Dual-Use Modular Propulsion surveillance Vehicle with Detachable Unmanned Airborne Vehicles

• US 20090294573A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew Turnbull, Ignacio Guererro, Michael F. Roberts, Paul Gelhausen, Samuel B. Wilson
• Original Assignee: Andrew Turnbull, Ignacio Guererro, Michael F. Roberts, Paul Gelhausen, Samuel B. Wilson
• Inventors: Roberts, Michael, Guererro, Ignacio, Turnbull, Andrew, Gelhausen, Paul, Wilson, Samuel B.
• Application Number:
  US12/301,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20090294573A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/2
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 5/00 Aircraft transported by aircraft, e.g. for release or reberthing during flight flying units formed by separate aircraft B64C37/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/12 using turbine engines, e.g. turbojets or turbofans
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/20 for releasing or capturing UAVs in flight by another aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/82 Airborne vehicles

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for reconnaissance using autonomous unmanned airborne vehicles (UAV). The system comprises a mothership, which is generally a fixed wing fuel tank capable of providing a suitable surface for flight (lift) and one or more elements for attachment of individual UAVs. The system further comprises one or more UAVs that are detachably connected to the mothership, and which are independently controllable for reconnaissance and tracking. The system and its individual parts are reusable and independently controllable, permitting low cost reconnaissance over wide areas of geography.

Claims

1. An autonomous unmanned airborne vehicle (UAV) for air surveillance of objects or geographical areas comprising:

a mothership aircraft capable of carrying multiple sub-vehicles, and

multiple sub-vehicles capable of being released from or joined with said mothership aircraft during flight, and capable of operating as an autonomous unmanned airborne vehicle,

wherein said mothership aircraft depends on, at least in part, at least one of said sub-vehicles for operation of said mothership aircraft.

2. The UAV according to claim 1 comprising up to ten sub-vehicles.

3. The UAV according to claim 1, wherein said mothership operation depends at least in part on at least one of said sub-vehicles for providing propulsion and electrical power to said mothership aircraft.

4. The UAV according to claim 1, wherein said mothership operation depends on at least in part at least one of said sub-vehicles for providing flight control to said mothership aircraft.

5. The UAV according to claim 1, wherein at least one sub-vehicle comprises replaceable pods comprising one or more functionalities, wherein one or more of said functionalities are capable of operating while said sub-vehicle is joined with said mothership aircraft.

6. The UAV according to claim 5, wherein said functionalities are selected from heat detectors, sound detectors, movement detectors, and light detectors.

7. The UAV according to claim 5, wherein at least one sub-vehicle comprises a detector comprising a video or still camera for capture of visual spectra or for capture of infrared (IR) spectra.

8. A reconnaissance system for air surveillance of an object or a geographical area comprising:

a mothership aircraft capable of carrying multiple sub-vehicles, and

multiple sub-vehicles capable of being released from or joined with said mothership aircraft during flight, and capable of operating as an autonomous unmanned airborne vehicle,

wherein said mothership aircraft depends on, at least in part, at least one of said sub-vehicles for operation of said mothership aircraft.

9. The reconnaissance system according to claim 8, further comprising a ground control center.

10. The reconnaissance system according to claim 8, wherein said mothership operation depends at least in part on at least one of said sub-vehicles to provide propulsion, electrical power, or flight control to said mothership aircraft.

11. The reconnaissance system according to claim 8, wherein at least one sub-vehicle comprises replaceable pods comprising one or more functionalities, wherein one or more of said functionalities are capable of operating while sub-vehicle is joined with said mothership aircraft.

12. The reconnaissance system according to claim 11, wherein said functionalities are selected from heat detectors, sound detectors, movement detectors, light detectors and cameras.

13. The reconnaissance system according to claim 9, wherein said ground control center comprises one or more computers.

14. A method of providing reconnaissance comprising:

providing a mothership aircraft capable of carrying multiple sub-vehicles, and

providing multiple sub-vehicles capable of being released from or joined with said mothership aircraft during flight, and capable of operating as an autonomous unmanned airborne vehicle,

wherein said mothership aircraft depends on, at least in part, at least one of said sub-vehicles for operation of said mothership aircraft,

optionally providing at least one ground control center.

15. The method of providing reconnaissance according to claim 14, wherein said ground control center comprises one or more computers.

16. A method of designing or optimizing, by computer modeling, autonomous unmanned airborne vehicles (UAV) or reconnaissance systems for air surveillance of objects or geographical areas comprising:

(1) modeling a flight mission for a modular, deployable propulsion system with all unmanned airborne vehicles on board throughout flight,

(2) modeling last two loiter segments,

(3) modeling middle two loiter segments,

(4) modeling climb to altitude and first two loiter segments,

(5) modeling with fixed fuel weight and iterating on range,

(6) outputting airframe, fixed equipment weights, and wing area and input into (2) above, iterating on ESF until engine thrust at most efficient throttle setting matches total drag during the last loiter segment, and

(7) upon ESF and wing area convergence between (5) and updated (2) above, iterating whole process again until subsequent models from (5) above have gross weight within a given tolerance.