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US 12,722,774 B2Granted
Methods and systems for retaining lateral control of an unmanned aerial vehicle during landing with leveled inboard propellers
AssigneeAeroVironment, Inc.
InventorBart Dean Hibbs
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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.
Claims17
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:
- send a first signal to the at least one first engine to halt rotation of at least one inboard propeller attached to the at least one first engine;
- 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 halts rotation according to the first signal;
- wherein the at least one second engine is configured to operate independently from the at least one first engine, according to the second signal;
- and
- wherein the at least one inboard propeller is identical to the at least one tip propeller;
- an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
- one or more inner wing panels of the UAV;
- and
- one or more landing pods of the UAV, wherein the one or more landing pods are configured to be attached to the one or more inner wing panels of the UAV to assist in landing of the UAV, wherein a distance from a center of a propeller hub to a tip of the at least one inboard propeller is greater than a height of the one or more landing pods, and wherein the at least one tip propeller can freely rotate when the UAV is on the ground.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- sending, by at least one microcontroller in communication with at least one first engine and at least one second engine, a first signal to the at least one first engine to halt rotation of the at least one inboard propeller attached to the at least one first engine;
- 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 halts rotation according to the first signal;
- wherein the at least one second engine is configured to operate independently from the at least one first engine, according to the second signal;
- and
- wherein the at least one inboard propeller is identical to the at least one tip propeller;
- and
- wherein the first signal to halt rotation of the at least one inboard propeller is configured to be sent if a determined altitude is below a threshold altitude.
5 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:
- send a first signal to the at least one inboard propeller;
- send a second signal to the at least one second engine to adjust rotation of at least one tip propeller while the at least one inboard propeller halts rotation according to the first signal;
- send a signal to the at least one tip propeller to adjust a thrust to guide an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for take-off while the at least one inboard propeller is in an attitude that provides for clearance of a propeller blade to a surface, wherein the at least one tip propeller is configured to retain lateral control of the UAV during take-off;
- and
- send a signal to the at least one inboard propeller after take-off such that the at least one inboard propeller starts rotation;
- wherein the at least one second engine is configured to operate independently from the at least one first engine, according to the second signal;
- and
- wherein the at least one inboard propeller is identical to the at least one tip propeller.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.