Abstract:
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can be deployed from a small stowed package for flight and stowed back into the package after the flight is complete is disclosed. The UAV is retracted to a volume that is less than half of it&#39;s fully deployed volume. This allows the UAV to be transported to any desired field position on a truck or other convenient transportation. The UAV may also be launched from a ship deck. In a further aspect, the flexible deployment of the UAV will allow a single UAV to be used in place of multiple types of UAVs.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates generally to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and more particularly to improved transportation and deployment of UAVs. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Unmanned aerial vehicles are aircraft that are remotely controlled by a human operator or are software-programmed for autonomous flight. They are used for a variety of purposes, from recreational to commercial as well as in military applications. Commercial uses of UAVs included security, property inspection, and real estate photography, among others. Military applications include, for example, surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition. 
         [0003]    UAV&#39;s can have many different geometries for various uses, thus there are a multiplicity of types dependent on the operational scenario. Since the distance a UAV can travel while in flight is limited by factors such as weight and power source, often there is a need to transport a UAV to a particular site so that it can be launched closer to a desired field position. Most UAVs are of a fixed geometric construction that cannot be tightly packaged, thus making transportation difficult. 
         [0004]    Thus, a need exists for a UAV that can rapidly move into field position and perform a mission without taking up a large volume during transportation. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In a first aspect, the invention provides a UAV that can be deployed from a small stowed package for flight and stowed back into the package after the flight is complete. In a further aspect, the invention will allow the UAV to be transported to a required field position on a truck or other means of transportation. The UAV may also be launched from a ship deck. In a further aspect, the flexibility of the UAV will allow a single UAV to be used in place of multiple types of UAVs. 
         [0006]    The invention in one embodiment encompasses an apparatus. The apparatus comprises an aerial vehicle, having a fuselage, a telescoping wing assembly comprising two wings, each comprising a telescoping axis and a wing root mechanism comprising a vertical rotation pivot operatively coupling said wing assembly to said fuselage, wherein said wing assembly rotates between a position in which the telescoping axis is parallel to an axis of the fuselage and a position in which the telescoping axis is perpendicular to the axis of the fuselage. 
         [0007]    In a further embodiment, the wing root mechanism of the aerial vehicle also includes a horizontal rotation pivot operatively coupling said wing assembly to said vertical rotation pivot wherein said telescoping wing assembly may be tilted. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, the telescoping wing assembly of the aerial vehicle also includes a plurality of concentric tubular mast segments, slideable relative to adjacent mast segments and coaxial with the telescoping axis. 
         [0009]    In yet another embodiment, the fuselage of the aerial vehicle of claim  3 , also includes a tail portion having a plurality of telescoping concentric tubular mast segments and an empennage assembly rotatably attached to an end of the tail portion. 
         [0010]    In a another embodiment, the aerial vehicle is deployed by extending the wing assembly and tail portions, and stowed by retracting the wing assembly and tail portions in a case with less than half the volume of the fully deployed configuration. 
         [0011]    In a further embodiment, the aerial vehicle can have a range of wingspans and fuselage lengths, and also includes imaging and sensor devices. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    Features of example implementations of the invention will become apparent from the description, the claims, and the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1A  illustrates a stowable unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1B  illustrates the UAV of  FIG. 1A  in a fully stowed configuration. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1C  illustrates the UAV of  FIG. 1B  stowed in a case for transportation. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded view of the UAV of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0017]      FIGS. 3A-3D  illustrate a method of deploying the UAV of  FIG. 1B . 
           [0018]      FIGS. 4A-4C  illustrate the base structure of a wing of the UAV of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0019]      FIG. 5A  illustrates the joint between each concentric tube of  FIG. 4A . 
           [0020]      FIG. 5B  illustrates a more detailed view of the latch of  FIG. 5A . 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  illustrates concentric wing skins of  FIG. 4B . 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of the wing assembly of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0023]      FIGS. 8A-8C  illustrate further detail of the wing root pivot fitting of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0024]      FIGS. 9A-9B  illustrate a more detailed view of the empennage of the UAV of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0025]      FIGS. 10A-10B  illustrate packaging sizes for different wingspans of UAV&#39;s using this deployment system described herein. 
           [0026]      FIGS. 11A-11B  illustrate an alternate 14 foot wingspan UAV configuration and its stowed packaging envelope using a similar wing deployment system with sliding spar tubes. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]    The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the present invention uses a telescoping tubular mast system for the wing and tail that allows the UAV to be stowed in a package occupying a volume that is less than half of its fully assembled volume. The telescoping mast uses short, interlocking tube segments that can be deployed for flight or retracted when the UAV is stowed. This flexibility allows the wing span and fuselage length to be varied depending on the intended use of the UAV. The high degree of portability of the UAV due to its smaller stowed package allows it to be deployed rapidly for uses such as aerial reconnaissance, weather observation, data relay and surveying. These are examples of tasks often performed with UAVs and are not intended to limit the invention. 
         [0028]    Stowable UAV Configuration 
         [0029]    A UAV  100  according to a first embodiment is shown in  FIG. 1A . This view shows UAV  100  in a fully deployed configuration including telescoping wing assembly  102 , fuselage  104 , empennage tail fins  106  and  108 , propeller  110 , landing equipment  112  and tail boom  114 . In a preferred embodiment, the wing span of UAV  100  is approximately 14′ and the fuselage  104  and tail boom  114  have a combined length of approximately 52″ inches when fully deployed, though this description is not intended to limit its applicability to this size. Wing assembly  102  and tail boom  114  use a telescoping spar structure with four and two segments, respectively, but any number of segments could be used depending on material and intended use of the UAV. 
         [0030]      FIG. 1B  depicts UAV  100  in a fully stowed configuration. Empennage tail fins  106  and  108  have been rotated to one side of tail boom  114 , which has been refracted. Wing assembly  102  has been retracted, rotated relative to the fuselage and tilted to one side. Landing gear  112  has been folded up towards the fuselage.  FIG. 1C  depicts UAV  100  packed into a case for easy transportation. In a preferred embodiment, UAV  100  may be packed in a case with interior dimensions of approximately 51″×21″×12″; this size is applicable to the 14 foot wingspan, other case dimensions would be needed for UAVs with different wingspans. 
         [0031]    An exploded view of UAV  100  is shown in  FIG. 2 . Wing assemblies  102  and  102   a  with telescoping masts extend from wing root pivot fitting  170 , shown in more detail in  FIGS. 8A-8C . Propeller  110  is connected to the motor assembly  110   a  within the fuselage as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Fuselage  104  is coupled to fuselage transition fitting  117 . Telescoping tail segments  114   a ,  114   b  are attached to the opposite side of fuselage transition fitting  117  by bolted connections to tail boom connection fitting  115 . Tail servo motors  113  control the motion of empennage tail fins  106  and  108 . Elements  116  and  118  are aerodynamic fairings attached between tail segments  114   a  and  114   b . Element  119  represents a camera/video component typical of UAV systems, although any suitable imaging or sensor device could be used. 
         [0032]    An exploded view of a wing is shown at  102   a . Telescoping spars  120   a ,  120   b ,  120   c  and  120   d  support ribs  122   a ,  122   b ,  122   c ,  122   d  and  122   e . Wing skin segments  128   a ,  128   b ,  128   c  and  128   d  are attached to the ribs and slide over the telescoping spars as the wing is deployed and retracted. Aileron  124  is attached to hinge pin  126  in a notch in outboard wing skin segment  128   d . Aileron  124  allows UAV  100  to be controlled during flight as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Both wing assemblies include an aileron  124 , which are actuated by integral servo motors (not shown) located within the wing body near the hinge pins of the ailerons. Wires run along the inside length of the wing out to the servos from the UAV fuselage. Further details about wing assemblies are given in connection with  FIGS. 4A-4C . 
         [0033]    A method of deploying UAV  100  is shown in  FIGS. 3A-3D . Beginning from the fully stowed configuration shown in  FIG. 1B ,  FIG. 3A  depicts UAV  100  in a first step where tail boom  114  has been deployed by withdrawing tail segment  114   b  from tail segment  114   a . In  FIG. 3B , tail fins  106  and  108  have been rotated into position and located on each side of tail boom  114  and landing gear  112  has been lowered away from fuselage  104 . In  FIG. 3C , wing assembly  102  has been tilted and rotated to a fully horizontal position perpendicular to fuselage  104 . Finally,  FIG. 3D  depicts wing assembly  102  fully extended and UAV  100  ready for launch. All extensions are performed by hand. 
         [0034]    Wing Structure 
         [0035]    Wing assembly  102  includes two wings and will be described in connection with  FIGS. 4-7 . The base structure of a single wing of UAV  100  features a number of concentric tubes, as shown in  FIG. 4A . Four tubes are shown but any number could be used depending on the performance requirements for UAV  100 . Inboard tube  120   a  of  FIG. 4A  has a hexagonal cross section but any suitable shape could be used. Adjoining tube  120   b  has the same cross section but a slightly smaller diameter than base tube  120   a  so that tube  120   b  may be nested inside tube  120   a  when the wing is in a retracted position. Each successive tube has a smaller diameter for further nesting, providing a compact configuration when wing assembly  102  is retracted and UAV  100  is stowed. In a preferred embodiment, concentric tubes  120   a - 120   d  are made from a composite material (for example, fiberglass or a thermoplastic or thermoset based plastic blend) but any suitable material may be used in order to achieve a given length, envelope and structural characteristic. A series of ribs  122   a - 122   e  provide support for wing skin segments, shown in more detail in  FIG. 4B . Inboard rib  122   a  is fixedly attached to the inboard end of inboard tube  120   a . Outboard rib  122   e  is fixedly attached to the outboard end of outboard tube  120   d.    
         [0036]    Ribs  122   b ,  122   c  and  122   d  slid over tubes  120   a ,  12   b  and  120   c  respectively while fixedly attached to wing skin segments  128   b ,  128   c  and  128   d  respectively. When fully extended in a preferred embodiment, each tube and wing skin segment overlaps by approximately 4 inches to provide structural support. In a preferred embodiment, the skin is a thin, hard shell that is deployed, retracted and stowed with the tube and rib structure. 
         [0037]      FIG. 4B  depicts an end view of a fully retracted wing. Rib  122   a  is fixedly attached to inboard tube  120   a  and to skin segment  128   a  at its inboard end. Rib  122   b  is fixedly attached to the inboard end of wing skin segment  128   b  (also shown in  FIG. 2 .) Rib  122   b  slides over tube  120   a  to rest near rib  122   a  when the wing is in a retracted position, as shown in  FIG. 4C . Rib  122   c  is fixedly attached to the inboard end of wing skin segment  128   c  and slides over tube  120   b  to rest near rib  122   b  when the wing is in a retracted position. Outboard skin segment  128   d  is fixedly attached to rib  122   d  at its inboard end and to rib  122   e  at its outboard end. Rib  122   d  slides over tube  120   c  during deployment and retraction of the wing. 
         [0038]      FIG. 4C  depicts a fully retracted wing. Inboard tube  120   a  is visible with tubes  120   b ,  120   c  and  120   d  telescoped inside. Ribs  122   b - 122   d  rest near inboard rib  122   a  while outboard  122   e  remains at the opposite end of retracted the retracted wing. Each rib is sized to fit its&#39; associated wing skin and the inner spar tube. 
         [0039]      FIG. 5A  depicts the joint between each concentric tube of  FIG. 4A . Tubes  120   a  and  120   b  are shown in  FIG. 5A  but an equivalent latching mechanism is used between each set of tubes. At least three latch receptacles  141  are evenly positioned around the inside circumference of tube  120   a . Latch pawls  142  are attached to tube  120   b  and engage with latch receptacles  141  as wing assembly is deployed as shown in further detail in  FIG. 5B . Elements  144  are pins positioned at each corner of the hexagonal tube root flange  146  of tube  120   b  to provide guidance during deployment and to react aerodynamic moment loads during flight. Guide pins  147  on each latch receptacle  141  react the bending moment couple. Elements  145  are spring tabs fixedly attached to tube  120   a . They are used to hold rib  122   b  in position. These expand during deployment and retract (by compression) during stowage. 
         [0040]      FIG. 5B  depicts a more detailed view of latch receptacle  141  and latch pawl  142  of  FIG. 5A . Pins  143  on latch pawl  142  engage with recessed areas  144  on latch receptacles  141  when UAV  100  is deployed. The latch pawls  142  ride up over the latch receptacles  141  during wing extension and seat in the cutout pocket. The latch detent force is sized to be overcome by hand force during wing extension and retraction. 
         [0041]      FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-section of the wing skins showing closely nested, concentric sets that clear each other for sliding deployment and stowage. Inboard skin  128   a  is the largest and contains all the other skins. Inside inboard skin  128   a  is second skin  128   b , third skin  128   c  followed by outboard skin  128   d . A preferred embodiment of 4 segments with their associated skins has been shown but any number of segments and skins could be used. 
         [0042]      FIG. 7  depicts a side view of wing assembly  102  of  FIG. 1A . Wing assembly  102  is attached to fuselage  104  and tail boom  114  by wing root pivot fitting  170 , shown in more detail in  FIGS. 8A-8C . Root pivot fitting  170  includes a clevis fitting  172  and a rotation fitting  176 . Position locking pins  174  and  178  are respectively associated with each fitting. 
         [0043]      FIG. 8A  depicts a front view of root pivot fitting  170  and fuselage transition fitting  117 .  FIG. 8B  depicts an isometric view of the fittings of  FIG. 8A . Clevis fitting  172  is attached to fuselage transition fitting  117 , thus providing a vertical rotation pivot for wing assembly  102  around vertical rotation pin  182 . Position lock pin  174  maintains clevis fitting  172  and thus wing assembly  102  in a desired position of rotation relative to fuselage  104 . Rotation fitting  176  and connection fitting  184  are coupled to clevis fitting  172  by means of horizontal rotation pin  186 . Position lock pin  178  maintains wing assembly at desired tilted position relative to fuselage  104 .  FIGS. 8A and 8B  depict root pivot fitting  170  when wing assembly  102  is in a horizontal, deployed position for flight.  FIG. 8C  depicts fitting  170  when wing assembly  102  is tilted into a stowed position as also shown in  FIG. 1B . 
         [0044]    Fitting  188  of  FIG. 8A  provides a connection to tail boom  114 . Hexagonal tail boom segment  114   a  slides inside fitting  188  and attaches with a set of screws. Only the inboard most section of tail boom attaches with screws. 
         [0045]    Empennage 
         [0046]    A more detailed view of empennage tail fins  106  and  108  are shown in  FIGS. 9A-9B . A deployed configuration is shown in  FIG. 9A . Servo motors  113  for controlling empennage tail fins  106  and  108  are mounted to the end of tail boom  114  opposite fuselage transition fitting  117 .  FIG. 9B  depicts the empennage structure in a stowed configuration. Empennage tail fins  106  and  108  have been rotated to one side of tail  114 , wing assembly  102  has been retracted, rotated and tilted to the other side of tail boom  114  and landing gear  112  has been folded up towards tail boom  114 . 
         [0047]    Propulsion 
         [0048]    Propulsion can be provided by either an electric motor with battery or an internal combustion engine with fuel tank dependent on vehicle range and performance requirements. The wing skins and other surfaces could be covered with solar cells in an alternate embodiment for long-duration electric propulsion. 
         [0049]    Guidance &amp; Sensors Packaging 
         [0050]    Vehicle avionics and electrical system components consist of communications transmitter/receiver, guidance positioning system, onboard computer, electric generator and voltage regulator, video camera, laser pointer, infrared camera, and sensors for various mission requirements. 
         [0051]    Numerous alternative implementations of the present invention exist. 
         [0052]    The above description of UAV  100  uses a representative wing span of approximately 14′ and the fuselage  104  and tail  114  have a combined length of approximately 52″ inches, however, other sizes are possible. In other embodiments, UAV  100  features wingspans, for example, of approximately 7′, 8′, 11′, 23′ and 27′. Different wingspans could require a different number of tube segments as well as changes in other dimensions of UAV  100 , including, for example, battery power. These aspects of UAV  100  could be adjusted for each wingspan as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. 
         [0053]      FIGS. 10A-10B  depict sizes of stowed UAVs for various wingspans. While specific dimensions are listed, it should be understood that these are merely representative examples and a wide variety of dimensions could be used as necessitated by the required operation of the UAV. Transportation of the stowed UAV is accomplished within a hand-carry-able case or a backpack.  FIG. 1C  depicts a UAV stowed within a hand-carry-able case and  FIGS. 10A-10B  depict case size placements on different trucks (dependent on the UAV wingspan size). 
         [0054]    Semi-tractor trailer  190  of  FIG. 10A  is shown with a case  191  for a UAV with a wingspan of approximately 26.9′. Case  191  in a preferred embodiment has dimensions of 100″×48″× 35″. Case  192  is representative of the size required for a UAV with a wingspan of approximately 22.8′, and features dimensions of 80″×40″×22″. Case  193  had dimensions of approximately 53.5″×38″×26″ and is representative of the size required for a UAV with a wingspan of 14.8′ while case  194  has dimensions of 40″×21″×12″ for transporting a UAV with a wingspan of 8′. Cases  193  and  194  are small enough that they may also be transported in a pick-up truck, as shown in  FIG. 10B . Two cases  193  are located side by side in the back of the pick-up truck, while two cases  194  may be stacked. 
         [0055]    In the embodiments described above, wing assembly  102  is perpendicular to fuselage  104  when deployed. In other embodiments, as shown in  FIGS. 11A-11B , wings  202 ,  204  are mounted at an angle to fuselage  206 . They can be retracted and deployed using the telescoping spar structure described for UAV  100 .  FIG. 11A  depicts an embodiment of UAV  200  fully deployed. Propulsion is provided by rear mounted propeller  208 . Tail fins  210  and  212  are mounted to fuselage  206  as are wings  202  and  204 . Sensor unit  204  includes, for example, a video camera, laser pointer, and infrared camera, although any preferred sensors could be used. A stowable configuration is shown in  FIG. 11B . When the telescoping spar wings  202  and  204  are retracted and folded, together with the tail fins  210  and  212 , UAV  200  can be packed in a case similarly to UAV  100  as shown in  FIG. 1C . 
         [0056]    If used and unless otherwise stated, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “back,” “over,” “under,” and similar such terms are not to be construed as limiting the invention to a particular orientation. Instead, these terms are used only on a relative basis. 
         [0057]    An illustrative description of operation of the apparatus  100  is presented, for explanatory purposes. 
         [0058]    The apparatus  100  in one example comprises a plurality of components such as one or more of electronic components, hardware components, and computer software components. A number of such components can be combined or divided in the apparatus  100 . The apparatus  100  in one example comprises any (e.g., horizontal, oblique, or vertical) orientation, with the description and figures herein illustrating one example orientation of the apparatus  100 , for explanatory purposes. 
         [0059]    The steps or operations described herein are just for example. There may be many variations to these steps or operations without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a differing order, or steps may be added, deleted, or modified. 
         [0060]    Although example implementations of the invention have been depicted and described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions, substitutions, and the like can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and these are therefore considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.