Unmanned aerial vehicle centering system

Abstract

The invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle centering system which comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle, a mooring box and a control box, the mooring box comprises an electric skylight protruding out of the top of the mooring box, and the electric skylight can be automatically opened and closed to achieve closing and opening of the mooring box; an unmanned aerial vehicle centering platform is arranged below the electric skylight, and the unmanned aerial vehicle centering platform is used for parking and automatic centering of the unmanned aerial vehicle; a mooring cable box and a power unit are sequentially arranged below the unmanned aerial vehicle centering platform, a mooring cable is wound in the mooring cable box and used for mooring the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the power unit is used for supplying power to the unmanned aerial vehicle centering system. The unmanned aerial vehicle centering system provided by the invention has the capability of automatically and accurately centering the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the application field of tethered drones, and in particular to a drone centering system. Background Art

[0002] The mobile communication vehicle is used to carry out emergency restoration services for public network communications. It integrates a series of equipment such as public network base stations, satellite communications, base station antennas, lifting poles, etc., and can realize the restoration of public network communication signals. However, due to the insufficient height of the antenna, the coverage distance can only reach a few hundred meters, and large-scale signal coverage cannot be achieved.

[0003] At present, the high-altitude implementation method is to use a tethered drone to carry the workload into the air, and then control it through the ground tethered ground station and wired power supply, and draw power from the ground generator to achieve stable and large-scale coverage. The disadvantage is that the tethered drone needs a generator to provide 380V three-phase power supply, and a truck is needed to transport a series of vulnerable parts such as the drone, tethered box, and generator. It also requires professional personnel to unpack, assemble and test it on site, which is not convenient and cannot meet the requirements of rapid startup in emergency situations.

[0004] The related technology uses drone cabin hangars to realize unmanned and convenient storage and control of drones, including the use of automated storage cabins and drone algorithms to perform cabin opening, launching, landing and cabin closing operations. However, the disadvantage is that drone cabins must be permanently fixed and installed, lacking maneuverability and flexibility. At the same time, drones have short airborne time and insufficient load capacity, so emergency communications, emergency lighting and other services that require long-term load stagnation cannot be carried out. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to improve the service quality of emergency recovery of public network communications, it is necessary to use a tethered drone to carry the public network load to increase the height of the equipment. In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a drone centering system, the system includes a drone, a tethering box and a control box, wherein the tethering box includes: an electric skylight protruding from the top of the tethering box, the electric skylight can be automatically opened and closed to achieve the closure and opening of the tethering box; a drone centering platform arranged under the electric skylight, the drone centering platform is used for parking and automatic centering of the drone; a tethering cable box and a power unit are arranged in sequence under the drone centering platform, the tethering cable box is rolled with tethering cables for tethering the drone, and the power unit is used to supply power to the drone centering system.

[0006] Furthermore, the UAV centering platform includes: a support frame, a guide rail is arranged on the inner side of the support frame; a centering platform body connected to the support frame, an opening is arranged at the center position of the centering platform body; a lifting mechanism, located below the centering platform body, sliders are arranged on both sides of the lifting mechanism, and a sliding connection is formed with the guide rail on the inner side of the support frame through the slider, so that the lifting mechanism can be lifted and lowered from the opening at the center position of the centering platform body.

[0007] Furthermore, the UAV centering platform also includes: a first centering rod and a second centering rod arranged on the upper surface of the centering platform body; a clamping mechanism arranged below the centering platform body, the first centering rod and the second centering rod are respectively connected to the clamping mechanism, and the clamping mechanism is used to drive the first centering rod and the second centering rod to complete the automatic centering of the UAV.

[0008] Furthermore, the tethered cable box also includes: a tension detection unit, used to detect the tension between the tethered cable and the drone; a retractable cable unit, used to automatically adjust the rotation speed and torque according to the tension between the tethered cable and the drone to complete the retraction and release of the tethered cable; a tethered cable box heat dissipation mechanism, which is arranged on the top of the tethered cable box and is used for overall heat dissipation of the tethered cable box.

[0009] Furthermore, a single-mode optical fiber is integrated inside the tethered cable to supply power to the drone and realize bidirectional signal transmission.

[0010] Furthermore, the UAV includes: a fuselage structure, the fuselage structure includes a multi-rotor structure; a power system, used to provide a power source to the UAV; a controller, installed in the fuselage structure, used to control the flight of the UAV; and a load interface, used to connect an external mission load.

[0011] Furthermore, the control box includes: a control terminal, which is arranged in the control box and is respectively connected to the UAV and the tethered box for controlling all operations of the UAV and the tethered box; a positioning antenna and a camera arranged on the top cover of the control box, the positioning antenna is connected to the control terminal for obtaining the position of the UAV; the camera is connected to the control terminal for monitoring the UAV centering system.

[0012] Furthermore, the control box and the mooring box are filled with sound insulation and heat insulation materials.

[0013] The drone centering system provided in the embodiment of the present application has the ability to automatically and accurately center the drone. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1A schematic diagram of the structure of the drone centering system provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figures 2 to 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the drone centering platform provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a tethered cable box provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a drone provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an application scenario of the drone centering system provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The specific implementation of the present invention will be described in more detail below in conjunction with the schematic diagram. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer based on the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and are not in exact proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clearly assist in explaining the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] The embodiment of the present application provides a drone centering system. Figure 1 See the schematic diagram of the drone centering system provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 The UAV centering system 100 includes a UAV 110, a mooring box 120 and a control box 130, wherein the mooring box 120 includes: an electric sunroof 121 protruding from the top of the mooring box, and the electric sunroof 121 can be automatically opened and closed to achieve the closure and opening of the mooring box 120; a UAV centering platform 122 is arranged under the electric sunroof, and the UAV centering platform 122 is used for parking and automatic centering of the UAV; a mooring cable box 123 and a power unit 124 are arranged in sequence under the UAV centering platform 122, and the mooring cable box 123 is wound with a mooring cable for mooring the UAV 110, and the power unit 124 is used to supply power to the UAV centering system 100.

[0021] The control box 130 includes: a control terminal 131, which is arranged in the control box 130, and is connected to the UAV 110 and the mooring box 120 for controlling all operations of the UAV 110 and the mooring box 120; a positioning antenna 133 and a camera 132 arranged on the top cover of the control box 130, and the positioning antenna 133 is connected to the control terminal 131 for obtaining the position of the UAV 110; the camera 132 is connected to the control terminal 131 for monitoring the UAV centering system 100. Various peripherals can also be integrated on the top of the control box 130, such as lighting devices, anemometers, differential antennas, etc. A display device, a standard cabinet, etc. connected to the control terminal 131 can also be arranged inside the control box 130.

[0022] In the embodiment of the present application, the control box 130 and the mooring box 120 are filled with sound insulation and heat insulation materials to achieve the purpose of sound insulation and heat insulation.

[0023] In the embodiment of the present application, the electric sunroof 121 is arranged on the outside of the top of the mooring box 120 and has waterproof performance. A sensing device can be set on the electric sunroof to sense the entry and exit of the drone and detect the drone's warehouse status to ensure that the electric sunroof is closed after the drone is completely in the warehouse, thereby ensuring the safe use of the drone.

[0024] Figures 2 to 4 For a structural diagram of the drone centering platform provided in the embodiment of the present application, see Figures 2 to 4 The UAV centering platform 122 includes: a support frame 1221, a guide rail is arranged on the inner side of the support frame 1221; a centering platform body 1222 connected to the support frame 1221, an opening 1223 is arranged at the center position of the centering platform body 1222; a lifting mechanism 1224 is located below the centering platform body 1222, a slider 1225 is arranged on the side of the lifting mechanism 1224, and a sliding connection is formed with the guide rail on the inner side of the support frame 1221 through the slider 1225, so that the lifting mechanism 1224 can pass through the opening 1223 at the center position of the centering platform body to achieve lifting. Figure 2 It shows that the lifting mechanism and the centering platform body are in the same plane. Figure 3 The lifting mechanism is shown in the lowest position. Figure 4The lifting mechanism is shown to be at the highest position. Further, the UAV centering platform 122 also includes: a first centering rod 1226 and a second centering rod 1227 disposed on the upper surface of the centering platform body 1222, and a clamping mechanism 1228 disposed below the centering platform body 1222, wherein the first centering rod 1226 and the second centering rod 1227 are respectively connected to the clamping mechanism 1228, and the clamping mechanism 1228 is used to drive the first centering rod 1226 and the second centering rod 1227 to complete the automatic centering process of the UAV 110.

[0025] Here, the first centering rod 1226 and the second centering rod 1227 are two rods arranged parallel to each other, and the first centering rod 1226 and the second centering rod 1227 are perpendicular to each other and are arranged parallel to the centering platform body 1222. The first centering rod and the second centering rod are used to automatically center the drone. When the drone lands on the centering platform, the first centering rod and the second centering rod are used to cause the drone to generate X-direction and / or Y-direction displacement to drive the drone to center. Among them, at least part of the displacement stroke of the drone is achieved by pushing the drone tripod from the inside of the drone tripod through the first centering rod and the second centering rod. This method of pushing from the inside has higher efficiency and precision than the traditional method of pushing from the outside. The clamping device locks the drone when the drone follows the lifting mechanism to be lowered to the lowest position, maintaining the stability of the drone stored in the drone centering platform.

[0026] Figure 5 For a structural diagram of a tethered cable box provided in an embodiment of the present application, see Figure 5 The tethered cable box 123 also includes: a tension detection unit 1231, which is used to detect the tension between the tethered cable 124 and the drone 110; a retractable cable unit 1232, which is used to automatically adjust the rotation speed and torque according to the tension between the tethered cable and the drone to complete the retraction and release of the tethered cable; a tethered cable box heat dissipation mechanism 125, which is arranged on the top of the tethered cable box 123, and is used for the overall heat dissipation of the tethered cable box 123. The heat dissipation mechanism 125 can be a conventional heat dissipation device, such as a heat dissipation louver. The tethered cable 124 is integrated with a single-mode optical fiber to supply power to the drone 110 and realize two-way signal transmission. The tethered cable 124 has good electrical conductivity, tensile strength and wear resistance to ensure the stable operation of the drone in the air and the reliability of data transmission.

[0027] In some embodiments, the power unit 124 can be one or more of a generator, a boost power supply, an external power supply, and a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) power supply, thereby ensuring the flexibility of on-site energy and ensuring that the platform system can be used in the absence of external energy to complete the take-off preparation of the tethered drone.

[0028] Figure 6 For the schematic diagram of the structure of the drone provided in the embodiment of the present application, see Figure 6 The UAV 110 includes: a fuselage structure 111, which includes a multi-rotor structure, such as a quad-rotor, a hexa-rotor, etc., to meet the needs of hovering and flying in the air. The UAV fuselage structure material may include lightweight and high-strength materials such as carbon fiber and aluminum alloy to improve flight performance and load-bearing capacity. A power system is used to provide a power source for the UAV. Here, the UAV 110 is powered by a tethered cable under normal circumstances. The power system is a backup battery or other power supply device arranged inside the fuselage structure, which is used for safe landing of the UAV in an emergency or when the tethered cable is disconnected. A controller is installed in the fuselage structure to control the flight of the UAV; a load interface 111 is used to connect an external mission load. There are multiple load interfaces here, which can adapt to a variety of mission loads, such as high-definition cameras, infrared / visible light pods, shouting pods, lighting pods, gas monitoring pods, communication base stations, etc., which greatly meets the needs of various applications.

[0029] In the embodiment of the present application, the control terminal 131 controls all operations of the drone 110 and the mooring box 120, including: controlling the opening and closing of the electric sunroof. When the electric sunroof is opened, based on the flight command, the lifting mechanism loaded with the drone is controlled to rise, pass through the opening at the center of the centering platform body and rise to a predetermined position, then control the first centering rod and the second centering rod to move to loosen the drone tripod, and control the drone to take off. During the flight of the drone, the retracting and releasing line unit automatically retracts and releases the line to cooperate with the drone to complete the flight mission. Based on the drone recovery command, the drone position is located by the positioning antenna to ensure that the drone falls to the lifting mechanism, and then the lifting mechanism is lowered to the same horizontal plane as the centering platform body, and the clamping device is controlled to drive the first centering rod and the second centering rod to move to generate X-direction and / or Y-direction displacement, drive the drone to return to the center, and realize the precise centering of the drone tripod, and control the lifting mechanism to continue to descend. When the drone descends to the lowest position, the drone is locked by the clamping device so that the drone is completely stored in the drone centering platform.

[0030] The drone centering system provided by the embodiment of the present application can achieve a high degree of integration and close fit between the drone and the box in terms of volume, integrating the functions of the drone, the tethered box, the control box, etc. into a whole, so that the drone can be stored in the tethered box. It has a high degree of integration and can utilize more space. Secondly, when the drone lands, the position will deviate. The embodiment of the present application uses an automatic centering rod (i.e., the first centering rod and the second centering rod) to move the blades for maintenance sorting to prevent the rotor blades from breaking during the warehousing process. It has an embedded lifting system and has the ability to automatically and accurately center the drone.

[0031] The drone centering system 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application is a whole structure, which can be installed or moved as a whole machine. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an application scenario of the drone centering system provided in the embodiment of the present application, see Figure 7 In one application scenario, the drone centering system can be mounted on a van chassis, and the mooring box, drone, and control box can be integrated into an organic whole.

[0032] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with the profession may make various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to these embodiments without departing from the principle and purpose of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A drone centering system, characterized in that: The system comprises a drone, a tethered box and a control box, wherein the tethered box comprises: An electric skylight is provided on the top of the mooring box, and the electric skylight can be opened and closed automatically to realize the closing and opening of the mooring box; A drone centering platform is provided under the electric sunroof, and the drone centering platform is used for parking and automatically centering the drone; A tethering cable box and a power unit are arranged in sequence under the UAV centering platform. The tethering cable box has tethering cables rolled up in it for tethering the UAV, and the power unit is used to supply power to the UAV centering system.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The drone centering platform includes: A support frame, wherein a guide rail is arranged inside the support frame; A centering platform body connected to the support frame, wherein an opening is provided at the center of the centering platform body; The lifting mechanism is located below the centering platform body. Slide blocks are provided on both sides of the lifting mechanism, and a sliding connection is formed with the guide rails on the inner side of the support frame through the slide blocks, so that the lifting mechanism passes through the opening at the center position of the centering platform body to achieve lifting.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The drone centering platform also includes: A first centering rod and a second centering rod are arranged on the upper surface of the centering platform body; A clamping mechanism is disposed below the centering platform body, the first centering rod and the second centering rod are respectively connected to the clamping mechanism, and the clamping mechanism is used to drive the first centering rod and the second centering rod to complete automatic centering of the UAV.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that The tethered cable box also includes: A tension detection unit, used to detect the tension between the tethered cable and the drone; The retractable cable unit is used to automatically adjust the speed and torque according to the tension between the tethered cable and the drone to complete the retractable and retractable tethered cable; The heat dissipation mechanism of the tethered cable box is arranged on the top of the tethered cable box and is used for the overall heat dissipation of the tethered cable box.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that The tethered cable has a single-mode optical fiber integrated therein for supplying power to the drone and realizing bidirectional signal transmission.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that The drone comprises: A fuselage structure, wherein the fuselage structure comprises a multi-rotor structure; A power system, used to provide a power source to the UAV; A controller, installed in the fuselage structure, for controlling the flight of the UAV; Load interface, used for external mission load.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that The control box includes: A control terminal is arranged in the control box, and is respectively connected to the UAV and the mooring box for communication, and is used to control all operations of the UAV and the mooring box; A positioning antenna and a camera are arranged on the top cover of the control box. The positioning antenna is communicatively connected with the control terminal for obtaining the position of the UAV. The camera is communicatively connected with the control terminal for monitoring the UAV centering system.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that The control box and the mooring box are filled with sound insulation and heat insulation materials.

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