Reconfigurable battery-operated vehicle system

Abstract

A quadrotor UAV including ruggedized, integral-battery, load-bearing body, two arms on the load-bearing body, each arm having two rotors, a control module mounted on the load-bearing body, a payload module mounted on the control module, and skids configured as landing gear. The two arms are replaceable with arms having wheels for ground vehicle use, with arms having floats and props for water-surface use, and with arms having pitch-controlled props for underwater use. The control module is configured to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned (water) surface vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle, depending on the type of arms that are attached.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An unmanned vehicle configured for a range of missions, comprising:
 a battery module having battery capacity adequate to provide motive force for the vehicle over the range of missions, the battery module having a plurality of electronic connection ports;   a control module including a control system configured to control the operation of the vehicle over the range of missions, the control module being directly and removably structurally carried by the battery module, and the control module being directly and removably electronically connected to the battery module via a first connection port of the plurality of connection ports; and   a first propulsion module including a motor configured to provide propulsive force to move the vehicle through one or more missions of the range of missions, the first propulsion module being directly and removably structurally connected to the battery module via a second connection port of the plurality of connection ports.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , and further comprising a second propulsion module including a motor configured to provide propulsive force to move the vehicle through the one or more missions of the range of missions, the second propulsion module being directly and removably structurally connected to the battery module via a third connection port of the plurality of connection ports. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the first propulsion module is electronically connected to the battery module via the second connection port, the second propulsion module is electronically connected to the battery module via the third connection port, and the first and second propulsion modules are electronically connected to the control module via the battery module. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first propulsion module includes a first arm with a centrally located first-arm connector connected to the second connection port, and two substantially vertically oriented propellers at opposite ends of the first arm; and   the second propulsion module includes a second arm with a centrally located second-arm connector connected to the third connection port, and two substantially vertically oriented propellers at opposite ends of the second arm.   
     
     
         5 . The vehicle of  claim 4 , wherein each of the substantially vertically oriented propellers is angled slightly toward a forward direction of the vehicle defined by a front end of the vehicle, such that the vehicle is configured to hover at a non-zero pitch angle. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the second connection port is at the front end of the vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , and further comprising a payload structurally carried on the control module. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein the control module is configured to support the payload at a non-zero support angle such that the payload is level when the vehicle is oriented at the non-zero pitch angle. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second propulsion modules are interchangeable, and wherein the second and third connection ports are configured to structurally orient the first and second propulsion modules at an angle that orients the propellers for hovering at the non-zero pitch angle. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , and further comprising landing gear, wherein the landing gear is configured to support the vehicle at the non-zero pitch angle. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle of  claim 10 , wherein the landing gear is in the form of one or more support structures extending from the first propulsion module to the second propulsion module. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first propulsion module includes a first arm with a centrally located first connector connected to the second connection port, and two wheels at opposite ends of the first arm; and   the second propulsion module includes a second arm with a centrally located second connector connected to the third connection port, and two wheels at opposite ends of the second arm.   
     
     
         13 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first propulsion module includes a first arm with a centrally located first connector connected to the second connection port, two floats at opposite ends of the first arm; and   the second propulsion module includes a second arm with a centrally located second connector connected to the second connection port, and two floats at opposite ends of the second arm.   
     
     
         14 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first propulsion module includes a first arm with a centrally located first connector connected to the second connection port, two props at opposite ends of the first arm, and two motors configured to independently control a pitch angle of the respective props; and   the second propulsion module includes a second arm with a centrally located first connector connected to the third connection port, two props at opposite ends of the second arm, and two motors configured to independently control a pitch angle of the respective props.   
     
     
         15 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the battery module has a round cross section. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle of  claim 15 , wherein the battery module extends longitudinally between its second and third connection ports, wherein the first connection port is located longitudinally between the second and third connection ports, and wherein the control module is structurally attached to the battery module both near the second connection port and near the third connection port. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the battery module has an elliptical cross section. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the battery module carries substantially all structural loads between the first propulsion module, the second propulsion module and the control module. 
     
     
         19 . A reconfigurable unmanned vehicle system configured for a range of missions, comprising:
 a body including a control system configured to control the operation of the vehicle and a power source having a power capacity adequate to provide complete motive force for the vehicle over the range of missions, the body including a set of one or more body connectors;   a first set of one or more propulsion modules removably attachable to the set of body connectors, the first set of propulsion modules being one propulsion module type selected from the group of unmanned aerial vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned ground vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned surface vehicle propulsion modules, and unmanned underwater vehicle propulsion modules; and   a second set of one or more propulsion modules removably attachable to the set of body connectors, the second set of propulsion modules being one propulsion module type selected from the group of unmanned aerial vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned ground vehicle propulsion modules, unmanned surface vehicle propulsion modules, and unmanned underwater vehicle propulsion modules;   wherein the first set of propulsion modules are of a different propulsion module type than the second set of propulsion modules.   
     
     
         20 . The vehicle system of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the first set of propulsion modules includes a first arm with a centrally located first-arm connector configured to connect to a first body connector of the set of body connectors, and two substantially vertically oriented rotors at opposite ends of the first arm;   the first set of propulsion modules includes a second arm with a centrally located second-arm connector configured to connect to a second body connector of the set of body connectors, and two substantially vertically oriented rotors at opposite ends of the second arm;   the second set of propulsion modules includes a third arm with a centrally located third-arm connector configured to connect to the first body connector, and two wheels at opposite ends of the first arm; and   the second set of propulsion modules includes a fourth arm with a centrally located fourth-arm connector configured to connect to the second body connector, and two wheels at opposite ends of the second arm.   
     
     
         21 . The vehicle of  claim 19 , wherein the first and second sets of propulsion modules are each configured such that are equally connectable to both the first body connector and the second body connector. 
     
     
         22 . The vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the first and second body connectors are on opposite longitudinal ends of the body;   each propulsion module of the first and second sets of propulsion modules is configured with an arm and an end cap affixed to an arm, the end caps each being configured to longitudinally hold its respective arm onto the body;   each body connector, is configured with a groove adapted to conformingly and longitudinally receive the arms when the arm connectors are connected to the body connectors; and   the body connector grooves are configured to directly bear all vertical loads from the arm connector arms without vertical loads being carried by the arm connector end caps.   
     
     
         23 . An unmanned vehicle, comprising:
 a body including a control system configured to control the operation of the vehicle and a power source having a power capacity adequate to provide complete motive force for the vehicle over the range of missions, the body including a first body connector and a second body connector on opposite longitudinal ends of the body;   a first propulsion module removably attached to the first body connector, the first propulsion module including a first arm configured to support the body, one or more motors configured to use power from the power source to provide propulsive force to move the vehicle through the range of missions, and a first end cap;   a second propulsion module removably attached to the second body connector, the second propulsion module including a second arm configured to support the body, one or more motors configured to use power from the power source to provide propulsive force to move the vehicle through the range of missions, and a second end cap;   wherein the first body connector is configured with a first groove adapted to conformingly and longitudinally receive the first arm, the first groove being configured to directly bear all vertical loads from the first arm without vertical loads being carried by the first end cap;   wherein the second body connector is configured with a second groove adapted to conformingly and longitudinally receive the second arm, the second groove being configured to directly bear all vertical loads from the second arm without vertical loads being carried by the second end cap; and   wherein each end cap is configured to longitudinally hold its respective arm onto the body.