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:
Oct. 12, 2021

Filed:

Nov. 27, 2019
Applicant:

Kitty Hawk Corporation, Palo Alto, CA (US);

Inventors:

Sebastian Thrun, Los Altos Hills, CA (US);

Damon Vander Lind, Alameda, CA (US);

Assignee:

Kitty Hawk Corporation, Palo Alto, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B64D 5/00 (2006.01); B64D 27/24 (2006.01); B64C 37/02 (2006.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64D 11/06 (2006.01); B64F 1/36 (2017.01); H01M 10/42 (2006.01); H01M 50/20 (2021.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B64D 5/00 (2013.01); B64C 29/0091 (2013.01); B64C 37/02 (2013.01); B64D 11/06 (2013.01); B64F 1/362 (2013.01); H01M 10/425 (2013.01); H01M 50/20 (2021.01); B64D 27/24 (2013.01); B64D 2221/00 (2013.01); H01M 2010/4271 (2013.01); H01M 2220/20 (2013.01);
Abstract

A first and a second aircraft are detachably coupled where the first aircraft is configured to perform a vertical landing using a first battery while the first aircraft is unoccupied and the unoccupied first aircraft includes the first battery. In response to detecting a second, removable battery being detachably coupled to the first aircraft, a power source for the first aircraft is switched from the first battery to the second, removable battery. After the switch, the first aircraft takes off vertically using the second, removable battery while occupied. The detachably coupled first aircraft and second aircraft are flown using the second aircraft (the power to keep the detachably coupled first aircraft and second aircraft airborne comes exclusively from the second aircraft and not the first aircraft).


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