Methods and systems for retrieving personnel

• US 8,979,032 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hester, William Clayton Jr., Gray, William J. III, Harkey, Deon Austin
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US13/275,974
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 244/189, 244/190, 244/137.1, 244/137.2, 244/137.4, 258/1.2, 258/1.4, 701/2, 701/3
• US Class Current: 244/137.4
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/32 Severable or jettisonable parts of fuselage facilitating emergency escape
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/17 Helicopters flying platforms B64U10/13
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/61 for transporting passengers
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for retrieving personnel is provided. The method includes receiving a radio signal indicating a real-time position of personnel to be retrieved, deploying an unmanned aerial vehicle to the real-time position, receiving an indication that the personnel to be retrieved is on-board the unmanned aerial vehicle, and operating the unmanned aerial vehicle to move the personnel to a different location.

Claims

1. A personnel extraction system comprising:

a hand held radio operable to transmit a position of said radio;

an unmanned aerial vehicle operable to receive a radio signal indicating a real-time position of personnel to be retrieved, deploy to the real-time position, and transport the personnel to a different location;

a rescue pod coupled to said unmanned aerial vehicle and sized to house the personnel, said rescue pod comprising at least one aerodynamic fairing at an end of said rescue pod and at least one door, said aerodynamic fairing detachable from a body of said rescue pod such that the personnel can exit said rescue pod through said end; and

a command center operable to control a deployment of said unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The personnel extraction system according to claim 1 wherein said hand held radio is configured to periodically send position updates, said system configured to provide the position updates to at least one of said unmanned aerial vehicle and said command center.

3. The personnel extraction system according to claim 1 wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled by at least one of a remote operator at said command center and an autonomous autopilot.

4. The personnel extraction system according to claim 1 wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle comprises an onboard camera mounted thereon, images from said onboard camera utilized to monitor operation of said unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The personnel extraction system according to claim 4 wherein the images are received by at least one of said command center and said hand held radio.

6. The personnel extraction system according to claim 1 wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle is operable to fly a flight profile that includes at least one of flying directly to the real-time position, flying to the real-time position using terrain masking, and flying to the real-time position using a nap of the earth flight profile.

7. The personnel extraction system according to claim 1 wherein said hand-held radio comprises a combat survivor evader locator (CSEL) radio.

8. The personnel extraction system according to claim 7 wherein said CSEL radio is operable to command said unmanned aerial vehicle to fly to a location of said CSEL radio.

9. The personnel extraction system according to claim 1 wherein said rescue pod further comprises a release handle operable to detach said at least one aerodynamic fairing.

10. A system for retrieving personnel, said system comprising:

a hand held radio operable to transmit a position of said radio;

an unmanned aerial vehicle operable to receive the transmitted position and travel to the transmitted position; and

a rescue pod coupled to the unmanned aerial vehicle and operable to transport the personnel from the transmitted position, said rescue pod comprising at least one aerodynamic fairing at an end of said rescue pod and at least one door, said aerodynamic fairing detachable from a body of said rescue pod such that the personnel can exit said rescue pod through said end.

11. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said rescue pod further comprises a verification device that enables a remote operator to verify the personnel have boarded said rescue pod.

12. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle is an A160T Hummingbird unmanned utility helicopter.

13. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said rescue pod comprises:

a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall that define a passenger compartment;

an absorption layer positioned between the bottom wall and a floor of the passenger compartment, said absorption layer operable to absorb an impact force to protect a user positioned within the passenger compartment.

14. A system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said at least one door is a roll-up door operable to roll-up into said top wall.