Fuel gauge for an unmanned aerial vehicle
US8757549B2 · kind B2 · utility
1Cited by
5References
18Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 28, 2010 |
| Grant date | Jun 24, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 28, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02T50/40
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An amount of fuel in a fuel bladder of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is determined based on a deformation of the bladder. In some examples, a fuel system for a UAV includes a bladder, a proximity sensor, a fuel gauge, and a controller. The bladder is deformable based on the amount of fuel in the bladder. The proximity sensor may output a signal that varies as a function of the deformation of the bladder. The controller may determine the amount of fuel in the bladder based on the signal output by the proximity sensor and control the fuel gauge to indicate the determined amount of fuel.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.