Network of distributed drone system and parking pads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10479528-B1
Application number	US-201816182558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 6, 2018
Priority date	Nov 6, 2018
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

This invention discloses a distributed parking system for drones comprising a network of parking pads for drones distributed over a geographic area, each of which comprising a parking surface of one or more parking spots on which a drone can land and park securely, a power refill module that replenish the power source of a parked drone, a control module that controls functions of the parking pad, and a communication module through which the control module is connected to a communication network; and a master controller that controls functions of the parking pads and communicates commands to and receives reports from the parking pads through the communication network.

First claim

We claim:

1. A distributed parking system for drones comprising
a network of parking pads for drones distributed over a geographic area, each of which comprising a parking surface of one or more parking spots on which a drone can land and park securely, a power refill module that replenish the power source of a parked drone, a control module that controls functions of the parking pad, and a communication module through which the control module is connected to a communication network;
a master controller that controls functions of the parking pads and communicates commands to and receives reports from the parking pads through the communication network;
a protective box that, under the control of the control module, opens to allow a drone to land and park on the parking surface, and closes to prevent access of a drone; and
an authentication module in each parking pad that authenticates an approaching drone wherein the control module opens a closed protective box to allow the approaching drone to land and park after the control module receives a message from the authentication module that the approaching drone's identity is authenticated and the drone is allowed to land and park at the parking pad.

2. The distributed parking system of claim 1 further comprising an accounting module which charges an amount of value from an account associated with the drone's owner and/or the drone's user for the use of the parking pad.

3. The distributed parking system of claim 1 wherein the power refill module is a wireless electrical charger that wireless charges the battery pack of a parked drone.

4. The distributed parking system of claim 1 wherein the power refill module is an electrical contact-based charger with two or more electrical contact areas of two opposing polarities which charges a parked drone when the drone is parked properly and establishes electrical connections between the corresponding electrical contact areas of the drone and of the power refill module.

5. The distributed parking system of claim 4 wherein the power refill module detects the polarities of the connected electrical contact areas of the drone and switches the polarity of the two or more electrical contact areas of the power refill module to match the polarities of corresponding electrical contact areas of the drone to ensure proper charging of the drone's battery.

6. The distributed parking system of claim 4 wherein the space separating the two or more electrical contact areas of two opposing polarities of the electrical contact-based charger contain one or more drains and pathways that prevent shorting of the contact areas of two opposing polarities by accumulation of liquid.

7. The distributed parking system of claim 4 the power refill module further comprising an electric short detection and protection circuit that detects whether there is a short and cuts off the power supply to the electrical contact-based charger when a short is detected.

8. The distributed parking system of claim 1 wherein the power refill module further comprises a robotic arm and a storage of one or more refilled power pack wherein the robotic arm removes a power pack on a parked drone and replaces it with another power pack from the storage.

9. The distributed parking system of claim 1 wherein the power refill module comprises a fuel refill nozzle and a liquid fuel storage wherein the power refill module refills a fuel tank on the drone using the fuel refill nozzle into and the liquid fuel storage.

10. The distributed parking system of claim 1 wherein the communication module of some or all of the parking pads connect to the communication network using the network connection of a co-located mobile network base station or wireless access point.

11. The distributed parking system of claim 1 further comprising a cleaning module that cleans a drone parked on the parking pad.

12. A distributed drone system comprising
a network of parking pads distributed over a geographic area, each of which comprising a parking surface of one or more parking spots on which a drone can land and park securely, a power refill module that replenish the power source of a parked drone, a control module that controls functions of the parking pad, a first communication module through which the control module communicates with one or more drones and connects to a communication network, a protective box that, under the control of the control module, opens to allow a drone to land and park on and closes to prevent access to the parking pad; an authentication module that authenticates an approaching drone wherein the control module opens the protective box to allow the approaching drone to land and park after the control module receives a message from the authentication module that the approaching drone's identity is authenticated and the drone is allowed to land and park at the parking pad;
a plural of drones each comprising a wireless communication module that transmits and receives data via one or more wireless networks, a drone authentication module that communicates with a parking pad through the wireless communication module to establish authentication and authorization or permission for the drone to park and/or refill power source at the parking pad, and a controller that communicates with a parking pad on which it is to be parked or already parked to control the drone's actions on landing, while parked and on takeoff from the parking pad; and,
a master controller comprising a second communication module that communicates with the drones and the distributed parking pads through one or more communication networks, a drone planner module that plans the actions and tasks assignments of the drones in the system including when and on which parking pads to park and refill power, when and where to fly to and actions to take while in flight, a drone controller that communicates commands to and receives status reports from the drones through the second communication module, and parking pad controller that monitors the status and controls the actions of the distributed parking pads through the second communication module.

13. The distributed drone system of claim 12 wherein the parking pads are distributed along streets and highways to provide a traffic management and emergency response system using the drones.

14. A drone in a distributed drone system comprising
a wireless communication module that transmits and receives data via one or more wireless networks and receives from a master controller assignment of a parking pad on which the drone may park and/or refill power wherein the parking pad is in a network of distributed parking pads in a geographic area for drones to park and/or refill power and each parking pad comprises a parking surface of one or more parking spots on which the drone can land and park securely, a parking pad control module that controls functions of the parking pad, and a first communication module through which the parking pad control module is connected to a communication network;
one or more sensors the collects sensory data and transmit the data via the one or more wireless network while the drone is in flight or download the data via a connection with the parking pad on which it is parked;
a drone authentication module that communicates with a parking pad through the wireless communication module to establish authentication and authorization or permission for the drone to park and/or refill power source at the parking pad;
a parking pad landing controller that receives permission from a parking pad and controls the landing on the parking pad with the proper position and orientation as required for t

Assignees

• Liang Ping
• Liang Biyonka

Inventors

• Liang Ping
• Liang Biyonka

Classifications

• G07F15/006

  dispensed for the electrical charging of other devices than vehicles · CPC title

• G06Q20/3224

  Transactions dependent on location of M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/145

  Payments according to the detected use or quantity · CPC title

• G06Q20/127

  Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation · CPC title

• G06Q20/0855 Primary

  involving a third party · CPC title