Patent Publication Number: US-2023159184-A1

Title: Drone docking/landing system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0162609, filed on Nov. 23, 2021, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     One or more embodiments relate to a docking/landing system for a vertical take-off and landing drone, and more particularly, to a drone docking/landing system for having a drone stably take off and land by providing a landing portion having a horned or a pyramidal shape at a lower portion of the drone and mounting and aligning the landing portion of the drone on a docking portion having a horned or a pyramidal shape. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     An unmanned plane, such as a drone, appeared at early 1970&#39;s and has developed into a military pilotless aircraft. Early drones were used as objects for a missile bombing practice by an air force, but the usage of drones has eventually expanded. Currently, a vertical take-off and landing drone is used not only for a military purpose, but also for individual, media, and enterprise purposes. Also, as drones have been developed to have various shapes, the usage of the drones has been diversified. 
     To have the vertical take-off and landing drone take off and land, a landing place or a landing pad has been used. As the use purposes, operation regions, etc. of the drones recently have been diversified, the need for forming a landing pad of a drone at various positions, such as above and beside a vehicle, a vessel, a structure, or the like, in addition to the ground, has emerged. 
     However, to form the landing pad of the drone at various positions has the following problems. Referring to  FIG.  1   , an area  21  of a landing pad  20  for allowing the drone  10  to land may have various sizes depending on an area  11  of the drone  10  and the performance of the drone  10 , but the area  21  of the landing pad  20  has to be greater than the area  11  of the drone  10 . 
     Also, referring to  FIG.  1   , to form the landing pad  20 , a landing access area  22  that is greater than the area  21  of the landing pad  20  has to be obtained by taking into account effects of a peripheral obstacle, and to allow the drone  10  to approach the landing pad  20  without the effects of the peripheral obstacle, a landing approaching minimum space  23  has to be secured. 
     As described above, a large area is required in order to form the landing pad  20  for a take-off and landing of the drone  10 , and accordingly, an area required for forming the landing pad  20  may be increased. 
     Also, when a landing pad is formed in a place, such as a vehicle or vessel, where there are external movements, a separate lashing (fixing) or aligning device for lashing (fixing) or aligning a drone is additionally needed in order to prevent the detachment of the drone from the landing pad due to the external movements. 
     SUMMARY 
     One or more embodiments include a drone docking/landing system which allows for a stable take-off and landing of a drone by providing a landing portion of a horned or a pyramidal shape at a lower portion of the drone and mounting and aligning the landing portion of the drone on a docking portion of a horned or a pyramidal shape. 
     Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure. 
     According to one or more embodiments, a drone docking/landing system includes: a docking portion having a shape of any one of a polygonal pyramid, a truncated polygonal pyramid, a cone, and a truncated cone and being capable of docking a drone. 
     The drone docking/landing system may further include a landing portion mounted at a lower portion of the drone, having a lower portion that is open, into which the docking portion may be inserted, and having an empty inner space, wherein the landing portion may have a shape of any one of a polygonal pyramid, a truncated polygonal pyramid, a cone, and a truncated cone, wherein the shape corresponds to the shape of the docking portion so that the docking portion may be inserted into the landing portion. 
     The docking portion may have a truncated quadrangular pyramidal shape, and the landing portion may have a truncated quadrangular pyramidal shape, a lower portion of which is open, so that the docking portion may be inserted into the landing portion. 
     A size of a lower surface of the docking portion may be the same as a size of a lower surface of the open lower portion of the landing portion. 
     The drone docking/landing system may further include a connection portion having a rod shape and connected with the docking portion. 
     The connection portion may include a fixed portion fixed at a designated point and a moving portion configured to upwardly and downwardly move with respect to the fixed portion, and the docking portion may be connected with the moving portion and may be configured to upwardly and downwardly move with respect to the fixed portion. 
     A connection joint may be provided at an upper portion of the moving portion, and a connection shaft may be provided at an outer portion of the connection joint, the connection shaft having a bar shape and connecting the connection joint with the docking portion. 
     The drone docking/landing system may further include a landing pad to which the connection portion is coupled. 
     The connection portion in a multiple number may be coupled to the landing pad, and the landing pad may be configured to be movable. 
     The connection portion may be configured to upwardly and downwardly move with respect to the landing pad, and the docking portion may be connected with the connection portion and may be configured to upwardly and downwardly move with respect to the landing pad. 
     A landing guidance sensor configured to transmit a guidance signal to the drone may be provided at an upper portion of the docking portion. 
     A detachment prevention bump extending in an outer direction of the docking portion and having an upwardly inclined end may be provided at an outer portion of the docking portion. 
     The drone docking/landing system may further include a first actuator configured to rotate an inclination of the docking portion with respect to a first axis extending in a direction parallel with a plane formed by a lower surface of the docking portion. 
     The drone docking/landing system may further include a second actuator configured to rotate the inclination of the docking portion with respect to a second axis extending in a direction parallel with the plane formed by the lower surface of the docking portion, wherein the first axis and the second axis may be perpendicular to each other. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a diagram showing an area of a landing pad, a landing approaching area, and a landing approaching minimum space required for landing of a drone; 
         FIG.  2    is a diagram showing a drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  3 A  is a diagram showing a process in which a landing portion of a drone is mounted on a docking portion, according to an embodiment, and  FIG.  3 B  is a diagram showing a process in which the landing portion of the drone is mounted and aligned on the docking portion, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view of a docking portion according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  5 A  is a side view of a docking portion according to an embodiment, and  FIG.  5 B  is a plan view of a docking portion according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  6    is a diagram showing a process in which a docking portion is formed in a landing pad that is movable, and a drone is landed on the docking portion, according to an embodiment; and 
         FIG.  7    is a diagram showing a process in which a docking portion is formed in a landing pad that is movable, and a drone is allowed to take off from the docking portion, according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. In this regard, the present embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Accordingly, the embodiments are merely described below, by referring to the figures, to explain aspects of the present description. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list. 
     In this specification, principles of the disclosure are described and embodiments are disclosed, in order to clarify the scope of the claims of the disclosure and clearly convey the disclosure for one of ordinary skill in the art to implement the disclosure. Embodiments may be implemented in various forms. 
     The terms “comprises” or “comprising” used in various embodiments of the disclosure specify the presence of disclosed functions, operations, components, or the like, but do not preclude the addition of one or more functions, operations, components, or the like. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” or “comprising” used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, members, components, and/or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, members, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     When it is described that one or more components are “connected” or “coupled” to another component, it should be understood that the one or more components may be directly connected or coupled to the other component, but other intervening components may also be present between the one or more components and the other component. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. 
     Although the terms first, second, etc. used in this specification may be used herein to describe various elements, these terms do not limit the components. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. 
     One or more embodiments relate to a drone docking/landing system, and more particularly, to a drone docking/landing system for allowing a drone to stably take off and land by providing a landing portion having a horned or a pyramidal shape at a lower portion of the drone and mounting and aligning the landing portion of the drone on a docking portion having a horned or a pyramidal shape. Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     The drone according to an embodiment may include various types of flight vehicles performing vertical take-off and landing. Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described in detail based on the drone. 
     The drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment may include a docking portion  110 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  2   , the docking portion  110  may have a shape of any one of a polygonal pyramid, a truncated polygonal pyramid, a cone, and a truncated cone, and a drone  10  may be docked on the docking portion  110 . The docking portion  110  according to an embodiment may desirably have a shape of a quadrangular pyramid, but is not limited thereto. The docking portion  110  may have a shape of any one of a polygonal pyramid, a truncated polygonal pyramid, a cone, and a truncated cone. 
     The drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment may further include a landing portion  120 . 
     The landing portion  120  may be mounted at a lower portion of the drone  10  and may have a lower portion that is open, into which the docking portion  110  may be inserted, and may have an inner empty space. Referring to  FIGS.  3 A and  3 B , the landing portion  120  may approach an upper position of the docking portion  110  to land the drone  10 . 
     When the landing portion  120  draws near to the upper position of the docking portion  110 , the docking portion  110  may be inserted into the landing portion  120  through the open lower portion of the landing portion  120 , and the docking portion  110  may be mounted in the inner empty space of the landing portion  120 . 
     The landing portion  120  may have a shape of any one of a polygonal pyramid, a truncated polygonal pyramid, a cone, and a truncated cone, and the landing portion  120  may have the shape corresponding to the shape of the docking portion  110  so that the docking portion  110  may be inserted into the landing portion  120 . That is, the landing portion  120  and the docking portion  110  may have the same shape as each other. 
     In detail, referring to  FIG.  2   ,  FIG.  3 A , and  FIG.  3 B , the docking portion  110  may have a truncated quadrangular pyramidal shape, and the landing portion  120  may have a truncated quadrangular pyramidal shape having an open lower portion, into which the docking portion  110  may be inserted. 
     As shown above, because the landing portion  120  and the docking portion  110  may have the same shape as each other, the landing portion  120  may be mounted on the docking portion  110 , and as the landing portion  120  may be mounted on the docking portion  110 , the drone  10  may be landed. 
     According to an embodiment, a size of a lower surface of the docking portion  10  may be the same as a size of a lower surface of the open lower portion of the landing portion  120 . When the size of the lower surface of the docking portion  110  is the same as the size of the lower surface of the open lower portion of the landing portion  120 , the landing portion  120  may be aligned along a side surface of the docking portion  110  when the drone  10  lands above the docking portion  110 . 
     When the landing portion  120  is aligned by the docking portion  110 , the drone  10  may be prevented from moving, after the drone  10  is completely landed. Accordingly, the drone  10  may be lashed (fixed) without an additional device. 
     The drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment may include the landing portion  120 , but is not limited thereto. The drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment may omit the landing portion  120  provided in the drone  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  4   , a drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment may include a connection portion  130  having a rod shape and connected with the docking portion  110 . The connection portion  130  may have the rod shape, and the docking portion  110  may be coupled to a landing pad  140  to be described below through the connection portion  130 . 
     According to an embodiment, the connection portion  130  may include a fixed portion  131  fixed to a designated point and a moving portion  132  capable of an upward and downward movement with respect to the fixed portion  131 . 
     The docking portion  110  may be configured to upwardly and downwardly move through the moving portion  132 . In detail, the docking portion  110  may be connected with the moving portion  132 , and thus, may be configured to upwardly and downwardly move with respect to the fixed portion  131 . 
     Because the docking portion  110  may be capable of an upward and downward movement through the moving portion  132 , a height of the docking portion  110  may be adjusted. By adjusting the height of the docking portion  110 , a height at which the drone  10  is landed may be adjusted, to prevent effects of peripheral obstacles on the take-off and landing of the drone  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  4   , the moving portion  132  may be connected with the docking portion  110  through a connection joint  133  and a connection shaft  134 . The connection joint  133  may be provided at an upper portion of the moving portion  132 , and the connection shaft  134  may have a bar shape and may be provided at an outer portion of the connection joint  133 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , the connection joint  133  may be provided at the upper portion of the moving portion  132  and may be configured to support the connection shaft  134 , and the connection shaft  134  may be configured to connect the connection joint  133  with the docking portion  110 . When the docking portion  110  and the landing portion  120  have the truncated quadrangular pyramidal shape, four connection shafts  134  may be provided. 
     As described above, the moving portion  132  may be connected with the docking portion  110  through the connection joint  132  and the connection shaft  134 , and because the docking portion  110  is connected with the moving portion  132 , the docking portion  110  may be configured to upwardly and downwardly move according to the movement of the moving portion  132 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  4   , a landing guidance sensor  150  configured to transmit a guidance signal to the drone  10  may be provided above the docking portion  110 , according to an embodiment. The landing guidance sensor  150  may be configured to transmit a guidance signal to the drone  10 , and the drone  10  may be configured to recognize an upper position of the docking portion  110  through the guidance signal generated by the landing guidance sensor  150 . 
     As the drone  10  may recognize the upper position of the docking portion  110  through the guidance signal generated by the landing guidance sensor  150 , the landing portion  120  may be accurately mounted on the docking portion  110 . 
     According to an embodiment, the guidance signal generated by the landing guidance sensor  150  may include various signals which may be recognized by the drone  10 . Also, when the docking portion  10  has the truncated quadrangular pyramidal shape, the landing guidance sensor  150  may be provided on an upper surface of the docking portion  110  having the truncated quadrangular pyramidal shape. 
     Referring to  FIG.  4   , a detachment prevention bump  160  extending in an outer direction of the docking portion  110  and having an upwardly inclined end may be provided at an outer portion of the docking portion  110 . The detachment prevention bump  160  may extend in the outer direction of the docking portion  110  to form a flat surface, and the end of the detachment prevention bump  160  may have an upwardly inclined surface. 
     When the landing portion  120  is mounted on the docking portion  110 , the detachment prevention bump  160  may be configured to prevent the detachment of the landing portion  120  and align the landing portion  120 . 
     In detail, when the landing portion  120  is mounted on the docking portion  110  in an inclined state, the landing portion  120  may be guided to move along the upwardly inclined surface of the detachment prevention bump  160 , so that the landing portion  120  may be aligned in the docking portion  110 . Based on this configuration, when the landing portion  120  is mounted on the docking portion  110 , the detachment of the landing portion  120  may be prevented. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  6  and  7   , the drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment may include the landing pad  140  to which the connection portion  130  is coupled. The landing pad  140  may be coupled with the connection portion  130  connected with the docking portion  110 , and the landing pad  140  may be coupled with the connection portion  130  provided in a multiple number. 
     When the connection portion  130  is coupled to the landing pad  140 , the docking portion  110  may be mounted on the landing pad  140 . According to an embodiment, the landing pad  140  may include a movable object, such as a vehicle or a vessel including a wheel  141 . 
     The landing pad  140  may be provided at a portion of the movable object, such as the vehicle or a vessel, and because the connection portion  130  may be coupled to the landing pad  140 , the docking portion  110  may be mounted on the movable object, such as the vehicle or the vessel. 
     According to an embodiment, the connection portion  130  may be configured to upwardly and downwardly move with respect to the landing pad  140 , and because the docking portion  110  may be connected with the connection portion  130 , the docking portion  110  may be configured to upwardly and downwardly move with respect to the landing pad  140 . 
     Here, the fixed portion  131  of the connection portion  130  may be fixedly mounted on the landing pad  140 , and the moving portion  132  of the connection portion  130  may be configured to upwardly and downwardly move with respect to the landing pad  140 . 
     The docking portion  110  may be mounted to be capable of an upward and downward movement with respect to the landing pad  140 , through the connection portion  130 . As the docking portion  10  may be mounted to be capable of the upward and downward movement with respect to the landing pad  140 , the drone  10  may be allowed to take off and land with minimized effects of peripheral obstacles. 
     When the landing pad  140  is provided at a movable point, such as a vehicle or a vessel, the drone  10  may perform take-off and landing through the following process. Referring to  FIG.  6   , to land the drone  10 , the docking portion  10  may be configured to move to an upper position of the landing pad  140  through the connection portion  130 . 
     As the docking portion  110  moves to the upper position, the landing portion  120  of the drone  10  may be configured to land on the docking portion  110  without being affected by peripheral obstacles. 
     When the landing portion  120  is mounted on the docking portion  110 , the docking portion  110  may be configured to move to a lower position of the landing pad  140 , and the drone  10  may be kept. 
     Referring to  FIG.  7   , to have the drone  10  take off, the docking portion  110  may be configured to move to the upper position of the landing pad  140  through the connection portion  130 . As the docking portion  110  moves to the upper position, the drone  10  may perform take-off without being affected by peripheral obstacles. 
     As described above, because the docking portion  110  may be configured to upwardly and downwardly move with respect to the landing pad  140 , through the connection portion  130 , the drone  10  may be allowed to take-off and land without being affected by peripheral obstacles. 
     According to the drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment, the docking portion  110  may be mounted on the landing pad  140  through the connection portion  130 , and thus, the drone  10  may be allowed to stably take off and land, without an additional device for lashing (fixing) or aligning the drone  10 . 
     When a landing pad is mounted on a vehicle or a vessel, where there is an external movement, a drone may be detached from the landing pad due to the external movement, and to prevent the detachment, the landing pad mounted on the vehicle or the vessel according to the related art may require an additional lashing (fixing) or aligning device for lashing (fixing) or aligning the drone. 
     However, according to the drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment, the drone  10  may be landed through the docking portion  110  and the landing portion  120  that have a shape of a polygonal pyramid, a truncated polygonal pyramid, a cone, or a truncated cone, and thus, the detachment of the drone  10  may be prevented, even when an external movement occurs. 
     Therefore, according to the drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment, the drone  10  may be configured to stably perform take-off and landing, even when an additional lashing (fixing) or aligning device is not used. 
     In addition, according to the drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment, the docking portion  110  may be mounted on the landing pad  140  through the connection portion  130  capable of an upward and downward movement with respect to the landing pad  140 , and thus, a space for take-off and landing of the drone  10 , the space not having effects of obstacles, may be obtained. 
     Also, referring to  FIGS.  6  and  7   , according to the drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment, the docking portion  110  may be mounted on the landing pad  140  through the connection portion  130 , and thus, the docking portion  110  may be mounted on the landing pad  140  by using an area less than an area of the drone  10 . Accordingly, the drone docking/landing system may be minimized and may have a reduced weight. 
     The drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment may include a first actuator  170  and a second actuator  180 , the first actuator  170  and the second actuator  180  being capable of rotating an inclination of the docking portion  110 . 
     The first actuator  170  may be configured to rotate the inclination of the docking portion  110  based on a first axis  171  extending in a direction parallel with a plane formed by a lower surface of the docking portion  110 , and the second actuator  180  may be configured to rotate the inclination of the docking portion  110  based on a second axis  181  extending in a direction parallel with the plane formed by the lower surface of the docking portion  110 . Here, the first axis  171  and the second axis  181  may extend in directions perpendicular to each other. 
     The docking portion  110  may be configured to rotate the inclination in a roll direction and a pitch direction through the first actuator  170  and the second actuator  180 . When the docking portion  110  is mounted on the landing pad  140  through the connection portion  130 , the docking portion  110  may be mounted to be inclined due to an inclination formed in the landing pad  140 . 
     The first actuator  170  and the second actuator  180  may be configured to rotate the inclination of the docking portion  110  to obtain the horizontality of the docking portion  110 . Even when the inclination is formed in the landing pad  140 , the inclination of the docking portion  110  may be rotated by using the first actuator  170  and the second actuator  180 , and thus, the docking portion  110  may be horizontally mounted. 
     According to an embodiment, a gyro sensor may be provided in the first actuator  170  and the second actuator  180 . When the gyro sensor is provided in the first actuator  170  and the second actuator  180 , an inclination of the docking portion  110  may be automatically rotated to maintain the horizontality, even when the inclination is formed at an outer portion of the docking portion  110 . 
     The drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment may have the following effects. 
     According to the drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment, the landing portion having a horned or a pyramidal shape may be provided at a lower portion of the drone, and the landing portion of the drone may be mounted and aligned on the docking portion having a horned or a pyramidal shape, and thus, the drone may be configured to stably perform take-off and land. 
     Also, according to the drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment, the drone may be allowed to take off and land through the docking portion having the horned or the pyramidal shape, and the docking portion may be mounted on the landing pad through the connection portion, a height of which is adjustable, and thus, the landing system may be miniaturized and may have a reduced weight. Also, the drone may be allowed to take off and land through an adjustable height of the docking portion, and thus, effects of peripheral obstacles may be minimized. 
     In addition, according to the drone docking/landing system according to an embodiment, the landing portion having the horned or the pyramidal shape may be mounted on the docking portion having the horned or the pyramidal shape, and thus, the drone may be lashed without an additional device, after the drone is completely landed, and a horizontality maintaining device of the landing system may be miniaturized in a vehicle or a vessel where there is a movement. 
     The disclosure relates to a drone docking/landing system for having a drone stably take off and land by providing a landing portion having a horned or a pyramidal shape at a lower portion of the drone and mounting and aligning the landing portion of the drone on a docking portion having a horned or a pyramidal shape. 
     Also, according to the disclosure, the drone may be configured to take off and land through the docking portion having the horned or the pyramidal shape, and the docking portion may be connected with a landing pad through a connection portion, a height of which is adjustable, and thus, the landing system may be miniaturized and may have a reduced weight. Also, because the drone may be allowed to take off and land through an adjusted height of the docking portion, effects of peripheral obstacles may be minimized. 
     In addition, according to the disclosure, the landing portion having the horned or the pyramidal shape may be mounted on the docking portion having the horned or the pyramidal shape, and thus, after the drone is completely landed, the drone may be lashed without an additional device, and a horizontality maintaining device of the landing system may be miniaturized in a vehicle or a vessel where there is a movement. 
     It should be understood that embodiments described herein should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within each embodiment should typically be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in other embodiments. While one or more embodiments have been described with reference to the figures, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope as defined by the following claims.