公开(公告)号：US12043371B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-23

申请号：US18183530

申请日：2023-03-14

Applicant: Aerostar International, LLC

Inventor： Kevin Anderson ,  Nathan Winder

IPC: B64C15/02 ,  B64B1/40 ,  B64B1/62 ,  F04D29/059 ,  F16C19/06 ,  F16C21/00 ,  F16C23/08 ,  F16C25/08 ,  B64U10/30

CPC classification number: B64C15/02 ,  B64B1/40 ,  B64B1/62 ,  F04D29/059 ,  F16C19/06 ,  F16C21/00 ,  F16C23/08 ,  F16C25/083 ,  B64U10/30 ,  B64U2201/10 ,  F04C2240/50 ,  F16C2229/00 ,  F16C2380/26

Abstract: A system for an unmanned aerial vehicle can include an altitude control system, which further includes a compressor assembly, a valve assembly, and an electronics assembly. The compressor assembly may include a driveshaft and a bearing assembly configured to rotate the driveshaft. The driveshaft may be formed from a first material and a compressor housing may be formed from a second material. The first and second materials may have different rates of thermal expansion. A dynamic preloading mechanism, such as a flexible plate, may be provided within the compressor assembly to exert a preloading force on the bearing assembly. Throughout the duration of the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the preloading mechanism can continually compensate for differences in rates of thermal expansion between the first and second materials throughout.

公开(公告)号：US12037137B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-16

申请号：US18114030

申请日：2023-02-24

Applicant: Workhorse Group Inc.

Inventor： Jay Ratajczak ,  Wei Wei ,  Haonan Zhang ,  Thaddeus Bort ,  Scott Wilson

IPC: B64F1/36 ,  B60L5/36 ,  B60L50/60 ,  B60L53/14 ,  B60L53/80 ,  B64C1/06 ,  B64C1/30 ,  B64C25/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D1/10 ,  B64D1/12 ,  B64D1/22 ,  B64D27/24 ,  B64D31/00 ,  B64D41/00 ,  B64F1/32 ,  B64U20/70 ,  B66D1/48 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G08G5/00 ,  B64D45/00 ,  B64U10/13 ,  B64U30/20 ,  B64U50/13 ,  B64U50/19 ,  B64U70/00 ,  B64U80/70 ,  B64U80/86 ,  B64U101/60

CPC classification number: B64F1/364 ,  B60L5/36 ,  B60L50/66 ,  B60L53/14 ,  B60L53/80 ,  B64C1/061 ,  B64C1/30 ,  B64C25/001 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64D1/10 ,  B64D1/12 ,  B64D1/22 ,  B64D27/24 ,  B64D31/00 ,  B64D41/00 ,  B64F1/32 ,  B64U20/70 ,  B66D1/48 ,  G05D1/0094 ,  G05D1/101 ,  G05D1/106 ,  G08G5/0069 ,  B60L2200/10 ,  B64D2045/0085 ,  B64U10/13 ,  B64U30/20 ,  B64U50/13 ,  B64U50/19 ,  B64U70/00 ,  B64U80/70 ,  B64U80/86 ,  B64U2101/60 ,  B64U2201/10

Abstract: A method according to certain embodiments generally involves operating a system including an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a base station. The base station includes a nest including an upper opening having an upper opening diameter and a lower opening having a lower opening diameter less than the upper opening diameter. The lower opening is accessible from within the base station. The method generally includes landing the UAV within the nest such that a portion of the UAV is accessible via the lower opening, releasably attaching a load to the UAV, and operating the UAV to deliver the load to a destination.

公开(公告)号：US12030403B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-09

申请号：US17657776

申请日：2022-04-04

Applicant: Asylon, Inc.

Inventor： Damon C. Henry ,  Adam I. Mohamed ,  Brent McLaughlin ,  David Dones

IPC: B60L53/80 ,  B60L53/35 ,  B60L53/36 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D45/08 ,  B64F1/00 ,  B64F1/12 ,  B64F1/20 ,  B64F1/36 ,  G05D1/00 ,  B64U50/19 ,  B64U50/34 ,  B64U70/00

CPC classification number: B60L53/80 ,  B60L53/35 ,  B60L53/36 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64D45/08 ,  B64F1/007 ,  B64F1/12 ,  B64F1/20 ,  B64F1/362 ,  G05D1/0027 ,  G05D1/0676 ,  B60L2200/10 ,  B64U50/19 ,  B64U50/34 ,  B64U70/00 ,  B64U2201/10 ,  Y02T10/70 ,  Y02T10/7072 ,  Y02T90/12 ,  Y02T90/14

Abstract: A reconfigurable system capable of autonomously exchanging material from unmanned vehicles of various types and sizes. The system comprises an environmental enclosure, a landing area, a universal mechanical system to load and unload material from the unmanned vehicle, and a central processor that manages the aforementioned tasks. The landing area may comprise a one or more visible or non-visible markers/emitters capable of generating composite images to assist in landing the unmanned vehicle upon the reconfigurable, autonomous system.

公开(公告)号：US20240219903A1

公开(公告)日：2024-07-04

申请号：US18408719

申请日：2024-01-10

Applicant: Skydio, Inc.

Inventor： Brett Michael Bethke ,  Bernard J. Michini ,  Jonathan Anders Lovegren ,  Patrick Michael Bouffard

IPC: G05D1/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G05D1/22 ,  G05D1/221 ,  G05D1/222 ,  G05D1/228 ,  G05D1/49 ,  G08G5/00 ,  B64D47/08 ,  B64U10/13 ,  B64U101/30

CPC classification number: G05D1/0016 ,  B64C39/024 ,  G05D1/22 ,  G05D1/221 ,  G05D1/222 ,  G05D1/228 ,  G05D1/49 ,  G08G5/0069 ,  B64D47/08 ,  B64U10/13 ,  B64U2101/30 ,  B64U2201/10 ,  B64U2201/104 ,  B64U2201/20

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for unmanned aerial vehicle modular command priority determination and filtering system. One of the methods includes enabling control of the UAV by a first control source that provides modular commands to the UAV, each modular command being a command associated with performance of one or more actions by the UAV. Modular commands from a second control source requesting control of the UAV are received. The second control source is determined to be in control of the UAV based on priority information associated with each control source. Control of the UAV is enabled by the second control source, and modular commands are implemented.

公开(公告)号：US12025993B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-02

申请号：US18213226

申请日：2023-06-22

Applicant: Wing Aviation LLC

Inventor： Jesse Blake ,  James Schmalzried ,  Scott Velez ,  Andre Prager ,  Eric Teller ,  Matthew Nubbe

IPC: G05D1/10 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G06Q10/0631 ,  G06Q10/083 ,  G06Q50/40 ,  B64U101/60

CPC classification number: G05D1/104 ,  B64C39/024 ,  G05D1/0094 ,  G06Q10/06315 ,  G06Q10/083 ,  G06Q50/40 ,  B64U2101/60 ,  B64U2201/10 ,  B64U2201/20

Abstract: An example method involves determining an expected demand level for a first type of a plurality of types of transport tasks for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the first type of transport tasks associated with a first payload type. Each of the UAVs is physically reconfigurable between at least a first and a second configuration corresponding to the first payload type and a second payload type, respectively. The method also involves determining based on the expected demand level for the first type of transport tasks, (i) a first number of UAVs having the first configuration and (ii) a second number of UAVs having the second configuration. The method further involves, at or near a time corresponding to the expected demand level, providing one or more UAVs to perform the transport tasks, including at least the first number of UAVs.

公开(公告)号：US12024276B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-02

申请号：US16973153

申请日：2019-11-05

Applicant: Rakuten Group, Inc.

Inventor： Mitsuru Nakazawa ,  Jun Takizawa

IPC: B64C13/18 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D47/08 ,  G05D1/00

CPC classification number: B64C13/18 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64D47/08 ,  G05D1/0816 ,  G05D1/0858 ,  G05D1/102 ,  B64U2201/10

Abstract: A first attitude estimation unit 16 estimates an attitude of an UAV 1 by performing a Visual-SLAM on the basis of detection values detected by an imaging unit 14, and a second attitude estimation unit 17 estimates an attitude of the UAV 1 on the basis of detection values detected by a rotation angle detection unit 15. And then a control unit 18 controls the attitude of the UAV 1 by utilizing a first attitude estimation result from the first attitude estimation unit 16 and a second attitude estimation result from the second attitude estimation unit 17 at a ratio based on positional information of the UAV 1.

公开(公告)号：US20240200949A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-20

申请号：US18519352

申请日：2023-11-27

Applicant: Skydio, Inc.

Inventor： Bernard J. Michini ,  Fabien Blanc-Paques

IPC: G01C21/20 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64U101/30

CPC classification number: G01C21/20 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64U2101/30 ,  B64U2201/10

Abstract: In some implementations, a UAV flight system can dynamically adjust UAV flight operations based on thermal sensor data. For example, the flight system can determine an initial flight plan for inspecting a flare stack and configure a UAV to perform an aerial inspection of the flare stack. Once airborne, the UAV can collect thermal sensor data and the flight system can automatically adjust the flight plan to avoid thermal damage to the UAV based on the thermal sensor data.

公开(公告)号：US12012224B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-18

申请号：US17898619

申请日：2022-08-30

Applicant: Skydio, Inc.

Inventor： Benjamin Scott Thompson ,  Adam Parker Bry ,  Asher Mendel Robbins-Rothman ,  Abraham Galton Bachrach ,  Yevgeniy Kozlenko ,  Kevin Patrick Smith O'Leary ,  Patrick Allen Lowe ,  Daniel Thomas Adams ,  Justin Michael Sadowski ,  Zachary Albert West ,  Josiah Timothy VanderMey

IPC: B64D47/08 ,  B64C27/00 ,  B64C27/32 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G06V20/13 ,  G06V20/17 ,  B64U101/30

CPC classification number: B64D47/08 ,  B64C27/001 ,  B64C27/32 ,  B64C39/024 ,  G06V20/13 ,  G06V20/17 ,  B64U2101/30 ,  B64U2201/10

Abstract: An introduced autonomous aerial vehicle can include multiple cameras for capturing images of a surrounding physical environment that are utilized for motion planning by an autonomous navigation system. In some embodiments, the cameras can be integrated into one or more rotor assemblies that house powered rotors to free up space within the body of the aerial vehicle. In an example embodiment, an aerial vehicle includes multiple upward-facing cameras and multiple downward-facing cameras with overlapping fields of view to enable stereoscopic computer vision in a plurality of directions around the aerial vehicle. Similar camera arrangements can also be implemented in fixed-wing aerial vehicles.

公开(公告)号：US20240160220A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-16

申请号：US18213226

申请日：2023-06-22

Applicant: Wing Aviation LLC

Inventor： Jesse Blake ,  James Schmalzried ,  Scott Velez ,  Andre Prager ,  Eric Teller ,  Matthew Nubbe

IPC: G05D1/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G06Q10/0631 ,  G06Q10/083 ,  G06Q50/40 ,  B64U101/60

CPC classification number: G05D1/104 ,  B64C39/024 ,  G06Q10/06315 ,  G06Q10/083 ,  G06Q50/40 ,  B64U2101/60 ,  B64U2201/10 ,  B64U2201/20

Abstract: An example method involves determining an expected demand level for a first type of a plurality of types of transport tasks for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the first type of transport tasks associated with a first payload type. Each of the UAVs is physically reconfigurable between at least a first and a second configuration corresponding to the first payload type and a second payload type, respectively. The method also involves determining based on the expected demand level for the first type of transport tasks, (i) a first number of UAVs having the first configuration and (ii) a second number of UAVs having the second configuration. The method further involves, at or near a time corresponding to the expected demand level, providing one or more UAVs to perform the transport tasks, including at least the first number of UAVs.

公开(公告)号：US20240158111A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-16

申请号：US18508395

申请日：2023-11-14

Applicant: Toofon, Inc.

Inventor： Michael V. OL ,  Morteza GHARIB ,  Amir EMADI

IPC: B64U30/297 ,  B64U10/16 ,  B64U30/24

CPC classification number: B64U30/297 ,  B64U10/16 ,  B64U30/24 ,  B64U2201/10

Abstract: A coaxial rotor pair assembly, e.g., for a flight vehicle or drone, with a fixed-pitch rotor and a variable-pitch rotor that are axially spaced relative to one another on a rotor axis for rotation via rotor shafts. A first motor and a second motor are provided for the rotors to drive the respective rotor about the rotor axis. The first and second motors are each controlled by a speed controller, and speed controllers are controlled by a vehicle flight controller. A collective pitch of the plurality of blades of the variable-pitch rotor is configured to be selectively varied by the vehicle flight controller during rotation of both the fixed-pitch rotor and the variable-pitch rotor about the rotor axis. The plurality of blades of the fixed-pitch rotor are maintained a constant, fixed pitch, e.g., during operation of the flight vehicle.