Unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 9,630,710 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hutson, Donald Bolden
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US14/527,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20160229534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 5/02 convertible into aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/38 endless-track type
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 37/00 Convertible aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• 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 30/299 Rotor guards ducted or shrouded rotors B64U30/26; guards used as ground propulsion B64U60/60
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles and methods for providing the same are disclosed. The unmanned aerial vehicles may have various configurations related to a support frame. The unmanned aerial vehicles may have various configurations with a continuous track for ground propulsion. The unmanned aerial vehicles may have various configurations related to payload clamps.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a frame portion;

one or more air propulsion devices mounted on the frame portion, wherein the one or more air propulsion devices are configured to propel the frame portion through the air;

one or more ground propulsion devices mounted on the frame portion, wherein the one or more ground propulsion devices are configured to propel the frame portion along ground;

a first payload interface extends from a first side of the frame portion, wherein the first payload interface is configured to engage a first object on the first side of the frame portion; and

a second payload interface extends from a second side of the frame portion, wherein the second payload interface is configured to engage a second object on the second side of the frame portion, wherein the first object and the second object are separate from the frame portion, and the first side and the second side face different directions.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the first side of the frame portion is a bottom side of the frame portion, as the one or more ground propulsion devices propel the frame portion along the ground.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to engage the first object by maneuvering over the first object using the one or more ground propulsion devices, so that the first payload interface is aligned over the first object.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the first payload interface comprises articulating fingers configured to grip a rim of the first object.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the first payload interface comprises a tab for aligning an end of the first object with an end of the first payload interface.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the first payload interface comprises an indentation on a bottom portion of the first payload interface, and

wherein the indentation is configured to receive a protrusion of the first object when the first payload interface is aligned in a predefined position over the first object.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6,

wherein the indentation is configured to receive the protrusion of the first object when an electrical connector provided on the bottom portion of the first payload interface is aligned in the predefined position over an electrical connector on the top portion of the first object.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the first payload interface comprises electrical connectors on a bottom portion of the first payload interface, and

wherein electrical connectors on a top portion of the first object form electrical connections with the electrical connectors on the bottom portion of the first payload interface when the first payload interface engages the first object.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 8,

wherein an electronic component in the unmanned aerial vehicle transfers data signals to the first object using the electrical connections formed when the first payload interface engages the first object.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 8,

wherein an electronic component in the unmanned aerial vehicle transfers electrical power to the first object using the electrical connections formed when the first payload interface engages the first object.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the first payload interface is configured to engage the first object by gripping a surface of the first object.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 11,

wherein the first payload interface comprises articulating fingers configured to engage the first object by gripping a surface of the first object.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12,

wherein the first payload interface is configured to lift the first object upwards after the articulating fingers have gripped the surface of the first object.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 13,

wherein the first payload interface is configured to lift the first object upwards a sufficient distance so that the unmanned aerial vehicle may move along a ground surface without the first object striking the ground surface while the first object is engaged by the first payload interface.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12,

wherein the articulating fingers are configured to continue gripping the surface of the first object so that the unmanned aerial vehicle is able to perform aerial flight while engaging the first object.

16. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the first payload interface is disposed on a bottom side of the frame portion, and

wherein the second payload interface is disposed on a top side of the frame portion.

17. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the first side of the frame portion and the second side of the frame portion face opposite directions.

18. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the second payload interface is configured to engage the second object by gripping a surface of the second object.

19. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 18,

wherein the second payload interface comprises articulating fingers configured to engage the second object by gripping the surface of the second object.

20. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 19,

wherein the second payload interface is configured to pull the second object downwards after the articulating fingers have gripped the surface of the second object.

21. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 19,

wherein the articulating fingers are configured to continue gripping the surface of the second object so that the unmanned aerial vehicle is able to perform aerial flight while engaging the second object.

22. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the first payload interface is configured to pull the first object toward the unmanned aerial vehicle in a first direction toward the first side;

the second payload interface is configured to pull the second object toward the unmanned aerial vehicle in a second direction toward the second side; and

the first direction and the second direction are opposite directions.

26. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first payload interface and the second payload interface are supported by the frame portion at a center of mass of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

23. The unmanned aerial vehicle of clam 1, wherein:

the one or more ground propulsion devices comprise at least one continuous track that defines a first track segment having a first surface and a second track segment having a second surface;

the first surface faces a first direction with respect to the frame portion;

the second surface faces a second direction with respect to the frame portion; and

the first direction and the second direction are different directions.

24. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 23, wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposite-facing surfaces.

25. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 23, wherein one of the first surface or the second surface contacts the ground as the one or more ground propulsion devices propel the frame portion along the ground.

27. A method of manufacturing an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a frame portion;

providing one or more air propulsion devices mounted on the frame portion, wherein the one or more air propulsion devices are configured to propel the frame portion through the air;

providing one or more ground propulsion devices mounted on the frame portion, wherein the one or more ground propulsion devices are configured to propel the frame portion along the ground;

providing a first payload interface extending from a first side of the frame portion, wherein the first payload interface is configured to engage a first object on the first side of the frame portion; and

providing a second payload interface extending from a second side of the frame portion, wherein the second payload interface is configured to engage a second object on the second side of the frame portion, wherein the first object and the second object are separate from the frame portion, and the first side and the second side face different directions.