US 11,702,203 B2
Group configurations for a modular drone system
David Williams McKeehan, Tucson, AZ (US); Michael Dwight Gerard, Fort Mill, SC (US); Craig Alan Nehrkorn, Austin, TX (US); and Eric Alan Davis, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to Boy Scouts of America, Irving, TX (US)
Filed by Boy Scouts of America, Irving, TX (US)
Filed on Jul. 6, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/921,815.
Prior Publication US 2022/0001980 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64C 1/06 (2006.01); G05D 1/10 (2006.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 101/00 (2023.01)
CPC B64C 39/024 (2013.01) [B64C 1/063 (2013.01); G05D 1/104 (2013.01); B64C 2211/00 (2013.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 2101/00 (2023.01); B64U 2201/102 (2023.01); B64U 2201/20 (2023.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drone system comprising:
a set of drones modifiable between respective standalone configurations and a group configuration, wherein the set of drones are detached from each other and execute independent flights when assembled in the standalone configuration and wherein the set of drones are coupled together and modified relative to the standalone configuration to execute a group flight when assembled in the group configuration;
wherein the set of drones each include a main body, a set of airframe arms that extend outwardly from the main body, and respective detachable motor assemblies attachable to respective attachment points at respective distal ends of the set of airframe arms opposite the main body, wherein the detachable motor assemblies are attached to each of the set of airframe arms in the standalone configuration, and wherein a subset of the detachable motor assemblies are detached from a respective subset of airframe arms in the group configuration;
a connector system to connect the set of drones together when assembled in the group configuration via respective connectors that couple between respective distal ends of pairs of the airframe arms, each of the pairs including at least one of the subset of airframe arms with the detached motor assemblies; and
a set of flight management units each operable in at least a standalone mode and a group mode, wherein a first flight management unit of the set of flight management units controls a standalone flight of a first drone of the set of drones when operating in the standalone mode and controls a group flight of the group configuration when operating in the group mode.