Aerial spraying apparatus, unmanned aerial vehicle system, and unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11040773-B2
Application number	US-201816140616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2018
Priority date	Oct 5, 2017
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

An aerial spraying apparatus (unmanned aerial vehicle system) includes one or more drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), and a station on the ground that is connected by wire to at least one of the one or more drones. Each of the one or more drones is equipped with a drone side cable connected to the station or another drone, and a drone side cable mechanism that performs paying out or pulling in of the drone side cable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial spraying apparatus including one or more unmanned aerial vehicles adapted to fly in the air by remote operation or by automated piloting, and a station on the ground that is in communication with at least one of the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles, wherein:
the station includes a spraying agent supplying unit that includes a storage tank and a station side pump and is capable of supplying a spraying agent; and
the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles comprises:
an unmanned aerial vehicle side cable connected to the station and another unmanned aerial vehicle that constitutes the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles;
a cable mechanism that includes an unmanned aerial vehicle side motor, a drone side reel, and an unmanned aerial vehicle side internal connector and is adapted to perform paying out or pulling in of a station side cable; and
a spraying unit that includes an unmanned aerial vehicle side pump, a valve, and a nozzle and is adapted to spray the spraying agent,
wherein the at least one of the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles is connected to the station by the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable, the spraying agent is supplied from the spraying agent supplying unit to the at least one of the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles via the unmanned aerial vehicle cable,
the spraying agent is supplied from the at least one of the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles to the another unmanned aerial vehicle via the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable extending between the unmanned aerial vehicles,
the spraying agent is sprayed from the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles,
the station includes a height adjusting unit that includes an expanding/contracting pole that adjusts a connection height position of the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable connected to the station, and
the station side cable is accommodated inside the expanding/contracting pole.

2. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles includes a housing in which the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable is accommodated; and
inside the housing, an unmanned aerial vehicle side internal connector is provided which is capable of being connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable of the another unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles comprises:
a power supplying system that is connected to a power terminal provided in the unmanned aerial vehicle side internal connector, and includes a power distribution unit adapted to distribute electrical power supplied from the station to components inside the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles;
a spraying agent system that includes a sub-tank connected to a spraying agent line through a spraying agent terminal provided in the unmanned aerial vehicle internal connector, and an unmanned aerial vehicle side pump connected to the sub-tank and that is adapted to spray by the unmanned aerial vehicle side pump the spraying agent supplied from the station; and
a communication system that includes a bus, is connected, through a communication line connected to the bus, to a communication terminal provided in the unmanned aerial vehicle side internal connector, and is adapted to carry out communications with the station.

4. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein inside the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable and the station side cable, there are accommodated collectively an electrical power line connected to the power terminal, a spraying agent line connected to the spraying agent terminal, and a communication line connected to the communication terminal.

5. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an unmanned aerial vehicle side external connector, which is capable of being connected to the station or the another unmanned aerial vehicle, is provided at a free end portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable of the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles.

6. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles includes
an unmanned aerial vehicle side control device that includes an unmanned aerial vehicle side computer including a processor, a memory, and an input/output interface and is adapted to carry out a tension control for keeping a tension of the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable constant during paying out or pulling in of the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable by the cable mechanism.

7. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein:
the cable mechanism comprises a reel on which the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable is wound, and a motor adapted to rotate the reel; and
during implementation of the tension control, the unmanned aerial vehicle side control device calculates an actual tension on the basis of a winding radius, a moment of inertia, and a frictional resistance of the reel, and a torque of the motor, and further controls driving of the motor by calculating a target current of the motor based on the actual tension and a target tension.

8. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the station comprises
a power supplying unit that includes a generator or a battery, and an electrical device that controls an electrical power state of the generator or the battery and is adapted to supply electrical power via the station side cable and the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable to the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles.

9. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the station comprises:
a station side external connector to which the station side cable and the unmanned aerial vehicle side cable is connected; and
the height adjusting unit that further includes an actuator carrying out expansion and contraction operations of the expanding/contracting pole and is adapted to displace a height position of the station side external connector.

10. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the station further comprises:
the station side cable connected to the station side external connector; and
a station side cable mechanism that includes a motor, a reel, a station side internal connector and is adapted to perform pulling in of at least the station side cable.

11. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:
the height adjusting unit includes the expanding/contracting pole having the station side external connector provided on an upper end portion thereof, and which is capable of being vertically expanded and contracted; and
the station includes a station side control device that includes a computer including a processor, a memory, and an input/output interface and is adapted to control an amount of expansion or contraction of the expanding/contracting pole.

12. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the station side control device performs the pulling in control to pull in the station side cable by the station side cable mechanism, depending on a contraction of the expanding/contracting pole.

13. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the station is constituted as a movable body that is capable of moving on the ground.

14. The aerial spraying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a station side external connector and an unmanned aerial vehicle side external connector are disk-shaped and are connected to each other.

15. An unmanned aerial vehicle system including one or more unmanned aerial vehicles adapted to fly in the air by remote operation or by automated piloting, and a station on the

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Furukawa Jun
• Ishitsuka Yuji
• Park Shinrak

Classifications

• B64U2201/202

  using tethers for connecting to ground station · CPC title

• B65H59/384 Primary

  using electronic means · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U10/60

  Tethered aircraft · CPC title

• B64U10/14

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