Unmanned aerial vehicle autonomous charging and discharging control method and device and autonomous charging and discharging system

Abstract

The invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle autonomous charging and discharging control method and device and an autonomous charging and discharging system, and relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles. The unmanned aerial vehicle autonomous charging and discharging control method provided by the invention comprises the steps of generating contact docking completion information between an unmanned aerial vehicle and an autonomous charging and discharging system; on the basis of the contact butt joint completion information, acquiring uploading state information, and on the basis of the uploading state information, generating a charging and discharging instruction; acquiring operation state information of charging and discharging modules included in the unmanned aerial vehicle and the autonomous charging and discharging system, and determining a charging and discharging mode based on the operation state information; and controlling the autonomous charging and discharging system to dynamically charge and discharge the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the charging and discharging instruction and the charging and discharging mode. The complexity of charging and discharging operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be reduced, and the charging and discharging efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicle is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and in particular to a control method, device, and autonomous charging and discharging system for UAVs. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing maturity of drone technology, drones have become indispensable tools in various fields such as smart cities, inspection, and aerial photography for tourism. This has led to increasingly higher demands from users for drone performance, such as payload capacity and battery life. Currently, drones mainly rely on rechargeable batteries as their power source and achieve autonomous charging and discharging through drone automatic charging and discharging technology. Existing drone self-charging and discharging technologies are mainly divided into two types: contact charging and discharging technology and wireless charging and discharging technology.

[0003] However, the inventors of this application have discovered that although wireless charging and discharging technology is safe and flexible, it has low charging and discharging efficiency and cannot achieve drone power-on and power-off control wirelessly, making continuous drone operation impossible. In addition, although contact charging and discharging technology has advantages such as high efficiency and high reliability, it suffers from insufficient alignment accuracy and complex charging and discharging contact docking process, resulting in low reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To reduce the complexity of drone charging and discharging operations and improve drone charging and discharging efficiency, this application provides a control method, apparatus, and autonomous charging and discharging system for drones.

[0005] This application provides a control method for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A control method for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone includes:

[0007] Generate contact docking completion information between the drone and the autonomous charging / discharging system;

[0008] Based on the contact docking completion information, obtain the uploading status information, and generate charging and discharging commands based on the uploading status information;

[0009] Obtain the operational status information of the charging and discharging modules contained in the UAV and autonomous charging and discharging system, and determine the charging and discharging mode based on the operational status information;

[0010] Based on charging and discharging commands and charging and discharging modes, the autonomous charging and discharging system is controlled to dynamically charge and discharge the UAV.

[0011] According to some embodiments, the above-mentioned generation of contact docking completion information between the UAV and the autonomous charging and discharging system includes: determining the spatial distance between the UAV and the autonomous charging and discharging system, and generating a landing command if the spatial distance is less than a preset distance; obtaining the position information of the autonomous charging and discharging platform installed in the autonomous charging and discharging system based on the landing command; controlling the UAV to land on the autonomous charging and discharging platform based on the landing command and the position information; generating a central guide rod control command when the UAV lands on the autonomous charging and discharging platform, and controlling the central guide rod included in the autonomous charging and discharging system to drive the UAV based on the central guide rod control command, so that the charging and discharging contacts of the UAV and the charging and discharging contacts of the autonomous charging and discharging system complete docking and generate contact docking completion information.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the aforementioned uploaded status information includes drone status information; the drone status information includes drone battery temperature, drone power level, and drone output voltage; based on the uploaded status information, a charge / discharge command is generated, including: comparing the drone battery temperature with a first preset temperature; comparing the drone power level with a preset power level; comparing the drone output voltage with a preset output voltage; and generating a charge / discharge command when the drone battery temperature is lower than the first preset temperature, the drone power level is lower than the preset power level, and the drone output voltage is lower than the preset output voltage.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the uploaded status information includes charging and discharging module information; the charging and discharging module information includes the temperature of the charging and discharging module and the abnormal code information of the charging and discharging module; based on the uploaded status information, a charging and discharging command is generated, including: comparing the temperature of the charging and discharging module with a second preset temperature; determining whether the abnormal code information indicates no abnormal code; and generating a charging and discharging command when the temperature of the charging and discharging module is lower than the second preset temperature and the abnormal code information indicates no abnormal code.

[0014] According to some embodiments, the operating status information includes the drone battery voltage and the drone battery capacity; based on the operating status information, the charging and discharging mode is determined, including: determining the charging and discharging mode based on the drone battery voltage and the drone battery capacity; wherein, the charging and discharging mode includes a task mode and a storage mode.

[0015] According to some embodiments, based on charge / discharge commands and charge / discharge modes, the autonomous charge / discharge system is controlled to dynamically charge and discharge the drone, including: when the charge / discharge mode is mission mode, comparing the acquired drone battery voltage with a preset rated voltage; when the drone battery voltage is less than the preset rated voltage, controlling the autonomous charge / discharge system to perform constant current charging on the drone based on charge / discharge commands; and when the drone battery voltage is not less than the preset rated voltage, controlling the autonomous charge / discharge system to perform trickle charging on the drone based on charge / discharge commands.

[0016] According to some embodiments, based on charge / discharge commands and charge / discharge modes, the autonomous charge / discharge system is controlled to dynamically charge and discharge the drone, including: when the charge / discharge mode is storage mode, comparing the acquired drone battery capacity with preset charging threshold capacity and preset discharging threshold capacity respectively; when the drone battery capacity is greater than the discharging threshold capacity, controlling the autonomous charge / discharge system to discharge the drone battery until the battery reaches the discharging threshold capacity; when the drone battery capacity is less than the charging threshold capacity, controlling the autonomous charge / discharge system to charge the drone battery until the battery reaches the charge / discharge threshold capacity.

[0017] This application provides a control device for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0018] A control device for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone includes: a contact docking completion information generation module, a charging and discharging command generation module, a charging and discharging mode determination module, and a charging and discharging control module, wherein...

[0019] The contact docking completion information generation module is used to generate contact docking completion information between the UAV and the autonomous charging and discharging system;

[0020] The charge / discharge command generation module is used to obtain the transmitted status information based on the contact connection completion information, and generate charge / discharge commands based on the transmitted status information.

[0021] The charging / discharging mode determination module is used to acquire the operating status information of the charging / discharging modules contained in the UAV and the autonomous charging / discharging system, and determine the charging / discharging mode based on the operating status information.

[0022] The charge / discharge control module is used to control the autonomous charge / discharge system to dynamically charge and discharge the UAV based on charge / discharge commands and charge / discharge modes.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the aforementioned contact docking completion information generation module is specifically used for: determining the spatial distance between the UAV and the autonomous charging and discharging system, and generating a landing command when the spatial distance is less than a preset distance; obtaining the position information of the autonomous charging and discharging platform installed in the autonomous charging and discharging system based on the landing command; controlling the UAV to land on the autonomous charging and discharging platform based on the landing command and the position information; generating a central guide rod control command when the UAV lands on the autonomous charging and discharging platform, and controlling the central guide rod included in the autonomous charging and discharging system to drive the UAV based on the central guide rod control command, so that the charging and discharging contacts of the UAV and the charging and discharging contacts of the autonomous charging and discharging system complete docking and generate contact docking completion information.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the aforementioned uploaded status information includes drone status information; the drone status information includes drone battery temperature, drone power level, and drone output voltage; the aforementioned charge / discharge command generation module is specifically used to: compare the drone battery temperature with a first preset temperature; compare the drone power level with a preset power level; compare the drone output voltage with a preset output voltage; and generate a charge / discharge command when the drone battery temperature is lower than the first preset temperature, the drone power level is lower than the preset power level, and the drone output voltage is lower than the preset output voltage.

[0025] According to some embodiments, the aforementioned uploaded status information includes charging and discharging module information; the charging and discharging module information includes the temperature of the charging and discharging module and the abnormal code information of the charging and discharging module; the aforementioned charging and discharging instruction generation module is specifically used for: comparing the temperature of the charging and discharging module with a second preset temperature; determining whether the abnormal code information indicates no abnormal code; and generating a charging and discharging instruction when the temperature of the charging and discharging module is lower than the second preset temperature and the abnormal code information indicates no abnormal code.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the above-mentioned operating status information includes the drone battery voltage and the drone battery capacity; the above-mentioned charging and discharging mode determination module is specifically used to: determine the charging and discharging mode based on the drone battery voltage and the drone battery capacity; wherein, the charging and discharging mode includes a task mode and a storage mode.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the above-mentioned charge and discharge control module is specifically used for: when the charge and discharge mode is mission mode, comparing the acquired drone battery voltage with a preset rated voltage; when the drone battery voltage is less than the preset rated voltage, controlling the autonomous charge and discharge system to perform constant current charging on the drone based on charge and discharge commands; and when the drone battery voltage is not less than the preset rated voltage, controlling the autonomous charge and discharge system to perform trickle charging on the drone based on charge and discharge commands.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the above-mentioned charge and discharge control module is specifically used for: when the charge and discharge mode is storage mode, comparing the acquired drone battery capacity with a preset charging threshold capacity and a preset discharging threshold capacity respectively; when the drone battery capacity is greater than the discharging threshold capacity, controlling the autonomous charge and discharge system to discharge the drone battery until the battery reaches the discharging threshold capacity; when the drone battery capacity is less than the charging threshold capacity, controlling the autonomous charge and discharge system to charge the drone battery until the battery reaches the charging threshold capacity.

[0029] This application provides an autonomous charging and discharging system, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0030] An autonomous charging and discharging system is provided, which enables the aforementioned control method for autonomous charging and discharging of a UAV. The autonomous charging and discharging system includes: an autonomous charging and discharging platform, installed on top of the system for docking the UAV; a mechanical guiding device, installed on the platform for controlling the movement of the UAV; a charging and discharging module for charging and discharging the UAV; and a main control board for acquiring the operating status information of the UAV and the charging and discharging module, and switching the charging and discharging modes of the module.

[0031] According to some embodiments, the top of the aforementioned autonomous charging and discharging platform is equipped with a positioning QR code for positioning between the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system; the aforementioned mechanical guiding device includes an X-axis central guide rod and a Y-axis central guide rod; the Y-axis central guide rod contains charging and discharging contacts; the aforementioned X-axis central guide rod and Y-axis central guide rod are used to control the drone to move horizontally; the charging and discharging contacts of the aforementioned Y-axis central guide rod are used to contact the charging and discharging contacts of the drone.

[0032] According to the embodiments provided in this application, after the UAV and the autonomous charging / discharging system complete the charging / discharging contact docking, contact docking completion information between the UAV and the automatic charging / discharging system is generated. Based on the contact docking completion information, the system begins to acquire the uploaded status information of the UAV and the automatic charging / discharging system. By analyzing the uploaded status information, it is determined whether the UAV and the automatic charging / discharging system have the conditions for charging / discharging. If both have the conditions for charging / discharging, a charging / discharging command is generated. At the same time, during the charging / discharging process between the UAV and the automatic charging / discharging system, the charging / discharging mode of the UAV needs to be determined, and then the operating status information of both needs to be acquired. Based on the operating status information, the charging / discharging mode is determined. Subsequently, based on the charging / discharging command and the charging / discharging mode, the autonomous charging / discharging system is controlled to dynamically charge and discharge the UAV. This reduces the complexity of UAV charging / discharging operations and improves the reliability and efficiency of the UAV charging / discharging process by automatically determining the charging / discharging mode suitable for the UAV. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the control method for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the docking method between the UAV and the autonomous charging and discharging system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the control method for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the method for determining the charging and discharging mode of the autonomous charging and discharging system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of the control device for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone according to an embodiment of this application.

[0038] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the autonomous charging and discharging system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0040] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 50: Control device for autonomous charging and discharging of the UAV; 501: First control module; 502: Voltage calculation module; 503: File distribution module; 60: Electronic device; 601: Processor; 602: Bus; 603: Memory; 604: Transceiver; 701: Autonomous charging and discharging platform; 702: Mechanical guidance device; 703: Charging and discharging module; 704: Main control board of the autonomous charging and discharging device. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-7 This application will be described in further detail.

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] This application provides a control method for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone, which can be executed by an electronic device. This electronic device can be a server or a terminal device. The server can be a standalone physical server, a server cluster consisting of multiple physical servers, a distributed device, or a cloud server providing cloud computing services. The terminal device can be a tablet computer, laptop computer, desktop computer, etc., containing a main control platform, but is not limited to these. The terminal device and the server can be directly or indirectly connected via wired or wireless communication. The electronic device can be the main control board of the autonomous charging and discharging device, installed in the autonomous charging and discharging system; however, this application does not impose any limitations on this method.

[0044] Reference Figure 1 A control method for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone includes steps S101, S102, S103, and S104, wherein...

[0045] S101 generates contact docking completion information between the drone and the autonomous charging / discharging system.

[0046] In some embodiments, the contact docking completion information is generated when the charging / discharging contacts of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and the charging / discharging contacts of the autonomous charging / discharging system come into contact while the UAV is docked at the autonomous charging / discharging system.

[0047] In some embodiments, before using the autonomous charging and discharging system to charge and discharge the drone, it is necessary to control the drone to dock at the autonomous charging and discharging system and make contact between the charging and discharging contacts of the two. In order to achieve precise docking between the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system, a phased docking can be considered. For example, in the initial stage, the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system can perform a coarse docking. After the coarse docking is completed, the position between the two can be fine-tuned to achieve precise positioning.

[0048] During the initial docking process, GPS and BeiDou navigation systems, along with altitude sensors installed on the drone, determine the relative positions and distances between the two systems. Using a marker installed on the autonomous charging and discharging system as a reference, images containing the marker are captured by data acquisition devices installed on the drone. The electronic equipment analyzes these images and adjusts the drone's attitude in real time during descent, ensuring the drone lands on the autonomous charging and discharging system, thus achieving docking. Subsequently, the electronic equipment controls the mechanical guidance device of the autonomous charging and discharging system to move the drone, ensuring the charging and discharging contacts of the drone make contact with those of the autonomous charging and discharging system, thereby generating docking completion information.

[0049] S102, based on the contact docking completion information, obtains the transmission status information, and generates charging and discharging commands based on the transmission status information.

[0050] In some embodiments, the uploaded status information includes the status information of the UAV and the status information of the autonomous charging and discharging system when the UAV is docked at the autonomous charging and discharging system.

[0051] Once the drone docks with the autonomous charging and discharging system and its charging and discharging contacts make contact with those of the system, the system begins to assess the status of both the drone and the system. This involves the electronic equipment analyzing and judging the received status information to determine if the drone and the system meet the charging and discharging requirements. This includes assessing the drone's battery charge, voltage, temperature, and output voltage, as well as the temperature of the charging and discharging module and any abnormal codes detected by the system. If the drone and the system meet the requirements, the electronic equipment generates a charging and discharging command.

[0052] S103: Obtain the operating status information of the UAV and the charging and discharging modules included in the autonomous charging and discharging system, and determine the charging and discharging mode based on the operating status information;

[0053] S104 controls the autonomous charging and discharging system to dynamically charge and discharge the UAV based on charging and discharging commands and charging and discharging modes.

[0054] In some implementations, the charging and discharging contacts of the drone are connected to the charging and discharging contacts of the autonomous charging and discharging system, and the status information sent by the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system meets the charging and discharging requirements. At this time, the electronic device can control the autonomous charging and discharging system to charge and discharge the drone based on the generated charging and discharging commands. Considering the safety and reliability of the drone during the charging and discharging process, the charging and discharging mode adapted to the current drone can be determined based on the operating status of the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system.

[0055] The electronic device first acquires the operational status information of the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system's charging and discharging modules during the charging and discharging process, and analyzes this information. Based on the analysis results, the electronic device determines the current charging and discharging mode for the drone. The operational status information may include the drone's battery voltage. Subsequently, based on the charging and discharging commands and the determined charging and discharging mode adapted to the current drone, the electronic device continuously controls the autonomous charging and discharging system to dynamically charge and discharge the drone. By using the determined charging and discharging mode adapted to the current drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system, the electronic device dynamically charges and discharges the drone, improving the reliability and safety of autonomous charging and discharging, while also increasing the efficiency of autonomous charging and discharging.

[0056] In step S101, generating contact docking completion information between the UAV and the autonomous charging and discharging system includes: determining the spatial distance between the UAV and the autonomous charging and discharging system, and generating a landing command if the spatial distance is less than a preset distance; obtaining the position information of the autonomous charging and discharging platform included in the autonomous charging and discharging system based on the landing command; controlling the UAV to land on the autonomous charging and discharging platform based on the landing command and the position information; generating a central guide rod control command when the UAV lands on the autonomous charging and discharging platform, and controlling the central guide rod included in the autonomous charging and discharging system to drive the UAV based on the central guide rod control command, so that the charging and discharging contacts of the UAV and the charging and discharging contacts of the autonomous charging and discharging system complete docking and generating contact docking completion information.

[0057] In some embodiments, the electronic device obtains the location information of the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system from the GPS positioning system or the Beidou satellite system, and at the same time obtains the altitude information of the drone from the altitude sensor installed on the drone. The electronic device determines the spatial distance between the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system by analyzing the location information and altitude information, including the horizontal distance and the vertical distance. Subsequently, the electronic device retrieves a preset distance, which includes a preset horizontal distance and a preset vertical distance, and compares the horizontal distance and the vertical distance included in the spatial distance with the preset distance.

[0058] When the electronic device determines that both the horizontal and vertical distances are less than preset distances, it indicates that coarse positioning between the drone and the autonomous charging / discharging system has been completed. The electronic device then generates a landing command and controls the drone to descend further based on this command. During this descent, the electronic device acquires image information containing a QR code from the image acquisition device installed on the drone and analyzes the image information to obtain the QR code's location information. Based on the landing command and the QR code's location information, the electronic device controls the drone to continue descending until it lands on the autonomous charging / discharging platform of the autonomous charging / discharging system, thus completing fine positioning between the drone and the autonomous charging / discharging system. Subsequently, the electronic device generates a central guide rod control command and controls the central guide rod to move the drone, enabling the drone's charging / discharging contacts to dock with the autonomous charging / discharging system's charging / discharging contacts, and simultaneously generates a contact docking completion message.

[0059] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 2 The electronic device acquires data from altitude sensors such as GPS and LiDAR, analyzes the data, and performs coarse positioning of the drone and autonomous charging / discharging system based on the analysis results. Once it determines that the drone is located within the drone nest (3 meters above the autonomous charging / discharging system and within a horizontal radius of 0.5 meters), coarse positioning of the drone and the autonomous charging / discharging system is completed. Simultaneously, the electronic device acquires image information from the image acquisition device installed on the drone, performs visual QR code recognition, and uses the recognized QR code to complete the drone's landing. If landing is not complete, QR code recognition continues. Once landing is complete, fine positioning of the drone and the autonomous charging / discharging system is achieved. The electronic device controls the X-axis centering rod (the central guide rod) to move to the drone's position, aligning the drone and the charging base (the charging / discharging contacts) with the X-coordinate. Subsequently, it controls the Y-axis centering rod (the central guide rod) to move the drone's position, connecting the drone to the charging base of the autonomous charging / discharging system.

[0060] In some embodiments, the uploaded status information includes drone status information; the drone status information includes drone battery temperature, drone power level, and drone output voltage; in step S102, based on the uploaded status information, a charge / discharge command is generated, including: comparing the drone battery temperature with a first preset temperature; comparing the drone power level with a preset power level; comparing the drone output voltage with a preset output voltage; and if the drone battery temperature is lower than the first preset temperature, the drone power level is lower than the preset power level, and the drone output voltage is lower than the preset output voltage, it indicates that the drone has the conditions for charging / discharging, and the electronic device generates the corresponding charge / discharge command for the drone; if the drone battery temperature is not lower than the first preset temperature, or the drone power level is not lower than the preset power level, or the drone output voltage is not lower than the preset output voltage, it indicates that the drone does not have the conditions for charging / discharging, and the electronic device generates a warning message and sends the warning message to the user terminal.

[0061] In some embodiments, while judging the relevant parameters of the UAV before charging and discharging, the relevant parameters of the autonomous charging and discharging system are also judged, and then the status information including charging and discharging module information is sent up; the charging and discharging module information includes the charging and discharging module temperature and the charging and discharging module's abnormal code information; in step S102, based on the sent status information, a charging and discharging command is generated, which also includes: comparing the charging and discharging module temperature with a second preset temperature; judging whether the abnormal code information indicates no abnormal code; and if the charging and discharging module temperature is lower than the second preset temperature and the abnormal code information indicates no abnormal code, it indicates that the autonomous charging and discharging system meets the charging and discharging requirements, and then the electronic device generates a charging and discharging command corresponding to the autonomous charging and discharging system; if the charging and discharging module temperature is not lower than the second preset temperature, or the abnormal code information does not indicate no abnormal code, it indicates that the autonomous charging and discharging system does not meet the charging and discharging requirements, and then the electronic device generates a warning message and sends the warning message to the user terminal.

[0062] In some embodiments, the first preset temperature, the second preset temperature, the preset power, the preset output voltage, and the first preset temperature can be subjectively set by a technician, and the specific values ​​are not specifically limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0063] In some embodiments, if the drone and the autonomous charging system meet the charging and discharging requirements, the autonomous charging and discharging system can be controlled to charge and discharge the drone. However, considering that the drone's battery capacity and voltage may be different after each flight mission, it is necessary to determine a charging and discharging mode that is adapted to the drone's current state. Therefore, the operating status information may include the drone's battery voltage and battery capacity. Subsequently, in step S103, the charging and discharging mode is determined based on the operating status information, specifically including: determining the charging and discharging mode based on the drone's battery voltage and battery capacity; wherein, the charging and discharging mode includes a mission mode and a storage mode.

[0064] In some embodiments, the electronic device compares the drone battery voltage with a preset battery voltage to determine whether the drone battery voltage meets the preset requirements. If the drone battery voltage meets the preset requirements, the charging and discharging mode for the drone is determined to be the mission mode. The electronic device also compares the drone battery capacity with a charging and discharging threshold to determine whether the current battery capacity of the drone meets the preset requirements. If the drone battery capacity meets the preset requirements, the charging and discharging mode for the drone is determined to be the storage mode.

[0065] In some embodiments, to ensure the safety and stability of charging and discharging the drone, the drone battery voltage can be adjusted according to different stages, and an appropriate charging and discharging method can be selected. That is, based on charging and discharging commands and charging and discharging modes, the autonomous charging and discharging system can be controlled to dynamically charge and discharge the drone, including: when the charging and discharging mode is mission mode, comparing the acquired drone battery voltage with a preset rated voltage; when the drone battery voltage is less than the preset rated voltage, controlling the autonomous charging and discharging system to perform constant current charging on the drone based on charging and discharging commands; and when the drone battery voltage is not less than the preset rated voltage, controlling the autonomous charging and discharging system to perform trickle charging on the drone based on charging and discharging commands.

[0066] In some embodiments, when the electronic device determines that the charging / discharging mode is the mission mode, it indicates that the drone battery needs to be charged and discharged. Subsequently, the electronic device compares the drone battery voltage with the preset rated voltage. If the drone battery voltage is lower than the preset rated voltage, the electronic device performs the first stage of charging on the drone battery. That is, the electronic device controls the autonomous charging and discharging system to perform constant current charging on the drone based on the charging and discharging command.

[0067] During constant current charging of the drone, the electronic device monitors the drone battery voltage in real time and compares it with the preset rated voltage. If the drone battery voltage is determined to be no less than the preset rated voltage, the drone battery needs to undergo a second stage of charging. That is, the electronic device controls the autonomous charging and discharging learning device to perform trickle charging on the drone based on charging and discharging commands until the drone battery voltage or the drone battery power reaches the charging cutoff condition.

[0068] For example, if the preset rated voltage is 90% of the total rated voltage, and the current drone battery voltage is lower than the preset rated voltage, the drone will be charged in the first stage, which is constant current charging. If the drone battery voltage is not lower than the preset rated voltage, the drone will be charged in the second stage, which is trickle charging by gradually reducing the charging current. The drone battery will be charged when the drone voltage reaches 99% of the total rated voltage or the drone battery charge reaches 99% of the total current.

[0069] In some embodiments, based on charge / discharge commands and charge / discharge modes, the autonomous charge / discharge system is controlled to dynamically charge and discharge the drone, including: when the charge / discharge mode is storage mode, comparing the acquired drone battery capacity with a preset charging threshold capacity and a preset discharging threshold capacity respectively; when the drone battery capacity is greater than the discharging threshold capacity, controlling the autonomous charge / discharge system to discharge the drone battery until the battery reaches the discharging threshold capacity; when the drone battery capacity is less than the charging threshold capacity, controlling the autonomous charge / discharge system to charge the drone battery until the battery reaches the charge / discharge threshold capacity.

[0070] In some embodiments, when the electronic device determines that the charging / discharging mode is storage mode, the electronic device obtains the drone battery capacity and compares the drone battery capacity with a preset charging threshold capacity and a preset discharging threshold capacity, respectively. If it determines that the drone battery capacity is greater than the discharging threshold capacity, it indicates that the drone battery needs to be discharged. That is, the electronic device controls the autonomous charging / discharging system to discharge the drone battery until the battery reaches the discharging threshold capacity. If it determines that the drone battery capacity is less than the charging threshold capacity, it indicates that the drone battery needs to be charged. Then, the electronic device controls the autonomous charging / discharging system to charge the drone battery so that the battery reaches the charging threshold capacity.

[0071] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 3A control method for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone is disclosed. First, the drone is positioned and docked for charging and discharging to land on the autonomous charging and discharging system. Then, status information is transmitted via the charging and discharging module included in the autonomous charging and discharging system. The charging and discharging controller within the system performs State of Charge (SOC) analysis on the transmitted status information to determine if the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system meet charging and discharging safety settings. If the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system do not meet the safety settings, status information continues to be transmitted via the charging and discharging module. If the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system meet the safety settings, the charging and discharging module sends down control commands and collects charging and discharging process parameters. These parameters are analyzed to determine if the drone has entered the charging and discharging cutoff state. If the drone has entered the charging cutoff state, the charging and discharging process ends. If it has not entered the charging and discharging cutoff state, status information continues to be transmitted via the charging and discharging module.

[0072] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 4 The electronic device first obtains the transmitted status information through the charging and discharging module. Then, based on the analysis of the transmitted status information, the electronic device generates charging and discharging commands through the charging and discharging controller included in the autonomous charging and discharging system. During the generation of charging and discharging commands, the electronic device needs to determine whether the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system meet the charging and discharging safety settings. The determination includes the drone battery temperature, drone battery level, drone output voltage, charging and discharging module temperature, and abnormal code information of the autonomous charging and discharging system. After determining that the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system meet the charging and discharging safety settings, the electronic device begins to determine the charging mode of the drone.

[0073] When the electronic device determines that the charging mode is mission mode, it determines whether to charge the drone in the first charging stage. If it determines that the drone needs to be charged in the first charging stage, the electronic device controls the autonomous charging and discharging system to charge the drone with a constant current. Then, the electronic device determines whether to charge the drone in the second charging stage. If it determines that the drone needs to be charged in the second charging stage, the electronic device controls the autonomous charging and discharging system to charge the drone with a constant current. Subsequently, when the electronic device determines that the drone's battery voltage or battery level has reached the charging cutoff condition, it indicates that the drone's battery charging is complete, and the charging ends.

[0074] If the electronic device determines that the charging mode is storage mode, it then analyzes the drone's battery capacity. If the electronic device determines that the drone's battery capacity is greater than the discharge threshold, it indicates that a discharge operation is needed. The electronic device then controls the autonomous charging and discharging system to discharge the drone's battery at a constant current until the drone's battery capacity equals the discharge threshold, at which point the charging and discharging process ends. If the electronic device determines that the drone's battery capacity is less than the charging threshold, it indicates that a charging operation is needed. The electronic device then controls the autonomous charging and discharging system to charge the drone's battery at a constant current until the drone's battery capacity equals the charging threshold, at which point the charging and discharging process ends.

[0075] This application provides a control device for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0076] Reference Figure 5 A control device 50 for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone includes: a contact docking completion information generation module 501, a charging and discharging command generation module 502, a charging and discharging mode determination module 503, and a charging and discharging control module 504.

[0077] The contact docking completion information generation module 501 is used to generate contact docking completion information between the UAV and the autonomous charging and discharging system.

[0078] The charge / discharge command generation module 502 is used to obtain the transmitted status information based on the contact docking completion information, and generate charge / discharge commands based on the transmitted status information.

[0079] The charging / discharging mode determination module 503 is used to acquire the operating status information of the charging / discharging modules contained in the UAV and the autonomous charging / discharging system, and determine the charging / discharging mode based on the operating status information.

[0080] The charge / discharge control module 504 is used to control the autonomous charge / discharge system to dynamically charge and discharge the UAV based on charge / discharge commands and charge / discharge modes.

[0081] In some embodiments, the contact docking completion information generation module 501 described above is specifically used for: determining the spatial distance between the UAV and the autonomous charging and discharging system, and generating a landing command when the spatial distance is less than a preset distance; obtaining the position information of the autonomous charging and discharging platform included in the autonomous charging and discharging system based on the landing command; controlling the UAV to land on the autonomous charging and discharging platform based on the landing command and the position information; generating a central guide rod control command when the UAV lands on the autonomous charging and discharging platform, and controlling the central guide rod included in the autonomous charging and discharging system to drive the UAV based on the central guide rod control command, so that the charging and discharging contacts of the UAV and the charging and discharging contacts of the autonomous charging and discharging system complete docking and generate contact docking completion information.

[0082] In some embodiments, the aforementioned uploaded status information includes drone status information; the drone status information includes drone battery temperature, drone power level, and drone output voltage; the aforementioned charge / discharge command generation module 502 is specifically used to: compare the drone battery temperature with a first preset temperature; compare the drone power level with a preset power level; compare the drone output voltage with a preset output voltage; and generate a charge / discharge command when the drone battery temperature is lower than the first preset temperature, the drone power level is lower than the preset power level, and the drone output voltage is lower than the preset output voltage.

[0083] In some embodiments, the aforementioned uploaded status information includes charging and discharging module information; the charging and discharging module information includes the temperature of the charging and discharging module and the abnormal code information of the charging and discharging module; the aforementioned charging and discharging instruction generation module 502 is specifically used to: compare the temperature of the charging and discharging module with a second preset temperature; determine whether the abnormal code information indicates no abnormal code; and generate a charging and discharging instruction when the temperature of the charging and discharging module is lower than the second preset temperature and the abnormal code information indicates no abnormal code.

[0084] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned operating status information includes the drone battery voltage and the drone battery capacity; the above-mentioned charging and discharging mode determination module 503 is specifically used to: determine the charging and discharging mode based on the drone battery voltage and the drone battery capacity; wherein, the charging and discharging mode includes a task mode and a storage mode.

[0085] In some embodiments, the charging and discharging control module 504 described above is specifically used for: when the charging and discharging mode is mission mode, comparing the acquired drone battery voltage with a preset rated voltage; when the drone battery voltage is less than the preset rated voltage, controlling the autonomous charging and discharging system to perform constant current charging on the drone based on charging and discharging commands; and when the drone battery voltage is not less than the preset rated voltage, controlling the autonomous charging and discharging system to perform trickle charging on the drone based on charging and discharging commands.

[0086] In some embodiments, the above-described charge / discharge control module 504 is specifically used for: when the charge / discharge mode is storage mode, comparing the acquired drone battery capacity with a preset charging threshold capacity and a preset discharging threshold capacity respectively; when the drone battery capacity is greater than the discharging threshold capacity, controlling the autonomous charge / discharge system to discharge the drone battery until the battery reaches the discharging threshold capacity; when the drone battery capacity is less than the charging threshold capacity, controlling the autonomous charge / discharge system to charge the drone battery until the battery reaches the charging threshold capacity.

[0087] In some embodiments, the contact docking completion information generation module 501 may include logic circuits or be implemented by a central processing unit, digital signal processor, or field-programmable gate array (FPGA) included in an electronic device; the charge / discharge instruction generation module 502 may include logic circuits or be implemented by a central processing unit, digital signal processor, or FPGA included in an electronic device; the charge / discharge mode determination module 503 may include logic circuits or be implemented by a central processing unit, digital signal processor, or FPGA included in an electronic device; and the charge / discharge control module 504 may include logic circuits or be implemented by a central processing unit, digital signal processor, or FPGA included in an electronic device.

[0088] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, modules, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0089] This invention also describes an electronic device from the perspective of a physical device, such as... Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 The illustrated electronic device 60 includes a processor 601 and a memory 603. The processor 601 and the memory 603 are connected, for example, via a bus 602. Optionally, the electronic device 60 may also include a transceiver 604. It should be noted that in practical applications, the transceiver 604 is not limited to one type, and the structure of this electronic device 60 does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present invention.

[0090] Processor 601 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a general-purpose processor, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in this disclosure. Processor 601 may also be a combination that implements computational functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc.

[0091] Bus 602 may include a pathway for transmitting information between the aforementioned components. Bus 602 may be a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus or an EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) bus, etc. Bus 602 can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 6 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0092] The memory 603 may be a ROM (Read Only Memory) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, RAM (Random Access Memory) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or it may be an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other storage medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0093] The memory 603 stores application code that executes the present invention, and its execution is controlled by the processor 601. The processor 601 executes the application code stored in the memory 603 to implement the content shown in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0094] Figure 6 The electronic device shown is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0095] This application provides an autonomous charging and discharging system, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0096] Reference Figure 7An autonomous charging and discharging system is provided, which enables the aforementioned control method for autonomous charging and discharging of a UAV. The autonomous charging and discharging system includes: an autonomous charging and discharging platform 701, installed on the top of the autonomous charging and discharging system, for docking the UAV; a mechanical guiding device 702, installed on the autonomous charging and discharging platform 701, for controlling the movement of the UAV; a charging and discharging module 703, for charging and discharging the UAV; and an autonomous charging and discharging device main control board 704, for acquiring the operating status information of the UAV and the charging and discharging module and switching the charging and discharging mode of the discharging module.

[0097] In some embodiments, a positioning QR code is installed on the top of the autonomous charging and discharging platform 701 for positioning between the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system; the mechanical guiding device 702 includes an X-axis central guide rod and a Y-axis central guide rod; the Y-axis central guide rod contains charging and discharging contacts; the X-axis central guide rod and the Y-axis central guide rod are used to control the drone to move horizontally; the charging and discharging contacts of the Y-axis central guide rod are used to contact the charging and discharging contacts of the drone.

[0098] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts of the accompanying figures are shown sequentially as indicated by the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowcharts of the accompanying figures may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages. These sub-steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and their execution order is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0099] The above are only some embodiments of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A control method for autonomous charging and discharging of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), characterized in that, include: Generate contact docking completion information between the drone and the autonomous charging / discharging system; Based on the contact connection completion information, the uploading status information is obtained, and based on the uploading status information, a charging / discharging command is generated; Obtain the operating status information of the UAV and the charging and discharging modules included in the autonomous charging and discharging system, and determine the charging and discharging mode based on the operating status information; Based on the charging and discharging commands and the charging and discharging mode, the autonomous charging and discharging system is controlled to dynamically charge and discharge the UAV.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The information indicating the completion of the contact docking between the generated drone and the autonomous charging / discharging system includes: Determine the spatial distance between the UAV and the autonomous charging and discharging system, and generate a landing command if the spatial distance is less than a preset distance; Based on the landing command, the location information of the autonomous charging and discharging platform installed in the autonomous charging and discharging system is obtained; Based on the landing command and the location information, the drone is controlled to land on the autonomous charging and discharging platform; When the UAV lands on the autonomous charging and discharging platform, a central guide rod control command is generated, and based on the central guide rod control command, the central guide rod included in the autonomous charging and discharging system is controlled to drive the UAV, so that the charging and discharging contacts of the UAV and the charging and discharging contacts of the autonomous charging and discharging system are docked and the docking completion information is generated.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The uploaded status information includes drone status information; the drone status information includes drone battery temperature, drone power level, and drone output voltage. The step of generating a charge / discharge command based on the transmitted status information includes: The temperature of the drone battery is compared with a first preset temperature; Compare the drone's battery level with the preset battery level; Compare the output voltage of the drone with a preset output voltage; and The charging / discharging command is generated when the drone battery temperature is lower than the first preset temperature, the drone battery power is lower than the preset power, and the drone output voltage is lower than the preset output voltage.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The uploaded status information includes charging and discharging module information; the charging and discharging module information includes the temperature of the charging and discharging module and the abnormal code information of the charging and discharging module. The step of generating a charge / discharge command based on the transmitted status information includes: The temperature of the charging and discharging module is compared with the second preset temperature; Determine whether the exception code information indicates no exception; and The charging / discharging command is generated when the temperature of the charging / discharging module is lower than the second preset temperature and the error code information indicates that there is no error.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operational status information includes the drone's battery voltage and the drone's battery capacity; Determining the charging / discharging mode based on the operating status information includes: The charging and discharging mode is determined based on the drone's battery voltage and battery capacity; wherein the charging and discharging mode includes a mission mode and a storage mode.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of controlling the autonomous charging and discharging system to dynamically charge and discharge the UAV based on the charging and discharging commands and the charging and discharging mode includes: When the charging / discharging mode is the mission mode, the obtained drone battery voltage is compared with the preset rated voltage; When the drone battery voltage is lower than the preset rated voltage, the autonomous charging and discharging system is controlled to perform constant current charging on the drone based on the charging and discharging command; When the drone battery voltage is not less than the preset rated voltage, the autonomous charging and discharging system is controlled to perform trickle charging on the drone based on the charging and discharging command.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of controlling the autonomous charging and discharging system to dynamically charge and discharge the UAV based on the charging and discharging commands and the charging and discharging mode includes: When the charging / discharging mode is the storage mode, the obtained drone battery capacity is compared with the preset charging threshold capacity and the preset discharging threshold capacity, respectively. When the capacity of the drone battery is greater than the discharge threshold capacity, the autonomous charging and discharging system is controlled to discharge the drone battery until the battery reaches the discharge threshold capacity. If the drone's battery capacity is less than the charging threshold capacity, the autonomous charging and discharging system is controlled to charge the drone's battery until the battery reaches the charging threshold capacity.

8. A control device for autonomous charging and discharging of a drone, characterized in that, include: The contact docking completion information generation module is used to generate contact docking completion information between the UAV and the autonomous charging and discharging system; The charge / discharge command generation module is used to obtain the transmission status information based on the contact connection completion information, and generate charge / discharge commands based on the transmission status information. The charging / discharging mode determination module is used to acquire the operating status information of the UAV and the charging / discharging modules included in the autonomous charging / discharging system, and determine the charging / discharging mode based on the operating status information. The charging and discharging control module is used to control the autonomous charging and discharging system to dynamically charge and discharge the UAV based on the charging and discharging command and the charging and discharging mode.

9. An autonomous charging and discharging system, Its characteristic is that it can realize the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, wherein the autonomous charging and discharging system comprises: An autonomous charging and discharging platform is installed on top of the autonomous charging and discharging system for docking the drone; A mechanical guidance device, installed on the autonomous charging and discharging platform, is used to control the movement of the UAV; A charging and discharging module is used to charge and discharge the drone. The autonomous charging and discharging device main control board is used to acquire the operating status information of the UAV and the charging and discharging module, and to switch the charging and discharging mode of the charging and discharging module.

10. The autonomous charging and discharging system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The top of the autonomous charging and discharging platform is equipped with a positioning QR code for positioning between the drone and the autonomous charging and discharging system. The mechanical guiding device includes an X-axis guide rod and a Y-axis guide rod; the Y-axis guide rod includes charging and discharging contacts; The X-axis guide rod and the Y-axis guide rod are used to control the UAV to move horizontally; the charging and discharging contacts of the Y-axis guide rod are used to contact the charging and discharging contacts of the UAV.

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