Unmanned aerial vehicle power management system, method and device

Abstract

The invention discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle power management system, method and device, and the system is provided with a first control unit and a second control unit, and the first control unit and the second control unit generate control signals at the same time in the flight task execution process of an unmanned aerial vehicle to control the disconnection or connection of a power supply circuit, so as to control the state of the unmanned aerial vehicle. When any control unit has a fault, the other control unit can continue to control the circuit, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle can smoothly execute a flight task, and potential safety hazards are avoided while the task execution efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicle is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of computer technology, and more particularly to a power management system, method and device for an unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] At present, with the rapid development of computer technology, drones are being used more and more widely in people's lives. When drones are performing flight missions, power supplies are needed to power the drones so that they can perform corresponding tasks smoothly.

[0003] In the prior art, a power management system is deployed on a drone. The power management system controls the power supply circuit through a control unit based on the needs of the flight mission or the power supply status, the flight status of the drone, etc., to optimize the power supply to the drone.

[0004] However, during the UAV's flight mission, there is a situation where the control unit fails and the power supply is unable to power the UAV, causing the UAV to lose power and make an emergency landing, affecting the execution of the flight mission and posing a huge safety hazard. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention provides a method and device for managing power supply of a drone, so as to partially solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] One aspect of the present application provides a power management system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the system comprising: a first control unit, for outputting a first control signal in response to a first enable signal, the first enable signal being generated when the unmanned aerial vehicle is powered on; a second control unit, for outputting a second control signal in response to a second enable signal, the second enable signal being generated when the unmanned aerial vehicle executes a mission instruction; the switch unit, for controlling the power supply circuit of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal.

[0007] In a feasible implementation manner, the first control unit includes a first boost circuit, and the second control unit includes a second boost circuit. The first control unit is specifically used to convert the input voltage signal of the first control unit into the first control signal through the first boost circuit when the first enable signal is received; the second control unit is specifically used to convert the input voltage signal of the second control unit into the second control signal through the second boost circuit when the second enable signal is received.

[0008] In a feasible implementation manner, the system further includes a voltage acquisition unit, which is used to send the first enable signal to the first control unit when the drone is powered on.

[0009] In a feasible implementation, the system further includes a central control unit, which is configured to send the second enable signal to the second control unit upon receiving an execution signal from the drone, wherein the execution signal is used to indicate that the drone executes the mission instruction.

[0010] In a feasible implementation manner, the input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the input voltage signal of the second control unit is a power supply voltage signal of the drone.

[0011] In a feasible implementation, the power supply of the drone includes multiple battery cells, and the voltage acquisition unit is further used to sample the environmental voltages corresponding to the multiple battery cells respectively, and determine the input voltage signal of the first control unit based on the voltage signals of the sampled multiple environmental voltages.

[0012] In a feasible implementation, the switch unit includes an OR gate circuit, which is used to process the first control signal and the second control signal according to OR logic to obtain a target control signal, wherein when the voltage of the target control signal is greater than the threshold voltage of the power supply circuit, the power supply circuit is closed, and when the voltage of the target control signal is less than the threshold voltage of the power supply circuit, the power supply circuit is disconnected.

[0013] In a feasible implementation, the switching unit further includes a termination circuit, which is used to superimpose a termination signal on an input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the second control unit so that the target control signal is less than a threshold voltage of the power supply circuit.

[0014] In a feasible embodiment, the first control unit has a first input terminal, the first input terminal is used to input the input voltage signal of the first control unit, the second control unit has a second input terminal, the second input terminal is used to input the input voltage signal of the second control unit, and the termination circuit is specifically used to: when an interrupt signal is received, generate the termination signal based on the target control signal, and input the termination signal to the first input terminal and / or the second input terminal, wherein the voltage of the input voltage signal is a positive voltage, the voltage of the termination signal is a negative voltage, and the interrupt signal is used to indicate the disconnection of the power supply circuit.

[0015] In another aspect of the present application, a method for power management of a UAV is provided, the method being applied to a power management system of a UAV, the system comprising a first control unit, a second control unit and a switch unit, the method comprising: when the UAV is powered on, outputting a first control signal through the first control unit; when the UAV executes a mission instruction, outputting a second control signal through the second control unit; and controlling the power supply circuit of the UAV according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal through the switch unit.

[0016] In another aspect of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the above-mentioned drone power management method is implemented.

[0017] In another aspect of the present application, an electronic device is provided, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the above-mentioned drone power management method when executing the program.

[0018] At least one of the above technical solutions adopted in this specification can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0019] By setting up the first control unit and the second control unit in the system, control signals are simultaneously generated during the drone's business process to control the disconnection or closing of the power supply circuit, thereby controlling the power supply of the drone. In the event of a failure in any control unit, the other control unit can continue to control the circuit, so that the drone can smoothly perform its flight mission and avoid safety hazards. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of this specification and constitute a part of this specification. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this specification are used to explain this specification and do not constitute an improper limitation on this specification. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a UAV power management system provided in this manual;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a control unit provided in this specification;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another UAV power management system provided in this manual;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a switch unit provided in this specification;

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of another switch unit provided in this specification;

[0026] Figure 6 A signal flow diagram of a power management system provided in this specification;

[0027] Figure 7 A flowchart of a UAV power management method provided in this manual;

[0028] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a UAV power management device provided in this manual;

[0029] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of an electronic device for drone power management provided in this manual. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this specification more clear, the technical solutions of this specification will be clearly and completely described below in combination with the specific embodiments of this specification and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this specification, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this specification, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this specification.

[0031] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this specification are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0032] It should be noted that all actions of acquiring signals, information or data in this manual are performed in compliance with the relevant data protection laws and policies of the region and with the authorization given by the owner of the corresponding device.

[0033] Generally, a central control system is provided in the drone, which can receive delivery tasks, landing tasks and other tasks sent by the server, and control the drone to execute the tasks sent by the server. The execution process of the task involves the power supply state of the drone, such as power-on state, power-off state, etc. Taking the drone performing a landing task as an example, the drone can land in the power-on state, and after the landing is successful, change its own state to the power-off state. Taking the drone performing a delivery task as an example, the drone can be in the power-off state first, and change its own state to the power-on state when the delivery items need to be delivered. Among them, the power supply state management of the drone is usually undertaken by the power management system deployed in the drone.

[0034] A typical UAV power management system usually includes a switch unit and a control unit. The switch unit is connected to the control unit, and the switch unit is connected to the power supply of the UAV. The control unit can receive the start signal of the UAV, generate a control signal according to the start signal, and send the control signal to the switch unit. The switch unit can control the closing or opening of the power supply circuit according to the received control signal, so as to realize the power supply of the UAV to power on or off the power-consuming modules inside the UAV.

[0035] However, if the control unit of the power management system deployed in the drone fails, the power supply state of the drone may not match the power supply state required for the drone to perform the flight mission, resulting in safety hazards.

[0036] The present invention application provides a new power management system, which can ensure that the UAV can perform flight missions normally even if a control unit in the power management system fails.

[0037] In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the UAV power management system provided in this specification, wherein the power management system includes: a first control unit, a second control unit and a switch unit. The power supply of the UAV supplies power to other systems of the UAV through a power supply circuit. The switch unit of the power management system controls the closing and disconnection of the power supply circuit. Other systems of the UAV may be a central control system for controlling the UAV to perform flight missions, a positioning system for determining the current position of the UAV, and the like. The types and number of systems included in a specific UAV can be set as required, and this specification does not limit this. In addition, when the UAV is in a charging state, an external power supply can charge the power supply of the UAV through the power supply circuit. The switch unit of the power management system can also control the closing and disconnection of the power supply circuit when the UAV is in a charging state.

[0038] In one or more embodiments, the first control unit and the second control unit may be two different chips or different parts of the same chip. The switch unit may be a circuit including electronic devices such as a diode, a triode, and a MOS tube. The power source may be a battery or a battery pack that provides kinetic energy to the drone.

[0039] By setting up the first control unit and the second control unit in the system, the drone can generate different control signals to jointly control the disconnection or closing of the power supply circuit during the execution of the flight mission, so as to control the power supply to the drone. In the event of a failure in any control unit, the other control unit can continue to control the circuit, so that the drone can smoothly execute the flight mission, ensuring the execution efficiency of the drone while avoiding safety hazards.

[0040] It should be understood that the specific structures of the first control unit and the second control unit can be the same or different, as long as they have the basic structure and function required by the present invention, and this specification does not limit their specific structures. It is assumed that the first control unit and the second control unit have the same structure and are collectively referred to as control units. Figure 2 The structural diagram of the control unit provided in this specification, exemplarily, the control unit includes a voltage input terminal, a voltage output terminal, an enable signal input terminal, one or more control signal output terminals and a boost circuit.

[0041] The boost circuit can convert the input voltage signal obtained from the voltage input terminal into a control signal output from the control signal output terminal, and the voltage of the control signal is greater than the voltage of the input voltage signal. In a feasible implementation, the boost circuit is a charge pump circuit including a pumping capacitor. It should be understood that the boost circuit can also be other circuit forms that can make the voltage of the control signal greater than the voltage of the input voltage signal, and this specification does not limit the specific form of the boost circuit.

[0042] The function of the enable signal input terminal is to receive an enable signal input from outside the control unit to the control unit. The enable signal is used to start the control unit. Specifically, in a feasible implementation, the control unit is in a startup state and can generate a control signal only when the enable signal is received; when the enable signal is not received, the control unit cannot respond to any signal and naturally cannot generate a control signal. In another feasible implementation, regardless of whether the enable signal is received, the control unit can generate a control signal according to the input voltage signal, but the control unit can only output a control signal when the enable signal is received and the control unit is in a startup state.

[0043] Obviously, the introduction of the enable signal makes it more convenient to manage different control units.

[0044] The enable signals sent to the first control unit and the second control unit can be sent by the same module or by different modules. In the case where the enable signals sent to the first control unit and the second control unit are sent by different modules, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a control signal error caused by a failure of any module generating the enable signal, thereby improving safety.

[0045] Figure 3A schematic diagram of the structure of another UAV power management system provided in this specification. In a feasible implementation, the first control unit and the second control unit are independent of each other, and the power management system further includes a voltage acquisition unit and a central control unit. The voltage acquisition unit is connected to the first control unit and is responsible for sending a first enable signal to the first control unit. The central control unit is connected to the second control unit and is responsible for sending a second enable signal to the second control unit.

[0046] In a feasible implementation, the voltage acquisition unit may be an analog front-end (AFE) unit for monitoring the power supply. The AFE unit may obtain power supply information when the drone is powered on, such as a start signal when the drone power is turned on, or a voltage signal collected from the drone power supply. When the power supply information is obtained, a first enable signal is sent to the first control unit to enable the first control unit to be in a startup state. The voltage acquisition unit may also be any module that can sense the drone power-on event, including the power module itself.

[0047] In a feasible implementation, the central control unit may be a microcontroller unit (MCU) that processes the power information provided by the AFE unit and obtains the power status information of the drone. The MCU unit may determine whether to send the second enable signal based on the power status information, such as whether the health level of the power supply is good or the power supply is started. When it is determined to send the second enable signal, the second enable signal is sent to the second control unit, so that the second control unit is in the start-up state.

[0048] In a feasible implementation, the central control unit can be connected to the central control system of the drone. The central control system of the drone issues instructions to the drone to perform flight missions, so that the drone performs the corresponding flight missions. Flight mission instructions may include flight control instructions such as take-off, landing, turning, and maintaining altitude, as well as operational task instructions such as setting routes, delivering goods, and inspecting power lines. This specification does not limit the specific content of the flight mission. It should be understood that when the drone performs a flight mission, it needs a power supply to provide electrical energy. The central control unit can obtain the flight mission instructions sent by the central control system, or can obtain other signal forms of the flight mission instructions after processing, or can detect the signal of the drone executing the flight mission instructions or the feedback of executing the flight mission instructions. When the central control unit confirms that the central control system sends a flight mission instruction by analyzing the input information, it sends a second enable signal to the second control unit, so that the second control unit is in a startup state.

[0049] In order to avoid power outage of the UAV due to a malfunction of the first control unit during the UAV's flight mission, before executing the flight mission, the system can also start the second control unit and jointly control the power supply circuit through the first control unit and the second control unit.

[0050] Furthermore, if the circuit where the signal source of the input voltage signal of the control unit is located fails, both control units will be unable to generate control signals, which will cause the drone to lose power. Therefore, in a feasible implementation, the input voltage signals received by the two control units in the power management system come from different circuits. Exemplarily, the input voltage signal of the first control unit is taken from the processed power signal, and the input voltage signal of the second control unit is directly taken from the power signal.

[0051] In a feasible embodiment, the power supply of the drone may include multiple battery cells, and the voltage acquisition unit may also be used to sample the environmental voltages corresponding to the multiple battery cells, and determine the target voltage signal from the voltage signals of each environmental voltage sampled, and use it as the input voltage signal of the first control unit. The target voltage signal may be the signal with the highest voltage, the signal with the median voltage, the weighted voltage signal, etc. among the sampled voltage signals. How to determine the target voltage signal can be set as needed, and this specification does not limit it. In a feasible embodiment, the voltage signals of each environmental voltage sampled will first be balanced by the balancing module, and then the target voltage signal will be determined based on the processed voltage signals. In this embodiment, the target voltage signal is the power supply signal after the above processing. Among them, the role of the balancing module is to balance the voltages of different battery cells in the battery pack to prevent the battery life from being reduced or other problems from occurring due to excessive differences in battery cell voltages.

[0052] In a feasible implementation, the switch unit includes an OR gate circuit. It should be understood that the function of the OR gate circuit is to perform an OR logic operation on multiple input signals to obtain an output signal. The OR gate circuit can have multiple specific implementations, and this specification does not limit the specific form of the OR gate circuit. Figure 4The structural schematic diagram of the switch unit provided in this specification, exemplarily, the OR gate circuit includes a first branch including a diode and a second branch including another diode, and the switch unit also includes a target diode. The diodes of the first branch and the second branch respectively receive the first control signal output by the first control unit and the second control signal output by the second control unit, and process the first control signal and the second control signal based on the OR operation logic to obtain the target control signal. Specifically, when any one of the first control signal and the second control signal is a high voltage, the target control signal is a high voltage. The high voltage target control signal is input into the target diode to turn on the target diode, that is, the switch unit closes the power supply circuit. When the first control signal and the second control signal are both low voltages, the target control signal is a low voltage. The low voltage target control signal is input into the target diode, and the target diode cannot be turned on, that is, the switch unit disconnects the power supply circuit.

[0053] It should be understood that the power supply circuit connects the power supply of the drone and other systems deployed in the drone. When the power supply circuit is closed, the power supply of the drone can be connected to other systems of the drone and supply power to other systems of the drone. When the power supply circuit is disconnected, the power supply of the drone is no longer connected to other systems of the drone, and stops supplying power to other systems of the drone.

[0054] Specifically, taking the target diode as an NMOS tube as an example, the NMOS tube has a threshold voltage. When receiving the target control signal, it is determined whether the voltage of the received target control signal is higher than the threshold voltage. If so, the control itself is turned on, and if not, the control itself is not turned on. In order to avoid the influence of circuit noise causing the switch unit to close the power supply circuit when the target control signal is not received, the voltage value of the threshold voltage is usually not lower than the maximum voltage value that the power supply can emit. Therefore, when the first control signal and the second control signal are in a high voltage state, they need to be voltage signals higher than the threshold voltage.

[0055] According to the brief description of the working principle of the NMOS tube and the implementation method of the control unit converting the input voltage signal into the control signal in this specification, if the power supply circuit needs to be disconnected, it is only necessary to reduce the voltage of the signal at the voltage input terminal of the control unit for generating the control signal, and the voltage of the control signal generated by the control unit will decrease accordingly. When the voltage of the control signal is lower than the voltage threshold, the switch unit can control the power supply circuit to be disconnected. Therefore, the power management system can reduce the voltage of the input voltage signal of the control unit when it is necessary to disconnect the power supply circuit.

[0056] However, the input voltage signal of the control unit is usually sampled from the power supply. If the voltage at the power supply is reduced, the drone may not be able to affect the operation of other systems due to the low functional voltage. In order to avoid the above situation, taking the original input voltage signal with a positive voltage value as an example, the power management system can superimpose a negative voltage signal on the original input voltage signal at the voltage input end of the control unit to reduce the voltage value input to the control unit, so that the control unit cannot generate a control signal for closing the power supply circuit based on the superimposed input voltage signal.

[0057] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another switch unit provided in this specification. Figure 4 On the basis of the switch unit shown, a termination circuit is also included. The termination circuit includes an amplifier circuit, which is exemplarily shown in the figure as a differential amplifier formed by connecting two triodes of PNP and NPN. Specifically, the signal input end of the amplifier circuit is connected to the emitter set of PNP, the base of PNP is connected to the collector of NPN, the collector of PNP is connected to the base of NPN, and the signal output end of the amplifier circuit is connected to the emitter set of NPN. The specific structure of the amplifier circuit can be set as needed, and this specification does not limit this. The output end of the target diode is connected to the signal input end of the amplifier circuit, and the signal output end of the amplifier circuit is connected to the voltage input end of the first control unit and the second control unit, respectively. Exemplarily, taking the first control unit and the second control unit as chips as an example, the voltage input end of the first control unit and the second control unit can be the same chip pin, and the signal output end of the amplifier circuit in the termination circuit can be connected to the pin. When the power supply circuit needs to be disconnected, the termination circuit receives an interrupt signal so that the amplifier circuit receives any one of the first control signal and the second control signal, and amplifies the control signal to obtain a termination signal. The termination signal is sent to the voltage input terminal in the first control unit and the second control unit, where it is superimposed with the original input voltage signal to obtain a superimposed signal, wherein the original input superimposed signal usually comes from the power supply voltage signal. The control unit that receives the superimposed signal outputs a control signal whose voltage is lower than the threshold voltage. The interrupt signal is sent from other systems in the drone to indicate that the power supply circuit needs to be disconnected. In a feasible embodiment, the termination circuit also includes a switch component, which is located between the output terminal of the target diode and the signal input terminal of the amplifier circuit. When the termination circuit receives the interrupt signal, the switch component is closed to connect the target diode and the amplifier circuit. Otherwise, when the termination circuit does not receive the interrupt signal, the switch component is opened to disconnect the target diode and the amplifier circuit.

[0058] That is to say, when the termination circuit receives the interrupt signal, it can generate a termination signal according to the target control signal, and input the termination signal to the first input terminal of the first control unit and / or the second input terminal of the second control unit, so that the first control unit and the second control unit generate a target control signal that is less than the threshold voltage of the power supply circuit. In which, taking the voltage of the original input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the second control unit as a positive voltage as an example, the voltage of the termination signal is a negative voltage.

[0059] Taking the voltage of the termination signal as a negative voltage as an example, the voltage of the original input voltage signal of the first control unit and the second control unit is a positive voltage.

[0060] It should be understood that one or more embodiments of the present invention are composed of one or more combinations of the above-mentioned various feasible implementation modes. For example, Figure 6 A signal flow diagram of a UAV power management system provided in this specification is given.

[0061] exist Figure 6 In the embodiment of the present invention, after the power supply is powered on, the voltage acquisition unit can sample the voltage signal of the power supply, and generate a first enable signal according to each sampled voltage signal, and send the first enable signal to the first control unit. The first control unit generates a first control signal according to the input voltage signal of the first control unit in response to the first enable signal, and sends the first control signal to the switch unit. The switch unit controls the power supply circuit to be turned on according to the first control signal, so that the power supply of the drone supplies power to other systems in the drone. When the drone executes the task instruction, the other systems in the drone generate an execution signal, and send the execution signal to the central control unit. When the central control unit receives the execution signal, it generates a second enable signal according to the execution signal, and sends the second enable signal to the second control unit. The second control unit can generate and output a second control signal according to the input unit signal of the second control unit in response to the second enable signal, and send the second control signal to the switch unit. Then the switch unit can control the power supply circuit to be turned on according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal.

[0062] When the power supply circuit needs to be interrupted, other systems in the drone can generate an interrupt signal and send the interrupt signal to the switch unit. The switch unit can then generate a termination signal based on the interrupt signal and send the generated termination signal to the first input end of the first control unit and / or the second input end of the second control unit, so that the first control unit and / or the second control unit generate the first control signal and / or the second control signal that cannot turn on the switch unit.

[0063] In one embodiment of the present invention application, the present invention application provides a drone power management system, the system comprising: a first control unit, for outputting a first control signal in response to a first enable signal, the first enable signal being generated when the drone is powered on; a second control unit, for outputting a second control signal in response to a second enable signal, the second enable signal being generated when the drone executes a mission instruction; the switch unit, for controlling the power supply circuit of the drone according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal.

[0064] In a feasible implementation manner, the first control unit includes a first boost circuit, and the first control unit is specifically configured to convert an input voltage signal of the first control unit into the first control signal through the first boost circuit when the first enable signal is received.

[0065] In a feasible implementation manner, the second control unit includes a second boost circuit, and the second control unit is specifically configured to convert an input voltage signal of the second control unit into the second control signal through the second boost circuit when the second enable signal is received.

[0066] In a feasible implementation manner, the system further includes a voltage acquisition unit, which is used to send the first enable signal to the first control unit when the drone is powered on.

[0067] In a feasible implementation, the system further includes a central control unit, which is configured to send the second enable signal to the second control unit upon receiving an execution signal from the drone, wherein the execution signal is used to indicate that the drone executes the mission instruction.

[0068] In a feasible implementation manner, the input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the input voltage signal of the second control unit is a power supply voltage signal of the drone.

[0069] It should be understood that the input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the input voltage signal of the second control unit may also be a signal obtained by processing the power supply voltage signal by conventional means.

[0070] In a feasible implementation, the power supply of the drone includes multiple battery cells, and the voltage acquisition unit is further used to sample the environmental voltages corresponding to the multiple battery cells respectively, and determine the input voltage signal of the first control unit based on the voltage signals of the sampled multiple environmental voltages.

[0071] In a feasible implementation manner, the switch unit includes an OR gate circuit, and the OR gate circuit is used to process the first control signal and the second control signal according to OR logic to obtain a target control signal.

[0072] In a feasible implementation, when the voltage of the target control signal is greater than the threshold voltage of the power supply circuit, the power supply circuit is closed, and when the voltage of the target control signal is less than the threshold voltage of the power supply circuit, the power supply circuit is disconnected.

[0073] In a feasible implementation, the switching unit further includes a termination circuit, which is used to superimpose a termination signal on an input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the second control unit so that the target control signal is less than a threshold voltage of the power supply circuit.

[0074] In a feasible embodiment, the first control unit has a first input terminal, the first input terminal is used to input the input voltage signal of the first control unit, the second control unit has a second input terminal, the second input terminal is used to input the input voltage signal of the second control unit, and the termination circuit is specifically used to: when an interrupt signal is received, generate the termination signal based on the target control signal, and input the termination signal to the first input terminal and / or the second input terminal, wherein the voltage of the input voltage signal is a positive voltage, and the interrupt signal is used to indicate the disconnection of the power supply circuit.

[0075] It should be understood that, according to the specific structure of the first control unit and the second control unit, the input signals of the first input terminal and the second input terminal may also be physical quantities related to other circuit parameters such as current signals, resistance signals, power signals, etc. Correspondingly, the control signal may also be physical quantities related to other circuit parameters such as current signals, resistance signals, power signals, etc.

[0076] In one embodiment of the present invention application, the present invention application provides a method for power management of a UAV, the method is applied to a power management system of a UAV, the system includes a first control unit, a second control unit and a switch unit, the method includes: when the UAV is powered on, a first control signal is output through the first control unit; when the UAV executes a mission instruction, a second control signal is output through the second control unit; through the switch unit, according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal, the power supply circuit of the UAV is controlled.

[0077] In a feasible implementation manner, each unit included in the system executes the drone power management method according to the functions in the previous embodiment. Please refer to the previous embodiment for specific contents, and this specification will not elaborate on this.

[0078] In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 7 The flowchart of the drone power management method provided in this manual includes the following steps:

[0079] S100: When the drone is powered on, a first control signal is output through the first control unit.

[0080] S102: When the UAV executes the mission instruction, a second control signal is output through the second control unit.

[0081] S104: Control the power supply circuit of the drone through a switch unit according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal.

[0082] In one embodiment provided in this specification, the switch unit can control the power supply circuit to be opened or closed, and the switch unit can be connected to the power supply. The first control unit and the second control unit can send a control signal to the switch unit, and the first control unit and the second control unit can be connected to the switch unit respectively.

[0083] Specifically, after the drone is powered on, the first control unit may generate a first control signal and send the first control signal to the switch unit.

[0084] When the drone needs to perform a service, the second control unit can generate a second control signal in response to an execution signal of the drone when performing the service, and send the second control signal to the switch unit.

[0085] Therefore, the switch unit can receive the first control signal and the second control signal, and control the power supply circuit to be opened or closed according to at least one of the received first control signal and the second control signal.

[0086] The switch unit can receive two control signals: a first control signal and a second control signal, and control the power supply circuit to be opened or closed according to at least one of the two control signals received. Of course, the switch unit can also only receive at least one of the above two control signals, and control the power supply circuit to be opened or closed according to the received control signal. How the switch unit controls the circuit according to the received control signal can be set as needed, and this specification does not limit this.

[0087] It should be noted that the specific execution steps of the drone power management method can refer to the description in the above-mentioned drone power management system, and this manual will not go into details.

[0088] In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8A schematic diagram of a UAV power management device provided in this specification, wherein the device is applied to a power management system in a UAV, the system comprising a first control unit, a second control unit and a switch unit, wherein:

[0089] The first control module 200 is used to output a first control signal through the first control unit when the drone is powered on.

[0090] The second control module 202 is used to output a second control signal through the second control unit when the UAV executes the mission instruction.

[0091] The switch module 204 is used to control the power supply circuit of the drone through a switch unit according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal.

[0092] This specification also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program, which can be used to execute the above Figure 7 Provided drone power management method.

[0093] This manual also provides Fig. 9 The electronic device shown in FIG. 1 includes a processor, an internal bus, a network interface, a memory, and a non-volatile memory. The processor reads the corresponding computer program from the non-volatile memory into the memory and then runs it to implement the above Figure 7 The drone power management method. Of course, in addition to the software implementation, this specification does not exclude other implementations, such as logic devices or a combination of software and hardware, etc., that is, the execution subject of the following processing flow is not limited to each logic unit, but can also be hardware or logic devices.

[0094] In the 1990s, improvements to a technology could be clearly distinguished as hardware improvements (for example, improvements to the circuit structure of diodes, transistors, switches, etc.) or software improvements (improvements to the method flow). However, with the development of technology, many improvements to the method flow today can be regarded as direct improvements to the hardware circuit structure. Designers almost always obtain the corresponding hardware circuit structure by programming the improved method flow into the hardware circuit. Therefore, it cannot be said that an improvement in a method flow cannot be implemented using a hardware entity module. For example, a programmable logic device (PLD) (such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA)) is such an integrated circuit whose logical function is determined by the user's programming of the device. Designers can "integrate" a digital system on a PLD by programming it themselves, without having to ask a chip manufacturer to design and produce a dedicated integrated circuit chip. Moreover, nowadays, instead of manually making integrated circuit chips, this kind of programming is mostly implemented by "logic compiler" software, which is similar to the software compiler used when developing and writing programs, and the original code before compilation must also be written in a specific programming language, which is called hardware description language (HDL). There is not only one HDL, but many kinds, such as ABEL (Advanced Boolean Expression Language), AHDL (Altera Hardware Description Language), Confluence, CUPL (Cornell University Programming Language), HDCal, JHDL (Java Hardware Description Language), Lava, Lola, MyHDL, PALASM, RHDL (Ruby Hardware Description Language), etc. The most commonly used ones are VHDL (Very-High-Speed ​​Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language) and Verilog. Those skilled in the art should also know that it is only necessary to program the method flow slightly in the above-mentioned hardware description languages ​​and program it into the integrated circuit, and then it is easy to obtain the hardware circuit that implements the logic method flow.

[0095] The controller can be implemented in any appropriate manner, for example, the controller can take the form of a microprocessor or processor and a computer-readable medium storing a computer-readable program code (such as software or firmware) that can be executed by the (micro)processor, a logic gate, a switch, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic controller, and an embedded microcontroller. Examples of controllers include, but are not limited to, the following microcontrollers: ARC 625D, Atmel AT91SAM, Microchip PIC18F26K20, and Silicone Labs C8051F320. The memory controller can also be implemented as part of the control logic of the memory. Those skilled in the art also know that in addition to implementing the controller in a purely computer-readable program code manner, the controller can be implemented in the form of a logic gate, a switch, an application-specific integrated circuit, a programmable logic controller, and an embedded microcontroller by logically programming the method steps. Therefore, this controller can be considered as a hardware component, and the devices included therein for implementing various functions can also be regarded as structures within the hardware component. Or even, the devices for implementing various functions can be regarded as both software modules for implementing the method and structures within the hardware component.

[0096] The systems, devices, modules or units described in the above embodiments may be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer. Specifically, the computer may be, for example, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a cellular phone, a camera phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, a tablet computer, a wearable device, or a combination of any of these devices.

[0097] For the convenience of description, the above device is described in various units according to their functions. Of course, when implementing this specification, the functions of each unit can be implemented in the same or multiple software and / or hardware.

[0098] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present invention may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present invention may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0099] The present invention is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each process and / or block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of processes and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0100] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0101] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0102] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0103] The memory may include non-permanent storage in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. The memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0104] Computer readable media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. Information can be computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer readable media does not include temporary computer readable media (transitory media), such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0105] It should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, commodity or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity or device. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity or device including the elements.

[0106] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of this specification may be provided as methods, systems or computer program products. Therefore, this specification may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, this specification may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0107] This specification may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions executed by a computer, such as program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. This specification may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices connected through a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in local and remote computer storage media, including storage devices.

[0108] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for the system embodiment, since it is basically similar to the method embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the method embodiment.

[0109] The above description is only an embodiment of the present specification and is not intended to limit the present specification. For those skilled in the art, the present specification may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present specification shall be included in the scope of the claims of the present specification.

Claims

1. A drone power management system, characterized in that: The system comprises: a first control unit, configured to output a first control signal in response to a first enable signal, wherein the first enable signal is generated when the drone is powered on; a second control unit, configured to output a second control signal in response to a second enable signal, wherein the second enable signal is generated when the UAV executes a mission instruction; A switch unit is used to control a power supply circuit of the drone according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The first control unit includes a first boost circuit, and the second control unit includes a second boost circuit. The first control unit is specifically configured to convert an input voltage signal of the first control unit into the first control signal through the first boost circuit upon receiving the first enable signal; The second control unit is specifically configured to convert the input voltage signal of the second control unit into the second control signal through the second boost circuit when receiving the second enable signal.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The system further includes a voltage acquisition unit, which is used to send the first enabling signal to the first control unit when the drone is powered on.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The system also includes a central control unit, which is used to send the second enable signal to the second control unit when receiving the execution signal of the drone, wherein the execution signal is used to indicate that the drone executes the task instruction.

5. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the input voltage signal of the second control unit is a power supply voltage signal of the drone.

6. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that The power supply of the drone includes a plurality of battery cells, and the voltage acquisition unit is further used to sample the environmental voltages corresponding to the plurality of battery cells respectively, and determine the input voltage signal of the first control unit according to the voltage signals of the plurality of environmental voltages obtained by sampling.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The switch unit includes an OR gate circuit, which is used to process the first control signal and the second control signal according to OR logic to obtain a target control signal, wherein when the voltage of the target control signal is greater than the threshold voltage of the power supply circuit, the power supply circuit is closed, and when the voltage of the target control signal is less than the threshold voltage of the power supply circuit, the power supply circuit is disconnected.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that The switch unit further includes a termination circuit, which is used to superimpose a termination signal on an input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the second control unit so that the target control signal is less than a threshold voltage of the power supply circuit.

9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that The first control unit has a first input terminal, and the first input terminal is used to input an input voltage signal of the first control unit. The second control unit has a second input terminal, and the second input terminal is used to input an input voltage signal of the second control unit. The termination circuit is specifically used to: when an interrupt signal is received, generate the termination signal based on the target control signal, and input the termination signal to the first input terminal and / or the second input terminal, wherein the voltage of the input voltage signal is a positive voltage, the voltage of the termination signal is a negative voltage, and the interrupt signal is used to indicate the disconnection of the power supply circuit.

10. A method for managing power supply of an unmanned aerial vehicle, characterized in that: The method is applied to a power management system of a drone, the system comprising a first control unit, a second control unit and a switch unit, and the method comprises: When the drone is powered on, a first control signal is outputted through the first control unit; When the UAV executes the mission instruction, a second control signal is outputted through the second control unit; The power supply circuit of the drone is controlled by a switch unit according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal.

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