The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Feb. 12, 2019

Filed:

Jun. 01, 2017
Applicant:

Aerovironment, Inc., Simi Valley, CA (US);

Inventors:

Christopher E. Fisher, Simi Valley, CA (US);

Thomas Robert Szarek, Oak Park, CA (US);

Justin B. McAllister, Seattle, WA (US);

Pavel Belik, Simi Valley, CA (US);

Assignee:

AeroVironment, Inc., Simi Valley, CA (US);

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G08G 5/02 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2006.01); G05D 1/06 (2006.01); B64D 31/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G08G 5/02 (2013.01); B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64D 31/00 (2013.01); G05D 1/0011 (2013.01); G05D 1/0676 (2013.01); B64C 2201/021 (2013.01); B64C 2201/042 (2013.01); B64C 2201/104 (2013.01); B64C 2201/127 (2013.01); B64C 2201/14 (2013.01); B64C 2201/146 (2013.01); B64C 2201/165 (2013.01); B64C 2201/18 (2013.01);
Abstract

An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.


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