METHOD FOR VERTICAL TAKEOFF FROM AND LANDING ON INCLINED SURFACES

• US 20110057075A1
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hursig, David C., Martinez, Steven D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,141,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/183
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/04 Landing aids; Safety measures to prevent collision with earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/80 UAVs characterised by their small size, e.g. micro air vehicles [MAV]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0653 during a phase of take-off or landing
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

Takeoff and landing modes are added to a flight control system of a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV). The takeoff and landing modes use data available to the flight control system and the VTOL UAV'"'"'s existing control surfaces and throttle control. As a result, the VTOL UAV can takeoff from and land on inclined surfaces without the use of landing gear mechanisms designed to level the UAV on the inclined surfaces.

Claims

1. A method for vertical takeoff of an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) from an inclined surface, the method comprising:

receiving a command to launch;

determining an attitude orientation of the UAV;

orienting vanes of the UAV to counteract gravity;

increasing thrust to release landing gear of the UAV from the inclined surface; and

ascending the UAV substantially perpendicular from the inclined surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the attitude orientation comprises determining whether the unmanned air vehicle is located on the inclined surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein orienting vanes includes adjusting the vanes to a positive angle based on the attitude orientation determination.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising ascending the unmanned aerial vehicle substantially vertically at a distance above the inclined surface.

5. An unmanned air vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a duct;

a fan configured to draw air through the duct to generate thrust;

vanes;

landing gear; and

a flight control system that is configured to control the UAV to take off from an inclined surface by at least determining an attitude orientation of the UAV, orienting the vanes to counteract gravity, and controlling the fan to increase thrust, wherein when the landing gear is on an inclined surface, the thrust releases landing gear of the UAV from the inclined surface and ascends the UAV substantially perpendicular from the inclined surface.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of claim 5, further comprising a navigation system comprising at least one of an inertial measurement sensor, a global positioning satellite sensor, an above ground level sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetometer, a rate sensor, or an accelerometer, wherein the flight control system determines the attitude orientation of the UAV based on data sourced by the navigation system.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of claim 5, wherein the flight control system determines the attitude orientation by at least determining whether the UAV is located on the inclined surface.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of claim 5, wherein the flight control system orients the vanes by at least adjusting the vanes to a positive angle based on the attitude orientation determination.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of claim 5, wherein the flight control system determines an attitude orientation, orients the vanes to counteract gravity, and controls the fan to increase thrust upon receiving a command to launch the UAV.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of claim 5, wherein the flight control system further comprises a landing mode in which the flight control system controls the UAV to descend vertically above the inclined surface, detects a pressure differential caused by the inclined surface, controls the vanes to counteract motion caused by the pressure differential, detects when the UAV contacts the inclined surface, and when the UAV contacts the inclined surface, rotates the UAV until the UAV has landed on the inclined surface.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of claim 10, wherein the flight control system counteracts motions caused by the pressure differential by controlling the fan to adjust a throttle of the UAV.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of claim 10, wherein the flight control system detects when the UAV contacts the inclined surface by at least detecting a landing touch condition.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of claim 10, wherein the flight control system rotates the UAV by at least adjusting the vanes of the UAV.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of claim 10, wherein the flight control system rotates the UAV by at least adjusting a throttle of the UAV.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of claim 14, wherein the flight control system adjusts the throttle by at least modulating the throttle to counteract gravitational forces.

16. A method for vertical takeoff from and landing on an inclined surface, the method comprising:

in a takeoff mode of a flight control system of an unmanned air vehicle (UAV), adjusting at least one vane and a thrust of the UAV so as to initially ascend the UAV substantially perpendicular to the inclined surface; and

in a landing mode in the flight control system of the UAV, adjusting the at least one vane and the thrust of the UAV upon detecting that the UAV has contacted the inclined surface at a contact point so as to rotate the UAV about the contact point until the UAV has landed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, in the takeoff mode, adjusting the vanes comprises adjusting the vanes based on an attitude orientation determination.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein, in the landing mode, adjusting the at least one vane and the thrust of the UAV causes the UAV to rotate in an uphill direction.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein, in the landing mode, adjusting the at least one vane comprises adjusting the at least one vane to counteract motion induced by the contact point.