Motor vehicle with captive aircraft

• US 10,112,710 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2013
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Duncan, William D., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Malaska, Stephen L., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Petroski, Robert C., Weaver, Thomas Allan, Wood, Jr., Lowell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lang, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US14/054,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20150102154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/022 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/00 Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations specially adapted for captive aircraft B64F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/24 for use as flying displays, e.g. advertising or billboards
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/15 using combustion exhausts other than turbojets or turbofans, e.g. using rockets, ramjets, scramjets or pulse-reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/90 Launching from or landing on platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/93 for use on a land or nautical vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/99 Means for retaining the UAV on the platform, e.g. dogs or magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target

Abstract

A motor vehicle system includes a motor vehicle including an aircraft landing portion, and an actively propelled unmanned aircraft configured to be supported on the aircraft landing portion. The vehicle and aircraft are configured such that the vehicle can provide at least one of fuel and electrical energy to the aircraft while the aircraft is supported on the aircraft landing portion.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle system, comprising:

a motor vehicle including an aircraft support portion;

an actively propelled unmanned aircraft configured to be selectively supported on the aircraft support portion;

a computer vehicle control system configured to actively control operation of a driving system of the motor vehicle in real-time while the aircraft is airborne and acquiring data, the computer vehicle control system configured to control operation of the driving system by using data acquired by the aircraft in real-time, the computer vehicle control system configured to generate a travel route of the vehicle; and

an aircraft control system configured to receive the travel route of the vehicle from the computer vehicle control system and to cause the aircraft to be propelled according to the travel route of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is associated with a driving environment for the motor vehicle, wherein the driving environment is an area beyond a line of sight of the motor vehicle, and wherein the area is at least one of over a hill and around a curve or bend with respect to the motor vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data provides an indication of traffic flow within the driving environment at an upcoming intersection, the indication of traffic flow including an indication of cross-traffic at the upcoming intersection.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the data provides an indication of at least one of an icy, a wet, a washed-out, and a damaged area of a road within the driving environment, and wherein the indication triggers an audible alert.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the aircraft is configured to identify a road blockage along a predicted driving route for the motor vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft includes a data capture device configured to acquire the data, and wherein the data capture device is at least one of a night vision data capture device and an audio sensor, the night vision data capture device configured to enhance an image of a scene at least by amplifying ambient light.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the data capture device includes a video camera and the environment data includes video images.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the data capture device includes a still image camera and the environment data includes still images.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the data capture device includes at least one of a radar device and a spectroscopic imaging device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle control system includes a collision avoidance system configured to control operation of the motor vehicle, and wherein the computer vehicle control system is further configured to instruct the aircraft to takeoff from the aircraft support portion in advance of a potential collision involving the motor vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the collision avoidance system is configured to receive the data acquired by the aircraft.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the driving system is an automated driving system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein controlling the operation of the driving system includes autonomously or semi-autonomously driving the motor vehicle from a first location to a second location.