Patents by Inventor Tony Shuo Tao
Tony Shuo Tao 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).
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Publication number: 20210253234Abstract: Winged tilt-rotor vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft and related methods are disclosed. Aircraft comprise an airframe comprising one or more wings; one or more tilt-adjustable rotors positioned forward of the one or more wings; and one or more fixed-tilt rotors positioned behind at least one of the one or more wings. Methods comprise tilting only one or more forward rotors positioned in front of one or more wings of the aircraft, and not tilting one or more rearward rotors positioned behind at least one of the one or more wings.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2020Publication date: August 19, 2021Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, William Cooper Thalheimer, Robert William Parks, Adrian Hachen
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Patent number: 11040766Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2020Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson, Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb
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Patent number: 10960968Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2020Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.Inventors: Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb, Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson
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Patent number: 10953976Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including: a fuselage; a first pair of airfoils rotatable between a retracted position and a deployed position, the deployed position extending out from the fuselage and the retracted position extending substantially along a first portion on an exterior of the fuselage; a second pair of airfoils rotatable between a second retracted position and a second deployed position, the second deployed position extending out from the fuselage and the second retracted position extending substantially along the first portion on the exterior of the fuselage; and a rudder foldable against the fuselage in a pre-deployment position.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2015Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson, Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb
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Publication number: 20210024208Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft (100) and a propulsion system (600) thereof. The propulsion system (600) comprises a primary rotor (108) configured to couple to an airframe (102) and oriented to generate a vertical thrust relative to the airframe (102), a drivetrain (626) operably coupled to an engine (602) and configured to mechanically drive the primary rotor (108), and a plurality of tiltable secondary rotor assemblies (114) configured to be disposed about the primary rotor (108). The primary rotor (108) comprises a plurality of collective-only variable-pitch blades. Each of the plurality of tiltable secondary rotor assemblies (114) may have a secondary rotor (116) and an electric motor (608) to drive the secondary rotor (116). An electric generator (606) operably coupled to the engine (602) or to the drivetrain (626) may be configured generate electric power for each electric motor (608) of the plurality of tiltable secondary rotor assemblies (114).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2019Publication date: January 28, 2021Inventor: Tony Shuo Tao
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Publication number: 20200307763Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2020Publication date: October 1, 2020Inventors: Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb, Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson
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Patent number: 10696375Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2015Date of Patent: June 30, 2020Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.Inventors: Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb, Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson
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Publication number: 20200198761Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2020Publication date: June 25, 2020Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson, Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb
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Patent number: 10583910Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2017Date of Patent: March 10, 2020Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson, Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb
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Publication number: 20170144749Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2017Publication date: May 25, 2017Inventors: TONY SHUO TAO, NATHAN OLSON, CARLOS THOMAS MIRALLES, ROBERT NICKERSON PLUMB
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Publication number: 20160185445Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Inventors: CARLOS THOMAS MIRALLES, ROBERT NICKERSON PLUMB, TONY SHUO TAO, NATHAN OLSON
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Publication number: 20160009370Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson, Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb
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Patent number: 9108713Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (100, 400, 1000, 1500) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils (141, 142, 1345, 1346) having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns (621, 622). Embodiments include one or more rudder elements (1045, 1046, 1145, 1146, 1245, 1345, 1346, 1445, 1446, 1545, 1546) which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member (1049, 1149, 1249, 1349) disposed within the fuselage housing (1001) and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2010Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson, Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb
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Publication number: 20150203201Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2015Publication date: July 23, 2015Inventors: TONY SHUO TAO, NATHAN OLSON, CARLOS THOMAS MIRALLES, ROBERT NICKERSON PLUMB
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Patent number: 8985504Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2012Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson, Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb
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Publication number: 20130146718Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2012Publication date: June 13, 2013Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson, Carlos Thomas Muralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb
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Publication number: 20120267473Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (100,400,1000,1500) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils (141,142,1345,1346) having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house house deflecting actuator horns (621,622). Embodiments include one or more rudder elements (1045, 1046,1145, 1146,1245, 1345, 1346,1445, 1446,1545, 1546) which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member (1049,1149,1249,1349) disposed within the fuselage housing (1001) and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2010Publication date: October 25, 2012Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson, Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb
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Patent number: D902828Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2019Date of Patent: November 24, 2020Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences CorporationInventor: Tony Shuo Tao