Patents by Inventor W. Ray Morgan

W. Ray Morgan 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).

  • Rapid assembly aircraft for ground surveillance
    Patent number: 5035382
    Abstract: A terrain surveillance, powered aircraft is disclosed to have an on-board video camera that is not gimballed relative to the aircraft, the aircraft typically comprising multiple components; the method of the invention including: assembling the components into aircraft configuration at or near a launch site; launching the aircraft at that site with no human pilot on board same; remotely controlling the flight path of the aircraft by radio or cable link, to fly to a location for terrain surveillance; operating the on-board video camera to survey the terrain while varying yaw of the aircraft to provide sweep viewing of the terrain; and recovering the aircraft by controlling its flight to steeply descend to a landing zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Aerovironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter B. S. Lissaman, W. Ray Morgan, Martyn B. Cowley, Charles J. Sink, William D. Watson