Aerial unit and method for elevating payloads

• US 8,695,919 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sky Sapience Ltd. (COMSovereign Holding Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sky Sapience Ltd. (COMSovereign Holding Corp.)
• Inventors: Shachor, Gabriel, Cohen, Shy, Keidar, Ronen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, MICHAEL H
• Application Number:
  US13/814,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20130214088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 244/17.17, 244/17.11, 244/17.23, 244/17.21, 244/17.19, 244/17.25, 244/23.C
• US Class Current: 244/17.17
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/04 Helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/04 characterised by jet-reaction propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/007 Helicopter portable landing pads
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/12 for anchoring aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/125 Mooring or ground handling devices for helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/202 using tethers for connecting to ground station
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/24 Coaxial rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors

Abstract

An aerial unit includes a connecting element arranged to connect a ground unit to the aerial unit. The ground unit may include a connecting element manipulator, for altering an effective length of the connecting element and a ground unit controller for controlling the connecting element manipulator. A positioning unit is arranged to image the aerial unit and to generate metadata about a location of the aerial unit. An interfacing module is provided for coupling a payload to the aerial unit. At least one of the ground unit and the aerial unit may include a controller that is arranged to control, at least in response to the metadata, at least one of a first propeller motor and at least one steering element to affect at least one of the location of the aerial unit and the orientation of the aerial unit.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a ground unit;

an aerial unit; and

a connecting element arranged to connect the ground unit to the aerial unit;

wherein the ground unit comprises;

a connecting element manipulator, for altering an effective length of the connecting element;

wherein the effective length of the connecting element defines a distance between the ground unit and the aerial unit;

a ground unit controller for controlling the connecting element manipulator; and

a positioning unit arranged to image the aerial unit and to generate metadata about a location of the aerial unit;

wherein the aerial unit comprises;

a first propeller;

a frame;

a first propeller motor that is configured to rotate the first propeller about a first axis, wherein the first propeller motor is connected to the frame; and

at least one steering element;

wherein at least one of the ground unit and the aerial unit comprises a controller that is arranged to control, at least in response to the metadata, at least one of the first propeller motor and the at least one steering element to affect at least one of the location of the aerial unit and the orientation of the aerial unit;

wherein the frame at least partially surrounds the propeller;

wherein the system further comprises additional propellers, additional frames and additional propeller motors that are arranged to rotate the additional propellers;

wherein the additional frames at least partially surround the additional propellers;

wherein the additional frames are coupled to the frame by coupling elements that facilitate a movement of the additional frames between an open configuration and a close configuration;

wherein when positioned at the open configuration each additional propeller is positioned outside the frame so that the frame does not overlap any of the additional frames;

wherein when positioned at the close configuration the additional propellers and the frame overlap;

wherein the controller is further arranged to control the additional propeller motors.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the additional propellers are arranged in a symmetrical manner around the first propeller.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the additional propellers are smaller than the first propeller.

4. The system according to claim 1, where the additional propeller motors and the first propeller motor form a group of propeller motors;

and wherein the controller is arranged to independently control at least two propeller motors out of the group of propeller motors.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to independently control each propeller motor of the group of propeller motors.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to control one additional propeller motor to rotate in a clockwise manner and control another additional propeller motor to rotate in a counterclockwise manner.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one steering element comprises the additional propellers.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to alter at least one of a location and an orientation of the aerial unit by controlling a thrust of at least two propellers of a group of propellers that comprises the additional propeller and the first propeller.

9. An aerial unit, comprising:

a first propeller;

a frame;

a first propeller motor that is configured to rotate the first propeller about a first axis, wherein the first propeller motor is connected to the frame;

an interfacing module for coupling a payload to the aerial unit;

additional propellers, additional frames and additional propeller motors that are arranged to rotate the additional propellers;

wherein the additional frames at least partially surround the additional propellers;

wherein the additional frames are coupled to the frame by coupling elements that facilitate a movement of the additional frames between an open configuration and a close configuration;

wherein when positioned at the open configuration each additional propeller is positioned outside the frame so that the frame does not overlap any of the additional frames;

wherein when positioned at the close configuration the additional propellers and the frame overlap.

10. The aerial unit according to claim 9, wherein the additional propellers are arranged in a symmetrical manner around the first propeller.

11. The aerial unit according to claim 9, wherein the additional propellers are smaller than the first propeller.

12. The aerial unit according to claim 9, where the additional propeller motors and the first propeller motor form a group of propeller motors;

and wherein the aerial unit comprises a controller that is arranged to independently control at least two propeller motors out of the group of propeller motors.

13. The aerial unit according to claim 9, wherein the aerial unit comprises a controller that is arranged to independently control each propeller motor of the group of propeller motors.

14. The aerial unit according to claim 9, wherein the aerial unit comprises a controller that is arranged to control one additional propeller motor to rotate in a clockwise manner and control another additional propeller motor to rotate in a counterclockwise manner.

15. The aerial unit according to claim 9, wherein the aerial unit comprises a controller that is arranged to alter at least one of a location and an orientation of the aerial unit by controlling a thrust of at least two propellers of a ground of propellers that comprises the additional propeller and the first propeller.