Unmanned aerial base station and unmanned aerial system

By designing a movable base station opening and closing mechanism to automatically fold the propellers, the problem of excessively large drone base station size was solved, achieving product miniaturization and cost reduction.

CN117897545BActive Publication Date: 2026-04-24SZ DJI TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
SZ DJI TECH CO LTD
Filing Date
2022-03-09
Publication Date
2026-04-24

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing drone base stations are large in size and have low space utilization, making it impossible to achieve product miniaturization and cost reduction.

Method used

Design a drone base station, including a base body, a landing pad, and a movable base station opening and closing mechanism. After the drone lands, the base station opening and closing mechanism can automatically drive the propellers to fold into the reception space to form a reception space for the drone, thereby reducing the overall size of the base station.

Benefits of technology

This has enabled the miniaturization of drone base stations, reducing product costs and floor space while improving space utilization.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The application provides a UAV base station (100) and a UAV system. The UAV base station (100) comprises a base body (10), a landing apron (20) arranged on the base body (10), and a base station opening and closing mechanism (30) movably arranged on the base body (10). The base station opening and closing mechanism (30) comprises an open state and a closed state. When the base station opening and closing mechanism (30) is in the open state, a UAV (200) can land on the landing apron (20). When the base station opening and closing mechanism (30) is in the closed state, a receiving space (50) for accommodating the UAV (200) is formed between the base station opening and closing mechanism (30) and the landing apron (20). The UAV (200) comprises foldable blades (204). When the UAV (200) lands on the landing apron (20), the blades (204) at least partially extend out of the receiving space (50). After the UAV (200) lands on the landing apron (20), the base station opening and closing mechanism (30) can drive the blades (204) to fold into the receiving space (50), so that the UAV (200) is accommodated in the receiving space (50).
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and in particular to a UAV base station and UAV system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of science and technology and drone technology, drones have been widely used in many fields. Due to the limited battery life of drones, they cannot remain airborne for extended periods to perform tasks. Therefore, a drone base station is typically designed on the ground. The main functions of a drone base station include charging drones and extending their flight time. Additionally, the base station can communicate with drones and control their takeoff and landing.

[0003] However, existing drone base stations are typically large in size and have low space utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a drone base station and drone system that can achieve product miniaturization, reduce product cost and footprint.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a drone base station is provided. The drone base station includes a base, a landing pad disposed on the base, and a base station opening and closing mechanism movably disposed on the base. The base station opening and closing mechanism includes an open state and a closed state. When the base station opening and closing mechanism is in the open state, a drone can land on the landing pad. When the base station opening and closing mechanism is in the closed state, a receiving space for accommodating the drone is formed between the base station opening and closing mechanism and the landing pad. The drone includes foldable propellers. When the drone lands on the landing pad, the propellers extend at least partially outside the receiving space. After the drone lands on the landing pad, the base station opening and closing mechanism can drive the propellers to fold into the receiving space, so that the drone is accommodated within the receiving space.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present invention, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system is provided. The UAV system includes a UAV and a UAV base station as described above. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0008] Figure 1This is a top view of a drone base station in an open state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0009] Figure 2 This is a side view of a drone base station in an open state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0010] Figure 3 This is a side view of a drone base station in a closed state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 4 This is a top view of a drone base station in a closed state according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the protective cover on one side has been removed;

[0012] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a drone base station in a closed state according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the protective cover on one side has been removed;

[0013] Figure 6 This is a top view of a drone base station in an intermediate state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of a drone base station in an intermediate state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 8 This is a simplified structural diagram of a translation drive mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 9 This is a simplified structural diagram of the active side rocker arm and the driven side rocker arm according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a heating element provided on a protective cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0020] The terminology used in this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular forms “a,” “described,” and “the” used in this invention and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Unless otherwise indicated, terms such as “front,” “rear,” “lower,” and / or “upper” are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit a location or spatial orientation. Terms such as “connected” or “linked” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections and can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. In this invention, “capable” can mean having the ability.

[0021] The various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0022] This invention provides a drone base station 100. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The top view and side view of a drone base station 100 in an open state according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown respectively; Figures 3 to 5 A side view, a top view, and a perspective view of a drone base station 100 in a closed state, according to an embodiment of the present invention, are disclosed respectively. Figure 4 and Figure 5 In order to more clearly show the state of the propeller blades folded in the containment space, the protective cover on one side has been removed. Figures 1 to 5 As shown, an embodiment of the UAV base station 100 of the present invention includes a base 10, a landing pad 20 disposed on the base 10, and a base station opening and closing mechanism 30 movably disposed on the base 10.

[0023] The base station opening / closing mechanism 30 includes an open state and a closed state. For example... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, when the base station opening / closing mechanism 30 is in the open state, the helipad 20 is fully exposed, and the drone 200 can land on the helipad 20. Figures 3 to 5 As shown, when the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 is in the closed state, a reception space 50 is formed between the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 and the landing pad 20, which can be used to accommodate the drone 200. Furthermore, the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 completely covers the landing pad 20, and the landing pad 20 is completely contained within the reception space 50.

[0024] The drone 200 includes foldable propellers 204. When the drone 200 lands on the helipad 20, the propellers of the drone 200 extend at least partially beyond the receiving space 50. In some embodiments, after the drone 200 lands on the helipad 20, the base station opening / closing mechanism 30 of this embodiment can drive the propellers 204 to fold into the receiving space 50, so that the drone 200 is received within the receiving space 50.

[0025] In this embodiment of the invention, the UAV base station 100, during the closing process of the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 after the UAV 200 lands on the landing pad 20, can automatically drive the propeller 204 to fold into the receiving space 50, thereby housing the entire UAV 200 within the receiving space 50. Therefore, the area enclosed by the boundary of the receiving space 50 formed between the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 and the landing pad 20 in the closed state can be significantly reduced compared to the projected area of ​​the entire envelope of the UAV 200 in flight. The area enclosed by the boundary of the receiving space 50 mentioned herein refers to the area formed by the projection of the receiving space 50 onto the plane where the landing pad 20 is located.

[0026] Therefore, compared with the existing drone base station 100 designed with the entire drone's projected area, the size of the drone base station 100 of the present invention can be greatly reduced, thereby achieving product miniaturization, reducing product cost and floor space.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the UAV 200 includes a fuselage 201, an arm 202 disposed on the fuselage 201, and a blade drive motor 203 located at the end of the arm 202 for driving the blades 204 to rotate. In one embodiment, a pair of blades 204 are provided at the end of the arm 202, and the blade drive motor 203 can drive the pair of blades 204 to rotate simultaneously. Of course, in other embodiments, only one blade 204 may be provided at the end of the arm 202, and the blade drive motor 203 can drive the single blade 204 to rotate.

[0028] Therefore, in some embodiments, the area enclosed by the boundary of the housing space 50 of the UAV base station 100 can be determined based on the projected area of ​​the propeller drive motor 203 on the plane where the landing pad 20 is located. The area enclosed by the boundary of the housing space 50 is typically larger than the projected area of ​​the propeller drive motor 203 on the plane where the landing pad 20 is located.

[0029] The drone base station 100 of this embodiment can be designed according to the projected area of ​​the propeller 204 of the drone 200 on the plane where the landing pad 20 is located. By changing the direction or shape of the propeller 204, the propeller 204 can be folded into the storage space 50, thereby avoiding the problem that the drone base station 100 is too large due to the size of the propeller 204, and realizing the miniaturization of the base station.

[0030] In some embodiments, considering that the drone 200 may not land precisely on the landing pad 20 of the drone base station 100 during actual landing, the area enclosed by the boundary of the accommodating space 50 of the drone base station 100 can be determined based on the projected area of ​​the propeller drive motor 203 on the plane of the landing pad 20 and the landing accuracy of the drone 200. If the landing accuracy of the drone 200 can be improved, the size of the drone base station 100 can be made smaller.

[0031] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment, the drone 200 may include four arms 202, with two arms 202 respectively disposed on each of the opposite sides of the fuselage 201. Each arm 202 has a propeller drive motor 203 and a propeller 204 at its end. Each propeller drive motor 203 can, for example, drive a pair of propellers 204 to rotate. Therefore, in this case, the boundary of the accommodating space 50 of the drone base station 100 can be determined based on the rectangular dimensions enclosed by the four propeller drive motors 203. Therefore, compared to existing drone base stations designed with the entire projected envelope area of ​​the drone 200 including the propellers 204, the drone base station 100 of this embodiment can significantly reduce the size of the base station.

[0032] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, when the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 is in the closed state, the propellers 204 of the UAV 200 housed in the housing space 50 are in a stationary and retracted state. In one embodiment, the retracted state described herein may be that the propellers 204 are in a fully folded state. Of course, in other embodiments, the retracted state described herein does not necessarily require the propellers 204 to be in a fully folded state; the retracted state may also be that the propellers are folded relative to their fully extended state. For example, when the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 is in the closed state, it is sufficient for the propellers 204 to be folded within the rectangle enclosed by the four propeller drive motors 203. Thus, the projected area of ​​the UAV 200 on the plane of the landing pad 20 can be reduced, thereby reducing the boundary dimensions of the housing space 50 of the UAV base station 100.

[0033] The following will combine Figure 6and Figure 7 This section details how the drone 200's propellers 204 retract during the closing process of the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 of the drone base station 100 after the drone 200 lands on the helipad 20.

[0034] Figure 6 and Figure 7 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, showing the drone base station 100 in an intermediate state, is provided. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 also has an intermediate state, which is located between the open state and the closed state. During the closing process of the base station opening and closing mechanism 30, when the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 closes from the open state to the intermediate state, the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 can contact the propeller 204 and push the propeller 204 to gradually retract. Therefore, when the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 is fully closed, the propeller 204 of the UAV 200 is in the position of... Figure 3 The state of slurry collection shown.

[0035] The drone base station 100 in this embodiment of the invention also includes a control system (not shown).

[0036] To ensure that the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 always contacts the propeller 204 of the UAV 200 during the closing process, in some embodiments, when the UAV 200 lands on the helipad 20 and the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 closes, the control system of the UAV base station 100 can control the propeller 204 of the UAV 200 to rotate at a low speed with a first speed, and control the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 to close the cover slowly with a second speed. In one embodiment, the first speed of the propeller 204 is greater than the second speed of the base station opening and closing mechanism 30. Thus, when the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 closes to the intermediate state, it can just touch the propeller 204, pushing the propeller 204 to retract the propeller.

[0037] like Figure 6 As shown, when the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 closes, the control system can control the propeller 204 to rotate in the direction of the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 closing. The control system drives the propeller 204 to rotate in the direction of the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 closing by controlling the propeller drive motor 203 on each arm 202. For example, the rotation direction of the propeller 204 on the four arms 202 is as follows: Figure 6 The arrow in the image indicates the direction.

[0038] In some embodiments, the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 may include a pair of protective covers 31, which are symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the base 10.

[0039] In one embodiment, each protective cover 31 is generally a rectangular frame. The protective cover 31 has a top wall 311, a first side wall 312 and two opposing second side walls 313. The two second side walls 313 are connected to opposite sides of the first side wall 312, and the top wall 311 is connected to the first side wall 312 and the two opposing second side walls 313 respectively, thereby forming a rectangular frame.

[0040] During the closing process of the base station opening and closing mechanism 30, the two protective covers 31 move relative to each other from the open state to the closed state, gradually approaching each other. When the two protective covers 31 come into contact with each other, they are completely closed. During the opening process of the base station opening and closing mechanism 30, the two protective covers 31 move towards each other from the closed state to the open state, gradually moving away from each other.

[0041] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, when the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 is closed to the intermediate state, at least one of the two second side walls 313 of the protective cover 31 has its end face 3130 touching the blade 204 and pushing the blade 204 to collect the paddle.

[0042] During the contact between the protective cover 31 and the propeller blade 204, the motor shaft of the propeller drive motor 203 of the UAV 200 and the contact points between the propeller blade 204 and the second sidewall 313 of the protective cover 31 and the propeller blade 204 may form a line. This would cause the line of action of the propeller-driving force exerted by the second sidewall 313 of the protective cover 31 to pass through the motor shaft of the propeller drive motor 203. Since the initial phase angle of the propeller blade 204 is not limited, the propeller-driving force at this time does not serve its purpose of propulsion, but instead provides an additional thrust to the entire UAV 200. If the protective cover 31 is continued to close at this time, it may damage the propeller blade 204 or other components of the UAV 200. This situation is generally referred to as reaching the dead point in kinematics. Therefore, to prevent the protective cover 31 and the propeller blade 204 from reaching the dead point during the contact process, such as... Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, a flexible device 60 can be provided on the end face of each second sidewall 313 of the protective cover 31. The flexible device 60 can be used to change the direction of the grouting force, thereby solving the problem of motion dead points.

[0043] like Figure 8As shown, the UAV base station 100 in this embodiment of the invention also includes a drive mechanism, which includes a drive motor 41 for driving the movement of the protective cover 31. In other embodiments, the control system can also determine whether a motion dead point has been reached by detecting the torque of the drive motor 41. The control system can control the drive motor 41 to rotate forward or backward based on the detected torque magnitude. In one embodiment, the control system can detect the torque magnitude of the drive motor 41 by detecting the magnitude of the current value fed back by the drive motor 41. If the current value fed back by the drive motor 41 is abnormally high when the second sidewall 313 of the protective cover 31 contacts the propeller 204, for example, if the current value fed back by the drive motor 41 is higher than a predetermined current value, then it can be determined that the protective cover 31 and the propeller 204 have reached a motion dead point. Therefore, at this time, the control system can control the drive motor 41 to first rotate in reverse and then in forward, thereby avoiding the motion dead point.

[0044] In other embodiments, the control system can also detect the real-time position of the blade 204 and the protective cover 31, and can control at least one of the rotational speed of the blade 204 and the closing speed of the protective cover 31 based on the real-time position of the blade 204 and the protective cover 31, thereby avoiding the protective cover 31 and the blade 204 from reaching the dead point at the same time.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, in order to prevent the rotor blades 204 of the UAV 200 from touching the protective cover 31 when the UAV 200 lands on the helipad 20 while the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 is in the open state, the top surface of the protective cover 31 may not be higher than the helipad 20.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, the driving mechanism for driving the opening and closing movement of the base station opening and closing mechanism 30 includes a pair of translation driving mechanisms 40. Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a translation drive mechanism 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 8 As shown, each translation drive mechanism 40 is disposed between one side of the base 10 and a protective cover 31, and can be used to drive the protective cover 31 to translate relative to the base 10.

[0047] In some embodiments, each translation drive mechanism 40 includes a drive motor 41, a motor drive shaft 42, and a pair of rocker arms 43. The motor drive shaft 42 is disposed on one side of the base 10, and both ends of the motor drive shaft 42 are fixed to the base 10 by bearings 44. The pair of rocker arms 43 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the protective cover 31, with one end of each rocker arm 43 fixedly connected to one end of the motor drive shaft 42 and the other end movably connected to the protective cover 31. The translation drive mechanism 40 also includes a protective cover driven shaft 45. The protective cover driven shaft 45 is movably disposed on the protective cover 31, for example, the protective cover driven shaft 45 can be fixed to the protective cover 31 by bearings 46. When the rocker arms 43 swing, the protective cover 31 can rotate freely around the protective cover driven shaft 45. The other end of the rocker arm 43 is fixedly connected to the protective cover driven shaft 45, thereby realizing the movable connection between the rocker arm 43 and the protective cover 31. In one embodiment, the two ends of the rocker arm 43 are fixedly connected to the motor drive shaft 42 and the protective cover driven shaft 45 respectively by means of flange bolts 47.

[0048] In this case, the drive motor 41 on each side of the base 10 can drive a pair of rocker arms 43 to swing by rotating the drive motor drive shaft 42, thereby driving the protective cover 31 on that side to move.

[0049] In some embodiments, during the opening and closing of the protective cover 31, the translation drive mechanism 40 can always maintain the top wall 311 of the protective cover 31 facing upwards. The translation drive mechanism 40 also includes an attitude holding mechanism, which can be used to maintain the attitude of the protective cover 31.

[0050] The pair of rocker arms 43 in this embodiment of the invention includes an active rocker arm 431 and a driven rocker arm 432. Figure 9 A simplified structural diagram of the active side rocker arm 431 and the driven side rocker arm 432 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 9 As shown, the attitude holding mechanism can be provided in the active rocker arm 431, while the attitude holding mechanism can be omitted in the driven rocker arm 432. Since the protective cover 31 is usually made of rigid material, the attitude holding mechanism provided in the active rocker arm 431 applies a holding force to the second side wall 313 of the protective cover 31 located on the active rocker arm 431 side, and also applies a holding force to the second side wall 313 of the protective cover 31 located on the driven rocker arm 432 side, so that the protective cover 31 always maintains the posture of the top wall 311 facing upward during the opening and closing process.

[0051] In some embodiments, the attitude-maintaining mechanism includes a first sprocket 4311, a second sprocket 4312, and a chain 4313. The first sprocket 4311 is fixed to the base 10, and the second sprocket 4312 is fixed to the protective cover 31, wherein the first sprocket 4311 and the second sprocket 4312 are tensioned together by the chain 4313. The first sprocket 4311 and the second sprocket 4312 are concentric with both ends of the rocker arm 43.

[0052] When the drive motor 41 on each side drives the rocker arm 43 to rotate via the motor drive shaft 42, the second sprocket 4312 can rotate around the first sprocket 4311 with the rocker arm 43. Due to the action of the chain 4313, the second sprocket 4312 can maintain the same phase with the first sprocket 4311, so that the protective cover 31 can maintain a consistent posture during the opening and closing process.

[0053] The translation drive mechanism 40 of this embodiment can realize the large-angle swing of the rocker arm 43, which can clear the space above the landing plane of the UAV 200 and avoid the UAV 200 from colliding due to interference from external factors.

[0054] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the driven rocker arm 432 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 8 As shown, since the driven rocker arm 432 does not have a posture holding mechanism consisting of the first sprocket 4311, the second sprocket 4312, and the chain 4313, in some embodiments, wiring for electronic components on the protective cover 31 can be arranged in the internal cavity 4320 of the driven rocker arm 432. This saves internal space in the protective cover 31, resulting in high space utilization. Electronic components for the protective cover 31 can be integrated into the top layout of the product, making product deployment more convenient and increasing product integration.

[0055] Antennas, cameras, and other electronic components can be arranged on the top of the protective cover 31.

[0056] In some embodiments, at least one of environmental monitoring devices, such as a rain gauge, anemometer, wind vane, temperature sensor, and humidity sensor, can be arranged on the top of the protective cover 31. In other embodiments, the drone base station 100 may also include a weather station 90 that integrates the functions of multiple environmental monitoring devices, and the weather station 90 may be located directly on the top of the protective cover 31.

[0057] Considering that when deploying the drone base station 100 in cold and snowy regions, the protective cover 31 of the drone base station 100 may be easily frozen by ice and snow, making it impossible to open and close, an ice-melting device can be designed around the protective cover 31 of the drone base station 100, thereby enabling unattended deployment globally. In some embodiments, the drone base station 100 of this invention may also include a heating component 70, which can be used to heat the seam between a pair of protective covers 31.

[0058] Figure 10 A schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention shows a heating element 70 disposed on a protective cover 31. (See diagram below.) Figure 10 As shown, one of the protective covers 31 has an outwardly extending protrusion (unlabeled) on its top wall 311, and a corresponding groove (unlabeled) is provided at the lower end of the top wall 311 of the other protective cover 31. The protrusion and the groove cooperate with each other, and the heating element 70 is disposed in the protrusion.

[0059] When the pair of protective covers 31 are fully closed, the heating element 70 is located at the gap between the pair of protective covers 31 and can heat the gap between the pair of protective covers 31.

[0060] The heating element 70 is communicatively connected to the control system, which can be used to control the heating element 70. In some embodiments, the control system can control the heating element 70 based on the outdoor temperature read from the weather station 90 or a temperature sensor. When the control system determines that the protective cover 31 is frozen by ice and snow based on the outdoor temperature read from the weather station 90 or the temperature sensor, the control system can activate the heating element 70 to heat and melt the ice and snow in the gaps of the protective cover 31, allowing the protective cover 31 to be opened smoothly for global unattended deployment. Of course, in other embodiments, the protective cover 31 of the drone base station 100 can also be manually observed through a camera to see if it is frozen. When the protective cover 31 of the drone base station 100 is observed to be frozen, the heating element 70 can be manually activated to heat and melt the ice and snow in the gaps of the protective cover 31.

[0061] This invention also provides an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system. The UAV system includes a UAV 200 and the UAV base station 100 described in the above embodiments.

[0062] The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system of this invention has beneficial technical effects that are generally similar to those of the UAV base station 100 described in the above embodiments, so they will not be repeated here.

[0063] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. The terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0064] The above provides a detailed description of the UAV base station and UAV system provided in the embodiments of the present invention. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the embodiments above are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention, and the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can make any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements to the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of the present invention, and all such modifications, substitutions, or improvements should be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drone base station, characterized in that, include: Matrix; A helipad is provided on the aforementioned base. as well as A base station opening and closing mechanism is movably disposed on the base. The base station opening and closing mechanism includes an open state and a closed state. When the base station opening and closing mechanism is in the open state, the drone can land on the landing pad. When the base station opening and closing mechanism is in the closed state, a receiving space for accommodating the UAV is formed between the base station opening and closing mechanism and the landing pad. The UAV includes foldable propellers. When the UAV lands on the landing pad, the propellers extend at least partially out of the receiving space. After the UAV lands on the landing pad, the base station opening and closing mechanism can drive the propellers to fold into the receiving space so that the UAV can be accommodated in the receiving space. The control system controls the drone's propellers to rotate at a first speed in the direction of the base station's opening and closing mechanism when the drone lands on the landing pad and the base station's opening and closing mechanism closes the cover, wherein the first speed is greater than the second speed.

2. The UAV base station as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drone includes a fuselage, an arm mounted on the fuselage, and a blade drive motor located at the end of the arm for driving the blades to rotate. The area enclosed by the boundary of the containment space is determined based on the projected area of ​​the blade drive motor on the plane where the landing pad is located.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The area enclosed by the boundary of the containment space is larger than the projected area of ​​the propeller drive motor on the plane where the helipad is located.

4. The UAV base station as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The area enclosed by the boundary of the containment space is determined based on the projected area of ​​the propeller drive motor on the plane where the landing pad is located and the landing accuracy of the UAV.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The arm comprises four arms, with two arms respectively arranged on opposite sides of the fuselage. Each arm has a blade drive motor and a blade at its end. The boundary of the receiving space is determined based on the rectangular dimensions enclosed by the four blade drive motors.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Each arm is provided with a blade drive motor and a pair of blades at its end, and each blade drive motor drives the pair of blades to rotate.

7. The UAV base station as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the base station opening and closing mechanism is in the closed state, the propellers of the UAV housed in the housing space are in a stationary and retracted state.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The base station opening and closing mechanism also has an intermediate state between the open state and the closed state. When the base station opening and closing mechanism closes to the intermediate state, the base station opening and closing mechanism touches the blade and can push the blade to collect the slurry.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The base station opening and closing mechanism includes a pair of protective covers, which are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the base.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The protective cover has a top wall, a first side wall, and two opposing second side walls. The two second side walls are connected to opposite sides of the first side wall, and the top wall is connected to the first side wall and the two opposing second side walls.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 10, characterized in that, When the base station opening and closing mechanism closes to the intermediate state, at least one end face of the second side wall of the protective cover contacts the blade and pushes the blade to collect the slurry.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 11, characterized in that, A flexible device for changing the direction of the grouting force is provided on the end face of the second side wall.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes: The drive mechanism includes a drive motor for driving the movement of the protective cover. The control system is further configured to detect the torque of the drive motor and control the drive motor to rotate forward or backward based on the detected torque magnitude.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The control system detects the torque of the drive motor by measuring the current value fed back from the drive motor.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 14, characterized in that, When the current value fed back by the drive motor is higher than the predetermined current value, the control system controls the drive motor to reverse and then rotate forward.

16. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The control system is also used to detect the real-time position of the blade and the protective cover, and based on the real-time position of the blade and the protective cover, to control at least one of the rotational speed of the blade and the closing speed of the protective cover.

17. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The base station opening and closing mechanism includes a pair of protective covers, which are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the base.

18. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 17, characterized in that, When the base station opening and closing mechanism is in the open state, the top surface of the protective cover is not higher than the parking apron.

19. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, Also includes: A pair of translation drive mechanisms, each of which is disposed between one side of the base and one of the protective covers, for driving the protective cover to translate relative to the base.

20. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 19, characterized in that, The translation drive mechanism includes: Drive motor; The motor drive shaft is disposed on one side of the base; and A pair of rocker arms are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the protective cover. One end of each rocker arm is fixedly connected to one end of the motor drive shaft, and the other end is movably connected to the protective cover. The drive motor drives the pair of rocker arms to swing by rotating the motor drive shaft.

21. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 20, characterized in that, Both ends of the motor drive shaft are fixed to the base by bearings.

22. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 20, characterized in that, The translation drive mechanism further includes: The driven shaft of the protective cover is movably mounted on the protective cover. The other end of the rocker arm is fixedly connected to the driven shaft of the protective cover.

23. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 22, characterized in that, The two ends of the rocker arm are fixedly connected to the motor drive shaft and the driven shaft of the protective cover respectively by flange bolts.

24. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 22, characterized in that, The driven shaft of the protective cover is fixed to the protective cover by a bearing.

25. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 20, characterized in that, The protective cover has a top wall, a first side wall, and two opposing second side walls. The two second side walls are connected to opposite sides of the first side wall, and the top wall is connected to the first side wall and the two opposing second side walls.

26. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 25, characterized in that, During the opening and closing of the protective cover, the translation drive mechanism is used to keep the top wall of the protective cover facing upwards at all times.

27. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 26, characterized in that, The pair of rocker arms includes an active rocker arm and a driven rocker arm, and the translation drive mechanism further includes: An attitude-maintaining mechanism, which is disposed in the active side rocker arm, is used to maintain the attitude of the protective cover.

28. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 27, characterized in that, The attitude-maintaining mechanism includes: The first sprocket is fixed to the base. The second sprocket is fixed to the protective cover; and Chain, The first sprocket and the second sprocket are connected by a tensioned chain.

29. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 28, characterized in that, When the drive motor drives the rocker arm to rotate via the motor drive shaft, the second sprocket rotates around the first sprocket along with the rocker arm and maintains the same phase as the first sprocket.

30. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 28, characterized in that, The first sprocket and the second sprocket are co-centered with both ends of the rocker arm.

31. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 27, characterized in that, The wiring for the electronic components on the protective cover is arranged in the internal cavity of the driven rocker arm.

32. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 17, characterized in that, Also includes: A heating element may be used to heat the seam between the pair of protective covers.

33. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 32, characterized in that, One of the pair of protective covers has an outwardly extending protrusion on its top wall, and the other protective cover has a corresponding groove at the lower end of its top wall. The protrusion and the groove cooperate with each other, and the heating element is disposed in the protrusion.

34. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 32, characterized in that, Also includes: A control system for controlling the heating component.

35. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 34, characterized in that, Also includes: A weather station is located on top of the protective cover.

36. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 35, characterized in that, The control system activates the heating element based on the outdoor temperature read from the weather station.

37. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 17, characterized in that, At least one of a rain gauge, anemometer, wind direction meter, temperature sensor, and humidity sensor is arranged on the top of the protective cover.

38. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 17, characterized in that, An antenna is arranged on the top of the protective cover.

39. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station as described in claim 17, characterized in that, A camera is positioned on top of the protective cover.

40. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, characterized in that, It includes drones and drone base stations as described in any one of claims 1 to 39.

Citation Information

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