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US 10,518,880 B2Granted
Six degree of freedom aerial vehicle with a ring wing
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsGur Kimchi, Louis LeRoi LeGrand, III, Dominic Timothy Shiosaki, Ricky Dean Welsh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described is an apparatus and method of an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) that can operate in either a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) orientation or a horizontal flight orientation. The aerial vehicle includes a plurality of propulsion mechanisms that enable the aerial vehicle to move in any of the six degrees of freedom (surge, sway, heave, pitch, yaw, and roll) when in the VTOL orientation. The aerial vehicle also includes a ring wing that surrounds the propulsion mechanisms and provides lift to the aerial vehicle when the aerial vehicle is operating in the horizontal flight orientation.
Claims21
An aerial vehicle navigation method, comprising:
- receiving a command to navigate an aerial vehicle in a direction that includes a horizontal component;
- determining that the aerial vehicle is in a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) orientation such that:
- a fuselage of the aerial vehicle is in a non-vertical orientation;
- and
- a ring wing of the aerial vehicle is aligned in a first plane that is substantially horizontal;
- generating a first force by a first propulsion mechanism of a plurality of propulsion mechanisms that cause a pitch of the aerial vehicle to increase such that the aerial vehicle rotates from a VTOL orientation to a horizontal flight orientation such that:
- the fuselage of the aerial vehicle is in a horizontal orientation in a direction of travel of the aerial vehicle;
- the ring wing is offset such that a lower segment of the ring wing is in a leading wing position and an upper segment of the ring wing is in a rear wing position;
- a second propulsion mechanism of the plurality of propulsion mechanisms is oriented substantially horizontally to produce a second force in a substantially horizontal direction;
- and
- a third propulsion mechanism of the plurality of propulsion mechanisms is oriented substantially horizontally to produce a third force in the substantially horizontal direction;
- generating the second force and the third force from the second propulsion mechanism and the third propulsion mechanism to cause the aerial vehicle to surge in a horizontal direction while the aerial vehicle is in the horizontal flight orientation;
- and
- wherein the ring wing of the aerial vehicle produces a lift sufficient to maintain the aerial vehicle at an altitude when the aerial vehicle is in the horizontal flight orientation and surging in the horizontal direction.
11 more elements
A method, comprising:
- determining that an aerial vehicle is in a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) orientation such that:
- a fuselage of the aerial vehicle is aligned in a non-vertical orientation;
- and
- a ring wing of the aerial vehicle is aligned in a first plane that is substantially horizontal;
- generating a first force by a first propulsion mechanism of a plurality of propulsion mechanisms that cause a pitch of the aerial vehicle to increase such that the aerial vehicle rotates from a VTOL orientation to a horizontal flight orientation such that:
- the fuselage of the aerial vehicle is in a substantially horizontal orientation in a direction of travel of the aerial vehicle;
- a first sub-plurality of propulsion mechanisms of the plurality of propulsion mechanisms are oriented to produce forces in a substantially horizontal direction;
- and
- a second sub-plurality of propulsion mechanisms of the plurality of propulsion mechanisms are oriented to produce forces in a substantially non-horizontal direction;
- and
- generating a second force from the first sub-plurality of propulsion mechanisms to cause the aerial vehicle to surge in the substantially horizontal direction while the aerial vehicle is in the horizontal flight orientation.
8 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving a command to navigate an aerial vehicle in a direction that includes a horizontal component;
- generating a first force with at least one of a plurality of propulsion mechanisms of the aerial vehicle that causes a pitch of the aerial vehicle to increase such that the aerial vehicle rotates from a VTOL orientation to a horizontal flight orientation such that a first propulsion mechanism of the plurality of propulsion mechanisms is oriented substantially horizontally to produce a second force in a substantially horizontal direction that causes the aerial vehicle to surge in a horizontal direction while the aerial vehicle is in the horizontal flight orientation;
- terminating, while the aerial vehicle is in the horizontal flight orientation, an operation of a second propulsion mechanism, wherein the second propulsion mechanism is oriented in a direction that is different than the substantially horizontal orientation of the first propulsion mechanism;
- and
- wherein a wing of the aerial vehicle produces a lift sufficient to maintain the aerial vehicle at an altitude when the aerial vehicle is in the horizontal flight orientation and surging in the horizontal direction.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.