Unmanned aerial vehicle charging system

Abstract

The invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle charging system which is used for charging an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle charging system comprises a platform, a wireless charging coil assembly, a first electromagnet, a second electromagnet and a third electromagnet. The wireless charging coil assembly is disposed on the platform, a first virtual line and a second virtual line pass through the wireless charging coil assembly, and the first virtual line is substantially perpendicular to the second virtual line. The first electromagnet, the second electromagnet and the third electromagnet are arranged on the platform, the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet are located on the two sides of the first virtual line, and the second electromagnet and the third electromagnet are located on the two sides of the second virtual line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle charging system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle charging system that can accurately locate to improve charging efficiency. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of science and technology, unmanned vehicle technology has gradually matured. Generally speaking, unmanned vehicles can be divided into five types, including unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmanned surface vehicles (USV), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), and unmanned spacecraft.

[0003] In recent years, the global market for unmanned aerial vehicles has grown significantly and has now become an important tool for commercial, government and consumer applications, and is widely used in a variety of fields. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle charging system for charging an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle charging system includes a platform, a wireless charging coil assembly, a first electromagnet, a second electromagnet, and a third electromagnet. The wireless charging coil assembly is arranged on the platform, a first virtual line and a second virtual line pass through the wireless charging coil assembly, and the first virtual line is substantially perpendicular to the second virtual line. The first, second, and third electromagnets are arranged on the platform, the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet are located on both sides of the first virtual line, and the second electromagnet and the third electromagnet are located on both sides of the second virtual line.

[0005] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first electromagnet, the second electromagnet, and the third electromagnet are controlled by pulse width modulation current.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first electromagnet, the second electromagnet, and the third electromagnet generate magnetic fields at the same frequency.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the unmanned aerial vehicle charging system further includes a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are disposed on the unmanned aerial vehicle and configured to sense the magnetic field generated by the first electromagnet, the second electromagnet, and the third electromagnet.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first sensor is configured to sense magnetic flux in a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, the first direction being substantially perpendicular to the platform, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and the third direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. The second sensor is configured to sense magnetic flux in the first direction and a fourth direction, the fourth direction being opposite to the second direction.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first sensor and the second sensor are three-dimensional Hall sensors.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the unmanned aerial vehicle charging system further includes a processor and a switch, wherein the processor is electrically connected to the first sensor, and the switch is electrically connected to the processor and the first sensor. When the magnetic flux density sensed by the first sensor is greater than or equal to a starting value, the switch transmits a signal to the processor, causing the processor to start reading the sensed value of the first sensor.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, when the processor reads that the sensing value of the first sensor is greater than or equal to a first preset value, the processor determines that the unmanned aerial vehicle is located at a position corresponding to the wireless charging coil assembly.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the processor is further electrically connected to a coil in the unmanned aerial vehicle and can detect the current of the coil to determine the charging efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, when the processor reads that the sensing value of the first sensor is less than a second preset value, the processor stops reading the sensing value of the first sensor, wherein the second preset value is less than the starting value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The embodiments of the present invention can be better understood according to the following detailed description and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, according to standard practice in the industry, the various components in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the sizes of various components may be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced to make a clear description.

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an unmanned aerial vehicle and an unmanned aerial vehicle charging system in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing a specific frequency magnetic field generated by pulse width modulation current in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3A FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3BFIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a second sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing circuit components in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a UAV docking on a UAV charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021]

Explanation of symbols

[0022] 10: Unmanned aerial vehicles

[0023] 11: Camera

[0024] 12: Coil

[0025] 20: Unmanned aerial vehicle charging system

[0026] 100: Platform

[0027] 310: First electromagnet

[0028] 320: Second electromagnet

[0029] 330: The third electromagnet

[0030] 410: First sensor

[0031] 420: Second sensor

[0032] 500: Circuit components

[0033] 510: Converter

[0034] 520: Processor

[0035] 530: Operational Amplifier

[0036] 540:Resistance

[0037] 550: Switch

[0038] D1: First direction

[0039] D2: Second direction

[0040] D3: Third direction

[0041] D4: The fourth direction

[0042] R: Virtual rectangle

[0043] S1: Steps

[0044] S2: Steps

[0045] S3: Steps

[0046] S4: Steps

[0047] S5: Steps

[0048] S6: Steps

[0049] V1: First virtual line

[0050] V2: Second virtual line DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The following describes the unmanned aerial vehicle charging system of the present invention. However, it is easy to understand that the present invention provides many suitable inventive concepts that can be implemented in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments disclosed are only used to illustrate the use of the present invention in a specific way and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0052] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. It is understood that these terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the background or context of the relevant technology and the present invention, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner unless specifically defined herein.

[0053] The following disclosures in this specification describe specific examples of various components and their arrangement in order to simplify the description of the invention. Of course, these specific examples are not intended to limit the invention. For example, if the following disclosures in this specification describe forming a first feature on or above a second feature, it means that it includes an embodiment in which the first feature formed is in direct contact with the second feature, and also includes an embodiment in which an additional feature can be formed between the first feature and the second feature, so that the first feature and the second feature may not be in direct contact. Furthermore, in order to facilitate the description of the relationship between one feature and another feature in the accompanying drawings, spatially related terms may be used, such as "below", "below", "below", "above", "above", and similar terms. In addition to the orientations shown in the accompanying drawings, spatially related terms cover different orientations of the device in use or operation. The device may also be positioned in another manner (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially related descriptions used herein may also be interpreted accordingly.

[0054] First see Figure 1The unmanned aerial vehicle 10 can be docked on the unmanned aerial vehicle charging system 20 of an embodiment of the present invention, and when the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 is docked, the unmanned aerial vehicle charging system 20 can supply power to the storage element (such as a battery) of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 can have enough power to carry out the subsequent voyage. The unmanned aerial vehicle 10 can be used to monitor farms (for example, it can include a camera 11), spray liquid or gas (for example, spray water or medicine on the field), and / or transport goods, but is not limited thereto.

[0055] like Figure 1 As shown, the aforementioned drone charging system 20 may mainly include a platform 100 , a wireless charging coil assembly 200 , a first electromagnet 310 , a second electromagnet 320 , a third electromagnet 330 , a first sensor 410 , and a second sensor 420 .

[0056] The platform 100 generally has a flat top surface, so when the UAV 10 is docked on the platform 100, it can be stably placed thereon without tipping over due to tilting. The wireless charging coil assembly 200 is disposed on the platform 100, and it can be inductively coupled with the coil 12 on the UAV 10. Therefore, when the UAV 10 is docked on the platform 100, and the coil 12 on the UAV 10 corresponds to the wireless charging coil assembly 200 on the platform 100, the UAV charging system 20 can supply power to the UAV 10 in a wireless manner.

[0057] The first electromagnet 310, the second electromagnet 320, and the third electromagnet 330 may be disposed on the platform 100 and adjacent to the wireless charging coil assembly 200. The first sensor 410 and the second sensor 420 may be disposed on the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 and may sense the magnetic field generated by the first electromagnet 310, the second electromagnet 320, and the third electromagnet 330. Therefore, the first electromagnet 310, the second electromagnet 320, the third electromagnet 330, the first sensor 410, and the second sensor 420 may be used to locate the position or orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 relative to the platform 100 and / or the wireless charging coil assembly 200.

[0058] Specifically, a first virtual line V1 and a second virtual line V2 may pass through the wireless charging coil assembly 200, and the first virtual line V1 and the second virtual line V2 are substantially perpendicular to each other. The first electromagnet 310 and the second electromagnet 320 are disposed on both sides of the first virtual line V1, and the second electromagnet 320 and the third electromagnet 330 are disposed on both sides of the second virtual line V2. In this embodiment, the first electromagnet 310, the second electromagnet 320, and the third electromagnet 330 are located at different corners of a virtual rectangle R surrounding the wireless charging coil assembly 200.

[0059] The first electromagnet 310, the second electromagnet 320 and the third electromagnet 330 can be controlled by pulse width modulation (PWM) technology. Figure 2 As shown, the first electromagnet 310, the second electromagnet 320 and the third electromagnet 330 can generate a magnetic field of a specific frequency. The first sensor 410 and the second sensor 420 on the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 can sense the magnetic field of this specific frequency, so they will not be affected by the magnetic field of other devices in the environment. In this embodiment, the first electromagnet 310, the second electromagnet 320 and the third electromagnet 330 generate a magnetic field at the same frequency, but it is not limited to this. For example, the aforementioned specific frequency can be between 10 Hz and 100 Hz.

[0060] The first sensor 410 and the second sensor 420 may be, for example, 3D Hall sensors. When the UAV 10 approaches the UAV charging system 20, the first sensor 410 and the second sensor 420 may sense the magnetic flux in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction, and thus determine whether the UAV 10 still needs to move in the aforementioned directions relative to the UAV charging system 20 to make the coil 12 correspond to the wireless charging coil assembly 200.

[0061] like Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, in this embodiment, the first sensor 410 may be configured to sense the magnetic flux in the first direction D1, the magnetic flux in the second direction D2, and the magnetic flux in the third direction D3, and the second sensor 420 may be configured to sense the magnetic flux in the first direction D1 and the magnetic flux in the fourth direction D4. The first direction D1 is substantially perpendicular to the platform 100, the second direction D2 is substantially perpendicular to the first direction D1, the third direction D3 is substantially perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, and the fourth direction D4 is opposite to the second direction D2.

[0062] Since the first sensor 410 and the second sensor 420 sense magnetic flux in a specific direction and electromagnets are disposed on each side of the wireless charging coil assembly 200, it is possible to ensure that the position and orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 when it moves and docks on the drone charging system 20 correspond correctly to obtain better charging efficiency.

[0063] See also Figure 4 In this embodiment, the drone charging system 20 may further include a circuit component 500 disposed on the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 , and the circuit component 500 may be electrically connected to the first sensor 410 and the second sensor 420 . Figure 4FIG. 4 shows the connection relationship between the first sensor 410 and the components in the circuit assembly 500 . It is understandable that the second sensor 420 and the aforementioned components in the circuit assembly 500 may also have the same connection relationship, so it is not repeated here.

[0064] The circuit assembly 500 may include a converter 510, a processor 520, an operational amplifier 530, a resistor 540, and a switch 550. The converter 510 may be electrically connected to the storage element in the unmanned aerial vehicle 10, and may be electrically connected to the processor 520, the operational amplifier 530, and the switch 550. Therefore, the power provided by the storage element in the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 may be supplied to the processor 520, the operational amplifier 530, and the switch 550 after being converted by the converter 510. For example, the converter 510 may be a DC / DC converter.

[0065] The first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420 is electrically connected to the processor 520 and the operational amplifier 530, and the operational amplifier 530 is electrically connected to the switch 550. When the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 is flying, the first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420 will continue to detect the magnetic flux in the first direction D1, the second direction D2, the third direction D3, and / or the fourth direction D4. When the magnetic flux detected by the first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420 is lower than a starting value, it can be determined that the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 and the unmanned aerial vehicle charging system 20 is still far, so the switch 550 will be closed, and the converter 510 will not read the sensing value of the first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420 at this time. In this way, the power usage of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 can be saved, so that the range of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 is increased.

[0066] When the first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420 detects that the magnetic flux density in any of the aforementioned directions is greater than or equal to the aforementioned starting value, the switch 550 may be turned on and transmit a signal to the processor 520, so that the processor 520 begins to read the sensing value of the first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420 in this direction. The processor 520 may determine whether the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 should continue to travel in this direction based on the read value. When the sensing value of the first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420 read by the processor 520 is greater than or equal to a first preset value, the processor 520 may determine that the coil 12 on the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 has corresponded to the position of the wireless charging coil assembly 200 on the platform 100 in the aforementioned direction, and therefore the processor 520 may control the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 to stop moving in this direction.

[0067] For example, when the first sensor 410 detects that the magnetic flux density in the first direction D1 is greater than or equal to 240G (starting value), the switch 550 can be turned on so that the processor 520 starts to read the magnetic flux density in the first direction D1, and when the magnetic flux density in the first direction D1 is greater than or equal to 400G (first preset value), the processor 520 can determine that the coil 12 on the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 has corresponded to the position of the wireless charging coil assembly 200 on the platform 100 in the first direction D1, so the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 can stop moving in the first direction D1. The aforementioned starting value and the first preset value are only examples and are not limited thereto. In addition, it should be noted that the switch 550 can be turned on independently in each direction, so that the processor 520 can independently read the magnetic flux in the first direction D1, the second direction D2, the third direction D3, and / or the fourth direction D4. For example, when the magnetic flux density in the first direction D1 is greater than the starting value and the magnetic flux density in the second direction D2 is not greater than the starting value, the switch 550 can enable the processor 520 to read only the magnetic flux in the first direction D1. When the magnetic flux density in both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is greater than the starting value, the switch 550 can enable the processor 520 to read the magnetic flux in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 at the same time.

[0068] In one embodiment, when the processor 520 has started to read the sensing values ​​of the first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420, the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 may deviate from or move away from the drone charging system 20 due to the heading or other factors, and the sensing values ​​of the first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420 may be lower than the starting value again. At this time, the processor 520 will continue to read the sensing values ​​of the first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420. When the sensing values ​​of the first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420 are lower than a second preset value (e.g., 150G) lower than the starting value, the processor 520 may determine that the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 has moved away from the drone charging system 20 and stop reading the sensing values ​​of the first sensor 410 / the second sensor 420.

[0069] The following describes the overall process of the UAV 10 docking on the UAV charging system 20. Figure 5 Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 accordingly, first, the UAV 10 can move toward the UAV charging system 20 according to the Global Positioning System (GPS) (step S1). In one embodiment, the UAV 10 pre-stores the GPS coordinates of the UAV charging system 20. Next, the UAV 10 can determine the position of the wireless charging coil assembly 200 according to the magnetic fields of the first electromagnet 310, the second electromagnet 320, and the third electromagnet 330 (step S2), that is, the magnetic flux is sensed by the first sensor 410 and the second sensor 420.

[0070] In some embodiments, the detected data may be transmitted to a remote system (eg, a computer host or a server) (step S3), and the remote system may transmit a signal to the processor 520 to control the flight of the UAV 10. In one embodiment, step S3 is an optional step.

[0071] Next, the UAV 10 may move according to the detected data so that the coil 12 of the UAV 10 corresponds to the wireless charging coil assembly 200 on the platform 100 (step S4). In some embodiments, the processor 520 of the UAV 10 is further electrically connected to the coil 12, and determines the charging efficiency of the UAV 10 by detecting the current of the coil 12, so as to fine-tune the position and direction of the UAV 10 before the UAV 10 docks at the UAV charging system 20 to further improve the charging efficiency (step S5).

[0072] Finally, when the UAV 10 is docked on the UAV charging system 20, the camera 11 can be turned on to monitor the front while charging (step S6). In one embodiment, step S6 is an optional step.

[0073] In summary, the present invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle charging system for charging an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle charging system includes a platform, a wireless charging coil assembly, a first electromagnet, a second electromagnet, and a third electromagnet. The wireless charging coil assembly is disposed on the platform, a first virtual line and a second virtual line pass through the wireless charging coil assembly, and the first virtual line is substantially perpendicular to the second virtual line. The first, second, and third electromagnets are disposed on the platform, the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet are located on both sides of the first virtual line, and the second electromagnet and the third electromagnet are located on both sides of the second virtual line.

[0074] Although the embodiments of the present invention and their advantages have been disclosed as above, it should be understood that those skilled in the art may make changes, substitutions and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the process technology, machine, manufacture, material composition, device, method and steps in the specific embodiment described in the specification. Those skilled in the art can understand from the disclosure of the present invention that the process technology, machine, manufacture, material composition, device, method and steps currently or developed in the future can be used according to the present invention as long as they can implement substantially the same functions or obtain substantially the same results in the embodiments described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention includes the above-mentioned process technology, machine, manufacture, material composition, device, method and steps. In addition, each claim constitutes a respective embodiment, and the scope of protection of the present invention also includes the combination of each claim and embodiment.

[0075] Although the present invention is disclosed as above with several preferred embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs may make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the scope defined by the attached claims. In addition, each claim constitutes an independent embodiment, and the combination of each claim and embodiment is within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle charging system for charging an unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle charging system comprising: platform; A wireless charging coil assembly is disposed on the platform, wherein a first virtual line and a second virtual line pass through the wireless charging coil assembly, and the first virtual line is substantially perpendicular to the second virtual line; A first electromagnet is disposed on the platform; A second electromagnet is disposed on the platform, and the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet are located on both sides of the first virtual line; as well as The third electromagnet is arranged on the platform, and the second electromagnet and the third electromagnet are located on both sides of the second virtual line.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle charging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electromagnet, the second electromagnet, and the third electromagnet are controlled by pulse width modulation current. 3 . The unmanned aerial vehicle charging system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first electromagnet, the second electromagnet, and the third electromagnet generate magnetic fields at the same frequency.

4. An unmanned aerial vehicle charging system as described in claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle charging system further includes a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor and the second sensor are disposed on the unmanned aerial vehicle and configured to sense the magnetic field generated by the first electromagnet, the second electromagnet, and the third electromagnet.

5. An unmanned aerial vehicle charging system as described in claim 4, wherein the first sensor is configured to sense magnetic flux in a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, the first direction is approximately perpendicular to the platform, the second direction is approximately perpendicular to the first direction, and the third direction is approximately perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, wherein the second sensor is configured to sense magnetic flux in the first direction and a fourth direction, the fourth direction being opposite to the second direction. 6 . The unmanned aerial vehicle charging system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are three-dimensional Hall sensors.

7. An unmanned aerial vehicle charging system as described in claim 4, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle charging system further includes a processor and a switch, the processor is electrically connected to the first sensor, and the switch is electrically connected to the processor and the first sensor, wherein when the magnetic flux density sensed by the first sensor is greater than or equal to a starting value, the switch transmits a signal to the processor so that the processor starts to read the sensing value of the first sensor.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the processor reads that the sensing value of the first sensor is greater than or equal to a first preset value, the processor determines that the unmanned aerial vehicle is located at a position corresponding to the wireless charging coil assembly.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle charging system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processor is further electrically connected to a coil in the unmanned aerial vehicle and can detect the current of the coil to determine the charging efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the processor reads that the sensing value of the first sensor is less than a second preset value, the processor stops reading the sensing value of the first sensor, wherein the second preset value is less than the starting value.

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