Aerial vehicle
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsYanghe Liu, Shailesh N. Joshi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aerial vehicle includes a body and a wireless charging receiver pad connected to the body, whereby the aerial vehicle is configured to be wirelessly charged when parked above a wireless charging transmitter pad. The aerial vehicle includes landing gear connected to the body and extending underneath the body. The landing gear is configured for actuation to control the location of the receiver pad with respect to the transmitter pad.
Claims20
An aerial vehicle, comprising:
- a body;
- a wireless charging receiver pad connected to the body, whereby the aerial vehicle is configured to be wirelessly charged when parked above a wireless charging transmitter pad;
- and
- landing gear connected to the body and extending underneath the body, and configured for actuation to control the location of the receiver pad with respect to the transmitter pad by moving the aerial vehicle with respect to a landing surface when the aerial vehicle is parked on the landing surface to control the height of the receiver pad to an optimal height above the transmitter pad.
An aerial vehicle wireless charging system, comprising:
- an aerial vehicle comprising:
- a body;
- a wireless charging receiver pad connected to the body, whereby the aerial vehicle is configured to be wirelessly charged when parked above a wireless charging transmitter pad;
- and
- landing gear connected to the body and extending underneath the body, and configured for actuation relative to the body to control the location of the receiver pad with respect to the transmitter pad by moving the aerial vehicle with respect to a landing surface when the aerial vehicle is parked on the landing surface to control the height of the receiver pad to an optimal height above the transmitter pad;
- and
- a computing device configured to determine an optimal location of the receiver pad with respect to the transmitter pad and configured to actuate the landing gear based on the optimal location of the receiver pad with respect to the transmitter pad.
A method for wirelessly charging an aerial vehicle comprising a body, a wireless charging receiver pad connected to the body, whereby the aerial vehicle is configured to be wirelessly charged when parked above a wireless charging transmitter pad, and landing gear connected to the body and extending underneath the body and configured for actuation to control the location of the receiver pad with respect to the wireless charging transmitter pad by moving the aerial vehicle with respect to a landing surface when the aerial vehicle is parked on the landing surface to control the height of the receiver pad to an optimal height above the transmitter pad, the method comprising:
- determining an optimal location of the receiver pad with respect to the transmitter pad;
- and
- actuating the landing gear based on the optimal location of the receiver pad with respect to the transmitter pad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.