Back to results
US 2021/0276732 A1Published application
Pod cover system for a vertical take-off and landing (vtol) unmanned aerial vehicle (uav)
AssigneeAeroVironment, Inc.
InventorsChristopher Eugene Fisher, Jason Sidharthadev Mukherjee, William Arden Lott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) storage and launch system includes a UAV pod having an open position and a closed position, the closed position establishing an interior that is weather resistant to an environment external to the UAV pod and a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV enclosed in the UAV pod so that the UAV pod in the closed position provides a weather resistant interior for the VTOL UAV.
Claims20
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) storage and launch system, comprising:
- a UAV pod having an open position and a closed position, the closed position establishing an interior;
- and
- a UAV pod processor having addressable memory;
- a UAV landing surface in communication with the UAV pod processor, wherein the UAV landing surface is oriented to account for crosswind during a launch to provide an advantageous orientation for the launch in the crosswind, and wherein the UAV landing surface rotated after a landing of the UAV on the UAV landing surface to better position the UAV for receipt into the interior of the UAV pod;
- and
- a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV enclosed in the UAV pod, wherein the VTOL UAV comprises wings to provide the primary source of lift during horizontal flight, wherein the VTOL UAV comprises rotors to provide the primary source of lift during vertical flight, wherein the UAV landing surface is configured to rotate to position the VTOL UAV to provide the advantageous orientation for the launch in the crosswind, and wherein the wings of the VTOL UAV do not impinge on the UAV pod during rotation.
3 more elements
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:
- a UAV pod having an interior volume and a top opening;
- a UAV pod processor having addressable memory;
- a UAV landing surface in communication with the UAV pod processor, wherein the UAV landing surface is rotatable to account for crosswind, wherein the UAV landing surface is translatable between the interior volume of the UAV pod and a top opening of the UAV pod, and wherein the UAV landing surface rotated after a landing of a UAV on the UAV landing surface to better position the UAV for receipt into the interior of the UAV pod;
- and
- a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV enclosed in the UAV pod, wherein the VTOL UAV comprises wings to provide the primary source of lift during horizontal flight, wherein the VTOL UAV comprises rotors to provide the primary source of lift during vertical flight, wherein the UAV landing surface is configured to rotate to position the VTOL UAV to provide the advantageous orientation for the launch in the crosswind, and wherein the wings of the VTOL UAV do not impinge on the UAV pod during rotation.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.