Low-altitude elevator tower for taking off and landing of unmanned aerial vehicle and networked logistics method

Abstract

The invention discloses a low-altitude elevator tower for taking off and landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle and a networked logistics method, and belongs to the technical field of urban air traffic infrastructures. Comprising an upper hub formed by stacking multiple layers of take-off and landing platforms, a tower footing, a low-altitude elevator module, an unmanned aerial vehicle take-off and landing deck and a control center, and further integrates system modules such as aircraft and cargo preparation and intelligent path planning and scheduling. The method is characterized in that high-energy-consumption vertical climbing / descending tasks of the unmanned aerial vehicle are undertaken through a low-altitude elevator module, and efficient vertical transfer of the unmanned aerial vehicle and goods and leapfrog type relay distribution between towers are achieved in combination with a multi-layer structured take-off and landing platform and a central dispatching system. According to the method, the energy utilization efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicle is remarkably improved, air traffic conflicts are avoided, the safety and order of taking-off and landing are enhanced, the reusability of infrastructures and the throughput capacity of the system are improved, full-process automation and networked collaborative operation are supported, diversified tail end distribution scenes are adapted, and reliable technical support is provided for large-scale low-altitude logistics operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of urban air transportation infrastructure technology, specifically to a low-altitude elevator tower for drone take-off and landing and a networked logistics method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, drones (especially multi-rotor drones) consume the most energy during vertical takeoff and landing and climb phases. Their rotor systems have a much lower energy conversion efficiency during gravity counter-force processes compared to the horizontal cruise phase. This energy waste severely limits the effective range and payload capacity of drones. As drone logistics develops towards large-scale and high-frequency operations, this problem becomes increasingly prominent. In short-distance, multi-batch delivery scenarios within cities, frequent vertical takeoffs and landings keep battery life constantly at a critical level, requiring frequent battery swapping and charging, significantly reducing delivery turnover. Furthermore, the dispersed charging infrastructure leads to high operating costs. In addition, existing discrete drone takeoff and landing points are typically located on the ground, occupying ground space and easily affected by ground traffic and pedestrian activity. The lack of physical isolation and unified scheduling during takeoff and landing poses safety risks and hinders efficient networked collaboration and relay transportation.

[0003] With the rapid development of the low-altitude economy, the number of drones has exploded, posing a severe challenge to the existing low-altitude traffic management system. The lack of a unified airspace coordination mechanism for discrete take-off and landing points leads to chaotic and disorderly drone flight paths, increasing the risk of collisions with other aircraft and urban buildings, and potentially interfering with civil aviation low-altitude routes. This results in a continuous rise in low-altitude traffic congestion and safety risks. Furthermore, existing technologies have failed to establish an effective hierarchical airspace management, dynamic route planning, and conflict avoidance system, making them unsuitable for the airspace usage needs of future large-scale low-altitude logistics. Simultaneously, the limited service radius of existing single-point take-off and landing platforms makes it difficult to form a wide-area logistics network. Long-distance transportation tasks require manual intervention for transfers, increasing labor costs and increasing the risk of cargo damage and delivery delays. Moreover, many platforms are designed for specific drone models, lacking standardized interfaces and adaptation mechanisms, making it difficult to be compatible with multiple brands and specifications of drones, thus limiting network flexibility and scalability.

[0004] While some simple drone landing pad designs exist, they fail to address the fundamental energy efficiency issues during the vertical climb phase. They also lack the layered and directional structured organization of low-altitude routes found in tower-type hub networks, and cannot support large-scale relay operations across nodes. Existing technologies, including various drone landing platforms and even rooftop logistics systems, have been proposed, but most focus on single-point takeoff and landing functions or simple package storage and retrieval. They fail to systematically address the automation and optimization of the entire process from order placement, drone and cargo preparation, route planning, cross-tower relay delivery to last-mile delivery from a networked collaborative operation perspective. Particularly in multi-drone, multi-hub collaborative operations, there is a lack of comprehensive technical solutions for continuous aircraft status monitoring, dynamic task scheduling, and rapid fault response. There are no effective emergency mechanisms for sudden in-flight malfunctions such as battery anomalies and communication interruptions. Fault detection and maintenance are lagging, and seamless integration of low-altitude logistics and ground delivery is not achieved, resulting in low last-mile transfer efficiency and severely hindering the large-scale, commercial implementation of drone logistics. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention aims to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a low-altitude elevator tower and a networked logistics method that can support large-scale, networked low-altitude logistics operations, solving problems such as high energy consumption, high safety risks, and low efficiency of networked collaboration for UAVs' vertical take-off and landing.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A low-altitude elevator tower for drone take-off and landing includes an upper hub and a tower base formed by stacking multiple take-off and landing platforms, wherein the tower-shaped hub station integrates:

[0008] The tower base is a raised support structure with an internal cavity;

[0009] The low-altitude elevator module is set in the base cavity and extends through the upper hub, including a lifting motor, guide rails and a carrying pallet that can carry drones and goods;

[0010] The drone take-off and landing deck, located on each level of the upper hub's take-off and landing platform, is equipped with standardized parking positions, guide lights, and charging / battery swapping interfaces, and is adjacent to the vertical logistics shaft;

[0011] The control center, integrated inside the tower, serves as a local node of the central dispatch and control system.

[0012] Furthermore, the take-off and landing platform has a cross-shaped structure with preset directional openings on its upper and lower levels, forming a three-dimensional one-way circular airway. The space above the platform allows unmanned aerial vehicles or aircraft that do not require refueling to land to pass through.

[0013] Furthermore, the low-altitude elevator module has an energy recovery function, converting potential energy into electrical energy during the descent.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes an aircraft and cargo preparation module, which is located at the base of the tower or on a specific floor and includes an aircraft storage area, a status self-inspection unit, a cargo temporary storage area, and an automated assembly unit.

[0015] Furthermore, the control center integrates an intelligent path planning and scheduling module to process transportation orders, plan optimal flight routes, and schedule low-altitude elevators to vertically transfer aircraft or cargo to the target takeoff platform.

[0016] Furthermore, the drones take off from a designated location on the low-altitude elevator's carrying tray or landing deck, with their flight destination being the nearest transport tower platform in the logistics network whose altitude matches their cruising altitude.

[0017] Furthermore, the control center communicates with the drone in real time, manages the charging / battery swapping process, and works in conjunction with the network central dispatch system to achieve status monitoring and fault switching.

[0018] A low-altitude logistics system comprising a distributed tower-type hub network consisting of a plurality of low-altitude elevator towers as described in any one of claims 1-7.

[0019] A networked logistics method for a low-altitude logistics system includes the following steps:

[0020] Receive transport orders and confirm that facilities and aircraft are in good working order; allocate and inspect aircraft, load cargo if normal, and reassign if malfunctioning; determine origin and destination platforms, and dispatch low-altitude elevators for transfer if not on the current floor; control aircraft to take off and fly to the target platform; check documents after landing, continue mission or unload cargo if there are no changes, and replan if there are changes.

[0021] Furthermore, after the goods are unloaded at the terminal tower, they are delivered via drones taking off from the bottom platform or transferred to the ground via low-altitude elevators, where they are then transported by ground vehicles to complete the last-mile delivery.

[0022] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] (1) Significantly improved energy efficiency: The most energy-consuming vertical climb / descent task of the UAV is offloaded to the low-altitude elevator with higher energy conversion efficiency. The low-altitude elevator has potential energy recovery function, which allows the UAV to concentrate its precious energy on horizontal cruising, providing core energy support for "leapfrog" relay delivery, and greatly improving the effective range and payload capacity of the UAV.

[0024] (2) Take-off and landing safety and order: The take-off and landing points are integrated into the three-dimensional circular airway of the tower-shaped hub to achieve physical isolation from ground activities; the three-dimensional one-way circular airway formed by the cross-shaped take-off and landing platform guides the UAV to enter or leave the cruise route at the designated altitude layer, fundamentally avoiding route intersections, reducing air traffic conflicts, and significantly improving take-off, landing and flight safety.

[0025] (3) Infrastructure reusability and system throughput optimization: A single platform can serve multiple drones. Through rapid vertical transfer via low-altitude elevators and rapid energy replenishment via take-off and landing decks, combined with standardized operating procedures, the throughput efficiency of hub nodes is greatly improved. The tower integrates multiple functional modules to achieve efficient reuse of infrastructure and reduce operating costs.

[0026] (4) Significant system synergy: As the core node of the distributed tower-type hub system, it supports the "leapfrog relay delivery mode of "high-level take-off, mid-level transfer, and vertical transfer", decomposes long-distance logistics tasks into efficient short-distance segments, and achieves a systemic efficiency leap; the fully automated operation reduces human intervention and improves the reliability of operation; the intelligent dynamic scheduling mechanism can cope with emergencies such as facility failure and order changes, and enhance the resilience of the system; it supports multiple modes such as drone last-mile delivery and ground transportation connection, adapts to different scenario needs, and improves the flexibility of logistics services. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a single tower-shaped hub station in this invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram (I) of the inter-level navigation channel layout of the cross-shaped take-off and landing platform in this invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram (II) of the inter-level navigation channel layout of the cross-shaped take-off and landing platform in this invention;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the system functional module architecture of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 A complete flowchart of the "leapfrog" relay delivery process;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a logical diagram of status monitoring and fault switching. Detailed Implementation

[0033] 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 some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0034] The present invention proposes a low-altitude elevator tower for UAV take-off and landing, characterized in that:

[0035] The tower-shaped hub station includes an upper hub and a tower base formed by stacking multiple take-off and landing platforms. The tower-shaped hub station integrates the following core components:

[0036] Tower base: This is a raised support structure with an internal cavity to house low-altitude elevator modules, logistics distribution centers, automatic battery swapping / charging stations, data control centers, and other facilities, providing a basic guarantee for the operation of the tower.

[0037] Low-altitude elevator module: installed in the base cavity of the tower and extending through the upper hub, including a lifting motor, guide rail and carrying tray. The carrying tray can carry drones and goods. Driven by the lifting motor, it moves vertically along the guide rail from the base level or lower floor platform to the designated floor or the top cruising height position, realizing the rapid vertical transfer of drones and goods. It also has an energy recovery function, which can convert potential energy into electrical energy during descent.

[0038] Drone landing deck: Located on each level of the upper hub, the landing platform has a cross-shaped structure with the upper and lower openings having a preset direction, forming a three-dimensional one-way circulation channel. The landing deck is equipped with standardized parking positions, guide lights and charging / battery swapping interfaces, and is adjacent to the vertical logistics shaft, which facilitates the rapid transfer of goods. The platform also has ample space above it, allowing drones or aircraft that do not need to recharge to land to pass through.

[0039] Control Center: Integrated inside the tower, serving as a local node of the central dispatch and control system, it is used to control the operation and scheduling of low-altitude elevators, communicate with drones and manage the charging / battery swapping process, and work in conjunction with the network central dispatch system to ensure the orderly operation of logistics tasks within and between towers;

[0040] Aircraft and cargo preparation module: located at the base of the tower or on a specific floor, including an aircraft storage area, a status self-check unit, a cargo temporary storage area, and an automated assembly unit; after the UAV arrives, it first performs a status self-check, and if it is normal, it proceeds with cargo assembly; in case of failure, the control center reassigns a backup aircraft.

[0041] Intelligent route planning and scheduling module: integrated into the control center, used to process transportation orders, determine the origin and destination stations, analyze the status of related platforms and plan the optimal flight route; if the take-off platform is not the floor where the aircraft is currently located, it automatically schedules a low-altitude elevator to vertically transfer the aircraft and / or cargo to the target take-off platform;

[0042] Multi-mode takeoff and cruise module: The drone can take off directly from the carrier tray of the low-altitude elevator or from other designated points on the takeoff and landing deck, and then glide to the cruise altitude, with the flight destination being the nearest transport tower platform in the logistics network whose altitude matches the cruise altitude.

[0043] Task execution and dynamic adjustment module: After the drone lands, the system automatically verifies the electronic transport document; if there are no changes, it continues to execute the subsequent task (fly to the next station or unload); if the document changes, the task is re-planned; after the goods are unloaded at the terminal tower, they can be delivered by drone or transported by ground vehicles via a low-altitude elevator.

[0044] This invention also discloses a networked logistics method, based on a distributed tower-type hub network composed of the aforementioned low-altitude elevator towers, comprising the following steps:

[0045] (1) Receive transportation orders and confirm that the take-off and landing platform and related facilities and the aircraft are in normal condition;

[0046] (2) Assign an aircraft to the transport order and check the status of the assigned aircraft; if the aircraft is normal, load the cargo onto the aircraft; if the aircraft malfunctions, reassign the aircraft.

[0047] (3) Determine the take-off platform and target platform for the transportation mission; if the take-off platform is not the platform where the aircraft is currently located, dispatch a low-altitude elevator to transfer the aircraft and cargo together, or transfer the cargo to the take-off platform through an independent cargo transportation channel and then rendezvous with the aircraft for assembly.

[0048] (4) Control the aircraft to take off from the designated position on the low-altitude elevator pallet or take-off and landing deck and fly to the target platform as the next stop;

[0049] (5) After the aircraft lands, it performs self-check and selective recharging, and verifies the electronic transport document. If the document is unchanged and the tower is not the destination, it continues to carry out the subsequent transport mission. If the tower is the destination, it performs unloading and last-mile delivery operations. If the verification of the electronic transport document reveals changes, it redetermines the origin, destination and route of the transport mission. Specific implementation examples:

[0051] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the specific implementation process:

[0052] I. Tower Operation Process (Taking Cargo Delivery as an Example)

[0053] Order Receipt and Resource Preparation: After receiving a transport order, the control center first performs status checks on the low-altitude elevator module, take-off and landing deck, charging / battery swapping facilities, etc., and confirms the availability of available aircraft. The system allocates a suitable aircraft for the order. The aircraft moves from the storage area to the preparation area and completes key indicator checks such as battery power, flight control system, and load capacity through the status self-check unit. If the self-check results show a fault, the control center immediately reassigns the aircraft from the backup aircraft. If the self-check is normal, the automated assembly unit precisely assembles the goods to be transported with the aircraft.

[0054] Route planning and vertical transfer: The intelligent route planning and scheduling module determines the starting station (current tower) and target station (next relay tower) of the transportation task based on the cargo destination information in the order. Combining real-time airspace conditions, load status of each hub node, and weather factors, it plans the optimal flight route and matches the corresponding takeoff platform (which must be compatible with the cruise altitude of the target tower). If the takeoff platform is not the floor where the aircraft is currently located, the control center dispatches a low-altitude elevator to the current floor and smoothly places the aircraft with the assembled cargo onto the carrying pallet. Alternatively, the cargo can be transferred to the takeoff platform first through an independent cargo transport channel, and then the aircraft and cargo can be assembled. Subsequently, the low-altitude elevator vertically lifts the aircraft and cargo along the guide rail to the target takeoff platform.

[0055] Takeoff and Cruise: After the aircraft arrives at the target takeoff platform, it can take off directly from the carrying tray of the low-altitude elevator or move to the designated takeoff point on the takeoff and landing deck according to the instructions of the multi-mode takeoff and cruise module. After takeoff, the aircraft mainly glides to the preset cruise altitude according to the guidance of the received communication signals, and then flies to the nearest target transport tower platform in the logistics network whose altitude matches the cruise altitude according to the planned optimal route. During the flight, it maintains real-time communication with the control center and provides feedback on the flight status.

[0056] The preset flight trajectory follows the following rules: considering that acceleration by gravity generally includes a descent trajectory, and in special cases it is a fully horizontal trajectory or a trajectory including a climb phase. The basic principle is that the trajectory space occupied by the aircraft does not overlap.

[0057] Arrival and Mission Continuation: After the aircraft arrives at the target transport tower, it descends to the corresponding take-off and landing deck with the assistance of the guidance system. The system first performs a status self-check on the aircraft and selectively replenishes its power (charging or battery swapping) based on the remaining battery level. At the same time, the control center verifies the electronic transport document to confirm whether the order information has changed. If the document has not changed and the current tower is not the transport destination, the aircraft replenishes its power and continues to perform the next segment of the transport mission. If the current tower is the destination, the unloading operation is carried out. The unloaded goods can be delivered to the recipient directly by taking off from the bottom platform of the destination tower by a drone; or transferred to the ground via a low-altitude elevator and then transported to the destination by ground vehicles.

[0058] II. Key Collaborative Control Mechanisms

[0059] Status monitoring and fault switching: The control center continuously monitors the real-time status of facilities (low-altitude elevators, take-off and landing decks, charging / battery swapping interfaces, etc.) and aircraft through a sensor network, and establishes a health status database. During the task allocation process, it is strictly based on the real-time health status of facilities and aircraft. If a facility suddenly fails or an abnormality occurs during flight, the system immediately triggers the fault response mechanism, seamlessly switching to backup facilities or reallocating aircraft to ensure that the transportation mission is not affected.

[0060] Dynamic route planning: The intelligent route planning and scheduling module integrates multi-dimensional data such as load data, airspace management information, and weather warnings from each hub node in real time, dynamically calculates and updates the optimal flight path; when electronic transport document information changes (such as changes in recipient address, emergency cargo relocation, etc.), the system quickly redetermines the origin, destination and route of the transport task, ensuring the flexibility and timeliness of logistics tasks.

[0061] The present invention and its embodiments have been described above. This description is not restrictive, and the accompanying drawings are only one embodiment of the present invention; the actual structure is not limited thereto. In conclusion, if those skilled in the art are inspired by this description and design similar structures and embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention, such designs should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A low-altitude elevator tower for take-off and landing of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characterized in that: The tower-shaped hub station integrates an upper hub and a tower base formed by stacking multiple take-off and landing platforms, and internally integrates: The tower base is a raised support structure with an internal cavity; The low-altitude elevator module is set in the tower base cavity and extends through the upper hub, including a lifting motor, guide rails and a carrying pallet that can carry drones and goods; The drone take-off and landing deck, located on each level of the upper hub's take-off and landing platform, is equipped with standardized parking positions, guide lights, and charging / battery swapping interfaces, and is adjacent to the vertical logistics shaft; The control center, integrated inside the tower, serves as a local node of the central dispatch and control system.

2. A low-altitude elevator tower for UAV take-off and landing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The take-off and landing platform has a cross-shaped structure with preset directional openings on its upper and lower levels, forming a three-dimensional one-way circular airway. The space above the platform allows unmanned aerial vehicles or aircraft that do not require refueling to land to pass through.

3. A low-altitude elevator tower for UAV take-off and landing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The low-altitude elevator module has an energy recovery function, converting potential energy into electrical energy during descent.

4. A low-altitude elevator tower for UAV take-off and landing according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an aircraft and cargo preparation module, which is located at the base of the tower or on a specific floor and includes an aircraft storage area, a status self-inspection unit, a cargo temporary storage area, and an automated assembly unit.

5. A low-altitude elevator tower for UAV take-off and landing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control center integrates an intelligent path planning and scheduling module to process transportation orders, plan the optimal flight route, and schedule low-altitude elevators to vertically transfer aircraft or cargo to the target takeoff platform.

6. A low-altitude elevator tower for UAV take-off and landing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drone takes off from a designated location on the low-altitude elevator's carrying tray or landing deck, with its flight destination being the nearest transport tower platform in the logistics network whose altitude matches its cruising altitude.

7. A low-altitude elevator tower for UAV take-off and landing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control center communicates with the drone in real time, manages the charging / battery swapping process, and works in conjunction with the network central dispatch system to achieve status monitoring and fault switching.

8. A low-altitude logistics system, characterized in that, It includes a distributed tower hub network consisting of multiple low-altitude elevator towers as described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. A networked logistics method based on the low-altitude logistics system of claim 8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Receive transport orders and confirm that facilities and aircraft are in good working order; allocate and inspect aircraft, load cargo if normal, and reassign if malfunctioning; Determine the origin and destination platforms; if not the current floor, dispatch a low-altitude elevator for transfer; control the aircraft to take off and fly to the target platform; after landing, check the documents; if there are no changes, continue the mission or unload the cargo; if there are changes, replan.

10. The networked logistics method according to claim 9, characterized in that: After the goods are unloaded at the terminal tower, they are delivered by drones taking off from the ground platform or by low-altitude elevators to the ground for continued transport by ground vehicles.

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