Patent ID: 8669504

Claim:
An aerial vehicle system, the system comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle and a portable launcher; wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle comprises: a body defining a longitudinal axis, a first wing extending laterally in a first direction from the body, a second wing extending laterally in a second direction from the body, the second direction being opposite the first direction, a first flight control surface supported by the body and configured to control pitch of the vehicle, a second flight control surface supported by the body and configured to control yaw of the vehicle, a controller including a flight control system operably coupled to the first flight control surface and the second flight control surface, a propulsion device operably coupled to the body; an acquisition sensor including an optical receiver for detecting a target, the optical receiver including a video processor and a lens to direct light to the video processor, wherein the video processor including a focal plane array having a collector grid to receive the light from the lens; a navigation system including an inertial measurement system for detecting pitch, roll, and yaw of the aerial vehicle, and an inertial navigational system to determine position, orientation, and velocity of the aerial vehicle; a trigger sensor configured to generate a signal in response to a predefined stimulus; and a responder in electrical communication with the controller and configured to be activated in response to the signal from the trigger sensor; wherein said portable launcher including a support to hold the body in a stored mode of operation, and a deployment mechanism to propel the body upwardly into the air in a launch mode of operation; wherein the deployment mechanism comprises a catapult operably coupled to the support, the body supporting a hook configured to engage the catapult in the stored mode; wherein the controller is in communication with the acquisition sensor, and the controller adjusts the flight control surfaces to reposition the target within the center of the collector grid of the video processor; wherein the trigger sensor includes a plurality of light emitting diodes and a plurality of receivers configured to receive light from the plurality of light emitting diodes and in electrical communication with the controller; wherein said acquisition sensor is mounted within a repositionable receiver assembly adapted to direct said optical receiver downwardly from the body and configured to commence target identification processing when the navigation system determines the aerial vehicle has reached an area of interest and enters a search mode.