Patents by Inventor William Hafer

William Hafer 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).

  • Unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) recovery system
    Patent number: 8464981
    Abstract: A UAV recovery system including a recovery cart; a guide mechanism for defining the path of the cart; a base station for capturing a UAV tailhook; a momentum transfer system driven by the inertia of the UAV through the arresting member to move the recovery cart along the guide mechanism away from the base station in the same direction as the UAV; an acceleration control device for converging the speeds and positions of the UAV and cart for enabling engagement of the cart and UAV as their relative speeds approach zero; and a brake system for stopping the recovery cart when the cart and UAV are engaged. Also disclosed is a UAV having a tailhook pivotably mounted on the UAV at the center of gravity of the UAV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Infoscitex Corporation
    Inventors: James Goldie, Nicholas Vitale, George A. Downey, Kevin Leary, William Hafer
  • Unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) recovery system
    Publication number: 20120187243
    Abstract: A UAV recovery system including a recovery cart; a guide mechanism for defining the path of the cart; a base station for capturing a UAV tailhook; a momentum transfer system driven by the inertia of the UAV through the arresting member to move the recovery cart along the guide mechanism away from the base station in the same direction as the UAV; an acceleration control device for converging the speeds and positions of the UAV and cart for enabling engagement of the cart and UAV as their relative speeds approach zero; and a brake system for stopping the recovery cart when the cart and UAV are engaged. Also disclosed is a UAV having a tailhook pivotably mounted on the UAV at the center of gravity of the UAV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventors: James Goldie, Nicholas Vitale, George A. Downey, Kevin Leary, William Hafer