Patent ID: 9527588
Filing Date: 2016-12-27
CPC Classification: B64C,B64D,G05D,Y02T

Claim Text:
1. An unmanned aircraft energy harvesting and power management system comprising: a. a battery-powered airframe having a plurality of powered and unpowered rotors; b. flight electronics systems for providing control and power to the powered rotors to sustain flight operations, said flight electronics systems controlling said unpowered rotors to modify plan surface area as required; and c. an autopilot comprising a computer in electronic communication with said powered and unpowered rotors, and d. software stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and loaded onto said computer, comprising plan form area optimization functions for minimizing power consumption by increasing total plan surface area of the aircraft when hovering, loitering, and in-flight, generating lift from air currents, thereby decreasing the power drawn from said battery.