HOMEOSTATIC FLYING HOVERCRAFT
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A radio controlled (RC) homeostatic flying hovercraft comprising:
- a flying structure having lift generated by at least four electrically, powered generally downwardly directed thrusters, said flying structure including;
a homeostatic control system operably connected to said thrusters that automatically controls a thrust produced by each thruster in order to automatically maintain a desired orientation of said flying structure, said homeostatic control system including at least a three dimensional sensor system and associated control circuitry that dynamically determines an inertial gravitational reference for use by said homeostatic control system in automatic control of said thrusters;
a radio frequency (RF) receiver; and
a battery system electrically coupled to said thrusters, said RF receiver and said homeostatic control system; and
an RC controller separate and remote from said flying structure and adapted to control said desired orientation of said flying structure, said RC controller including;
a handheld structure housing a sensor system that senses at least a two dimensional sensed orientation of said handheld structure as a result of a user remote from said flying structure selectively orienting said handheld structure; and
an RF transmitter that communicates information based on said sensed orientation to said receiver of said flying structure as said desired orientation used by said homeostatic control system to automatically control said thrusters to maintain said desired orientation.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A homeostatic flying hovercraft preferably utilizes at least two pairs of counter-rotating ducted fans to generate lift like a hovercraft and utilizes a homeostatic hover control system to create a flying craft that is easily controlled. The homeostatic hover control system provides true homeostasis of the craft with a true fly-by-wire flight control and control-by-wire system control.
71 Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A radio controlled (RC) homeostatic flying hovercraft comprising:
-
a flying structure having lift generated by at least four electrically, powered generally downwardly directed thrusters, said flying structure including; a homeostatic control system operably connected to said thrusters that automatically controls a thrust produced by each thruster in order to automatically maintain a desired orientation of said flying structure, said homeostatic control system including at least a three dimensional sensor system and associated control circuitry that dynamically determines an inertial gravitational reference for use by said homeostatic control system in automatic control of said thrusters; a radio frequency (RF) receiver; and a battery system electrically coupled to said thrusters, said RF receiver and said homeostatic control system; and an RC controller separate and remote from said flying structure and adapted to control said desired orientation of said flying structure, said RC controller including; a handheld structure housing a sensor system that senses at least a two dimensional sensed orientation of said handheld structure as a result of a user remote from said flying structure selectively orienting said handheld structure; and an RF transmitter that communicates information based on said sensed orientation to said receiver of said flying structure as said desired orientation used by said homeostatic control system to automatically control said thrusters to maintain said desired orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A radio controlled (RC) homeostatic flying hovercraft comprising:
-
a flying structure including; at least four electrically, powered generally downwardly directed thrusters; sensing means for dynamically determining an actual orientation of said flying structure; control means for automatically controlling a thrust produced by each of said thrusters to maintain a desired orientation of said flying structure in response to said actual orientation; radio means for radio frequency (RF) communication of said desired orientation; and battery means for providing electrical power to said thrusters, said control means and said radio means; and an RC controller separate and remote from said flying structure including; a handheld structure housing means for sensing at least a two dimensional sensed orientation of said handheld structure in response to a user remote from said flying structure selectively orienting said handheld structure; and radio means for RF communication of information based on said sensed orientation with said radio means of said flying structure as said desired orientation for said control means automatically controlling said thrusters. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for operating a radio controlled (RC) homeostatic flying hovercraft having at least four battery powered generally downwardly directed thrusters using an RC controller separate and remote from said flying hovercraft, said method comprising:
-
providing as part of said RC controller a handheld structure housing a sensor system; using said sensor system in said RC control to sense at least a two dimensional sensed orientation of said handheld structure in response to a user remote from said flying structure selectively orienting said handheld structure; communicating a desired orientation by radio frequency (RF) communication information to said flying hovercraft, said desired orientation including information based on said sensed orientation of said handheld structure; using a sensor system in said flying hovercraft to dynamically determine an actual orientation of said flying hovercraft; using control circuitry in said flying hovercraft to automatically and dynamically control a thrust produced by each of said thrusters to achieve and homeostatically maintain said actual orientation of said flying hovercraft in response to said desired orientation communicated to said flying hovercraft and said actual orientation determined by said sensor system in said flying hovercraft without additional control information communicated to said flying hovercraft.
-
Specification