KR20210146119A - Wireless charging system for drone - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wireless charging system for a drone, capable of charging a drone unit. The wireless charging system includes a charging unit charging a battery of the drone unit when the drone unit is landed. The charging unit includes a plurality of charging modules electrically connected. Each of the plurality of charging modules includes: a solar power generation part generating a power source through inputted sunlight; a power transmission part wirelessly transmitting electric power to the drone unit through the power source generated by the solar power generation part; and a control part controlling the operation of the solar power generation part and the power transmission part. The plurality of charging modules include a first charging module and a second charging module adjacent to the first charging module. The control part placed on the first charging module controls current-carrying and electricity cutoff between the first and second charging modules.

Description

Wireless charging system for drones{WIRELESS CHARGING SYSTEM FOR DRONE}

The present invention relates to a wireless charging system for a drone.

The drone, which is a remote control device, which is an unmanned flying object based on radio control, has been mainly used for shooting in war situations, emergency situations, and other broadcasting stations.

However, recently, it is being distributed to individuals, and in this regard, legislation not only to promote the use of drones but also to prevent the risk of drones from falling is being actively discussed.

However, conventional drones have a short battery life of only 20 to 30 minutes, so there is a limitation in that they cannot perform long-term tasks of 1 to 2 hours or more.

The battery usage time of the drone for special purpose is up to 120 minutes, but you have to pay an expensive battery purchase cost. It must be replaced manually.

In addition, although wireless charging type drones have been developed and released, commercialization and generalization are sluggish, and there is no drone specialized charging infrastructure for rapid/slow charging and automatic storage battery replacement. After driving for a long time to this place, I had no choice but to return to recharge.

Moreover, with the rapid expansion of the drone industry in the private market and over 380 public institutions, including the state, local governments, and Korea Electric Power Corporation, [building an infrastructure for specialized drone charging stations] such as “electric vehicle charging stations” is inevitable. The plan to build a charging station is insignificant.

Therefore, there is a need for a technology capable of storing, charging, and moving a drone having a limited activity range due to the limitation of the battery.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless charging system for a drone that can charge a drone wirelessly and can secure electrical safety using a simple fastening method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wireless charging system for a drone capable of charging a moving drone using a public facility such as a bus stop or an existing infrastructure.

On the other hand, the technical problems to be achieved in the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned are clearly to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below. can be understood

A wireless charging system for a drone for charging a drone unit, comprising: a charging unit for charging a battery of the landed drone unit; Including, wherein the charging unit includes a plurality of charging modules electrically connected, each of the plurality of charging modules is a photovoltaic unit generating power through incident sunlight, the photovoltaic unit generated A power transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting power to the drone unit through a power source, and a control unit for controlling operations of the solar power generation unit and the power transmission unit, wherein the plurality of charging modules include a first charging module and the first and a second charging module adjacent to the charging module, wherein the control unit disposed in the first charging module can control energization and disconnection between the first charging module and the second charging module. have.

In addition, the control unit includes a main circuit and a bypass circuit, the plurality of charging modules further include a third charging module adjacent to the first charging module, the control unit disposed in the first charging module is the If the first charging module determines that at least one of the solar power generation unit and the power transmitting unit is defective, the second charging module and the third charging module may be connected to each other by a bypass circuit.

In addition, each of the plurality of charging modules includes a terminal connected to the main circuit and the bypass circuit, and when the terminal of the first charging module is combined with the terminal of the second charging module, the first charging module and the second charging module The two charging modules may be electrically connected.

In addition, the terminal includes a pressure sensing member, and when the terminal of the first charging module and the terminal of the second charging module are coupled, the control unit is configured to control when the pressure provided to the pressure sensing member exceeds a preset pressure, The first charging module and the second charging module may be energized.

In addition, each of the plurality of charging modules is disposed on the surface, and includes a light emitting unit that emits light under the control of the controller, and the light emitting unit includes a first light emitting unit that emits light when power is generated by the photovoltaic unit, and the drone unit is seated When the first light is emitted, and when power is wirelessly transmitted to the drone unit, the pressure provided to the second light emitting unit and the pressure sensing member for emitting a second light different from the first light exceeds a preset pressure. It may include a third light emitting unit for emitting light and a fourth light emitting unit which emits light when at least one of the solar power generation unit and the power transmitting unit is defective.

In addition, the pressure sensing member may include a pin coupled so that one side protrudes to the outside of the terminal, and an elastic body disposed inside the terminal and connected to the other side of the pin.

In addition, the control unit may measure a change in the length of the elastic body, and when the length of the elastic body is compressed to a predetermined length or less, the first charging module and the second charging module may be energized.

In addition, it may further include a power supply unit that stores the power generated by the photovoltaic unit and provides power to the power transmitting unit upon request.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a drone can be charged wirelessly and electrical safety can be secured using a simple fastening method.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to charge a moving drone using a public facility such as a bus stop or an existing infrastructure.

On the other hand, the effects obtainable in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the following description. will be able

1 is a perspective view showing a wireless charging system for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a wireless charging system for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a plan view schematically showing a charging station of a drone wireless charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a side view schematically showing a single charging module in a wireless charging system for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 and 6 are exemplary views for explaining a process of combining neighboring charging modules in a drone wireless charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
7 is an enlarged view of area A and area B of FIG. 6;
8 is an exemplary diagram schematically illustrating an inlay structure of a control unit in a drone wireless charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
9 is a plan view viewed along the line A-A' of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a bottom view viewed along the line B-B' of FIG. 8 .

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following embodiments. This embodiment is provided to more completely explain the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the shapes of elements in the drawings are exaggerated to emphasize a clearer description.

The configuration of the invention for clarifying the solution to the problem to be solved by the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings based on a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the same in assigning reference numbers to the components of the drawings For the components, even if they are on different drawings, the same reference numbers are given, and it is noted in advance that the components of other drawings can be cited when necessary in the description of the drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing a wireless charging system for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a wireless charging system for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is It is a plan view schematically showing a charging station of a drone's wireless charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing a single charging module in the drone's wireless charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 1 , a wireless charging system 1000 for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a charging unit 100 that provides a charging station 10 and a charging unit 100 that lands on the charging station to charge the internal battery. It may include a drone unit 200 .

On the other hand, in the wireless charging system 1000 for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention, the charging unit 100 may be installed in a public place such as a bus stop as shown in FIG. 1 , and is installed using an existing infrastructure. can be

In addition, the charging unit 100 may be installed in a private place owned by a company or individual.

Here, the charging unit 100 has an approximately flat plate-shaped charging station 10 to facilitate take-off, landing, and charging of the plurality of drone units 200, and it is difficult for pedestrians or moving objects such as vehicles to access, LTE, WIFI, etc. The same wired and wireless communication facilities are installed, and it is desirable to be installed on the roof of a bus stop or on the roof of a building that can supply stable power.

The charging station 10 provides a space in which the drone unit 200 is seated and charged, and may include a plurality of charging modules 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 as shown in FIG. 3 . have. Here, the plurality of charging modules 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 and 18 may be electrically connected to each other and coupled.

On the other hand, 8 charging modules 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 are shown in FIG. 3, but this is only a preferred embodiment and is charged in the form shown in FIG. 3 in the present invention. The number and shape of the modules are not limited.

Hereinafter, the first charging module 11, the second charging module 12 and the third charging module adjacent to each other among the plurality of charging modules 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 for explanation Module 15 will be described as a reference.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 3 , a plurality of light emitting units 101 may be disposed on each of the plurality of charging modules 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 and 18 .

The light emitting unit 101 may emit light under the control of the controller 150 and may be configured as a light emitting device.

The light emitting unit 101 may include a first light emitting unit 101a, a second light emitting unit 101b, a third light emitting unit 101c, and a fourth light emitting unit 101d.

Here, the first light emitting unit 101a may emit light according to the power generation in the solar power generation unit 105, and intuitively guide whether or not power is generated to the outside.

The second light emitting unit 101b emits a first light when the drone unit 200 is seated, and emits a second light different from the first light when wirelessly transmitting power to the drone unit 200 , so that the drone unit It is possible to intuitively guide whether to determine whether the 200 is seated or whether wireless charging is performed to the outside.

For example, the first light may be embodied in blue, and the second light may be embodied in red.

The third light emitting unit 101c may be electrically connected to a neighboring charging module to emit light when normally energized, thereby intuitively guiding the normal energization state to the outside.

The fourth light emitting unit 101d may emit light when at least one of the solar power generation unit 105 and the power transmitting unit 120 is defective in a single charging module, and accordingly, the defective state of the charging module can be intuitively displayed to the outside. can guide you

Here, the fourth light emitting unit 101d expresses the third light when the photovoltaic unit 105 is defective, and expresses the fourth light when the power transmitter 120 is defective, and the photovoltaic unit 105 is defective. ) and the power transmitter 120 are both defective, the fifth light may be displayed.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the charging unit 100 includes a solar power generation unit 105 , a wireless communication unit 110 , a power transmission unit 120 , a sensing unit 130 , a fixing unit 140 , a control unit 150 , and a power supply system. Study 160 may be included.

Here, the solar power generation unit 105 , the wireless communication unit 110 , the power transmission unit 120 , the sensing unit 130 , the fixing unit 140 , and the control unit 150 are the charging modules 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , respectively, may function separately, and the power supply unit 160 may be configured as a single unit in the charging station 10 . Of course, a plurality of power supply units 160 may be configured in each of the charging modules 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 and 18 .

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the solar power generation unit 105 , the wireless communication unit 110 , the power transmission unit 120 , the sensing unit 130 , the fixing unit 140 and the control unit disposed in the first charging module 11 . (150) will be described as the basis.

Referring to FIG. 4 together, the solar power generation unit 105 may be configured as a solar cell panel capable of generating power through incident sunlight, and the generated power is supplied to the power supply unit 160 through a separate circuit. ) can be stored in

On the other hand, it is preferable that the transparent protective layer 104 for preventing the impact by the drone unit 200 is disposed on the photovoltaic unit 105 .

The wireless communication unit 110 may communicate with the wireless communication unit 210 of the drone unit 200 and may be configured as a communication module capable of transmitting and receiving signals.

Preferably, the wireless communication unit 110 is used as one of LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), and ZigBee. can be

The power transmitter 120 may include a plurality of coils, generate a magnetic field that vibrates at a set resonant frequency, and transmit power to the power receiver 220 of the drone unit 200 through the magnetic field.

That is, the charging unit 100 preferably transmits power to the drone unit 200 using a magnetic resonance method, and may use a magnetic induction method or a third wireless charging method.

The magnetic resonance method refers to a method in which a magnetic field that vibrates at a resonant frequency is generated in a coil of a power transmitter and intensively transmits power only to a coil of a power receiver designed with the same resonant frequency.

Here, the transmission antenna of the magnetic resonance type wireless power transmission system is basically composed of a source coil and a transmission resonance coil (Tx Resonant Coil), and the reception antenna is a reception resonant coil (Rx Resonant Coil) and a load coil ( Load Coil). Most self-resonant WPT antennas can be implemented in the form of loop antennas or helical antennas having circular or square wires.

Meanwhile, the power transmitter 120 may include a first layer (not shown), a second layer (not shown), and a third layer (not shown) in charge of charging the drone unit 200 .

The first layer may include a shielding layer that shields the magnetic field generated in the second layer from being emitted downward. Here, the shielding layer may be a ribbon sheet, a ferrite sheet, or a polymer sheet of an amorphous alloy or nano-crystalline alloy.

The second layer may include a sheet in which a plurality of coils (not shown) generating magnetic fields of different frequencies are interposed.

Here, the plurality of coils may be provided with a plurality of coils including at least two or more wireless charging coils operating in different ways at different operating frequencies to receive a wireless signal in a corresponding operating frequency band.

At this time, the plurality of coils is composed of a circular, oval, or square flat coil in which a conductive member having a predetermined length is wound a plurality of times in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and is fixed on one side of the first layer or inside the second layer. can be provided with

In this case, the conductive member may be a metal material having conductivity such as copper, and may be provided in a form in which a plurality of strands having a predetermined wire diameter are twisted along the longitudinal direction.

In addition, the plurality of coils may be formed by patterning a conductor such as copper foil in a loop shape on at least one surface of a circuit board made of a synthetic resin such as polyimide (PI) or PET, or forming a loop-shaped metal pattern using conductive ink. have.

In addition, the plurality of coils may be provided in a form in which a flat coil in which a conductive member is wound a plurality of times and a coil pattern printed on one surface of the circuit board are combined with each other.

The third layer may include a metal sheet having magnetism by a magnetic field generated in the second layer.

On the other hand, the power transmitter 120 having such a configuration may be configured based on the InLay PCB.

Although not shown in FIG. 4 , the sensing unit 130 may detect that the drone unit 200 is located in the charging module 11 .

Here, the sensing unit 130 may include a sensor such as a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor.

On the other hand, when the sensing unit 130 is a pressure sensor, it is possible to detect the landing and take-off of the drone unit 200 in the charging module 11 by detecting a pressure change due to the landing of the drone unit 200 .

In addition, when the sensing unit 130 is a temperature sensor, based on a temperature change that occurs during landing and charging of the drone unit 200 , the drone unit 200 has landed in the charging module 11 , it is being charged, and it takes off one can sense

Although not shown in FIG. 4 , the fixing unit 140 is physically coupled to the fixing unit 240 of the drone unit 200 , so that the drone unit 200 does not separate from the charging unit 100 during charging. have. Here, the fixing unit 140 may be installed so as not to interfere with the light incident on the photovoltaic unit 105 as much as possible.

Meanwhile, the fixing unit 140 may be made of a metal member having magnetism when a magnetic field is generated, and is preferably disposed under the photovoltaic unit 105 .

The control unit 150 may control the driving of the solar power generation unit 105 , the wireless communication unit 110 , the power transmission unit 120 , and the sensing unit 130 , and the solar power generation unit 105 , the wireless communication unit 110 . ), the power transmitter 120 , the detector 130 , and the power provider 160 may transmit and receive signals.

For example, the control unit 150 may control the wireless communication unit 110 to receive and process signals transmitted and received with the drone unit 200 , and the control unit 150 controls the power transmission unit 120 and the detection unit 130 . can transmit a signal, and can receive and process a specific signal sent from the power transmitter 120 , the detector 130 , and the power provider 160 .

Here, the detailed control process and signal processing process of the controller 150 will be described later.

The power supply unit 160 may be configured as a rechargeable battery capable of charging and discharging, and may store the power generated by the solar power generation unit 105 and provide the stored power to the power transmission unit 120 when necessary. .

Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 2 and 4 , the drone unit 200 includes a drone body 200a, a wireless communication unit 210 , a power receiver 220 , a battery 230 , a fixing unit 240 , and a control unit 250 . can do.

The wireless communication unit 210 may communicate with the wireless communication unit 110 of the charging unit 100 and may be configured as a communication module capable of transmitting and receiving signals.

Preferably, the wireless communication unit 210 is from at least one wireless communication module of LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), infrared communication (IrDA), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), and ZigBee. data can be received.

The power receiver 220 may include a plurality of coils, and may receive power by vibrating in association with the resonance frequency of the magnetic field transmitted from the power transmitter 120 .

The battery 230 supplies power required to drive the drone unit 200 and may be configured as a rechargeable battery capable of charging and discharging, and preferably configured as a lithium ion secondary battery capable of high output.

Meanwhile, the battery 230 is electrically connected to at least one or more chargeable/dischargeable battery cells and electrode terminals of the battery cells to protect the battery cells and a circuit module (not shown) for measuring the remaining capacity (SOC). ) can be configured to include.

As described above, the circuit module can measure the remaining capacity of the unit battery cells constituting the battery 230 and also detect the charging state and heat generation state of the battery cell in real time.

The fixing unit 240 may be physically coupled with the fixing unit 140 of the charging unit 100 to fix the drone unit 200 not to be separated from the charging module 11 during charging.

The fixing unit 240 may be composed of a leg of the drone body 200a, and may be composed of a metal member coupled to the fixing unit 140 having a magnetism.

The control unit 250 may control the operation of the wireless communication unit 210 , the power receiving unit 220 , and the battery 230 , and transmitting and receiving signals with the wireless communication unit 210 , the power receiving unit 220 and the battery 230 . can

For example, the control unit 250 may control the wireless communication unit 210 to receive and process signals transmitted and received with the charging unit 100 , and the control unit 250 controls the power receiving unit 220 and the battery 230 . A signal may be transmitted, and a specific signal transmitted from the power receiver 220 and the battery 230 may be received and processed.

On the other hand, the control unit 250 can calculate the required charging amount of the drone unit 200 that is currently requesting charging using the wireless charging control method according to the frequency allocation, and based on the charging amount and charging time in a single coil based on the maximum voltage value The maximum charge amount and bandwidth can be determined by changing the coil voltage value.

In addition, the control unit 250 performs 15V to 5V 2A (30W to 10W) charging, the frequency of the standard charging method is the same, and the bandwidth can be changed according to the amount of charge according to the voltage change. By changing the voltage value of the coil when approaching, the charge amount can be decreased step by step.

In addition, the control unit 250 may be fully charged when approaching the minimum charging stage of 5W to 2W after the step-by-step charging to complete the charging.

In addition, the controller 250 uses a band of 105 kHz to 140 kHz as a charging frequency according to the QI (chi) mode standard, which is a wireless charging standard, and the voltage required for charging may be changed according to the size of the wireless bandwidth. In general, when charging is performed at 5V (10W) under 2A conditions, it can be defined as a low-speed mode, between 5V to 15V (10W to 30W), a slow mode, and when the charging proceeds to 15V (30W), a high-speed mode. have.

Here, the detailed control process and signal processing process of the controller 250 will be described together with the controller 150 .

Hereinafter, functions of the control unit 150 and the control unit 250 in the wireless charging system 1000 for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention and a method of wireless charging a drone using the same will be described.

Here, in the method of wireless charging a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention, a series of processes processed by the charging unit 100 and the drone unit 200 will be sequentially described.

Here, the signal processing process of the charging unit 100 and the operation of each component, which will be described later, may be controlled through the controller 150 . In addition, the signal processing process of the drone unit 200 and the operation of each component may be controlled through the controller 250 .

The charging unit 100 transmits a first signal including location information of an installed place and information on whether charging is possible to the surroundings through the wireless communication unit 110 .

The drone unit 200 determines whether charging of the battery 230 is necessary based on the capacity information of the battery 230 .

Here, the circuit module (not shown) of the battery 230 periodically measures the remaining capacity of the battery 230 , and transmits the capacity information of the battery 230 to the controller 250 when the remaining capacity is less than or equal to a threshold value.

On the other hand, when the remaining capacity of the battery 230 is less than or equal to the threshold, the drone unit 200 opens a communication channel for receiving the first signal transmitted from the charging unit 100 through the wireless communication unit 210, and the first signal is Determine whether or not it is received.

If the first signal is not received in the vicinity, the drone unit 200 moves to the corresponding location based on the pre-stored location information of the charging unit 100 .

When the first signal is received in the vicinity, the drone unit 200 transmits a landing request signal to the charging unit 100 through the wireless communication unit 210 .

The charging unit 100 receives a landing request of the drone unit 200 through the wireless communication unit 110 , and transmits a second signal requesting identification information of the drone unit 200 to the drone unit 200 .

When the second signal is received from the charging unit 100 , the drone unit 200 transmits identification information to the charging unit 100 through the wireless communication unit 210 .

Here, the identification information of the drone unit 200 may include shape information of the drone unit 200, identification code information, owner personal information, battery information, owner contract information in the drone wireless charging system 1000, etc. .

Here, the owner may be mixed with a user who uses the drone's wireless charging system 1000 .

When the charging unit 100 receives the identification information of the drone unit 200 through the wireless communication unit 110 , the charging modules 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 and 18 of the charging station 10 ) It is determined whether there is a chargeable area in the middle, and whether the corresponding drone unit 200 can be landed.

If it is determined that the drone unit 200 cannot land on the charging modules 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 of the charging station 10, the charging unit 100 is connected to the wireless communication unit 110 ) to transmit a standby request signal to the drone unit 200 through the

Upon receiving the standby request signal from the charging unit 100 , the drone unit 200 waits around the charging unit 100 .

On the other hand, if it is determined that the drone unit 200 can be landed on the charging modules 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 of the charging station 10, the charging unit 100 sets the landing possible area. A landing area guidance signal for guiding is transmitted to the drone unit 200 through the wireless communication unit 110 .

Thereafter, upon receiving the landing available area guidance signal from the charging unit 100 , the drone unit 200 moves to the guided charging module (eg, 11 ) to land.

After that, the drone unit 200 lands on the guided charging module 11 , and transmits a fixation and charging request signal to the charging unit 100 through the wireless communication unit 210 .

When the charging unit 100 receives a fixing and charging request signal of the drone unit 200 through the wireless communication unit 110 , the fixing unit 140 generates a magnetic field in the charging module 11 , and the fixing unit 140 . The drone unit 200 is fixed to the charging module 11 of the charging station 10 through

Here, as described above, the fixing unit 140 is formed of a metal member having magnetism when a magnetic field is generated, and thus the fixing unit 240 of the drone unit 200 is magnetically fixed.

Thereafter, the charging unit 100 determines a charging method of the drone unit 200 based on the identification information of the drone unit 200 .

Here, the charging method determination may be performed according to a preset method as follows.

First, the charging unit 100 determines whether a recognition module (not shown) exists in the drone unit 200 based on identification information of the drone unit 200 .

If the recognition module does not exist in the drone unit 200, the charging unit 100 obtains a contact information through the user's personal information among the identification information of the drone unit 200, and sends the SNS to the contact information to input contract information to request

Thereafter, the charging unit 100 receives information separately input by the user.

The charging unit 100 calculates a load in consideration of the maximum user participation capacity that can be supplied with power based on the identification information stored in the recognition module in the corresponding drone unit 200 or the input information input by the user.

In the charging unit 100, the amount of power is not supplied indefinitely, but a certain amount of power can be supplied through a contract with KEPCO or a power provider, so the charging unit 100 identifies the number of drone units 200 being charged and , low-speed, slow-speed, and rapid charging methods are checked to determine the amount of electricity demanded by the corresponding drone units 200 and calculate the amount of power load.

Thereafter, the charging unit 100 applies the calculated power load and applies a weight to which the power load is applied.

In order to prevent excessive power demand or based on a power contract between a power supplier and a user, a weight is applied to charge the battery 230 of the drone unit 200 and classified into low speed, slow speed and fast charging.

Through this, the charging method can be all different depending on the drone unit 200, and when the battery 230 charging method of the specific drone unit 200 is selected only rapidly, and all charging is performed rapidly, the amount of power load This avoids problems that can lead to rapid climbs.

In addition, since the charging time varies depending on the time the drone unit 200 lands at the charging station 10, the amount of charging load that may occur for each time according to the arrival time is calculated and weighted according to the drone unit 200. The power distribution method for charging may be different.

Here, the charging unit 100 may charge the drone unit 200 by allocating resonance frequencies of different bandwidths to the plurality of drone units 200 .

The charging unit 100 divides all resonant frequencies of different bandwidths into channels having a constant frequency bandwidth, and the drone units 200 are allocated a channel required for wireless charging through a channel distribution method. of the charging method can be provided.

On the other hand, since the charging start varies according to the arrival time of the charging station 10 of the drone unit 200, the frequency and the channel that can be allocated to the drone gradually decrease according to time.

However, since it is impossible to predict that frequencies and channels will decrease at a certain rate, it is preferable to determine frequencies and bandwidths according to weights if there are no frequencies and channels of corresponding frequencies that can be assigned at a constant rate.

Here, a high weight means that a lot of frequency bandwidth (channels) required for wireless charging remains or that the frequency bandwidth can be used continuously for a certain period of time, so users using the bandwidth are stable and fast charging is possible , and the low weight means that the frequency bandwidth required for wireless charging is small or the frequency bandwidth is used alternately with others, so the user of the corresponding bandwidth must always find and move the empty bandwidth, so the battery 230 of the drone unit 200 Charging time may be longer.

Thereafter, the charging unit 100 may allocate a frequency by determining a priority according to the identification information after applying the corresponding weight.

Here, when the number of drone units 200 for charging the battery 230 of the drone unit 200 is small, frequency and channel allocation is performed smoothly, but when the number of drone units 200 for wireless charging increases, the charging station 10 ) is different, and a time difference also occurs depending on user input information (requirement for charging method) built into the drone unit 200 or manually input by the user. .

Thereafter, the charging unit 100 may compare charging costs of a plurality of users through the contract information, and may give priority to charging accordingly.

When there is a drone unit 200 that requires a different charging method, the charging unit 100 may give priority according to charging differentially due to the charging method charging system.

For example, the charging unit 100 allocates a wide frequency band by giving high priority to the drone unit 200 of the user who has contracted to pay a high fee, and the user's drone who has contracted to pay a low fee A bandwidth having a relatively low weight may be allocated to the unit 200 .

Here, in the power charging method using a radio frequency, the more frequencies and corresponding bandwidths required for charging, the faster the charging proceeds, so it is advantageous for charging to be allocated a large number of frequencies and bandwidths.

However, from the standpoint of providing wireless charging services, efficient frequency management is essential because wireless charging is carried out with a limited frequency according to the wireless charging standard, so infinite frequencies and frequency bands cannot be allocated. Since only the frequency band for charging is determined and there is no mention of how to use the frequency, for efficient management of the wireless charging frequency, the frequency is divided into frequency bands having the same interval, and this is called a channel, which has multiple channels on the same frequency. Depending on the acquisition, the remaining frequency bandwidth can be calculated and it is convenient for frequency management.

That is, when the number of allocated channels is large, the frequency bandwidth is widened, so fast charging is possible, and conversely, when the frequency bandwidth is narrowed, it can be switched to slow charging.

On the other hand, the charging unit 100 selects a method necessary for charging the battery 230 according to the operation purpose of the drone unit 200 in order to wirelessly charge the battery 230 built in the drone unit 200, and the method Since the user pays according to the time, once you have decided on the time, you can decide whether to charge fast or slow during that time.

For example, since it is a wireless charging method according to channel allocation, the charging unit 100 may charge the drone unit 200 at a low speed with a long charging time as needed.

Thereafter, the charging unit 100 determines whether it is possible to charge the drone unit 200 with a minimum amount of charge (minimum amount of power for operating the drone) according to a weight according to a power allowable range or a user selection.

In addition, the charging unit 100 determines whether the drone unit 200 can be rapidly charged according to the identification information of the drone unit 200 or a user input.

Since power is not supplied indefinitely and the frequencies for wireless charging are limited, when the drone units 200 are in the wireless charging station 10 to charge a large number of batteries, the frequency band that can be allocated with the supply contract power amount The charging unit 100 always takes into account.

In addition, since the user of the drone unit 200 pays a fee according to the corresponding charging method, the charging method and time may be determined according to the user's selection.

Accordingly, the charging unit 100 excluding the power consumed by the drone unit 200 waiting to be charged in the wireless charging station 10 for charging the battery 230 of the drone unit 200 and the remaining amount of power per hour and the corresponding drone unit Except for 200, a frequency band that can be newly allocated to the drone unit 200 for wireless charging is considered.

On the other hand, the charging unit 100 may request the user to change the charging method when the frequency band allocated by the specific drone unit 200 is small and the amount of power that can be supplied per hour is small, and according to the charging method change, the drone unit 200 ) of the frequency bandwidth can be reallocated.

Thereafter, the charging unit 100 may determine whether wireless charging is being performed within the range of the load in consideration of the load amount.

In addition, the charging unit 100 determines whether there is a drone unit 200 that has left the charging station 10 after it is determined that charging is complete, and whether there is an uncharged drone unit 200 with a battery remaining in the charging station 10 . It is determined, and if there is an uncharged drone unit 200, the amount of power load generated during charging is recalculated.

For example, when the charging of the battery 230 of the specific drone unit 200 is completed, it is wasteful to continue wirelessly supplying power to the corresponding battery 230 , so the remaining batteries 230 except for the fully charged battery 230 have a charge amount Considering this, the channel is reassigned according to the amount of contracted power to complete the battery charge for a given time.

Here, since there is a difference in the time the drone unit 200 arrives at the wireless charging station 10 for charging, even if all fast charging is selected, the drone unit 200 that arrives in the first priority will have the time when the charging is completed for the remaining drones. Since it is faster than the units 200 , it is possible to reduce the peak power consumption by distributing some power allocated to the corresponding battery to other batteries when the battery is fully charged without the need for continuous rapid charging.

Thereafter, the charging unit 100 charges the drone unit 200 according to the determined charging method.

Thereafter, the charging unit 100 determines whether the battery 230 of the corresponding drone unit 200 is fully charged.

Thereafter, when the charging unit 100 determines that charging of the battery 230 of the corresponding drone unit 200 is complete, the charging unit 100 transmits a takeoff request signal to the drone unit 200 .

Upon receiving the take-off request signal from the charging unit 100 , the drone unit 200 may complete take-off preparation and take off from the charging station 10 .

5 and 6 are exemplary views for explaining a process of combining neighboring charging modules in a wireless charging system for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged enlargement of areas A and B of FIG. 6 . It is also

Hereinafter, a process in which the adjacent first charging module 11 and the second charging module 12 are electrically connected will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 .

The control unit 150 disposed in the first charging module 11 may control the energization and disconnection between the first charging module 11 and the second charging module 12 .

Of course, the control unit 150 disposed in the second charging module 12 may also control the energization and disconnection between the first charging module 11 and the second charging module 12 .

The first charging module 11 may include a plurality of terminals 106 and 107 disposed along the circumference.

Each of the plurality of terminals 106 and 107 is electrically connected to the solar power generation unit 105 , the wireless communication unit 110 , the power transmission unit 120 , the sensing unit 130 , and the control unit 150 in the first charging module 11 . can be connected to

Here, as for the plurality of terminals 106 and 107 , a pair of terminals 106 and 107 may be disposed on each side of the first charging module 11 . The pair of terminals 106 and 107 may include a first terminal 106 and a second terminal 107 . Here, the first terminal 106 may be a negative terminal, and the second terminal 107 may be a positive terminal.

Meanwhile, the first terminal 106 may be concave and the convex terminal of the neighboring charging module may be inserted, and the second terminal 107 may be convex and inserted into the concave terminal of the neighboring charging module.

Meanwhile, the second terminal 107 may include pressure sensing members 107a and 107b, so that the pressure applied when the second terminal 107 is coupled can be sensed. Here, when the pressure applied to the pressure sensing members 107a and 107b exceeds a preset pressure, the controller 150 may energize the first charging module 11 and the second charging module 12 .

The second charging module 21 may include a plurality of terminals 108 and 109 disposed along the circumference.

Each of the plurality of terminals 108 , 109 is electrically connected to the solar power generation unit 105 , the wireless communication unit 110 , the power transmission unit 120 , the sensing unit 130 , and the control unit 150 in the second charging module 12 . can be connected to

Here, as for the plurality of terminals 108 and 109 , a pair of terminals 108 and 109 may be disposed on each side of the second charging module 12 . The pair of terminals 108 and 109 may include a first terminal 109 and a second terminal 108 . Here, the first terminal 108 may be a positive terminal, and the second terminal 109 may be a negative terminal.

On the other hand, the first terminal 108 may be formed to be convex and inserted into the concave terminal of the neighboring charging module, and the second terminal 109 may be formed to be concave and the convex terminal of the neighboring charging module may be inserted.

On the other hand, the first terminal 108 may include pressure sensing members 109a and 109b to sense the pressure applied when the first terminal 108 is coupled. Here, when the pressure applied to the pressure sensing member 108a exceeds a preset pressure, the controller 150 may energize the first charging module 11 and the second charging module 12 .

In a specific example, the terminal coupling in the first charging module 11 and the second charging module 12 may be divided into a first step coupling and a second step coupling.

The first stage combining may be as shown in FIG. 7A, and the second stage combining may be as shown in FIG. 7B.

First, referring to FIG. 7A , pressure sensing members 107a and 107b may be disposed on the terminal 107 of the first charging module 11 .

The pressure sensing members 107a and 107b may include a pin 107a and an elastic body 107b.

Here, one end of the pin 107a may protrude to the outside of the terminal 107 , and the other end may be accommodated inside the terminal 107 . The elastic body 107b may be disposed inside the terminal 107 and disposed between the other end of the pin 107a and the terminal to be compressed by pressure applied to the pin 107a.

In the first stage combination, the terminal 107 of the first charging module 11 may be inserted into the terminal 109 of the second charging module 12 . Here, since no external pressure is applied to the pin 107a, the elastic body 107b may have a maximum length T1.

In the second stage coupling, the terminal 107 of the first charging module 11 may be inserted to a greater depth into the terminal 109 of the second charging module 12 . Here, external pressure is applied to the pin 107a, and the elastic body 107b may have a reduced length T2 by being compressed by the pressure applied to the pin 107a.

Here, the control unit 150 may measure the length (T1 or T2) of the elastic body 107b, and when the length of the elastic body 107b is compressed to a predetermined length T2 or less, the first connected body 107b based on this time point The charging module 11 and the second charging module 12 may be energized.

Here, although not shown, the control unit 150 may further include a length sensor (not shown) for measuring the length T1 or T2 of the elastic body 107b, and the elastic body 107b using the length value measured by the length sensor. ) length (T1 or T2) can be detected.

Meanwhile, the example shown in FIG. 7 is only a specific example, and the controller 150 detects the pressure applied to the terminal in various embodiments, and when the applied pressure exceeds a preset threshold pressure, the first adjacently connected first The charging module 11 and the second charging module 12 may be energized.

For example, in another example, the pressure sensing member may be composed of a pin receiving pressure and a pressure sensor (such as a load cell or a piezoelectric sensor) disposed at the rear end of the pin, and the control unit 150 receives the pressure information applied to the pressure sensor. can be delivered

On the other hand, when the applied pressure exceeds a preset threshold pressure, the control unit 150 may emit light to the third light emitting unit 101c to intuitively guide the normal energization state to the outside.

8 is an exemplary view schematically illustrating an inlay structure of a control unit in a wireless charging system for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a plan view taken along the line A-A' of FIG. It is a bottom view seen in the cutting direction of line B-B' of FIG. 8 .

Hereinafter, the structure of the control unit 150 will be further described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10 .

8 to 10 , the controller 150 may be configured as a circuit board having an inlay structure.

For example, the control unit 150 may include a main layer 121 , a main circuit 122 configured for each layer on the main layer 121 , and a bypass circuit 123 configured for each layer on the main layer 121 . .

As described above, the main layer 121 may control the operation of the solar power generation unit 105 , the wireless communication unit 110 , the power transmission unit 120 , and the sensing unit 130 , and the solar power generation unit 105 . ), the wireless communication unit 110 , the power transmission unit 120 , the sensing unit 130 , and the power supply unit 160 , and may perform a function of transmitting and receiving signals.

The main circuit 122 may include an anode circuit 122a electrically connected to the anode terminal and a cathode circuit 122b electrically connected to the cathode terminal. The anode circuit 122a and the cathode circuit 122b may be spaced apart from each other and disposed on each layer, and the solar power generation unit 105, the wireless communication unit 110, the power transmission unit 120, the sensing unit 130, and the power supply unit It may be electrically connected to the study 160 .

The bypass circuit 123 may include a positive bypass circuit 123a electrically connected to the positive terminal and a negative bypass circuit 123b electrically connected to the negative terminal. The positive bypass circuit 123a and the negative bypass circuit 123b may be spaced apart from each other and disposed in layers.

The control unit 150 may transmit the power generated by the solar power generation unit 105 to the neighboring charging module 12 and the power supply unit 160 through the main circuit 122, and if necessary, the power supply unit 160 ) and the power received from the charging module 12 may be transmitted to the power transmitter 120 .

Meanwhile, the control unit 150 may detect whether the solar power generation unit 105 and the power transmission unit 120 are defective, and at least one of the solar power generation unit 105 and the power transmission unit 120 is determined to be defective. In this case, the power transfer is performed between the neighboring charging modules 12 and 15 through the bypass circuit 123 , and the main circuit 122 is cut off to prevent additional power generation and consumption in the own charging module 11 . You can avoid doing it.

The above detailed description is illustrative of the present invention. In addition, the above description shows and describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, changes or modifications are possible within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed herein, the scope equivalent to the written disclosure, and/or within the scope of skill or knowledge in the art. The written embodiment describes the best state for implementing the technical idea of the present invention, and various changes required in specific application fields and uses of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the detailed description of the present invention is not intended to limit the present invention to the disclosed embodiments. Also, the appended claims should be construed to include other embodiments.

1000: drone's wireless charging system
100: charging unit
10: charging station
11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18: charging module
101: light emitting unit
105: solar power generation unit
110: wireless communication unit
120: power transmitter
130: sensing unit
140: fixed part
150: control unit
200: drone unit
210: wireless communication unit
220: power receiver
230: battery
240: fixed part
250: control unit

Claims (8)

In the drone charging system for charging the drone unit,
a charging unit for charging the battery of the landed drone unit; including,
The charging unit includes a plurality of electrically connected charging modules,
Each of the plurality of charging modules is
Solar power generation unit that generates power through incident sunlight,
A power transmitter for wirelessly transmitting power to the drone unit through the power generated by the photovoltaic unit; and
A control unit for controlling the operation of the solar power generation unit and the power transmission unit,
The plurality of charging modules include a first charging module and a second charging module adjacent to the first charging module,
The control unit disposed in the first charging module is a wireless charging system for a drone that controls the energization and disconnection between the first charging module and the second charging module.
According to claim 1,
The control unit includes a main circuit and a bypass circuit,
The plurality of charging modules further include a third charging module adjacent to the first charging module,
When the control unit disposed in the first charging module determines that at least one of the solar power generation unit and the power transmission unit is defective in the first charging module,
A wireless charging system for a drone that connects the second charging module and the third charging module with a bypass circuit.
3. The method of claim 2,
Each of the plurality of charging modules is
a terminal connected to the main circuit and the bypass circuit;
When the terminal of the first charging module is combined with the terminal of the second charging module, the first charging module and the second charging module are electrically connected to the drone's wireless charging system.
4. The method of claim 3,
The terminal includes a pressure sensing member,
When the terminal of the first charging module and the terminal of the second charging module are coupled,
The control unit is a wireless charging system for a drone that energizes the first charging module and the second charging module when the pressure provided to the pressure sensing member exceeds a preset pressure.
5. The method of claim 4,
Each of the plurality of charging modules includes a light emitting unit disposed on the surface and emitting light under the control of the control unit,
the light emitting part
A first light emitting unit that emits light during power generation in the solar power generation unit,
A second light emitting unit that emits a first light when the drone unit is seated, and emits a second light different from the first light when wirelessly transmitting power to the drone unit; and
a third light emitting unit that emits light when the pressure applied to the pressure sensing member exceeds a preset pressure; and
A wireless charging system for a drone comprising a fourth light emitting unit that emits light when at least one of the solar power generation unit and the power transmitting unit is defective.
5. The method of claim 4,
The pressure sensing member is
a pin coupled so that one side protrudes to the outside of the terminal; and
A wireless charging system for a drone that is disposed inside the terminal and includes an elastic body connected to the other side of the pin.
7. The method of claim 6,
The control unit is
Measuring the change in the length of the elastic body,
When the length of the elastic body is compressed to be less than or equal to a preset length, the drone's wireless charging system energizes the first charging module and the second charging module.
According to claim 1,
The drone wireless charging system further comprising a power supply unit that stores the power generated by the photovoltaic unit and provides power to the power transmitting unit upon request.

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