Positioning mechanism, UAV dock using same, and UAV replenishment method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11524796-B2
Application number	US-201916549763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2019
Priority date	Nov 19, 2014
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A positioning mechanism includes a base including a landing area and a guide member movably arranged at the landing area and configured to guide a moving object. The landing area includes a positioning portion. The guide member is configured to be in a non-operating state or an operating state relative to the base. A form of the guide member in the non-operating state is different from the form of the guide member in the operating state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A positioning mechanism comprising:
a base including a landing area, the landing area including a positioning portion;
a guide member movably arranged at the landing area and configured to guide a moving object, wherein the guide member being configured to be in a non-operating state or an operating state relative to the base, a form of the guide member in the non-operating state being different from the form of the guide member in the operating state, and the guide member including a guide surface; and
an operating device for operating the moving object, the operating device including a mechanical arm configured to, after the moving object moves to the positioning portion through the guide surface of the guide member, push the moving object to a desired position, and the operating device being capable of operating on the moving object when the moving object is positioned at the positioning portion.

2. The positioning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning portion includes at least one of a positioning plane, a positioning recess, or a mechanical positioning structure.

3. The positioning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the form of the guide member includes at least one of a height of the guide member relative to the landing area, an area of a projection of the guide member in the landing area, a length of the projection, a width of the projection, a shape of the projection, an angle of the guide member relative to the landing area, a position of the guide member relative to the landing area, or a volume of the guide member.

4. The positioning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein a connection between the guide member and the base includes at least one of the guide member being rotatably connected to the base, the guide member being slidably connected to the base, the guide member being telescopically connected to the base, or the guide member being configured to move from an inside of the base to an outside of the base.

5. The positioning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein movement and transformation of the guide member relative to the base includes at least one of rotation of the guide member relative to the base, translation of the guide member relative to the landing area, turning of the guide member relative to the landing area, lifting of the guide member relative to the landing area, telescoping of the guide member, or change in volume of the guide member.

6. The positioning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning portion includes a two-dimensional positioning portion for positioning two dimensions in a plane or a three-dimensional positioning space for positioning three dimensions in a space.

7. The positioning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the landing area further includes an operating region adjoining the positioning portion, the operating region including an operating flap door configured for the operating device to extend out of the base.

8. The positioning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the guide surface is configured to adjoin the positioning portion when the guide member is in the operating state.

9. The positioning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the guide surface includes at least one of a V-shaped convex surface, a V-shaped concave surface, an arc convex surface, an arc concave surface, a spherical convex surface, or a spherical concave surface.

10. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) dock comprising:
a positioning mechanism including:
a base including a landing area, the landing area including a positioning portion; and
a guide member movably arranged at the landing area and configured to guide a UAV, the guide member being configured to be in a non-operating state or an operating state relative to the base, and a form of the guide member in the non-operating state being different from the form of the guide member in the operating state, and the guide member including a guide surface; and

an operating device configured to perform an operation on the UAV, the operating device including a mechanical arm configured to, after the UAV moves to the positioning portion through the guide surface of the guide member, push the UAV to a desired position, and the operating device being configured to operate on the UAV when the UAV is positioned at the positioning portion.

11. The UAV dock according to claim 10 , wherein the positioning portion includes at least one of a positioning plane, a positioning recess, or a mechanical positioning structure.

12. The UAV dock according to claim 10 , wherein the form of the guide member includes at least one of a height of the guide member relative to the landing area, an area of a projection of the guide member in the landing area, a length of the projection, a width of the projection, a shape of the projection, an angle of the guide member relative to the landing area, a position of the guide member relative to the landing area, or a volume of the guide member.

13. The UAV dock according to claim 10 , wherein a connection between the guide member and the base includes at least one of the guide member being rotatably connected to the base, the guide member being slidably connected to the base, the guide member being telescopically connected to the base, or the guide member being configured to move from an inside of the base to an outside of the base.

14. The UAV dock according to claim 10 , wherein movement and transformation of the guide member relative to the base includes at least one of rotation of the guide member relative to the base, translation of the guide member relative to the landing area, turning of the guide member relative to the landing area, lifting of the guide member relative to the landing area, telescoping of the guide member, or change in volume of the guide member.

15. The UAV dock according to claim 10 , wherein the positioning portion includes a two-dimensional positioning portion for positioning two dimensions in a plane or a three-dimensional positioning space for positioning three dimensions in a space.

16. The UAV dock according to claim 10 , wherein:
the operating device is accommodated in the base when not operating; and
the landing area further includes an operating region adjoining the positioning portion, the operating region including an operating flap door configured for the operating device to extend out of the base.

17. The UAV dock according to claim 10 , wherein the guide surface configured to adjoin the positioning portion when the guide member is in the operating state.

18. The UAV dock according to claim 10 , wherein the guide surface includes at least one of a V-shaped convex surface, a V-shaped concave surface, an arc convex surface, an arc concave surface, a spherical convex surface, or a spherical concave surface.

19. The UAV dock according to claim 10 , wherein the operating device further includes a replacing mechanism configured to replace a load of the UAV.

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Mingxi
• Chen Hanping
• Chen Xiangyu
• Lin Yuan

Classifications

• B64U70/30

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

• B64F1/00 Primary

  Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations · CPC title

• B64F1/02 Primary

  for arresting aircraft, e.g. nets or cables · CPC title

• B64C39/024

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

• B64C2201/182

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic