Collective unmanned aerial vehicle configurations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11480958-B2
Application number	US-201514626376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2015
Priority date	Feb 19, 2015
Publication date	Oct 25, 2022
Grant date	Oct 25, 2022

Abstract

This disclosure describes a collective UAV in which multiple UAVs may be coupled together to form the collective UAV. A collective UAV may be used to aerially transport virtually any size, weight or quantity of items, travel longer distances, etc. For example, rather than using one large UAV to carry a larger or heavier item, multiple smaller UAVs may couple together to form a collective UAV that is used to carry the larger or heavier item.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A collective unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) apparatus, comprising:
a first UAV, including:
a first motor and a second motor;
a first propeller coupled to the first motor;
a second propeller coupled to the second motor;
a first UAV control system configured to provide first rotational speed instructions to each of the first motor and the second motor;
a first power module configured to provide power to at least one of the first UAV control system, the first motor, or the second motor;
a first connection component configured to connect the first UAV with a second UAV; and
a first payload engagement mechanism operable to selectively engage and disengage a first payload;

the second UAV removably coupled to the first UAV, including:
a third motor and a fourth motor;
a third propeller coupled to the third motor;
a fourth propeller coupled to the fourth motor;
a second connection component configured to couple the second UAV with the first UAV;
a second power module configured to provide power to at least one of a second UAV control system, the third motor, or the fourth motor;
a second payload engagement mechanism operable to engage the first payload while the first payload is also engaged by the first UAV to enable aerial transport of the first payload by the collective UAV apparatus; and
the second UAV control system configured to provide second rotational speed instructions to each of the third motor and the fourth motor, wherein the second UAV control system is further configured to at least:
receive first UAV configuration information from the first UAV;
determine a collective UAV configuration based at least in part on the first UAV configuration and a second UAV configuration for the second UAV;
determine a rotational speed for the third motor, wherein the rotational speed is determined based at least in part on the collective UAV configuration; and
send a third rotational speed instruction to the third motor to adjust a rotational speed of the third motor.

2. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third rotational speed instruction is an instruction for the third motor to stop a rotation of the third propeller.

3. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first connection component of the first UAV is coupled to the second connection component of the second UAV.

4. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 3 , wherein at least one of data or power may be exchanged between the first UAV and the second UAV between the first connection component and the second connection component.

5. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first connection component and the second connection component provide at least one of an electrical coupling between the first UAV and the second UAV, a mechanical coupling between the first UAV and the second UAV, an electromechanical coupling between the first UAV and the second UAV, a magnetic coupling between the first UAV and the second UAV, or an optical coupling between the first UAV and the second UAV.

6. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first UAV control system is further configured to at least:
determine a resource distribution for distributing resources between the first UAV and the second UAV while coupled.

7. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the resources include at least one of: a power module, a computing component, a navigation component, a camera, a motor, or a control system.

8. A collective unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) apparatus, comprising:
a first UAV, including:
a first UAV control system configured to provide first rotational speed instructions to at least one motor of the first UAV;
a first connection component configured to connect the first UAV with a second UAV; and
a first payload engagement mechanism operable to selectively engage and disengage a first payload;

the second UAV removably coupled to the first UAV, including:
a second connection component configured to couple the second UAV with the first UAV;
a second payload engagement mechanism operable to engage the first payload while the first payload is also engaged by the first UAV to enable aerial transport of the first payload by the collective UAV apparatus; and
a second UAV control system configured to provide second rotational speed instructions to at least one motor of the second UAV, wherein the second UAV control system is further configured to at least:
receive first UAV configuration information from the first UAV;
determine a collective UAV configuration based at least in part on the first UAV configuration and a second UAV configuration for the second UAV;
determine a rotational speed for the at least one motor of the second UAV, wherein the rotational speed is determined based at least in part on the collective UAV configuration; and
send the second rotational speed instruction to the at least one motor of the second UAV to adjust a rotational speed of the at least one motor of the second UAV.

9. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second rotational speed instructions include an instruction to stop a rotation of the at least one motor of the second UAV.

10. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first connection component of the first UAV is coupled to the second connection component of the second UAV.

11. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 8 , wherein at least one of data or power may be exchanged between the first UAV and the second UAV between the first connection component and the second connection component.

12. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first connection component and the second connection component provide at least one of an electrical coupling between the first UAV and the second UAV, a mechanical coupling between the first UAV and the second UAV, an electromechanical coupling between the first UAV and the second UAV, a magnetic coupling between the first UAV and the second UAV, or an optical coupling between the first UAV and the second UAV.

13. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first UAV further includes:
a first motor and a second motor;
a first propeller coupled to the first motor;
a second propeller coupled to the second motor; and
a first power module configured to provide power to at least one of the first UAV control system, the first motor, or the second motor.

14. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 8 ,
wherein the second payload engagement mechanism is further operable to selectively engage and disengage a second payload to enable aerial transport of the second payload by the collective UAV apparatus.

15. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first UAV control system is further configured to at least:
determine a resource distribution for distributing at least one resource between the first UAV and the second UAV while coupled.

16. The collective UAV apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one resource includes at least one of: a power module, a computing component, a navigation component, a camera, a motor, or a control system.

17. A system, comprising:
a first aerial vehicle, including:
a first control system configured to provide a first instruction to a first motor of the first aerial vehicle;
a first connection component configured to connect the first aerial vehicle with a second aerial vehicle; and
a first payload engagement mechanism operable to selectively engage and disengage a first payload;

the second aerial vehicle, including:
a second connection component

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Paczan Nathan Michael
• Elzinga Michael John
• Hsieh Raphael
• Nguyen Luan Khai

Classifications

• B64U2201/102

  adapted for flying in formations · CPC title

• B64C37/02 Primary

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

• G06Q10/083

  Shipping · CPC title

• G05D1/104 Primary

  involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying (traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0027 Primary

  involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00) · CPC title