Magnetic Field Navigation of Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018009527-A1
Application number	US-201615202796-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 6, 2016
Priority date	Jul 6, 2016
Publication date	Jan 11, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments include devices and methods for navigating an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) based on a measured magnetic field vector and strength of a magnetic field emanated from a charging station. A processor of the UAV may navigate to the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength. The processor may determine whether the UAV is substantially aligned with the charging station, and the processor may maneuver the UAV to approach the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength in response to determining that the UAV is substantially aligned with the charging station. Maneuvering the UAV to approach the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength may involve descending to a center of the charging station. The UAV may follow a specified route to and/or away from the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength.

First claim

1 . A method of navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
calculating a magnetic field vector and strength of a magnetic field emanating from a charging station; navigating the UAV to the charging station using the calculated magnetic field vector and strength; determining whether the UAV is substantially aligned with the charging station; and maneuvering the UAV to approach the charging station by maintaining the UAV substantially above the charging station while descending to the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength in response to determining that the UAV is substantially aligned with the charging station.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the UAV is substantially aligned with the charging station comprises determining whether the UAV is substantially aligned with a center of the charging station.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
recalculating the magnetic field vector and strength in response to determining that the UAV is not substantially aligned with the center of the charging station; and maneuvering the UAV to approach the charging station using the recalculated magnetic field vector and strength.

4 . (canceled)

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein maneuvering the UAV to approach the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength comprises:
descending the UAV to the charging station while maintaining the UAV substantially above a center of the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the UAV is sufficiently proximate to the charging station; and initiating charging of a power storage of the UAV in response to determining that the UAV is sufficiently proximate to the charging station.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting the magnetic field; detecting one or more characteristics of the detected magnetic field; and verifying that the charging station is generating the magnetic field based on the detected one or more characteristics.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein navigating the UAV to the charging station using the calculated magnetic field vector and strength comprises:
obtaining route information defining a specified route for approaching the charging station; and navigating the UAV along the specified route using the route information and the calculated magnetic field vector and strength.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
navigating the UAV away from the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein navigating the UAV away from the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength comprises:
obtaining route information for a specified route away from the charging station; and navigating the UAV along the specified route away from the charging station using the route information and the calculated magnetic field vector and strength.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the magnetic field vector and strength of the magnetic field emanating from the charging station comprises:
receiving information from a magnetic field sensor comprising a first coil, a second coil, and a third coil, wherein each coil is oriented orthogonally to the other two coils; and calculating the magnetic field vector based on the information received from the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the magnetic field vector and strength of the magnetic field emanating from the charging station comprises:
receiving information from a magnetic field sensor comprising a first coil, a second coil, and a third coil, wherein at least one of the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil comprises a charging coil of the UAV; and calculating the magnetic field vector based on the information received from the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the magnetic field vector and strength of the magnetic field emanating from the charging station comprises:
receiving information from a magnetic field sensor comprising a first coil, a second coil, and a third coil, wherein the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil are oriented substantially in the same plane and wherein each coil is oriented to detect a first magnetic field component of a first plane and a second magnetic field component of one of a second plane and a third plane; and calculating the magnetic field vector based on the information received from the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil.

14 . An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a magnetic field sensor; and a processor coupled to the magnetic field sensor and configured with processor-executable instructions to:
calculate a magnetic field vector and strength of a magnetic field emanating from a charging station;
navigate the UAV to the charging station using the calculated magnetic field vector and strength;
determine whether the UAV is substantially aligned with the charging station; and
maneuver the UAV to approach the charging station by maintaining the UAV substantially above the charging station while descending to the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength in response to determining that the UAV is substantially aligned with the charging station.

15 . The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to determine whether the UAV is substantially aligned with a center of the charging station.

16 . The UAV of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:
recalculating the magnetic field vector and strength in response to determining that the UAV is not substantially aligned with the center of the charging station; and maneuvering the UAV to approach the charging station using the recalculated magnetic field vector and strength.

17 . (canceled)

18 . The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to maneuver the UAV to approach the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength by descending the UAV to the charging station while maintaining the UAV substantially above a center of the charging station using the magnetic field vector and strength.

19 . The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:
determine whether the UAV is sufficiently proximate to the charging station; and initiate charging of a power storage of the UAV in response to determining that the UAV is sufficiently proximate to the charging station.

20 . The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:
detect the magnetic field; detect one or more characteristics of the detected magnetic field; and verify that the charging station is generating the magnetic field based on the detected one or more characteristics.

21 . The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to navigate the UAV to the charging station using the calculated magnetic field vector and strength by:
obtaining route information defining a specified route for approaching the charging station; and navigating the UAV along the specified route using the route information and the calculat

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Von Novak Iii William Henry
• Maalouf Joseph
• SHEVDE Sumukh

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• G01S19/14

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• H04W84/042

  Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems · 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

• B64C2201/141

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic