Vehicle recovery package

• US 8,038,097 B1
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Ernst, Steven H., Monson, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Green; Richard R
• Application Number:
  US11/999,356
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 244/110.R, 244/110.E, 244/110.F, 244/110.C, 244/100.A, 244/116, 244/107, 244/146, 244/905, 182/137, 441/42, 541/3 A.M
• US Class Current: 244/110.00E
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/027 using net or mesh
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net

Abstract

The present disclosure includes various apparatus, system, and method embodiments for vehicle recovery. One embodiment includes an inflatable member for impact of a vehicle thereon, an inflation source for inflating the inflatable member, and where the inflatable member and inflation source are housed in a portable package.

Claims

1. An aerial vehicle recovery apparatus, comprising:

an inflatable member for impact of an aerial vehicle thereon;

an inflation source for inflating the inflatable member, the inflation source also serving as a deflation source for deflating the inflatable member, where the inflation source and the inflatable member are physically detached from the aerial vehicle prior to an impact of the aerial vehicle with the aerial vehicle recovery apparatus; and

where the inflatable member and inflation source are both housed in a portable package when the inflatable member is in an undeployed state, the portable package including a sensor that detects when the portable package is opened such that the inflation source is activated and the inflatable member is automatically inflated upon opening of the portable package, and where the portable package is transportable by hand.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, where the inflation source is a fan coupled to a power supply housed in the portable package.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, where the inflation source is activated by operation of a switch coupled to the inflation source.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, where the inflatable member includes a capture component to releasably attach with a corresponding component on an unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, where the portable package is selected from the group including a hard case and a backpack.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, where the portable package includes an attachment mechanism allowing the portable package to be transported on the exterior of one selected from the group including a land vehicle and a sea vehicle.

7. An aerial vehicle recovery system, comprising:

a portable package transportable by hand and having at least a first and second interior portion;

an inflatable member for recovering an aerial vehicle thereon, where the inflatable member is housed within a first interior portion of the portable package when in an undeployed state; and

an inflation source for inflating the inflatable member, where the inflation source also serves as a deflation source for deflating the inflatable member and is housed within a second interior portion of the portable package when the inflatable member is in the undeployed state, where the inflation source and the inflatable member are physically detached from the aerial vehicle prior to an impact of the aerial vehicle with the aerial vehicle recovery apparatus, and where the portable package includes a sensor that detects when the portable package is opened such that the inflation source is activated and the inflatable member is automatically inflated upon opening of the portable package.

8. The system of claim 7, where the inflation source is a fan coupled to a power supply, and where the power supply is housed within the second interior portion of the portable package.

9. The system of claim 7, where the portable package is a suitcase.

10. The system of claim 7, where the portable package serves as at least a portion of a base for the inflatable member, when the portable package is open and the inflatable member is inflated.

11. The system of claim 7, where the inflatable member includes a netting to aid in recovering the aerial vehicle.

12. The system of claim 7, where the inflation source is a reversible fan.

13. A method for recovering an aerial vehicle, comprising:

triggering a sensor coupled to a portable package by opening the portable package, the portable package is transportable by hand;

where opening the portable package activates an inflation source to automatically inflate an inflatable member, where the inflation source also serves as a deflation source for deflating the inflatable member, where the inflation source and inflatable member are housed in the portable package when the inflatable member is in an undeployed state, and where the inflation source and the inflatable member are physically detached from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) prior to an impact of the UAV with the inflatable member; and

recovering the UAV with the inflatable member.

14. The method of claim 13, where activating the inflation source includes operating a switch that controls a reversible fan coupled to a power supply that is also housed in the portable package when the inflatable member is in the undeployed state.

15. The method of claim 14, where the method includes:

activating the reversible fan to deflate the inflatable member; and

repackaging the inflatable member in the portable package.

16. The method of claim 13, where the portable package is a suitcase, and where the method includes transporting the suitcase by hand.