Remote piloted vehicle powered by beamed radiation

• US 6,364,253 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2000
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Department Of Health And Human Services (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Cavanagh, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELDRED, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US09/558,999
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 244/189, 244/190, 244/60, 244/62
• US Class Current: 244/190
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/20 using radiated signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/02 Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants fuselages specially adapted for mounting power plants B64C1/16; wings specially adapted for power plants B64C3/32
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An airborne remote piloted vehicle does not require onboard fuel to greatly extend its endurance and payload capability. Photovoltaic cells are provided on substantially the entire bottom surface of the RPV to receive high intensity radiation beamed up from a ground station. The photovoltaic cells can be made responsive to visible light, infrared light and/or ultraviolet light emitted from lasers that direct narrow, high energy beams, or other directable narrow beams of other wavelengths of high energy radiation, including but not limited to microwaves. The cells convert the beamed up radiation to power at least one electrical motor driven propeller and instrumentation for onboard components including sensors, lasers, radio transmitters, and associated instrumentations. Control signals may also be beamed up or otherwise transmitted to the vehicle to control its transport to and hovering at an on-station location and to activate the onboard components for reconnaissance, monitoring, and relaying data. Since RPV may be relatively small and the beamed-up and relayed radiation may be unseen, RPV may remain undetected on station for prolonged periods of time.

Claims

1. A remote piloted vehicle comprising:

a saucer-shaped fuselage having at least one traverse duct extending from top to bottom for channeling prop blast downward;

a propeller disposed in said duct;

an electric motor unit coupled to said propeller to drive said propeller and generate said prop blast, said prop blast permiting transport to and hovering at a remote station; and

a plurality of photovoltaic cells disposed on a bottom side of said saucer-shaped fuselage to receive beamed radiation and to generate electrical power from said beamed radiation, said photovoltaic cells coupling said electric power to said electric motor unit to transport to and hover at said station for prolonged periods of time.

2. A remote piloted vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least one window on said bottom side to receive control signals for said electrical motor unit to transport and hover said remote piloted vehicle.

3. A remote piloted vehicle according to claim 2 further comprising:

at least one sensor, laser/radio transmitter package, and electronics with associated equipments disposed adjacent said window and coupled to receive said electrical power.

4. A remote piloted vehicle according to claim 3 wherein said window is capable of transmitting coherent signals to and from onboard detector portion and laser portion of said laser/radio transmitter package and transmitting radio signals to and from a transceiver portion of said radio/transmitter package.

5. A remote piloted vehicle according to claim 4 wherein said coherent signals and radio signals are transmittable to and from at least one ground station, a ground target, monitored activities, and other hovering airborne vehicles.

6. A system according to claim 5 further comprising:

a plurality of traverse ducts extending from said top to said bottom in said saucer-shaped fuselage for channeling prop blast downward;

a propeller disposed in each of said ducts to generate said prop blast;

a separate electric motor unit coupled to drive each propeller, said electric power being coupled to each electric motor unit; and

a plurality of windows on said bottom side of said saucer-shaped fuselage to receive control signals for said electrical motor units to fly to and hover at said station.

7. A remote piloted vehicle according to claim 5 further comprising:

a second plurality of photovoltaic cells on a top side of said saucer-shaped fuselage receiving radiation beamed downward from other platforms and converting energy of said downward beamed radiation into other electric power in said second plurality of photovoltaic cells, said other electrical power being coupled to said electric motor unit and said sensor, laser/radio transmitter package, and electronics with associated equipments.

8. A remote piloted vehicle according to claim 6 further comprising:

a second plurality of photovoltaic cells on a top side of said saucer-shaped fuselage receiving radiation beamed downward from other platforms and converting energy of said downward beamed radiation into other electric power in said second plurality of photovoltaic cells, said other electrical power being coupled to each electric motor unit and said sensor, laser/radio transmitter package, and electronics with associated equipments.