Invertible aircraft

• US 9,511,859 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Keennon, Matthew Todd, Klingebiel, Karl Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Badawi, Medhat
• Application Number:
  US14/954,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20160152335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/20 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/32 mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2027/4733 Rotor blades substantially made from particular materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/04 Helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/06 with single rotor
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/08 with two or more rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/12 Rotor drives
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/473 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/59 mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/028 Micro-sized aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/00 Power plant control systems; Arrangement of power plant control systems in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/06 actuated automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 : for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/70 : for use inside enclosed spaces, e.g. in buildings or in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 : Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/29 : Constructional aspects of rotors or rotor supports; Arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/299 : Rotor guards ducted or shrouded rotors B64U30/26; guards used as ground propulsion B64U60/60
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 : using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 : by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/005 : by providing the operator with signals other than visual, e.g. acoustic, haptic

Abstract

A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.

Claims

1. A method of gathering intelligence prior to entering a room, comprising:

a) delivering a rotorcraft into the room, the rotorcraft including a fuselage defining a vertical dimension with respect to the fuselage, one or more rotors generally oriented for vertical thrust with respect to the fuselage,

one or more motors attached to the one or more rotors such that they drive the one or more rotors in rotation, and

a control system that controls the speed and changeable direction with which the one or more motors drives the one or more rotors in rotation,

b) controlling the direction of rotor rotation based on the orientation of the rotorcraft with respect to gravity once the rotorcraft has come to rest in the room;

c) instructing the rotorcraft to fly; and

d) scanning the room using a sensor on the rotorcraft to gather intelligence.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising restarting steps (b) through (d) if the flight of the rotorcraft is interrupted prior to the completion of steps (b) through (d).

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising instructing the rotorcraft to fly to one or more additional rooms, and scanning the one or more additional rooms using the sensor to gather further intelligence.

4. The method of claim 1, and further comprising affixing the rotorcraft to hang from a surface in a position and orientation in which the sensor provides continuing information, and continuing to scan using the sensor to gather further intelligence.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

instructing the rotorcraft to fly to one or more additional rooms, and scanning the one or more additional rooms using the sensor to gather further intelligence;

affixing the rotorcraft to hang from a surface in a position and orientation in which the sensor provides continuing information, and continuing to scan using the sensor to gather further intelligence; and

restarting the steps at step (b) if the flight of the rotorcraft is interrupted prior to the completion of the method.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a) to (d) are conducted in sequential order.