A power management system, method and apparatus for a drone

Abstract

The present specification discloses a kind of unmanned aerial vehicle power management system, method and device, by the first control unit and the second control unit being arranged in system, control signal is generated simultaneously in the process that unmanned aerial vehicle executes flight task, to control the opening or closure of power supply circuit, to control the state of unmanned aerial vehicle.In the case where any control unit fails, another control unit can continue to control the circuit, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle can successfully execute flight task, ensure the task execution efficiency of unmanned aerial vehicle, also avoid security risks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to a power management system, method and apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the rapid development of computer technology, drones are being used more and more widely in people's lives. During the flight mission, drones need a power source to supply power so that they can perform their missions smoothly.

[0003] In existing technologies, drones are equipped with power management systems. These systems optimize power supply to the drone by controlling the power supply circuits through control units, based on mission requirements, power status, and the drone's flight status.

[0004] However, during the flight mission, there are situations where the control unit malfunctions, causing the power supply to fail to provide power to the drone, resulting in the drone losing power and making an emergency landing. This affects the execution of the flight mission and also poses a great safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention application provides a power management method and apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to partially solve the aforementioned problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] One aspect of this invention provides a power management system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), 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 UAV 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 UAV executes a mission command; and a switching unit for controlling the power supply circuit of the UAV according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal.

[0007] In one feasible implementation, the first control unit includes a first boost circuit, and the second control unit includes a second boost circuit. Specifically, when the first enable signal is received, the first control unit converts the input voltage signal of the first control unit into the first control signal through the first boost circuit. Specifically, when the second enable signal is received, the second control unit converts the input voltage signal of the second control unit into the second control signal through the second boost circuit.

[0008] In one feasible implementation, the system further includes a voltage acquisition unit for sending the first enable signal to the first control unit when the UAV is powered on.

[0009] In an implementation, the system further comprises a central control unit configured to send the second enabling signal to the second control unit upon receiving an execution signal of the UAV, wherein the execution signal is indicative of the UAV executing the task instruction.

[0010] In an implementation, the input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the input voltage signal of the second control unit is a power voltage signal of the UAV.

[0011] In an implementation, the power supply of the UAV comprises a plurality of battery cells, and the voltage acquisition unit is further configured to sample an ambient voltage corresponding to each of the plurality of battery cells, and determine the input voltage signal of the first control unit according to voltage signals of the plurality of sampled ambient voltages.

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

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

[0014] In an implementation, the first control unit has a first input end configured to input the input voltage signal of the first control unit, the second control unit has a second input end configured to input the input voltage signal of the second control unit, and the termination circuit is specifically configured to: upon receiving an interrupt signal, generate the termination signal based on the target control signal, and input the termination signal to the first input end and / or the second input end, wherein a voltage of the input voltage signal is a positive voltage, a voltage of the termination signal is a negative voltage, and the interrupt signal is indicative of opening the power supply circuit.

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

[0016] In another aspect of the present application, a computer readable storage medium is provided. The storage medium stores a computer program which, when executed by a processor, implements the power management method for a UAV.

[0017] In another aspect of the present application, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device comprises a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. The processor implements the power management method for a UAV when executing the program.

[0018] The above at least one technical solution adopted by the present specification can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0019] By setting the first control unit and the second control unit in the system, control signals are generated simultaneously during the execution of a task by the UAV to control the opening or closing of the power supply circuit, thereby controlling the power supply of the UAV. In the event of a fault in any control unit, the other control unit can continue to control the circuit, so that the UAV can successfully execute a flight task, avoiding safety hazards. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the specification, constitute a part of the specification, and the illustrative embodiments of the specification and their description serve to explain the specification, and do not constitute an improper limitation on the specification. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a power management system for a UAV is provided for the present specification;

[0022] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of a control unit is provided for the present specification;

[0023] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of another power management system for a UAV is provided for the present specification;

[0024] Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of a switching unit is provided for the present specification;

[0025] Figure 5 Another structure schematic diagram of a switch unit provided in the specification;

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

[0027] Figure 7 A flow schematic diagram of a power management method of a UAV provided in the specification;

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

[0029] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of an electronic device for power management of a UAV provided in the specification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the specification clearer, the technical scheme of the specification will be described clearly and completely in combination with specific embodiments of the specification and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the specification, not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the specification, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of protection of the specification.

[0031] The technical scheme provided by each embodiment of the specification will be described in detail below in combination with the drawings.

[0032] It should be noted that all actions of obtaining signals, information or data in the specification are performed under the premise of complying with the corresponding data protection regulations and policies of the region, and with the authorization given by the owner of the corresponding device.

[0033] Generally, a central control system is arranged in a UAV, which can receive tasks such as delivery tasks and landing tasks sent by a server, and control the UAV to execute the tasks sent by the server. The execution process of the tasks involves the power supply state of the UAV, such as a power-on state and a power-off state. Taking the UAV executing a landing task as an example, the UAV can land in the power-on state, and change its state to the power-off state after landing successfully. Taking the UAV executing a delivery task as an example, the UAV can be in the power-off state first, and change its state to the power-on state when the delivery task needs to be performed. The management of the power supply state of the UAV is usually undertaken by a power management system arranged in the UAV.

[0034] A typical power management system of a UAV usually comprises a switching unit and a control unit, the switching unit and the control unit are connected, and the switching unit and the power supply of the UAV are connected. The control unit can receive a starting signal of the UAV, generate a control signal according to the starting signal, and send the control signal to the switching unit. The switching unit can control the closing or opening of the power supply circuit according to the received control signal, so as to realize the power-on or power-off of the power supply of the UAV to each power module in the UAV.

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

[0036] The present application provides a new power management system, which can still ensure the UAV to normally perform a flight task in the case that the control unit in the power management system fails.

[0037] In an embodiment of the present application, Figure 1 A structure diagram of a power management system of a UAV is provided in the present specification, wherein the power management system comprises a first control unit, a second control unit and a switching unit. The power supply of the UAV supplies power to other systems of the UAV through a power supply circuit. The switching unit of the power management system controls the closing and opening of the power supply circuit. The other systems of the UAV can be a central control system for controlling the UAV to perform a flight task, a positioning system for determining the current position of the UAV, etc. The types and quantities of the systems contained in the UAV can be set as required, which are not limited in the present specification. In addition, in the charging state of the UAV, an external power supply can charge the power supply of the UAV through the power supply circuit. The switching unit of the power management system can also control the closing and opening of the power supply circuit in the charging state of the UAV.

[0038] In one or more embodiments, the first control unit and the second control unit can be two different chips, or different parts of the same chip. The switching unit can be a circuit comprising diodes, triodes, MOS tubes and other electronic devices. The power supply can be a battery or a battery pack that provides kinetic energy for the UAV.

[0039] By setting the first control unit and the second control unit in the system, different control signals can be generated to jointly control the opening or closing of the power supply circuit during the execution of the flight task of the UAV, so as to control the power supply of the UAV. In the case that any control unit fails, the other control unit can continue to control the circuit, so that the UAV can smoothly perform a flight task, which ensures the execution efficiency of the UAV and avoids safety hazards.

[0040] It should be understood that the first control unit and the second control unit can have the same structure or different structures, as long as they have the basic structure and function required by the present application. The specific structure of the control unit is not limited in the present specification. For the sake of convenience, the first control unit and the second control unit can have the same structure and be collectively referred to as a control unit. Figure 2 The structure of the control unit provided in the present specification is shown in the schematic diagram. 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 voltage boosting circuit.

[0041] The voltage boosting circuit can convert the input voltage signal obtained from the voltage input terminal into the 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 possible implementation, the voltage boosting circuit is a charge pump circuit including a pump capacitor. It should be understood that the voltage boosting circuit can also be other circuit forms capable of making the voltage of the control signal greater than the voltage of the input voltage signal, and the specific form of the voltage boosting circuit is not limited in the present specification.

[0042] The function of the enable signal input terminal is to receive the enable signal input from the outside of the control unit to the control unit. The enable signal is used to start the control unit. Specifically, in a possible implementation, the control unit is in a starting 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 possible implementation, the control unit can generate a control signal according to the input voltage signal regardless of whether the enable signal is received, but the control unit can output the control signal only when the enable signal is received and the control unit is in a starting state.

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

[0044] The enable signal sent to the first control unit and the second control unit can be sent by the same module or 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 respectively, it can be avoided that the failure of any module sending the enable signal leads to the error of the control signal, thereby improving the safety.

[0045] Figure 3Another structural schematic diagram of the power management system of the unmanned aerial vehicle is provided in the present specification. In a possible 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 enabling signal to the first control unit. The central control unit is connected to the second control unit and is responsible for sending a second enabling signal to the second control unit.

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

[0047] In a possible implementation, the central control unit can be a microcontroller unit (MCU) unit that processes the power supply information provided by the AFE unit to obtain the power supply state information of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The MCU unit can determine whether to send the second enabling signal according to the power supply state information, such as whether the health level of the power supply is good or the power supply is started, and the like. When it is determined to send the second enabling signal, the second enabling signal is sent to the second control unit, so that the second control unit is in a start state.

[0048] In a possible implementation, the central control unit can be connected to the central control system of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The central control system of the unmanned aerial vehicle sends instructions for executing a flight task to the unmanned aerial vehicle, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle executes the corresponding flight task. The flight task instructions can include flight control instructions such as taking off, landing, turning, and maintaining altitude, and also include operation task instructions such as setting a route, delivering goods, and inspecting a power line, and the specific content of the flight task is not limited in the present specification. It should be understood that the unmanned aerial vehicle needs to be powered by the power supply when executing the flight task. The central control unit can obtain the flight task instructions sent by the central control system, or can obtain other signal forms after processing the flight task instructions, or can detect signals or feedbacks of executing the flight task instructions. When the central control unit confirms that the central control system sends the flight task instructions by analyzing the input information, the second enabling signal is sent to the second control unit, so that the second control unit is in a start state.

[0049] To avoid the situation that the UAV is powered off due to the failure of the first control unit during the flight task, the second control unit can be started before the flight task, and the first control unit and the second control unit are used to control the power supply circuit together.

[0050] Further, if the circuit where the signal source of the input voltage signal of the control unit is located fails, both control units cannot generate control signals, and the UAV is powered off. Therefore, in a feasible implementation, the input voltage signals received by the two control units in the power management system come from different circuits. For example, the input voltage signal of the first control unit is obtained from the processed power signal, and the input voltage signal of the second control unit is directly obtained from the power signal.

[0051] In a feasible implementation, the power supply of the UAV can include multiple battery cells, and the voltage acquisition unit can also be used to sample the environment voltages corresponding to the multiple battery cells respectively, and determine the target voltage signal from the voltage signals of the sampled environment voltages, and use it as the input voltage signal of the first control unit. The target voltage signal can be the highest voltage signal, the voltage signal at the median, the weighted voltage signal, etc. among the sampled voltage signals. The specific way of determining the target voltage signal can be set according to the needs, and the present specification is not limited. In a feasible implementation, the voltage signals of the sampled environment voltages are first subjected to balancing processing by the balancing module, and then the target voltage signal is determined based on the processed voltage signals. In this embodiment, the target voltage signal is the processed power signal described above. The function of the balancing module is to balance the voltages of different battery cells in the battery pack, so as to prevent the battery life from being reduced or other problems due to the excessive difference in the voltages of the battery cells.

[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 "OR" logical operation on the input multi-channel signals to obtain the output signal. The OR gate circuit can have various specific implementations, and the specific form of the OR gate circuit is not limited in the present specification. Figure 4The structure diagram of the switch unit provided in the present specification, the exemplary OR gate circuit includes a first branch including one diode and a second branch including another diode, and the switch unit further includes a target diode. The diodes in the first branch and the second branch respectively receive a first control signal output by a first control unit and a second control signal output by a second control unit, and process the first control signal and the second control signal based on OR operation logic to obtain a 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 to the target diode, so that the target diode is turned on, i.e. the switch unit closes the power supply circuit. When the first control signal and the second control signal are both low voltage, the target control signal is low voltage. The low voltage target control signal is input to the target diode, which cannot turn on the target diode, i.e. the switch unit disconnects the power supply circuit.

[0053] It should be understood that the power supply circuit connects the power source of the unmanned aerial vehicle and other systems deployed in the unmanned aerial vehicle. When the power supply circuit is closed, the power source of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be in communication with the other systems of the unmanned aerial vehicle and supply power to the other systems of the unmanned aerial vehicle. When the power supply circuit is disconnected, the power source of the unmanned aerial vehicle is no longer in communication with the other systems of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the power supply to the other systems of the unmanned aerial vehicle is also stopped.

[0054] Specifically, taking the target diode as an example of an NMOS tube, the NMOS tube has a threshold voltage. In the case of receiving the target control signal, it is judged whether the voltage of the received target control signal is higher than the threshold voltage. If yes, it controls itself to be turned on, and if no, it controls itself not to be turned on. In order to avoid the influence of circuit noise causing the switch unit to close the power supply circuit without receiving the target control signal, the voltage value of the threshold voltage is usually not lower than the maximum voltage value that the power source can generate. Therefore, when the first control signal and the second control signal are in a high voltage state, a voltage signal higher than the threshold voltage is required.

[0055] According to the brief description of the working principle of the NMOS tube and the implementation manner of the control unit converting the input voltage signal into the control signal in the present specification, if it is required to disconnect the power supply circuit, only the voltage of the signal input to the voltage input end of the control unit for generating the control signal needs to be reduced, and then the voltage of the control signal generated by the control unit will decrease. In the case that 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 required 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 fail to operate due to the low functional voltage, thus affecting the operation of other systems. To avoid this situation, taking a positive original input voltage signal as an example, the power management system can superimpose a negative voltage signal onto the original input voltage signal at the voltage input terminal of the control unit. This reduces the voltage value input to the control unit, preventing it from generating the control signal to close the power supply circuit based on the superimposed input voltage signal.

[0057] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another switching unit provided in this specification. Exemplarily, in... Figure 4 The switch unit shown also includes a termination circuit. This termination circuit includes an amplifier circuit, illustrated in the figure as a differential amplifier formed by connecting two transistors, a PNP and an NPN. Specifically, the signal input terminal of the amplifier circuit is connected to the emitter of the PNP transistor, the base of the PNP transistor is connected to the collector of the NPN transistor, the collector of the PNP transistor is connected to the base of the NPN transistor, and the signal output terminal of the amplifier circuit is connected to the emitter of the NPN transistor. The specific structure of the amplifier circuit can be configured as needed, and this specification does not limit it. The output terminal of the target diode is connected to the signal input terminal of the amplifier circuit, and the signal output terminal of the amplifier circuit is connected to the voltage input terminals of the first control unit and the second control unit, respectively. For example, taking the first and second control units as chips, the voltage input terminals of the first and second control units can be the same chip pin, and the signal output terminal of the amplifier circuit in the termination circuit can be connected to that pin. When the power supply circuit needs to be disconnected, the termination circuit receives an interrupt signal, causing the amplifier circuit to receive either the first control signal or the second control signal, and amplify the control signal to obtain the termination signal. A termination signal is sent to the voltage input terminals of the first and second control units, where it is superimposed on the original input voltage signal to obtain a superimposed signal. The original input superimposed signal typically originates from the power supply voltage signal. Upon receiving the superimposed signal, the control unit outputs a control signal with a voltage below a threshold voltage. An interrupt signal is sent from other systems within the UAV to indicate that the power supply circuit needs to be disconnected. In one feasible implementation, the termination circuit further includes a switching component located between the output terminal of the target diode and the signal input terminal of the amplifier circuit. When the termination circuit receives an interrupt signal, the switching component closes to connect the target diode and the amplifier circuit; otherwise, if the termination circuit does not receive an interrupt signal, the switching component opens to disconnect the target diode and the amplifier circuit.

[0058] That is, the termination circuit can generate a termination signal according to the target control signal and input the termination signal to the first input end of the first control unit and / or the second input end of the second control unit in the case of receiving the interrupt signal, so that the first control unit and the second control unit generate the target control signal smaller than the threshold voltage of the power supply circuit. For example, the voltage of the original input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the second control unit is a positive voltage, and the voltage of the termination signal is a negative voltage.

[0059] For example, the voltage of the termination signal is a negative voltage, and 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 application are constituted by one or more combinations of the various feasible implementations described above, and the examples, Figure 6 A signal flow diagram of a power management system of a UAV is given in the present specification.

[0061] In Figure 6 After the power supply is powered on, the voltage acquisition unit can sample the voltage signals of the power supply, and generate a first enable signal according to the sampled voltage signals, 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 switching unit. The switching unit controls the power supply circuit to be turned on according to the first control signal, so that the power supply of the UAV supplies power to other systems in the UAV. When the UAV executes a task instruction, an execution signal is generated by other systems in the UAV and sent to the central control unit. The central control unit generates a second enable signal according to the execution signal when receiving the execution signal, and sends the second enable signal to the second control unit. The second control unit can generate a second control signal according to the input signal of the second control unit in response to the second enable signal and output the second control signal, and send the second control signal to the switching unit. Then the switching 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, the other systems in the UAV can generate an interrupt signal and send the interrupt signal to the switching unit. Then the switching unit can generate a termination signal according to 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 make the switching unit turned on.

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

[0064] In one possible implementation, the first control unit comprises a first voltage boosting 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 via the first voltage boosting circuit when the first enable signal is received.

[0065] In one possible implementation, the second control unit comprises a second voltage boosting 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 via the second voltage boosting circuit when the second enable signal is received.

[0066] In one possible implementation, the system further comprises a voltage acquisition unit configured to send the first enable signal to the first control unit when the UAV is powered on.

[0067] In one possible implementation, the system further comprises a central control unit configured to send the second enable signal to the second control unit when an execution signal of the UAV is received, wherein the execution signal is used to represent that the UAV executes the task instruction.

[0068] In one possible implementation, the input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the input voltage signal of the second control unit is a power voltage signal of the UAV.

[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 can also be a signal processed by conventional means from the power voltage signal.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the power supply of the UAV comprises a plurality of battery cells, and the voltage acquisition unit is further configured to sample a plurality of environment voltages respectively corresponding to the plurality of battery cells, and determine the input voltage signal of the first control unit according to voltage signals of the plurality of environment voltages obtained by sampling.

[0071] In an implementation, the switch unit comprises an OR gate circuit configured to process the first control signal and the second control signal according to OR logic to obtain a target control signal.

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

[0073] In an implementation, the switch unit further comprises a termination circuit configured to superimpose a termination signal on an input voltage signal of the first control unit and / or the second control unit to make the target control signal less than the threshold voltage of the power supply circuit.

[0074] In an implementation, the first control unit has a first input end configured to input an input voltage signal of the first control unit, the second control unit has a second input end configured to input an input voltage signal of the second control unit, and the termination circuit is specifically configured to generate the termination signal based on the target control signal and input the termination signal to the first input end and / or the second input end when an interrupt signal is received, wherein the input voltage signal is a positive voltage, and the interrupt signal is used to indicate that the power supply circuit is to be opened.

[0075] It should be understood that, according to the specific structure of the first control unit and the second control unit, the input signal of the first input end and the second input end can also be a current signal, a resistance signal, a power signal or other physical quantities related to circuit parameters, and the control signal can also be a current signal, a resistance signal, a power signal or other physical quantities related to circuit parameters.

[0076] In an embodiment of the present application, the present application provides a method for power management of a UAV, which is applied to a power management system of a UAV, the system comprising a first control unit, a second control unit and a switch unit, and the method comprising: outputting a first control signal by the first control unit when the UAV is powered on; outputting a second control signal by the second control unit when the UAV executes a task instruction; and controlling a power supply circuit of the UAV according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal by the switch unit.

[0077] In an implementation, each unit in the system performs the method for power management of the UAV according to the functions in the above embodiment, and specific contents can be referred to the above embodiment, which will not be described herein.

[0078] In one embodiment of the present application, Figure 7 The flowchart of the UAV power management method provided in the present specification specifically includes the following steps:

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

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

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

[0082] In one embodiment provided in the present specification, the switching unit can control the power supply circuit to be disconnected or closed, and the switching unit can be connected with the power supply. The first control unit and the second control unit can send control signals to the switching unit, and the first control unit and the second control unit can be connected with the switching unit respectively.

[0083] Specifically, after the UAV is powered on, the first control unit can generate a first control signal and send the first control signal to the switching unit.

[0084] When the UAV needs to execute a service, the second control unit can generate a second control signal in response to an execution signal when the UAV executes the service, and send the second control signal to the switching unit.

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

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

[0087] It should be noted that the execution steps of the UAV power management method can be specifically referred to the description of the UAV power management system above, and the present specification does not repeat the description.

[0088] In one embodiment of the present application, Figure 8The schematic diagram of the unmanned aerial vehicle power management device provided in the specification, wherein the device is applied to a power management system in an unmanned aerial vehicle, the system comprising a first control unit, a second control unit and a switching unit, wherein:

[0089] The first control module 200 is configured to output a first control signal through the first control unit when the unmanned aerial vehicle is powered on.

[0090] The second control module 202 is configured to output a second control signal through the second control unit when the unmanned aerial vehicle executes a task instruction.

[0091] The switching module 204 is configured to control a power supply circuit of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the switching unit according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal.

[0092] The specification also provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program, and the computer program can be used to execute the above Figure 7 The provided unmanned aerial vehicle power management method.

[0093] The specification also provides Figure 9 The schematic structural diagram of the electronic device is shown. The electronic device comprises 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 to realize the above Figure 7 The unmanned aerial vehicle power management method. Of course, in addition to the software implementation, the specification does not exclude other implementation manners, such as logic devices or the combination of software and hardware, etc., that is, the execution subject of the following processing flow is not limited to each logic unit, but also can be hardware or logic device.

[0094] In the 1990s, it was quite obvious to distinguish whether an improvement in a technology was in hardware (e.g., improvement in circuit structures of diodes, transistors, switches, etc.) or in software (improvement in method flow). However, as technology has evolved, many improvements in method flow today can be considered as direct improvements in hardware circuit structures. Designers almost always obtain the corresponding hardware circuit structures by programming the improved method flow into hardware circuits. Therefore, it cannot be said that an improvement in a method flow cannot be implemented by hardware entity modules. For example, a programmable logic device (PLD) such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) is an integrated circuit whose logic function is determined by user programming of the device. A digital system is "integrated" on a piece of PLD by the designer programming it by himself, without having to ask a chip manufacturer to design and manufacture a special integrated circuit chip. Moreover, instead of manually fabricating an integrated circuit chip, this programming is now mostly implemented by "logic compiler" software, which is similar to the software compiler used when developing a program, and the original code before compilation also has to be written in a specific programming language, which is called a hardware description language (HDL), and there are many such languages, 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., and the most commonly used are VHDL (Very-High-Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language) and Verilog. Those skilled in the art should be aware that, as long as the method flow is logically programmed in the above-mentioned hardware description languages and programmed into an integrated circuit, a hardware circuit implementing the logical method flow can be easily obtained.

[0095] The controller can be implemented in any suitable way, for example, the controller can take the form of a microprocessor or processor and a computer readable medium storing computer readable program code, such as software or firmware, executable by the (micro)processor, logic gates, switches, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic controller and an embedded microcontroller, examples of which 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 will also know that, in addition to being implemented in pure computer readable program code, the controller can equally well be implemented to perform the same functions using logic gates, switches, an application specific integrated circuit, a programmable logic controller and an embedded microcontroller, etc. by means of a logical programming of the method steps. The controller can thus be considered as a hardware component, and the means comprised therein for performing the various functions can be considered as structures within the hardware component. Alternatively, the means for performing the various functions can even be considered as both a software module implementing the method and a structure within the hardware component.

[0096] The systems, apparatuses, modules or units illustrated by the above embodiments can be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer. Specifically, the computer can be 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 sake of description, the above apparatuses are described in various units with functions respectively. Of course, the functions of the units can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware in implementing the present specification.

[0098] Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as a method, a system or a computer program product. Therefore, the present application can take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the present application can 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 computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks. Figure 1 one or more flowcharts and / or blocks in the flowcharts and / or combination thereof. Figure 1 one or more flowcharts and / or blocks in the flowcharts and / or combination thereof.

[0100] The computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks. Figure 1 one or more flowcharts and / or blocks in the flowcharts and / or combination thereof. Figure 1 one or more flowcharts and / or blocks in the flowcharts and / or combination thereof.

[0101] The computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks. Figure 1 one or more flowcharts and / or blocks in the flowcharts and / or combination thereof. Figure 1 one or more flowcharts and / or blocks in the flowcharts and / or combination thereof.

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

[0103] The memory can include non-persistent memory and / or volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory, non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), EPROM, and / or flash memory. The memory is an example of computer-readable media.

[0104] Computer-readable media includes permanent and non-permanent, movable and non-movable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. The 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 technologies, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmission medium that can be used to store information accessible to a computing device. According to the definition herein, computer-readable media does not include transitory media such as modulated data signals and carriers.

[0105] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising", "containing", or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not only include those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, article or apparatus. Without more limitations, the element defined by the statement "comprising a" does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or apparatus that includes the element.

[0106] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present specification can be provided as methods, systems or computer program products. Therefore, the present specification can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the present specification can 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-ROMs, optical storage devices, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0107] The present specification can be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, executed by computers. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The present specification can 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 can be located in both local and remote computer storage media including storage devices.

[0108] The various embodiments described in this specification are described using a numbering of embodiments approach: these are each individually integrated contributions pertaining to different but related aspects of the description. Each of the various embodiments can stand on its own, and each can be combined with the subject matter of other embodiments to produce further embodiments. Where appropriate, therefore, the contents of the specification can be regarded as being incorporated by reference, including the description, drawings, claims, abstract and the like.

[0109] The above only describes the embodiments of the specification and is not intended to limit the specification. The specification can have various modifications and changes for those skilled in the art. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the specification shall be included in the scope of claims of the specification.

Claims

1. A power management system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characterized in that, The system includes: A first control unit is configured to output a first control signal in response to a first enable signal, wherein the first enable signal is generated when the UAV is powered on. The second control unit is configured to output a second control signal in response to a second enable signal, the second enable signal being generated when the UAV executes a mission command; A switching unit is used to control the power supply circuit of the UAV according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal.

2. The system as described in 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 the input voltage signal of the first control unit into the first control signal through the first boost circuit when it receives 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 the second enable signal is received.

3. The system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a voltage acquisition unit, used to send the first enable signal to the first control unit when the UAV is powered on.

4. The system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a central control unit, which sends a second enable signal to the second control unit when it receives an execution signal from the UAV, wherein the execution signal is used to indicate that the UAV executes the task command.

5. The system as described in 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 are the power supply voltage signals of the UAV.

6. The system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The power supply of the UAV includes multiple battery cells. The voltage acquisition unit is also used to sample the ambient voltage corresponding to each of the multiple battery cells, and determine the input voltage signal of the first control unit based on the voltage signals of the multiple ambient voltages obtained from the sampling.

7. The system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The switching 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. The power supply circuit is closed when the voltage of the target control signal is greater than the threshold voltage of the power supply circuit, and the power supply circuit is open when the voltage of the target control signal is less than the threshold voltage of the power supply circuit.

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

9. The system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The first control unit has a first input terminal for inputting an input voltage signal of the first control unit. The second control unit has a second input terminal for inputting an input voltage signal of the second control unit. The termination circuit is specifically used to: generate the termination signal based on the target control signal when an interrupt signal is received, 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 disconnection of the power supply circuit.

10. A power management method for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characterized in that, The method is applied to the power management system of a drone, the system including a first control unit, a second control unit, and a switching unit, and the method includes: When the drone is powered on, the first control unit outputs a first control signal; When the UAV executes a mission command, the second control unit outputs a second control signal; The power supply circuit of the UAV is controlled by a switching unit according to at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal.

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