Unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9550400-B2
Application number	US-201414527211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles and methods for providing the same are disclosed. The unmanned aerial vehicles may have various configurations related to a support frame. The unmanned aerial vehicles may have various configurations with a continuous track for ground propulsion. The unmanned aerial vehicles may have various configurations related to payload clamps.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
a frame portion comprising a first assembly and a second assembly;
one or more air propulsion devices provided on each of the first assembly and the second assembly configured to propel the frame portion through the air; and
one or more ground propulsion devices configured to propel the frame portion along the ground;
at least one first motor configured to drive at least one of the one or more ground propulsion devices, the at least one first motor is supported by the first assembly;
at least one second motor separate from the first motor configured to drive the one or more air propulsion devices, the at least one second motor is coupled to the one or more air propulsion devices;
wherein each of the one or more ground propulsion devices comprises a continuous track ground propulsion device having a continuous track moveable around an annular path, and
wherein the at least one first motor is arranged at least partially inside of the annular path of the continuous track of at least one of the continuous track ground propulsion devices.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the continuous track that forms a top-most surface of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a bottom-most surface of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the continuous track that further forms a front-most surface of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a rear-most surface of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the continuous track is arranged around one of the at least one first motor; and
wherein the first motor is arranged within the at least one annular path.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the first assembly of the frame portion forms at least one annular shape in the first plane; and
wherein the annular path of the continuous track is around a perimeter of the at least one annular shape.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 5 ,
wherein the at least one annular shape supports wheels between walls of a double wall structure of the frame portion; and
wherein the continuous track is configured to revolve around the annular path formed by the wheels supported by the double wall structure of the frame portion.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 5 ,
wherein at least one of the one or more air propulsion devices is disposed in an opening of the at least one annular shape.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7 ,
wherein the continuous track configured to revolve around the annular path is configured to revolve around the at least one of the one or more air propulsion devices.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 5 , wherein
the one or more air propulsion devices comprises two air propulsion devices; and
the continuous track is configured to revolve around the two air propulsion devices.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more air propulsion devices comprises two air propulsion devices provided within each of the one or more ground propulsion devices.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to move through the air using the one or more air propulsion devices to a first area near a destination location;
wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to land on a surface in the first area near the destination location; and
wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to move over the surface using the one or more ground propulsion devices to a second area nearer to the destination location than the first area.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more air propulsion devices are configured to provide a lift force sufficient to engage the one or more ground propulsion devices against a surface; and
wherein the one or more ground propulsion devices are configured to move the unmanned aerial vehicle across the surface while the one or more air propulsion devices engage the one or more ground propulsion devices against the surface.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12 ,
wherein the surface is at least one of:
a surface located above the unmanned aerial vehicle or
a vertical surface.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one third motor configured to drive another one of the one or more ground propulsion devices, the third motor is supported by the second assembly; and
at least one fourth motor separate from the first and third motors configured to drive another one of the one or more air propulsion devices, the fourth motor is coupled to the another one of the one or more air propulsion devices.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , the frame portion further comprising a third assembly arranged between the first assembly and the second assembly,
wherein the first assembly and the second assembly are detachable from the third assembly;
wherein the one or more air propulsion devices comprises four air propulsion devices;
wherein the two air propulsion devices and at least one of the at least one second motor are coupled to the first assembly;
wherein another two air propulsion devices and another at least one of the at least one second motor are coupled to the second assembly; and
the first assembly is configured to move independently from the second assembly and the third assembly when detached from the second assembly and the third assembly.

16. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the frame portion further comprises third assembly connecting the first assembly and the second assembly; and
the at least one first motor is separate from the third assembly and supported by the first assembly.

17. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 16 , further comprising at least one third motor configured to drive another one of the one or more ground propulsion devices, the at least one third motor is supported by the second assembly and is separate from the third assembly.

18. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the annular path of the continuous track of at least one of the ground propulsion devices extends along a plane and wherein the at least one first motor is within the plane.

19. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one ground propulsion device comprises a plurality of ground propulsion devices, each having a continuous track that extends around a different respective one of the first assembly and the second assembly of the frame portion; and
the annular path of the continuous track of each ground propulsion device extends along a plane that is generally parallel to the plane along which the continuous track of each other ground propulsion device of the plurality of ground propulsion device extends.

20. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first motor comprises at least one first motor arranged at least partially inside of the annular path of the continuous track of a first one of the at least one continuous track ground propulsion devices, and at least one further first motor arranged at least partially inside of the annular path of the continuous track of a second one of the at least one continuous track ground propulsion devices.

21. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 20 , wherein:
the continuous track of the first one of the at least one continuous track ground propulsion devices extends around an outer periphery of the first assembly of th

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Hutson Donald Bolden

Classifications

• B60F5/02 Primary

  convertible into aircraft (convertible aircraft B64C37/00; convertible unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV]-type aircraft, e.g. convertible into land vehicles, B64U10/70) · CPC title

• B64C39/024

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

• F41H11/12

  Means for clearing land minefields; Systems specially adapted for detection of landmines · CPC title

• F41H11/28

  using brushing or sweeping means or dozers to push mines lying on a surface aside; using means for removing mines intact from a surface · CPC title

• B64C2201/108

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic