Unmanned aerial vehicle movement via environmental airflow
AssigneeSony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
InventorDominic Saul Mallinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An arena includes a porous surface through which an airflow is output, thereby providing lift for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to push the UAV away from the porous surface. The airflow may also provide thrust to push the UAV in a direction that is parallel to the porous surface. The UAV may include one or more propellers that can provide lift, thrust, or both to the UAV. The airflow may be modified over a duration of time to modify lift or thrust to the UAV. The airflow may be modified based on regions of the arena to modify lift or thrust in different regions of the arena. The arena may include a scoreboard to display a score that may be modified as a result of actions undertaken by the UAV. Two or more UAVs may be used to play a game via the arena.
Claims19
A system for movement control, the system comprising:
- a porous surface comprising a plurality of pores;
- and
- an air propulsion device on one side of the porous surface, wherein the air propulsion device:
- generates an airflow via a plurality of fans, wherein the generated airflow is output through the plurality of pores in the porous surface and provides lift to an unmanned vehicle on another side of the porous surface, wherein at least a vector component of the lift is perpendicular to the porous surface and pushes the unmanned vehicle away from the porous surface,
- receives an airflow modification signal from a controller device, and
- modifies an angle of the airflow in response to receipt of the airflow modification signal from the controller device, wherein the modified airflow controls movement of the unmanned vehicle in accordance with the modified angle.
A system for movement control, the system comprising:
- a body, wherein the body is lifted away from a porous surface at least in part by an airflow expelled through a plurality of pores in the porous surface;
- a motor coupled to the body;
- a propeller coupled to the motor, wherein actuation of the motor causes the propeller to spin, thereby generating a thrust, wherein at least a vector component of the thrust is parallel to the porous surface;
- a set of one or more secondary propellers, wherein each of the set of the one or more secondary propellers is coupled to one of a set of one or more secondary motors, the set of one or more secondary motors coupled to the body;
- and
- a communication transceiver that receives an actuation signal from a controller device, wherein the motor is actuated in response to receipt of the actuation signal.
A method for movement control, the method comprising:
- transmitting an activation signal to an arena system, wherein the arena system generates an airflow in response to receipt of the activation signal, the airflow providing lift to an unmanned vehicle;
- receiving a thrust input via an input interface;
- and
- transmitting a thrust signal to the unmanned vehicle, wherein the unmanned vehicle actuates a motorized propeller and a set of one or more secondary motorized propellers in response to receipt of the thrust signal, the motorized propeller providing thrust to the unmanned vehicle, wherein at least a vector component of the thrust is perpendicular to at least a vector component of the lift, and wherein each of the set of the one or more secondary propellers is coupled to one of a set of one or more secondary motors, the set of one or more secondary motors coupled to the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.