Patent Application
20170275024
This document describes a system and method through which unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be docked, with a device that can secure the UAVs, and information can be transmitted to and from such UAVs. The UAVs are secured through the use of magnetic fields. The system also includes a means for transmitting information between the docking system itself, the UAV(s) and/or between the docking system and a command center, which may be a notable distance from the docking system, or among the docking system, the UAV(s) and the command center.
The invention relates generally to an apparatus to which unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be secured (docked) using magnetic fields and through which information can be transmitted to and from such UAVs, and a method of securing and communicating with such UAVs.
The uses of UAVs and the advances in their technology have grown substantially as computer-processing speeds have increased, stronger lighter materials have been utilized in UAV construction, and equipment component sizes have decreased. UAVs are increasingly being used for various activities and purposes, including, for example, numerous research applications. In some of the research applications, for example, UAVs gather information over vast areas of land, water, air space, or combinations of the foregoing. The scope of such research and other uses is at times limited, however, by the flying range of the UAVs, weather conditions and other factors.
The flying range, for example, is itself influenced by several factors. For instance, the needs for the UAV to return to its point of origin to refuel/power up and to, as applicable, offload samples limit the distance the UAV can fly away from the point of origin and return successfully. In some such cases, the UAVs can safely travel no more than half their maximum distance or flying-time from the point of origin and then must commence the return journey to the origin.
Another limitation on the use of certain UAVs—ones that are slated to land and spend time at distal locations away from their points or origin—is the ability for the UAV operators/users, controlling the flight at the origin, to land and secure the UAVs at the remote locations. Typically, the operator/user at the origin is expected, at best, to land the UAVs at the distal location with the help of personnel at such remote location, to transfer control to such other personnel, to have such personnel secure the UAVs after they have landed, or combinations of the foregoing. If there are no remote personnel, then the operator/user at the origin might employ cameras on the UAV or at the remote landing location to assist in such landing, assuming there is a signal connection between the operator/user at the origin, the UAV and possibly the landing location (if, for example, a camera is situated there).
Without personnel at the remote locations to secure the UAVs, given their typical small size and light weight, there is also the greater possibility of misappropriation of the UAV (depending on the openness of the landing area) and/or damage from adverse environmental conditions (e.g., structure/UAV damage from movement caused by wind forces). Typically, however, the securing of the UAVs calls for personnel to be at or travel to the remote location(s) to physically engage straps, clips, bolts or some other form of mechanical constraints, the engagement of which being “hands-on” activities.
Another personnel-requiring activity typically is the downloading/offloading of, for example, data and samples from the UAVs. With UAVs that collect data and/or samples as part of their mission, a human operator/user is traditionally engaged, in many instances, at the landing location (be it at the point of origin or at a remote location) to retrieve the UAVs' payload (e.g., data and/or samples collected during the UAVs' operations). As with the securing process, the need to engage personnel for such retrieval is a notable use of human resources and possibly an element of the process that lengthens the duration of the operation as a result thereof (e.g., with the increase wait for the availability of personnel to perform the retrieval or the travel time need for the personnel to arrive at the landing location to perform the retrieval).
The foregoing describes some of the shortfalls of the prior operations of UAVs (notable in their use, landing, securing, and the process of data/sample retrieval). The present inventions (both the apparatus and the method) are designed and have been developed to address these considerations and other challenges in the operation of UAVs.
The present invention comprises a system and method through which unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be docked and information can be transmitted to and from such UAVs. One embodiment of the invention is a docking system capable of securing at least one UAV. Such system comprises at least one surface configured to accommodate an area of UAVs in in close proximity with the surface(s). Another element of the system would be a means for securing the UAVs in such close proximity to surface(s) through the use of magnetic fields. The system also includes a means for transmitting information between the docking system itself and the UAV(s). In addition to the transmission of information between the docking system and the UAVs, there is also a means for transmitting information between the docking system and a main control center, which may be a notable distance from the docking system. The invention in this embodiment would also include a means for transferring, from the docking system, a source of energy needed to power/refuel the UAVs.
Other embodiments of the inventive apparatus may include means for protecting the UAVs from unfavorable environmental conditions or means of extracting samples from the UAVs (e.g., a means of taking off and reloading a consumable or other material). Still other embodiments may include means of extracting certain information from UAVs, uploading information to same, inspecting the physical condition of such UAV, and cleaning them. Still another embodiment of the invention includes use of the magnetic fields that lock the UAV(s) in physical contact with a surface with the docking system. A more sophisticated embodiment of the present invention includes means for monitoring environmental conditions and other local circumstances in geographical proximity of the docking system and means for analyzing samples.
The invention as a method would comprise the step of transmitting signals between docking locations and a main control location. This communication could be used, in part, to facilitate the transmitting of signals between
UAVs and the docking locations. With the communication between the docking locations and the UAVs established (e.g., for guidance during travel), the UAVs can be positioned, using this embodiment of the inventive method, in close proximity with the docking locations. Thereafter, the UAVs can be secured in close proximity with the docking location through the use of magnetic fields. If and as needed, the inventive method could include the step of transferring energy to power/refuel the UAVs from the docking locations.
Another embodiment of the inventive method includes the step of protecting UAVs from unfavorable environment conditions. The step of extracting and/or storing samples from the UAVs may also be added. In another embodiment, the invention includes the step of preparing UAVs for deployment. Such preparation could include, for example, the extraction of certain information from such UAVs, the uploading of information to such UAVs, the inspection of the physical condition of such UAVs, and the maintenance of the UAVs. Still in another embodiment of the present inventive method, the magnetic fields lock an area of the UAVs in physical contact with a surface of the docking locations. The signal between the docking locations and the distal location main control may be transmitted via over-the-air technology and the securing the UAVs may be made while the docking locations are mounted on movable objects. The method may also have the transmission of information between the docking locations and the UAVs while the UAVs are not in close proximity with the docking locations. As such, an additional step could be the coordinating of travel of the UAVs to and from the docking locations. The foregoing could be accomplished by transmitting information between the docking locations and the UAVs that can control the flight time of, destination of, information and sample gathered by, and other operations of the UAVs. The inventive method may also include the steps of monitoring environmental conditions and other local circumstances in the geographical proximity of the docking locations and analyzing samples. Further, the securing means, when it employs magnetic fields, could facilitate a physical connection and transmission of information to and from the UAVs (e.g. holding still a UAV while a physical connector is engaged, and the connector could be used for information transfer, fuel transfer, handling of other consumables, and other operations.)
The inventive docking system provides a location for one or more UAVs to land and to be secured. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the docking system, when deployed a distance from the UAVs points of origin, is capable of communicating with the human operator/user at the points of origin or at different locations, or, if the operation is more automated, with the programmed equipment at such point of origin or different location. The UAVs accommodated by the docking system could be rotary/hovering, fixed-wing or any combination. The docking system is fundamentally the same, but may be adapted to the needs of specific UAVs (e.g. when a sample removal and storage system are desirable due to the missions of the UAVs). The main control center may comprise software that includes a mission planner and a user interface and could be run on any computer that has networking and/or satellite communications access. The inventive docking system has the advantages of reach (the UAV can fly to any location within its operational radius), speed (relatively instant response), timing (the UAV can launch at any time, barring unforeseen conditions) and mobility (the UAV can go anywhere with a docking system that can be positioned almost anywhere).
In general, the apparatus of the present invention allows UAVs to be positioned in a location where the UAVs are intended to stay for a relatively long time before being deployed or redeployed. The UAVs can be any vehicle of convenience (e.g. quadcopters, hexacopters, fixed-wing, or helicopters). Such vehicles would preferably include wireless communications technology through which they could communicate with the ‘main control center’ and/or the docking systems and may also (or alternatively) include an autonomous autopilot capable of navigation. For cluttered environments, the UAVs would preferably include functionality through which they could ‘sense and avoid’. Also, the UAVs could preferably be capable of carrying a mission-specific payload (camera, sample collector, other sensors).
Docking system 100 also has rods 104 that connect platform 108, with surface 106, to base 102. As shown in
Preferably, surface 106 is configured to accommodate an area of at least one UAV in at least in close proximity with surface 106. As suggested elsewhere in this document, docking system 100 may be used in connection with UAVs of various sizes, capabilities, designs, and configurations. The ability to accommodate a particular UAV is somewhat dependent upon the portion of, and the manner in which, the UAV is to be secured by, for example, docking system 100. The UAV would need to be positioned close enough to that operational part of docking system 100 that will secure the UAV. Accordingly, the access to surface 106 in the proximity of the ‘docking’ area needs to be adequate. In particular embodiments of the present invention, the accommodation for the area of surface 106 is sized and configure to allow therewith the proximate locating of an adequate area of a UAV landing gear. Such configurations may also have the securing means in close proximity to the accommodating area while other configurations could have the securing means within the accommodating area. In a further embodiment of the invention, the accommodation area may be adjustable for docking UAVs of various sizes and configurations.
Connectors 112 are also shown in
In a particular preferred embodiment, docking system 100 could have the ability to communicate wirelessly with the UAVs and with one or more human operators/users situated in one or more locations that are distal from the location of docking system 100. In addition, the docking system could be adapted to capture, release and store UAVs against any weather.
In a further embodiment, remote location 202 could be in communication with UAVs 204. In still a further embodiment, one or more docking systems 200 could also (with remote location 202), or could instead (of remote location 202), be in communication with UAVs 204. In certain embodiments, the transmission of information and other communication could be accomplished through over-the-air (e.g., wireless) communications, such as, for example, through radio signals, cellular technologies or other means, now known or to be known. An individual UAV could fly circuits from docking systems to other docking location(s), thereby extending the range of the UAV.
In a more automated configuration, missions for UAVs 204 are planned by, for example, an autonomy engine, situated at remote location 202 and/or within docking system 200. Such an engine could calculate the paths UAVs 204 would fly, what data they would collect, how many UAVs would be deployed, and whether to place UAVs 204 in ‘sleep’ or ‘wake up’ mode (for very long endurance missions or missions that are waiting for specific conditions, such as immediately after a storm, during a migration, etc.). Such an engine could also notify docking systems 200 of upcoming weather conditions to assist local planning.
The human operator/user could program the docking system via the user interface. He/she could program missions, monitor UAVs in communication with the docking systems, set global parameters, choose specific targets, and check the health of the docking system or any element thereof. Such human operators/users could also, for example, select specific docking system locations or UAVs and monitor them closely. In addition to high-level mission parameters, the human operators/users could select specific UAVs or docking systems for direct access to data where the docking system requires human intervention (e.g. the human is required to select or approve a target).
Docking systems 200 may also be able to communicate with an incoming UAV 204 with a notice to end its mission prematurely due to adverse weather conditions at, or anticipated for, the locations of docking systems 200. Accordingly, docking systems 200 may be equipped with weather monitoring equipment, external cameras and/or other sensors appropriate to the mission/location they are in. As discussed in more detail below, some docking systems may also have the ability to store and/or process physical samples.
By way of further example, docking system 400 could also be equipped with the capacity to receive, using a mechanism like mechanical arm 406, packages and documents. For example, docking system 400 can be on standby to receive/transport material or documents when needed, regardless of time of day. One advantage of such a system is lower cost delivery—relative to the costs of a human courier. Examples of such an embodiment of docking system 400 in operation include ship-to-shore document transfer, rapid part delivery in large operations such as mining and forestry.
Mechanical arm 406 might also be conversely used to load materials from, for example, storage area 404 or elsewhere onto UAV 410. Such an operation could be part of the preparation of UAV 410 for its mission. Other means could of course also be used for such preparation and such preparation could include, for example, the extraction of certain information from a UAV, the uploading of information to the UAV, inspection of the physical condition of UAV, and the other maintenance thereof, such as cleaning.
Via collector 408, docking system 400 also individually collects samples in a fashion, for example, similar to the collection performed by UAV 410. This ‘parallel’ operation could be used, for example, to collect contemporaneous data from the UAVs and the docking location for comparison of readings from their separate locations. As another example, through the use of collector 408, docking system 400 could collect a sample during a transient event that is hard to reach or predict and, in essence, warn the UAVs. Other examples include samples collectible at the location of docking system 400, for comparison with the readings from the UAVs and/or independently, are readings of post-storm runoff, plant blooms, migrations, eruptions, and more.
Since docking system 600 could be be permanently situated (once located in a desirable place), it can be used to perform long-term event sampling. For example, docking system 600 could collect samples at intervals over relatively long periods time (e.g. a year, a season or a slowly-evolving event). The analyses and/or stores samples by docking system 600 over such time can help to create a more complete picture of an event. Examples of the kinds of events that docking system 600, when permanently fixed, could be engaged to sample include Harvard Forest Monitoring (a multi-year data collection project), sampling around an active volcano, a seasonal event, monitoring an oyster reef over a winter, and more.
Docking system 700 could also be ‘programmed’ to deploy UAVs 702 (e.g. releasing the magnetic hold) at random intervals. An example of such a process in use would be docking system 700 releasing one of two UAVs 702 so they can be deployed to monitor a facility at random intervals, having one of UAVs refueling while the other is used to conduct surveillance. Such scheduling could, for example, help prevent someone from avoiding detection or deter ‘bad acts’ by a person that would otherwise not be as easily observed. Examples of such uses include monitoring of material caches in remote staging areas, monitoring around sensitive facilities, ensuring compliance to prevent pollution discharges, security around offshore facilities, military base security, and more.
As mentioned earlier, the UAVs could sit in the docking systems, in some cases, immune to local weather conditions, until the time to deploy/redeployed. They then could perform their missions and return to the docking systems for servicing or to await recovery. In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the docking system is capable of securing UAVs, store them in any weather, recharge or swap out batteries, clean the UAV, extract samples from the UAVs for storage or analysis, and service the UAVs. Such a version of the docking system is intended to act as a combination hangar, storage unit and base of operations for the UAVs. As mentioned, the docking system can be equipped with satellite and/or cellular communications to communicate with the human operators/users as well as wireless communications to send signals to and receive them from the UAVs.
With regards to the inventive process, the present invention is a method of communicating with and securing one or more UAVs. This process includes the step of transmitting a signal between a docking location and a distal location, such as, for example, a main control center. The process also includes transmitting a signal between such docking location and UAVs. The foregoing enables the positioning such UAVs in in close proximity with the docking location. Once the applicable UAVs are in the desired position, they can be secured in close proximity with the docking location through the use of magnetic fields. After the UAVs are adequately secured, any energy needed to power the UAVs can be transferred from the docking location to the applicable UAVs.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the process includes the protection of one or more the UAVs from unfavorable environment conditions. Further, the present invention may include the extraction of samples from such UAV(s). If there is capacity, the samples may be stored in or near apparatus at the docking location. Conversely or in addition, the process could include the preparation of the UAV(s) for deployment. Such preparation could include the extraction of certain information from such UAV, the uploading of information to such UAV, inspection of the physical condition of such UAV and the maintenance of the UAVs. In a preferable version of the present invention, the UAVs are secured in close proximity to the accommodating area at the docking location. This area would facilitate the use of the magnetic fields in locking a docking area of the UAVs into physical contact with a surface of the docking location.
Also, in a specific practice of the present invention, the signal between the docking location and the distal location (e.g., a main control center) is transmitted via over-the-air technology. In an optional practice, the securing of the UAVs can be accomplished while the docking location is mounted on a movable object. Further, the transmission of information between the docking location and the UAVs could occur while such UAV are not in close proximity with the docking location.
With respect to the missions of the UAVs, the practice of the invention may include coordination of the travel of the UAVs to and from the docking location. This coordination may be accomplished in part by the transmission of information between the docking location and the UAVs, with such information being capable of controlling the flight time of, destination of, information and sample gathered by, and other operations of the UAVs. The monitoring of environmental conditions and other local circumstances in the geographical proximity of the docking location may also be part of the practice of the present invention, along with the analyzing of samples. Further, the securing means, when it employs magnetic fields, could facilitate a physical connection and transmission of information to and from the UAVs (e.g. holding still a UAV while a physical connector is engaged), and the connector could be used for information transfer, fuel transfer, handling of other consumables, and other operations.
The foregoing descriptions of the present invention have been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to the practitioner of ordinary skilled in the art. Particularly, it would be evident that while the examples described herein illustrate how the inventive apparatus may look and how the inventive process may be performed. Further, other elements/steps may be used for and provide benefits to the present invention. The depictions of the present invention as shown in the exhibits are provided for purposes of illustration.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications that are suited to the particular use contemplated.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent application contains material that is subject to copyright protection. Noting the confidential protection afforded non-provisional patent applications prior to publication, the copyright owner hereby authorizes the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to reproduce this document and portions thereof prior to publication as necessary for its records. The copyright owner otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
