Aerial capture platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10696414-B2
Application number	US-201615331707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2016
Priority date	Apr 21, 2015
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a housing, a plurality of first arms, a plurality of second arms, and a landing gear. The housing includes a gimbal attachment to couple a gimbal with a camera. Each of the plurality of first arms and the plurality of second arms rotatably couple with the housing at one end and has a motor coupled with a propeller on the other end. The landing gear includes a plurality of foldable legs and releasably couples with an underside of the housing. The aerial vehicle may be programmed with aerial flight path data that corresponds with a prior traced route.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle structure comprising:
a housing having a front side, a rear side, a first side and a second side;
a first front arm having a length with a first end and a second end, the first end of the first front arm rotatably coupled to the first side of the housing, the second end of the first front arm having a first motor, the second end of the first front arm being rotatable towards the first side of the housing when in a closed position and being rotatable away from the first side of the housing when in an open position, the second end of the first front arm at a first elevational plane when in the closed position;
a first back arm having a length with a first end and a second end, the first end of the first back arm rotatably coupled to the first side of the housing, the second end of the first back arm having a second motor, the second end of the first back arm being rotatable towards the first side of the housing when in the closed position and being rotatable away from the first side of the housing when in the open position the second end of the first back arm at a second elevational plane when in the closed position, the second elevational plane being at a height higher than the first elevational plane to provide an offset, the offset allowing a portion of the first back arm to overlap on top of a portion of the first front arm when in the closed position;
a second front arm having a length with a first end and a second end, the first end of the second front arm rotatably coupled to the second side of the housing, the second end of the second front arm having a third motor, the second end of the second front arm being rotatable towards the second side of the housing when in the closed position and being rotatable away from the second side of the housing when in the open position, the second end of the second front arm at the first elevational plane when in the closed position; and
a second back arm having a length with a first end and a second end, the first end of the second back arm rotatably coupled to the second side of the housing, the second end of the second back arm having a fourth motor, the second end of the second back arm being rotatable towards the second side of the housing when in the closed position and being rotatable away from the second side of the housing when in the open position, the second end of the second back arm at the second elevational plane when in the closed position, the second elevational plane being at the height higher than the first elevational plane to provide the offset, the offset allowing a portion of the second back arm to overlap on top of a portion of the second front arm when in the closed position,
wherein each of the first front arm, the first back arm, the second front arm, and the second back arm has a rigid unibody construction between each respective first and second end that continues around each respective first motor, second motor, third motor, and fourth motor.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle structure of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the first front arm and the second end of the second front arm are at a third elevational plane when in the open position, wherein the second end of the first back arm and the second end of the second back arm are at a fourth elevational plane when in the open position, wherein the fourth elevational plane is at a higher height than the third elevational plane.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle structure of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the first front arm and the portion of the first back arm are parallel to each other when the first front arm and the first back arm are in the closed position and wherein the portion of the second front arm and the portion of the second back arm are parallel to each other when the second front arm and the second back arm are in the closed position.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle structure of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power subsystem within the housing, the power subsystem being structured to power the unmanned aerial vehicle at a first power level to perform a system check of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle structure of claim 4 , wherein the power subsystem is further structured to power the unmanned aerial vehicle at a second power level in response to the system check, the second power level for powering the first motor, second motor, third motor and fourth motor.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle structure of claim 1 , wherein in the closed position, each of the second ends of the first front arm, the first back arm, the second front arm, and the second back arm are rotated towards the front side of the housing.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle structure of claim 6 , wherein the front side of the housing further comprises a gimbal.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle structure of claim 6 , wherein the housing further comprises a start button located closer to the rear side of the housing than the front side of the housing.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle structure of claim 1 , wherein each of the first front arm, first back arm, second front arm, and second back arm are removably coupled to the housing.

Assignees

• Gopro Inc

Inventors

• Woodman Nicholas D
• Lema Pablo German
• Lee Seung Heon

Classifications

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64C25/10 Primary

  retractable, foldable, or the like · CPC title

• B64U60/40

  foldable or retractable · CPC title

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title