Reconfigurable battery-operated vehicle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11220170-B2
Application number	US-202016919046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	May 26, 2010
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A quadrotor UAV including ruggedized, integral-battery, load-bearing body, two arms on the load-bearing body, each arm having two rotors, a control module mounted on the load-bearing body, a payload module mounted on the control module, and skids configured as landing gear. The two arms are replaceable with arms having wheels for ground vehicle use, with arms having floats and props for water-surface use, and with arms having pitch-controlled props for underwater use. The control module is configured to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned (water) surface vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle, depending on the type of arms that are attached.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned vehicle configured for a range of missions, comprising:
a battery module having battery capacity adequate to provide motive force for the vehicle over the range of missions, the battery module having a plurality of electronic connection ports;
a control module including a control system configured to control the operation of the vehicle over the range of missions, the control module being directly and removably structurally carried by the battery module, and the control module being directly and removably electronically connected to the battery module via a first connection port of the plurality of connection ports; and
a first propulsion module including a motor configured to provide propulsive force to move the vehicle through one or more missions of the range of missions, the first propulsion module being directly and removably structurally connected to the battery module via a second connection port of the plurality of connection ports.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , and further comprising a second propulsion module including a motor configured to provide propulsive force to move the vehicle through the one or more missions of the range of missions, the second propulsion module being directly and removably structurally connected to the battery module via a third connection port of the plurality of connection ports.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the first propulsion module is electronically connected to the battery module via the second connection port, the second propulsion module is electronically connected to the battery module via the third connection port, and the first and second propulsion modules are electronically connected to the control module via the battery module.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein:
the first propulsion module includes a first arm with a centrally located first-arm connector connected to the second connection port, and two substantially vertically oriented propellers at opposite ends of the first arm; and
the second propulsion module includes a second arm with a centrally located second-arm connector connected to the third connection port, and two substantially vertically oriented propellers at opposite ends of the second arm.

5. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein:
the first propulsion module includes a first arm with a centrally located first connector connected to the second connection port, and two wheels at opposite ends of the first arm; and
the second propulsion module includes a second arm with a centrally located second connector connected to the third connection port, and two wheels at opposite ends of the second arm.

6. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein:
the first propulsion module includes a first arm with a centrally located first connector connected to the second connection port, two floats at opposite ends of the first arm; and
the second propulsion module includes a second arm with a centrally located second connector connected to the second connection port, and two floats at opposite ends of the second arm.

7. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein:
the first propulsion module includes a first arm with a centrally located first connector connected to the second connection port, two props at opposite ends of the first arm, and two motors configured to independently control a pitch angle of the respective props; and
the second propulsion module includes a second arm with a centrally located first connector connected to the third connection port, two props at opposite ends of the second arm, and two motors configured to independently control a pitch angle of the respective props.

8. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the battery module has a round cross section.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the battery module extends longitudinally between its second and third connection ports, wherein the first connection port is located longitudinally between the second and third connection ports, and wherein the control module is structurally attached to the battery module both near the second connection port and near the third connection port.

10. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the battery module has an elliptical cross section.

11. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the battery module carries substantially all structural loads between the first propulsion module, the second propulsion module and the control module.

12. A reconfigurable unmanned vehicle system configured for a range of missions, comprising:
a body including a control system configured to control the operation of the vehicle and a power source having a power capacity adequate to provide complete motive force for the vehicle over the range of missions, the body including a set of one or more body connectors;
a first set of one or more propulsion modules removably attachable to the set of body connectors, the first set of propulsion modules being one propulsion module type selected from the group of unmanned aerial vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned ground vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned surface vehicle propulsion modules, and unmanned underwater vehicle propulsion modules; and
a second set of one or more propulsion modules removably attachable to the set of body connectors, the second set of propulsion modules being one propulsion module type selected from the group of unmanned aerial vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned ground vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned surface vehicle propulsion modules, and unmanned underwater vehicle propulsion modules;
wherein the first set of propulsion modules are of a different propulsion module type than the second set of propulsion modules.

13. An unmanned vehicle, comprising:
a body including a control system configured to control the operation of the vehicle and a power source having a power capacity adequate to provide complete motive force for the vehicle over the range of missions, the body including a first body connector and a second body connector on opposite longitudinal ends of the body;
a first propulsion module removably attached to the first body connector, the first propulsion module including a first arm configured to support the body, one or more motors configured to use power from the power source to provide propulsive force to move the vehicle through the range of missions, and a first end cap;
a second propulsion module removably attached to the second body connector, the second propulsion module including a second arm configured to support the body, one or more motors configured to use power from the power source to provide propulsive force to move the vehicle through the range of missions, and a second end cap;
wherein the first body connector is configured with a first groove adapted to conformingly and longitudinally receive the first arm, the first groove being configured to directly bear all vertical loads from the first arm without vertical loads being carried by the first end cap;
wherein the second body connector is configured with a second groove adapted to conformingly and longitudinally receive the second arm, the second groove being configured to directly bear all vertical loads from the second arm without vertical loads being carried by the second end cap; and
wherein each end cap is configured to longitudinally hold its respective arm onto the body.

Assignees

• Aerovironment Inc

Inventors

• Fisher Christopher E
• Tokumaru Phillip T
• Schmalzel Marc L
• Zwaan John Peter
• Tyler Jeremy D
• Mcallister Justin B
• Torres Gabriel E
• Belik Pavel

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B60Y2200/52

  Helicopters · CPC title

• B60K2007/0092

  the motor axle being coaxial to the wheel axle · CPC title

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64U20/70

  Constructional aspects of the UAV body · CPC title