Adjustable unmanned aerial vehicles with multiple lifting motors and propellers

• US 9,908,632 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2017
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kimchi, Gur, Buchmueller, Daniel, Beckman, Brian C., Navot, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam
• Application Number:
  US15/592,948
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/30 Parts of fuselage relatively movable to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/00 Rotorcraft; Rotors peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/06 actuated automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• 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 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/293 Foldable or collapsible rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/30 Supply or distribution of electrical power
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

This disclosure describes an unmanned aerial vehicle that may be configured during flight to optimize for agility or efficiency.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

a body;

a first motor coupled to the body, coupled to a first propeller and configured to rotate the first propeller at a first rotational speed, wherein the first motor and the first propeller are configured to provide a vertical lift to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a second motor coupled to the body, coupled to a second propeller and configured to rotate the second propeller at a second rotational speed, wherein the second motor and the second propeller are configured to provide the vertical lift to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

wherein the first motor and the first propeller are horizontally adjustable relative to the second motor and the second propeller between an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration;

a third motor coupled to the body, coupled to a third propeller and configured to rotate the third propeller at a third rotational speed, wherein;

a diameter of the third propeller is smaller than respective diameters of the first propeller and the second propeller;

the third motor and the third propeller are configured to provide the vertical lift to the unmanned aerial vehicle and maneuverability to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a fourth motor coupled to the body, coupled to a fourth propeller and configured to rotate the fourth propeller at a fourth rotational speed, wherein;

a diameter of the fourth propeller is smaller than the respective diameters of the first propeller and the second propeller;

the fourth motor and the fourth propeller are configured to provide the vertical lift to the unmanned aerial vehicle and the maneuverability to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a memory coupled to a processor and storing program instructions that when executed by the processor causes the processor to at least;

determine a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

alter the first rotational speed of the first motor based at least in part on the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

alter the second rotational speed of the second motor based at least in part on the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

alter a configuration of the first motor relative to the second motor based at least in part on the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

alter the third rotational speed of the third motor based at least in part on the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

alter the fourth rotational speed of the fourth motor based at least in part on the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

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

in the contracted configuration, the first motor and the first propeller and the second motor and the second propeller are positioned at approximately a center of the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

in the expanded configuration, the first motor and the first propeller are horizontally separated from the center of the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the second motor and the second propeller are horizontally separated from the center of the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the first motor and the second motor are horizontally separated from each other.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein an orientation of the third motor is adjustable about an axis with respect to the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein a position of the third motor is horizontally adjustable with respect to the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein positions of the first motor and the second motor are horizontally adjustable with respect to the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

6. An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

a body comprising a first adjustable body portion that is movable relative to a second adjustable body portion between at least two configurations;

a first lifting motor coupled to the first adjustable body portion, coupled to a first lifting propeller and configured to rotate the first lifting propeller at a first rotational speed, wherein the first lifting motor and the first lifting propeller are configured to provide a vertical lift to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a second lifting motor coupled to the second adjustable body portion, coupled to a second lifting propeller and configured to rotate the second lifting propeller at a second rotational speed, wherein the second lifting motor and the second lifting propeller are configured to provide the vertical lift to the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

at least one maneuverability motor coupled to the body, coupled to a maneuverability propeller and configured to rotate the maneuverability propeller to provide vertical lift and maneuverability to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

wherein in a first configuration, the first adjustable body portion and the second adjustable body portion are horizontally moved toward each other; and

wherein in a second configuration, the first adjustable body portion and the second adjustable body portion are horizontally separated from each other.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6, wherein:

in the first configuration, the first lifting motor and the first lifting propeller and the second lifting motor and the second lifting propeller are positioned at approximately a center of the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle

in the second configuration, the first adjustable body portion, the first lifting motor, and the first lifting propeller are horizontally separated from the center of the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the second adjustable body portion, the second lifting motor, and the second lifting propeller are horizontally separated from the center of the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6, wherein the first lifting propeller and the second lifting propeller are stacked on top of each other in the first configuration.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6, wherein the at least one maneuverability motor is at least one of:

rotatable about an axis with respect to the body, horizontally adjustable with respect to the body, or vertically adjustable with respect to the body.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6, wherein the at least one maneuverability motor is rotatable or adjustable based at least in part on a movement of a motor arm coupled to the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the at least one maneuverability motor.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6, further comprising:

at least one second maneuverability motor coupled to one of the first adjustable body portion or the second adjustable body portion, coupled to a second maneuverability propeller and configured to rotate the second maneuverability propeller to provide vertical lift and maneuverability to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first lifting motor, the second lifting motor, or the at least one maneuverability motor is rotated toward a center of the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle in at least one configuration.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6, further comprising:

a memory coupled to a processor and storing program instructions that when executed by the processor causes the processor to at least;

determine a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

cause the first adjustable body portion and the second adjustable body portion to move to the second configuration when the unmanned aerial vehicle is in a first position, wherein the first position is associated with at least one of a high altitude, a high velocity, or an area with no objects in a close proximity to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6, further comprising:

a memory coupled to a processor and storing program instructions that when executed by the processor causes the processor to at least;

determine a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

cause the first adjustable body portion and the second adjustable body portion to move to the first configuration when the unmanned aerial vehicle is in a second position, wherein the second position is associated with at least one of a low altitude, a low velocity, or an area with an object in a close proximity of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

15. A computer-implemented method for adjusting a configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

causing, while the unmanned aerial vehicle is in flight, a reconfiguration of a first adjustable body portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle relative to a second adjustable body portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle between at least two configurations;

wherein the first adjustable body portion includes a first lifting motor coupled to a first lifting propeller to provide a vertical lift to the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the second adjustable body portion includes a second lifting motor coupled to a second lifting propeller to provide the vertical lift to the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

wherein the reconfiguration includes horizontally moving the first adjustable body portion and the second adjustable body portion toward or away from each other.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the reconfiguration further includes at least one of:

horizontally moving the first adjustable body portion relative to a center of a body of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

or

horizontally moving the second adjustable body portion relative to the center of the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle further includes at least one maneuverability motor coupled to a maneuverability propeller to provide vertical lift and maneuverability to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the reconfiguration further includes:

rotating at least one of the first lifting motor, the second lifting motor, or the at least one maneuverability motor toward or away from a center of a body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the reconfiguration further includes:

rotating at least one of the first lifting motor, the second lifting motor, or the at least one maneuverability motor toward or away from a center of a body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the reconfiguration further includes:

causing a payload coupled to the unmanned aerial vehicle via at least two cables to move closer or farther from a body of the unmanned aerial vehicle.