Drone systems and methods
AssigneeDuplicent, LLC
InventorCurren Krasnoff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft includes a body defining an interior compartment configured to hold at least one of a passenger and a payload, a battery system, a plurality of arms coupled to and extending from the body, and a plurality of propulsion devices configured to provide thrust to fly the aircraft. Each of the plurality of propulsion devices is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of arms. The plurality of propulsion devices are powered by the battery system. Each of the plurality of propulsion devices is selectively pivotable about at least one axis. The plurality of propulsion devices include at least one of (i) counter rotating ducted fans and (ii) ionizing electrode engines.
Claims20
An aircraft comprising:
- a body defining an interior compartment configured to hold at least one of a passenger and a payload;
- a battery system;
- a plurality of arms coupled to and extending from the body;
- and
- a plurality of propulsion devices configured to provide thrust to fly the aircraft, each of the plurality of propulsion devices is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of arms;
- wherein the plurality of propulsion devices are powered by the battery system;
- wherein each of the plurality of propulsion devices is selectively pivotable about at least one axis;
- and
- wherein the plurality of propulsion devices include at least one of (i) counter rotating ducted fans and (ii) ionizing electrode engines.
An aircraft comprising:
- a frame;
- a plurality of propulsion devices coupled to the frame, the plurality of propulsion devices configured to provide thrust to fly the aircraft;
- a battery mat coupled to and extending along the frame, the battery mat including a plurality of battery cells configured to power the plurality of propulsion devices, wherein the battery mat spans an area of at least one square foot;
- and
- a plurality of support arms extending from the frame and are configured to support a payload positioned beneath the frame and the battery mat.
A propulsion device for an aircraft, the propulsion device comprising:
- a housing;
- a plurality of electrodes positioned in the housing, the plurality of electrodes comprising:
- a first pair of electrodes including a first set of one or more ionizing electrodes paired with a first set of one or more attractive electrodes;
- and
- a second pair of electrodes including a second set of one or more ionizing electrodes paired with a second set of one or more attractive electrodes;
- and
- a control system configured to control the plurality of electrodes to provide a desired amount of thrust, wherein to provide the desired amount of thrust, the control system is configured to:
- selectively apply a first voltage differential across the first pair of electrodes and approximately zero voltage differential across the second pair of electrodes to provide a first amount of thrust;
- selectively apply a second voltage differential across the second pair of electrodes and approximately zero voltage differential across the first pair of electrodes to provide a second amount of thrust;
- and
- selectively apply the first voltage differential across the first pair of electrodes and the second voltage differential across the second pair of electrodes to provide a third amount of thrust.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.