Patent Application
20230339609
The present invention relates to the field of aviation and more specifically to the field of autonomous flight mechanics and systems.
Most commercial drones are capable of carrying a payload. Many drones that are popular among recreational flying pilots can carry around 3 to 5 lb (2.2 kg) of payload. Most common payloads have been cameras, used now for taking aerial photography. Other payload types on drones have been outfitted with flood lights or speaker systems used for firefighting, search and rescue, or site inspections. The present application is focused on a payload chassis dedicated to cyber security equipment for cyber focused efforts.
This lightweight system ideally includes a drone payload chassis to carry single board computers and provides the utilization of connecting external Sub-Miniature Version ‘A’ (“SMA”) compatible wireless antennas, enabling but not limited to, radiofrequency spectrum missions. The Omni-directional wireless antennae also function as landing gear. The frame is dual purpose and each function is described as best possible below:
The payload fuselage accepts a hold that supports carrying single board computers. The frame weight was designed through three-dimensional modeling and utilizes three-dimensional printing to influence shaping to successfully allow the frame to reduce the amount of material used for the chassis to remain lightweight, provide passive cooling and be aerodynamic.
A second feature pertains to the payload hold's four leg hole mounts. Each mount allows the pass through of an external SMA screw-on wifi antenna. From within the chassis, each antenna's SMA connectors are wired to be connected to small single board SMA receiver to provide wireless radiofrequency support. Outside of the fuselage, the antennae can serve as landing gear.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to drone construction and processes of surveillance with drones. The present invention includes a drone body having a propulsion system. A fuselage on the drone body has an electronic controller with persistent memory and an arithmetic logic unit (“ALU”) and an electronic payload. There is an antenna network positioned external to said fuselage, downwardly extending into an orientation adapted exclusively to stabilize the drone body in a balanced, immobile state on a predetermined landing surface. The antenna is also adapted to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals.
The present invention further includes a process for autonomous drone surveillance of a target. The process includes releasing a flying autonomous drone in the vicinity of a surveillance target in range to surveil the target with an electronic payload carried by the drone. Information is transmitted from the electronic payload via a drone antenna network to a ground station. The drone is then landed on a landing surface, and stabilization for the drone in the landing state is maintained supportive surface contact with the antenna network.
These aspects of the invention are not meant to be exclusive. Furthermore, some features may apply to certain versions of the invention, but not others. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art when read in conjunction with the following description, and accompanying drawings.
Referring first to
UAV systems 200 include propulsion system 220 (motors, electronic speed controllers and propellers) that move the UAV into the air and to fly in any direction or hover. On a quadcopter, the motors and propellers work in pairs with two motors/propellers rotating clockwise and two motors rotating counterclockwise. They receive data from the flight controller and the electronic speed controllers (ESC) on the drone motor direction to either fly or hover. The Electronic Speed Controllers signal to the drone motors information on speed, braking and also provide monitoring and fault tolerance on the drone motors.
The UAV system 200 includes a drone body 210 composed of a drone fuselage 212 that supports the propulsion system 220 and a cargo hold 100. Further included in the drone body 210 is the controller 214 that can include such components, discretely or integrated into a single board, as are necessary for the control of the UVA system 200. The UAV controller 214, however, cannot be expected to have the flexibility to support the more advanced sensor arrays that are being fielded on UAV systems. Indeed, a commercial UAV platform of any quality is a significant expense, and the idea of having one drone per surveillance package is financially unsound. The present invention involves a UAV system 200, or drone, capable of utilizing a repurposeable cargo hold 100, that is also capable of quick change. As such the present invention can be described as a kit 300 for all intents and purposes to the extent that a field, or other simplistic modification, is all that is needed for a distinct surveillance mission with changed surveillance equipment.
With reference to
Returning to
Turning now to
With reference to
Wi-Fi is a wireless networking technology that employs radio waves, or other spectra, in the range of 2.4 Ghz or 5 Ghz to provides an ultra fast network communication to various devices such as computers, mobile phones, printers, etc. Devices in a WiFi network are connected together wirelessly for the purpose of sharing resources and information. Wifi can be used to transfer files and information between devices at a very high speed. Devices like printers, scanners and other hardwares can be shared easily without the use of wires directly connecting the devices. Furthermore, Wifi networks have excellent pre-existing security measures that can be applied to a wide range of operations and processes. WiFi antennae transmit network data packets. The Wireless Router/Access Point converts these data packets to EM waves, radiated out through the transmitting antenna and the antenna in the Client device (mobile device) converts the EM waves back to electrical signals for data processing. WiFi uses a frequency of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Wavelength of 2.4 GHz is nearly 12.5 cm and for 5 Ghz is 5-6 cm. As mentioned above, the antennas are designed depending up on the frequency of the signals to be transmitted/received, which means, we cannot use 2.4 GHz antenna cannot necessarily be substituted for 5 GHz antenna and vice versa. They can, however, have similar physical dimensions. Dipole WiFi Antennas are one of the most simplest type of antenna. It is also known as Half-Wave dipole antenna because its length is half the wavelength. It consist of two identical metal rods which are separately fed using two different wires or feed lines. These half wave antennas are commonly used for indoor purposes such as WiFi Routers, USB WiFi adaptors, television etc, but as discussed, they also are the preferred version of the landing antenna 136 of the present invention.
Turning now to
In not all instances are the landing surfaces the ground or other flat surface. The landing surface should always be considered in relation to the antenna of the drone system and hold. In instances where the landing surface is a hook (e.g., in sea-based operations), the antenna can have hook or loop shaped (or vice versa) dimensions that allow a collision-based landing. Here, because a hook-shaped antenna could contact the loop landing surface for a landing, the landing gear can have such unorthodox landing dimensions.
Turning now to
Other apertures can be utilized with the present invention as ventilation, for example, a wall aperture 146, which for purposes of the present invention, is simply an aperture for purpose other than the direct passage of wiring to an antenna. Other electronic equipment can utilize the wall aperture(s) 146 for purposes of ventilation or physical manipulation. An example of physical manipulation includes use of the wall aperture 146 for optical surveillance, thermal detection, or other sensors.
The present invention need not include landing that is composed solely of the antenna. In certain embodiments of the present invention, legs 134 can be positioned on the hold 100 in order to stabilize the landing of the system.
Accordingly in the present invention the hold 100 may form a removable component that is standardized and modular to effect the advantages of the present invention. Here, the hold 100 supports an electronic array 240 that is the basis of the surveillance or other electronic signal based endeavor.
The present invention accordingly can be used in a quick-change process 400 as shown in
However, because the present invention may feature antenna in lower regions for use in the simultaneous function of landing and transmission/reception, any antenna in the antenna complex that are utilized for landing should be affixed and oriented 406 to permit stable landing. This can happen before or after the hold is affixed 408, and the difference may lay in the benefits in balancing the antenna orientations based on the symmetry and weight eccentricities of the drone. In most instances, the antenna of the system may not be wholly sufficient to support the weight of the drone and/or the hold, so in such instances legs may be oriented to stabilize the and support the drone system.
The drone with the hold is released 410 to perform such missions for which the drone and the electronic payload in its hold may be useful. Information is transmitted 412 from the drone to one or more ground stations, or is otherwise retained for later transmission. Transmission for the purposes of the present invention includes transmissions during flight from radiofrequency transmission, or storage in the electronic payload, for later physical interface with a computer storage in a third party device. The drone can then landed 414 on a landing surface, which can include a generally flat surface or any other surface adapted to physically accept one of more antenna of the antenna complex. Now that the drone is once again securely landed, the hold can be removed 416 for further quick-change operations. The first of the quick changes can include removal of the hold for replacement by insertion 422 of one electronic payload for another. Of greater interest to the present invention the secondary hold, with the secondary electronic payload, that was prepared either during the initial stages of the process, during flight, or contemporaneous to the landing of the drone, can now be replaced by insertion 420 (prior or contemporaneously) of the secondary payload into the secondary hold for replacement 418 of the primary hold. Now the drone system is free to immediately to return to surveillance or action with minimal activity.
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.
