Flying vehicle systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11332264-B2
Application number	US-202117223726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2021
Priority date	Apr 6, 2020
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A method according to certain embodiments generally involves operating a system including an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a base station. The base station includes a nest including an upper opening having an upper opening diameter and a lower opening having a lower opening diameter less than the upper opening diameter. The lower opening is accessible from within the base station. The method generally includes landing the UAV within the nest such that a portion of the UAV is accessible via the lower opening, releasably attaching a load to the UAV, and operating the UAV to deliver the load to a destination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a system comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a base station, wherein the base station comprises a nest, wherein the nest comprises an upper opening having an upper opening diameter, a lower opening having a lower opening diameter less than the upper opening diameter, and a sidewall that extends between the upper opening and the lower opening, wherein the lower opening is accessible from within the base station, the method comprising:
landing the UAV within the nest such that a portion of the UAV is accessible via the lower opening, wherein landing the UAV within the nest comprises engaging a contact surface of a foot of a landing apparatus of the UAV with an inclined or curved portion of the sidewall of the nest such that the inclined or curved portion of the sidewall urges sliding displacement of the engaged contact surface of the UAV directly against the sidewall toward the lower opening during descent of the UAV, the landing including lowering the UAV into the nest until the UAV reaches a position at which the engaged contact surface has slide directly against the sidewall to a position at which the engaged contact surface is in direct contact with, and electrically coupled to, a first contact pad of the nest positioned along at least a portion of the inclined or curved portion of the sidewall between the upper opening and the lower opening such that, when the UAV has landed within the nest, the engaged contact surface is positioned outside of the lower opening;
determining that a load is secured to the UAV after the UAV lands within the nest;
launching the UAV from the nest in response to determining that the load has been secured to the UAV; and
operating the UAV to deliver the load to a destination.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UAV comprises a winch operable to raise and lower a line, and wherein the method further comprises releasably attaching the load to the line and wherein the inclined or curved portion of the sidewall extends from the upper opening to the lower opening.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a gravity hook is attached to a free end of the line, and wherein releasably attaching the load to the line comprises releasably attaching the load to the gravity hook.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nest further comprises a second contact pad electrically isolated from the first contact pad;
wherein each of the first contact pad and the second contact pad extends along the sidewall at least partially in a vertical direction;
wherein the UAV comprises an onboard power supply, the landing apparatus electrically connected with the onboard power supply;
wherein landing the UAV within the nest comprises placing a first contact surface of the foot of the landing apparatus in contact with the first contact pad and placing a second contact surface of the landing apparatus in contact with the second contact pad; and
wherein the method further comprises applying a voltage differential across the first contact pad and the second contact pad for charging the onboard power supply via the landing apparatus.

5. A method of operating a system comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a base station, wherein the base station comprises a nest, wherein the nest comprises an upper opening having an upper opening diameter and a lower opening having a lower opening diameter less than the upper opening diameter, and wherein the lower opening is accessible from within the base station, the method comprising:
landing the UAV within the nest such that a portion of the UAV is accessible via the lower opening;
releasably attaching a load to the UAV; and
operating the UAV to deliver the load to a destination;
wherein the base station further comprises a two-dimensional barcode providing the UAV with orientation information;
wherein the nest further comprises a first contact pad and a second contact pad electrically isolated from the first contact pad;
wherein the UAV comprises an onboard power supply and a landing apparatus, the landing apparatus including a leg that downwardly extends from a chassis of the UAV to a heel of a foot of the landing apparatus, the heel angled or curved relative to the leg to conform to a generally upwardly angled or curved portion of the sidewall, a first contact surface positioned along at least a portion of the heel and electrically connected with the onboard power supply;
wherein landing the UAV within the nest comprises placing at least a portion of the first contact surface that is positioned along the heel in direct contact with a sidewall of the nest such that, as the UAV is landing n within the nest, the portion of the first contact surface that is in contact with the sidewall slides directly against the sidewall in a direction toward the lower opening to a position at which at least some of the first contact surface that is positioned along the heel is in direct contact with, and directly electrically coupled to the first contact pad and placing a second contact surface of the landing apparatus in contact with the second contact pad, the first contact pad and the second contact pad positioned along a diameter of the upwardly angled or curved portion of the sidewall that is larger than the lower opening diameter such that the first and second contact pads are positioned outside of the lower opening;
wherein landing the UAV within the nest comprises orienting the UAV based upon the orientation information;
wherein orienting the UAV based upon the orientation information comprises aligning the first contact surface with the first contact pad and aligning the second contact surface with the second contact pad; and
wherein the method further comprises applying a voltage differential across the first contact pad and the second contact pad for charging the onboard power supply via the landing apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating a beacon to provide a homing signal to the UAV;
wherein landing the UAV within the nest comprises landing the UAV within the nest based at least in part upon the homing signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base station is a mobile base station comprising a vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle comprises a stowage cabin and a ceiling covering the stowage cabin;
wherein the lower opening is accessible from within the stowage cabin; and
wherein releasably attaching the load to the UAV is performed from within the stowage cabin.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, while operating the UAV to deliver the load to a destination, operating the vehicle to deliver a second load to a second destination remote from the first destination.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the UAV with location information relating to a location of the destination;
wherein the UAV operates autonomously to deliver the load to the destination based on the location information.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the landing apparatus comprises a plurality of feet;
wherein each foot includes a heel and a toe;
wherein the heels define an outer perimeter; and
wherein the toes are positioned within the outer perimeter such that at least one of the heels engages the sidewall during descent of the UAV into the nest.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the sidewall that engages the landing apparatus defines an angle of at least 45° relative to a central axis of the nest.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nest extends through a ceiling of the base station such that the lower opening is positioned within an interior region of the base st

Assignees

• Workhorse Group Inc

Inventors

• Ratajczak Jay
• Wei Wei
• Zhang Haonan
• Bort Thaddeus
• Wilson Scott

Classifications

• B64U20/70

  Constructional aspects of the UAV body · CPC title

• B64U80/86

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

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

• B64U80/70

  in containers (B64U80/60 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64U70/30

  for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net · CPC title