公开(公告)号：US09926084B2

公开(公告)日：2018-03-27

申请号：US15291878

申请日：2016-10-12

Applicant: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation

Inventor： James Peverill ,  Adam Woodworth ,  Benjamin Freudberg ,  Dan Cottrell ,  Terrence McKenna

IPC: B64F1/02 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G05D1/10 ,  B60L11/18 ,  B64F1/36 ,  B64C25/68 ,  B64D47/04 ,  B64D47/08 ,  G06K9/00

CPC classification number: B64F1/02 ,  B60L11/1816 ,  B60L11/1838 ,  B60L2200/10 ,  B64C25/68 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/028 ,  B64C2201/042 ,  B64C2201/06 ,  B64C2201/066 ,  B64C2201/123 ,  B64C2201/127 ,  B64C2201/141 ,  B64C2201/182 ,  B64D47/04 ,  B64D47/08 ,  B64F1/362 ,  G05D1/101 ,  G06K9/0063

Abstract: An aerial vehicle landing station comprising a first post and a second post, wherein the second post is spaced apart from the first post and a cable to capture an aerial vehicle, wherein the cable is stretched between the first post and the second post and configured to support the weight of the aerial vehicle once captured and the cable may provide a charging current to the aerial vehicle once captured. One or more markers may be further positioned on the cable to designate a landing point, wherein the one or more markers are configured to be visually tracked by the aerial vehicle. A cable management device coupled to the cable via one or more pulleys may regulate tension of the cable. A communications transceiver at the aerial vehicle landing station may wirelessly communicate data with the aerial vehicle.

公开(公告)号：US20180057136A1

公开(公告)日：2018-03-01

申请号：US15692524

申请日：2017-08-31

Applicant: HORIZON HOBBY, LLC

Inventor： James Haley ,  Mike McConville ,  Aaron Shell ,  Chris Huhn ,  Dustin Buescher

IPC: B64C1/26 ,  B64C3/56 ,  B64C39/02

CPC classification number: B64C1/26 ,  A63H27/001 ,  B64C3/56 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2039/105 ,  B64C2201/028 ,  B64C2201/104 ,  B64C2201/146 ,  B64C2201/165 ,  B64C2211/00

Abstract: Remote control aircraft may benefit from airframes with components that are easy to connect and disconnect. For example, during repair, storage, or transport, it is beneficial to disconnect a wing from a fuselage of a remote controlled aircraft. Systems and methods for connecting and disconnecting airframe components are described herein. For example, a snap-fit mechanism is used in some instances to provide a solid connection during operation or flight, and also to quickly and easily disconnect components at various times, such as during repair, storage, or transport. The snap-fit mechanism allows for a quick disconnect without the use of tools and without causing any loose parts.

公开(公告)号：US20180048828A1

公开(公告)日：2018-02-15

申请号：US15672775

申请日：2017-08-09

Applicant: PARROT DRONES

Inventor： Henri Seydoux ,  Frédéric Pirat ,  Arnaud Chauveur

IPC: H04N5/232 ,  B64D47/08 ,  G01C21/18 ,  B64C39/02

CPC classification number: H04N5/23296 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/021 ,  B64C2201/028 ,  B64C2201/104 ,  B64C2201/127 ,  B64C2201/146 ,  B64D47/08 ,  G01C21/18 ,  G03B15/006 ,  G05D1/0038 ,  G05D1/0094 ,  G05D1/0808 ,  G05D1/101 ,  H04N5/23203 ,  H04N5/23293

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for capturing a video using a camera on board a fixed-wing drone, the camera comprising an image sensor, the fixed-wing drone comprising an inertial unit configured to measure the roll angle, the pitch angle and/or the yaw angle of the fixed-wing drone 57858. This method comprises obtaining one or more images corresponding to a zone of the sensor with reduced dimensions relative to those of the sensor and associated with a shot reference, the position of the zone being determined from the orientation of the shot reference obtained as a function of the roll angle, the pitch angle and/or the yaw angle of the fixed-wing drone.

公开(公告)号：US20180039272A1

公开(公告)日：2018-02-08

申请号：US15672264

申请日：2017-08-08

Applicant: PARROT DRONES

Inventor： Henri SEYDOUX ,  Frédéric PIRAT ,  Arnaud VAN DEN BOSSCHE

IPC: G05D1/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D47/08

CPC classification number: G05D1/0088 ,  A63H30/04 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C39/10 ,  B64C2201/00 ,  B64C2201/028 ,  B64C2201/104 ,  B64C2201/141 ,  B64C2201/146 ,  B64C2203/00 ,  B64D47/08 ,  G05D1/0038 ,  G05D1/101

Abstract: A module for a drone that integrates an electronic circuit and one or more sensors for the attitude, altitude, speed, orientation and/or position of the drone in the same one-piece housing. The module also integrates an electronic power circuit that receives set command values prepared by the processor of the electronic circuit on the basis of the data provided by the integrated sensors and provides, as an output, corresponding signals for directly supplying current or voltage to the propulsion means of the drone and to the control surfaces.

公开(公告)号：US09851716B2

公开(公告)日：2017-12-26

申请号：US15369774

申请日：2016-12-05

Applicant: Airphrame, Inc.

Inventor： Bret Kugelmass

IPC: G05D1/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G08G5/00

CPC classification number: H04Q9/00 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/021 ,  B64C2201/028 ,  B64C2201/042 ,  B64C2201/123 ,  B64C2201/127 ,  B64C2201/141 ,  B64C2201/145 ,  G05D1/0088 ,  G05D1/0094 ,  G05D1/042 ,  G05D1/101 ,  G05D1/104 ,  G06T1/0014 ,  G06T11/206 ,  G06T11/60 ,  G08G5/0013 ,  G08G5/0039 ,  G08G5/0069 ,  H04N7/181 ,  H04Q2209/40 ,  H04W28/065

Abstract: One variation of a method for imaging an area of interest includes: within a user interface, receiving a selection for a set of interest points on a digital map of a physical area and receiving a selection for a resolution of a geospatial map; identifying a ground area corresponding to the set of interest points for imaging during a mission; generating a flight path over the ground area for execution by an unmanned aerial vehicle during the mission; setting an altitude for the unmanned aerial vehicle along the flight path based on the selection for the resolution of the geospatial map and an optical system arranged within the unmanned aerial vehicle; setting a geospatial accuracy requirement for the mission based on the selection for the mission type; and assembling a set of images captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle during the mission into the geospatial map.

公开(公告)号：US09784243B2

公开(公告)日：2017-10-10

申请号：US15167415

申请日：2016-05-27

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Damon Vander Lind ,  Thomas Van Alsenoy ,  Richard Wayne DeVaul

IPC: F03D9/00 ,  H02P9/04 ,  B63H9/06 ,  C07C29/141 ,  B64C31/06 ,  F03D5/00 ,  B64C27/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D3/00 ,  B64D47/00 ,  B64F3/02 ,  H02K7/18

CPC classification number: F03D9/32 ,  B63H9/0685 ,  B63H2009/0692 ,  B64C27/00 ,  B64C31/06 ,  B64C39/022 ,  B64C2201/021 ,  B64C2201/024 ,  B64C2201/028 ,  B64C2201/145 ,  B64C2201/205 ,  B64C2201/206 ,  B64C2201/208 ,  B64D3/00 ,  B64D47/00 ,  B64F3/02 ,  C07C29/141 ,  F03D5/00 ,  F03D9/008 ,  F03D9/11 ,  F03D9/25 ,  F03D80/80 ,  F05B2240/917 ,  F05B2240/921 ,  H02K7/1838 ,  Y02E10/70 ,  Y02E10/725 ,  Y02E10/728

Abstract: A vehicle-based airborne wind turbine system having an aerial wing, a plurality of rotors each having a plurality of rotatable blades positioned on the aerial wing, an electrically conductive tether secured to the aerial wing and secured to a ground station positioned on a vehicle, wherein the aerial wing is adapted to receive electrical power from the vehicle that is delivered to the aerial wing through the electrically conductive tether; wherein the aerial wing is adapted to operate in a flying mode to harness wind energy to provide a first pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle; and wherein the aerial wing is also adapted to operate in a powered flying mode wherein the rotors may be powered so that the turbine blades serve as thrust-generating propellers to provide a second pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle.

公开(公告)号：US20170217585A1

公开(公告)日：2017-08-03

申请号：US15328611

申请日：2015-07-21

Applicant: ATMOS UAV B.V.

Inventor： Sander HULSMAN ,  Jurjen DE GROOT ,  Maarten MILIS ,  Dirk Lucas Eduard DOKTER ,  Joost Leon BOUMAN ,  Ruud KNOOPS

IPC: B64C29/02 ,  B64C39/02

CPC classification number: B64C29/02 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/028 ,  B64C2201/042 ,  B64C2201/088 ,  B64C2201/104 ,  B64C2201/108 ,  B64C2201/165

Abstract: An aircraft, in particular an unmanned aerial vehicle with wing-borne flight mode and hover flight mode, comprises a wing structure (4) having a left (6), middle (7), and right wing section (8). A support structure extends from the wing structure (4), and has an upper and lower support section. Each one of the left and right wing section (6, 8), and upper and lower support section (18, 20) has a thrust unit (10, 12, 22, 24). Left and right wingtip sections are rotatable relative to a left and right wing base section, respectively, around an axis extending substantially in a lengthwise direction of the wing structure. The thrust units (10,12) of the left and right wing sections(6, 8) are provided at the respective wingtip sections, in particular at the extremities thereof.

公开(公告)号：US09714087B2

公开(公告)日：2017-07-25

申请号：US14583388

申请日：2014-12-26

Applicant: Hari Matsuda

Inventor： Hari Matsuda

IPC: B64C29/02 ,  B64C39/02

CPC classification number: B64C29/02 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/028 ,  B64C2201/127 ,  B64C2201/128 ,  B64C2201/141

Abstract: A vertical takeoff/landing capable, multi-engine aircraft with an airfoil without elevator or rudder surfaces is provided. Strut apertures accommodate vertical and horizontal translation of the airfoil in reference to engine supporting struts which are disposed through the apertures, opposite ends of the struts extending to opposite sides of the airfoil, wherein the struts are adjustably attached to the airfoil. A first and second plurality of engines are attached to ends of the struts, an attachment position of the plurality of engines to the struts is horizontally adjustable. A computerized engine controller, controls thrusts of the engines, to enable the aircraft to vertically lift off/land and re-orient itself to horizontally fly, and perform thrust-initiated elevator and rudder emulating flight. An external payload-to-delivery mating mechanism is attached to the bottom of the payload, which mates to a pole leading to the payload receptacle. Transceivers facilitate precise transfer of the payload.

公开(公告)号：US09625913B2

公开(公告)日：2017-04-18

申请号：US14963827

申请日：2015-12-09

Applicant: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Inc.

Inventor： Vladimir V. Golubev ,  William MacKunis

IPC: B64C15/00 ,  B64C15/02 ,  B64C15/14 ,  B64C39/00 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G05D1/08 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G05D1/10

CPC classification number: G05D1/0825 ,  B64C15/14 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C39/028 ,  B64C2201/028 ,  B64C2201/104 ,  B64C2230/18 ,  G05D1/101 ,  Y02T50/166

Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided with a plurality of synthetic jet actuators and a nonlinear robust controller. The controller compensates for uncertainty in a mathematic model that describes the function of the synthetic jet actuators. Compensation is provided by the use of constant feedforward best guess estimates that eliminate the need for more highly computationally burdensome approaches such as the use of time-varying adaptive parameter estimation algorithms.

公开(公告)号：US20160318609A1

公开(公告)日：2016-11-03

申请号：US15144708

申请日：2016-05-02

Applicant: Other Lab, LLC

Inventor： Peter Sturt Lynn ,  Becker van Niekerk ,  Saul Thomas Griffith

IPC: B64D9/00 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64C3/56 ,  B64C39/10 ,  B64C39/06 ,  B64C3/16 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D1/22

CPC classification number: B64C3/16 ,  B64C3/56 ,  B64C27/20 ,  B64C29/0033 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C39/06 ,  B64C39/062 ,  B64C39/066 ,  B64C2201/027 ,  B64C2201/028 ,  B64C2201/108 ,  B64C2201/128 ,  B64D1/22 ,  Y02T50/12

Abstract: A tethered wing comprising an aerodynamic wing body defining external and internal faces and a plurality of rotors disposed on the wing body. The tether wing can further include a tether configured to extend and retract. The tethered wing can be configured to perform a payload pickup maneuver that includes coupling the tether to a payload with the tether in an extended configuration, taking off in a vertical flight configuration proximate to the tethered payload, transitioning to a horizontal flight configuration over the tethered payload and circling and ascending over the tethered payload to lift the tethered payload into the air via the tether.

Abstract translation: 一种拴翼，其包括限定外表面和内表面的空气动力学翼体和设置在翼体上的多个转子。 系绳翼还可以包括构造成延伸和缩回的系绳。 拴系机翼可以被配置为执行有效载荷拾取操作，其包括将系绳耦合到具有扩展配置的系绳的有效载荷，在垂直飞行配置中靠近有束缚的有效载荷起飞，转换到拴系的水平飞行配置 有效载荷并盘旋并在有系统的有效载荷上升起，以将系留的有效载荷通过系绳提升到空气中。