Patents by Inventor Christopher E. Fisher

Christopher E. Fisher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240135402
    Abstract: A method can include establishing, by a computing system, a secure electronic network connection to an electronic agent running configured to access the dataset to dynamically generate the metadata related to the dataset on a client computing system. A method can include receiving, by the computing system, from the electronic agent via the secure electronic network connection, metadata related to a dataset, the metadata comprising a plurality of attributes of the dataset and a summary of the dataset. A method can include applying a valuation model to the metadata to determine an estimated value of the dataset, the valuation model comprising a machine learning model trained using marketplace data comprising sales prices and attributes of one or more datasets, wherein the model is trained to output the sales prices of the one or more datasets. A method can include determining, an estimated value of the dataset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Lauren S. Cascio, Charles E. Fisher, Christopher M. Ensey, Michael S. Sobeck, Michael S. Blake, Gbolahan Promise Dada, Luis A. Obregon Mogollon, Rogfel Thompson Martínez, Antonio Martin Martinez, Carlos Valenzuela Lembach
  • Publication number: 20240096225
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik
  • Patent number: 11919628
    Abstract: A method of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight includes providing horizontal thrust in-line with the direction of forward flight of the UAV using at least one electric motor, providing primary vertical lift for the UAV during the forward flight using a fixed and non-rotating wing, repositioning the at least one electric motor to provide vertical thrust during transition of the UAV to vertical flight for descent, landing the UAV on a surface using a vertical approach after the motor repositioning, and deploying an anchor to secure the UAV to a surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, John P. Zwaan, Marc L. Schmalzel, Steven Chambers, Justin McAllister
  • Patent number: 11837102
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik
  • Publication number: 20220274694
    Abstract: A method of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight includes providing horizontal thrust in-line with the direction of forward flight of the UAV using at least one electric motor, providing primary vertical lift for the UAV during the forward flight using a fixed and non-rotating wing, repositioning the at least one electric motor to provide vertical thrust during transition of the UAV to vertical flight for descent, landing the UAV on a surface using a vertical approach after the motor repositioning, and deploying an anchor to secure the UAV to a surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, John P. Zwaan, Marc L. Schmalzel, Steven Chambers, Justin McAllister
  • Patent number: 11292591
    Abstract: A method of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight includes providing horizontal thrust in-line with the direction of forward flight of the UAV (110) using at least one electric motor (120), providing primary vertical lift for the UAV (110) during the forward flight using a fixed and non-rotating wing (125), repositioning the at least one electric motor (120?) to provide vertical thrust during transition of the UAV (110) to vertical flight (A) for descent (E), landing the UAV (110) on a surface (270) using a vertical approach after the motor repositioning, and deploying an anchor (150) to secure the UAV (110) to a surface (270).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, John P. Zwaan, Marc L. Schmalzel, Steven Chambers, Justin McAllister
  • Patent number: 11220170
    Abstract: A quadrotor UAV including ruggedized, integral-battery, load-bearing body, two arms on the load-bearing body, each arm having two rotors, a control module mounted on the load-bearing body, a payload module mounted on the control module, and skids configured as landing gear. The two arms are replaceable with arms having wheels for ground vehicle use, with arms having floats and props for water-surface use, and with arms having pitch-controlled props for underwater use. The control module is configured to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned (water) surface vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle, depending on the type of arms that are attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Phillip T. Tokumaru, Marc L. Schmalzel, John Peter Zwaan, Jeremy D. Tyler, Justin B. McAllister, Gabriel E. Torres, Pavel Belik
  • Publication number: 20210209957
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik
  • Publication number: 20210001700
    Abstract: A quadrotor UAV including ruggedized, integral-battery, load-bearing body, two arms on the load-bearing body, each arm having two rotors, a control module mounted on the load-bearing body, a payload module mounted on the control module, and skids configured as landing gear. The two arms are replaceable with arms having wheels for ground vehicle use, with arms having floats and props for water-surface use, and with arms having pitch-controlled props for underwater use. The control module is configured to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned (water) surface vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle, depending on the type of arms that are attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Phillip T. Tokumaru, Marc L. Schmalzel, John Peter Zwaan, Jeremy D. Tyler, Justin B. McAllister, Gabriel E. Torres, Pavel Belik
  • Patent number: 10810894
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik
  • Publication number: 20200182613
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik
  • Patent number: 10533851
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik
  • Publication number: 20190318637
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik
  • Publication number: 20190233100
    Abstract: A quadrotor UAV including ruggedized, integral-battery, load-bearing body, two arms on the load-bearing body, each arm having two rotors, a control module mounted on the load-bearing body, a payload module mounted on the control module, and skids configured as landing gear. The two arms are replaceable with arms having wheels for ground vehicle use, with arms having floats and props for water-surface use, and with arms having pitch-controlled props for underwater use. The control module is configured to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned (water) surface vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle, depending on the type of arms that are attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Phillip T. Tokumaru, Marc L. Schmalzel, John Peter Zwaan, Jeremy D. Tyler, Justin B. McAllister, Gabriel E. Torres, Pavel Belik
  • Patent number: 10204522
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik
  • Patent number: 10155588
    Abstract: A quadrotor UAV including ruggedized, integral-battery, load-bearing body, two arms on the load-bearing body, each arm having two rotors, a control module mounted on the load-bearing body, a payload module mounted on the control module, and skids configured as landing gear. The two arms are replaceable with arms having wheels for ground vehicle use, with arms having floats and props for water-surface use, and with arms having pitch-controlled props for underwater use. The control module is configured to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned (water) surface vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle, depending on the type of arms that are attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: AeroVironment Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Phillip T. Tokumaru, Marc L. Schmalzel, John Peter Zwaan, Jeremy D. Tyler, Justin B. McAllister, Gabriel E. Torres, Pavel Belik
  • Publication number: 20180305013
    Abstract: A quadrotor UAV including ruggedized, integral-battery, load-bearing body, two arms on the load-bearing body, each arm having two rotors, a control module mounted on the load-bearing body, a payload module mounted on the control module, and skids configured as landing gear. The two arms are replaceable with arms having wheels for ground vehicle use, with arms having floats and props for water-surface use, and with arms having pitch-controlled props for underwater use. The control module is configured to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned (water) surface vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle, depending on the type of arms that are attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Phillip T. Tokumaru, Marc L. Schmalzel, John Peter Zwaan, Jeremy D. Tyler, Justin B. McAllister, Gabriel E. Torres, Pavel Belik
  • Publication number: 20180283860
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik
  • Publication number: 20170270807
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik
  • Publication number: 20170219341
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2016
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik