Adjustable landing gear assembly for unmanned aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10899436-B2
Application number	US-201715422105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2017
Priority date	Mar 18, 2015
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

This disclosure describes a configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) landing gear assembly that includes adjustable landing gear extension that may be extended or contracted so that the body of the UAV is contained in a horizontal plane when the UAV is landed, even on sloping surfaces. For example, when a UAV is landing, the slope of the surface may be determined and the landing gear extensions adjusted based on the slope so that the body of the UAV remains approximately horizontal when the UAV lands and is supported by the landing gear extensions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), comprising:
a body;
a plurality of motors coupled to the body;
a support coupling configured to couple the body of the UAV and a landing gear assembly;
the landing gear assembly, including:
a plurality of landing gear extensions, each of the plurality of landing gear extensions contacting a surface and supporting at least a portion of the UAV, wherein at least a first landing gear extension of the plurality of landing gear extensions is adjustable by a landing gear controller between a first contracted position and a first extended position independently of others of the plurality of landing gear extensions; and

the landing gear controller configured to at least:
monitor an angle of at least a portion of the body of the UAV with respect to a plane that is approximately perpendicular to a gradient of a gravity field of earth at a position of the UAV; and
adjust at least the first landing gear extension until the at least a portion of the body of the UAV is approximately contained in the plane;

wherein the support coupling is further configured to enable rotation of the body of the UAV about an axis.

2. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein at least the first landing gear extension includes at least one of a hydraulic arm, a pneumatic arm, a threaded extension, a magnetically adjustable arm, a linear gear extension, or a telescoping arm.

3. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of landing gear extensions further includes:
a second landing gear extension of the plurality of landing gear extensions that is adjustable by the landing gear controller between a second contracted position and a second extended position; and
a third landing gear extension of the plurality of landing gear extensions that is adjustable by the landing gear controller between a third contracted position and a third extended position.

4. The UAV of claim 1 , further comprising:
a navigation component configured to control a flight of the UAV; and
wherein the navigation component is calibrated in response to a communication from the landing gear controller that the at least a portion of the UAV is contained within the plane.

5. A landing gear assembly for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a plurality of landing gear extensions, each of the plurality of landing gear extensions coupled to and extending from the UAV, at least a first landing gear extension of the plurality of landing gear extensions adjustable by a landing gear controller between a first contracted position and a first extended position independently of others of the plurality of landing gear extensions; and
a support coupling configured to couple the plurality of landing gear extensions and a body of the UAV; and
wherein the landing gear controller adjusts at least the first landing gear extension so that the body of the UAV is approximately horizontal when landed on a surface, and
wherein the support coupling is further configured to enable rotation of the body of the UAV about an axis.

6. The landing gear assembly of claim 5 , further comprising;
a main support base, the plurality of landing gear extensions being coupled to and extending from the main support base; and
wherein the support coupling is configured to selectively couple and decouple the main support base and the body of the UAV.

7. The landing gear assembly of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of landing gear extensions further includes:
a second landing gear extension of the plurality of landing gear extensions that is adjustable by the landing gear controller between a second contracted position and a second extended position; and
a third landing gear extension of the plurality of landing gear extensions that is adjustable by the landing gear controller between a third contracted position and a third extended position.

8. The landing gear assembly of claim 5 , wherein the support coupling includes a gimbal that enables the rotation of the body of the UAV about an axis.

9. The landing gear assembly of claim 5 , further comprising:
a contact sensor coupled to the first landing gear extension configured to detect a contact between the first landing gear extension and the surface.

10. The landing gear assembly of claim 5 , further comprising:
a distance determining element configured to measure a distance between the distance determining element and the surface.

11. The landing gear assembly of claim 10 , wherein:
the measured distance is provided to the landing gear controller; and
the landing gear controller is configured to determine an amount to adjust at least the first landing gear extension based at least in part on the measured distance and a desired angle of the body of the UAV when the UAV is landed on the surface.

12. The landing gear assembly of claim 11 , wherein the desired angle of the body of the UAV is approximately horizontal.

13. The landing gear assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a first distance determining element coupled to the first landing gear extension and configured to measure a first distance between the first landing gear extension and the surface;
a second distance determining element coupled to the second landing gear extension and configured to measure a second distance between the second landing gear extension and the surface; and
a third distance determining element coupled to the third landing gear extension and configured to measure a third distance between the third landing gear extension and the surface.

14. A method to land an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), the method comprising:
measuring, with at least one distance determining element, a slope of a surface; and
extending a first landing gear extension of a plurality of landing gear extensions, independently of others of the plurality of landing gear extensions, from a first contracted position, in which the first landing gear extension has a first contracted length, to a first extended position, in which the first landing gear extension has a first extended length, wherein the first extended length is greater than the first contracted length;
wherein:
the plurality of landing gear extensions comprises at least a portion of a landing gear assembly, the landing gear assembly configured to couple to a body of the UAV via a support coupling;
the support coupling is further configured to enable rotation of the body of the UAV about an axis; and
the first extended length is based at least in part on the slope of the surface.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
detecting a contact between a second landing gear extension of the plurality of landing gear extensions and the surface; and
wherein:
the first landing gear extension is extended in response to the detected contact; and
the first extended position is determined in response to the first landing gear extension contacting the surface.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
detecting a contact between a second landing gear extension of the plurality of landing gear extensions and the surface; and
wherein:
the first landing gear extension is extended in response to the detected contact; and
the first extended position is determined so that at least a portion of the UAV is contained in a horizontal plane.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
extending a third landing gear extension of the plurality of landing gear extensions from a third contracted position, in which the third landing gear extension has a third contracted length, to a third extended position, in which

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Gentry Nicholas Kristofer

Classifications

• B64U70/60

  Take-off or landing of UAVs from a runway using their own power · CPC title

• B64U30/10

  Wings · CPC title

• B64U60/40

  foldable or retractable · CPC title

• B64U30/26

  Ducted or shrouded rotors · CPC title

• B64U50/14

  ducted or shrouded · CPC title