EXTENDED DURATION REGENERATIVE POWERED UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE (UAV) PLATFORM
FIG10 is a functional block diagram illustrating component parts of a UAV in a UAV cluster according to one aspect of the present disclosure
FIG10 is a functional block diagram illustrating some component parts of a computing device 80 configured to implement method 60 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. As seen in FIG10, the computing device 80 comprises processing circuitry 82, memory 84, a user interface 86, and communications circuitry 88. Memory 84 comprises any non-transitory machine-readable storage media known in the art or that may be developed, whether volatile or non-volatile, including (but not limited to) solid state media (e.g., SRAM, DRAM, DDRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, flash memory, solid state drive, etc.), removable storage devices (e.g., Secure Digital (SD) card, miniSD card, microSD card, memory stick, thumb-drive, USB flash drive, ROM cartridge, Universal Media Disc), fixed drive (e.g., magnetic hard disk drive), or the like, individually or in any combination. As seen in FIG10, memory 84 is configured to store a computer program product (e.g., control program 90) comprising the instructions executed by processing circuitry 82 to perform the previously described aspects of the present disclosure. Additionally, memory 84 is configured to store various information and data, such as the rules for selecting the number and types of individual UAVs to be used to build UAV cluster 10, as well as the respective distribution patterns for the core UAVs.
block diagram
28
fuel reservoir
80
computing device
86
user interface
84
memory
90
control program
10
UAV cluster UAV clusters
88
communications circuitry
82
processing circuitry
['5. The UAV cluster of claim 3, wherein one of the plurality of core UAVs to be distributed throughout the cluster comprises one of: a propulsion UAV (16) configured to augment a propulsion provided by each individual mission UAV in the cluster; a fuel storage UAV (14) comprising a fuel reservoir (28) storing a fuel, and configured to augment the fuel consumed by each individual mission UAV in the cluster; a power UAV (30) configured to augment electrical power consumed by each individual mission UAV in the cluster; and a sensor UAV (40) comprising a sensor (46).', '15. The self-aligning docking mechanism of any one of claims 12-14, wherein the docking jaw is configured to move between an open state to undock from the corresponding docking jaw, and a closed state to dock with the corresponding docking jaw, and wherein the docking jaw (130a) comprises opposing first and second grippers (132, 134) constructed from a shape memory alloy, and wherein the docking control circuit is further configured to: apply a first voltage to each of the first and second grippers to move the docking jaw to the open state, wherein the first voltage meets or exceeds a threshold value; and reduce the first voltage being applied to the first and second grippers to a second voltage to move the docking jaw to the closed state, wherein the second voltage is less than the threshold value.']