US 12,330,811 B2
Pod operating system for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
Christopher Eugene Fisher, Leo, IN (US); Jason Sidharthadev Mukherjee, Simi Valley, CA (US); and William Arden Lott, Simi Valley, CA (US)
Assigned to AeroVironment, Inc., Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by AeroVironment, Inc., Simi Valley, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 3, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/088,459.
Application 17/088,459 is a continuation of application No. 15/040,940, filed on Feb. 10, 2016, granted, now 11,021,266.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/115,029, filed on Feb. 11, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2021/0284355 A1, Sep. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. B64F 1/00 (2024.01); B64C 29/02 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64U 10/20 (2023.01); B64U 70/80 (2023.01); B64U 80/30 (2023.01); G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G05D 1/10 (2006.01); G08G 5/00 (2025.01); G08G 5/76 (2025.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 80/70 (2023.01)
CPC B64F 1/005 (2013.01) [B64C 29/02 (2013.01); B64U 10/20 (2023.01); B64U 70/80 (2023.01); B64U 80/30 (2023.01); G05D 1/0011 (2013.01); G05D 1/0022 (2013.01); G05D 1/102 (2013.01); G08G 5/76 (2025.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 80/70 (2023.01); B64U 2201/10 (2023.01); B64U 2201/20 (2023.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) storage and launch system, comprising:
a UAV pod capable of enclosing a UAV and having a UAV pod processor and short-range UAV pod transceiver, wherein the UAV pod processor is configured to:
monitor a battery status of the UAV during flight and provide re-routing instructions to the UAV from the UAV pod processor based on the monitored battery status of the UAV, wherein the re-routing instructions are provided while the UAV is in flight, and wherein the UAV pod processor is configured to provide a first re-routing instruction of the re-routing instructions that shortens a current mission to keep the UAV performing the shortened mission and a second re-routing instruction of the re-routing instructions that returns the UAV to the UAV pod or to an intermediate pre-determined position, for a safe return of the UAV to the UAV pod for landing; and
a proximity sensor coupled to the UAV pod, wherein the proximity sensor is configured to detect a presence of an object positioned over the UAV pod, when the object is present, wherein the UAV pod processor is configured to: delay or cancel launch of the UAV out of the UAV pod based on the detected presence of an object positioned over the UAV pod, and control the launch of the UAV out of the UAV pod based on no detected presence of the object positioned over the UAV pod.