Drone docking structure of autonomous vehicle and a method for delivery using the same
View Patent ↗A drone docking structure of an autonomous vehicle can include: a coil housing having a space for docking a drone to the vehicle; a docking cover configured to open or close a top portion of the coil housing according to whether the drone is docked; and a motor housing installed on a side surface of the coil housing and including a motor configured to actuate the docking cover.
1. A method for delivery using a drone docking structure of an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
transmitting, by a telematics controller controlling an operation of the vehicle, a landing signal to a sunroof controller of the vehicle for docking a drone to the vehicle;
docking, by the sunroof controller, the drone to the vehicle, the docking of the drone to the vehicle comprising:
receiving the landing signal from the telematics controller,
opening a sunroof of the vehicle,
applying power to a docking cover configured to open and close a top portion of a coil housing,
applying power to a coil in the coil housing, and
docking the drone to the coil housing and a plurality of corners of the sunroof; and
dismounting the drone from the vehicle by closing the sunroof and releasing the power in response to receiving a dismount signal from the telematics controller.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the docking of the drone to the vehicle further comprises:
applying, by the sunroof controller, the power to a motor configured to actuate the docking cover.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coil is arranged on an inner wall of the coil housing in a spiral shape.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
magnetizing a mounting core in the form of an electromagnet due to a magnetic field of the coil, the mounting core having a predetermined length from a center of a bottom portion of the coil housing; and
fixing legs of the drone in the magnetized mounting core.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drone is dismounted from the vehicle after the drone performs a delivery operation.