Landing platform for unmanned aerial vehicle
AssigneeShanghai Autoflight Co., Ltd.
InventorYu Tian
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A UAV landing platform having movable covers to securely store/maintain/charge a UAV. The UAV may be launched from the landing platform, and the landing platform can have visual indicators to guide the landing of the UAV back onto the landing platform. There can be an optional mechanism to self-adjust/self-level the landing surface such that a UAV can safely land onto the landing platform even when the landing platform is on a traveling vehicle.
Claims17
A landing platform for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to be installed onto an object, the landing platform comprising:
- a base having a landing surface;
- a movable cover coupled to the base to enclose an interior space of the landing platform;
- at least three visual indicators coupled to the base;
- a plurality of charging contacts disposed on said landing surface to make direct contact with a charging contact of said UAV when said UAV rests on said landing surface;
- a movement compensating mechanism coupled to the landing surface to compensate a movement of the landing surface relative to the object, wherein the compensating mechanism provides a freedom of tilting movement along at least one axis relative to the object so as to keep the land surface level irrespective of the object;
- and
- a heater coupled to the base to supply heat into said interior space.
A method of storing, deploying, and maintaining an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), said method comprising:
- providing a storage container including:
- a base having a landing surface;
- and
- a movable cover coupled to said base capable of enclosing an interior storage space to store a UAV;
- placing said UAV within the interior storage space on top of the landing surface;
- charging said UAV by providing a plurality of charging contacts on the landing surface and said plurality of charging contacts make physical connection with a part of the UAV to charge the UAV;
- and
- drying the UAV with a heater coupled to the storage container.
An aerial vehicle charging system, the system comprising:
- a first plurality of charging contacts disposed on a bottom surface of a landing gear of the aerial vehicle;
- a second plurality of charging contacts disposed on a landing surface configured for the aerial vehicle to rest on;
- and
- a dryer coupled to the landing surface configured to dry the aerial vehicle;
- wherein the second plurality of charging contacts supply electricity to the aerial vehicle via the first plurality of charging contacts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.