Aerial Vehicle Docking Station for Persistent Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerial vehicles have limited flight times due to restricted payload and power capacity, necessitating frequent refueling or recharging, and face challenges in managing large data collections during missions, especially with increasing deployment numbers.
Innovation Solution
A docking station system with a transceiver, power supply, and processing circuit for aerial vehicles, along with a mission control system that communicates with vehicles and docking stations to manage deployment, prioritize returns, and facilitate efficient data transfer and power replenishment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If aerial vehicles carry more batteries or fuel to extend flight time, then duration of action is improved, but weight increases which exceeds payload capacity
Solution Approach 1:
A docking station serves as an intermediary between the aerial vehicle and the ground control system. The docking station provides power and data transfer capabilities, allowing the aerial vehicle to recharge and offload data during missions without needing to carry excessive power supplies, thus resolving the contradiction between flight duration and weight constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-charging batteries at the docking station before deployment and pre-positioning multiple docking stations along the flight path. This allows aerial vehicles to start missions with full power and return to predetermined locations for recharging, extending operational duration without increasing vehicle weight
2Productivity
If multiple aerial vehicles are deployed to increase productivity, then output is improved, but coordination and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station is designed as a universal platform that can service multiple types of aerial vehicles simultaneously. It provides standardized power interfaces, data transfer capabilities, and communication protocols that work across different vehicle models, enabling scalable deployment without proportionally increasing management complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where the ground control system monitors the status, position, and power levels of all aerial vehicles in real-time. This enables automated coordination, dynamic task assignment, and proactive management of fleet operations, allowing high productivity to be maintained without linear increases in operational complexity
3Duration of action of moving object
If aerial vehicles return to docking station frequently for power replenishment, then duration of action is extended, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple docking stations are pre-deployed along anticipated flight paths at strategic locations. This allows aerial vehicles to perform brief top-up charging operations en route without returning to the home base, significantly reducing downtime while extending effective operational range and duration
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic charging cycles where aerial vehicles are designed to operate in alternating patterns - some vehicles remain on station charging while others are deployed. This creates a continuous operational cycle that minimizes overall fleet downtime while maintaining extended individual flight durations through efficient power management
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for persistent deployment of aerial vehicles. The present application discloses a mission control system that is configured to control and manage one or more aerial vehicles for deployment to and from one or more docking stations. The one or more docking stations may be configured with a battery swapping device for removing the depleted battery from an aerial vehicle and for refilling a charged battery into the aerial vehicle. The mission control system may be configured to generate a priority list used to determine the recharging order of the one or more aerial vehicles.