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US-12617530-B2 - Vehicle, transport system (variants) and method of moving vehicle

US12617530B2US 12617530 B2US12617530 B2US 12617530B2US-12617530-B2

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle comprising a fuselage provided with at least one storage module each configured to accommodate therein unmanned aerial systems and at least one docking module each configured to detachably interact with at least one of the unmanned aerial systems so as to enable connection thereof to the fuselage for movement of the vehicle, and a control module configured to present control commands to at least one of the unmanned aerial systems so as to enable release thereof from the storage module for interaction with one of the docking modules. Furthermore, provided are variants of the transport system, each of which variants includes the subject vehicle, and a method of moving the subject vehicle.

Inventors

  • PAVEL RUSLANOVICH ANDREEV

Assignees

  • PAVEL RUSLANOVICH ANDREEV

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20230712
Priority Date
20220922

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An air vehicle, comprising: a fuselage provided with one or more storage modules, wherein unmanned aerial systems are accommodated at least in one of the storage modules, and wherein the fuselage is further provided with one or more docking modules, each being designed to releasably engage at least with one of-said the unmanned aerial systems accommodated in the at least one storage module so as to enable simultaneous connection of two or more unmanned aerial systems to the fuselage in an airspace for moving said air vehicle in the airspace by means of the connected unmanned aerial systems; and a control module configured to provide control commands to at least one of the unmanned aerial systems accommodated in the at least one storage module so as to enable release of at least one unmanned aerial system from the storage module to the airspace for providing releasable engagement of the released unmanned aerial system with one of said docking modules; in the airspace, wherein the control module is further configured to receive data on a power reserve in a real time from each of the unmanned aerial systems connected to the fuselage so as to enable replacement of at least one of the connected unmanned aerial systems with at least one another unmanned aerial system accommodated in the storage module during the movement of the air vehicle in the airspace when a power reserve of said at least one unmanned aerial system to be replaced corresponds to a predetermined threshold value.
  2. 2 . The air vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to provide the control commands to the at least one of the unmanned aerial systems when connected to the fuselage so as to enable accommodation thereof in the storage module.
  3. 3 . The air vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to provide the control commands to the at least one of the unmanned aerial systems in the storage module so as to enable the release thereof from the storage module for providing the releasable engagement with the docking module during the movement of the air vehicle in the airspace.
  4. 4 . The air vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the control module is communicatively coupled to an external control source and is further configured to receive control instructions from the external control source for providing the received control commands to unmanned aerial systems.
  5. 5 . The air vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the fuselage is further provided with measurement sensors for measuring flight parameters of the air vehicle, and the control module is communicatively coupled to said measurement sensors, and the external control source so as to enable the providing of said flight parameters of the air vehicle to the external control source and further configured to receive, from the external control source, control instructions in response to said flight parameters of the air vehicle so as to provide said control commands to unmanned aerial systems.
  6. 6 . The air vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the fuselage is further provided with sensors for measuring parameters of a fuselage state of the air vehicle, and the control module is communicatively coupled to said sensors and the external control source so as to provide said parameters of the fuselage state to the external control source and is further configured to receive control instructions from the external control source in response to said parameters of the fuselage state for generating said control commands based on the received control instructions.
  7. 7 . The air vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the fuselage is configured to accommodate a payload therein and is provided with at least one weight sensor configured to measure a weight of the-useful load payload, and the control module is connected to said at least one weight sensor so as to receive a measured weight of payload therefrom and enables the release of unmanned aerial systems from the storage module in a quantity depending on said measured weight of the payload and on a curb weight of the air vehicle.
  8. 8 . The air vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the fuselage is provided with two or more of the docking module disposed at a distance from one another and is provided with two or more weight sensors, and the control module is configured to identify distribution of the payload in the fuselage based on the readings of said weight sensors and is further configured to provide control instructions to said released unmanned aerial systems for engaging with said two or more of the docking modules, depending on the identified distribution of the payload in the fuselage.
  9. 9 . The air vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuselage is designed to accommodate therein a pilot and comprises elements of control of the air vehicle that enable the pilot to input at least one of said control commands for unmanned aerial systems and that are communicatively coupled to the control module so as to enable providing of said input control command to the control module of the air vehicle.
  10. 10 . The air vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuselage is further provided with at least one power source, and the storage module is further provided with at least one charging device electrically connected to said power source and enabling connection, to said power source, of at least one of the unmanned aerial systems accommodated in the storage module so as to enable replenishment of the range of said unmanned aerial system.
  11. 11 . The air vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein each of said charging devices is a wireless charging device, a wired charging device or a charging dock.
  12. 12 . The air vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein said at least one power source comprises at least one of a battery, a generator based on an internal combustion engine, a generator based on a hydrogen engine and a solar panel.
  13. 13 . The air vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said docking modules is a docking structure provided with at least one tractive coupling element configured each to detachably couple to at least one of the unmanned aerial systems or to grip at least one of the unmanned aerial systems.
  14. 14 . The air vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein the docking structure comprises landing platforms, each of said tractive coupling elements is installed on one of said landing platforms, and the control module is further configured to control the operation of each of said tractive coupling elements so as to enable actuation thereof while accommodation of the unmanned aerial system on the landing platform corresponding to said tractive coupling element or in the docking region corresponding to said landing platform.
  15. 15 . The air vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein the fuselage is further provided with a robotic manipulator being under control of the control module and configured to grip at least one of the released unmanned aerial systems so as to enable accommodation of each of said gripped unmanned aerial systems on one of said landing platforms.
  16. 16 . The air vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein the fuselage is further provided with an image capturing device configured to capture images in a field of view in real time so as to enable identifying at least one of the unmanned aerial systems in said field of view and further connected to the control module so as to provide thereto data relating to identified unmanned aerial systems, and the control module is further configured to actuate a robotic manipulator in response to said data relating to the identified unmanned aerial systems so as to enable gripping of at least one of said identified unmanned aerial systems.
  17. 17 . The air vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said docking modules is an extendable coupling structure provided with tractive coupling elements, configured each to detachably couple to at least one of the released unmanned aerial systems, and configured to at least partially extend from the fuselage so as to enable release of the tractive coupling elements, depending on a degree of extension, wherein the control module is further configured to control the operation of the extendable coupling structure so as to enable adjustment of the degree of extension thereof.
  18. 18 . The air vehicle according to claim 17 , wherein said coupling structure is further designed to at least partially extend after being fully extended so as to enable removal of the released tractive coupling elements from one another to a distance depending on a degree of deployment, wherein the control module is further configured to adjust the degree of deployment of the coupling structure.
  19. 19 . The air vehicle according to claim 17 , wherein said coupling structure is further designed to at least partially expand after being fully extended so as to enable removal of the released tractive coupling elements from one another to a distance depending on a degree of expansion, wherein the control module is further configured to adjust the degree of expansion of the coupling structure.
  20. 20 . The air vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said docking modules is at least partially integrated into the fuselage and comprises each at least one tractive coupling element configured each to extend from the fuselage so as to enable detachable coupling at least to one of the unmanned aerial systems, and the control module is further configured to control the extension of said tractive coupling elements in each of said docking modules.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to Russian Patent Application No. RU2022124960 filed Sep. 22, 2022, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to aviation equipment, in particular to means and methods for moving cargos and/or passengers by air, water and/or land, and more specifically to a vehicle, a transport system comprising such vehicle and a method for moving such vehicle. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION To date, manned and unmanned aerial systems with various designs and propulsion units used in the prior art for transporting cargos and/or passengers by air, water and/or land have become widely popular. In particular, known are airplanes, helicopters, gliders, aerostats, passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, ships, ferries, barges, steamships and other types of aircraft, landcraft or watercraft that are capable of performing transportation of cargos and/or passengers. The advantages of air transport over ground and water modes of transport are relatively higher speeds and the absence of the need for taking into account physical barriers (rivers, mountains, forests, land-based buildings and structures, ground vehicle traffic, pedestrian traffic, etc.) when making the route of travel of such vehicle. However, the widespread use of aircraft has considerable limitations in urban conditions. In particular, airplanes and helicopters require the construction of airplane take-off and landing areas and helicopter take-off and landing areas, respectively, which occupy a considerable area. Furthermore, the overall dimensions of the take-off and landing areas for aircraft significantly exceed that of the parking spaces used for parking of landcraft capable of transporting cargo having a commensurate weight and volume and/or a commensurate quantity of passengers. For example, the landing area for the Mi-8 helicopter, which is able to carry up to 24 passengers, must be 400 m2 or more, and the parking area of a typical passenger bus with a capacity of 50 to 100 people is less than 30 m2. The Robinson R-44 helicopter with a capacity of up to 4 people (1 pilot and 3 passengers) requires a landing area of at least 225 m2, whereas the area of a typical parking space for a passenger car with a capacity of up to 9 people is less than 14 m2. Accordingly, there is a need to improve the designs of aircraft for mass adoption of air transport in the urban environment. US patent application no. 20160272314 (hereinafter US 20160272314), published on Sep. 22, 2016, discloses a vehicle in the form of a flying car comprising a fuselage, folding movable aircraft electric motors that enable vertical takeoff, and folding wings. The vehicle according to US 20160272314 in a parked state may have dimensions comparable to a conventional car. However, the vehicle according to US 20160272314 has a limited load capacity and a limited range, and therefore the design thereof is not versatile and safe for use of said vehicle in urban conditions. In case of failure of one of the aircraft engines in the vehicle according to US 20160272314, there is no possibility envisaged for performing a safe landing operation. Despite the fact that US 20160272314 provides that the vehicle according to US 20160272314 may be provided with an emergency parachute, the possibility of timely deployment of the parachute and the possibility of providing a safe controlled landing operation in such vehicle are questionable, in particular within the bounds of city limits or under conditions of congested areas. U.S. Pat. No. 9,845,150 (hereinafter U.S. Pat. No. 9,845,150) published on Dec. 19, 2017 provides a vehicle comprising a fuselage on which there are installed horizontally oriented lift rotors, vertically oriented lift rotors and folding wings. The vehicle according to U.S. Pat. No. 9,845,150 is configured to accomplish vertical takeoff similar to a helicopter, followed by the unfolding of the wings and transformation into a hybrid of an airplane and a helicopter. The quantity of lift rotors in the vehicle according to U.S. Pat. No. 9,845,150 may be selected with a safety margin for providing for safe landing in case of failure or breakdown of one or more of said lift rotors. The horizontally oriented lift rotors installed in the vehicle according to U.S. Pat. No. 9,845,150 along the fuselage in multiple rows reduce the overall dimensions and increase the reliability of such vehicle when compared, for example, to a helicopter which typically comprises only a single horizontally oriented lift rotor with a disc area significantly exceeding the overall dimensions of the fuselage. The disadvantages of the vehicle according to U.S. Pat. No. 9,845,150 are a limited range, as well as a limited and non-scalable load capacity. U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/759,286 (hereinafter U.S. Ser. No. 10/759,286), published on Sep. 1, 2020, which should be considered t