Automatic propeller returning method of unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicle hangar

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle automatic propeller returning method and an unmanned aerial vehicle hangar, the unmanned aerial vehicle automatic propeller returning method is applied to the unmanned aerial vehicle hangar and the unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle hangar comprises a side wall, a hangar door and a landing platform, and the hangar door comprises a lifting part capable of lifting in the vertical direction; the method comprises the steps that an unmanned aerial vehicle hangar responds to a received first signal representing that an unmanned aerial vehicle lands on a landing platform, and a lifting part is controlled to ascend, so that part of paddles of the unmanned aerial vehicle interfere with the lifting part to return; and the unmanned aerial vehicle hangar controls the landing platform to move to a first position in the unmanned aerial vehicle hangar in response to a received second signal representing that part of the paddles are returned, so that the remaining paddles of the unmanned aerial vehicle interfere with the side wall to return.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of drone propulsion technology, and in particular to a method for automatic drone propulsion and a drone hangar. Background Technology

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are unmanned aircraft operated using radio remote control equipment and related control devices. With the development of UAV technology, their application fields are constantly expanding and deepening. For example, UAVs are used in fields such as performances, aerial photography, agriculture, plant protection, express delivery, disaster relief, surveying and mapping, power line inspection, and water sampling, greatly expanding the uses of UAVs.

[0003] As a take-off and landing platform for drones, the drone hangar primarily serves to protect, store, charge, and transmit data to drones. After completing their mission, the drones land from high altitude to a designated location within the hangar. During the storage process, a propeller return device is typically installed outside the hangar cavity to return the drones. After the propeller return is completed, the drone is then fully returned to the hangar cavity. Alternatively, the propeller return device may not be used at all. Regardless of whether a propeller return device is installed or not, the drone hangar requires a larger space, which is not conducive to the lightweight and miniaturization of drone hangars. In addition, during the propeller return process, the propellers are usually returned first, followed by the drone being put into the hangar, resulting in low drone storage efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide an automatic drone homing method and a drone hangar, so as to achieve miniaturization of the drone hangar and improve the drone loading efficiency. The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0005] This application provides an automatic propeller return method for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), applied to a UAV hangar and a UAV. The UAV hangar includes side walls, a hangar door, and a landing platform. The hangar door includes a lifting component capable of vertically raising and lowering. The method includes:

[0006] In response to a first signal indicating that the drone has landed on the landing platform, the drone hangar controls the lifting mechanism to rise, causing some of the drone's propellers to interfere with the lifting mechanism and return to their original positions.

[0007] In response to a received second signal indicating that some of the propeller blades have returned to their original positions, the UAV hangar controls the landing platform to move to a first position within the UAV hangar, causing the remaining propeller blades of the UAV to interfere with the sidewall for return to their original positions.

[0008] In some embodiments, the drone includes a first blade, a second blade, a third blade, and a fourth blade; the lifting mechanism includes a door and a lifting limiter protruding from the top of the door; controlling the lifting mechanism to rise, causing some of the drone's blades to interfere with the lifting mechanism and return to their original positions, includes:

[0009] The drone hangar controls the door to rise to a first height;

[0010] After the first blade, the second blade and the lifting limiter interfere with each other, the UAV switches the rotation direction of the first blade and the second blade.

[0011] The drone hangar responds to a received third signal representing interference between the first blade, the second blade, and the lifting limiter, and controls the door to continue rising to the second height.

[0012] In response to the received fourth signal indicating that the gate has risen to a second height, the UAV switches the rotation direction of the first and second propellers again until the first and second propellers interfere with the gate, and then returns to its original position.

[0013] In some embodiments, the drone hangar controls the top of the door to rise to a first height, including:

[0014] The drone hangar controls the door to rise until it receives a first positioning signal from a position detection sensor, indicating that the door has risen to a first height.

[0015] The drone hangar controls the top of the door to continue rising to a second height, including:

[0016] The drone hangar controls the door to rise until it receives a second positioning signal from a position detection sensor, indicating that the door has risen to a second height.

[0017] In some embodiments, controlling the landing platform to move to a first position within the UAV hangar, such that the remaining propeller blades of the UAV interfere with the sidewall for propeller return, includes:

[0018] The UAV hangar controls the landing platform to continuously move towards the side wall, causing the third and fourth propeller blades to interfere with the inner wall of the side wall. When the landing platform moves to the first position, the third and fourth propeller blades return to their original positions.

[0019] In some embodiments, before the drone hangar responds to the first signal, the method further includes:

[0020] In response to a received fifth signal indicating that the drone is ready to land, the drone hangar controls the hangar door and the landing platform to rotate outward from one side of the side wall by a preset angle.

[0021] In some embodiments, controlling the landing platform to move to a first position within the drone hangar includes:

[0022] The landing platform is controlled to rotate around one side of the side wall at a first rotational speed to a first position inside the drone hangar, and the second rotational speed of the drone propeller is greater than a preset multiple of the first rotational speed.

[0023] This application provides an embodiment of a drone hangar applied to the above-described method, comprising:

[0024] A base plate, side walls, and a hangar door are provided, wherein the base plate, side walls, and hangar door surround and form a receiving cavity, and the side walls are rotatably connected to one end of the hangar door;

[0025] The main swing arm and landing platform are used to land drones; the first end of the main swing arm is rotatably connected to the side wall, the second end is connected to the hangar door, and the third end is connected to the landing platform. The hangar door and the landing platform can rotate relative to the side wall following the main swing arm.

[0026] The hangar door includes a lifting mechanism that can move up and down in a vertical direction. The lifting mechanism is used to return some of the drone's propellers to their positions. The sidewall includes an inner sidewall facing the receiving cavity, which is used to return the remaining propellers of the drone to their positions.

[0027] In some embodiments, the lifting component includes a door and a lifting limiter protruding from the top of the door, the lifting limiter being used to return some of the propeller blades of the UAV to their original positions.

[0028] The inner sidewall of the sidewall is provided with a sidewall limiting member, which is used to return the remaining blades of the UAV to the propeller.

[0029] In some embodiments, the hangar door includes a hangar door body, the lifting component is slidably connected to the hangar door body, and the hangar door body is provided with a position detection sensor for detecting the position of the lifting component in the vertical direction.

[0030] In some embodiments, the sidewall limiting member includes a first structure and / or a second structure;

[0031] The first structure includes a limiting rod, the top end of which is fixedly connected to the top of the side wall via a connector, and the limiting rod and the side wall have a first preset distance in the horizontal direction;

[0032] The second structure includes an arc-shaped protrusion structure located on the inner side of the sidewall, and the protruding apex of the arc-shaped protrusion structure has a second preset distance from the sidewall in the horizontal direction;

[0033] The first sidewall limiting member of the two sidewall limiting members is either the first structure or the second structure;

[0034] The second sidewall limiting member of the two sidewall limiting members is either the first structure or the second structure.

[0035] Beneficial effects of the embodiments in this application:

[0036] The drone hangar provided in this application integrates the functions of the hangar's own structure. The hangar door's lifting mechanism and the inner sidewalls of the side walls each handle part of the propeller return task, eliminating the need for a separate return device outside the storage cavity. This significantly reduces the overall volume and space occupancy of the hangar while ensuring reliable return functionality, making the drone hangar lighter and smaller. Furthermore, after the drone lands on the landing platform, during the process of returning it to the storage cavity, the hangar door's lifting mechanism and / or the inner sidewalls can simultaneously perform the propeller return operation. This parallel processing of the return and storage actions shortens the overall time from landing to storage, improving drone storage efficiency.

[0037] Of course, implementing any product or method of this application does not necessarily require achieving all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other embodiments can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the automatic propeller return method for unmanned aerial vehicles according to an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 3 ;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hangar door and the drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the hangar door and the drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the hangar door and the drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 3 ;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the hangar door and the drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 4 ;

[0047] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the hangar door and the drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 5 ;

[0048] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 4 ;

[0049] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 5 ;

[0050] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 6 ;

[0051] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 7 ;

[0052] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 8 ;

[0053] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 9 ;

[0054] Figure 16 for Figure 15 The diagram shows the hangar for the drone and the lifting drive mechanism within the drone.

[0055] Figure label:

[0056] Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) 10; First Propeller Blade 11; Second Propeller Blade 12; Third Propeller Blade 13; Fourth Propeller Blade 14; Hangar 20; Connecting Beam 201; Main Swing Arm 100; First Swing Arm 110; Second Swing Arm 120; Landing Platform 200; Base Plate 300; Side Wall 400; Inner Side Wall 410; Side Wall Limiting Component 411; Limiting Rod 4111; Connecting Component 4112; Arc-shaped Protrusion Structure 4113; Hangar Door 500; Lifting Component 510; Door Body 511 ; Hangar door body 520; Position detection sensor 530; Lifting limit component 512; Receiving cavity 600; Lifting drive device 710; Lifting drive motor 711; Worm gear 712; Worm 713; Drive shaft 714; Drive connector 715; Groove 7150; Traction rope 716; First traction wheel 7161; Second traction wheel 7162; Mounting plate 717; Mounting base 718; Cable harness structure 719; Swing arm drive mechanism 720. Detailed Implementation

[0057] 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, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0058] This application provides an automatic propeller return method for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), applied to a UAV hangar and the UAV itself. The UAV hangar includes side walls, a hangar door, and a landing platform. The hangar door includes a lifting component capable of vertically raising and lowering, such as... Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the automatic propeller return method for unmanned aerial vehicles according to an embodiment of this application;

[0059] The methods include:

[0060] S101: In response to the first signal received indicating that the UAV has landed on the landing platform, the UAV hangar controls the lifting mechanism to rise, causing some of the UAV's propellers to interfere with the lifting mechanism and return to their original position.

[0061] S102: In response to the received second signal indicating that some propeller blades have returned to their original positions, the UAV hangar controls the landing platform to move to a first position within the UAV hangar, so that the remaining UAV propeller blades interfere with the side wall for return to their original positions.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, the drone 10 may have two, three, four or more propellers. In this embodiment, four propellers are used as an example for illustration.

[0063] In an exemplary implementation, such as Figures 2 to 4 As shown, Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 3 ;in, Figures 2 to 4 All diagrams show the landing platform removed from the drone hangar's storage cavity. Drone 10 is a folding propeller drone, with the folding propellers fixed to a propeller clamp (not shown), allowing free rotation within a certain angle range around the clamp's limiting feature (not shown). During flight, the propeller's drive motor drives the propeller to rotate, and the propeller is flung to both sides to provide flight power / lift. During the return process, when the propeller contacts the limiting structure on the lifting component or side wall, the limiting structure prevents the propeller from rotating. After the propeller rotates past a certain free angle, the propeller's drive motor stalls, forcing an increase in current within the drive motor, which can be identified as a stall signal.

[0064] In an exemplary implementation, such as Figures 1 to 3 After completing its mission, the drone 10 (e.g., a quadcopter with folding propellers) autonomously flies back to above the drone hangar 20 via its navigation system and lands vertically on the landing platform 200. At this time, the top of the lifting component 510 of the hangar door 500 is lower than the rotation surface of the drone 10's propellers, and the lifting component 510 will not interfere with the drone 10's propellers. The landing platform 200 may be equipped with a centering mechanism to center the position of the drone 10.

[0065] In an exemplary embodiment, after the drone 10 lands, the drone 10 itself or its onboard sensors can send a first signal to the drone hangar 20. These sensors can be pressure sensors or photoelectric sensors, located on the top of the landing platform. The pressure sensor detects the pressure of the drone 10 and sends the first signal to the drone hangar 20. Similarly, the photoelectric sensor sends a first signal to the drone hangar 20 after its laser beam is blocked by the drone 10. The first signal can be issued by the drone 10's flight control system, i.e., after the drone 10 lands on the landing platform 200, it is sent to the control system of the drone hangar 20 via a wireless communication module, such as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), 4G / 5G, or Bluetooth. Alternatively, the first signal can be generated locally by the drone hangar 20 after the pressure sensor, photoelectric sensor, or visual recognition system on the landing platform 200 detects the drone 10's arrival.

[0066] In an exemplary embodiment, after some propeller blades have returned to their positions, a second signal is generated by the UAV 10 (e.g., a propeller drive motor current detection module) or a sensor in the hangar 20 (e.g., a position sensor). For example, the second signal can be issued by the UAV 10 flight control system after detecting a stall in the drive motor of the corresponding propeller blade, or by a position sensor on the hangar door 500 after detecting that the lifting component 510 has reached its position. Upon receiving the second signal, the control system of the UAV hangar 20 moves (or rotates) the landing platform 200 and the UAV 10 towards the inside of the UAV hangar 20, causing the remaining propeller blades of the UAV 10 to interfere with the side wall 400 of the UAV hangar 20, thus completing the return of the propeller blades.

[0067] In this embodiment, the propellers are returned to their original position by the interference of the lifting mechanism 510 of the hangar door 500 and the side wall 400 with the propellers of the UAV 10. This eliminates the need for an additional independent propeller-returning device inside or outside the housing cavity 600 of the hangar 20, reducing the overall size of the hangar 20 and making the UAV hangar 20 lightweight and compact. This is beneficial for miniaturizing the overall size of the UAV hangar 20 in a multi-UAV architecture. Moreover, the propeller-returning process is synchronized with the loading process. First, the lifting mechanism 510 completes the propeller-returning process, and then the landing platform 200 moves to cause the remaining propellers to interfere with the side wall 400 for propeller-returning. This significantly shortens the overall time from landing to storage of the UAV 10 and greatly improves loading efficiency.

[0068] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 3 The drone 10 includes a first blade 11, a second blade 12, a third blade 13, and a fourth blade 14. The lifting assembly 510 includes a door 511 and a lifting limiter 512 protruding from the top of the door 511. Controlling the lifting assembly 510 to rise causes some of the drone 10's blades to interfere with the lifting assembly 510, including:

[0069] like Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hangar door and the drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 (The door rises to the first height), the drone hangar 20 controls the door 511 to rise to the first height; among which, Figure 5 The dashed lines in the diagram represent the rotating surfaces of the drone's propellers.

[0070] like Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the hangar door and the drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 (Interference between the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 and the lifting limit member 512), after the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 interfere with the lifting limit member 512, the UAV 10, as Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the hangar door and the drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 3(The first blade 11 and the second blade 12 rotate counterclockwise after interfering with the lifting limit member 512), switching the rotation direction of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12.

[0071] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the hangar door and the drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 4 ; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the hangar door and the drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 5 ;in, Figure 8 and Figure 9 Both are in the state where the first and second propeller blades and the gate 511 have risen to the second height. In response to a received third signal indicating interference between the first propeller blade 11, the second propeller blade 12 and the lifting limit member 512, the UAV hangar 20 controls the gate 511 to continue rising to the second height;

[0072] In response to the received fourth signal indicating that the gate 511 has risen to the second height, the UAV 10 switches the rotation direction of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 again until the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 interfere with the gate 511, and then completes the return of the blades.

[0073] In an exemplary embodiment, after receiving the first signal, the control system of the UAV hangar 20 activates the lifting drive device 710 to drive the lifting component 510 to rise vertically. During the ascent of the lifting component 510, the drive motors of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 (i.e., the motors that drive the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 to rotate) maintain a slow clockwise rotation. When the door 511 of the lifting component 510 rises to the first height (that is, the top of the lifting limit component 512 rises above the rotation plane of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 of the UAV 10, and the top of the door 511 is below the rotation plane of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 of the UAV 10), the lifting drive device 710 stops driving; the lifting limit component 512 on the lifting component 510 interferes with the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 of the UAV 10, and after the drive motors of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 stall, the drive motors send a signal to the flight control system of the UAV 10, causing the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 of the UAV 10 to stop rotating clockwise. The flight control system of the UAV 10 then controls the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 to rotate counterclockwise, so that the projections of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 on the horizontal plane do not overlap with the projection of the lifting component 510. This allows the lifting component 510 to rise smoothly without interfering with the first blade 11 and the second blade 12. During the counterclockwise rotation of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12, the lifting component 510 continues to rise synchronously until the top of the door 511 is higher than the rotation plane of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 (i.e., the door 511 rises to the second height). In response to the received fourth signal indicating that the door 511 has risen to the second height, the UAV 10 stops driving the lifting drive device 710. After the lifting component 510 stops rising, it switches the rotation direction of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12, causing the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 to rotate clockwise again. After the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 interfere with the inner side of the door 511 of the lifting component 510, the drive motors of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 are powered off, completing the return of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, after the door 511 rises to the first height, the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 contact and interfere with the lifting limit member 512, causing the motor to enter a stall state. At this time, the third signal can be that the UAV 10 flight control system detects an abnormal motor current (stalling signal), and the UAV 10 flight control system sends the third signal to the control system of the UAV hangar. The third signal can also be the signal generated by the pressure sensor on the lifting limit member 512 after detecting a preset pressure.

[0075] After receiving the third signal, the control system of the drone hangar 20 controls the door 511 to continue rising to the second height. After the door 511 is in place, the position sensor on the hangar door 500 sends a fourth signal. After receiving the fourth signal, the drone 10 controls the drive motors of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 to reverse (from counterclockwise to clockwise), so that the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 contact the lifting limit device to achieve return to the starting position.

[0076] In an exemplary embodiment, the first height refers to the height of the lifting limit member 512 at the top of the door 511 being higher than the rotation surface of the drone 10 propeller, but the top of the door 511 being lower than the rotation surface of the drone 10 propeller; the second height refers to the top of the door 511 being higher than the rotation surface of the drone 10 propeller.

[0077] In this embodiment, after the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 interfere with the lifting limit member 512, the UAV 10 switches the rotation direction of the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 so that the lifting member 510 can rise smoothly and prevent interference between the first blade 11 and the second blade 12 and the lifting member 510.

[0078] In some embodiments, the top of the control door 511 of the drone hangar 20 rises to a first height, including:

[0079] The drone hangar 20 controls the door 511 to rise until it receives a first positioning signal sent by the position detection sensor 530, indicating that the door 511 has risen to a first height.

[0080] The top of the drone hangar control door 511 continues to rise to a second height, including:

[0081] The drone hangar 20 controls the door 511 to rise until it receives a second positioning signal from the position detection sensor 530, indicating that the door 511 has risen to a second height.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment, the position detection sensor 530 can be a photoelectric switch or a limit switch, etc. For example, two photoelectric sensors are installed on the hangar door, corresponding to a first height and a second height, respectively. When the door 511 rises and blocks the first photoelectric sensor, a first positioning signal is emitted; when it continues to rise and blocks the second photoelectric sensor, a second positioning signal is emitted. These signals can be directly received and responded to by the control system of the UAV hangar 20.

[0083] In this embodiment, the height of the lifting component 510 is accurately located by the position detection sensor 530, thereby achieving automation and precise control of the return propeller process and improving system stability and accuracy.

[0084] In some embodiments, controlling the landing platform 200 to move to a first position within the drone hangar 20, causing the remaining propeller blades of the drone 10 to interfere with the side wall 400 for propeller return, includes:

[0085] The UAV hangar 20 controls the landing platform 200 to continuously move towards the side wall 400, causing the third blade 13 and the fourth blade 14 to interfere with the inner wall of the side wall 400. When the landing platform 200 moves to the first position, the third blade 13 and the fourth blade 14 return to their original positions.

[0086] like Figures 10 to 14 As shown, Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 4 ; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 5 ; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 6 ; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 7 ; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 8 ;in, Figure 10 The first and second blades of the UAV shown have been returned to their original positions. The main swing arm 100 drives the hangar door 500 and the landing platform 200 to move toward the direction of the hangar cavity, while the third and fourth blades have not yet been returned to their original positions. Figure 11 The first and second propellers of the UAV shown have been returned to their original positions. The third propeller interferes with the side wall limiting member 411 on the inner side wall 410, causing the third propeller 13 to return to its original position. Figure 12 exist Figure 11 Based on the drone and hangar status shown, the main swing arm drives the hangar door and landing platform, and the drone continues to move towards the inner sidewall 410, and the third blade 13 slides relative to the sidewall limiter 411. Figure 13 exist Figure 12 Based on the drone and hangar status shown, the main swing arm 100 drives the hangar door and landing platform, and the drone continues to move towards the inner side wall 410. The fourth blade 14 interferes with another side wall limiter 411. At this time, the hangar door is not completely closed. Figure 14 exist Figure 13 Based on the drone and hangar status shown, the main swing arm 100 drives the hangar door and landing platform, and the drone continues to move towards the inner wall 410. The fourth propeller 14 slides relative to another side wall limiter 411, and the hangar door closes.

[0087] In an exemplary embodiment, during the return of the propellers, the UAV hangar 20 controls the landing platform 200 to continuously move toward the side wall 400. The third blade 13 and the fourth blade 14 of the UAV 10 maintain a low clockwise rotation. During the rotation, the third blade 13 and the fourth blade 14 respectively contact the inner wall of the side wall 400 and stall until the platform reaches the preset first position (such as the position where the hangar 20 is completely closed). The propeller motors are powered off, and the return of the propellers is completed.

[0088] In this embodiment, the rotor return is achieved by the interference of the side wall 400 of the drone hangar with the third rotor blade 13 and the fourth rotor blade 14 of the drone 10, respectively. This eliminates the need for an additional independent rotor return device inside or outside the housing cavity 600 of the hangar 20, reducing the overall size of the hangar 20 and making the drone hangar 20 lightweight and miniaturized. Moreover, the rotor return process is carried out simultaneously with the drone insertion process. The rotor return of the third rotor blade 13 and the fourth rotor blade 14 is completed during the insertion of the drone 10 into the hangar, shortening the overall time from the completion of landing to the proper storage of the drone 10 and significantly improving the insertion efficiency.

[0089] In some embodiments, the method further includes: before the drone hangar 20 responds to the first signal:

[0090] In response to a received fifth signal indicating that the drone 10 is ready to land, the drone hangar 20 controls the hangar door 500 and the landing platform 200 to rotate outward from one side of the side wall 400 by a preset angle.

[0091] In an exemplary embodiment, the hangar door 500 and landing platform 200 are rotatably connected to one end of the side wall 400 via the main swing arm 100. The fifth signal can be transmitted wirelessly by the drone 10 when it approaches the hangar 20, or it can be generated after the radar or vision system around the hangar 20 detects that the drone 10 has entered the pre-landing area. After receiving the signal, the hangar 20 controls the main swing arm 100 of the drone 10 to rotate outward by a certain angle, so that the hangar door 500 and landing platform 200 unfold, facilitating the landing of the drone 10.

[0092] In this embodiment, the detection and transmission of the fifth signal can start the rotation of the hangar door 500 and the landing platform 200 in advance, creating favorable conditions for the landing of the UAV 10 and shortening the landing preparation time.

[0093] In some embodiments, controlling the landing platform 200 to move to a first position within the drone hangar 20 includes:

[0094] The control landing platform 200 rotates around one side of the side wall 400 at a first rotational speed to a first position inside the UAV hangar 20, and the second rotational speed of the UAV 10 propeller is greater than a preset multiple of the first rotational speed.

[0095] In an exemplary embodiment, to minimize the need for the third propeller blade 13 to bypass the limiting structure on the side wall 400 and rigidly abut against the hangar door body 520, the design relationship between the motor speed of the third propeller blade 13 and the rotational speed of the main swing arm 100 is as follows: The angular velocity of the UAV 10 propeller blade is defined as ω1, and the angular velocity of the main swing arm 100 driven by the swing arm drive mechanism 720 at the hangar door 500 is defined as ω2. Within the same time t, when the main swing arm 100 rotates through an angle of 4°, the propeller blade rotates through at least 52°. Therefore, ω1 = 52° / t > ω2 = 4° / t, and thus ω1 / ω2 > 13. Therefore, the second rotational speed of the UAV 10 propeller blade is greater than 13 times the first rotational speed. It should be noted that the above angle is related to the structural design, but the required rotational speed ratio is consistent under different operating conditions.

[0096] In this embodiment, the second rotation speed of the UAV 10 propeller is greater than a preset multiple of the first rotation speed, which enables the propeller to return to its original position in a timely manner by interfering with the side wall 400. This minimizes the possibility of the propeller bypassing the limiting structure on the side wall 400 and rigidly contacting the hangar door body 520, thus improving the reliability of the return to position.

[0097] This application embodiment provides a drone hangar 20 applied to the above method, including:

[0098] The base plate 300, side wall 400 and hangar door 500 surround to form a receiving cavity, and the side wall 400 is rotatably connected to one end of the hangar door 500.

[0099] The main swing arm 100 and the landing platform 200 are used to land the drone. The first end of the main swing arm 100 is rotatably connected to the side wall 400, the second end is connected to the hangar door 500, and the third end is connected to the landing platform 200. The hangar door 500 and the landing platform 200 can rotate relative to the side wall 400 with the main swing arm 100.

[0100] The hangar door 500 includes a lifting member 510 that can be raised and lowered in a vertical direction. The lifting member 510 is used to return some of the drone's propellers to their positions. The side wall 400 includes an inner side wall facing the receiving cavity, which is used to return the remaining propellers of the drone to their positions.

[0101] In an exemplary implementation, such as Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the drone hangar and drone in the embodiments of this application. Figure 9 ; Figure 16 for Figure 15The diagram shows the drone hangar and the lifting drive mechanism within the drone. The drone hangar 20 includes a swing arm drive mechanism 720, which is connected to the side wall 400 of the drone hangar 20. The output end of the swing arm drive mechanism 720 is connected to the first end of the main swing arm 100. The swing arm drive mechanism 720 includes a swing arm drive motor (not shown) and a swing arm drive reducer (not shown). The fixed part of the swing arm drive motor (such as the housing) is fixedly connected to the side wall 400, and the output end of the swing arm drive motor is connected to the swing arm drive reducer. The output end of the swing arm drive reducer is connected to the main swing arm 100 via a connector (such as a coupling or connecting flange). The control system of the UAV hangar drives the output end of the swing arm drive motor to rotate in the horizontal direction, which in turn drives the output end of the swing arm drive reducer to rotate in the horizontal direction, which in turn drives the main swing arm 100 to rotate in the horizontal direction, thereby driving the hangar door 500 and landing platform 200 of the UAV 10 to rotate in the horizontal direction, thus realizing the entry of the UAV 10 into the hangar and the opening and closing of the hangar door 500.

[0102] In an exemplary embodiment, multiple drone hangars 20 can be stacked vertically, and adjacent drone hangars 20 are connected by connecting beams 201.

[0103] In an exemplary implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, the main swing arm 100 includes a first swing arm 110 and a second swing arm 120. The first end of the first swing arm 110 is connected to the output end of the swing arm drive mechanism 720, and the second end of the first swing arm 110 is fixedly connected to the hangar door 500. The first end of the second swing arm 120 is fixedly connected to the first swing arm 110, and the second end of the second swing arm 120 is fixedly connected to the landing platform 200. The first end of the first swing arm 110 is the first end of the aforementioned main swing arm, the second end of the first swing arm 110 is the second end of the aforementioned main swing arm, and the second end of the second swing arm 120 is the third end of the aforementioned main swing arm.

[0104] In an exemplary embodiment, the landing platform 200 can be circular, and the landing platform 200 is equipped with a centering device (not shown). After the drone 10 lands on the landing platform 200, the centering device centers the drone 10 relative to the landing platform 200. Figure 4 As shown in the embodiments of this application, the landing platform 200 can be disc-shaped.

[0105] In this embodiment, the propellers of the UAV 10 are returned to their original position through the interference of the lifting mechanism 510 of the hangar door 500 and the side wall 400 with the propellers. This eliminates the need for an additional independent propeller-returning device inside or outside the housing cavity 600 of the hangar 20, reducing the overall size of the hangar 20 and making the UAV hangar 20 lightweight and compact. Moreover, the propeller-returning process is carried out simultaneously with the storage process. First, the lifting mechanism 510 completes the return of some propellers, and then the landing platform 200 moves to cause the remaining propellers to interfere with the side wall 400 for return. This significantly shortens the overall time from landing to storage of the UAV 10 and greatly improves storage efficiency.

[0106] In some embodiments, the lifting member 510 includes a door 511 and a lifting limit member 512 protruding from the top of the door 511. The lifting limit member 512 is used to return some of the propellers of the UAV 10 to their original positions. The inner sidewall 410 of the sidewall 400 is provided with a sidewall limit member 411, which is used to return the remaining propellers of the UAV 10 to their original positions.

[0107] In an exemplary embodiment, the door 511 may be made of tempered glass to facilitate observation of the return process; or it may be made of metal plate, such as lightweight alloy plate, to improve structural strength.

[0108] In an exemplary embodiment, the sliding connection between the door body 511 and the hangar door 500 can be achieved using a ball bearing guide rail to reduce lifting resistance.

[0109] In an exemplary embodiment, the side wall limiting member 411 can be fixed to the inner side wall 410 of the side wall 400 by bolts or by welding, which facilitates installation and replacement; the position of the side wall limiting member 411 is designed according to the homing trajectory of the third blade 13 and the fourth blade 14; an elastic rubber layer or PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) anti-scratch sheet can be pasted on the lifting limiting member 512 and the contact area with the blades on the side wall limiting member 411 to buffer the impact force and reduce wear.

[0110] In an exemplary embodiment, the number of lifting limiters 512 and side wall limiters 411 can be adjusted according to the number of propellers to adapt to different types of UAVs 10, such as two-blade and four-blade UAVs 10.

[0111] In this embodiment, the lifting limiter 512 and the side wall limiter 411 can accurately guide the UAV's propellers back to their positions, improving the targeting and reliability of propeller guidance. The structure is compact and highly integrated.

[0112] In some embodiments, the hangar door 500 includes a hangar door body 520, a lifting member 510 slidably connected to the hangar door body 520, and a position detection sensor 530 is provided on the hangar door body 520 for detecting the position of the lifting member 510 in the vertical direction.

[0113] In an exemplary implementation, such as Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, a lifting drive device 710 is provided on the hangar door 500. The lifting drive device 710 is used to drive the lifting component 510 to move vertically. The lifting drive device 710 includes a lifting drive assembly and a lifting transmission assembly. The lifting drive assembly is installed on the hangar door 500. The output end of the lifting drive assembly is connected to the lifting transmission assembly, and the output end of the lifting transmission assembly is connected to the lifting component 510. The lifting drive assembly drives the lifting component 510 to move vertically through the lifting transmission assembly. The lifting drive assembly includes a lifting drive motor 711, and the lifting transmission assembly includes a worm gear 712, a worm 713, a transmission shaft 714, a transmission connector 715, a traction rope 716, two first traction wheels 7161, and two second traction wheels 7162, as shown. Figure 2 , Figure 15 and Figure 16As shown, the housing of the lifting drive motor 711 is mounted on the inner wall of the hangar door body 520 via a mounting plate 717. There is a gap between the mounting plate 717 and the inner wall of the hangar door body 520. The mounting plate 717 is provided with a mounting seat 718. The worm gear 712 and the worm 713 are located in the inner cavity of the mounting seat 718. The drive shaft 714 extends through the side wall of the mounting seat 718 toward the direction close to the inner wall of the hangar door body 520. The transmission connector 715 is located between the mounting seat 718 and the inner wall of the hangar door body 520. The output shaft of the lifting drive motor 711 is connected to the worm gear 713 via a coupling. The transmission shaft 714 is rotatably connected to the hangar door body 520 in a horizontal direction. The worm wheel 712 meshes with the worm gear 713. The worm wheel 712 and the transmission connecting piece 715 are spaced apart on the transmission shaft 714 along the axial direction of the transmission shaft 714. The rotation of the worm wheel 712 drives the transmission shaft 714 to rotate, which in turn drives the transmission connecting piece 715 to rotate. The transmission connecting piece 715 has two grooves 7150, which are spaced apart along the axial direction of the transmission shaft 714. Two first traction wheels 7161 are spaced apart in a horizontal direction on the inner circumference of the lifting member 510 door body 511. Two second traction wheels 7162 are spaced apart in a horizontal direction on the hangar door body 520. The traction rope 716 is respectively sleeved on the two first traction wheels, the two second traction wheels, and the two grooves of the transmission connecting piece 715. Specifically, starting from the first traction wheel 7161 in the upper left position, one end of the traction rope 716 extends from the upper left position of the first traction wheel 7161 in the upper right direction and wraps around the groove of the two grooves 7150 away from the hangar door body 520. After wrapping counterclockwise once, it extends from the lower right position of the groove 7150 and extends upward from the bottom of the second traction wheel 7162 in the lower right position. It extends from the top of the second traction wheel 7162 to the right side of the first traction wheel 7161 in the upper right position, and after passing over the top of the first traction wheel 7161, it extends from the lower left of the first traction wheel 7161. It wraps around the groove of the two grooves 7150 near the hangar door body 520. After wrapping counterclockwise once, it extends from the lower left of the groove and extends to the bottom of the second traction wheel 7162 in the lower left position, and extends upward from the left side of the second traction wheel 7162. When the lifting drive motor 711 drives the worm gear 713 to rotate, causing the worm wheel 712 and the transmission connector 715 to rotate counterclockwise, the traction rope 716 is pulled, causing the two first traction wheels 7161 to descend, thereby causing the lifting component 510 to descend. When the lifting drive motor 711 drives the worm gear 713 to rotate, causing the worm wheel 712 and the transmission connector 715 to rotate clockwise, the traction rope 716 is pulled, causing the two first traction wheels 7161 to rise, thereby causing the lifting component 510 to rise. A cable harness structure 719 may be provided on the inner side of the mounting plate 717 near the hangar door body 520. The cable harness structure 719 is used to secure the traction rope 716.

[0114] In other embodiments, the lifting drive device 710 may also employ structures such as an electric cylinder or a rack and pinion mechanism. For example, the lifting drive device 710 includes a gear drive motor, a gear, and a rack. The rack is vertically positioned inside the lifting member 510. The output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the gear, and the gear meshes with the rack. When the drive motor drives the gear to rotate, it causes the rack to move vertically, thereby causing the lifting member 510 to move vertically. This application does not limit the driving and transmission methods of the lifting drive device 710, as long as it enables the lifting member 510 to move vertically relative to the hangar door body 520.

[0115] In this embodiment, the height of the lifting component 510 is accurately located by the position detection sensor 530, thereby realizing the automation and precise control of the homing process, reducing human intervention, improving system stability and accuracy, and further improving the movement accuracy of the lifting component 510 during multiple homing processes.

[0116] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the sidewall limiting member 411 includes a first structure and / or a second structure; the first structure includes a limiting rod 4111, the top end of which is fixedly connected to the top of the sidewall 400 via a connector 4112, and the limiting rod 4111 and the sidewall 400 have a first preset distance in the horizontal direction; the second structure includes an arc-shaped protrusion structure 4113, which is located on the inner side of the sidewall 400, and the protruding apex of the arc-shaped protrusion structure 4113 has a second preset distance in the horizontal direction from the sidewall 400; the first sidewall limiting member 411 of the two sidewall limiting members 411 is either the first structure or the second structure; the second sidewall limiting member 411 of the two sidewall limiting members 411 is either the first structure or the second structure.

[0117] In an exemplary embodiment, the first sidewall limiting member 411 is a first structure, and the first sidewall limiting member 411 is closer to the rotation center of the hangar door 500 and the landing platform 200 than the second sidewall limiting member 411. The first sidewall limiting member 411 serves as a limiting feature for the third blade 13 and can return the third blade 13 to its original position. The second sidewall limiting member 411 is a second structure, and the second sidewall limiting member 411 serves as a limiting feature for the fourth blade 14 and can return the fourth blade 14 to its original position.

[0118] In an exemplary embodiment, during the closing process of the hangar door 500, the third blade 13 maintains a slow clockwise rotation, interfering with the limit rod 4111, and the motor of the third blade 13 remains stalled. After the hangar door 500 is fully closed, the motor of the third blade 13 is de-energized, and the third blade completes its return-to-rotation action. During the closing process of the hangar door 500, the motor of the fourth blade 14 rotates slowly clockwise, interfering with the arc-shaped protrusion structure 4113, and the blade motor is stalled. The motor of the fourth blade 14 remains stalled, and the fourth blade 14 slides relative to the arc-shaped protrusion structure 4113 as the hangar door and landing platform approach the side wall (anti-scratch pads are affixed to the sliding trajectory area). After the hangar door 500 is fully closed, the motor of the fourth blade 14 is de-energized, completing the return-to-rotation action. After the third blade 13 and the fourth blade 14 complete their return-to-rotation actions, the entire aircraft achieves return-to-rotation. It should be noted that in actual working conditions, the return sequence of the third blade 13 and the fourth blade 14 is not specifically limited, and the shape and spacing of the two side wall limiting members 411 can be set according to actual needs (such as the spacing between the blades of the UAV 10).

[0119] In an exemplary embodiment, the limiting rod 4111 of the first structure can be a stainless steel round rod or a carbon fiber rod, and the connector 4112 can be a connecting plate; the first preset distance can be adjusted according to the length of the UAV 10 propeller to ensure that the propeller can effectively interfere. The arc-shaped protrusion structure 4113 of the second structure can be integrally formed with the side wall 400, or fixed with detachable bolts; the radius of curvature of the arc surface is designed according to the rotation trajectory of the propeller, and the second preset distance of the protrusion apex can be designed according to different sizes of propellers.

[0120] In this embodiment, the arc-shaped protrusion structure 4113 can be directly connected to the side wall 400, making production and maintenance more convenient and reducing management costs; the limiting rod 4111 is a standard part with low cost. The first and second structures can adapt to the propeller return requirements of different types and sizes of UAVs 10, improving the versatility of the hangar 20.

[0121] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0122] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a related manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the system embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the method embodiments.

[0123] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application are included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for automatic propeller return of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), characterized in that, Applied to drone hangars and drones, the drone hangar includes side walls, a hangar door, and a landing platform, the hangar door including a lifting component capable of vertically raising and lowering, the method comprising: In response to a first signal received indicating that the UAV has landed on the landing platform, the UAV hangar controls the lifting mechanism to rise, causing some of the UAV's propellers to interfere with the lifting mechanism and return to their original positions. In response to a received second signal indicating that some of the propeller blades have returned to their original positions, the UAV hangar controls the landing platform to move to a first position within the UAV hangar, causing the remaining propeller blades of the UAV to interfere with the sidewall for return to their original positions.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drone includes a first blade, a second blade, a third blade, and a fourth blade. The lifting mechanism includes a door and a lifting limiter protruding from the top of the door. Controlling the lifting mechanism to rise, causing some of the drone's blades to interfere with the lifting mechanism and return to their original positions, includes: The drone hangar controls the door to rise to a first height; After the first blade, the second blade and the lifting limiter interfere with each other, the UAV switches the rotation direction of the first blade and the second blade. The drone hangar responds to a received third signal representing interference between the first blade, the second blade, and the lifting limiter, and controls the door to continue rising to the second height. In response to the received fourth signal indicating that the gate has risen to a second height, the UAV switches the rotation direction of the first and second propellers again until the first and second propellers interfere with the gate, and then returns to its original position.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drone hangar controls the top of the door to rise to a first height, including: The drone hangar controls the door to rise until it receives a first positioning signal from a position detection sensor, indicating that the door has risen to a first height. The drone hangar controls the top of the door to continue rising to a second height, including: The drone hangar controls the door to rise until it receives a second positioning signal from a position detection sensor, indicating that the door has risen to a second height.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of controlling the landing platform to move to a first position within the UAV hangar, causing the remaining propeller blades of the UAV to interfere with the side wall and return to their original position, includes: The UAV hangar controls the landing platform to continuously move towards the side wall, causing the third and fourth propeller blades to interfere with the inner wall of the side wall. When the landing platform moves to the first position, the third and fourth propeller blades return to their original positions.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the drone hangar responds to the first signal, the method further includes: In response to a received fifth signal indicating that the drone is ready to land, the drone hangar controls the hangar door and the landing platform to rotate outward from one side of the side wall by a preset angle.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The control of moving the landing platform to a first position within the drone hangar includes: The landing platform is controlled to rotate around one side of the side wall at a first rotational speed to a first position inside the drone hangar, and the second rotational speed of the drone propeller is greater than a preset multiple of the first rotational speed.

7. A drone hangar applicable to the method of any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, include: A base plate, side walls, and a hangar door are provided, wherein the base plate, side walls, and hangar door surround and form a receiving cavity, and the side walls are rotatably connected to one end of the hangar door; The main swing arm and landing platform are used to land drones; the first end of the main swing arm is rotatably connected to the side wall, the second end is connected to the hangar door, and the third end is connected to the landing platform. The hangar door and the landing platform can rotate relative to the side wall following the main swing arm. The hangar door includes a lifting mechanism that can move up and down in a vertical direction. The lifting mechanism is used to return some of the drone's propellers to their positions. The sidewall includes an inner sidewall facing the receiving cavity, which is used to return the remaining propellers of the drone to their positions.

8. The drone hangar according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lifting component includes a door and a lifting limiter protruding from the top of the door. The lifting limiter is used to return some of the propeller blades of the UAV to their original position. The inner sidewall of the sidewall is provided with a sidewall limiting member, which is used to return the remaining blades of the UAV to the propeller.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle hangar according to claim 8, characterized in that, The hangar door includes a hangar door body, and the lifting component is slidably connected to the hangar door body. The hangar door body is equipped with a position detection sensor, which is used to detect the position of the lifting component in the vertical direction.

10. The drone hangar according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sidewall limiting member includes a first structure and / or a second structure; The first structure includes a limiting rod, the top end of which is fixedly connected to the top of the side wall via a connector, and the limiting rod and the side wall have a first preset distance in the horizontal direction; The second structure includes an arc-shaped protrusion structure located on the inner side of the sidewall, and the protruding apex of the arc-shaped protrusion structure has a second preset distance from the sidewall in the horizontal direction; The first sidewall limiting member of the two sidewall limiting members is either the first structure or the second structure; The second sidewall limiting member of the two sidewall limiting members is either the first structure or the second structure.

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