UAV, system and method for determining landing status of UAV

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10703477-B2
Application number	US-201715831939-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2017
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a system and a method for determining a landing status of the UAV are provided. The UAV system includes a UAV, a landing surface and a processing unit. The UAV has a landing gear furnished with a plurality of sensors. The landing surface is provided for the UAV to land thereon. The processing unit, coupled electrically with the plurality of sensors, is to determine, while the UAV is landing towards the landing surface, either whether or not a number of the plurality of sensors that have touched the landing surface at least once within a touch-judging time is not less than a predetermined touch-judging number, or whether or not a number of the plurality of sensors that contact the landing surface synchronously within a land-judging time is not less than a predetermined land-judging number.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system for determining a landing status of a UAV, comprising:
the UAV, having a landing gear furnished with a plurality of sensors;
a landing surface, provided for the UAV to land thereon; and
a processing unit, coupled electrically with the plurality of sensors, being configured to determine, while the UAV is landing towards the landing surface, whether a number of the plurality of sensors that contact the landing surface synchronously within a land-judging time is greater than or equal to a predetermined land-judging number, wherein determining whether the number of the plurality of sensors that contact the landing surface synchronously within the land-judging time is greater than or equal to the predetermined land-judging number comprises:
starting to count a time at a first moment that one of the plurality of sensors touches the landing surface; and
determining whether the land-judging time is reached;
wherein if the land-judging time is not yet reached, determining whether the number of sensors out of the plurality of sensors that touch the landing surface synchronously is greater than or equal to the predetermined land-judging number; and
if the number of sensors out of the plurality of sensors that touch the landing surface synchronously is greater than or equal to the predetermined land-judging number, then determining that the UAV is landed.

2. The UAV system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of sensors is one of a mechanical detector and an electronic detector.

3. The UAV system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is an electronic detector, the electronic detector is a conductor, and the landing surface is made of a conductive material; wherein, while the electronic detector contacts the landing surface, the processing unit detects variations in current or voltage to determine whether the electronic detector touches the landing surface.

4. The UAV system of claim 3 , wherein the electronic detector is a charging electrode for the landing surface to charge the UAV landing on the landing surface.

5. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a landing gear;
a plurality of sensors, furnished to the landing gear; and
a processing unit, coupled electrically with the plurality of sensors, being configured to determine, while the UAV is landing towards a landing surface, whether a number of the plurality of sensors that contact the landing surface synchronously within a land-judging time is greater than or equal to a predetermined land-judging number, wherein determining whether the number of the plurality of sensors that contact the landing surface synchronously within the land-judging time is greater than or equal to the predetermined land-judging number comprises:
starting to count a time at a first moment that one of the plurality of sensors touches the landing surface; and
determining whether the land-judging time is reached;
wherein if the land-judging time is not yet reached, determining whether the number of sensors out of the plurality of sensors that touch the landing surface synchronously is greater than or equal to the predetermined land-judging number; and
if the number of sensors out of the plurality of sensors that touch the landing surface synchronously is greater than or equal to the predetermined land-judging number, then determining that the UAV is landed.

6. The UAV of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of sensors is one of a mechanical detector and an electronic detector.

7. The UAV of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is an electronic detector, the electronic detector is a conductor, and the landing surface is made of a conductive material; wherein, while the electronic detector contacts the landing surface, the processing unit detects variations in current or voltage to determine whether the electronic detector touches the landing surface.

8. The UAV of claim 7 , wherein the electronic detector is a charging electrode for the landing surface to charge the UAV landing on the landing surface.

9. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) method for determining a landing status of a UAV, comprising:
landing the UAV towards a landing surface, wherein the UAV has a landing gear furnished thereon with a plurality of sensors;
determining whether the UAV has landed completely on the landing surface by judging if a number of sensors out of the plurality of sensors that touch the landing surface synchronously within a land-judging time is greater than or equal to a predetermined land-judging number;
wherein determining whether the UAV has landed completely on the landing surface comprises:
starting to count a time at a first moment that one of the plurality of sensors touches the landing surface; and
determining whether the land-judging time is reached;
wherein if the land-judging time is not yet reached, determining whether the number of sensors out of the plurality of sensors that touch the landing surface synchronously is greater than or equal to the predetermined land-judging number; and
if the number of sensors out of the plurality of sensors that touch the landing surface synchronously is greater than or equal to the predetermined land-judging number, then determining that the UAV is landed.

10. The UAV method of claim 9 , wherein determining whether the UAV has landed completely on the landing surface further comprises:
having the UAV to go around if the land-judging time is reached.

11. The UAV method of claim 9 , wherein determining whether the UAV has landed completely on the landing surface further comprises:
if the number of sensors out of the plurality of sensors that touch the landing surface synchronously is less than the predetermined land-judging number, determining again whether the land-judging time is reached.

12. The UAV method of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of sensors is one of a mechanical detector and an electronic detector.

13. The UAV method of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is an electronic detector, the electronic detector is a conductor, and the landing surface is made of a conductive material; wherein, while the electronic detector contacts the landing surface, a processing unit detects variations in current or voltage so as to determine whether the electronic detector touches the landing surface.

14. The UAV method of claim 12 , wherein the electronic detector is a charging electrode for the landing surface to charge the UAV landing on the landing surface.

Assignees

• Ind Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Tai Yuan-Chu
• Wen Yi-Lun

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title

• B64U50/38

  by wireless transmission · CPC title

• B64U70/90

  Launching from or landing on platforms · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title