Aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12099369-B2
Application number	US-202017310143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2020
Priority date	Jan 21, 2019
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

An aerial vehicle includes a liquid chemical tank, at least one spray unit, a plurality of sensors, a processing unit, and an output unit. The processing unit is configured to generate a spray record for an environment within which the aerial vehicle is operating, the spray record comprising: information over a time period of at least one spray condition relating to one or more of the at least one spray unit for the aerial vehicle operating within the environment over the time period, the determined air movement direction relative to the projection of the fore-aft axis onto the ground over the time period, and the determined air movement speed relative to the ground over the time period. The output unit is configured to output the spray record.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerial vehicle, comprising:
a liquid chemical tank configured to hold a liquid chemical;
at least one spray unit configured to spray the liquid chemical;
a plurality of sensors comprising:
a first sensor configured to measure a speed of the aerial vehicle relative to the ground,
a second sensor configured to measure an air movement direction relative to the aerial vehicle with respect to a fore-aft axis of the aerial vehicle,
a third sensor configured to measure an air movement speed relative to the aerial vehicle, and
a fourth sensor configured to provide data from which a height of the aerial vehicle above the ground or a crop can be determined;

a processing unit configured to:
determine an air movement direction relative to a projection of the fore-aft axis onto the ground and determine an air movement speed relative to the ground, the determination comprising utilization of the speed of the aerial vehicle, the air movement direction relative to the aerial vehicle with respect to the fore-aft axis of the aerial vehicle and the air movement speed relative to the aerial vehicle,
generate a spray record for an environment within which the aerial vehicle is operating, the spray record comprising:
information over a time period of at least one spray condition relating to one or more of the at least one spray unit for the aerial vehicle operating within the environment over the time period, wherein the at least one spray condition relating to the one or more of the at least one spray unit comprises at least one instruction for controlling at least one flying operation of the aerial vehicle over the time period and the height of the aerial vehicle above the ground or crop as a function of geographical location over the time period;
the determined air movement direction relative to the projection of the fore-aft axis onto the ground over the time period; and
the determined air movement speed relative to the ground over the time period, and

control at least one flying operation of the aerial vehicle, wherein control of the at least one flying operation comprises varying a height of the aerial vehicle above the ground or crop; and

an output unit configured to output the spray record.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a sensor configured to determine a geographical location of the aerial vehicle, and wherein the spray record comprises the geographical location of the aerial vehicle over the time period.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the aerial vehicle comprises an input unit, wherein the input unit is configured to receive spray requirement information for the environment, wherein the spray requirement information comprises at least one spray requirement condition relating to one or more of the at least one spray unit as a function of air movement speed and air movement direction and geographical location in the environment, and wherein the spray record comprises the at least one spray condition relating to the one or more of the at least one spray unit as a function of geographical location over the time period and the at least one spray requirement condition relating to the one or more of the at least one spray unit as a function of geographical location over the time period.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein determination of at least one instruction for the control of the at least one flying operation of the aerial vehicle comprises utilization of the determined air movement direction relative to the projection of the fore-aft axis onto the ground and the determined air movement speed relative to the ground.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one spray requirement condition relating to the one or more of the at least one spray unit comprises a required height of the at least one spray unit above the ground as a function of air movement speed and air movement direction and geographical location in the environment.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the aerial vehicle comprises at least one actuator, wherein, the at least one actuator is configured to operate and/or move the at least one spray unit; wherein the processing unit is configured to determine at least one instruction for control of the at least one actuator, and wherein the at least one spray condition relating to the one or more of the at least one spray unit comprises the at least one instruction for control of the at least one actuator over the time period.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the determination of the at least one instruction for control of the at least one actuator comprises utilization of the determined air movement direction relative to the projection of the fore-aft axis onto the ground and the determined air movement speed relative to the ground.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one spray unit is movably attached to the aerial vehicle, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a sensor configured to provide data from which an angle of the at least one spray unit with respect to a vertical axis can be determined; and wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one first rotator actuator configured to rotate the at least one spray unit by at least one angle of rotation with respect to the vertical axis, and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine at least one instruction for control of one or more of the at least one first rotator actuator to rotate one or more of the at least one spray unit; and wherein the at least one spray condition relating to the one or more of the at least one spray unit comprises the at least one instruction for control of the at least one first rotator actuator over the time period.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 , wherein a horizontal axis extends in a direction perpendicular to the fore-aft axis of the aerial vehicle and extends in a direction perpendicular to the vertical axis; wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a sensor configured to provide data from which an angle of the at least one spray unit with respect to the horizontal axis can be determined; and wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one second rotator actuator configured to rotate the at least one spray unit by at least one angle of rotation with respect to the horizontal axis, and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine at least one instruction for control of one or more of the at least one second rotator actuator to rotate one or more of the at least one spray unit; and wherein the at least one spray condition relating to the one or more of the at least one spray unit comprises the at least one instruction for the control of the at least one second rotator actuator over the time period.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one activation actuator configured to start the at least one spray unit spraying the liquid chemical and configured to stop the at least one spray unit spraying the liquid chemical, and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine at least one instruction for control of one or more of the at least one activation actuator to start and/or stop one or more of the at least one spray unit spraying the liquid chemical; and wherein the at least one spray condition relating to the one or more of the at least one spray unit comprises the at least one instruction for control of the at least one activation actuator over the time period.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one spray adjustment actuator configured to control a droplet size of the liquid chemical sprayed by the at least one spr

Assignees

• Bayer Ag

Inventors

• Chapple Andrew Charles

Classifications

• G05D1/46

  Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D] · CPC title

• G05D1/606

  Compensating for or utilising external environmental conditions, e.g. wind or water currents (station keeping G05D1/611) · CPC title

• B64U2101/45

  for releasing liquids or powders in-flight, e.g. crop-dusting · CPC title

• B05B12/08

  responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material {to be} discharged, of ambient medium or of target {; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means} · CPC title

• A01M7/0085

  Tanks · CPC title