Unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688400-B2
Application number	US-201414526790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 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:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
a frame portion comprising a first assembly, a second assembly, and a third assembly;
two or more air propulsion devices arranged on the first assembly, the air propulsion devices 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;
wherein:
the third assembly is disposed between the first assembly and the second assembly;
the third assembly is coupled to the first assembly at a location of the first assembly between two of the air propulsion devices on the first assembly;
the first assembly comprises a generally rigid frame section that supports the two or more air propulsion devices at a fixed spacing relative to each other;
the first assembly has at least one annular shape; and
the two or more air propulsion devices are disposed in at least one opening in the at least one annular shape of the first assembly.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the third assembly is substantially perpendicular to the first assembly and the second assembly; and
wherein the first assembly and the second assembly are substantially parallel to one another.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the third assembly has a longitudinal dimension; and
wherein the longitudinal dimension of the third assembly is perpendicular to a first axis on which the air propulsion devices of the first assembly are supported.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the third assembly has a longitudinal dimension; and
wherein the longitudinal dimension of the third assembly is perpendicular to a second axis on which the air propulsion devices of the second assembly are supported.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the one or more ground propulsion devices is coupled to the first assembly; and
wherein at least one of the one or more ground propulsion devices is coupled to the second assembly.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising:
two or more further air propulsion devices arranged on the second assembly; and
the third assembly is coupled to the second assembly at a location between two of the further air propulsion devices.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6 ,
wherein a first air propulsion device of the two or more air propulsion devices is provided on a first end of the at least one annular shape of the first assembly in a front direction;
wherein a second air propulsion device of the two or more air propulsion devices is provided on a second end of the at least one annular shape of the first assembly in a rear direction;
wherein a third air propulsion device of the two or more air propulsion devices is provided on a first end of the at least one annular shape of the second assembly in a front direction; and
wherein a fourth air propulsion device of the two or more air propulsion devices is provided on a second end of the at least one annular shape of the second assembly in a rear direction.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 5 ,
wherein the second assembly has at least one annular shape and wherein the two or more further air propulsion devices are disposed in at least one opening in the at least one annular shape of the second assembly.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 8 ,
wherein the at least one of the one or more ground propulsion devices coupled to the first assembly comprises a continuous track disposed around the at least one annular shape of the first assembly; and
wherein the at least one of the one or more ground propulsion devices coupled to the second assembly comprises a continuous track disposed around the at least one annular shape of the second assembly.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 9 ,
wherein the first assembly is formed in at least a second annular shape on at least the first plane; and
wherein the second assembly is formed in at least a second annular shape on at least the second plane.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the continuous track of the first assembly is around the two or more air propulsion devices of the first assembly; and
the continuous track of the second assembly is around the two or more air propulsion devices of the second assembly.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 8 ,
wherein the at least one annular shape of the first assembly and the at least one annular shape of the second assembly are configured to receive a battery inserted through an opening of the respective annular shape of the first assembly and the annular shape of the second assembly.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 5 ,
wherein the at least one of the one or more ground propulsion devices coupled to the first assembly comprises a continuous track disposed around the first assembly; and
wherein the at least one of the one or more ground propulsion devices coupled to the second assembly comprises a continuous track disposed around the second assembly.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the first assembly is attachable to and detachable from the third assembly; and
wherein the second assembly is attachable to and detachable from the third assembly.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the first assembly is formed as a double wall structure;
wherein the second assembly is formed as a double wall structure;
wherein the first assembly supports wheels of at least one of the one or more ground propulsion devices between two walls of the double wall structure of the first assembly; and
wherein the second assembly supports wheels of at least one of the one or more ground propulsion devices between two walls of the double wall structure of the second assembly.

16. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein component pieces of the frame assembly are from a single sheet of a rigid source material; and
wherein the rigid source material is printed circuit board.

17. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 16 ,
wherein one or more of the component pieces of the frame assembly include conductive tracks printed on the pieces; and
wherein the conductive tracks provide an electrical connection between at least one of the air propulsion devices and a controller provided as part of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

18. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the third assembly is coupled to the second assembly at a location of the second assembly between two additional air propulsion devices on the second assembly.

19. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the one or more ground propulsion devices comprises a continuous track configured to move along an annular path having at least one axis;
the third assembly has a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension of the third assembly being greater than the second dimension of the third assembly; and
the first dimension of the third assembly is transverse to the at least one axis of the annular path.

20. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the one or more ground propulsion devices is configured to propel the frame portion in at least one first direction along the ground;
the first assembly has a lengthwise dimension extending along the first direction; and
the two or more air propulsion devices are spaced apart along the first direction, and the third assembly being coupled to the first assembly at the location along th

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Hutson Donald Bolden

Classifications

• B64U50/14 Primary

  ducted or shrouded · CPC title

• B64C2201/162

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C2201/024

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C2201/108

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C39/024 Primary

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