Patents by Inventor Matthew Todd Keennon

Matthew Todd Keennon 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 drag augmentation by reverse propeller rotation
    Patent number: 10955859
    Abstract: An air vehicle configured to augment effective drag to change the rate of descent of the air vehicle in flight via propeller shaft rotation direction reversal, i.e., thrust reversal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Martyn Cowley, Matthew Todd Keennon
  • Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method
    Patent number: 10919623
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • Invertible aircraft
    Patent number: 10870495
    Abstract: A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel
  • Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method for non-sinusoidal wing flapping
    Patent number: 10850837
    Abstract: A flapping wing driving apparatus includes at least one crank gear capstan rotatably coupled to a crank gear, the at least one crank gear capstan disposed radially offset from a center of rotation of the crank gear; a first wing capstan coupled to a first wing, the first wing capstan having a first variable-radius drive pulley portion; and a first drive linking member configured to drive the first wing capstan, the first drive linking member windably coupled between the first variable-radius drive pulley portion and one of the at least one crank gear capstan; wherein the first wing capstan is configured to non-constantly, angularly rotate responsive to a constant angular rotation of the crank gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Alexander Andryukov, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Henry Thome Won
  • UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE DRAG AUGMENTATION BY REVERSE PROPELLER ROTATION
    Publication number: 20200174498
    Abstract: An air vehicle configured to augment effective drag to change the rate of descent of the air vehicle in flight via propeller shaft rotation direction reversal, i.e., thrust reversal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Martyn Cowley, Matthew Todd Keennon
  • INVERTIBLE AIRCRAFT
    Publication number: 20200047906
    Abstract: A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel
  • Unmanned aerial vehicle drag augmentation by reverse propeller rotation
    Patent number: 10558225
    Abstract: An air vehicle configured to augment effective drag to change the rate of descent of the air vehicle in flight via propeller shaft rotation direction reversal, i.e., thrust reversal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Martyn Cowley, Matthew Todd Keennon
  • AIR VEHICLE FLIGHT MECHANISM AND CONTROL METHOD
    Publication number: 20190202553
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • Invertible aircraft
    Patent number: 10329025
    Abstract: A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel
  • Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method
    Patent number: 10266258
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • Air Vehicle Flight Mechanism and Control Method for Non-Sinusoidal Wing Flapping
    Publication number: 20190055014
    Abstract: A flapping wing driving apparatus includes at least one crank gear capstan rotatably coupled to a crank gear, the at least one crank gear capstan disposed radially offset from a center of rotation of the crank gear; a first wing capstan coupled to a first wing, the first wing capstan having a first variable-radius drive pulley portion; and a first drive linking member configured to drive the first wing capstan, the first drive linking member windably coupled between the first variable-radius drive pulley portion and one of the at least one crank gear capstan; wherein the first wing capstan is configured to non-constantly, angularly rotate responsive to a constant angular rotation of the crank gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Alexander Andryukov, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Henry Thome Won
  • Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method for non-sinusoidal wing flapping
    Patent number: 10065737
    Abstract: A flapping wing driving apparatus includes at least one crank gear capstan rotatably coupled to a crank gear, the at least one crank gear capstan disposed radially offset from a center of rotation of the crank gear; a first wing capstan coupled to a first wing, the first wing capstan having a first variable-radius drive pulley portion; and a first drive linking member configured to drive the first wing capstan, the first drive linking member windably coupled between the first variable-radius drive pulley portion and one of the at least one crank gear capstan; wherein the first wing capstan is configured to non-constantly, angularly rotate responsive to a constant angular rotation of the crank gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Alexander Andryukov, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Henry Thome Won
  • AIR VEHICLE FLIGHT MECHANISM AND CONTROL METHOD
    Publication number: 20180208306
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method
    Patent number: 9957044
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method
    Patent number: 9950790
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • AIR VEHICLE FLIGHT MECHANISM AND CONTROL METHOD
    Publication number: 20180079504
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • Air Vehicle Flight Mechanism and Control Method for Non-Sinusoidal Wing Flapping
    Publication number: 20170291703
    Abstract: A flapping wing driving apparatus includes at least one crank gear capstan rotatably coupled to a crank gear, the at least one crank gear capstan disposed radially offset from a center of rotation of the crank gear; a first wing capstan coupled to a first wing, the first wing capstan having a first variable-radius drive pulley portion; and a first drive linking member configured to drive the first wing capstan, the first drive linking member windably coupled between the first variable-radius drive pulley portion and one of the at least one crank gear capstan; wherein the first wing capstan is configured to non-constantly, angularly rotate responsive to a constant angular rotation of the crank gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Alexander Andryukov, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Henry Thome Won
  • INVERTIBLE AIRCRAFT
    Publication number: 20170240289
    Abstract: A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel
  • Air Vehicle Flight Mechanism and Control Method
    Publication number: 20170183092
    Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
  • Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method for non-sinusoidal wing flapping
    Patent number: 9669925
    Abstract: A flapping wing driving apparatus includes at least one crank gear capstan rotatably coupled to a crank gear, the at least one crank gear capstan disposed radially offset from a center of rotation of the crank gear; a first wing capstan coupled to a first wing, the first wing capstan having a first variable-radius drive pulley portion; and a first drive linking member configured to drive the first wing capstan, the first drive linking member windably coupled between the first variable-radius drive pulley portion and one of the at least one crank gear capstan; wherein the first wing capstan is configured to non-constantly, angularly rotate responsive to a constant angular rotation of the crank gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Todd Keennon, Alexander Andryukov, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Henry Thome Won