fix the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 on the charging platform 200, which not only avoids shaking and collision, but also ensures stable connection between the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 and the charging device, thereby improving the charging efficiency.

[0047] When the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 flies into the storage bin 100, its direction is uncertain. In order to fix the support leg 510 by the fixing device, in some embodiments, the fixing device can be adjusted to be aligned with the support leg 510 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500; or the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 can be adjusted to be parked on the parking platform 300, so that the support leg 510 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 is aligned with the fixing device.

[0048] In the present embodiment, the latter scheme is adopted. Therefore, referring to Figure 5 In further embodiments of the present application, a positioning device 310 is further included, which is used for positioning the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 (i.e. positioning in the direction by controlling the rotation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500), so that the support leg 510 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 is aligned with the fixing device for fixation.

[0049] Referring to Figure 5 In further embodiments of the present application, the positioning device 310 is arranged on the parking platform 300, and includes a sensing structure 311 and a rotating structure 314. The rotating structure 314 is used for supporting and rotating the unmanned aerial vehicle 500, and the sensing structure 311 is used for controlling the rotating direction of the rotating structure 314. The rotating structure 314 drives the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 to rotate, so that the support leg 510 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 is rotated to be aligned with the fixing device.

[0050] Referring to Figure 5 In further embodiments of the present application, the rotating structure 314 includes a support frame 315 and a rotating driving member 319. The support frame 315 is arranged above the parking platform 300 and is used for supporting the main body of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500. A clearance hole 318 is arranged in the middle of the support frame 315, which can be passed through by the camera structure 520 at the bottom of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 when the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 is parked on the support frame 315. The rotating driving member 319 is connected with the support frame 315 to drive the support frame 315 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 to rotate.

[0051] Specifically, the support frame 315 includes a support ring 316 and a plurality of support columns 317. The support ring 316 is connected with the support columns 317 below. The distance between the support ring 316 and the parking platform 300 can accommodate the camera structure 520 carried at the bottom of the unmanned aerial vehicle 500. The hole in the middle of the support ring 316 is the clearance hole 318. Referring to Figure 6When the UAV 500 is lowered to be parked on the parking platform 300, the camera structure 520 passes through the accommodation hole 318, the main body of the UAV 500 is in contact with the upper surface of the support ring 316 (the support ring 316 supports the main body of the UAV 500 at this time), and the upper surface of the support ring 316 can be provided with protrusions or patterns to increase the friction with the main body of the UAV 500. When the support ring 316 rotates, the UAV 500 will also rotate.

[0052] Preferably, the above-mentioned "the UAV 500 is lowered to be parked on the parking platform 300" can actually be "the UAV 500 is lowered to be parked on the support ring 316", that is, the supporting legs 510 can not be in contact with the parking platform 300. This setting can avoid the friction between the supporting legs 510 and the parking platform 300 when the UAV 500 rotates, so as to avoid hindering the rotation of the UAV 500.

[0053] Referring to Figures 5 to 6 In further embodiments of the present application, the sensing structure 311 is a sensor group arranged below the support frame 315. When the UAV 500 is parked on the support frame 315, the camera structure 520 is located between the sensor group, and the sensor group is used to sense the orientation of the camera structure 520, so as to determine whether the supporting legs 510 are aligned with the fixing device, thereby controlling the steering of the rotating structure 314.

[0054] Since the camera structure 520 is used to shoot the pictures during the flight of the UAV 500, the camera structure 520 is usually arranged in the same direction as the forward direction of the UAV 500, and the supporting legs 510 are generally arranged on the left and right sides of the UAV 500 and extend in the front-back direction. Therefore, the front-back direction of the camera structure 520 is consistent with the front-back direction of the supporting legs 510, and the orientation of the supporting legs 510 can be determined by the orientation of the camera structure 520.

[0055] Referring to 7A to Figure 7B In further embodiments of the present application, the sensor group includes a transmitter 312 and a receiver 313, and the transmitter 312 and the receiver 313 are oppositely arranged. The receiver 313 is used to receive the signal emitted by the transmitter 312.

[0056] Referring to Figure 7A When the supporting legs 510 are not aligned, that is, the supporting legs 510 are misaligned with the direction of the fixing device, the camera structure 520 is located between the signal transmission path of the transmitter 312 and the receiver 313, and blocks the receiver 313 from receiving the signal. When the signal received by the receiver 313 is interrupted, it is determined that the supporting legs 510 are not aligned. The sensor group sends a command to the control center, and the control center controls the rotating drive 319 to start and drive the support frame 315 to steer after receiving the command.

[0057] Referring to Figure 7BWhen the support frame 315 rotates to the position that the support leg 510 is aligned with the fixing device, the camera structure 520 avoids the signal transmission path of the transmitter 312 and the receiver 313, and the receiver 313 can receive the signal of the transmitter 312, so that it is determined that the support leg 510 is aligned, the sensor group sends another instruction to the control center, and the control center controls the rotation driving member 319 to stop after receiving the instruction, so that the support frame 315 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 stop rotating, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 is positioned.

[0058] Further, since the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 is not necessarily positioned at the center of the support frame 315, in order to provide a certain fault tolerance space, two groups of sensor groups can be arranged on the opposite sides of the camera structure 520, and the two groups of sensor groups are matched to sense the position of the camera structure 520; in the case that the two groups of sensor groups are normally working, the rotation driving member 319 stops only when the two groups of receivers 313 can receive the signal.

[0059] With reference to Figure 6 , Figure 8 In further embodiments of the present application, the support frame 315 is connected with a second lifting structure 320 for driving the support frame 315 to ascend and descend relative to the parking platform 300, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 is positioned, the second lifting structure 320 drives the support frame 315 to descend, the support frame 315 is separated from the unmanned aerial vehicle 500, and the camera structure 520 exits from the position leaving hole 318, so as not to hinder the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 from moving to the charging platform 200.

[0060] Specifically, the support column 317 is arranged on the parking platform 300 and can slide up and down relative to the parking platform 300, the support column 317 is connected with the support ring 316 at the top and connected with the rotation driving member 319 at the bottom, the rotation driving member 319 is a rotary motor, and the second lifting structure 320 is a lifting cylinder, the cylinder body is mounted on the bottom wall of the storage bin 100, and the lifting part is connected with the bottom surface of the rotary motor, the rotation driving member 319 drives the support frame 315 to rotate, and the lifting cylinder drives the rotary driving member and the support frame 315 to ascend and descend.

[0061] With reference to Figure 8 In some specific embodiments of the present application, the transfer structure 120 is a conveying belt (conveying driving member not shown), the conveying belt is arranged along the length direction of the parking platform 300 and moves towards the charging platform 200 when the conveying belt is started; the conveying belt is arranged on the upper surface of the parking platform 300, the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 contacts with the conveying belt when the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 is parked, and the conveying belt transfers the unmanned aerial vehicle 500 to the charging platform 200.

[0062] Specifically, the conveyor belt is arranged on both sides of the parking table 300, when the support frame 315 is lowered, the UAV 500 falls on the parking table 300, and the support frame 315 falls into the range of the conveyor belt; then, the conveyor belt is started to drive the UAV 500 to move towards the charging table 200 until the UAV 500 is separated from the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt is stopped.

[0063] With reference to Figure 8 In some embodiments of the present application, the fixing device is a gripper 210 arranged on one side of the charging table 200 close to the inner wall of the storage bin 100. The gripper 210 can be a pneumatic gripper, which can be opened and closed to clamp the support leg 510.

[0064] Further, the gripper 210 is connected with a moving drive 211, which is a telescopic pneumatic cylinder. The cylinder body is fixed to the inner wall of the storage bin 100, and the telescopic end is connected with the gripper 210. The moving drive 211 is used to drive the gripper 210 to move back and forth along the length direction of the charging table 200, so as to push the UAV 500 onto the parking table 300 or pull the UAV 500 towards the charging table 200.

[0065] With reference to Figure 9 When the UAV 500 is separated from the conveyor belt, the gripper 210 extends towards the UAV 500 to clamp the support leg 510. The UAV 500 can be pulled to the preset charging position on the charging table 200 by the gripper 210. The preset charging position is the preset position at which the charging port of the UAV 500 is connected with the charging connector of the charging device. After the UAV 500 is stably stopped at the preset charging position, the charging port of the UAV 500 is connected with the charging connector of the charging device, and then the charging is started.

[0066] The charging device can sense whether the UAV 500 is connected therewith, and if so, the charging is started. During the charging process, it is detected whether the power is full. When the power is full, the charging is automatically stopped, and the charging connector is automatically disconnected. When the UAV 500 is ready to take off, the gripper 210 releases the UAV 500 and pushes the UAV 500 towards the parking table 300. When the UAV 500 contacts with the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is started to carry the UAV 500 back, and the gripper 210 retreats to the original position.

[0067] The present embodiment is provided with a feedback system, which can output feedback signals to the control center through a wireless communication network at each action node of the UAV 500, so that the control center can control the state of the UAV 500 and control the state of the conveyor belt, the rotating drive 319, the first lifting structure 110, the second lifting structure 320, the gripper 210 and the moving drive 211 at each action node, so as to realize the full-automatic and continuous charging work.

[0068] Specifically, with reference to Figure 9The top opening of the storage bin 100 is provided with a servo protective cover 101, which is automatically unfolded when the UAV 500 takes off and lands, and is automatically closed when the UAV 500 finishes taking off and landing. The servo protective cover 101 can protect the UAV 500 and the equipment inside the storage bin 100, and avoid sand, dust and rain from entering to cause damage to the equipment.

[0069] Preferably, when the UAV 500 lands in the storage bin 100 after the inspection, it needs to be a certain distance away from the communication tower 400 to avoid damage or even crash accidents caused by the UAV 500 colliding with the communication tower 400. Therefore, it is necessary to meet the safety distance requirement from the communication tower 400 and to realize the retractable storage bin 100 into the communication tower 400, so as to regularly inspect the storage bin 100 and the UAV 500. Referring to Figure 2 The bottom of the storage bin 100 is provided with a pulley 102, and the cross arm 410 of the communication tower 400 is provided with a sliding rail 411 matched with the pulley 102. The pulley 102 can move along the sliding rail 411 to retract the storage bin 100 for maintenance. The end of the sliding rail 411 away from the communication tower 400 is also fixed with a anti-falling baffle 412 to prevent the storage bin 100 from moving too far to the outside along the sliding rail 411 and causing the storage bin 100 to fall out.

[0070] The communication tower 400 is provided with a camera 420 overlooking the storage bin 100. After the control center processes the position information of the UAV 500 and the distance parameter from the landing point, the actual relative position environment information of the UAV 500 and the landing platform 300 captured by the camera 420, the high-definition image information of the distance deviation from the landing point captured by the camera structure 520 on the UAV 500, etc. feedback by the UAV 500 during the inspection, the control center controls the UAV 500 in real time to realize the accurate landing of the UAV 500 and solve the problem that the UAV 500 cannot be accurately landed due to positioning errors during the landing process.

[0071] In the description of the present specification, the description of the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplary embodiment", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the present specification, the exemplary description of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0072] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, replacements and variations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and purposes of the present application, and the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A drone base station for installation on a communication tower (400), characterized in that... include: A storage compartment (100) is provided on the communication tower (400), and the top of the storage compartment (100) is open; Multiple charging stations (200) are installed on the inner wall of the storage compartment (100) and spaced apart along the height of the inner wall. The space between two adjacent charging stations (200) can accommodate drones (500). The charging stations (200) charge the drones (500) placed on them. A landing platform (300) is located within the storage compartment (100) for parking the drone (500). The landing platform (300) is connected to a first lifting structure (110), which drives the landing platform (300) to rise and fall to different heights to align with any of the charging platforms (200). The landing platform (300) is also equipped with a transfer structure (120). When the landing platform (300) rises and falls to the height of the corresponding charging platform (200), the transfer structure (120) transfers the drone (500) on the landing platform (300) to the charging platform (200) for charging. The charging station (200) is provided with a fixing device for fixing the support feet (510) of the drone (500) to fix the drone (500) on the charging station (200); It also includes a positioning device (310) for positioning the drone (500) so that the support feet (510) of the drone (500) are aligned with the fixing device for fixing; The positioning device (310) is mounted on the landing platform (300) and includes a sensing structure (311) and a rotating structure (314). The rotating structure (314) is used to support the drone (500) and drive the drone (500) to rotate. The sensing structure (311) is used to control the rotation structure (314) to turn so that the drone (500) rotates until the support foot (510) is aligned with the fixing device. The rotating structure (314) includes a support frame (315) and a rotating drive (319). The support frame (315) is installed above the landing platform (300) to support the main body of the drone (500). The support frame (315) has a clearance hole (318) in the middle. When the drone (500) is placed on the support frame (315), the clearance hole (318) allows the camera structure (520) at the bottom of the drone (500) to pass through. The rotation drive (319) is connected to the support frame (315) to drive the support frame (315) and the drone (500) to rotate; The support frame (315) is connected to a second lifting structure (320) for driving the support frame (315) to rise and fall relative to the parking platform (300). When the drone (500) achieves turning and positioning, the second lifting structure (320) drives the support frame (315) to descend, the support frame (315) separates from the drone (500), and the camera structure (520) exits from the clearance hole (318) to avoid obstructing the drone (500) from moving towards the charging platform (200).

2. The UAV base station according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensing structure (311) is a sensor group located below the support frame (315). When the UAV (500) is placed on the support frame (315), the camera structure (520) is located between the sensor groups. The sensor group is used to sense the orientation of the camera structure (520) to determine whether the support foot (510) is aligned with the fixing device, thereby controlling the rotation structure (314) to turn.

3. A drone base station according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sensor group includes a transmitter (312) and a receiver (313), which are arranged opposite to each other. The receiver (313) is used to receive the signal emitted by the transmitter (312). When the support foot (510) is not aligned, the camera structure (520) is located between the transmitter (312) and the receiver (313), blocking the receiver (313) from receiving the signal. The sensor group controls the rotation drive (319) to start, driving the support frame (315) to turn. When the support frame (315) rotates to the point where the support foot (510) is aligned with the fixing device, the camera structure (520) moves away, and the receiver (313) can receive the signal from the transmitter (312), thereby controlling the rotation drive (319) to stop, and the drone (500) achieves turning and positioning.

4. A drone base station according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer structure (120) is a conveyor belt, which is arranged along the length of the parking platform (300). When the conveyor belt is started, it moves toward the charging platform (200). The conveyor belt is located on the upper surface of the parking platform (300). When the drone (500) is parked, it contacts the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt transfers the drone (500) to the charging platform (200).

5. A drone base station according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing device is a gripper (210), which is located on the side of the charging platform (200) near the inner wall of the storage compartment (100). The gripper (210) can open and close to clamp and fix the support foot (510).

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