Directionally controllable, self-stabilizing, rotating flying vehicle

• US 7,497,759 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steven Davis
• Original Assignee: Steven Davis
• Inventors: Davis, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US11/424,433
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 446/454, 446/456, 446/34, 446/46, 446/48, 446 36- 35, 244/12.2, 244/12.3, 244/23.A, 244/23.B, 244/23.C, 244/23.R, 609/04
• US Class Current: 446/454
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A rotating flying vehicle in accordance to an embodiment of the present invention includes a hub having an outer perimeter, an outer ring having a diameter greater than the outer perimeter, a plurality of blades extending outwardly and downwardly connecting the hub to the outer ring, and a plurality of rotor assemblies. Each rotor assembly further includes a motor to spin a propeller, where the propellers are positioned beneath the plurality of blades. The propellers when spinning will cause the hub, blades, and outer ring to sufficiently rotate and generate lift such that the vehicle will fly. The vehicle also includes a system for determining a directional point of reference for the rotor assemblies when the vehicle is rotating and includes a control system to fly the vehicle in a specified direction relative to a remote controller.

Claims

1. A rotating flying vehicle comprising:

a hub having an outer perimeter;

an outer ring having a diameter greater than said outer perimeter defined by the hub;

a plurality of blades extending outwardly and downwardly connecting the hub to the outer ring;

a plurality of rotor assemblies, each rotor assembly includes a motor to spin a propeller, said propeller being positioned beneath said plurality of blades,

a mechanism controlling all of the propellers to spin in the same direction such that when spinning the propellers cause the hub, blades, and outer ring to sufficiently rotate in an opposite direction as the spinning propellers and will generate lift such that the vehicle will fly;

a system for determining a directional point of reference for the rotor assemblies as the entire vehicle is rotating; and

a control system to fly the vehicle in a specified direction based on the directional point of reference and relative to a remote user.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rotor assemblies are separately secured to a bottom surface of a blade, of the plurality of blades, and positioned above a bottom section of the outer ring to improve stabilization of the vehicle when rotating and flying.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the system for determining said directional point of reference comprises:

a transmitter being placed on a hand held controller operated by a remote user, the transmitter emitting a signal; and

a directional receiver placed at a position on the vehicle in relation to the rotor assemblies, the directional receiver being in communication with a microprocessor, the microprocessor having programming to determine the directional point of reference of the rotor assemblies when the directional receiver senses said signal.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the control system comprises:

a non directional receiver positioned on the vehicle and in communication with the microprocessor;

the transmitter further emitting encoded commands to fly the vehicle in a specified direction relative to the remote user, the encoded commands being received by said non directional receiver; and

the microprocessor having programming to control the rotor assemblies in response to received encoded commands and in relation to the directional point of reference such that the vehicle flies in said specified direction relative to the remote user.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the microprocessor includes programming to generate a drive signal for each rotor assembly and corresponding to said encoded commands wherein the drive signals control the vehicle such that the vehicle will move in said specified direction.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the hand held controller further includes:

a throttle controller manually operable by said remote user, the throttle controller when manipulated by said remote user causes the transmitter to send encoded commands to indicate to the microprocessor to increase and decrease a level of each drive signal.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the hand held controller further includes:

a directional controller manually operable by said remote user, the directional controller when manipulated by said remote user causes the transmitter to send encoded commands to indicate to the microprocessor to generate said drive signal for each rotor assembly.

8. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein each drive signal includes a sinusoidal wave that is out of phase with one another by a predetermined offset angle defined by the placement of the rotor assemblies in reference to each other.

9. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the control system comprises:

a radio receiver positioned on the vehicle and in communication with the microprocessor;

a radio transmitter being positioned on the hand held controller further emitting encoded commands to fly the vehicle in a specified direction relative to the remote user, the encoded commands being received by said radio receiver; and

the microprocessor having programming to control the rotor assemblies in response to received encoded commands and in relation to the directional point of reference such that the vehicle flies in said specified direction relative to the remote user.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor includes programming to generate a drive signal for each rotor assembly and corresponding to said encoded commands wherein the drive signals control the vehicle such that the vehicle will move in said specified direction.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the hand held controller further includes:

a throttle controller manually operable by said remote user, the throttle controller when manipulated by said remote user causes the transmitter to send encoded commands to indicate to the microprocessor to increase and decrease a level of each drive signal.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the hand held controller further includes:

a directional controller manually operable by said remote user, the directional controller when manipulated by said remote user causes the transmitter to send encoded commands to indicate to the microprocessor to generate said drive signal for each rotor assembly.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein each drive signal includes a sinusoidal wave that is out of phase with one another by a predetermined offset angle defined by the placement of the rotor assemblies in reference to each other.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the system for determining said directional point of reference comprises:

an emitter positioned in the vehicle, the emitter emitting a directional signal; and

a receiver positioned in a hand held controller, the hand held controller having a microprocessor such that upon sensing the directional signal, the microprocessor determines the directional point of reference of the rotor assemblies.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the control system comprises:

the vehicle having a radio receiver, and means to control the rotor assemblies in response to drive signals received by said radio receiver; and

the hand held controller having a radio transmitter in communication with the microprocessor, and the microprocessor having programming to generate drive signals that direct the vehicle in a direction in response to inputs from a user, wherein said inputs relate to flying the vehicle in a specified direction relative to the remote user and said drive signals control the vehicle to move in said specified direction, the drive signals being transmitted from said radio transmitter.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the hand held controller further includes:

a throttle controller manually operable by said remote user, the throttle controller when manipulated by said remote user causes the microprocessor to increase and decrease a level of each drive signal.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the hand held controller further includes:

a directional controller manually operable by said remote user, the directional controller when manipulated by said remote user causes the microprocessor to generate drive signals which include sinusoidal waves that are out of phase with one another by a predetermined offset angle defined by the placement of the rotor assemblies in reference to each other.

18. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises:

a hand held controller operable by a user, the hand held controller includes four transmitters in a circular quadrant placement, each transmitter sends a signal that is identifiable from the other signals, and a signal blocking element positioned between two adjacent transmitters to reduce intermingling of signals; and

the vehicle having a receiver, and a microprocessor in communication with the receiver, the microprocessor having means to generate drive signals in relation to the received signals and to send said drive signals to the rotor assemblies, the drive signals are defined to control the rotor assemblies in a manner that moves the vehicle in a specified direction,

wherein when the receiver is receiving two of the four signals, caused by the hand held controller being moved in a direction, the microprocessor generates the drive signals to move the vehicle in a specified direction that corresponds to the movement of the hand held controller.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, further comprising:

a throttle input positioned in the hand held controller and manually operable by said user, means to augment each signal emitted from the hand held controller in response to said throttle input, the microprocessor positioned in the vehicle having programming to control a level of each drive signal in relation to the augmentation of the signals.

20. The vehicle of claim 18, further comprising:

the hand held controller having a radio transmitter, a throttle input positioned in the hand held controller and manually operable by said user, means to generate a radio signal in response to said throttle input and to send said radio signal from the radio transmitter; and

a radio receiver positioned in the vehicle in communication with the microprocessor, the microprocessor having programming to control a level of each drive signal in relation to the received radio signal.

21. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises:

the vehicle having a transmitter for sending a signal, and a receiver for receiving drive signals; and

a hand held controller operable by a user, the hand held controller includes two adjacent receivers, a signal blocking element positioned between the two adjacent receivers to reduce intermingling of the reception of said signal, a microprocessor in communication with the receivers, the microprocessor having means to generate drive signals in relation to the received signal, a transmitter in communication with said microprocessor to send said drive signals to the vehicle, the drive signals defined to control the rotor assemblies in a manner that moves the vehicle in a specified direction,

wherein when the hand held controller is moved in a direction and the reception of the signal by the two adjacent receivers changes, the microprocessor generates the drive signals to move the vehicle in a specified direction that corresponds to the movement of the hand held controller.

22. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the control system further comprises:

the hand held controller having a throttle input manually operable by said user, the throttle input in communication with the microprocessor which further includes programming to change a level of each drive signal.

23. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the transmitter is fixed on the vehicle at a predetermined position and the microprocessor includes programming to identify the predetermined position upon receipt of said signal, whereby said directional point of reference on the vehicle is determined upon said receipt of said signal.

24. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the control system further comprises:

the hand held controller having a switch manually operable by said user, and the switch being in communication with the microprocessor, the switch when operated by said user causes the microprocessor to generate drive signals that control the vehicle towards or away from the user.

25. A rotating vehicle comprising:

a hub;

a plurality of blades extending outwardly and downwardly from the hub, the plurality of blades each having a portion connected to an outer ring;

a plurality of rotor assemblies for rotating the hub and blades sufficiently to generate lift, each rotor assembly has a rotor being positioned underneath the blades; and

a mechanism controlling the plurality of rotor assemblies to spin the rotors in the same direction such that when spinning, the rotors cause the hub, blades, and outer ring to sufficiently rotate in an opposite direction as the spinning rotors, and will generate lift such that the vehicle will fly.

26. The rotating vehicle of claim 25 wherein each rotor assembly is separately secured to a bottom surface defined by a blade, of the plurality of blades.

27. The rotating vehicle of claim 25 further comprising:

a means for determining a directional point of reference for the rotor assemblies when the vehicle is rotating; and

a means to control and fly the vehicle in a specified direction.