System and method for launching and retrieving unmanned aerial vehicle from carrier in motion
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsNikola Kabakov, Lukas Harvanek, Michal Zavisek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for deploying and retrieving an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a UAV carrier including a UAV bay, where the system includes a UAV pad including a UAV pad base and a UAV pad coupler to couple the UAV to the UAV pad base; a mechanical arm including a first end configured to couple to the UAV carrier, and a second end configured to couple to the UAV pad; and a controller configured to determine a deployment position for the UAV pad, determine a retrieval position for the UAV pad, control the UAV pad, and control the mechanical arm.
Claims18
A system for deploying and retrieving an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the system comprising:
- a UAV pad including a UAV pad base and a UAV pad coupler to couple the UAV to the UAV pad base;
- a mechanical arm including a first end configured to couple to a UAV carrier, and a second end configured to couple to the UAV pad;
- and
- a controller configured to
- determine a deployment position for the UAV pad so that an orientation of the UAV pad in the deployment position is based on an orientation of the UAV in a deployment flight path of the UAV from the UAV carrier,
- determine a retrieval position for the UAV pad so that an orientation of the UAV pad in the retrieval position is based on an orientation of the UAV in a retrieval flight path of the UAV and so that a pitch of the UAV pad in the retrieval position is different than a pitch of the UAV in flight,
- control the UAV pad, and
- control the mechanical arm to
- receive the UAV pad from a UAV bay in the UAV carrier so that the UAV pad is coupled to the second end of the mechanical arm,
- move the UAV pad to a standby position on the UAV carrier,
- orient the UAV pad to the deployment position for the deployment flight path of the UAV from the UAV carrier, and
- orient the UAV pad to the retrieval position for the retrieval flight path of the UAV.
A method for deploying and retrieving an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a UAV carrier including a UAV bay, a UAV pad including a UAV pad base and a UAV pad coupler to couple the UAV to the UAV pad base, a mechanical arm to move the UAV pad, and including a first end configured to couple to the UAV carrier, and a second end configured to couple to the UAV pad, and a controller, the method comprising performing, by the controller, operations including:
- determining a deployment position for the UAV pad so that an orientation of the UAV pad in the deployment position is based on an orientation of the UAV in a deployment flight path of the UAV from the UAV carrier,
- determining a retrieval position for the UAV pad so that an orientation of the UAV pad in the retrieval position is based on an orientation of the UAV in a retrieval flight path of the UAV and so that a pitch of the UAV pad in the retrieval position is different than a pitch of the UAV in flight,
- controlling the UAV pad, and
- controlling the mechanical arm to
- receive the UAV pad from the UAV bay in the UAV carrier so that the UAV pad is coupled to the second end of the mechanical arm,
- move the UAV pad to a standby position on the UAV carrier,
- orient the UAV pad to the deployment position for the deployment flight path of the UAV from the UAV carrier, and
- orient the UAV pad to the retrieval position for the retrieval flight path of the UAV.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, that when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for deploying and retrieving an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a UAV carrier including a UAV bay, a UAV pad including a UAV pad base and a UAV pad coupler to couple the UAV to the UAV pad base, a mechanical arm to move the UAV pad, and including a first end configured to couple to the UAV carrier, and a second end configured to couple to the UAV pad, the method comprising:
- determining a deployment position for the UAV pad so that an orientation of the UAV pad in the deployment position is based on an orientation of the UAV in a deployment flight path of the UAV from the UAV carrier,
- determining a retrieval position for the UAV pad so that an orientation of the UAV pad in the retrieval position is based on an orientation of the UAV in a retrieval flight path of the UAV and so that a pitch of the UAV pad in the retrieval position is different than a pitch of the UAV in flight,
- controlling the UAV pad, and
- controlling the mechanical arm to
- receive the UAV pad from the UAV bay in the UAV carrier so that the UAV pad is coupled to the second end of the mechanical arm,
- move the UAV pad to a standby position on the UAV carrier,
- orient the UAV pad to the deployment position for the deployment flight path of the UAV from the UAV carrier, and
- orient the UAV pad to the retrieval position for the retrieval flight path of the UAV.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.