Apparatus connecting rotary blade unmanned aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10407170-B2
Application number	US-201715623948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2017
Priority date	Jun 15, 2017
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for connecting a number of rotary blade unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is described. The apparatus includes a first physical connector, a first electrical connector, a second physical connector, a second electrical connector, a storage area, and a UAV control unit. The first physical connector attaches the apparatus to a first UAV. The first electrical connector connects electricity between the apparatus and the first UAV. The second physical connector attaches the apparatus to a second UAV. The second electrical connector connects electricity between the apparatus and the second UAV. The storage area stores an energy source for the apparatus. The UAV control unit includes a processor and storage medium. The processor and storage medium are in communication with a cloud based network and receive instructions for the operation of the UAV, including steering instructions, through the cloud based network from a remote control device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for connecting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the apparatus comprising:
a first physical connector, the first physical connector physically coupling the apparatus to a first UAV;
a first electrical connector, the first electrical connector electrically coupling the apparatus and the first UAV;
a second physical connector, the second physical connector physically coupling the apparatus to a second UAV;
a second electrical connector, the second electrical connector electrically coupling the apparatus and the second UAV;
a storage area, the storage area mechanically connected to the first physical connector and the second physical connector, the storage area storing an energy source for the apparatus; and
a UAV control unit, the UAV control unit comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
control a flow of electrical energy between the apparatus and at least one of the first UAV and the second UAV; and
control communication between the first UAV and the second UAV.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of batteries wherein the UAV control unit uses the plurality of batteries to maintain electrical power to at least one of the first UAV and the second UAV.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the UAV control unit controls a flow of energy between the first UAV and the second UAV.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:
receive a message from the first UAV;
modify the message received from the first UAV to create a modified communication; and
send the modified communication to the second UAV.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a gyroscope.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the message is modified based on input from the gyroscope.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the message is modified based on the flow of electricity between the first UAV and the second UAV.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the modified message comprises a replacement message.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the replacement message instructs the second UAV to stop spinning at least one rotary blade.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a weight measurement device, the weight measurement device measuring a weight of a load being carried by the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the the message is modified based on the weight measurement.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UAV controller is in communication with a cloud based network and wherein the UAV controller receives instructions for the operation of the first UAV and the second UAV, including steering instructions, through the cloud based network.

13. A method for operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the method comprising:
coupling a first UAV to a connector apparatus, the connector apparatus comprising a UAV controller;
coupling a second UAV to the connector apparatus;
receiving, at the UAV controller, an input message from the first UAV, the input message comprising data to be shared with the second UAV;
reading, at the UAV controller, input data from a number of sensors, the input data indicating information about the connector apparatus;
creating, at the UAV controller, based on the input message and the input data, an output message, the output message indicating control data for at least one of the first UAV and the second UAV; and
sending, by the UAV controller, the output message to at least one of the first UAV and the second UAV.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving, by the UAV controller, a flow of electrical energy from the first UAV.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the input data comprises a measurement of the electrical energy received from the first UAV.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the input data comprises a measurement of electrical energy received from the second UAV.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the input data comprises measurements of sensors associated with the second UAV.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein input data comprises measurements of sensors associated with the first UAV.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the control data controls a number of rotary blades associated with at least one of the first UAV and the second UAV.

Assignees

• Hall David R
• Hall Mark
• Boswell Craig
• Fox Joe

Inventors

• Hall David R
• Hall Mark
• Boswell Craig
• Fox Joe

Classifications

• B64C37/02 Primary

  Flying units formed by separate aircraft (towing B64D3/00; aircraft transported by aircraft B64D5/00; air-refuelling B64D39/00) · CPC title

• B64C2211/00

  Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters · CPC title

• B64C2201/042

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C2201/108

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title