Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle includes multiple rotor arms; a rotor disposed at an end of each of the multiple rotor arms; and an adjustment component configured to enable a first rotor arm to move relative to a second rotor arm.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 12, 2017
Date of Patent:
September 4, 2018
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Long N. Phan, Anandrao Biradar, Luan H. Duong, Samir Nayfeh
Abstract: An aerial vehicle includes a hybrid power generation system comprising an engine; a generator mechanically coupled to the engine; and a propulsion system comprising an electric motor electrically coupled to the generator and a rotational mechanism coupled to the electric motor.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 21, 2017
Date of Patent:
July 10, 2018
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Long N. Phan, Luan H. Duong, Samir Nayfeh, Matthew Sweetland
Abstract: A system includes a torque sensor; and a hybrid power system. The hybrid power sensor includes a frame; an engine mounted on the frame; and a generator, the generator including: a generator rotor mechanically coupled to a shaft of the engine; and a generator stator coupled to the frame by the torque sensor. The torque sensor is configured to measure a torque on the generator stator.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 19, 2017
Date of Patent:
November 5, 2019
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Samir Nayfeh, Julian Lemus, Soojae Jung, Matthew Sweetland, Long N. Phan
Abstract: A test stand for an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising: a base arranged to make contact with the ground; a frame extending from the base, the frame comprising at least a first side portion and a second side portion that define a space therebetween; and a mount slidably attached to the frame within the space, the mount configured to affix to an unmanned aerial vehicle such that the mount and the unmanned aerial vehicle slide within the defined space in a direction parallel to the frame during a test flight.
Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least one rotor motor configured to drive at least one propeller to rotate; a passenger compartment sized to contain a human or animal passenger; and a hybrid generator system configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor and to generate lift sufficient to carry the human or animal passenger. The hybrid generator system includes a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor; an engine configured to generate mechanical power; and a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical power from the mechanical power generated by the engine.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 12, 2017
Date of Patent:
June 4, 2019
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Long N. Phan, Samir Nayfeh, Eli M. Davis
Abstract: This document describes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to navigate an unmanned aerial vehicle highway. The UAV includes a navigation system that includes a sensor, configured to gather environmental data, and a computing system configured to navigate the UAV. The computing system compares the environmental data to a specified data signature in the one or more spectra and determines a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the unmanned aerial vehicle highway. The UAV includes a hybrid generator system including an engine configured to generate mechanical energy and a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical energy from the mechanical energy generated by the engine. The UAV includes a rotor motor configured to drive a propeller to rotate. The navigation system is powered by the electrical energy generated by the generator motor.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 23, 2019
Date of Patent:
February 25, 2020
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Paul A. DeBitetto, Long N. Phan, Scott Rasmussen, Sanjay Sarma
Abstract: This document describes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to navigate an unmanned aerial vehicle highway. The UAV includes a navigation system that includes a sensor, configured to gather environmental data, and a computing system configured to navigate the UAV. The computing system compares the environmental data to a specified data signature in the one or more spectra and determines a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the unmanned aerial vehicle highway. The UAV includes a hybrid generator system including an engine configured to generate mechanical energy and a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical energy from the mechanical energy generated by the engine. The UAV includes a rotor motor configured to drive a propeller to rotate. The navigation system is powered by the electrical energy generated by the generator motor.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 6, 2018
Date of Patent:
February 5, 2019
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Paul A. DeBitetto, Long N. Phan, Scott Rasmussen, Sanjay Sarma
Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least one rotor motor configured to drive at least one propeller to rotate. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a data center including a processor; a data storage component; and a wireless communications component. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a hybrid generator system configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor and to the data center, the hybrid generator system including a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor; an engine configured to generate mechanical power; and a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical power from the mechanical power generated by the engine. The data center may include an intelligent data management module configured to control power distribution and execution of mission tasks in response to available power generation and mission task priorities.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 12, 2017
Date of Patent:
February 27, 2018
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Long N. Phan, Samir Nayfeh, John J. Polo, Eli M. Davis, Paul A. DeBitetto
Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising at least one rotor motor. The rotor motor is powered by a micro hybrid generation system. The micro hybrid generator system comprises a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor, a small engine configured to generate mechanical power, a generator motor coupled to the small engine and configured to generate AC power using the mechanical power generated by the small engine, a bridge rectifier configured to convert the AC power generated by the generator motor to DC power and provide the DC power to either or both the rechargeable battery and the at least one rotor motor, and an electronic control unit configured to control a throttle of the small engine based, at least in part, on a power demand of at least one load, the at least one load including the at least one rotor motor.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 1, 2017
Date of Patent:
July 31, 2018
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Long N. Phan, Sanjay Emani Sarma, Cody Miles Wojcik, Eli M. Davis, Benjamin Arthur Sena, Julian Lemus
Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising at least one rotor motor. The rotor motor is powered by a micro hybrid generation system. The micro hybrid generator system comprises a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor, a small engine configured to generate mechanical power, a generator motor coupled to the small engine and configured to generate AC power using the mechanical power generated by the small engine, a bridge rectifier configured to convert the AC power generated by the generator motor to DC power and provide the DC power to either or both the rechargeable battery and the at least one rotor motor, and an electronic control unit configured to control a throttle of the small engine based, at least in part, on a power demand of at least one load, the at least one load including the at least one rotor motor.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 16, 2015
Date of Patent:
September 19, 2017
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Long N. Phan, Sanjay Emani Sarma, Cody Miles Wojcik, Eli M. Davis, Benjamin Arthur Sena, Julian Lemus
Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising at least one rotor motor. The rotor motor is powered by a micro hybrid generation system. The micro hybrid generator system comprises a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor, a small engine configured to generate mechanical power, a generator motor coupled to the small engine and configured to generate AC power using the mechanical power generated by the small engine, a bridge rectifier configured to convert the AC power generated by the generator motor to DC power and provide the DC power to either or both the rechargeable battery and the at least one rotor motor, and an electronic control unit configured to control a throttle of the small engine based, at least in part, on a power demand of at least one load, the at least one load including the at least one rotor motor.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 6, 2016
Date of Patent:
September 5, 2017
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Long N. Phan, Sanjay Emani Sarma, Cody Miles Wojcik, Eli M. Davis, Benjamin Arthur Sena, Julian Lemus
Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising at least one rotor motor. The rotor motor is powered by a micro hybrid generation system. The micro hybrid generator system comprises a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor, a small engine configured to generate mechanical power, a generator motor coupled to the small engine and configured to generate AC power using the mechanical power generated by the small engine, a bridge rectifier configured to convert the AC power generated by the generator motor to DC power and provide the DC power to either or both the rechargeable battery and the at least one rotor motor, and an electronic control unit configured to control a throttle of the small engine based, at least in part, on a power demand of at least one load, the at least one load including the at least one rotor motor.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 12, 2016
Date of Patent:
September 5, 2017
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Long N. Phan, Sanjay Emani Sarma, Cody Miles Wojcik, Eli M. Davis, Benjamin Arthur Sena, Julian Lemus
Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising at least one rotor motor. The rotor motor is powered by a micro hybrid generation system. The micro hybrid generator system comprises a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor, a small engine configured to generate mechanical power, a generator motor coupled to the small engine and configured to generate AC power using the mechanical power generated by the small engine, a bridge rectifier configured to convert the AC power generated by the generator motor to DC power and provide the DC power to either or both the rechargeable battery and the at least one rotor motor, and an electronic control unit configured to control a throttle of the small engine based, at least in part, on a power demand of at least one load, the at least one load including the at least one rotor motor.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 1, 2017
Date of Patent:
April 23, 2019
Assignee:
Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Long N. Phan, Sanjay Emani Sarma, Cody Miles Wojcik, Eli M. Davis, Benjamin Arthur Sena, Julian Lemus