Aerial material distribution method and apparatus

• US 9,428,272 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Beaugavin Markov
• Original Assignee: Michael Beaugavin Markov
• Inventors: Markov, Michael Beaugavin
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Hara, Brian M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woldemaryam, Assres H
• Application Number:
  US14/517,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20150041596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 681 Days
• Field of Search: 244/190
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/00 Fertiliser distributors combined with seeders A01C7/06
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 9/0053 Mechanical dusters
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/005 Transportable screening plants
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/12 Releasing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/16 Dropping or releasing powdered, liquid, or gaseous matter, e.g. for fire-fighting jettisoning fuel B64D37/26
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/18 by spraying, e.g. insecticides spraying apparatus per se B05B
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/17 Helicopters flying platforms B64U10/13
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00

Abstract

A remotely-piloted aircraft for distributing a payload to a target area is provided. The aircraft includes an enclosure, which includes a top lid covering the top, an internal compartment to store the payload, a bottom surface, and a distribution apparatus to allow the payload to pass through the bottom surface. The aircraft also includes a circuit to control the distribution apparatus, a wireless receiver, to receive commands to activate and inactivate the distribution apparatus, and one or more power sources coupled to the distribution apparatus and the wireless receiver. The one or more power sources provide electrical power to the distribution apparatus and the wireless receiver. An operator controls the aircraft and the circuit with at least one of a wireless transmitter and an uploaded program in the circuit. When the wireless receiver receives a command to activate the distribution apparatus, the distribution apparatus distributes the payload from the enclosure.

Claims

1. A remotely-piloted aircraft for distributing a payload to a target area, comprising:

an enclosure, mounted externally to the remotely-piloted aircraft, comprising;

a top lid covering the top of the enclosure;

an internal compartment to store the payload;

a bottom surface covering the bottom of the enclosure; and

a distribution apparatus to allow the payload to pass through the bottom surface;

a circuit to control the distribution apparatus;

a wireless receiver, coupled to the circuit, to receive commands to activate and inactivate the distribution apparatus; and

one or more power sources coupled to the distribution apparatus and the wireless receiver, wherein the one or more power sources provide electrical power to the distribution apparatus and the wireless receiver;

wherein an uploaded program in the circuit lands the remotely piloted aircraft at a designated location in response to the internal compartment becoming empty, wherein when the wireless receiver receives a command to activate the distribution apparatus, the distribution apparatus distributes the payload from the enclosure, wherein the payload comprises at least one of one of pollen, a mixture comprising pollen, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, seeds, beneficial insects, insect eggs, and larvae.

2. The remotely-piloted aircraft of claim 1, wherein the payload comprises one of beneficial insects, a granular mixture comprising pollen, seeds, and a mixture comprising insect eggs and larvae.

3. The remotely-piloted aircraft of claim 1, wherein the distribution apparatus comprises:

one or more sifter doors, wherein the bottom surface comprises the one or more sifter doors;

a control rod coupled to each of the one or more sifter doors; and

a sifter door actuator coupled to each of the control rods, wherein each sifter door actuator comprises one of a servo and a solenoid coupled to an opposite end of the control rod from the one or more sifter doors, wherein the circuit independently controls each sifter door actuator, wherein the sifter door actuator extends and retracts the control rod to move a sifter door between an open and closed position, respectively, wherein the remotely-piloted aircraft releases the payload when the sifter door is in the open position.

4. The remotely-piloted aircraft of claim 1, wherein the distribution apparatus comprises:

a screen, wherein the bottom surface comprises the screen;

one or more sifter sweeps in contact with and above the screen, wherein the one or more sifter sweeps individually extend radially from the center of the screen to an outer edge of the screen; and

a motor, coupled to the one or more sifter sweeps, wherein the circuit activates the motor, wherein the motor moves the one or more sifter sweeps radially about the center of the screen, wherein the remotely-piloted aircraft releases the payload when the motor is activated.

5. The remotely-piloted aircraft of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is constructed from at least one of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene plastic, Polyvinyl Acetate-plastic, and Polylactic Acid plastic.

6. A method for distributing a payload to a target area from a remotely-piloted aircraft, comprising:

approaching, by the remotely-piloted aircraft, a target area at a predesignated airspeed and altitude;

reaching an initial distribution location, by the remotely-piloted aircraft, wherein the remotely-piloted aircraft comprises a distribution apparatus;

controlling, by an operator, the distribution apparatus to release the payload to the target area; and

distributing the payload, by the distribution apparatus, to the target area, wherein the remotely-piloted aircraft comprises;

an enclosure, mounted externally to the remotely-piloted aircraft, comprising;

a top lid covering the top of the enclosure;

an internal compartment to store the payload, comprising;

a side port for loading the payload into the internal compartment;

a bottom surface covering the bottom of the enclosure; and

the distribution apparatus, wherein the distribution apparatus allows the payload to pass through the bottom surface;

a circuit to control the distribution apparatus;

a wireless receiver, coupled to the circuit, to receive commands to activate and inactivate the distribution apparatus; and

one or more power sources coupled to the distribution apparatus and the wireless receiver, wherein the one or more power sources provide electrical power to the distribution apparatus and the wireless receiver;

wherein an uploaded program in the circuit lands the remotely piloted aircraft at a designated location in response to the internal compartment becoming empty, wherein when the wireless receiver receives a command to activate the distribution apparatus, the distribution apparatus distributes the payload from the enclosure, wherein the payload comprises at least one of one of pollen, a mixture comprising pollen, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, seeds, beneficial insects, insect eggs, and larvae.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the payload comprises one of beneficial insects, a granular mixture comprising pollen, seeds, and a mixture comprising insect eggs and larvae.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the distribution apparatus comprises:

one or more sifter doors, wherein the bottom surface comprises the one or more sifter doors;

a control rod coupled to each of the one or more sifter doors; and

a sifter door actuator coupled to each of the control rods, wherein each sifter door actuator comprises one of a servo and a solenoid coupled to an opposite end of the control rod from the one or more sifter doors, wherein the circuit independently controls each sifter door actuator, wherein the sifter door actuator extends and retracts the control rod to move a sifter door between an open and closed position, respectively, wherein the remotely-piloted aircraft releases the payload when the sifter door is in the open position.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the distribution apparatus comprises:

a screen, wherein the bottom surface comprises the screen;

one or more sifter sweeps in contact with and above the screen, wherein the one or more sifter sweeps individually extend from the center of the screen to an outer edge of the screen; and

a motor, coupled to the one or more sifter sweeps, wherein the circuit activates the motor, wherein the motor moves the one or more sifter sweeps radially about the center of the screen, wherein the remotely-piloted aircraft releases the payload when the motor is activated.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein controlling, by an operator, the distribution apparatus to release the payload to the target area comprises the operator transmitting to the wireless receiver the commands to activate and inactivate the distribution apparatus.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the operator controls the remotely-piloted aircraft and the circuit with at least one of a wireless transmitter and an uploaded program.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the enclosure is constructed from at least one of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene plastic, Polyvinyl Acetate-plastic, and Polylactic Acid plastic.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein one of a sonar and an optical sensor detects the level of payload in the enclosure and provides a notification signal to the operator when the level of payload in the electric sifter is at a predetermined level.