Recharging an aircraft in a region using areas of increased sunlight within the region

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10416678-B2
Application number	US-201715815703-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2017
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A system is presented. The system comprises sunlight sensors and GPS receivers in a region, an aerial vehicle, a solar panel, and a flight plan generator. The aerial vehicle is within the region. The aerial vehicle has a rechargeable battery. The solar panel is physically connected to the aerial vehicle and operably connected to the rechargeable battery. The flight plan generator is configured to create a flight plan within the region for the aerial vehicle based on measurements from the sunlight sensors within the region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
sunlight sensors and GPS receivers within a region;
an aerial vehicle within the region, the aerial vehicle having a rechargeable battery;
a solar panel physically connected to the aerial vehicle and operably connected to the rechargeable battery; and
a flight plan generator configured to create a flight plan within the region for the aerial vehicle based on measurements from the sunlight sensors within the region and a three-dimensional sunlight map.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles within the region, wherein each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles has a respective sunlight sensor and a respective GPS receiver of the sunlight sensors and the GPS receivers.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight plan is configured to optimize recharging of the rechargeable battery using the solar panel and meet one of an objective or a destination for the aerial vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sunlight sensors comprise fixed sunlight sensors at fixed locations within the region, wherein the flight plan generator is configured to create the flight plan based on measurements from the fixed sunlight sensors.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a three-dimensional sunlight map generator configured to create the three-dimensional sunlight map with:
measured sunlight within the region; and
a plurality of predicted sunlight intensities within the region.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of predicted sunlight intensities is based on a three-dimensional model of the region and a date and a time.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the three-dimensional sunlight map generator is further configured to generate a three-dimensional sunlight prediction map for the region for a future time using a three-dimensional model of the region, a weather forecast for the future time, and a date and time of the future time.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the flight plan generator is configured to create the flight plan using the three-dimensional sunlight prediction map for the region for the future time.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a model training system configured to refine and update, using additional measurements, a three-dimensional model of the region.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a communications system configured to communicate with a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aerial vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aerial vehicle is a fixed wing aerial vehicle.

13. A method comprising:
collecting measurements using sunlight sensors in a region;
creating a three-dimensional sunlight map of the region based on the measurements; and
planning a flight plan within the region for an aerial vehicle, wherein the flight plan is based on the three-dimensional sunlight map.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the flight plan is configured to optimize recharging of a rechargeable battery on the aerial vehicle using a solar panel on the aerial vehicle and meet one of an objective or a destination for the aerial vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13 in which the aerial vehicle has a rechargeable battery and a solar panel physically connected to the aerial vehicle, in which the solar panel is operably connected to the rechargeable battery.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
flying the aerial vehicle within the region according to the flight plan.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the sunlight sensors are connected to a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
collecting temperature measurements for the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles in the region, wherein planning the flight plan within the region for the aerial vehicle takes into account an efficiency of using a solar panel based on the temperature measurements.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
collecting measurements using fixed sunlight sensors at fixed locations within the region, wherein planning the flight plan within the region for the aerial vehicle is also based on measurements from the fixed sunlight sensors.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the aerial vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the region is at least one of a rural region, a suburban region, or an urban region.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the three-dimensional sunlight map of the region is created with:
measured sunlight within the region; and
a plurality of predicted sunlight intensities within the region.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of predicted sunlight intensities is based on a three-dimensional model of the region and a date and a time.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of predicted sunlight intensities is further based on a weather forecast.

25. A method comprising:
flying an aerial vehicle having a rechargeable battery and a solar panel, wherein the solar panel is operably connected to the rechargeable battery;
measuring sunlight intensities at a first time using the solar panel; and
creating a three-dimensional sunlight prediction map for a region at a second time based on the sunlight intensities.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:
flying the aerial vehicle within the region at a third time according to a flight plan created using the three-dimensional sunlight prediction map, wherein the flight plan is configured to optimize recharging of the rechargeable battery using the solar panel and meet one of an objective or a destination for the aerial vehicle.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the aerial vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

28. The method of claim 25 , wherein creating the three-dimensional sunlight prediction map for the region at the second time comprises creating the three-dimensional sunlight prediction map for the region using a three-dimensional model for the region, wherein the three-dimensional model takes into account the sunlight intensities measured at the first time.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the three-dimensional model takes into account at least one of a sunrise time associated with the second time, a sunset time associated with the second time, or a season associated with the second time.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Sindlinger Andreas
• Kneuper Nils
• Cabos Ralf Rene Shu-Zhong

Classifications

• B64U2201/104

  using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• H02J7/35

  with light sensitive cells · CPC title

• G01C21/20

  Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• G05D1/0278

  using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G01W1/10 Primary

  Devices for predicting weather conditions (computers per se G06; display devices G09) · CPC title