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US 12,337,949 B2Granted
Methods and systems for retaining lateral control of an unmanned aerial vehicle during landing with leveled inboard propellers
AssigneeAeroVironment, Inc.
InventorBart Dean Hibbs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, devices, and methods including an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); one or more inner wing panels of the UAV; one or more outer wing panels of the UAV; at least one inboard propeller attached to at least one engine disposed on the one or more inner wing panels; at least one tip propeller attached to at least one engine disposed on the one or more outer wing panels; at least one microcontroller configured to: determine an angular position of the at least one inboard propeller; and send a signal to halt rotation of the at least one inboard propeller such that the at least one inboard propeller is held in an attitude that provides for clearance of the propeller blade to the ground upon landing.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- at least one microcontroller in communication with at least one first engine and at least one second engine, wherein the at least one microcontroller is configured to:
- determine an angular position of at least one inboard propeller attached to the at least one first engine;
- send a first signal to the at least one first engine to halt rotation of the at least one inboard propeller such that the at least one inboard propeller is held in an attitude that provides for clearance of a propeller blade to the ground upon landing;
- and
- send a second signal to the at least one second engine to adjust rotation of at least one tip propeller attached to the at least one second engine while the at least one inboard propeller is held in the attitude that provides for clearance of the propeller blade to the ground;
- wherein the at least one inboard propeller would strike the ground during rotation of the at least one inboard propeller upon landing;
- and
- wherein the at least one second engine is configured to operate independently from the at least one first engine according to the second signal.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- determining, by at least one microcontroller in communication with at least one first engine and at least one second engine, an angular position of at least one inboard propeller connected to the at least one engine;
- sending, by the at least one microcontroller, a first signal to the at least one first engine to halt rotation of the at least one inboard propeller such that the at least one inboard propeller is held in an attitude that provides for clearance of a propeller blade to a ground upon landing;
- and
- sending, by the at least one microcontroller, a second signal to the at least one second engine to adjust rotation of at least one tip propeller attached to the at least one second engine while the at least one inboard propeller is held in the attitude that provides for clearance of the propeller blade to the ground;
- wherein the at least one inboard propeller would strike the ground during rotation of the at least one inboard propeller upon landing;
- and
- wherein the at least one second engine is configured to operate independently from the at least one first engine according to the second signal.
4 more elements
A system comprising:
- at least one microcontroller in communication with at least one first engine and at least one second engine, wherein at least one inboard propeller is attached to the at least one first engine, wherein at least one tip propeller is attached to the at least one second engine, and wherein the at least one microcontroller is configured to:
- determine an angular position of the at least one inboard propeller;
- send a first signal to the at least one inboard propeller such that the at least one inboard propeller is held in an attitude that provides for clearance of a propeller blade to a surface;
- send a second signal to the at least one tip propeller to adjust rotation of at least one tip propeller while the at least one inboard propeller is held in the attitude that provides for clearance of the propeller blade to the ground;
- wherein at least a portion of the at least one inboard propeller would contact the surface during rotation of the at least one inboard propeller;
- and
- wherein the at least one second engine is configured to operate independently from the at least one first engine according to the second signal.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.