Reconfigurable battery-operated vehicle system

• US 10,155,588 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2018
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Fisher, Christopher E., Tokumaru, Phillip T., Schmalzel, Marc L., Zwaan, John Peter, Tyler, Jeremy D., McAllister, Justin B., Torres, Gabriel E., Belik, Pavel
• Primary Examiner(s): Benedik, Justin M
• Application Number:
  US15/911,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20180305013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 289 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0092 the motor axle being coaxial to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/52 Helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2035/008 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/005 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/08 Propulsion schnorkels B63G8/36; nuclear propulsion B63H21/18; submerged exhausting apparatus F01N13/12
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/17 by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/00 Rotorcraft; Rotors peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/00 Arrangement or mounting of power plants in aircraft; Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/70 Convertible aircraft, e.g. convertible into land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/83 Electronic components structurally integrated with aircraft elements, e.g. circuit boards carrying loads
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/96 using air
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 : Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 : using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 : with landing legs

Abstract

A quadrotor UAV including ruggedized, integral-battery, load-bearing body, two arms on the load-bearing body, each arm having two rotors, a control module mounted on the load-bearing body, a payload module mounted on the control module, and skids configured as landing gear. The two arms are replaceable with arms having wheels for ground vehicle use, with arms having floats and props for water-surface use, and with arms having pitch-controlled props for underwater use. The control module is configured to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned (water) surface vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle, depending on the type of arms that are attached.

Claims

1. An unmanned vehicle configured for a range of missions, comprising:

a battery module having battery capacity adequate to provide motive force for the vehicle over the range of missions, the battery module having a plurality of electronic connection ports;

a control module including a control system configured to control the operation of the vehicle over the range of missions, the control module being directly and removably structurally carried by the battery module, and the control module being directly and removably electronically connected to the battery module via a first connection port of the plurality of connection ports;

a first propulsion module including a motor configured to provide propulsive force to move the vehicle through one or more missions of the range of missions, the first propulsion module being directly and removably structurally connected to the battery module via a second connection port of the plurality of connection ports; and

a second propulsion module including a motor configured to provide propulsive force to move the vehicle through the one or more missions of the range of missions, the second propulsion module being directly and removably structurally connected to the battery module via a third connection port of the plurality of connection ports;

wherein the first propulsion module includes a first arm with a centrally located first-arm connector connected to the second connection port, and two substantially vertically oriented propellers at opposite ends of the first arm;

wherein the second propulsion module includes a second arm with a centrally located second-arm connector connected to the third connection port, and two substantially vertically oriented propellers at opposite ends of the second arm; and

wherein each of the substantially vertically oriented propellers is angled slightly toward a forward direction of the vehicle defined by a front end of the vehicle, such that the vehicle is configured to hover at a non-zero pitch angle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second connection port is at the front end of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, and further comprising a payload structurally carried on the control module.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the control module is configured to support the payload at a non-zero support angle such that the payload is level when the vehicle is oriented at the non-zero pitch angle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first and second propulsion modules are interchangeable, and wherein the second and third connection ports are configured to structurally orient the first and second propulsion modules at an angle that orients the propellers for hovering at the non-zero pitch angle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, and further comprising landing gear, wherein the landing gear is configured to support the vehicle at the non-zero pitch angle.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the landing gear is in the form of one or more support structures extending from the first propulsion module to the second propulsion module.

8. A reconfigurable unmanned vehicle system configured for a range of missions, comprising:

a body including a control system configured to control the operation of the vehicle and a power source having a power capacity adequate to provide complete motive force for the vehicle over the range of missions, the body including a set of one or more body connectors;

a first set of one or more propulsion modules removably attachable to the set of body connectors, the first set of propulsion modules being one propulsion module type selected from the group of unmanned aerial vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned ground vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned surface vehicle propulsion modules, and unmanned underwater vehicle propulsion modules; and

a second set of one or more propulsion modules removably attachable to the set of body connectors, the second set of propulsion modules being one propulsion module type selected from the group of unmanned aerial vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned ground vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned surface vehicle propulsion modules, and unmanned underwater vehicle propulsion modules;

wherein the first set of propulsion modules are of a different propulsion module type than the second set of propulsion modules;

wherein the first set of propulsion modules includes a first arm with a centrally located first-arm connector configured to connect to a first body connector of the set of body connectors, and two substantially vertically oriented rotors at opposite ends of the first arm;

wherein the first set of propulsion modules includes a second arm with a centrally located second-arm connector configured to connect to a second body connector of the set of body connectors, and two substantially vertically oriented rotors at opposite ends of the second arm;

wherein the second set of propulsion modules includes a third arm with a centrally located third-arm connector configured to connect to the first body connector, and two wheels at opposite ends of the first arm; and

wherein the second set of propulsion modules includes a fourth arm with a centrally located fourth-arm connector configured to connect to the second body connector, and two wheels at opposite ends of the second arm.

9. A reconfigurable unmanned vehicle system configured for a range of missions, comprising:

a body including a control system configured to control the operation of the vehicle and a power source having a power capacity adequate to provide complete motive force for the vehicle over the range of missions, the body including a set of one or more body connectors;

a first set of one or more propulsion modules removably attachable to the set of body connectors, the first set of propulsion modules being one propulsion module type selected from the group of unmanned aerial vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned ground vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned surface vehicle propulsion modules, and unmanned underwater vehicle propulsion modules; and

a second set of one or more propulsion modules removably attachable to the set of body connectors, the second set of propulsion modules being one propulsion module type selected from the group of unmanned aerial vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned ground vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned surface vehicle propulsion modules, and unmanned underwater vehicle propulsion modules;

wherein the first set of propulsion modules are of a different propulsion module type than the second set of propulsion modules; and

wherein the first and second sets of propulsion modules are each configured such that are equally connectable to both the first body connector and the second body connector.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein:

the first and second body connectors are on opposite longitudinal ends of the body;

each propulsion module of the first and second sets of propulsion modules is configured with an arm and an end cap affixed to an arm, the end caps each being configured to longitudinally hold its respective arm onto the body;

each body connector, is configured with a groove adapted to conformingly and longitudinally receive the arms when the arm connectors are connected to the body connectors; and

the body connector grooves are configured to directly bear all vertical loads from the arm connector arms without vertical loads being carried by the arm connector end caps.