Docking system for drones and method for operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745898-B2
Application number	US-202117166537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2021
Priority date	Oct 14, 2020
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A docking system for drones and a method for operating the same include: a seat part configured to land a drone thereon; a wire provided on the seat part and configured to allow the landing drone to be hung on the wire so that the drone may land on the seat part; and tension adjusters configured to adjust tension of the wire so as to allow the drone to land at a target position of the seat part when the drone is hung on the wire.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A docking system for a drone, the docking system comprising:
a seat part configured to land a drone thereon;
a wire provided on the seat part and configured to allow a landing gear of the drone to be hung on the wire so that the drone may land on the seat part;
tension adjusters configured to adjust tension of the wire so as to allow the drone to land at a target position of the seat part when the drone is hung on the wire; and
a controller configured to
control the drone or to provide the drone with information necessary to land the drone so as to allow the drone, when the drone lands, to land on the seat part through the tension adjusters,
sense whether or not the drone is hung on the wire, and
land the drone at the target position of the seat part by controlling the tension of the wire through the tension adjusters when the drone is hung on the wire.

2. The docking system according to claim 1 wherein the seat part is provided on a roof of a vehicle, and wherein the controller controls the drone or provides the drone with information necessary to take off or land the drone so that the drone takes off from or lands on the seat part in a rearward direction of the roof of the vehicle, when the drone takes off or lands.

3. The docking system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the drone lands, the landing gear is extended and hung on the wire so that the drone lands on the seat part.

4. The docking system according to claim 3 , wherein, when the drone takes off, the wire on which the landing gear is hung is released from the landing gear so that the drone takes off from the seat part.

5. The docking system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the tension adjusters comprises a tension sensor configured to measure the tension of the wire and a motor configured to wind the wire on the tension adjuster depending on the measured tension of the wire.

6. The docking system according to claim 1 , wherein a magnetic unit is provided in the seat part, and wherein the magnetic unit locks the drone to the seat part when the drone lands at the target position.

7. The docking system according to claim 6 , wherein a fixing part configured such that the landing gear of the drone comes into contact therewith is provided at the target position of the seat part, wherein the landing gear of the drone and the fixing part are formed of a material having magnetism, and wherein the magnetic unit is disposed relative to the fixing part so as to form a magnetic flux path.

8. The docking system according to claim 7 , wherein the landing gear of the drone is locked to the fixing part when the magnetic flux path is formed along the magnetic unit, the landing gear of the drone, and the fixing part, and wherein the landing gear of the drone is unlocked from the fixing part when the magnetic flux path is formed in the magnetic unit alone.

9. The docking system according to claim 8 , wherein the magnetic unit or the fixing part is configured to measure voltage due to the magnetic flux path, and is configured to determine that the drone is locked at the target position when the measured voltage satisfies a designated reference level.

10. The docking system according to claim 1 , wherein a through hole is formed in the target position of the seat part and, when the drone lands at the target position of the seat part, a battery of the drone is replaced or an object transported by the drone is replaced.

11. The docking system according to claim 10 , wherein a pair of the landing gear is provided, and wherein a width of the through hole is less than a distance between the pair of the landing gear of the drone, and wherein the battery of the drone or the object transported by the drone is replaced between the pair of the landing gear of the drone.

12. A method for operating a docking system, the docking system having a seat part configured to land a drone thereon, a wire provided on the seat part and configured to allow the landing drone to be hung on the wire so that the drone may land on the seat part, and tension adjusters configured to adjust tension of the wire so as to allow the drone to land at a target position of the seat part when the drone is hung on the wire, the method comprising:
sensing whether or not the drone is hung on the wire; and
landing the drone at the target position of the seat part by controlling the tension of the wire through the tension adjusters when the drone is hung on the wire.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising locking the drone to the seat part through a magnetic unit provided in the seat part, after the drone has landed at the target position of the seat part.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising replacing a battery of the drone or an object transported by the drone via a through hole formed in the seat part, after the locking the drone to the seat part.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Hwang Jin Ho
• Cha Dong Eun
• Lee Sang Heon

Classifications

• B64C39/024

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

• B64U50/19

  using electrically powered motors · CPC title

• B64U50/39

  Battery swapping · CPC title

• B64U10/16

  with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters · CPC title

• B64U70/97

  Means for guiding the UAV to a specific location on the platform, e.g. platform structures preventing landing off-centre · CPC title