Systems and methods for vertical takeoff and/or landing

• US 9,085,354 B1
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Peeters, Eric, Patrick, William Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Eldred, J. Woodrow
• Application Number:
  US13/868,539
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 244/6, 244/7.R, 244/7.B, 244/7.C, 244/7.A, 244/12.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 17/00 Aircraft stabilisation not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/02 having its flight directional axis vertical when grounded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20

Abstract

Systems and methods for vertical takeoff and/or landing are disclosed herein. An aerial vehicle may include a first propulsion unit and a second propulsion each rotatably connected to a body. The aerial vehicle may include a first wing and a second wing each rotatably connected to the body. And the aerial vehicle may include a control system configured to: position the first propulsion unit, the second propulsion unit, the first wing, and the second wing; operate the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit; and rotate the first propulsion unit, the second propulsion unit, the first wing, and the second wing.

Claims

1. An aerial vehicle comprising:

a first propulsion unit and a second propulsion unit each rotatably connected to a body, wherein the first propulsion unit is located on a first side of the body, and wherein the second propulsion unit is located on a second side of the body;

a first wing and a second wing each rotatably connected to the body, wherein the first wing is located on the first side of the body, and wherein the second wing is located on the second side of the body; and

a control system configured to;

position the first propulsion unit, the second propulsion unit, the first wing, and the second wing, such that when the aerial vehicle is substantially perpendicular to the ground, the first propulsion unit is oriented substantially opposite to the second propulsion unit with respect to a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to a centerline of the aerial vehicle and the first wing is oriented substantially opposite to the second wing with respect to a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the aerial vehicle;

operate the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit to cause the aerial vehicle to spin around the centerline of the aerial vehicle and thereby vertically lift off the ground; and

rotate the first propulsion unit about the first axis, the second propulsion unit about the first axis, the first wing about the second axis, and the second wing about the second axis, such that a vertical component of a thrust of the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit increases during the rotation, wherein after rotating for a certain period of time, the first propulsion unit is oriented substantially parallel to the second propulsion unit with respect to the first axis, the first wing is oriented substantially parallel to the second wing with respect to the second axis, and the aerial vehicle enters vertical flight, wherein in vertical flight, the thrust of the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit is substantially vertical.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

position the first propulsion unit, the second propulsion unit, the first wing, and the second wing, such that when the aerial vehicle is substantially perpendicular to the ground, the first propulsion unit is oriented at a first angle to the body, the second propulsion unit is oriented at a second angle to the body, the first wing is oriented at a third angle to the body, and the second wing is oriented at a fourth angle to the body, wherein the first angle is substantially opposite the second angle, and wherein the third angle is substantially opposite the fourth angle; and

rotate the first propulsion unit about the first axis, the second propulsion unit about the first axis, the first wing about the second axis, and the second wing about the second axis, such that a vertical component of a thrust of the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit increases during the rotation, wherein after rotating for a certain period of time, the first propulsion unit is oriented at a fifth angle to the body, the second propulsion unit is oriented at a sixth angle to the body, the first wing is oriented at a seventh angle to the body, and the second wing is oriented at an eighth angle to the body, wherein the fifth angle and the sixth angle are equal, and wherein the seventh angle and the eighth angle are equal.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control system, when the aerial vehicle is in vertical flight, is further configured to rotate the first propulsion unit about the first axis, the second propulsion unit about the first axis, the first wing about the second axis, and the second wing about the second axis, such that a horizontal component of thrust of the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit increases during the rotation, wherein after rotating for some a certain period of time, the first propulsion unit is oriented substantially opposite to the second propulsion unit with respect to the first axis, the first wing is oriented substantially opposite to the second wing with respect to the second axis, and the aerial vehicle is spinning around the centerline.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 3, further comprising:

a first tip thruster located substantially near an edge of the first wing; and

second tip thruster located substantially near an edge of the second wing, wherein the control system is further configured to;

make a determination as to whether the aerial vehicle is located a predetermined height above the ground; and

in response to the determination being that the aerial vehicle is located a predetermined height above the ground, operate the first tip thruster and the second tip thruster to assist in vertically landing the aerial vehicle.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 3, further comprising:

an electronic device configured to maintain the first wing and the second wing in a first orientation, wherein the aerial vehicle is configured for horizontal flight based on the first orientation; and

a mechanical device configured to maintain the first wing and the second wing in a second orientation when the electronic device and the control system fails, wherein the second orientation causes the aerial vehicle to spin around the centerline.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 5, wherein the electronic device comprises a solenoid.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 5, wherein the mechanical device comprises a spring.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a center of mass, wherein the center of mass is located on the centerline.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a center of mass; and

a vibration sensor feedback system, wherein the control system is further configured to adjust the center of mass during a predetermined time period, such that the center of mass is located on the centerline, and wherein the vibration sensor feedback system is configured to assist in adjusting the center of mass by making a determination that the aerial vehicle will vibrate based on a location of the center of mass relative to the centerline.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 9, wherein the predetermined time period comprises a time period before the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit are operated.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

rotate the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit at a first variable rate of rotation; and

rotate the first wing and the second wing about at a second variable rate of rotation.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first variable rate of rotation is correlated to the second variable rate of rotation.

13. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a bearing, and wherein the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit are each rotatably connected to the bearing, and wherein the first propulsion unit is located on a first side of the bearing, and wherein the second propulsion unit is located on a second side of the bearing, and wherein the first wing and the second wing are each rotatably connected to the bearing, and wherein the first wing is located on the first side of the bearing, and wherein the second wing is located on the second side of the bearing, and wherein the control system is further configured to:

operate the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit to cause the bearing to spin around the centerline and thereby vertically lift off the ground.

14. The aerial vehicle of claim 13, wherein when the aerial vehicle is in vertical flight, the control system is further configured to rotate the first propulsion unit about the first axis, the second propulsion unit about the first axis, the first wing about the second axis, and the second wing about the second axis, such that a horizontal component of thrust of the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit increases during the rotation, wherein after rotating for some period of time, the first propulsion unit is oriented substantially opposite to the second propulsion unit with respect to the first axis, the first wing is oriented substantially opposite to the second wing with respect to the second axis, and the bearing is spinning around the centerline.

15. A method comprising:

positioning a first propulsion unit, a second propulsion unit, a first wing, and a second wing each rotatably connected to a body of an aerial vehicle, such that when the aerial vehicle is substantially perpendicular to the ground, the first propulsion unit is oriented substantially opposite to the second propulsion unit with respect to a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to a centerline of the aerial vehicle and the first wing is oriented substantially opposite to the second wing with respect to a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the aerial vehicle;

operating the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit to cause the aerial vehicle to spin around the centerline of the aerial vehicle and thereby vertically lift off the ground;

rotating the first propulsion unit about the first axis, the second propulsion unit about the first axis, the first wing about the second axis, and the second wing about the second axis, such that a vertical component of a thrust of the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit increases during the rotation, wherein after rotating for a certain period of time, the first propulsion unit is oriented substantially parallel to the second propulsion unit with respect to the first axis, the first wing is oriented substantially parallel to the second wing with respect to the first axis, and the aerial vehicle enters vertical flight, wherein in vertical flight, the thrust of the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit is substantially vertical; and

transitioning the aerial vehicle from vertical flight to horizontal flight.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit provide substantially the same thrust during the transitioning as during vertical flight.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first wing and the second wing are not rotated during the transitioning.

18. A method comprising:

transitioning an aerial vehicle from horizontal flight to vertical flight, wherein the aerial vehicle comprises a first propulsion unit, a second propulsion unit, a first wing, and a second wing each rotatably connected to a body of the aerial vehicle; and

rotating the first propulsion unit about a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to a centerline of the aerial vehicle, the second propulsion unit about the first axis, the first wing about a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the aerial vehicle, and the second wing about the second axis, such that a horizontal component of a thrust of the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit increases during the rotation, wherein after rotating for a certain period of time, the first propulsion unit is oriented substantially opposite to the second propulsion unit with respect to the first axis, the first wing is oriented substantially opposite to the second wing with respect to the second axis, and the aerial vehicle is spinning around the centerline of the aerial vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit provide substantially the same thrust during the transitioning as during horizontal flight.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

making a determination as to whether the aerial vehicle is located a predetermined height above the ground; and

in response to the determination being that the aerial vehicle is located a predetermined height above the ground, operating a first tip thruster located substantially near an edge of the first wing and a second tip thruster located substantially near an edge of the second wing to assist in vertically landing the aerial vehicle.