Motor vehicle with captive aircraft

• US 9,969,490 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Duncan, William D., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Malaska, Stephen L., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Petroski, Robert C., Weaver, Thomas Allan, Wood, Jr., Lowell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LANG, MICHAEL DEAN
• Application Number:
  US14/645,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20160176523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/022 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/00 Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations specially adapted for captive aircraft B64F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/24 for use as flying displays, e.g. advertising or billboards
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/15 using combustion exhausts other than turbojets or turbofans, e.g. using rockets, ramjets, scramjets or pulse-reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/90 Launching from or landing on platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/93 for use on a land or nautical vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/99 Means for retaining the UAV on the platform, e.g. dogs or magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target

Abstract

A motor vehicle system includes a motor vehicle including an aircraft landing portion, and an actively propelled unmanned aircraft configured to be supported on the aircraft landing portion. The vehicle and aircraft are configured such that the vehicle can provide at least one of fuel and electrical energy to the aircraft while the aircraft is supported on the aircraft landing portion.

Claims

1. A method of operating a motor vehicle system, comprising:

providing an actively propelled unmanned aircraft on an aircraft landing area of a motor vehicle;

physically coupling the aircraft to the vehicle and transferring at least one of electrical energy and fuel from the vehicle to the aircraft;

launching the aircraft from the motor vehicle such that the aircraft becomes airborne;

acquiring environment data regarding a driving environment of the motor vehicle using the aircraft;

determining, by the aircraft, a relative position of the motor vehicle with respect to the aircraft;

communicating aircraft output data from the aircraft to the vehicle, the aircraft output data being based at least in part on the environment data and the relative position of the motor vehicle;

determining a location of the motor vehicle based on the aircraft output data; and

operating the motor vehicle based at least in part on the determined location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the aircraft to the vehicle comprises coupling the aircraft to the vehicle while the aircraft is airborne.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the motor vehicle based at least in part on the aircraft output data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein operating the motor vehicle includes operating the motor vehicle from a remote location.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein operating the motor vehicle includes using a robotic driving system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a flight path for the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the flight path is determined based on an expected route of travel for the motor vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the flight path is determined based on a current direction of travel for the motor vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft output data includes traffic data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining an alternate travel route for the motor vehicle based on the traffic data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the alternate travel route is selected from a plurality of alternate travel routes to provide a shortest expected travel time.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the alternate travel route is selected from a plurality of alternate travel routes to provide a shortest expected driving distance.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft output data includes road condition data.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying driving data to a driver of the motor vehicle using a display, the driving data being generated based on the aircraft output data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft is launched based on determining that the communication link is unavailable.

16. A method of operating a motor vehicle system, comprising:

acquiring environment data regarding a driving environment for a vehicle using an actively propelled unmanned aircraft;

determining, by the aircraft, a relative position of the vehicle with respect to the aircraft;

communicating aircraft output data from the aircraft to a remote system, the aircraft output data based at least in part on the relative position of the vehicle;

receiving driving control signals from the remote system at the vehicle such that the vehicle is controlled in response to the driving control signals; and

determining a location of the vehicle relative to a roadway based on the aircraft output data;

wherein the driving control signals are based on the location of the vehicle relative to the roadway.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transferring one of electrical energy and fuel from the vehicle to the aircraft.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising launching the aircraft from the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising launching the aircraft from the vehicle while the vehicle is moving.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein acquiring data regarding the driving environment includes using a data capture device provided on the aircraft.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a flight path for the aircraft.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the flight path is determined based on an expected route of travel for the motor vehicle.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the flight path is determined based on a current direction of travel for the motor vehicle.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the aircraft output data includes road condition data.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the aircraft output data includes traffic data.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining an alternate travel route for the motor vehicle based on the traffic data.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining that a communication link between the vehicle and a wireless access point is unavailable;

wherein the aircraft is launched based on determining that the communication link is unavailable.

28. A method of communicating using a captive aircraft, comprising:

launching an actively propelled unmanned aircraft from a motor vehicle;

establishing a first communication link between the aircraft and the motor vehicle using a first communication protocol;

establishing a second communication link between the aircraft and a wireless access point using a second communication protocol;

communicating data from the motor vehicle to the aircraft using the first communication protocol;

forwarding the data received from the motor vehicle to the wireless access point using the second communication protocol;

determining that a third communication link between the motor vehicle and the wireless access point using the second communication protocol is unavailable;

wherein the aircraft is launched based on determining that the third communication link is unavailable.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first communication protocol is a wireless communication protocol.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the second communication protocol is a wireless communication protocol.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the second communication protocol is different from the first communication protocol.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the first communication link is established based on determining that the third communication link is unavailable.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising capturing environment data regarding a driving environment for the motor vehicle at the aircraft using a data capture device.