Unmanned aerial vehicle movement via environmental airflow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018093171-A1
Application number	US-201715711695-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Apr 5, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An arena includes a porous surface through which an airflow is output, thereby providing lift for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to push the UAV away from the porous surface. The airflow may also provide thrust to push the UAV in a direction that is parallel to the porous surface. The UAV may include one or more propellers that can provide lift, thrust, or both to the UAV. The airflow may be modified over a duration of time to modify lift or thrust to the UAV. The airflow may be modified based on regions of the arena to modify lift or thrust in different regions of the arena. The arena may include a scoreboard to display a score that may be modified as a result of actions undertaken by the UAV. Two or more UAVs may be used to play a game via the arena.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for movement control, the system comprising:
an air propulsion device that generates an airflow; a porous surface, wherein the airflow generated by the air propulsion device is output through a plurality of pores in the porous surface, wherein the airflow thereby provides lift to an unmanned vehicle, wherein at least a vector component of the lift is perpendicular to the porous surface and pushes the unmanned vehicle away from the porous surface; and a communication transceiver that receives an airflow modification signal from a controller device, wherein the air propulsion device modifies the airflow in response to receipt of the airflow modification signal at the communication transceiver.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the air propulsion device modifies the airflow to strengthen the lift in response to receipt of the airflow modification signal at the communication transceiver.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the air propulsion device modifies the airflow to weaken the lift in response to receipt of the airflow modification signal at the communication transceiver.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the air propulsion device modifies the airflow to provide a thrust to the unmanned vehicle in response to receipt of the airflow modification signal at the communication transceiver, wherein at least a vector component of the thrust pushes the unmanned vehicle in a direction that is parallel to the porous surface.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a scoreboard to display a score, wherein the scoreboard increments the score in response to receipt of a score signal at the communication transceiver.

6 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising a sensor identifying when an object has entered a region along the porous surface, wherein the score signal is received from the sensor.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the score signal is received from the unmanned vehicle.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising the controller device, wherein the controller device includes a joystick, wherein a movement of the joystick triggers receipt of the airflow modification signal at the communication transceiver.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the air propulsion device includes a fan, wherein rotation of the fan generates the airflow.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the air propulsion device includes a plurality of fans, wherein rotation of the plurality of fans generates the airflow, and wherein the air propulsion device modifies the airflow in response to receipt of the airflow modification signal by modifying motion of a subset of the plurality of fans.

11 . A system for movement control, the system comprising:
a body, wherein the body is lifted away from a porous surface at least in part by an airflow expelled through a plurality of pores in the porous surface; a motor coupled to the body; a propeller coupled to the motor, wherein actuation of the motor causes the propeller to spin, thereby generating a thrust, wherein at least a vector component of the thrust is parallel to the porous surface; and a communication transceiver that receives an actuation signal from a controller device, wherein the motor is actuated in response to receipt of the actuation signal.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the actuation signal is a wireless signal.

13 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a set of one or more secondary propellers, wherein each of the set of one or more secondary propellers is coupled to one of a set of one or more secondary motors, the set of one or more secondary motors coupled to the body.

14 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a claw, the claw to grasp upon receipt of a claw signal via the communication transceiver.

15 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a laser emitter, the laser emitter to emit a laser upon receipt of a laser signal via the communication transceiver.

16 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a light sensor, the light sensor to detect a laser, wherein the communication transceiver transmits a score signal in response to detection of the laser.

17 . A method for movement control, the method comprising:
transmitting an activation signal to an arena system, wherein the arena system generates an airflow in response to receipt of the activation signal, the airflow providing lift to an unmanned vehicle; receiving a thrust input via an input interface; and transmitting a thrust signal to the unmanned vehicle, wherein the unmanned vehicle actuates a motorized propeller in response to receipt of the thrust signal, the motorized propeller providing thrust to the unmanned vehicle, wherein at least a vector component of the thrust is perpendicular to at least a vector component of the lift.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the input interface includes a joystick.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving a claw input via the input interface; and transmitting a claw signal to the unmanned vehicle, wherein the unmanned vehicle actuates a motorized claw in response to receipt of the claw signal, thereby causing movement of at least a portion of the motorized claw.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving a laser input via the input interface; and transmitting a laser signal to the unmanned vehicle, wherein the unmanned vehicle emits a laser via a laser emitter in response to receipt of the laser signal.

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Mallinson Dominic Saul

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64C39/024

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

• B64C2201/10

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C2201/146

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G05D1/0016

  characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00) · CPC title