Unmanned aerial vehicle group with optical fiber lighting system

Abstract

The invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle group with an optical fiber lighting system. The unmanned aerial vehicle group comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle mother unit, at least one unmanned aerial vehicle son unit and a ground monitoring station, the unmanned aerial vehicle mother unit comprises a communication relay module, a scheduling module used for establishing communication connection with the ground monitoring station and the unmanned aerial vehicle son unit, and a task scheduling module used for generating a task scheduling instruction according to a received illumination task and son state information and sending the task scheduling instruction to the unmanned aerial vehicle son unit. And the wireless charging transmitting module is used for wirelessly charging the landing unmanned aerial vehicle sub-unit. According to the invention, through a full-automatic closed-loop management process of energy monitoring, autonomous homing, intelligent scheduling, precise landing, energy supply and task replacement, unmanned, uninterrupted and large-range adaptive illumination in a real sense is realized; the deployment flexibility, the operation efficiency and the system reliability in complex scenes such as emergency rescue and night operation are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a swarm of drones with a fiber optic lighting system. Background Technology

[0002] Human-machine lighting technology, due to its high mobility and flexibility, has been widely used in many fields such as emergency rescue, nighttime construction, large-scale events, and wilderness search and rescue. However, the further promotion and in-depth application of this technology is facing a severe technical bottleneck: the contradiction between limited battery life and the ever-increasing demand for lighting. Currently, the mainstream drone lighting solutions and their shortcomings mainly include: 1. Standalone operation mode: This is the most common application form. A single drone carries lighting equipment and batteries to perform tasks. Its significant drawbacks are: Short battery life: Limited by the energy density of current batteries, a single operation can usually only last for 30 minutes to 1 hour, which cannot meet the needs of long-term, uninterrupted lighting, such as all-night construction or multi-day emergency rescue missions. Limited lighting coverage: The lighting power and range of a single drone are strictly limited, making it difficult to cope with the lighting needs of large areas. Low operation efficiency: After the battery is depleted, it must be manually recalled to replace the battery or recharge, interrupting the operation, consuming a lot of manpower and time, and making it impossible to achieve automated continuous operation. 2. Multi-drone rotation mode: To compensate for the insufficient endurance of a single drone, multiple drones are manually taken off in rotation for replacement. While this method extends the total lighting time to some extent, it does not fundamentally solve the problem: Low automation: The entire replacement process heavily relies on manual operation and scheduling, resulting in slow response speed and high coordination costs. High system cost: Multiple complete drone systems need to be configured, leading to huge purchase and maintenance costs. Not truly "continuous" lighting: Lighting interruptions occur during drone switching, making seamless transition impossible. 3. Tethered power supply mode: Ground power is brought to the drone via a cable, theoretically enabling unlimited endurance. However, this mode sacrifices the drone's core advantage of mobility, turning it into an "aerial light pole," limiting its application scenarios to lighting only small, fixed areas, and failing to achieve large-scale mobile, distributed lighting coverage. In summary, existing technical solutions cannot effectively solve the lighting requirements of "large-scale, long-duration, and highly mobile" lighting. The core problem lies in the irreconcilable contradiction between energy replenishment methods (battery replacement, tethered power supply) and the mobility and automation requirements of the drone platform. Therefore, those skilled in the art have been seeking a new type of lighting system that can break the energy constraints of a single drone and achieve intelligent collaboration and autonomous energy replenishment in drone swarms, thereby truly unleashing the application potential of drone lighting. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a drone swarm with a fiber optic lighting system, which can effectively solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0004] This invention is implemented as follows:

[0005] A drone swarm with a fiber optic lighting system includes a mother drone unit, at least one drone slave unit, and a ground monitoring station.

[0006] The UAV mother unit includes a communication relay module for establishing communication connections with the ground monitoring station and the UAV daughter unit; a scheduling module connected to the communication relay module for generating task scheduling instructions based on received lighting tasks and daughter unit status information; a wireless charging transmitter module for wirelessly charging the landing UAV daughter unit; a precise positioning and guidance module connected to the scheduling module for sending guidance signals to the returning UAV daughter unit; and an optical fiber lighting module for illuminating a certain area.

[0007] The fiber optic lighting module includes a general tether, a lighting module, and an optical fiber. The general tether is located on the ground, and the lighting module is installed inside the UAV mother unit. The lighting module includes a housing, a fluorescence conversion layer, a reflector, a light-diffusing lens, and a dimming lens. A mounting groove is formed on the lower surface of the housing, and the reflector is installed in the mounting groove. Light source entrance holes are formed on the reflector and the housing. One end of the optical fiber is connected to the light source emitting component in the general tether located on the ground, and the other end of the optical fiber is connected to the light source entrance hole. The fluorescence conversion layer is attached to the reflector and located at the focal point of the reflector. A light-diffusing lens is installed at the opening of the mounting groove, and a dimming lens is installed below the mounting groove.

[0008] The UAV subunit includes a subunit communication module for establishing a connection with the communication relay module, receiving the task scheduling instructions and sending its own status information; a lighting module for performing lighting tasks; an energy status monitoring module for real-time monitoring of its own battery power, connected to the subunit communication module; a subunit flight control module for controlling the flight of the UAV and the start and stop of the lighting module; and an autonomous homing decision module for sending a homing request to the UAV mother unit through the subunit communication module when the battery power is lower than a preset threshold, and controlling the flight control module to execute the homing decision.

[0009] A method for illuminating a swarm of drones with a fiber optic lighting system includes the following steps:

[0010] Step 1: The ground monitoring station sends lighting area information to the UAV mother unit; the scheduling module assigns target location points to the UAV daughter units;

[0011] Step 2: The drone sub-unit flies to the designated location to perform lighting operations and continuously monitors its own battery level;

[0012] Step 3: When the battery level of the drone slave unit is lower than a preset threshold, its autonomous homing decision module sends a homing request to the drone mother unit;

[0013] Step 4: After receiving the request, the scheduling module generates a scheduling policy and permits the UAV sub-unit to return to base;

[0014] Step 5: The drone slave unit returns and lands on the wireless charging device of the drone mother unit for charging;

[0015] Step Six: The scheduling module instructs other UAV sub-units to take over the lighting task to achieve uninterrupted lighting.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0017] (1) This invention has achieved a revolutionary breakthrough in UAV swarm lighting operations by constructing a collaborative system with a UAV mother aircraft as a mobile charging hub and intelligent command core, and multiple UAV sub-aircraft as distributed execution terminals, and integrating wireless charging, precise positioning guidance and autonomous decision-making algorithms. Specifically, it has completely solved the bottleneck of single-aircraft endurance. Relying on the in-flight wireless charging capability of the mother aircraft platform, the sub-aircraft can be designed to be more lightweight and flexible, which greatly reduces manufacturing costs and improves flight efficiency. At the same time, the entire system achieves truly unmanned, uninterrupted, and large-scale adaptive lighting through a fully automatic closed-loop management process of "energy monitoring - autonomous homing - intelligent scheduling - precise landing - energy replenishment - task handover". This greatly improves the deployment flexibility, operation efficiency and system reliability in complex scenarios such as emergency rescue and night operations. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional perspective view of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of the lighting method of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of a universal tethered and fiber optic lighting system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the tethered battery compartment in this invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the lighting module in this invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the ground tethering base in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention.

[0026] In the description of this invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0027] Reference Figure 1-6 As shown, a drone swarm with a fiber optic lighting system includes a drone mother unit 10, at least one drone daughter unit 20, and a ground monitoring station.

[0028] The UAV mother unit 10 includes a communication relay module for establishing communication connections with the ground monitoring station and the UAV daughter unit 20; a scheduling module connected to the communication relay module for generating task scheduling instructions based on received lighting tasks and daughter unit status information; a wireless charging transmitter module for wirelessly charging the landing UAV daughter unit 20; a precise positioning and guidance module connected to the scheduling module for sending guidance signals to the returning UAV daughter unit 20; and a fiber optic lighting module for illuminating a certain area. The UAV daughter unit 20 includes a daughter unit communication module for establishing connections with the communication relay module, receiving task scheduling instructions, and sending its own status information; a lighting module for performing lighting tasks; an energy status monitoring module for real-time monitoring of its own battery power connected to the daughter unit communication module; a daughter unit flight control module for controlling the start and stop of the UAV flight and lighting control modules; and an autonomous homing decision module connected to the energy monitoring module and the daughter unit communication module for sending a homing request to the UAV mother unit through the daughter unit communication module and controlling the flight control module to perform the homing.

[0029] The UAV mother unit 10 also includes an energy management module connected to the scheduling management module and the wireless charging transmitter module. This module manages the power distribution of the UAV mother unit and controls the start and stop of the wireless charging transmitter module. The precision guidance module includes a guidance beacon mounted on the UAV mother unit and sensors mounted on the UAV daughter unit that work in conjunction with the guidance beacon. The guidance beacon continuously transmits guidance signals, and the sensors receive the signals and calculate their relative position to the mother unit. The sensors then send the position information to the daughter unit's flight control module to achieve centimeter-level precision autonomous landing. When the autonomous homing decision module receives a mandatory recall command from the scheduling management module, it also controls the flight control module to perform the homing operation. The scheduling module is configured to, upon receiving a homing request from a UAV daughter unit, schedule another UAV daughter unit with sufficient power to go to its lighting position to maintain continuous coverage of the lighting area.

[0030] In one embodiment, when the energy monitoring module detects that the power level is lower than a first threshold, it does not immediately trigger a return flight. Instead, it sends a path planning request containing its own status information to the scheduling module. Based on the request and global airspace information, the scheduling module calculates an energy-efficient return flight path and sends it to the slave unit. The slave unit performs the return flight according to this path and continuously compares the actual energy consumption with the planned energy consumption during the flight, dynamically deciding whether to request path replanning. Specifically, the slave unit's energy monitoring module continuously and accurately monitors its remaining battery power (SOC). When the power drops to a first preset threshold (e.g., 35%, which is higher than the emergency return threshold), the autonomous return decision module does not immediately execute a traditional return, but instead initiates this advanced path planning process. The slave unit then sends a path calculation request data packet to the host scheduling module via its communication module. This data packet not only contains the slave unit ID, but more importantly, it contains multi-dimensional real-time status information for path calculation: its current GPS / RTK precise coordinates, real-time remaining power, current weight (which varies slightly due to power consumption and mission load changes), and wind speed and direction data measured in real-time by onboard sensors. Upon receiving the request, the host scheduling module activates the path planner, which integrates the local meteorological data reported by the slave unit with the large-scale meteorological forecast information acquired by the host unit itself to construct a predictive wind field model from the slave unit's current location to the host unit's area. The scheduling module then runs a... The energy-optimal path planning algorithm is based on a cost function defined as: Total Cost = F(Flight Distance, Headwind Resistance, Air Density, Sub-aircraft Weight). Headwind resistance is the core variable, and its value is proportional to the square of the wind speed. The algorithm aims to find the path with the lowest total energy consumption, not necessarily the shortest distance. The result may be a path that bypasses crosswinds or utilizes tailwinds to significantly reduce flight drag. After generating the initial path, the scheduling module performs four-dimensional (longitude, latitude, altitude, time) conflict detection between it and other sub-aircraft routes that are currently executing return paths. If a potential conflict is detected, the system will automatically make fine adjustments, such as assigning different approach altitude layers (with an altitude difference of at least 50 meters) to different sub-aircraft or staggering their arrival times at critical path points to achieve orderly management of air traffic. After calculation and coordination, the mother aircraft sends this dynamically generated optimal return path (composed of a series of ordered latitude, longitude, and altitude coordinates) to the requesting sub-aircraft.After receiving the path, the slave aircraft's autonomous homing decision module does not execute it blindly. Based on the detailed parameters of that path, it locally recalculates the estimated energy consumption for the entire journey. If the calculation shows that the estimated remaining power after completing the path is higher than the second safety threshold (e.g., 15%), it sends a "confirmation" command to the master aircraft and immediately begins flying along the preset path. During flight along the planned path, the slave aircraft continuously performs real-time energy consumption comparisons, comparing the actual power consumption with the planned power consumption predicted by the master aircraft. If the actual power consumption rate is basically consistent with the plan, it continues to fly along the original path; if the actual power consumption rate shows a significant difference, it continues to fly along the original path. If the battery level drops above the planned level (e.g., encountering an unforeseen strong headwind), the aircraft will proactively send an early warning to the mother aircraft when its battery level drops to the third warning threshold (e.g., 20%), requesting a shorter, more direct (potentially more energy-intensive but less energy-intensive) emergency path. Upon receiving the warning, the mother aircraft scheduling module immediately initiates emergency decision-making, quickly calculates a direct emergency path, and authorizes the aircraft to switch (A) or orders another aircraft already on the new path with relatively sufficient battery power to change its attitude or briefly give way, providing a "green channel" for the emergency return aircraft and prioritizing its safe landing (B).

[0031] In practical application, this solution takes an emergency disaster relief scenario as an example to further illustrate its application, as follows:

[0032] After the disaster, operators used a ground monitoring station to define a large area requiring illumination. A mother drone carrying multiple drones flew to the center of the target airspace and hovered as a mobile base. The mother drone's scheduling module, based on an algorithm, divided the illumination area into multiple sub-areas and instructed several drones (such as drones A, B, and C) to fly to designated coordinates and hover, activating high-power LED lighting modules to provide illumination for ground rescue operations. During the mission, drone A's energy status monitoring module remained operational. When its battery level dropped to a dynamically calculated homing threshold (e.g., 30%), its autonomous homing decision module immediately sent a "low battery, requesting homing" message to the mother drone via the drone communication module. This message included its current real-time location. Upon receiving the request, the mother drone's scheduling module immediately performed calculations: first, it granted permission for drone A to return; second, it instructed drone D, which was waiting near the mother drone and had sufficient battery power, to take off and proceed to the lighting position to replace drone A. Simultaneously, the scheduling module activated the precise positioning guidance module. Based on the guidance signals received from the mother aircraft, slave aircraft A made precise route corrections and landed smoothly and accurately at the wireless charging station on the mother aircraft platform. After landing, the mother aircraft's energy management module activated the wireless charging transmitter to efficiently charge slave aircraft A. Once charging was complete, slave aircraft A entered "standby" mode, awaiting assignment of new tasks by the scheduling module. Simultaneously, slave aircraft D arrived at slave aircraft A's original position, seamlessly taking over the lighting task, ensuring uninterrupted illumination throughout the entire lighting area. Therefore, through the repeated execution of this process, the entire system achieved 24 / 7 uninterrupted high-quality lighting until the mission was completed.

[0033] Furthermore, in this invention, the UAV mother unit 10 is not a simple transportation platform, but a "mobile relay charging platform" integrating a high-capacity power supply, a collaborative control center ("brain"), and a wireless energy transmitter ("heart"). The mother unit itself is a large UAV, employing a multi-rotor, vertical take-off and landing fixed-wing, or hybrid layout. Its design focuses on high payload, long endurance, and flight stability. It carries far more energy than the daughter units, providing power for its own flight, onboard equipment operation, and charging of the daughter units. Its flight control unit can receive commands, fly autonomously, and hover at any optimal position within the operational area. The wireless charging device, integrated into the deck of the mothership platform, is not merely a simple wireless charging coil, but a systematic engineering project. It includes an energy transmitter, an alignment and activation system, and an energy management unit. The energy transmitter employs high-efficiency magnetic resonance or strong-coupled induction technology, allowing for transmission distances of several centimeters and relatively relaxed requirements for landing accuracy. The alignment and activation system typically includes a simple mechanical guidance structure (such as a funnel-shaped landing trough) or electronic detection circuitry. After the drone lands, the system automatically detects a valid charging target and controls the charging circuit to initiate power transfer. The energy management unit monitors charging power, efficiency, and safety status in real time to prevent overcharging and overheating, and optimizes charging strategies (such as constant current followed by constant voltage). Furthermore, the collaborative control device in the UAV mothership unit 10 is used to schedule multiple... The slave drones continuously communicate with the ground station and all slave drones through a collaborative scheduling algorithm, globally monitoring the system status (battery level, location, mission progress) and making real-time decisions based on this, dynamically generating mission instructions (e.g., assigning slave drone A to illuminate at coordinates (X,Y), permitting slave drone B to return, and ordering slave drone C to take over from slave drone D). This design perfectly solves the fundamental contradiction between "energy supply" and "operational mobility" that has long existed in the UAV field. The mother drone can move flexibly with the operation area, ensuring that the energy supply point is always in the optimal position in the operation airspace, realizing "power finds the drone" rather than "drone finds power". Compared with the fixed charging pile solution, the system operation radius of this invention is no longer limited to the distance between the drone and the fixed point, but to the entire range of movement of the mother drone, achieving a geometric improvement. Compared with the tethered solution, this invention restores the all-domain mobility of the UAV swarm, and the application scenarios are revolutionaryly expanded.

[0034] Specifically, thanks to the frequent and convenient energy replenishment capabilities provided by the "mobile relay charging platform," the device in this invention no longer needs to carry a heavy, large-capacity battery in pursuit of long battery life. Therefore, it can use an ultra-small capacity, lightweight battery pack. This is not simply a matter of "reducing size," but rather triggers a series of chain reactions and positive system-level optimizations, with the following effects:

[0035] (1) The overall weight of the sub-unit can be reduced by 30%-50%, making it easier to transport, deploy and carry; (2) The battery is one of the main costs of the UAV. Battery miniaturization directly and significantly reduces the unit cost of the sub-unit and the purchase cost of the entire system; (3) The weight reduction directly leads to a reduction in power consumption. With the same amount of power, the hovering and flight time can be extended. Smaller size and weight mean lower inertia, which greatly improves the maneuverability, agility and wind resistance of the sub-unit, enabling it to reach the target location more quickly and accurately. Smaller and more economical power systems (motors, ESCs, propellers) can be selected to further reduce costs and power consumption; (4) The saved payload and space can be used to carry higher-performance lighting modules or other mission payloads, improving the mission execution effect of a single sub-unit. Therefore, the miniaturization of the sub-unit is not the goal, but an inevitable advantage brought about by this invention. It is not an isolated design change, but a key link induced by the concept of "mobile platform" that can trigger a virtuous cycle in the performance of the entire system.

[0036] Specifically, this invention constructs a complete, fully autonomous intelligent management closed loop. High-precision sensors on the slave unit continuously monitor its battery's state of charge (SOC). When the battery level falls below a dynamically calculated threshold (which takes into account the real-time distance to the mother unit), the slave unit's decision module autonomously determines that it needs to return to base, rather than waiting for ground instructions. The slave unit sends a request to the mother unit via a communication link, containing information such as ID, battery level, and location. Upon receiving the request, the mother unit's collaborative control device coordinates globally. It not only approves the request but also immediately calculates and assigns another idle or low-priority slave unit to take over, ensuring uninterrupted lighting coverage. The mother unit activates a guidance system (such as UWB) to establish a high-precision relative positioning link with the returning slave unit, guiding it through the entire "approach-alignment-landing" process like a commercial airliner, safely landing on the charging platform. Recharging begins immediately upon landing, and the charging process is automatically monitored by the energy management module. After charging is complete, the slave unit's status is updated, and it is reinstated into the scheduling pool, awaiting new task assignment. This process distributes AI decision-making across both the master and slave machines (distributed decision-making), forming a highly efficient intelligent collaborative ecosystem. The entire system can self-perceive, self-determine, and self-maintain. From the start to the end of a task, the entire "operation-energy replenishment-task handover" cycle requires no human intervention, achieving the highest degree of automation. It is particularly suitable for harsh environments where personnel are at risk or cannot reach (such as toxic environments, disaster sites, and long-term nighttime surveillance). Closed-loop management reduces the risks caused by human error, and the system can autonomously make optimal decisions based on real-time status, making it more robust.

[0037] This invention is not an improvement on a single module, but rather a core architectural innovation (mobile platform) that induces two derivative advantages (miniaturization of sub-machines and autonomous closed-loop). The three are interconnected and together constitute an unprecedented, efficient, intelligent and flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm system solution.

[0038] A method for illuminating a swarm of drones with a fiber optic lighting system includes the following steps:

[0039] Step 1: The ground monitoring station sends the lighting area information to the mother drone; the scheduling module assigns target location points to the drone slaves;

[0040] Step 2: The drone slave unit flies to the designated location to perform lighting operations and continuously monitors its own battery level;

[0041] Step 3: When the battery level of the drone slave unit is lower than the preset threshold, its autonomous homing decision module sends a homing request to the drone mother unit 10;

[0042] Step 4: After receiving the request, the scheduling module generates a scheduling policy and permits the drone sub-unit to return to base;

[0043] Step 5: The backup drone slave unit located on the wireless charging device of the main drone unit is triggered to take over the lighting of the drone slave unit with insufficient power. The drone slave unit returns and lands on the wireless charging device of the main drone unit to charge.

[0044] In step five, the precision guidance module provides guidance signals to the returning drone sub-unit to assist it in landing accurately.

[0045] The preset threshold is a value dynamically calculated based on the real-time distance between the drone slave unit and the mother unit.

[0046] The scheduling module calculates the optimal task succession plan based on the battery level, location, and task priority of all drone sub-units in order to maximize the overall system endurance.

[0047] The UAV mother unit 10 and UAV daughter unit 20 also include a mother flight wing 100 and a daughter flight wing 200; the wing direction of the mother flight wing 100 is opposite to that of the daughter flight wing 200.

[0048] Specifically, the present invention also includes a UAV fiber optic lighting module, comprising a general tether, a lighting module 3, and an optical fiber 202.

[0049] The universal tethering system includes a tethered battery compartment 1, a ground tethering base 4, and a cable 201. The tethered battery compartment 1 is installed inside the UAV body. The tethered battery compartment 1 includes a battery housing 101, a control module 102, a power battery 103, and a power supply module 104. The power supply module 104 includes other components that can perform corresponding functions, such as the cable 201 adapter. The power supply module 104 is electrically connected to the power battery 103.

[0050] The ground tethering base 4 is located on the ground. The ground tethering base 4 includes a base housing 401, a power supply 403, and a light source emitting component 404. The power supply 403, the light source emitting component 404, and the cable winding and unwinding component 402 are disposed inside the base housing 401. The power supply 403 provides power to the light source emitting component 404 and the cable 201. The cable winding and unwinding component 402 uses the existing motor-driven winding drum to realize the winding and unwinding of the cable. The cable 201 and the optical fiber 202 are located inside the composite cable 2 and are wound on the cable winding and unwinding component 402. The other end of the cable 201 is connected to the power supply module 104.

[0051] The light source emitting assembly 404 includes a fiber optic 202 laser and a heat sink. The heat sink is used to dissipate heat from the fiber optic 202 laser. The heat sink adopts a common air-cooled heat dissipation structure, which will not be described in detail here.

[0052] The lighting module 3 is installed on the UAV mother unit 10. The lighting module 3 includes a housing 301, a fluorescence conversion layer 302, a reflector 303, a light-diffusing lens 305, and a dimming lens 306. The housing 301 is made of thermally conductive metal. In this embodiment, the housing 301 is made of aluminum alloy. The side of the housing 301 is provided with multiple heat dissipation plates that are spaced vertically. Through the thermal conductivity of the aluminum alloy itself and the cooperation of the heat dissipation plates, the housing 301 can maintain a suitable temperature during operation. A mounting groove is formed on the lower surface of the outer casing 301. A reflector 303 is installed within the mounting groove. A light source entrance hole 304 is formed on both the reflector 303 and the outer casing 301. One end of the reflector 303 is connected to the light source emitting assembly 404, and the other end of the optical fiber 202 is connected to the light source entrance hole 304. A fluorescence conversion layer 302 is attached inside the reflector 303 and located at the focal point of the reflector 303. Specifically, the vertical cross-section of the reflector 303 is fan-shaped, and the light source is focused through the curved surface. The curve of the fan-shaped section within the vertical cross-section is parabolic. The fluorescence conversion layer 302 is made of fluorescent ceramic. A homogenizing lens 305, which is a compound eye lens, is installed at the opening of the mounting groove. A dimming lens 306, which is a plano-convex lens, is installed below the mounting groove.

[0053] Compared with existing technologies, this solution is based on the original charging compartment of existing small and medium-sized UAVs. The space reserved by reducing the original battery capacity is used to install the tethered battery compartment 1, which effectively realizes the universality of the fiber optic 202 lighting system and reduces the weight of the UAV. By placing the light source transmitter on the ground and conducting the excitation of the fluorescence conversion layer 302 through the fiber optic 202, the volume and weight of the lighting system inside the UAV can be effectively reduced, the weight of the power battery 103 and cable 201 can be significantly reduced, and the flight efficiency of the UAV can be improved.

[0054] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the invention should be included within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with a fiber optic lighting system, characterized in that, It includes a UAV mother unit (10), at least one UAV daughter unit (20), and a ground monitoring station; The UAV mother unit (10) includes a communication relay module for establishing a communication connection with the ground monitoring station and the UAV daughter unit (20), a scheduling module connected to the communication relay module for generating task scheduling instructions based on the received lighting task and daughter unit status information, a wireless charging transmitter module for wirelessly charging the landing UAV daughter unit (20), a precise positioning guidance module connected to the scheduling module for sending guidance signals to the returning UAV daughter unit (20), and an optical fiber lighting module for illuminating a certain area. The fiber optic lighting module includes a general tether, a lighting module, and an optical fiber. The general tether is located on the ground, and the lighting module is installed inside the UAV mother unit. The lighting module includes a housing, a fluorescence conversion layer, a reflector, a light-diffusing lens, and a dimming lens. A mounting groove is formed on the lower surface of the housing, and the reflector is installed in the mounting groove. Light source entrance holes are formed on the reflector and the housing. One end of the optical fiber is connected to the light source emitting component in the general tether located on the ground, and the other end of the optical fiber is connected to the light source entrance hole. The fluorescence conversion layer is attached to the reflector and located at the focal point of the reflector. A light-diffusing lens is installed at the opening of the mounting groove, and a dimming lens is installed below the mounting groove. The UAV subunit (20) includes a subunit communication module for establishing a connection with the communication relay module, receiving the task scheduling instruction and sending its own status information, a lighting module for performing lighting tasks, an energy status monitoring module for real-time monitoring of its own battery power, connected to the subunit communication module, a subunit flight control module for controlling the flight of the UAV and the start and stop of the lighting control module, and a subunit autonomous return decision module for sending a return request to the UAV mother unit through the subunit communication module when the battery power is lower than a preset threshold, and controlling the flight control module to perform the return.

2. The drone swarm with fiber optic lighting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The UAV mother unit (10) also includes an energy management module, which is connected to the scheduling management module and the wireless charging transmitter module, for managing the power distribution of the UAV mother unit and controlling the start and stop of the wireless charging transmitter module.

3. A drone swarm with a fiber optic lighting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The precision guidance module includes a guidance beacon mounted on the mother drone and a sensor mounted on the daughter drone that works in conjunction with the guidance beacon. The guidance beacon is used to continuously transmit guidance signals, and the sensor is used to receive the signals and calculate its relative position and attitude with respect to the mother drone, and send the position and attitude information to the flight control module of the daughter drone to achieve autonomous landing with centimeter-level accuracy.

4. A drone swarm with a fiber optic lighting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the autonomous homing decision module receives a mandatory recall command from the scheduling management module, it also controls the flight control module to execute the return to home.

5. A swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with a fiber optic lighting system, characterized in that, The scheduling module is configured to: upon receiving a homing request from a drone slave unit, schedule another drone slave unit with sufficient power to go to its lighting position to maintain continuous coverage of the lighting area.

6. A lighting method for a drone swarm with a fiber optic lighting system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: The ground monitoring station sends the lighting area information to the UAV mothership; The scheduling module assigns target location points to the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sub-units. Step 2: The drone sub-unit flies to the designated location to perform lighting operations and continuously monitors its own battery level; Step 3: When the battery level of the UAV slave unit is lower than the preset threshold, its autonomous homing decision module sends a homing request to the UAV mother unit (10); Step 4: After receiving the request, the scheduling module generates a scheduling policy and permits the UAV sub-unit to return to base; Step 5: The backup drone slave unit located on the wireless charging device of the main drone unit is triggered to take over the lighting of the drone slave unit with insufficient power. The drone slave unit returns and lands on the wireless charging device of the main drone unit to charge.

7. The UAV lighting method according to claim 6, characterized in that, In step five, the precision guidance module provides guidance signals to the returning drone sub-unit to assist it in landing accurately.

8. The UAV lighting method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The preset threshold is a value dynamically calculated based on the real-time distance between the drone slave unit and the mother unit.

9. The UAV lighting method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The scheduling module calculates the optimal task succession scheme based on the battery level, location, and task priority of all drone sub-units in order to maximize the overall system endurance.

10. A drone swarm with a fiber optic lighting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The UAV mother unit (10) and the UAV daughter unit (20) further include a mother flight wing (100) and a daughter flight wing (200); the wing direction of the mother flight wing (100) is opposite to that of the daughter flight wing (200).

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