Method of preparing a drone for takeoff, and an associated drone and preparation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511849-B2
Application number	US-201916385239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2019
Priority date	Apr 16, 2018
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A method and system of preparing a drone for takeoff are disclosed. The drone has at least one first control member and at least one second control member that are suitable for being actuated manually by at least one person in charge of preparing the drone for takeoff. The drone also includes a navigation light and at least one anticollision light for generating various mutually different light signals in a predetermined switch-on sequence.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of preparing a drone for takeoff, the method comprising at least:
a first manual actuation step of at least one person in charge of the preparation of the drone for takeoff actuating at least one first control member arranged on the drone manually, the first actuation step serving to power electrically first calculation means and at least one electronic piloting system of the drone; and
a first test step performed by the first calculation means, the first test step serving to perform at least one test of the operation of the electronic piloting system(s);
wherein the method further comprises at least:
a first switch step of switching on at least one navigation light arranged on the drone, the first switch step generating a first light signal representative of a positive result of the test(s) of the operation of the electronic piloting system(s);
a second manual actuation step of the at least one person in charge of the preparation of the drone for takeoff actuating at least one second control member manually, the second actuation step serving to power electrically second calculation means and at least one control of at least one motor suitable for driving a rotor in rotation in order to provide the drone with propulsion and/or lift;
a second switch step of switching on at least one anticollision light arranged on the drone, the second switch step generating a second light signal different from the first light signal, the second light signal being representative of electrically powering the second calculation means and the control(s) of the motor(s);
a second test step performed by the second calculation means, the second test step serving to perform at least one test of the operation of the control(s) of the motor(s); and
a third switch step of switching on the anticollision light(s) arranged on the drone, the third switch step generating a third light signal different from the first and second light signals, the third light signal being representative of a positive result of the test(s) of the operation of the control(s) of the motor(s) and of the preparation for takeoff of the drone coming to an end.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes a first transmission step of transmitting first result data for the test(s) of the operation of the electronic piloting system(s), the first transmission step taking place from the drone to at least one ground station.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes a second transmission step of transmitting data concerning the supply of electrical power to the control(s) of the motor(s), the second transmission step taking place from the drone to at least one ground station.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes a third transmission step of transmitting data ordering execution of the second test step, the third transmission step being performed prior to the second test step and taking place from at least one ground station to the drone.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes a fourth transmission step of transmitting second result data of the test(s) of the operation of the control(s) of the motor(s), the fourth transmission step taking place from the drone to at least one ground station.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes a fifth transmission step of transmitting data ordering execution of the third switch step for switching on the anticollision light(s), the fifth transmission step being performed prior to the third switch step of switching on at least one anticollision light and taking place from at least one ground station to the drone.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second control member(s) is/are arranged on the drone.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first control member(s) and the second control member(s) are different from each other.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the anticollision light(s) include(s) at least one first anticollision light generating the second light signal and at least one second anticollision light generating the third light signal, the second anticollision light(s) being different from the first anticollision light(s).

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second light signal presents a first brightness and the third light signal presents a second brightness, the first brightness being selected to be less than the second brightness.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when the third switch step of switching on at least one second anticollision light is performed, the first control member(s) and the second control member(s) are made inoperative.

12. A drone including first calculation means and at least one electronic piloting system for piloting the drone, and
at least a first control member suitable for being actuated manually by at least one person in charge of preparing the drone for takeoff, the first control member(s) presenting:
a first state S 1 for electrically switching off the first calculation means and the electronic piloting system(s); and
a second state S 2 for electrically powering the first calculation means and the electronic piloting system(s), the first calculation means performing at least one test of the operation of the electronic piloting system(s);
wherein the drone further comprises:
at least one navigation light generating a first light signal representative of a positive result of the test(s) of the operation of the electronic piloting system(s);
at least one second control member suitable for being actuated manually by the at least one person in charge of preparing the drone for takeoff, the second control member(s) being different from the first control member(s), and presenting:
a first state S 3 for switching off electrical power to second calculation means and to at least one control of at least one motor suitable for driving a rotor in rotation in order to provide the drone with propulsion and/or with lift;
a second state S 4 for electrically powering the second calculation means and the control(s) of the motor(s), the second calculation means performing at least one test of the operation of the control(s) of the motor(s);
at least one anticollision light generating a second light signal different from the first light signal, the second light signal being representative of electrically powering the second calculation means and the control(s) of the motor(s), the anticollision light(s) generating a third light signal different from the first and second light signals, the third light signal representing a positive result of the test(s) of the operation of the control(s) of the motor(s) and of the preparation of the drone for takeoff coming to an end.

13. The drone according to claim 12 , wherein the drone includes a first communications card for transmitting data from the drone to at least one ground station and/or receiving data from the ground station(s).

14. The drone according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one anticollision light includes at least a first anticollision light generating the second light signal and at least one second anticollision light generating the third light signal, the second anticollision light(s) being different from the first anticollision light(s).

15. A system comprising:
a drone including first calculation means, at least one electronic piloting system for piloting the drone, and at least a first control member suitable for being actuated manually by at least one person in charge of preparing the drone for takeoff, the first control member(s) prese

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Gazzino Marc
• Mouton Christophe

Classifications

• B64D2045/0085

  Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration · CPC title

• B64D47/06 Primary

  for indicating aircraft presence · CPC title

• B64F5/60

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• B64C19/00 Primary

  Aircraft control not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title