UAV battery form factor and insertion/ejection methodologies
AssigneeSony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
InventorsDennis Dale Castleman, Ruxin Chen, Frank Zhao, Glenn Black
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure is related to unmanned aerial vehicles or drones that have a capability of quickly swapping batteries. This may be accomplished even as the drone continues to fly. A drone consistent with the present disclosure may drop one battery and pickup another using an attachment mechanism. Attachment mechanisms of the present disclosure may include electro-magnets, mechanical actuators, pins, or hooks. Systems consistent with the present disclosure may also include locations where replacement batteries may be provided to aircraft via actuation devices coupled to a physical location.
Claims16
A system for picking a battery by an unmanned aerial vehicle, the system comprising:
- an unmanned aircraft that carries a battery via one or more mechanisms that couple a first battery to the unmanned aircraft, wherein:
- at least one attachment mechanism of the one or more mechanisms includes an electro-magnet that couples the first battery and controllably secures the first battery to the aircraft,
- the aircraft approaches a location associated with a replacement battery,
- the electro-magnet physically releases the first battery,
- the electro-magnet contacts and grabs the replacement battery by magnetically attaching a magnet at the replacement batter to the electro-magnet, and
- the replacement battery is secured to the aircraft by the electro-magnet.
A method for picking a battery by an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
- allowing an unmanned aircraft to approach a location associated with a replacement battery;
- releasing an electro-magnet, wherein the releasing of the electro-magnet causes the first battery to drop away from the unmanned aircraft;
- contacting the replacement battery with the electro-magnet, wherein the electro-magnet grabs the replacement battery by magnetically attaching a magnet on the battery to the electro-magnet;
- and
- automatically securing the replacement battery with the electro-magnet.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor located on an unmanned aircraft to instruct the unmanned aircraft to perform a method for picking up a battery, the method comprising:
- allowing the unmanned aircraft to approach a location associated with a replacement battery;
- releasing an electro-magnet,
- wherein the releasing of the electro-magnet cause the first battery to drop away from the unmanned aircraft;
- contacting the replacement battery with the electro-magnet, wherein the electro-magnet grabs the replacement battery by magnetically attaching a magnet on the battery to the electro-magnet;
- and
- automatically securing the replacement battery with the electro-magnet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.