Blackberry Corporation

Flir Unmanned Aerial Systems Ulc

Research in Motion Corporation

Albert Murray Pegg

Roman Peter Rak

Dmytro Silin

Marco Sixtus Ferrari

Glen Johannesson

Li Huang

Timothy Herbert Kyowski

James Carl Infanti

Steven Andrew Prsa

Tomi Kanninen

Jason Tyler Griffin

Todd Andrew Wood

Firmansyah Kuncoko Sulem

Benjamin William Boomhour

Enliang Wang

Eric Gary Malo

Denis Lahaie

Michael Peasgood

Paul Masser

Rayhan Behin

Ramon Lamers

Silviu Tanase

Corrine Anne Raherimanjato

Christopher Neate

Dietmar Frank Wennemer

Darren Reader

Martin Mape

Silvlu Tanase

Arthur Carol Boka

Systems and methods related to unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launch/landing platforms for tethered UAV flights are provided. A system includes a container configured to store a UAV includes a housing and one or more doors and a tether passthrough system configured to provide a tether pathway for a tether from an interior of the housing to the UAV through the at least one door during a tethered UAV flight. The tether passthrough system includes a tether guide configured to move between a first position facilitating storage of the UAV and a second position fitting securely within an opening of at least one door. A plug or cover may be adapted to close the opening when the doors are closed to protect the interior of the housing.

Unmanned aerial vehicle landing platform with tether passthrough systems and methods

Accessory port systems and methods are provided. In one example, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes an accessory port configured to interchangeably attach a plurality of accessory devices to the UAV. The accessory port may have a mechanical interface configured to engage with one of the accessory devices. The mechanical interface may include a locking member configured to physically secure the accessory device to the accessory port. The accessory port may further include an electrical interface configured to electrically connect the accessory device to the UAV. The mechanical interface may be configured to align the accessory device relative to the electrical interface. Related devices, systems, and methods are also provided.

Accessory port systems and methods for unmanned aerial vehicles

Rescue parachute deployment systems (RPDSs) and related techniques are provided to improve the safety and operational flexibility of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An RPDS includes a canopy assembly, a rotor guard disposed at least partially about the canopy assembly and configured to protect the canopy assembly from rotor strike damage as the canopy assembly is launched through a rotor plane of the UAV, and an ejector assembly configured to deploy the rotor guard into and the canopy assembly through a rotor plane of the UAV. The RPDS may also include a logic device coupled to and/or integrated with the ejector assembly and/or the UAV that is configured to determine a rescue parachute launch condition is active and to control the ejector assembly to deploy the canopy assembly through the rotor plane of the UAV.

UAV parachute deployment systems and methods using a rotor guard

Systems and methods related to landing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving a UAV on a surface of a landing platform. The method may further include operating a positioning device disposed under the surface to locate the UAV. The method may further include operating the positioning device to move the UAV to a location and/or an orientation on the surface. The UAV may comprise landing gear having a plurality of legs, where each leg comprises a shock absorption system. The method may further include operating the shock absorption system during the receiving operation to reduce force received at stress areas of the UAV, and after the receiving operation, operating the shock absorption system to dampen movement by the UAV. Related devices and systems are also provided.

Landing systems and methods for unmanned aerial vehicles

Provided herein are systems and methods for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to skid and roll along an environmental surface. A rollable UAV includes an airframe assembly, a propulsion system, and a logic device configured to communicate with the propulsion system. The airframe assembly includes a cylindrical rolling guard configured to allow the UAV to roll along an environmental surface in contact with the cylindrical rolling guard. The logic device is configured to determine a rolling orientation for the UAV corresponding to the environmental surface, maneuver the UAV to place the cylindrical rolling guard of the airframe assembly in contact with the environmental surface, and roll the airframe assembly of the UAV along the environmental surface at approximately the determined rolling orientation while the cylindrical rolling guard is in contact with the environmental surface.

Locomotion systems and methods for aerial vehicles

Techniques for deicing propellers for mobile platforms are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system is provided. The system may include a propeller comprising a propeller blade having a channel extending from an ingress aperture to an egress aperture along a longitudinal axis of the propeller blade. The system may further include a cowl comprising an air duct configured to direct heated air into the channel to deice the propeller blade. The cowl may be configured to selectively couple to the propeller and an electric motor and form a seal between the cowl and the electric motor to capture the heated air exuded by the electric motor. Additional systems and methods are also disclosed.

Propeller deicing systems and methods

An airframe assembly for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided where the airframe assembly includes a top airframe assembly, a bottom airframe assembly, and a planar support frame disposed between the top and bottom airframe assemblies. The top and bottom airframe assemblies may form one or more rotor ducts disposed about one or more UAV propulsion motor mounts, respectively, where the rotor ducts are configured to protect rotating rotors disposed therein from physical damage caused by impact with environmental flight hazards. The airframe assembly may further include a heat sink thermally coupled to electronics of the UAV and disposed within the airframe assembly such that rotating blades in the rotor ducts cause air to be drawn from outside of inlet orifices of the top airframe assembly, through an airflow channel in which dissipation surfaces of the heat sink are disposed, and into a rotor duct via an airflow outlet.

Aerial vehicle architectures for improved thrust efficiency and internal cooling

An unmanned vehicle (UV) is provided. The UV comprises an aircraft component, an interposer component electrically and mechanically coupled to the aircraft component, and a payload component electrically and mechanically coupled to the interposer component. The interposer component comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor configured the processor to receive a communication from one of the aircraft component or the payload component, and sent the communication to the other of the aircraft component or the payload component.

Systems and methods for modular unmanned vehicles

A main body of an unmanned vehicle is provided. The main body comprises a propulsion-receiving module having a mount point for removably mounting a propulsion source, a payload-receiving module having a mount point for removably mounting a payload, and a damper interposed between the payload-receiving module and the propulsion-receiving module to inhibit transmission of vibrations from the propulsion-receiving module to the payload-receiving module when the payload-receiving module and the propulsion-receiving module are in mechanical communication.

Unmanned vehicle

The present disclosure provides a capacitive touch sensor for an electronic device. The touch sensor has a trace carrier having a sensing surface, a connecting surface, and a number of electrically conductive traces on the trace carrier. The traces form a sensing pattern on the sensing surface and pass from the sensing surface to the connecting surface. The sensor also includes a capacitive sensing circuit operable to electrically couple to the traces at the connecting surface of the trace carrier, and to sense a capacitance change. A touch position on the sensing surface is determined dependent upon the sensed capacitance change.

Capacitive touch sensor

A multi-purpose band for use with a portable electronic device comprises a base link, an interface link, and a coupling link. The base link is joined to the interface link by an interface support hinge, and the coupling link is joined among the base link, and the interface link. The multi-purpose band is configured to be arranged in a band configuration for wearing on a wrist or ankle of a user and in a stand configuration for supporting a portable electronic device at a support angle. The interface link defines an interface surface. A charging feature may be disposed on the interface link proximate the interface surface, wherein the charging feature is configured to facilitate establishing a charging relationship between the charging feature and an electrical connector of the portable electronic device to facilitate engagement between the charging feature and the electrical connector.

Multi-purpose interface for a portable electronic device

Disclosed herein is a mobile device comprising a plate; the plate being adapted to accommodate a printed circuit board; a ring bonded to the plate; a seal disposed between the ring and the plate, the plate and ring and seal forming a mid-plate structure; wherein the seal comprises a platform; and a housing unit bonded to the platform.

Mobile electronic device and methods of manufacture thereof

A handheld device comprises a casing acting as a protective supporting framework of the handheld device. A circuit board mechanically supports and electrically connects with each other electronic components of the handheld device and is configured to be embedded into the casing. At least one wireless communications circuit transmits signals and data from the handheld device and is carried by the circuit board. A flex-antenna assembly is electrically coupled to the wireless communications circuit for sending and receiving the signals and data, defines flexible dielectric and conductive layers of the flex-antenna assembly disposed adjacent to each other, and is embedded into the circuit board.

Handheld device and method of manufacture thereof

A mobile device has a front frame with a key opening, a first forward facing surface adjacent the key opening and a second forward facing surface adjacent the key opening. The mobile device includes a keypad with keys coupled to a flexible backing. The keypad is insertable from behind the front frame of the mobile device to position the keys into openings in the front frame and laterally expandable to position the keys on opposing lateral sides of the keypad in front of forward facing surfaces of the front frame.

Assembling a keypad to a mobile device

Keypad apparatus and methods are described herein. An example keypad includes a keypad support having a first surface defining a cavity, and an electrical switch assembly coupled to the keypad support. The electrical switch includes a printed circuit board having at least a portion repositioned relative to a second surface of the printed circuit board. The repositioned portion is located in the cavity and the second surface is located on the first surface of the keypad support when the printed circuit board is coupled to the keypad support. The repositioned portion is attached to the second surface of the printed circuit board. A dome switch is aligned with the repositioned portion of the printed circuit board and is at least partially positioned in the cavity of the keypad support.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, Canada

Albert Murray Pegg