Management system for aircraft

Abstract

A management system (1) for aircrafts comprises a plurality of aircrafts (1) and at least one logistics support unit (2) for the aircrafts (1). Each aircraft (1) comprises a service container (10) adapted to contain service material, the service container (10) comprising at least one inlet port for said service material, said service container (10) being fixed to the aircraft (1) by means of a connection cable (11), said logistics support unit (2) comprising at least one resupply compartment (20), the recharge compartment (20) has an inlet opening (21), an outlet opening (22) and is delimited by one or more side walls (23) and a top wall (24). The re-replenishment compartment (20) comprises a re-replenishment device of the service container (10). The inlet opening (21) of the resupply compartment (20) has a capture system (4) of said cable (11) and a funnel element (3) comprising one or more walls (31, 32, 33) configured to converge the service container (10) towards the inlet opening (21), said top wall (24) comprising a slot (25) in communication with the capture system (4) of the cable (11) and configured for passage of the cable (11), this causes the aircraft (1) to fly over the recharging compartment (20) with the top wall (24) interposed between the drone (1) and the service container (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The object of the present invention is a management system for air vehicles, the management system comprising multiple air vehicles and at least one logistics support unit for said air vehicles.

[0002] Each airborne vehicle includes a service container adapted to contain service materials, the service container including at least one inlet port for the service materials. The service container is secured to the airborne vehicle via connecting cables. Additionally, the logistics support unit includes at least one resupply compartment having an inlet opening, an outlet opening, and being defined by one or more side walls and a top wall, the resupply compartment including resupply equipment for the service container.

[0003] As will be apparent from the following description, the system for the purposes of this invention can provide management of any airborne vehicle, whether it is piloted by a pilot or associated with a remotely operated vehicle (UAV).

[0004] However, the system for which this invention is intended has particularly advantageous characteristics for remotely controlled aircraft, especially unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Background Technology

[0005] In the known technological fields of drones, one of the main problems is "precise landing" or the correct identification of precise landing points.

[0006] In fact, incorrect estimation of the landing point can not only lead to damage to the drone due to an unwanted impact, but also cause the service platform (i.e., the logistics support unit) to malfunction, with the risk of temporary platform downtime, which will prevent the performance of the required services.

[0007] This issue is particularly relevant in cases such as fleets of drones used for firefighting or video surveillance services, as is the case with patent EP3463592, Italian patent application 102020000007225 and international patent application WO2022112964, the contents of which are considered part of this patent application.

[0008] In the prior art, there are two main types of solutions for achieving precise landing. The first type (preferably for non-specialized fields) is related to optical systems, which involve objects on the drone communicating with optical devices, so that the drone can be guided once it reaches the landing point.

[0009] Because this system is excessively affected by external conditions (such as insufficient visibility caused by atmospheric events, fog, suspended particles, equipment pollution, etc.), its drawbacks are obvious.

[0010] The second solution is the most commonly used in professional fields and is related to the use of radio signals and positioning systems (such as GPS or similar devices).

[0011] This system measures the position of an object relative to a satellite, but it introduces errors, typically no less than one meter.

[0012] Expensive systems can improve GPS accuracy, achieving centimeter-level precision.

[0013] However, such a system is affected by its operating configuration, as any structure, building, or tree can cause interference, thereby disrupting signal reception and processing.

[0014] In addition to the issue of "precision landing," especially in the case of drone fleets, a particularly relevant parameter is the service time for resupplying each drone.

[0015] One of the requirements is to have very fast drone service time, which means having a small number of logistics support units to manage a large number of drones within a limited time.

[0016] This need becomes particularly relevant in the case of a fleet of drones used for fire management, where the drones include containers of firefighting fluids that must be reloaded by logistics support units.

[0017] In this case, service time may also depend on the necessary reload time for each container.

[0018] As will become apparent from the following description, the present invention is not limited to firefighting operations, but can be preferably used for all those activities involving the discharge of materials from an elevated position, such as operations intended for sowing fields.

[0019] The system intended for use in this invention can also be used, for example, for material transport operations from one location to another, where multiple drone trips and resupply steps for the transported materials are required. Regardless of the specific application, container resupply can be time-consuming and carries the risk of "queuing" for resupply units, as managing several drones simultaneously is particularly complex.

[0020] Therefore, there is a need for a management system for air vehicles that addresses the aforementioned shortcomings, and in particular, an air vehicle management system that allows for the efficient resupply of service materials transported by at least the air vehicle itself, without requiring long periods of time and in a fully automated manner, thereby ensuring the precise positioning of containers and optimally allowing for their resupply, which is not possible with systems known in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0021] The present invention achieves the above-described objectives by implementing a system as described above, wherein the entrance opening of the resupply compartment has a cable capture system and a funnel element comprising one or more walls configured to converge the service container toward the entrance opening.

[0022] The top wall includes a slot that communicates with and is configured for cable capture systems to allow cables to pass through, enabling the air vehicle to fly above the resupply compartment, with the top wall positioned between the air vehicle and the service container.

[0023] Since resupply time is a bottleneck preventing the service of a large number of airborne aircraft in the airborne fleet management system, the system for which this invention is intended strongly limits the duration of this period.

[0024] In fact, resupply time is not just the time it takes to reload containers, but is related to the time between the landing, resupply, and takeoff of an aircraft.

[0025] Therefore, the first distinction can be noted: the system for the purpose of this invention does not provide landing for the airborne vehicle, which continues to fly above the logistics support unit without the need for landing and takeoff.

[0026] Only the service container is captured in the resupply compartment, and the drone and service container move during the resupply of the service container.

[0027] The overall concept is that the system, which is the object of this invention, minimizes the time that shared resources (i.e., logistics support units) are occupied, allowing for faster and more optimized management of resupply to different aircraft, thereby creating an efficient system.

[0028] The general configuration just described is particularly effective when the service container may be reloaded during movement, i.e., during transport of the service container within the resupply compartment.

[0029] Additionally, the optimal configuration is achieved when the reloading and filling time of the service container is less than or equal to the time it takes for the air vehicle to fly above the logistics support unit.

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment, in the event that such conditions are not available, the system provides a resupply compartment comprising: at least one replacement container filled with service material and positioned at an outlet opening; and a separation device and a coupling device, the separation device separating the aircraft from the service container and the coupling device coupling the aircraft to the replacement container.

[0031] During the separation / connection of the air vehicle with the service container and replacement container, the air vehicle flies above the resupply compartment, with the top wall between the air vehicle and the service container and replacement container.

[0032] This configuration allows for the complete elimination of resupply waiting time; the airship arrives, stores empty service containers, and picks up full replacement containers. Furthermore, according to the variant just described, the container reloading time is independent of the dwell time (i.e., the airship's occupation of the logistics support unit). In this case, the occupation period will depend on the logistics support unit's airship transport schedule.

[0033] It is obvious that the longer the connection / disconnection time, the shorter the occupancy time of the logistics support unit.

[0034] From this perspective, two or more replacement containers can be provided, especially when the reloading time of the service container is longer than the time between separation and reconnection (i.e., the time it takes for the air vehicle to leave the service container and retrieve the replacement container). Starting from the two general configurations described above, several improvements to the system for which this invention is intended can be envisioned, aimed at improving the management efficiency of air vehicles. For example, specific embodiments of both the funnel element and the cable capture system can be provided, which will be described below by way of examples of some embodiments.

[0035] It is obvious that the system for which this invention is intended cannot utilize the gravity of the service container to properly insert into the resupply compartment. However, when the aircraft approaches the logistics support unit, the service container is empty, so the inclination of the funnel element's wall ensures that the service container is quickly and efficiently inserted through the inlet opening of the resupply compartment.

[0036] According to a possible embodiment, the resupply compartment includes cable connection and transmission devices. In this way, due to the risk of tilting caused by the resistance provided by the cable sliding inside the slot, the aircraft will not pull the cable; instead, the aircraft will accompany the cable's movement within the slot via a traction device.

[0037] Therefore, the airborne vehicle adjusts its flight speed to match the speed of the traction device and does not find itself flying in a dangerous tilted position, which could jeopardize its operation. This embodiment is particularly advantageous in conjunction with the fact that sensors on the airborne vehicle are used to detect the mechanical tension acting on the cable.

[0038] In this way, once the aircraft detects tension, it means that the cable has been captured by the capture system, and therefore the aircraft will have to adjust its flight speed.

[0039] The reduced flight speed also has a positive impact on the separation / connection mechanism, which will allow for a longer period of time to replace the service container with a replacement container.

[0040] As is well known, in the prior art, aircraft are particularly accurate in identifying flight altitude, but not so accurate in identifying horizontal planes. Therefore, according to a possible embodiment, the logistics support unit includes two resupply compartments arranged at two different altitudes relative to the horizontal plane.

[0041] If, based on the available space between two aircraft, it is possible to simultaneously serve both aircraft—specifically, for accurate altitude positioning—two resupply compartments can be set at two different altitudes to optimize the space occupied by the logistics support unit compared to the space required to simultaneously resupply two drones. In fact, preferably, the logistics support unit consists of one or more containers mounted on a truck, allowing for rapid deployment and use of the system via a drivable vehicle that can carry both replacement containers and service material crates.

[0042] These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by means of a system according to the appended independent claims and sub-claims.

[0043] Optional features of the system of the present invention are included in the appended dependent claims, which constitute an integral part of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0044] These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following disclosure of some embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of a system for managing a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles, which is the subject of this invention; Figures 2a to 2c The illustration shows three views of a possible embodiment of a logistics support unit belonging to the system that is the object of the present invention; Figures 3a to 3j The illustration shows the function of the system for the purposes of this invention.

[0045] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings of this patent application only illustrate some possible embodiments of the management system for an airborne fleet that is the object of the present invention, in order to better understand the advantages and features described herein.

[0046] Therefore, these embodiments are purely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the inventive concept of the present invention, which provides an airborne vehicle management system capable of efficiently and quickly resupplying at least the service materials carried by the airborne vehicle itself without long delivery times, and ensuring precise container positioning in a fully automated manner, which is optimal for resupply. Detailed Implementation

[0047] For details, please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 2c The illustration shows a preferred embodiment of a drone management system, which includes a plurality of drones 1 and at least one logistics support unit 2 for the drones 1.

[0048] For simplicity of explanation, only one drone 1 is depicted in the accompanying drawings, but it will be apparent from the following description that the features shown remain unchanged in the presence of one, two, or more drones 1.

[0049] The drone 1 includes at least one service container 10, which is adapted to contain service materials and includes at least one inlet port for the service materials.

[0050] Preferably, but not exclusively, the drone 1 of the system for the purpose of this invention is a drone whose propellers are propelled by using fuel, rather than an electrically driven drone that requires a power battery.

[0051] For this purpose, the service container 10 may have several compartments, particularly in the case of fire-fighting applications, a compartment for accommodating, for example, water, and a compartment for accommodating fuel that allows the supply of fuel to the drone 1.

[0052] Generally, the term "service material" refers to the material contained in the service container 10, regardless of how many compartments exist within the container 10.

[0053] Therefore, cable 11 can have several functions, in particular: • Connecting pipes for holding fuel in container 10 to supply the drone; • Support cables are used to support the weight of the service materials of container 10.

[0054] The inlet port for filling container 10 will also allow for the filling of different compartments.

[0055] In fact, according to one embodiment, the drone 1, container 10, and cable 11 are made according to one or more features described in patent application WO2022112964, the contents of which are considered to be part of this patent application.

[0056] In the specific case shown in the accompanying drawings, container 10 is connected to drone 1 via cable 11 and connecting flange system 12. A first flange is integral with the cable, and a second flange is integral with container 10.

[0057] The two flanges mate to secure the container 10 to the cable 11. For this purpose, the resupply compartment 20 advantageously includes a connection / disconnection device for the first and second flanges, as described later.

[0058] The logistics support unit 2 includes a resupply compartment 20 having an inlet opening 21, an outlet opening 22 and being defined by one or more side walls 23 and a top wall 24.

[0059] According to the variant illustrated in the figure, the logistics support unit 2 is composed of trucks, in which the filling compartments are integrated into a conventional container with a parallelepiped shape having side walls 23 and a top wall 24.

[0060] The container integrates resupply tanks (such as water tanks and fuel tanks) and resupply devices to allow for the filling and resupply of container 10 carried by drone 1.

[0061] exist Figure 2a The image shows a portion of the logistics support unit 2 and a container 100, which will be described later as a replacement container 100 filled with service materials.

[0062] The filling device can be implemented using any method known in the prior art. For example, the refill compartment 20 can have boxes in the lower part of the container and provide outlet ports above these boxes for the material contained in the boxes, on which the containers 10, 100 to be filled are placed.

[0063] The logistics support unit 2 has a funnel element 3 configured to converge the service container 10 toward the inlet opening 21.

[0064] refer to Figure 2a and Figure 2b In the specific case shown in the accompanying drawings, the funnel element 3 has three walls converging toward the inlet opening 21, specifically the two side walls 31 and 32 and the lower wall 33.

[0065] The two sidewalls 31 and 32 are positioned perpendicular to the horizontal plane and converge toward the opening 4, while wall 33 is positioned perpendicular to the lateral plane (i.e., Figure 2a The plane in which the view is located also converges toward the entrance opening 21.

[0066] The UAV 1, which is close to the logistics support unit 2 and the container 10 is at the height of the funnel element, will be able to easily insert the container 10 into the inlet opening 21, thanks to the impact of the container 10 with the inlet surfaces 31, 32 and 33, which will also accompany the container 10 toward the inlet opening 21, thanks to, for example, a surface with a thousand marbles, as will be described later.

[0067] The funnel element 3 has walls 31, 32 and 33 located only on three sides, because it receives the cable 11 capture system 4 in the upper part.

[0068] like Figure 2c As clearly illustrated, there are two triangular elements 41, and on their long sides there are two elongated elements 410, configured to form a “V” shaped loop.

[0069] like Figure 2c As shown, from above, the capture system 4 appears to consist of two forked components that intercept cable 11 during the operation of the UAV and guide the cable 11 toward the resupply compartment 20 of the logistics support unit 2 by sliding the cable 11 on one of the two elongated components 410.

[0070] For this purpose, the logistics support unit 2 has a slot 25 on the top wall 24, which extends longitudinally to the logistics support unit 2 and has a certain width, which is slightly larger than the diameter of the cable 11.

[0071] Once the above characteristics have been evaluated, it becomes possible to analyze the operation of the system for which this invention is intended, with particular reference to... Figures 3a to 3j .

[0072] Figure 3a and Figure 3b The illustration shows the stage where the UAV 1 approaches the logistics support unit 2: UAVs known in the prior art have a precise control system for detecting the desired flight altitude, but this control system is not very accurate for movement on the horizontal plane.

[0073] Therefore, the drone can be set to fly at a certain altitude, that is, at a height higher than the top wall 24, so that the container 10 is at the height of the funnel element 3.

[0074] Even in cases where the positioning is not precise on the horizontal plane, the elements 41 of the capture system 4 and the walls 31, 32 and 33 of the funnel element 3 will help to position the container 10 in alignment with the inlet opening 21.

[0075] As the drone 1 approaches the logistics support unit 2, cable 11 is intercepted by component 410, which guides the cable toward slot 25. Simultaneously, container 10 impacts walls 31, 32, and 33 and is guided toward inlet opening 21.

[0076] Then, the drone 1 continues to fly at a constant altitude toward the exit opening 22 in order to pull the container 10 and the cable 11 so that the container 10 enters the resupply compartment 20. Figure 3c and Figure 3d The illustration shows the situation: the drone has pushed container 10 into resupply compartment 20.

[0077] To allow for precise positioning of container 10, a resupply compartment 20 may be provided with a track 26 into which a flange system 12 is inserted: since the flange system 12 is fixed relative to both cable 11 and container 10, the track 26 forces the flange system 12 to be precisely positioned, thereby transmitting this correct positioning to container 10 and drone 1, which will always be aligned with top wall 24.

[0078] According to a possible embodiment, the drone 1 has an onboard sensor designed to detect the mechanical tension of the cable 11: in this way, once the drone 1 senses the tension, it detects that the container 10 has been inserted into the inlet opening 21.

[0079] Therefore, the drone 1 can be programmed to maintain a certain cruising speed so as not to create excessive tension on the cable 11 and / or even if the drone 1 may be blocked.

[0080] Alternatively or in combination with this feature, the resupply compartment 20 may have means for pulling cables 11 and / or containers 10.

[0081] Therefore, a drone 1 propelled by a traction device can be provided, that is, the drone adjusts its speed so that the speed of the drone is lower than the traction speed of the cable traction device 11 and / or the container 10.

[0082] As expected, the flange system 12 has a first flange integral with the cable 11 and a second flange integral with the container 10, which cooperate with each other to connect / disconnect the container 10 from the drone 1.

[0083] like Figure 3e and Figure 3f As illustrated, the flange system allows the drone to detach from container 10, which is stored inside a resupply compartment to be filled with service materials.

[0084] The separation devices can be integrated inside the track 26. They are inserted between the first flange and the second flange, so that the container 10 remains fixed in place, while the drone 1 can continue to fly above the top wall 24 of the resupply compartment 20.

[0085] Preferably, such a separation device is located in the refill area of ​​container 10 so that container 10 can be refilled in the shortest possible time once it is removed from cable 11.

[0086] Drone 1 continued towards exit opening 22 and encountered replacement container 100 at the exit opening. Figure 3g and Figure 3h .

[0087] Thanks to the aforementioned flange system, the replacement container 100 has been pre-filled with service material and is connected to the drone 1.

[0088] In fact, at the replacement container 100, there is a connecting device in the track 26 that associates the first flange of the drone 1 with the third flange of the container 100 in a manner similar to the second flange of the container 10.

[0089] At this point, drone 1 has connected to container 100 filled with service materials, thus allowing drone 1 to continue its operations. Therefore, drone 1 continues its journey, and container 100 exits from outlet opening 22, see reference. Figure 3i and Figure 3j .

[0090] Once filled, service container 10 is then moved to the location of container 100, which has left the empty workstation, to be loaded by the next drone served in resupply compartment 20. Clearly, for all drones belonging to the system that is the object of this invention, Figures 3a to 3j The content described herein may be repeated any number of times.

[0091] While the present invention can be modified and alternatively constructed in various ways, some preferred embodiments have been shown and described in detail in the accompanying drawings.

[0092] However, it should be understood that this does not mean that the invention is limited to the specific illustrated embodiments; rather, it is intended to cover all modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents that fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0093] Unless otherwise stated, the use of “e.g.,” “etc.,” or “or” indicates a non-exclusive alternative and is not limited.

[0094] Unless otherwise stated, the word “including” means “including but not limited to”.

Claims

1. An air vehicle management system (1) comprising a plurality of air vehicles (1) and at least one logistics support unit (2) for said air vehicles (1). Each air vehicle (1) includes a service container (10) adapted to contain service materials, the service container (10) including at least one inlet port for the service materials. The service container (10) is fixed to the air vehicle (1) via a connecting cable (11). The logistics support unit (2) includes at least one resupply compartment (20) having an inlet opening (21), an outlet opening (22), and being defined by one or more side walls (23) and a top wall (24). The resupply compartment (20) includes means for resupplying the service container (10). Its features are, The inlet opening (21) of the resupply compartment (20) has a cable (11) capture system (4) and a funnel element (3) including one or more walls (31, 32, 33) configured to converge the service container (10) toward the inlet opening (21). The top wall (24) includes a slot (25) that is connected to and configured to allow the cable (11) to pass through the capture system (4) of the cable (11) so that the air vehicle (1) flies over the resupply compartment (20), wherein the top wall (24) is located between the air vehicle (1) and the service container (10).

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the resupply compartment (20) comprises: At least one replacement container (100) is filled with service material and positioned at the outlet opening (22); And a separation device and a coupling device, wherein during the separation / coupling of the air vehicle (1) from the service container (10) and the replacement container (100) of the air vehicle (1) flying above the resupply compartment (20), the separation device is used to separate the air vehicle (1) from the service container (10) and the coupling device is used to connect the air vehicle (1) to the replacement container (100), wherein the top wall (24) is located between the air vehicle (1) and the service container (10) and the replacement container (100).

3. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the capture system (4) of the cable (11) comprises the upper portion of the funnel element (3), the funnel element comprising two elongated elements (410) whose longitudinal axes converge in the direction of the inlet opening (21) to form a "V" shape in which their apex communicates with the slot (25).

4. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the resupply compartment (20) includes cable connection and transmission device (11).

5. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the funnel element (3) comprises at least two walls (31, 32) arranged perpendicular to the horizontal plane and arranged to converge toward the inlet opening (21), the upper edges of the two walls (31, 32) forming a fork-shaped element configured to intercept the cable (11) during flight of the air vehicle (1) and guide the cable toward the slot (25).

6. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the funnel element (3) has a rectangular cross section along a plane parallel to the inlet opening (21), the funnel element (3) having three walls (31, 32, 33) arranged to converge in the direction of the inlet opening (21) and arranged on the vertical side and the lower side of the rectangular cross section.

7. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the air vehicle (1) includes a sensor designed to detect the mechanical tension of the cable (11).

8. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling device and the separation device are composed of a first flange, a second flange and a third flange, the first flange being fixed to the end of the cable (11) opposite to the end fixed to the air vehicle (1), the second flange being fixed to the service container, the third flange being fixed to the replacement container (100), and having means for coupling / separating the first flange from the second flange and / or the third flange.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the resupply compartment (20) has a guide rail (26) at least the first flange at the slot (25).

10. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the logistics support unit comprises two resupply compartments arranged at two different heights relative to the horizontal plane.

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