Patent Application
20170283090
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to replacing a battery in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). More specifically, one or more embodiments relate to transferring a battery between a UAV and an unmanned aerial vehicle ground station (UAVGS).
Aerial photography and videography are becoming increasingly common in providing images and videos in various industries. For example, aerial photography and videography provides tools for construction, farming, real estate, search and rescue, and surveillance. In recent years, UAVs have provided an improved economical approach to aerial photography and videography compared to capturing photos and videos from manned aircraft or satellites.
Conventional UAVs typically include batteries that power various systems within the UAV. For example, UAVs often include one or more batteries that provide power to rotors, cameras, or other systems on board the UAV. Nevertheless, while batteries provide a light and convenient power source for UAVs, batteries are often limited in the amount and duration of power that they provide to the UAV. As such, the distance and duration that a UAV can fly and perform various tasks is limited by battery life.
In some circumstances, UAVs extend range of flight by landing and taking off from remote ground stations (e.g., UAVGSs). Use of remote ground stations, however, causes various complications in recharging and/or replacing batteries from within the landed UAVs. For example, a UAV or UAVGS operator typically travels to the remote ground station and manually removes and replaces a battery when the battery ceases to work or when the battery otherwise needs replacement. Performing remote maintenance on the UAV and/or UAVGS, however, results in considerable expense. In particular, the time and expense required to train an operator and to travel to the remote ground station is cost prohibitive to many companies that benefit from the use of UAVs.
Additionally, UAVs often secure batteries within the UAVs by locking or otherwise securing the batteries within the UAV. For example, a battery is often locked within the UAV to prevent the UAV from accidentally slipping out of the UAV. While locking the battery within the UAV prevents the battery from slipping out, securing the battery using a lock increases the complexity of removing the battery from within the UAV. Additionally, frequently engaging a locking mechanism often causes wear and tear on a battery and/or the UAV. As such, UAVs that include locking mechanisms often result in increased operator maintenance and additional wear and tear on the battery and/or UAV.
Accordingly, there are a number of considerations to be made in transferring a battery between a UAV and UAVGS.
The principles described herein provide benefits and/or solve one or more of the foregoing or other problems in the art with systems and methods that enable autonomous replacement of a battery from within an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In particular, one or more embodiments described herein include systems and methods that enable a battery arm within an unmanned aerial vehicle ground station (UAVGS) to engage with and conveniently transfer a battery assembly from within a UAV to within the UAVGS. For example, one or more embodiments include a UAVGS having a battery swapping assembly that includes a battery arm that retrieves a battery assembly from the UAV and transfers the batter assembly to one or more battery banks within the UAVGS that are sized to receive the removed battery assembly. The battery swapping assembly then retrieves a new battery assembly (or waits for the removed battery assembly to charge) to put within the UAV.
In particular, when the UAV lands within the landing housing of the UAVGS, the battery arm can engage with the UAV and a battery assembly to remove the battery assembly from within a receiving slot on the UAV. Additionally, the battery arm can insert a new battery assembly within the receiving slot on the UAV. As such, the UAVGS can autonomously replace a battery assembly of UAV and enable multiple flights without frequent operator maintenance.
Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods include features and functionality that enable the battery arm to autonomously unlock a battery assembly secured within a receiving slot of a UAV. For example, in engaging the UAV, the battery arm can include one or more latch engagers that engage one or more latches on the UAV and cause the battery assembly to unlock from within the UAV. Once unlocked, the battery arm can include one or more battery grippers that grip a portion of the battery assembly and conveniently retract the unlocked battery from within the UAV.
Additionally, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods include features and functionality that enable the battery arm to swap out a battery assembly within a limited space. For example, one or more embodiments of the battery swapping assembly include a plurality of battery banks that are linearly arranged within the UAVGS and sized to receive the battery assembly. Additionally, one or more embodiments of the battery swapping assembly include an alignment assembly having an actuator that causes the battery arm to move along a first axis with respect to the linearly arranged battery banks. In this way, the battery arm conveniently moves along a single axis and within a limited space constraint of the UAVGS when removing and transferring battery assembly between the UAV and the UAVGS.
Additionally, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods include features and functionality that enable the UAV to engage in extend or multiple flights without user interaction. For example, in one or more embodiments, the UAVGS includes one or more charging interfaces that enable the UAVGS to charge one or more battery assemblies inserted within the plurality of battery banks. When the battery arm removes and stores a battery assembly within one of the battery banks, the battery arm removes a charged replacement battery assembly stored in another battery bank and inserts the replacement battery into the UAV. As such, the UAV can take off and perform additional flights with the charged replacement battery assembly while the UAVGS charges the removed battery assembly stored within the battery banks.
Additional features and advantages of exemplary embodiments will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of such exemplary embodiments. The features and advantages of such embodiments may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of such exemplary embodiments as set forth hereinafter.
In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features of the embodiments can be obtained, a more particular description of the principles briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. It should be noted that the figures are not drawn to scale, and that elements of similar structure or function are generally represented by like reference numerals for illustrative purposes throughout the figures. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, principles will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings.
One or more embodiments described herein relate to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) battery swapping assembly. For example, the UAV battery swapping assembly can be part of an autonomous UAV landing system that allows a UAV to autonomously land within an unmanned aerial vehicle ground station (UAVGS). Once within the UAVGS, UAV battery swapping assembly can autonomously replace a battery assembly within the UAV with a battery assembly from a plurality of battery banks linearly arranged within the UAVGS that are sized to receive the battery assemblies.
Additionally, the battery swapping assembly can include a plurality of battery banks linearly arranged within the UAVGS that are sized to receive the battery assemblies. In one or more embodiments, the battery swapping assembly includes an alignment assembly coupled to the battery arm that includes an actuator. The actuator causes the battery arm to move along an axis of movement and align an end of the battery arm with respect to the linearly arranged battery banks. Aligning the battery arm with the battery banks can enable the battery arm to insert the battery assembly within one of the battery banks.
In addition to enabling autonomous removal of the battery assembly from within the UAV, the autonomous landing system reduces frequency of operator maintenance by enabling autonomous storage of the battery assembly within the UAVGS. For example, when the battery arm engages and removes the battery assembly from within UAV, the battery arm can move along one or more axes and align an end of the battery arm with respect to one or more battery banks arranged within the UAVGS and sized to receive the battery assembly. Once aligned, the battery swapping assembly can cause the battery arm to insert the battery assembly within one of the linearly arranged battery banks for later retrieval via the battery swapping assembly. As such, in addition to removing the battery assembly from within the UAV, the battery swapping assembly can conveniently transfer a used battery assembly from the UAV to a battery bank within the UAVGS without requiring operator maintenance.
Furthermore, the autonomous landing system can include features and functionality that enable the battery arm to autonomously remove and transfer the battery assembly between the UAV and UAVGS within limited space constraints while reducing complexity of the battery swapping assembly. For example, the battery swapping assembly can include a plurality of battery banks that are linearly arranged within the UAVGS and sized to receive the battery assembly. Additionally, the battery swapping assembly can include an actuator that causes the battery arm to align with respect to the battery banks by moving along a single axis of movement. As such, the battery swapping assembly can cause the battery arm to move within the UAVGS along limited axes of movement within limited space constraints provided by the UAVGS.
In addition to facilitating convenient transfer of a battery assembly between a UAV and a UAVGS, the autonomous landing system can further include features and functionality that enables UAVs to perform more frequent flights using replacement battery assemblies that are fully charged. For example, in one or more embodiments, the linearly arranged battery banks include one or more charging contacts that electrically couple to one or more corresponding contacts on the battery assembly when the battery assembly is stored within the battery banks. The UAVGS can further include or couple to a power source that provides a power signal to the stored battery assembly via the charging contacts and cause the battery assembly to charge while stored within the battery banks. Once the battery swapping assembly has removed and inserted a used battery assembly within a battery bank, the battery swapping assembly can cause the battery arm to remove a charged battery from another battery bank and insert the charged battery within the UAV. As such, the UAV can perform another flight immediately upon insertion of the charged battery assembly within the UAV without waiting for the UAV to charge or waiting for the removed battery assembly to charge.
Further, in addition to separate engagement assemblies that prevent wear and tear to the UAV, UAVGS, and battery assembly, one or more embodiments of the battery arm can include one or more sensors that prevent incidental contact between the battery arm and the UAV, UAVGS, or battery assembly. For example, in one or more embodiments, the battery arm includes one or more sensors on an end of the battery arm facing the UAV. When the battery arm extends towards the UAV, the sensors can detect a proximity of the battery arm with respect to the battery assembly and prevent the battery arm from inadvertently coming into contact with and potentially damaging the UAV, UAVGS, battery assembly, or other component within the autonomous landing system.
The term “unmanned aerial vehicle” (“UAV”), as used herein, generally refers to an aircraft that can be piloted autonomously or remotely by a control system. For example, a “drone” is a UAV that can be used for multiple purposes or applications (e.g., military, agriculture, surveillance, etc.). In one or more embodiments, the UAV includes onboard computers that control the autonomous flight of the UAV. In at least one embodiment, the UAV is a multi-rotor vehicle, such as a quadcopter, and includes a carbon fiber shell, integrated electronics, a battery bay (including a battery assembly), a global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver, a fixed or swappable imaging capability (e.g., a digital camera), and various sensors or receivers. The UAV can also include a computing device including programmed instructions that allow the UAV to takeoff, fly, and land autonomously.
The term “unmanned aerial vehicle ground station” (“UAVGS”), as used herein, generally refers to an apparatus from which a UAV can takeoff, and where the UAV can later land and be stored until its next flight. For example, the UAVGS can include a carbon fiber box containing a UAV storage area that functions as a takeoff area and/or a landing pad when the UAV is not being stored. In at least one embodiment, following the autonomous landing of the UAV, one or more systems of the UAVGS can recharge or swap-out one or more batteries of the UAV, download data (e.g., digital photographs, digital videos, sensor readings, etc.) collected by the UAV. In one or more embodiments, the UAVGS allows for wireless communication between the UAVGS and a server to transfer of data collected by the UAV and downloaded to the UAVGS to the server.
The term “battery arm,” as used herein, generally refers to a mechanical apparatus that engages a battery assembly and causes the battery assembly to remove from within a receiving slot of a UAV or battery docking station. For example, the battery arm can include a mechanical arm that extends and retracts. Additionally, the battery arm can include multiple actuators (e.g., motors), plates, rods, screws, pins, links, chains, sensors, pivot points, circuitry, and various assemblies that engage with the UAV and/or battery assembly to facilitate automatic removal and automatic replacement of a battery assembly.
To aid in description of the battery arm and methods of using automatic battery assembly removal and replacement, an overview of an example unmanned aerial vehicle and ground station are first described with reference to
Additionally, as illustrated in
While
Additionally, as shown in
In one or more embodiments, rather than having an opening 112 in a wall of the landing housing 110, one or more embodiments of the landing housing 110 include a landing frame or landing housing without a wall that provides unobstructed access between the battery arm and a UAV landed within the UAVGS 102. For example, the landing housing 110 can include a frame structure that includes multiple portions through which the battery arm can extend to engage the UAV and remove a battery assembly from within the UAV.
In one or more embodiments, the UAVGS 102 includes a carousel feature that enables the landing housing 110 and/or UAV to rotate within the UAVGS 102 to align the UAV with respect to one or more battery arms within the UAVGS 102. For example, in one or more embodiments, the landing housing 110 rotates and aligns the opening 112 and/or battery arm with a portion of the UAV that houses the battery assembly such that the battery arm can engage the UAV and remove the battery assembly. As another example, in one or more embodiments, the UAVGS 102 causes the UAV to rotate (e.g., using the floor of the landing housing 110) and align the UAV with the opening 112 in the landing housing 110. Additionally, or alternatively, in one or more embodiments, the UAVGS 102 causes the battery arm to rotate within the UAVGS 102 to align with the opening 112 and the UAV 202.
Furthermore, the UAVGS 102 can include one or more engagement points that secure a UAV in place within the landing housing 110 of the UAVGS 102. In particular, the UAVGS 102 can include one or more components that hold, fasten, or otherwise secure the UAV within the landing housing 110. As an example, the UAVGS 102 can include one or more magnets, grooves, rails, or various mechanical components that secure the UAV in place within the UAVGS 102. Alternatively, in one or more embodiments, the UAV can include one or more components that secure the UAV within the landing housing 110 of the UAVGS 102. The ability to hold the UAV in place within the UAVGS 102 can aid in battery assembly re-movement and replacement as described below.
As illustrated in
Additionally, as shown in
Additionally, as shown in
Additionally, as will be explained in greater detail below, the UAV 202 includes one or more latches that secure the battery assembly 216 within the receiving slot of the UAV 202. For example, when the battery assembly 216 is completely inserted within the receiving slot, one or more latches prevent the battery assembly 216 from sliding or falling out of the main housing 204. When removing the battery assembly 216, a battery arm of the UAVGS 102 engages the latches and unlocks the battery assembly. Once the battery assembly 216 is unlocked, the battery arm grips the battery assembly 216 and remove the battery assembly 216 from the receiving slot of the UAV 202. Moreover, as will be explained in greater detail below, the UAV 202 and UAVGS 102 can include a battery swapping assembly that facilitates transfer of a battery assembly 216 between the UAV 202 and UAVGS 102. In particular, one or more embodiments of the UAVGS 102 includes a battery swapping assembly that includes a battery arm and a plurality of battery banks arranged linearly within the housing 104 of the UAVGS 102. Additionally, as will be described in greater detail below, the battery swapping assembly can include an alignment actuator (or simply “actuator”) that causes the battery arm to move within the UAVGS 102. In particular, the actuator can cause the battery arm to align with respect to the UAV 202 and remove a battery assembly 216 from within the UAV 202. Once the battery assembly 216 is removed, the actuator can cause the battery arm to move within the UAVGS 102 and align with respect to one or more battery banks positioned within the UAVGS 102. The battery arm can further insert the battery assembly 216 within one or more of the battery banks and store the battery assembly 216 for later retrieval.
In addition to aligning the battery arm 302 with respect to the UAV 202 and/or battery assembly 216, a portion of the battery arm 302 moves or extends toward the UAV 202. For example, the first end 304 of the battery arm 302 moves toward the UAV 202. In one or more embodiments, the battery arm 302 moves toward the UAV 202 until an end plate 308 or other portion of the first end 304 of the battery arm 302 is within a predefined proximity of the UAV 202 or an end of the battery assembly 216. For example, the UAVGS 102 causes the battery arm 302 to move towards the UAV 202 until the first end 304 of the battery arm 302 is close enough to the UAV 202 that one or more components of the battery arm 302 are able to engage the UAV 202 and/or battery assembly 216.
In one or more embodiments, the battery arm 302 engages one or more latches on a UAV 202 to unlock a battery assembly 216 from within the main housing 204 of the UAV 202. In particular, the battery arm 302 includes a latch engagement assembly that includes one or more actuators that cause one or more latch engagers to come into contact with and engage one or more latches on the UAV 202. For example, as shown in
As mentioned above, the latch engagement assembly can include an actuator, such as a motor 310a. As shown in
Further, as mentioned above, in causing a battery assembly 216 to unlock from within the UAV 202, the motor 310a causes the outer fingers 312 to rotate and engage with one or more latches on the UAV 202. In particular, the motor 310a can cause the outer fingers 312 to rotate toward the latches on the UAV 202 by driving the plate 314 toward the first end 304 of the battery arm 302 and causing the link 318 between the plate 314 and the outer fingers 312 to move towards the UAV 202. By causing the plate 314 and link 318 to move toward the UAV 202, the outer fingers 312 move about one or more pivot points 320 and rotate inward such that an edge of each of the outer fingers 312 engages with a respective latch on the UAV 202.
In driving the plate 314 towards the first end 304 of the battery arm 302, the motor 310a can cause the driving rod 316 to move and drive the plate 314 towards the UAV 202. In particular, as illustrated in
In addition to generally moving the plate 314 and outer fingers 312 towards the UAV 202, driving the plate 314 towards the UAV 202 further causes the outer fingers 312 to rotate about one or more pivot points 320. In particular, as shown in
In one or more embodiments, the battery gripping assembly utilizes over center linkage features when causing the outer fingers 312 to rotate inward about the one or more pivot points 320a-c. In particular, as shown in
Thus, when the motor 310b causes the plate 314 to move towards the first end 304 of the battery arm 302 and cause the outer fingers 312 to rotate inward relative to the pivot points 320a-c at different rates based on a rotational position of the of the outer fingers 312 with respect to the pivot points 320a-c. For example, the outer fingers 312 can rotate more relative to a corresponding movement of the plate 314 or motor 310b when the outer fingers 312 extend outward from the central axis of the battery arm 302 (e.g., parallel to the outer plate 308) prior to engagement with the UAV 202 or battery assembly 216. Additionally, the outer fingers 312 can rotate less relative to the same movement of the plate 314 or motor 310b when the outer fingers 312 have rotated about the first pivot point 320a and approach an engagement position of the outer fingers 312 (e.g., perpendicular to the outer plate 308).
For example, as shown in
In addition to causing the outer fingers 302 to rotate at different rates relative to movement of the motor 310b or plate 314, the over center linkage can prevent the outer fingers 302 from over-rotating beyond a maximum point of rotation. For example, as the outer fingers 312 rotate about the first pivot point 320a and the second pivot point 320b moves inward toward the central axis of the battery arm 302, the outer fingers 312 reach a maximum rotation about the first pivot point 320a notwithstanding continued movement of the first pivot point 320a toward the first end 304 of the battery arm 302. Thus, the battery arm 302 can drive the plate 314 beyond a point of engagement without causing the outer fingers 312 to continue rotating about the first pivot point 320a and risking damage to the battery assembly 216, UAV 202, or blocking a path for removing or inserting a battery assembly 216 within the UAV 202.
Additionally, or alternatively, in one or more embodiments, the battery arm 302 includes a stop, lock, or other feature that causes the outer fingers to stop rotating inward about the one or more pivot points 320a-c. As an example, the battery arm 302 can include a stop on one or more of the pivot points 320a-c or other portion of the battery arm 302 that prevents the outer fingers 312 from rotating beyond a specific point or angle. Similar to the over center linkage features discussed above, the stop, lock, or other feature the prevents rotation of the outer fingers 312 beyond a maximum rotation can prevent the outer fingers 312 from rotating inward to a point that could potentially damage one or more latches or springs on the UAV 202 or battery assembly 216 or obstruct a path for inserting or removing the battery assembly 216 from within the UAV 202.
Moreover, in one or more embodiments, one or more of the links 318a-b include compression and/or spring properties that cause the outer fingers 312 to apply a constant force to the UAV 202 when engaged with one or more latches on the UAV 202. For example, the first link 318a and/or second link 318b can include a spring that causes the outer fingers 312 to apply a force to one or more latches on the UAV 202 without further force applied via the motors 310b driving the plate 314 toward the UAV 202 beyond initial engagement between the outer fingers 312 and the UAV 202. In one or more embodiments, each of the links 318a-binclude a spring or other compliant member that causes the outer fingers 312 to apply force on respective latches of the UAV 202. Alternatively, in one or more embodiments, only the first link 318a of the first and second links 318a-bincludes a spring or other compliant member that causes the outer fingers 312 to apply force on respective latches of the UAV 202.
In addition to unlocking the battery assembly 216 from within the UAV 202, the battery arm 302 can further remove the battery assembly 216 from the UAV 202. For example, as shown in
Similar to the latch engagement assembly, the battery gripping assembly includes an actuator, such as a motor 310b. The motor 310b of the battery gripping assembly includes similar features and functionality as the motor 310aof the latch engagement assembly. In one or more embodiments, the motor 310b causes one or more battery grippers to engage a portion of the battery assembly 216 and grip an end of the battery assembly 216. For example, the motor 310b causes inner fingers 322 to engage a portion of the battery assembly 216 and grip the battery assembly 216. In one or more embodiments, the motor 310b causes the ends of the inner fingers 322 to move toward the outer fingers 312 and grip an end of the battery assembly 216. As will be explained in greater detail, once the inner fingers 322 have gripped a portion of the battery assembly 216, the battery arm 302 retracts and removes the unlocked battery assembly 216 from within the UAV 202.
Further, as mentioned above, in causing the inner fingers 322 to engage with and grip the battery assembly 216, the motor 310b drives the plate 324 towards the UAV 202. In particular, similar to the first motor 310a that causes the driving rod 316 to move and drive the latch engagement plate 314 toward the UAV 202, the second motor 310b causes a driving rod 326 to move (e.g., spin, extend) and drive the plate 324 toward the UAV 202. In one or more embodiments, driving the plate 324 toward the UAV 202 causes the inner fingers 322 to pivot outward toward the outer fingers 312 and grip an end of the battery assembly 216.
In one or more embodiments, driving the plate 324 toward the first end 304 of the battery arm 302 causes a spreader 328 to push toward the first end 304 of the battery arm 302 between one or more of the inner fingers 322. In particular, as shown in
Additionally, in one or more embodiments, prior to the inner fingers 322 gripping the battery assembly 216, some or all of the battery gripping assembly can move towards the battery assembly 216. In particular, the plate 324 can cause the inner fingers, spreader 328, and sensors 330 to move towards an outer end of the battery assembly 216 facing outward from the UAV 202. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the sensors 330 of the battery gripping assembly can detect that the battery gripping assembly or other portion of the battery arm 302 is within a predetermined proximity of the battery assembly 216. For example, the sensors 330 can detect that the battery arm 302 is within a proximity of the battery assembly 216 and prevent the battery gripping assembly from coming into contact with the battery assembly 216 and potentially causing damage to the battery assembly 216 and/of the UAV 202.
In addition to preventing the battery gripping assembly from inadvertently coming into contact with and potentially damaging the UAV 202 and/or battery assembly 216, the sensors 330 can further prevent other portions of the battery gripper 302 from damaging the UAV 202. For example, as described above, the battery arm 302 can move towards the UAV 202 into a position such that the outer fingers 312 can rotate inward around a central axis of the battery arm 302 and engage with corresponding latches on the UAV 202. In one or more embodiments, the sensors 330 can determine that the end plate 308 and/or outer fingers 312 are a particular distance from the UAV 202 that would enable the outer fingers 312 to engage a latch on the UAV 202 and unlock the battery assembly 216 from within the UAV 202. Additionally or alternatively, the sensors 330 can detect when other portions of the battery arm 302 are within a proximity of the UAV 202 that could cause the battery arm 302 to inadvertently come into contact with and potentially damage the UAV 202.
Moreover, as shown in
As mentioned above, the battery arm 302 can unlock and remove a battery assembly 216 from within a main housing 204 of a UAV 202. In particular, as shown in
As shown in
As mentioned above, the latch 502 can secure the battery assembly 216 within the UAV 202. In particular, as shown in
While the locks 512 provide a structure that prevents the battery assembly 216 from sliding out from the UAV 202 unimpeded, the locks 512 also enable the battery assembly 216 to conveniently slide into the UAV 202 (e.g., without engaging the handles 507). In particular, as shown in
In one or more embodiments, the locks 512 have a slanted or tapered shape that enables the battery assembly 216 to apply outward force to the locks 512 when the battery assembly 216 slides into the UAV 202. In particular, in one or more embodiments, the locks 512 slant inward such that when the battery assembly 216 makes contact with the locks 512 and moves toward the opening of the UAV 202, an outward force is applied to the locks 512 that causes the latch spring 514 and the locks 512 to move outward. Additionally, once the battery assembly 216 is inserted within the UAV 202, the locks 512 and latch spring 514 automatically return to an equilibrium position with the locks 512 overlapping a portion of the opening of the receiving slot and preventing the battery assembly 216 from sliding out from the UAV 202.
In addition to locking the battery assembly 216 within the UAV 202, the latch 502 can further enable the battery arm 302 to conveniently unlock the battery assembly 216 by engaging the latch handles 507. For example, as shown in
In one or more embodiments, the battery arm 302 unlocks the battery assembly 216 by engaging the latch openings 508 of the latch handles 507. In particular, the battery arm 302 can engage the latch openings 508 and apply a force to each of the latch handles 507 that causes the battery assembly 216 to unlock from within the UAV 202. As an example, the outer fingers 312 of the battery arm 302 can fit within the latch openings 508 and push inward on the latch handles 507 causing each of the latch handles 507 to move towards each other (e.g., inward around a central axis of the battery assembly 216). More specifically, the outer fingers 312 can push inward on the latch handles 507 and cause the latch arms 510 to pivot around the latch pivots 511. As the latch handles 507 move inward around the latch pivots 511, the locks 512 move outward from each other (e.g., outward from the central axis of the battery assembly 216) and rotate around the latch pivots 511. As such, by applying the inward force on the latch handles 507, the locks 512 can move outward and remove the obstruction securing the battery assembly 216 in place within the UAV 202.
Once unlocked, the battery arm 302 can further remove the battery assembly 216 from within the UAV 202 by engaging a portion of the battery assembly 216. As shown in
For example, once the battery assembly 216 is unlocked, a portion of the battery gripping assembly of the battery arm 302 can move towards the outer end 516 and cause a portion of the battery arm 302 to come into contact with the outer end 516. In one or more embodiments, the inner fingers 322 of the battery arm 302 come into contact with the battery end 516. Additionally, upon making contact with or coming within a predetermined proximity to the outer end 516, the inner fingers 322 can engage the inner lip(s) 518 of the outer end 516 and attach, hook, or otherwise grip the battery assembly 216 by the inner lip 518. For example, as described above, when the inner fingers 322 are in position relative to the inner lip 518, the spreader 328 of the battery arm 302 can cause the inner fingers 322 to move outward and grip each of the inner lips 518 of the outer end 516 of the battery assembly 216.
Once the battery arm 302 has gripped the inner lips 518 of the battery assembly 216, the battery arm 302 can retract and cause the battery assembly 216 to slide out from the main housing 204 of the UAV 202. In particular, one or more of the motors 310 of the battery arm 302 can cause one or more portions of the battery arm 302 to retract. For example, in one or more embodiments, the motor 310b coupled to the battery gripping assembly can cause the battery gripping assembly to retract and remove the battery assembly 216 from the UAV 202. Additionally, while the motor 310b causes the battery gripping assembly to retract, the latch engagement assembly (e.g., the outer fingers 312) can remain engaged with the latch 502 and disengage after the battery assembly 216 has been removed from the UAV 202.
As mentioned above, the battery arm 302 can engage with the UAV 202 to unlock the battery assembly 216 from within the UAV 202. For example,
For example, as shown in
Additionally, as described above, the outer fingers 312 can unlock the battery assembly 216 from within the UAV 202 by applying inward force on the handles 507 and causing one or more locks 512 to bend, pivot, or otherwise move outward and disengage from a position that prevents the battery assembly 216 from sliding out from the UAV 202. Further, as shown in
As mentioned above, once the battery assembly 216 is unlocked, the battery arm 302 can further engage the battery assembly 216 by gripping a portion of an outer end 516 of the battery assembly 216. For example, as shown in
Once the inner fingers 322 come into contact with the outer end 516, the battery arm 302 can cause the inner fingers 322 to grip an inner lip 518 of the outer end 516 of the battery assembly 216. For example, as shown in
In one or more embodiments, the battery arm 302 can cause a portion of the outer end 516 to compress when the inner fingers 322 or other portion of the battery arm 302 comes into contact with and applies a force on the outer end 516 of the battery assembly 216. For example, after the inner fingers 322 come into contact with the outer end 516 of the battery assembly 216, the outer end 516 can compress into the opening of the receiving port of the UAV 202. When the outer end 516 compresses, the spreader 328 can cause the inner fingers 322 to move outward and grip the inner lips 518 that are made available via the compression of the outer end 516.
While the battery arm 302 grips the unlocked battery assembly 216, the battery arm 302 can retract and remove the battery assembly 216 from the UAV 202. For example, as shown in
Additionally, the battery arm 302 can further store the removed battery assembly 216 within the UAVGS 102 and place a new (e.g., charged) battery within the receiving slot of the UAV 202. For example, upon storing the removed battery assembly 216 within the UAVGS 102, the battery arm 302 can move within the UAVGS 102 and retrieve a new battery using a similar or different process as removing the battery assembly 216 from within the UAV 202. The battery arm 302 can further align with the receiving slot of the UAV 202 and insert the new battery within the UAV 202 to enable the UAV 202 to take off, fly, and land with a full battery.
As mentioned above, the UAVGS 102 can include a battery swapping assembly that facilitates transfer of a battery assembly 216 between the UAV 202 and the UAVGS 102. For example, as shown in
As shown in
Further, as shown in
In one or more embodiments, the battery banks 704a-c have a linear arrangement in which each of the plurality of battery banks 704a-c are positioned such that a reference line passes through the same point of the battery banks 704a-c. For example, the battery banks 704a-c may be positioned within the UAVGS 102 such that a reference line 710 passes through a center of mass or other common point (e.g., first or second end) of the battery banks 704a-c. Alternatively, in one or more embodiments, the reference line 710 may pass through each of the battery banks 704a-c at similar or different points of the battery banks 704a-c. As such, the plurality of linearly arranged battery banks 704a-c can refer to a row, column, or diagonal arrangement of battery banks 704a-c that each overlap with each other across a reference line 710 that passes through a portion of each of the plurality of battery banks 704a-c.
As shown in
As mentioned above, the actuator 706 can cause the battery arm 302 to move within the UAVGS 102 and align with respect to the UAV 202. In particular, the actuator 706 can cause the alignment arms 708 to move and thereby cause the battery arm 302 to move along an axis of movement within the UAVGS 102. In one or more embodiments, the battery arm 302 moves along a single axis of movement. For example, the actuator 706 can cause the battery arm 302 to move along a rotational axis by rotating the battery arm 302 around a central point. For instance, as shown in
Additionally, while
Moreover, while
As mentioned above, the battery swapping assembly can facilitate transfer of a battery assembly 216 from the UAV 202 to the UAVGS 102. For example, as shown in
Once removed, the battery swapping assembly can facilitate storage of the battery assembly 216 within one of the battery banks 704a-c. For example, as shown in
In addition, while not shown in
Additionally, as shown in
Furthermore, as shown in
Additionally, as shown in
Moreover, as described above, the battery swapping assembly can facilitate transfer of the battery assembly 216 between the UAV 202 and the plurality of battery banks 704a-c. For example, as shown in
As shown in
Additionally, similar to one or more embodiments described above, the battery swapping assembly can facilitate retrieving a new (e.g., charged) battery assembly and inserting the new battery assembly within the UAV 202. In particular, the actuator 706 can cause the battery arm 302 to align with respect to the second battery bank 704b and remove a new battery assembly previously stored within the second battery bank 704b. The actuator 706 can then cause the battery arm 302 to move upward and align with respect to the UAV 202 and insert the new battery assembly within the receiving slot 702 of the UAV 202.
Additionally, one or more embodiments of the plurality of battery banks 704a-c include a charging interface that couples to a battery assembly 216 when the battery assembly 216 is inserted within one of the plurality of battery banks 704a-c. For example, one or more of the battery banks 704 can include one or more charging contacts within an inner portion of the battery banks 704 that couple to corresponding contacts on the battery assembly 216 when the battery assembly 216 is inserted within the battery banks 704. Once the battery assembly 216 is inserted, the UAVGS 102 can provide a power signal across the charging contacts that charges a battery cell within the battery assembly 216.
As such, the battery swapping assembly can charge the battery assembly in preparation for later retrieval and use. While the UAV 202 engages in another flight, the battery swapping assembly can charge the battery assembly 216 in preparation for replacing the battery assembly 216 currently inserted within the UAV 202. The battery swapping assembly can thus enable convenient swapping of battery assemblies between back to back flights to enable the UAV 202 engage in frequent flights with a full battery. Additionally, the battery swapping assembly can enable the UAV 202 to engage in frequent flights without storing a large number of battery assemblies within the UAVGS 102.
Each of the components 906-920 of the UAVGS controller 902, and the components 922-934 of the UAV controller 904 can be implemented using a computing device including at least one processor executing instructions that cause the system 900 to perform the processes described herein. In some embodiments, the components 906-920 and 922-934 can comprise hardware, such as a special-purpose processing device to perform a certain function. Additionally or alternatively, the components 906-920 and 922-934 can comprise a combination of computer-executable instructions and hardware. For instance, in one or more embodiments the UAV 202 and/or the UAVGS 102 include one or more computing devices, such as the computing device described below with reference to
Additionally, while
As described above, the system 900 includes components across both the UAVGS 102 and the UAV 202 that enable the UAV 202 to autonomously land on the UAVGS 102 and for the UAVGS 102 to replace a battery on board the UAV 202. Accordingly, the system 900 includes various components that enable a battery swapping assembly on board the UAVGS 102 to transfer a battery assembly 216 between the UAV 202 and the UAVGS 102 while the UAV 202 is landed without any external intervention (e.g., without an operator remotely controlling the UAVGS 102 and/or UAV 202 during the battery removal process). Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the UAVGS 102 can cause a battery arm 302 to perform a multi-stage engagement process with respect to removing the battery assembly 216 and/or storing the battery assembly 216 on board the UAVGS 102 autonomously without assistance from a remote operator and without causing substantial wear and tear on the UAV 202.
As mentioned above and as illustrated in
For example, the alignment manager 708 can cause a battery arm 302 to align with respect to the UAV 202 that is landed within the UAVGS 102. In particular, the alignment manager 908 can cause the battery arm 302 to move along an axis of movement and align with respect to an end of a battery assembly 216 inserted within a receiving slot 702 of the UAV 202. Additionally, once the battery assembly 216 is removed, the alignment manager 908 can cause the battery arm 302 to move along the axis of movement and align with respect to a plurality of battery banks 704 within the UAVGS 102. The alignment manager 908 can further cause the battery 302 to move back and forth between the UAV 202 and the plurality of battery banks 704 to facilitate swapping one or more battery assemblies back and forth between the UAV 202 and the UAVGS 102.
In addition or as an alternative to causing the battery arm 302 to move within the UAVGS 102 with respect to the UAV 202, one or more embodiments of the alignment manager 908 cause one or more components of the UAVGS 102 and/or UAV 202 to move with respect to the battery arm 302. For example, in one or more embodiments, the alignment manager 908 controls movement of a landing housing 110 of the UAVGS 102 and causes a floor of the landing housing 110 and/or an opening 112 of the landing housing 110 to rotate such that a receiving slot of the UAV 202 lines up with the battery arm 302. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the alignment manager 908 can control movement of the battery arm 302, landing housing 110, floor of the landing housing 110, and/or the UAV 202 based on one or more sensor inputs from sensors on the UAVGS 102 (e.g., on the battery arm 302 of the UAVGS 102) and/or UAV 202.
In addition to the alignment manager 908, the battery arm manager 906 includes a latch engagement manager 910 that controls engagement of the UAV 202 using a portion of the battery arm 302. For example, once the battery arm 302 is aligned with respect to the UAV 202, the latch engagement manager 910 can cause a latch engagement assembly of the battery arm 302 to move towards the UAV 202 and engage one or more latches of the UAV 202. Additionally, engaging the UAV 202 can cause the battery assembly 216 within the UAV 202 to unlock such that the battery assembly 216 can slide out from a receiving slot of the UAV 202.
In one or more embodiments, the latch engagement manager 910 causes the battery assembly 216 to unlock by applying a force on one or more latch handles 507 and removing one or more obstructions (e.g., latch locks 512) that prevent the battery assembly 216 to slide out from the UAV 202. For example, the latch engagement manager 910 can cause outer fingers 312 to rotate around one or more pivot points, engage the latch handles 507, and unlock the battery assembly 216 from within the UAV 202.
As shown in
Moreover, while not shown in
In addition to the battery arm manager 906, the UAVGS controller 902 further includes a general controller 914. In one or more embodiments, the general controller 914 can handle general system tasks including, for example, battery charging, data storage, UAV docking, receiving and processing user input, etc. As an example, after the UAV 202 autonomously lands on the UAVGS 102, the general controller 914 can manage receiving and processing user input with regard to recharging a battery while the UAV 202 is landed. As another example, in one or more embodiments, the general controller 914 can manage downloading or transferring data collected by the UAV 202 (e.g., during a previous flight). Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the general controller 914 can control transmission, receiving, and processing various signals received from the UAV 202.
Furthermore, as mentioned above, and as illustrated in
As shown in
As illustrated in
Also as illustrated in
Furthermore, as mentioned above, and as illustrated in
As shown in
Additionally, as shown in
Further, as shown in
Additionally, while not shown in
Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the method 1000 includes one or more steps for replacing the battery assembly 216 with a replacement battery assembly stored within a second battery bank of the plurality of battery banks. For example, the method 1000 can include a step of aligning the battery arm 302 with an opening of a second battery bank having a replacement battery assembly stored therein by causing the battery arm 302 to move along the axis of movement. Additionally, the method 1000 can further include removing the replacement battery from within the second battery bank by causing the battery arm 302 to grip a first end of the replacement battery assembly and retract from the second battery bank. The method 1000 can further include aligning the battery arm 302 with the UAV 202 by causing the battery arm 302 to move along the axis of movement towards the UAV 202. The method 1000 can further include inserting the replacement battery assembly within the UAV 202 by causing the battery arm 302 to selectively extend towards the UAV 202 while the battery arm 302 grips the first end of the replacement battery assembly.
Further, in one or more embodiments, the method 800 includes receiving a user input instructing the UAVGS 102 and/or battery arm 302 to perform one or more of the steps of the method 1000. Additionally or alternatively, the method 1000 may include receiving an input that indicates that the battery assembly 216 should be replaced and performing each of the steps 1000 of the method in response to receiving the input.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise or utilize a special purpose or general-purpose computer including computer hardware, such as, for example, one or more processors and system memory, as discussed in greater detail below. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure also include physical and other computer-readable media for carrying or storing computer-executable instructions and/or data structures. In particular, one or more of the processes described herein may be implemented at least in part as instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by one or more computing devices (e.g., any of the media content access devices described herein). In general, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, (e.g., a memory, etc.), and executes those instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein.
Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer system. Computer-readable media that store computer-executable instructions are non-transitory computer-readable storage media (devices). Computer-readable media that carry computer-executable instructions are transmission media. Thus, by way of example, and not limitation, embodiments of the disclosure can comprise at least two distinctly different kinds of computer-readable media: non-transitory computer-readable storage media (devices) and transmission media.
Non-transitory computer-readable storage media (devices) includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, solid state drives (“SSDs”) (e.g., based on RAM), Flash memory, phase-change memory (“PCM”), other types of memory, other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store desired program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.
A “network” is defined as one or more data links that enable the transport of electronic data between computer systems and/or modules and/or other electronic devices. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a computer, the computer properly views the connection as a transmission medium. Transmissions media can include a network and/or data links which can be used to carry desired program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.
Further, upon reaching various computer system components, program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures can be transferred automatically from transmission media to non-transitory computer-readable storage media (devices) (or vice versa). For example, computer-executable instructions or data structures received over a network or data link can be buffered in RAM within a network interface module (e.g., a “NIC”), and then eventually transferred to computer system RAM and/or to less volatile computer storage media (devices) at a computer system. Thus, it should be understood that non-transitory computer-readable storage media (devices) could be included in computer system components that also (or even primarily) utilize transmission media.
Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions and data which, when executed at a processor, cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. In some embodiments, computer-executable instructions are executed on a general-purpose computer to turn the general-purpose computer into a special purpose computer implementing elements of the disclosure. The computer executable instructions may be, for example, binaries, intermediate format instructions such as assembly language, or even source code. Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the described features or acts described above. Rather, the described features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosure may be practiced in network computing environments with many types of computer system configurations, including, personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, message processors, hand-held devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile telephones, PDAs, tablets, pagers, watches, routers, switches, and the like. The disclosure may also be practiced in distributed system environments where local and remote computer systems, which are linked (either by hardwired data links, wireless data links, or by a combination of hardwired and wireless data links) through a network, both perform tasks. In a distributed system environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
In one or more embodiments, the processor 1102 includes hardware for executing instructions, such as those making up a computer program. As an example and not by way of limitation, to execute instructions, the processor 1102 may retrieve (or fetch) the instructions from an internal register, an internal cache, the memory 1104, or the storage device 1106 and decode and execute them. In one or more embodiments, the processor 1102 may include one or more internal caches for data, instructions, or addresses. As an example and not by way of limitation, the processor 1102 may include one or more instruction caches, one or more data caches, and one or more translation lookaside buffers (TLBs). Instructions in the instruction caches may be copies of instructions in the memory 1104 or the storage 1106.
The memory 1104 may be used for storing data, metadata, and programs for execution by the processor(s). The memory 1104 may include one or more of volatile and non-volatile memories, such as Random Access Memory (“RAM”), Read Only Memory (“ROM”), a solid state disk (“SSD”), Flash, Phase Change Memory (“PCM”), or other types of data storage. The memory 1104 may be internal or distributed memory.
The storage device 1106 includes storage for storing data or instructions. As an example and not by way of limitation, storage device 1106 can comprise a non-transitory storage medium described above. The storage device 1106 may include a hard disk drive (“HDD”), a floppy disk drive, flash memory, an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, magnetic tape, or a Universal Serial Bus (“USB”) drive or a combination of two or more of these. The storage device 1106 may include removable or non-removable (or fixed) media, where appropriate. The storage device 1106 may be internal or external to the computing device 1100. In one or more embodiments, the storage device 1106 is non-volatile, solid-state memory. In other embodiments, the storage device 1106 includes read-only memory (“ROM”). Where appropriate, this ROM may be mask programmed ROM, programmable ROM (“PROM”), erasable PROM (“EPROM”), electrically erasable PROM (“EEPROM”), electrically alterable ROM (“EAROM”), or flash memory or a combination of two or more of these.
The I/O interface 1108 allows a user to provide input to, receive output from, and otherwise transfer data to and receive data from computing device 1100. The I/O interface 1108 may include a mouse, a keypad or a keyboard, a touch screen, a camera, an optical scanner, network interface, modem, other known I/O devices or a combination of such I/O interfaces. The I/O interface 1108 may include one or more devices for presenting output to a user, including, but not limited to, a graphics engine, a display (e.g., a display screen), one or more output drivers (e.g., display drivers), one or more audio speakers, and one or more audio drivers. In certain embodiments, the I/O interface 1108 is configured to provide graphical data to a display for presentation to a user. The graphical data may be representative of one or more graphical user interfaces and/or any other graphical content as may serve a particular implementation.
The communication interface 1110 can include hardware, software, or both. In any event, the communication interface 1110 can provide one or more interfaces for communication (such as, for example, packet-based communication) between the computing device 1100 and one or more other computing devices or networks. As an example and not by way of limitation, the communication interface 1110 may include a network interface controller (“NIC”) or network adapter for communicating with an Ethernet or other wire-based network or a wireless NIC (“WNIC”) or wireless adapter for communicating with a wireless network, such as a WI-FI.
Additionally or alternatively, the communication interface 1110 may facilitate communications with an ad hoc network, a personal area network (“PAN”), a local area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), a metropolitan area network (“MAN”), or one or more portions of the Internet or a combination of two or more of these. One or more portions of one or more of these networks may be wired or wireless. As an example, the communication interface 1110 may facilitate communications with a wireless PAN (“WPAN”) (such as, for example, a BLUETOOTH WPAN), a WI-FI network, a WI-MAX network, a cellular telephone network (such as, for example, a Global System for Mobile Communications (“GSM”) network), or other suitable wireless network or a combination thereof.
Additionally, the communication interface 1110 may facilitate communications various communication protocols. Examples of communication protocols that may be used include, but are not limited to, data transmission media, communications devices, Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”), Internet Protocol (“IP”), File Transfer Protocol (“FTP”), Telnet, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”), Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (“HTTPS”), Session Initiation Protocol (“SIP”), Simple Object Access Protocol (“SOAP”), Extensible Mark-up Language (“XML”) and variations thereof, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (“SMTP”), Real-Time Transport Protocol (“RTP”), User Datagram Protocol (“UDP”), Global System for Mobile Communications (“GSM”) technologies, Code Division Multiple Access (“CDMA”) technologies, Time Division Multiple Access (“TDMA”) technologies, Short Message Service (“SMS”), Multimedia Message Service (“MMS”), radio frequency (“RF”) signaling technologies, Long Term Evolution (“LTE”) technologies, wireless communication technologies, in-band and out-of-band signaling technologies, and other suitable communications networks and technologies.
The communication infrastructure 1112 may include hardware, software, or both that couples components of the computing device 1100 to each other. As an example and not by way of limitation, the communication infrastructure 1112 may include a graphics bus, front-side bus (“FSB”), a HYPERTRANSPORT (“HT”) interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture (“ISA”) bus, an INFINIBAND interconnect, a low-pin-count (“LPC”) bus, a memory bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (“PCI”) bus, a PCI-Express (“PCIe”) bus, a serial advanced technology attachment (“SATA”) bus, or another suitable bus or a combination thereof.
In the foregoing specification, the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. Various embodiments and aspects of the present disclosure(s) are described with reference to details discussed herein, and the accompanying drawings illustrate the various embodiments. The description above and drawings are illustrative of the disclosure and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure.
The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the methods described herein may be performed with less or more steps/acts or the steps/acts may be performed in differing orders. Additionally, the steps/acts described herein may be repeated or performed in parallel with one another or in parallel with different instances of the same or similar steps/acts. The scope of the present application is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
