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US 12,596,371 B2Granted
System and method for interception and countering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS)
AssigneeAeroVironment, Inc.
InventorsChristopher Eugene Fisher, Michael Franklin Morgan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, devices, and methods for identifying a target aerial vehicle, deploying an interceptor aerial vehicle comprising at least one effector, maneuvering the interceptor aerial vehicle to a position to engage a target aerial vehicle, deploying the at least one effector to intercept the target aerial vehicle, and confirming that the target aerial vehicle has been intercepted.
Claims16
A method comprising:
- displaying an identified target aerial vehicle and an interceptor aerial vehicle on a display of a ground control station (GCS) having a processor and addressable memory in communication with the interceptor aerial vehicle;
- deploying, via the GCS, the interceptor aerial vehicle, wherein the interceptor aerial vehicle comprises at least one gimbal comprising one or more deployment devices detachably attached to the interceptor aerial vehicle, wherein each deployment device comprises:
- at least one capturing device deployable towards a target and a launcher configured to deploy the at least one capturing device and comprising a gas generator to deploy the at least one capturing device and a safety circuit configured to enable activation of the gas generator only when a measured current supplied to the gas generator is at least a threshold current value for at least a threshold time interval, and wherein the safety circuit is configured to inhibit activation of the gas generator upon transient currents shorter than the threshold time interval;
- maneuvering, via the GCS, the interceptor aerial vehicle in at least one of:
- a vertical direction, a horizontal direction toward the target aerial vehicle, and a sideways direction until the interceptor aerial vehicle is positioned above the target aerial vehicle;
- deploying, via the GCS, the at least one capturing device to intercept the target aerial vehicle;
- and
- detaching, via the GCS, the one or more deployment devices along with the intercepted target aerial vehicle when the intercepted target aerial vehicle is released such that the one or more deployment devices remain with the intercepted target aerial vehicle when released.
5 more elements
A system comprising:
- an interceptor aerial vehicle, wherein the interceptor aerial vehicle comprises at least one gimbal comprising one or more deployment devices detachably attached to the interceptor aerial vehicle, wherein each deployment device comprises:
- at least one capturing device deployable towards a target and a launcher to deploy the at least one capturing device;
- and
- a ground control station (GCS) having a processor and addressable memory, the GCS in communication with the interceptor aerial vehicle, wherein the processor of the GCS is configured to:
- display a target aerial vehicle and the interceptor aerial vehicle on a display of the GCS;
- deploy the interceptor aerial vehicle;
- maneuver the interceptor aerial vehicle in at least one of:
- a vertical direction, a horizontal direction toward the target aerial vehicle, and a sideways direction until the interceptor aerial vehicle is positioned above the target aerial vehicle;
- and
- deploying the at least one capturing device to intercept the target aerial vehicle, wherein the one or more deployment devices are configured to be detached along with the intercepted target aerial vehicle when the intercepted target aerial vehicle is released such that the one or more deployment devices remain with the intercepted target aerial vehicle when released;
- a gas generator configured to deploy a corresponding capturing device;
- and
- a safety circuit configured to enable activation of the gas generator only when a measured current supplied to the gas generator is at least a threshold current value for at least a threshold time interval, and wherein the safety circuit is configured to inhibit activation of the gas generator upon transient currents shorter than the threshold time interval.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.