Apparatus Connecting Rotary Blade Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018362156-A1
Application number	US-201715623948-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2017
Priority date	Jun 15, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2018
Grant date	—

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

1 . An apparatus for connecting a number of UAVs, the apparatus comprising:
a first physical connector, the first physical connector attaching the apparatus to a first UAV; a first electrical connector, the first electrical connector connecting electricity between the apparatus and the first UAV; a second physical connector, the second physical connector attaching the apparatus to a second UAV; a second electrical connector, the second electrical connector connecting electricity between 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:
an energy control unit, the energy control unit controlling electrical energy to a connected UAV; and
a communication control unit, the control unit controlling communication between the first UAV and the second UAV.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the energy control unit further comprises a plurality of batteries wherein the energy control unit uses the plurality of batteries to maintain electrical power to a number of UAVs.

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

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication control unit comprises a communication receive module, the communication receive module receiving communication from the first UAV;
a message modification module, the message modification module modifying the message received from the first UAV to create modified communication; and a communication send module, the communication send module sending 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 modification module modifies the message based on input from a gyroscope.

7 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the message modification module modifies the message based on the flow of electricity between the first UAV and a second UAV.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the message modification module sends a replacement message as the modified message.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the replacement message will cause the second UAV to stop spinning a number of rotary blades.

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

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

12 . A method for operating a number of UAVs using an apparatus for connecting a number of UAV, the method comprising:
receiving, from a first UAV, an input message, the input message comprising data to be shared with a number of subservient UAVs; reading, from a number of sensors, input data, the input data indicating information about the apparatus for connecting a number of UAVs; creating, based on the input message and the input data, an output message, the output message indicating control data to a number of controlled UAVs; sending, to the number of controlled UAVs, the output message.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the input message includes receiving, from the first UAV, electrical energy.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein reading, from a number of sensors, input data reads measurements of the electrical energy received from the first UAV.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein reading, from a number of sensors, input data reads measurements of the electrical energy received from a subservient UAV.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein reading, from a number of sensors, input data reads measurements of the sensors associated with a number of subservient UAVs.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein reading, from a number of sensors, input data reads measurements of the sensors associated with the first UAV .

18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein creating, based on the input message and the input data, the output message creates a message that controls a number of rotary blades associated with the number of subservient UAVs.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein there the output message controls a plurality of rotary blades associated with the number of subservient UAVs.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein 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.

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

• B64C2201/108

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C2201/042

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C39/024

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