Drone including automatic wired / wireless detachment control module and control method thereof

Abstract

A drone having an automatic wired / wireless detachment control module according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is a drone in which power supply and communication transmission functions are provided through a first cable unit in a ground support unit, the drone comprising: a cable detachment module for detaching a terminal unit of an end of the first cable unit from the drone; and a safety hook device formed on the drone to fix the drone in flight to the ground support unit.

Description

Drone including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module and a control method thereof

[0001] The present invention relates to a drone including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module and a method for controlling the same, and more particularly, to a drone including a module for automatically detaching a wired cable from the drone in order to switch the drone from wired mode to wireless mode in a drone operated in both wired and wireless modes, and a method for controlling the same.

[0002] Recently, drones are equipped with cutting-edge equipment such as remote sensing devices and satellite control devices and are deployed to places that are difficult for people to access or dangerous areas to collect information, perform special missions, or are used in a wide variety of fields such as hobby activities or camera filming. Depending on the purpose of use, various models of these drones are being developed, ranging from large aircraft to ultra-small aircraft.

[0003] Drones, in particular, are increasingly being utilized in wartime situations as small aircraft, and various methods for deploying them directly into battle are being proposed. Currently, drones are widely used for reconnaissance, but their short flight times hinder their effectiveness in reconnaissance missions.

[0004] [Prior Art Literature]

[0005] [Patent Document]

[0006] (Patent Document 1) KR 10-1962389 B1

[0007] The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and secures the drone's operating time by connecting the drone and the ground control system with a wire, while enabling separation between the drone and the ground control system, thereby expanding the drone's reconnaissance range in emergency situations.

[0008] A drone including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention is a drone in which power supply and communication transmission functions are provided from a ground support unit through a first cable unit, and includes a cable detachment module for detaching a terminal portion of the first cable unit from the drone, and a safety hook device formed on the drone for fixing the drone to the ground support unit while in flight.

[0009] In a drone including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention, the safety ring device may include a second moving shaft that is wrapped by a safety ring at the end of a second cable portion that extends from the ground support portion to the drone, a second frame portion that forms walls in the longitudinal direction of the second moving shaft and has a structure that is open downward to prevent the safety ring from coming out in the longitudinal direction of the second moving shaft, and a second driving portion that moves the second moving shaft in the longitudinal direction of the second moving shaft.

[0010] In a drone including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention, the terminal portion may include a terminal frame, a power supply terminal formed on the terminal frame, and a communication terminal formed on the terminal frame, and the cable detachable module may include a first moving shaft formed to push the terminal frame, a module frame having a central hole formed through which the first moving shaft passes, a power supply terminal receiving portion formed on the module frame and coupled with the power supply terminal, and a communication terminal receiving portion formed on the module frame and coupled with the communication terminal.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when a separation trigger signal is provided from a controller, it is possible to determine whether the provided separation trigger signal is a normal signal.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the separation trigger signal is a normal signal, whether the first cable part is separated can be determined, and the first cable part can be separated based on the result of the determination of whether the first cable part is separated.

[0013] A drone including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to the present invention can supply power to a flying drone through a ground control system, thereby improving the operation time of the drone.

[0014] In addition, in order to prevent an unintentional short circuit of the cable portion transmitting power and communication functions in a drone equipped with the wired / wireless detachable automatic control module of the present invention from the drone, a safety loop device is provided in the drone, thereby ensuring the stability of the drone in wired mode, and by minimizing the impact applied to the drone due to the safety loop device, the stability of drone flight can be ensured.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a drone including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drone including a wireless detachable automatic control module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a safety hook device of a drone including a wireless detachable automatic control module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a terminal portion and a cable detachment module of a drone including a wired / wireless detachment automatic control module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 5 is a side view of a terminal portion and a cable detachment module of a drone including a wired / wireless detachment automatic control module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 6 is a front view of a terminal portion of a drone including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cable detachment module of a drone including a wired / wireless detachment automatic control module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a controller that controls a drone including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0023] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of a drone and a controller including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to specific embodiments, but rather encompasses various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components.

[0025] In this document, the expressions “has”, “may have”, “includes”, or “may include” indicate the presence of a feature (e.g., a number, function, operation, or component such as a part), but do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0026] In this document, the expressions "A or B," "at least one of A and / or B," or "one or more of A and / or B" can include all possible combinations of the listed items. For example, "A or B," "at least one of A and B," or "at least one of A or B" can all refer to cases where (1) at least one A is included, (2) at least one B is included, or (3) at least one A and at least one B are included.

[0027] The expression "configured to" as used herein can be used interchangeably with, for example, "suitable for", "having the capacity to", "designed to", "adapted to", "made to", or "capable of". The term "configured to" does not necessarily mean "specifically designed to".

[0028] The terms used in this document are used only to describe specific embodiments and may not be intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. The singular expression may include the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art described in this document. Terms defined in general dictionaries among the terms used in this document may be interpreted as having the same or similar meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this document. In some cases, even if a term is defined in this document, it cannot be interpreted to exclude the embodiments of this document.

[0029] The embodiments disclosed in this document are presented for the purpose of explaining and understanding the disclosed technical content and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of this document should be interpreted to include all modifications or various other embodiments based on the technical concept of the present invention.

[0030] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. Prior to this, it should be noted that the terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their conventional or dictionary meanings. Based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of a term to best explain his or her invention, they should be interpreted in a way that aligns with the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0031] Accordingly, the configurations of the embodiments described in this specification are only some of the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, so it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace them at the time of filing this application.

[0032] Throughout the specification, whenever a part is said to “include” a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise stated.

[0033] The objects, specific advantages, and novel features of the present invention described herein will become more apparent from the following detailed description and preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this specification, reference numerals are given to components in each drawing, and it should be noted that, as far as possible, identical components are given the same numerals even if they are shown in different drawings. Furthermore, terms such as "one side," "the other side," "first," and "second" are used to distinguish one component from another, and the components are not limited by these terms. In the following description of the present invention, detailed descriptions of related known technologies that may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted.

[0034] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, and the same reference numerals indicate the same components.

[0035]

[0036] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a drone (1) for tracking a target according to the present invention will be described.

[0037]

[0038] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a drone (1) including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039]

[0040] A drone (1) including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention is a drone (1) in which power supply and communication transmission functions are provided from a ground support unit (G) through a first cable unit (K1), and includes a cable detachment module (100) for detaching a terminal unit (300) at the end of the first cable unit (K1) from the drone (1), and a safety hook device (200) formed on the drone (1) to secure the drone (1) in flight to the ground support unit (G).

[0041]

[0042] A drone (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention can operate in a wired mode in which power supply and communication transmission functions are provided from a ground support unit (G) and a wireless mode in which a cable from the ground support unit (G) is separated from the drone (1). A conceptual diagram of the wired mode is illustrated in Fig. 1. In the wired mode, power supply and communication functions are transmitted from the ground support unit (G) to the drone (1) via a first cable unit (K1).

[0043] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a drone (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a cable detachment module (100) and a safety ring device (200).

[0044] Figure 3 illustrates a safety hook device (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention. The safety hook device (200) is configured to stably secure a flying drone (1) to a ground support unit (G), and is also configured to reduce stress applied to the portion where the first cable portion (K1) is connected to the drone (1).

[0045] Figures 4 to 7 illustrate a cable detachment module (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention. The cable detachment module (100) is configured to detach the terminal portion (300) at the end of the first cable portion (K1) from the drone (1). That is, a wired mode can be formed by flying the drone (1) by connecting the terminal portion (300) to the cable detachment module (100) on the ground, and a wireless mode can be formed by detaching the terminal portion (300) from the cable detachment module (100) during flight.

[0046]

[0047] In a drone (1) including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention, the safety hook device (200) may include a second moving shaft (220) that is wrapped by a safety hook (210) at the end of a second cable portion (K2) that extends from the ground support portion (G) to the drone (1), a second frame portion (230) that forms a wall in the longitudinal direction of the second moving shaft (220) and has a structure that is open downward so that the safety hook (210) does not escape in the longitudinal direction of the second moving shaft (220), and a second driving portion (240) that moves the second moving shaft (220) in the longitudinal direction of the second moving shaft (220).

[0048]

[0049] A safety ring device (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a second moving shaft (220), a second frame portion (230), and a second driving portion (240).

[0050] The safety ring device (200) is connected to a second cable portion (K2) that extends from the ground support unit (G) to the drone (1). The second cable portion (K2) does not transmit functions such as power like the first cable portion (K1), but may be formed only to provide a fixing function for fixing the drone (1). Referring to Fig. 1, a safety ring (210) is formed at the end of the second cable portion (K2), and when the safety ring (210) is fixed to the second moving shaft (220), stability of the drone (1) can be secured in the wired mode.

[0051] Referring to Fig. 3, the second frame portion (230) is formed in a configuration through which the second moving shaft (220) passes, and has a structure in which walls are formed in the longitudinal direction of the second moving shaft (220) and are open downward. Accordingly, the safety ring (210) is connected downward through the lower portion of the second frame portion (230), so that the second cable (K2) can extend to the ground support portion (G). Since the second frame portion (230) forms walls in the longitudinal direction of the second moving shaft (220), the safety ring (210) cannot escape in the longitudinal direction of the second moving shaft (220).

[0052] The second driving unit (240) is configured to move the second moving shaft (220) in the longitudinal direction of the second moving shaft (220). Therefore, as the second moving shaft (220) moves in the longitudinal direction, the safety hook (210) can pass between the walls of the second frame unit (230) above and below the second moving shaft (220), thereby allowing the safety hook (210) to be separated from the safety hook device (200). That is, when switching from wired mode to wireless mode, the second driving unit (240) operates to move the second moving shaft (220), thereby separating the safety hook (210) from the second moving shaft (220).

[0053]

[0054] In a drone (1) including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention, the terminal unit (300) may include a terminal frame (310), a power supply terminal (320) formed on the terminal frame (310), and a communication terminal (330) formed on the terminal frame (310), and the cable detachable module (100) may include a first moving shaft (110) formed to push out the terminal frame (310), a module frame (120) having a central hole (121) formed through which the first moving shaft (110) passes, a power supply terminal receiving portion (130) formed on the module frame (120) and coupled with the power supply terminal (320), and a communication terminal receiving portion (140) formed on the module frame (120) and coupled with the communication terminal (330).

[0055]

[0056] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the terminal portion (300) of the drone (1) includes a terminal frame (310), a power supply terminal (320), and a communication terminal (330). Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, the terminal portion (300) is formed at the end of the first cable (K1) and must perform the role of providing power supply and communication transmission functions to the drone (1). Accordingly, it can be seen that the power supply terminal (320) and the communication terminal (330) are arranged on the square-shaped terminal frame (310).

[0057] A cable detachment module (100) in a drone (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first moving shaft (110), a module frame (120), a power supply terminal receiving portion (130), and a communication terminal receiving portion (140).

[0058] The first moving shaft (110) is configured to push out the terminal frame (310). This is to separate the terminal portion (300) from the cable detachment module (100) by pushing out the terminal frame (310) when switching from wired mode to wireless mode.

[0059] The module frame (320) is a frame in which each component of the cable detachment module (100) is arranged, and a central hole (121) through which the first moving shaft (110) passes is formed at the center. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5, the terminal frame (310) can be pushed out as the first moving shaft (110) passes through the central hole (121).

[0060] Referring to Fig. 7, the power supply terminal receiving portion (130) and the communication terminal receiving portion (140) are configured to be coupled with the power supply terminal (320) and the communication terminal (330), respectively, and are arranged on the module frame (120) to correspond to the positions of the power supply terminal (320) and the communication terminal (330). The power supply and communication functions of the ground support unit (G) are applied to the drone (1) through the power supply terminal receiving portion (130) and the communication terminal receiving portion (140).

[0061]

[0062] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a controller (800) that controls a drone (1) including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the controller (800) may include a bus (810), a display (820), a communication circuit (830), a database (840), a memory (850), an I / O interface (860), and a processor (870). In other embodiments, the controller (800) may omit at least one of the above components or additionally include other components.

[0064] For reference, the components (810, 820, 830, 840, 850, 860, 870) of the controller (800) illustrated in FIG. 8 are merely exemplary components for explaining a document creation support method according to an embodiment of the present invention. That is, it is clear that the controller (800) according to an embodiment of the present invention may additionally include other components in addition to the illustrated components.

[0065] The bus (810) can electrically connect the components (820 to 870) to each other. The bus (810) can include circuitry for communication (e.g., control messages and / or data) between the components (820 to 870).

[0066] The display (820) can display text, images, videos, icons, or symbols that constitute various contents. The display (820) can include a touch screen and can receive touch, gesture, proximity, or hovering input using an electronic pen or a part of the user's body.

[0067] For example, the display (820) may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) display, or an electronic paper display. The display (820) may be implemented as included in the controller (800), or may be implemented separately from the controller (800) but operatively connected to the controller (800).

[0068] The communication circuit (830) can establish a communication channel between the controller (800) and external devices. The communication circuit (830) can access the network (280) through wireless or wired communication and communicate with external devices.

[0069] The database (840) may be implemented on memory (850) or on a separate storage medium.

[0070] The memory (850) may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory. The memory (850) may store instructions or data related to at least one other component of the controller (800). For example, the memory (850) may store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor (870) to perform various operations described herein. For example, the instructions may be included in a package file of an application program.

[0071] The I / O interface (860) can perform a role of transmitting commands or data input from a user or other external device to other components of the controller (800). The I / O interface (860) can be implemented in hardware or software, and can be used as a concept encompassing a user interface (UI) and a terminal for communication with other external devices.

[0072] The processor (870) may include at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), or a communication processor (CP). The processor (870) is electrically connected to the memory (850), the display (820), and the communication circuit (830) via the bus (810), and during operation, may execute operations or data processing related to control and / or communication of other components according to commands, programs, or software stored in the memory (850). Accordingly, the execution of the commands, application programs, or software may be understood as the operation of the processor (870).

[0073] The processor (870) can generate a separation trigger signal when a cable separation command is input by the user. The processor (870) can provide the generated separation trigger signal to the drone (1) through the first cable (K1).

[0074] The network (280) may include at least one of a telecommunications network, a computer network, the Internet, or a telephone network. A wireless communication protocol for accessing the network (280) may use, for example, at least one of LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE Advanced), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), WiBro (Wireless Broadband), GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), or 5G standard communication protocols. However, this is merely exemplary, and various wired and wireless communication technologies applicable in the relevant technical field may be utilized depending on the embodiment to which the present invention is applied.

[0075] Although not shown in the drawing, the controller (800) may further include a power supply. The controller (800) may use the power supply to supply power to the drone (1) through the first cable (K1) under the control of the processor (870).

[0076] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of a drone (1) and a controller (800) including a wired / wireless detachable automatic control module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] In step S901, the controller (800) can generate a separation trigger signal according to a separation command from the user, and provide the generated separation trigger signal to the drone (1) through the first cable (K1).

[0078] According to various embodiments of the present invention, the controller (800) can independently determine based on the environment, location, etc., and generate a separation trigger signal and provide it to the drone (1) even without a separation command from the user.

[0079] In step S903, the drone (1) can determine whether the provided separation trigger signal is a normal signal. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the drone (1) can confirm whether the provided separation trigger signal is a signal generated from a pre-designated controller (800). For example, the identifier (ID) of the controller (800) may be included in the separation trigger signal, and the drone (1) can determine whether the signal is normal based on the corresponding identifier information. As another example, the user information using the controller (800) may be included in the separation trigger signal, and the drone (1) can determine whether the signal is normal only when the corresponding user information is data stored in a pre-established database.

[0080] In step S905, if the separation trigger signal provided from the controller (800) is determined to be a normal signal, the drone (1) can determine whether each of the first cable (K1) and the second cable (K2) is separated.

[0081] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the amount of battery that allows the drone (1) to operate wirelessly is less than a preset standard, the drone (1) may not perform a separation operation for the first cable (K1) and the second cable (K2), and may provide a separation rejection signal to the controller (800) in response to a separation trigger signal.

[0082] In step S907, the drone (1) can finally separate the first cable (K1) and the second cable (K2) based on the result of the separation determination.

[0083]

[0084] Although the present invention has been described in detail through specific examples, this is intended to specifically explain the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and it will be apparent that modifications and improvements can be made by those skilled in the art within the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0085] All simple modifications or changes of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention, and the specific protection scope of the present invention will be made clear by the appended claims.

[0086] [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] G: Ground Support Division

[0088] K1: Cable section 1

[0089] K2: 2nd cable section

[0090] 1: Drone with a wireless detachable automatic control module

[0091] 100: Cable detachment module

[0092] 110: First moving shaft

[0093] 120: Module Frame

[0094] 130: Power supply terminal receiving section

[0095] 140: Communication terminal receiving section

[0096] 200: Safety hook device

[0097] 210: Safety hook

[0098] 220: Second moving shaft

[0099] 230: Second frame section

[0100] 240: Second drive unit

[0101] 300: Terminal section

[0102] 310: Terminal frame

[0103] 320: Power supply terminal

[0104] 330: Communication terminal

[0105] 800: Controller

[0106] 810: Bus

[0107] 820: Display

[0108] 830: Communication circuit

[0109] 840: Database

[0110] 850: Memory

[0111] 860: I / O interface

[0112] 870: Processor

[0113] 880: Network

Claims

1. In a drone where power supply and communication transmission functions are provided from the ground support unit through the first cable unit, A cable detachment module for detaching the terminal portion of the first cable portion from the drone; and A drone including a wireless detachable automatic control module, including a safety hook device formed on the drone to secure the drone in flight to the ground support unit.

2. In claim 1, The above safety ring device, A second moving shaft having a safety ring wrapped around the end of a second cable portion extended from the ground support unit to the drone; and A drone including a wireless detachable automatic control module, comprising a second frame portion formed with a structure that forms a wall in the longitudinal front and rear of the second moving shaft and is open downward, thereby preventing the safety ring from coming out in the longitudinal front and rear of the second moving shaft.

3. In claim 2, The above safety ring device, A drone including a wireless detachable automatic control module, comprising a second driving unit that moves the second moving shaft in the longitudinal direction of the second moving shaft.

4. In claim 3, The above terminal part, terminal frame; A power supply terminal formed on the terminal frame; and A drone including a wireless detachable automatic control module, comprising a communication terminal formed on the terminal frame.

5. In claim 4, The above cable detachment module is, A first moving shaft formed to push out the terminal frame; A module frame having a central hole formed through which the first moving shaft passes; A power supply terminal receiving portion formed on the above module frame and coupled to the power supply terminal; and A drone including a wireless detachable automatic control module, comprising a communication terminal receiving portion formed on the module frame and coupled to the communication terminal.

6. In claim 1, A drone including a wired / wireless detachment automatic control module that determines whether the detachment trigger signal provided from the controller is a normal signal.

7. In claim 6, A drone including a wired / wireless detachment automatic control module that determines whether the first cable section is detached when the above separation trigger signal is a normal signal, and detaches the first cable section based on the result of the determination of whether the first cable section is detached.

Images