IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,501,180
Granted Patent B2
US 10,501,180 · App. 15/987,307 · Granted Dec 10, 2019

Multifunction firefighting infrasound, hailstone, plant pollination drone apparatus and method

Inventor: Simon Siu-Chi Yu (Oakland, CA)
B64C39/024A01M29/16A62C3/02A62C3/0228A62C99/009H04R1/30H04R1/40A62C29/00B64C2201/12H04R1/028H04R2217/03
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,501,180
App. No.
15/987,307
Filed
May 23, 2018
Granted
Dec 10, 2019
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3752
USPC
169/53
Abstract

A first drone equipped with a high energy Directional Ultrasound Parametric Speaker Array and a second drone equipped with an Acoustic Dispersion Cannon are used to fight wildfire. The first drone is distanced far from a burning flame but in close proximity to a fire target. Both drones are guided by GPS to communicate with remote operators. Once the target is locked, the first drone blasts the target with Amplitude Modulated Ultrasound. The Ultrasound is self-demodulated into a lower frequency audio sound when it encounters a hot flame of richly charged ions. The lowered frequency sound pushes and pulls the flame forward and backward rapidly away from the combustion source, causing it to be disconnected from the flame which instantly cools down and is extinguished. The second drone blasts the combustible source with powerful sonic shockwaves to disperse the still hot particulates further apart to prevent the source being reignited.

Claims (29)

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle drone (UAVD) system, comprising:

at least one unmanned UAVD;

a sound wave generator configured to direct sound waves from at least one planar diaphragm speaker and waveguide to produce a directional parametric sonic wave onto a flaming source to extinguish the flame via compression waves and rarefaction waves configured to push and pull the flame faster than the source can maintain the flame;

a sound wave controller module configured to control the sound wave generator to generate one of a fire extinguishing frequency, a harmonic frequency for disruption of insect pests, rodents and subterranean pests, hailstones formation and for pollinating plants by vibration;

a control and communications module comprising an electronic central processing unit (CPU), a wireless communication unit, an electronic camera and an audio A/V unit;

a navigation module comprising a set of 360 degree obstacle avoidance sensors and positioning unit (GPS) configured to autonomously direct the at least one unmanned UAVD to avoid obstacles while in flight; and

a bus configured to interconnect the sound wave controller module, the control and communications module and the navigation module.

2. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , further comprising two unmanned UAVDs configured to hover, spaced apart and blast modulated ultrasound beams from opposite directions in a bridge mode push-pull fashion onto the same flaming target to speedily extinguish the flame.

3. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , further comprising a line up and an array of a plurality of unmanned UAVDs hovering and spaced apart in a coordinated blasting of modulated ultrasound beams in a push-pull fashion onto multiple fire targets to extinguish the multiple fire targets.

4. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of unmanned UAVDs hovering and spaced farther apart farther than a wavelength of a sonic blast to avoid a diffraction limit in bridge mode push-pull fashion onto the same flaming target to extinguish the flame.

5. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , wherein the sound wave controller module is configured to generate a self-demodulated new lowered frequency audio wave from a plurality of sound waves.

6. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , wherein the sound wave generator and the sound wave controller module are modular and removable and configurable in a cartridge form and connect with the UAVD in an electromechanical docking port.

7. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , wherein the sound wave controller module is configured to drive the sound wave generator to create audible sound from inaudible sound based on a non-linear and passive demodulated heterodyning air impedance.

8. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , further comprising an acoustic dispersion cannon module comprising a fuel tank of combustible gas configured to detonate and create sonic shock waves and extinguish a fire.

9. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , further comprising an air horn and an electromagnetic speaker horn configured to dislodge pests from plants and to extinguish fires.

10. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , wherein the sound wave generator comprises the at least one planar diaphragm speaker aided by a plurality of wave guides configured to generate a sound wave via a compressed air source and a controllable planar diaphragm.

11. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 10 , wherein the sound wave generator comprises an array of planar diaphragm speakers and waveguides designed to produce a directional parametric sonic wave.

12. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , wherein the sonic wave generator generates a ring vortex shockwave and destructive sonic eddies from a shape of a sonic wave generator horn.

13. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , further comprising a vibration curtain of elongated vanes attached to a bar caused to vibrate via at least one electromechanical voice coil, the curtain of vanes configured to sweep across plants to mimic visiting bees to cause plants to release their pollens.

14. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , further comprising a sonic throttle body and a sonic throttle plate configured for sonically modulating a high velocity air current therefrom and by hovering near a surface of the earth, generating a subterranean pest evicting sonic blast.

15. The unmanned UAVD system of claim 1 , wherein the sound wave generator comprises an array of sonic transducers designed to produce a directional parametric sonic array.

16. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Drone (UAVD) method, comprising:

generating directional parametric sound waves from at least one planar diaphragm speaker directly via a waveguide onto a flaming source via a sonic wave generator to extinguish the flame via compression waves and rarefaction waves configured to push and pull the flame faster than the source can maintain the flame;

controlling a sound wave via a sound wave controller configured to generate one of a fire extinguishing frequency, a harmonic frequency for disruption of insect pests, rodents and subterranean pests, hailstones formation and for pollinating plants by vibration;

controlling a communications of the UAVD via a controlling and a communications module comprising an electronic central processing unit (CPU), a wireless communication unit, an electronic camera and audio an A/V unit;

navigating the UAVD via a navigation module comprising a set of 360 degree obstacle avoidance sensors and positioning unit (GPS) configured to autonomously direct the unmanned UAVD to avoid obstacles while in flight; and

interconnecting the sound wave controller module, the control and communications module and the navigation module via a bus.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising blasting combustible sources with sonic shockwaves via an Acoustic Dispersion Cannon to prevent re-ignition of the fire.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising demodulating ultrasonic waves from the sound waves into audio waves with a variable frequency and variable amplitude to cause insect pests, including caterpillars, to die based on a body resonation with a frequency of the sonic waves.

Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 15724943 · Oct 4, 2017
Provisional Application 62761526 · Mar 27, 2018
Related Publication 20190100311A1 · Apr 4, 2019
Cited By (22)
US 12,190,739 US 12,267,482 US 12,282,604 US 12,287,647 US 12,298,768 US 12,300,275 US 12,322,052 US 12,344,409 US 12,347,414 US 12,360,531 US 12,367,606 US 12,371,186 US 12,372,975 US 12,380,631 US 12,407,980 US 12,417,593 US 12,449,891 US 12,517,521 US 12,519,924 US 12,521,587 US 12,656,772 US 12,718,494