Patents by Inventor Michael John Elzinga

Michael John Elzinga 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: 20230019041
    Abstract: This disclosure describes a collective UAV in which multiple UAVs may be coupled together to form the collective UAV. A collective UAV may be used to aerially transport virtually any size, weight or quantity of items, travel longer distances, etc. For example, rather than using one large UAV to carry a larger or heavier item, multiple smaller UAVs may couple together to form a collective UAV that is used to carry the larger or heavier item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Nathan Michael Paczan, Michael John Elzinga, Raphael Hsieh, Luan Khai Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11480958
    Abstract: This disclosure describes a collective UAV in which multiple UAVs may be coupled together to form the collective UAV. A collective UAV may be used to aerially transport virtually any size, weight or quantity of items, travel longer distances, etc. For example, rather than using one large UAV to carry a larger or heavier item, multiple smaller UAVs may couple together to form a collective UAV that is used to carry the larger or heavier item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Michael Paczan, Michael John Elzinga, Raphael Hsieh, Luan Khai Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11111009
    Abstract: This disclosure describes a configuration of a multirotor aircraft that will facilitate enhanced yaw control. The multirotor aircraft includes one or more adjustable members that will twist the frame of the multirotor aircraft, thereby adjusting the orientation of the motors and propellers and enhance the yaw control of the multirotor aircraft. In some implementations, the adjustable member(s) are passive and twist in response to differential thrusts generated by the propellers. In other implementations, the adjustable members are active and twist in response to a yaw command from the multirotor aircraft control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Beckman, Michael John Elzinga, Scott Raymond Harris, Louis Leroi LeGrand, III, Frederik Schaffalitzky
  • Patent number: 10176792
    Abstract: The implementations described include an audio canceling device that receives an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) audio signature representative of audio generated by an unmanned aerial vehicle, monitors audio within an environment in which the audio canceling device is located for audio generated by the UAV, generates an attenuation-signal based on detected audio generated by the UAV, and outputs the attenuation-signal to attenuate the audio generated by the UAV. In one example, the audio canceling device may be used to attenuate audio generated by a UAV that is permeating into a user's home during delivery of an item to the user's home by the UAV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael John Elzinga, Scott Michael Wilcox
  • Patent number: 9764836
    Abstract: This disclosure provides egress and ingress for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from a fulfillment center (FC) to perform deliveries of products and return to the FC from such deliveries while providing minimal exposure of an interior of the FC. The UAV may be used to deliver the cargo from the FC to a destination, and then return to the FC to retrieve other cargo for another transport to another destination. In some embodiments, departing UAVs may be launched from the FC through a launch bay and returning UAVs may land upon a conveyance system to await being transported back into the FC. A flight coordinator may also provide assignments to the UAV based upon a current state of the UAV and other nearby UAVs and also based on a current order backlog of the FC and/or other considerations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael John Elzinga, Nathan Michael Paczan
  • Patent number: 9764829
    Abstract: A configuration of a multirotor aircraft that will facilitate enhanced yaw control includes one or more adjustable members that will twist the frame of the multirotor aircraft, thereby adjusting the orientation of the motors and propellers and enhancing the yaw control of the multirotor aircraft. In some implementations, the adjustable member(s) are passive and twist in response to differential thrusts generated by the propellers. In other implementations, the adjustable members are active and twist in response to a yaw command from the multirotor aircraft control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Beckman, Michael John Elzinga, Scott Raymond Harris, Louis LeRoi LeGrand, III, Frederik Schaffalitzky
  • Publication number: 20160378108
    Abstract: This disclosure describes a collective UAV in which multiple UAVs may be coupled together to form the collective UAV. A collective UAV may be used to aerially transport virtually any size, weight or quantity of items, travel longer distances, etc. For example, rather than using one large UAV to carry a larger or heavier item, multiple smaller UAVs may couple together to form a collective UAV that is used to carry the larger or heavier item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Nathan Michael Paczan, Michael John Elzinga, Raphael Hsieh, Luan Khai Nguyen