System and method for moving payload

Abstract

System and method for moving a payload, which comprise an aircraft apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units, a correcting apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the correcting apparatus to move with respect to the aircraft apparatus, wherein the housings of the aircraft apparatus and the correcting apparatus are coupled to one another by means of an extendable flexible connecting rod, the correcting apparatus is provided with a docking module installed on at least one or more extendable rigid connecting rods and configured to detachably couple to the housing of the payload, and said system further comprises a control device configured to enable altering of the degree of extension of said flexible connecting rod and to enable altering of the degree of extension of said rigid connecting rod.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOVING PAYLOADFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to transportation equipment, in particular to means and methods for moving a payload, specifically to a system and method for moving a payload using aircraft apparatuses.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] To date, for the transportation or delivery of a payload, multiple distinct automated or semi-automated air transport systems have been developed which are based on the use of aircraft apparatuses and configured to move a payload (for example, a person, an animal or any object of the non-living world) through the air. However, despite the fact that modern automated or semi-automated air transport systems allow for relatively fast delivery or movement of a payload through the air to a target location, they have a significant disadvantage of the need to land aircraft apparatuses being part of such air transport systems in a region corresponding to said target location, followed by unloading same for placing said payload specifically in said target location.

[0003] Accordingly, due to at least the above disadvantage of modern air transport systems based on the use of aerial vehicles for moving a payload through the air, there is a need to develop improved methods and systems for moving a payload.

[0004] In particular, US patent application No.2017066530 (US 2017066530) published on March 03, 2017 provides a system of movement of a payload comprising an aircraft apparatus in the form of a helicopter whose body is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air, and further provided with an extendable flexible connecting rod in the form of a cable on which there is installed a docking module configured to detachably interact with the payload.

[0005] It should be noted that the system for moving a payload disclosed in US 2017066530 solves the above disadvantage of the need to land the aircraft apparatus to place a payload in a target location; however, strong air flows generated by an aircraft apparatus being part of the system according to US 2017066530 may have an impact on and / or cause damage to living objects and / or non-living objects present in the target location in which the payload must be placed using such aircraft apparatus.

[0006] Thus, the main disadvantage of the known system for moving a payload disclosed in US 2017066530 is the possibility of having impact and / or causing damage, by air flows generated by the aircraft apparatus, on / to living objects and / or non-living objects present in the target location in which the payload must be placed using such aircraft apparatus.

[0007] There is an obvious need for further improvement of known systems and methods for moving a payload, in particular to minimize impacts and / or damage to living objects and / or non-living objects caused by air flows generated by an aircraft apparatus in the target location in which the payload must be placed using such aircraft apparatus.

[0008] Accordingly, the technical problem solved by the present invention is to create a system and method for moving a payload, at least partially eliminating each at least the above disadvantage, of the known system for moving a payload, of the possibility of causing damage by air flows generated by the aircraft apparatus to living objects and / or non-living objects present in the target location in which the payload must be placed using such aircraft apparatus.DISCLOSURE

[0009] The object of the present invention is to create a system and method for moving a payload, solving each at least the above-mentioned technical problem of the prior art, as well as to expand the range of means for moving a payload.

[0010] The task at hand is solved in the first aspect of the present invention by the fact that in the subject system for moving a payload, comprising: (i) an aircraft apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air; and (ii) a correcting apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the correcting apparatus to move with respect to the aircraft apparatus, wherein (a) the housings of the aircraft apparatus and the correcting apparatus are configured to couple to one another by means of an extendable flexible connecting rod; and (b) the correcting apparatus is provided with a docking module installed on at least one or more extendable rigid connecting rods and configured to detachably couple to the housing of the payload, and said system further comprises (iii) a control device configured to enable altering of the degree of extension of said flexible connecting rod and to enable altering of the degree of extension of said rigid connecting rod.

[0011] Furthermore, the task at hand is solved in the second aspect of the present invention by the fact that the subject method for moving a payload using the system for moving a payload according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises steps of: (i) moving through the air an aircraft apparatus coupled to a correcting apparatus using one or more extendable flexible connecting rods so as to enable the correcting apparatus provided with a docking module installed on one or more extendable rigid connecting rods to be positioned with respect to the payload to be moved; (ii) extending at least partially at least one of said extendable flexible connecting rods and / or extending at least partially at least one of said extendable rigid connecting rods under the control of a control device to position said docking module with respect to said payload; (iii) detachably coupling to one another the positioned docking module and said payload; and (iv) moving the aircraft apparatus together with said payload through the air to the target location.

[0012] The above first and second aspects of the present invention provide each a technical result of reduced impact of air flows on living objects and / or non-living objects in the target location in which the payload must be placed using the aircraft apparatus. In particular, the use of an extendable flexible connecting rod allows for reduced impact of air flows directed by the aircraft apparatus in the vertical plane towards living objects and / or non-living objects in the target location in which the payload must be placed, wherein said impact weakens with an increase in the length of extension of said flexible connecting rod. Furthermore, the use of an extendable rigid connecting rod allows for reduced impact of air flows directed by the correcting device in the horizontal plane in which there may occur living objects and / or non-living objects present in the target location where the payload must be placed, wherein said impact weakens with an increase in the length of extension of said rigid connecting rod.

[0013] The above first and second aspects of the present invention provide each additional technical result of increased accuracy of positioning the docking module with respect to the payload which must be gripped using said docking module, or accuracy of positioning the docking module with respect to a specific location in which the payload previously gripped using said docking module must be placed. In particular, the claimed invention provides for increased accuracy of touchdown of the payload during a landing operation, and increased accuracy of gripping of the payload during a takeoff operation.

[0014] Furthermore, the above first and second aspects of the present invention also provide each yet another additional technical result of increased speed of payload delivery or reduced time of payload delivery, especially to hard-to-reach places in which it is typically difficult and / or dangerous to land air vehicles. Additional advantages of the claimed group of inventions and individual inventions in said group, including particular embodiments thereof, will become apparent to one skilled from the following detailed description of the present invention and from the accompanying drawings which are referred to in said detailed description.

[0015] The above first and second aspects of the present invention also provide each yet another additional technical result of increased probability of successful delivery of a payload to the target location, especially to the target location located in an area with difficult terrain or an area with multiple foreign objects interfering with the delivery.

[0016] Furthermore, the above first and second aspects of the present invention provide each yet another additional technical result of expanding the range of means or methods for moving a payload, in particular of creating more versatile means and methods for moving a payload.

[0017] The accompanying drawings which are included to provide further understanding of the principles of the present invention constitute a part hereof and are incorporated herein to illustrate the below embodiments and aspects of the present invention. The accompanying drawings, together with the description below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0018] is one of illustrative embodiments of the system for moving a payload according to the present invention;

[0019] Figs. 2-4 show different states of the system for moving a payload according to the present invention shown in;

[0020] is a block diagram of one of embodiments of the method for moving a payload using the system for moving a payload shown in.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, it should be understood that the description below does not define or limit the scope of the present invention.

[0022] In the following description, a detailed description of known functions and designs will be omitted as this unimportant information may obscure the concept of the present invention.

[0023] It is to be understood that in the following description the terms such as "first", "second", "upper", "lower", "lateral", "front", "rear", etc. are used solely for convenience, and they should not be interpreted as limiting terms. In particular, as used in the present invention, unless explicitly stated otherwise in the description herein, the terms "first", "second", "third" or the like are used to distinguish elements, components, parts, assemblies, modules, blocks, embodiments or the like, to which they pertain, from one another and not meant to describe any particular relationship therebetween.

[0024] References to an item in the singular should be understood to include such items in the plural, and vice versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise or clear from the context herein.

[0025] Grammatical conjunctions are intended to express any and all disjunctive and conjunctive combinations of conjoined clauses, sentences, words and the like, unless otherwise stated or clear from the context. Thus the term "or" should be understood to generally mean "and / or" and so forth.

[0026] Recitation of ranges of values herein is not intended to be limiting, referring instead individually to any and all values falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value within such a range is incorporated into the description as if it was individually recited herein.

[0027] Words "about," "approximately" or the like, when accompanying a numerical value, are to be construed as including any deviation as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to operate satisfactorily for an intended purpose. Ranges of values and / or numeric values are provided herein as examples only, and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of the described embodiments.

[0028] Any and all examples provided herein or at least a portion thereof, as well as corresponding phrases ("for example", "such as", "in particular" or the like), are used merely to facilitate understanding of the principles of the present invention and to provide for sufficient disclosure of the present invention; however, these phrases do not pose any limitations on the embodiments of the present invention, for description of which embodiments they are utilized herein, in particular they do not limit practical implementations of elements, components, parts, assemblies, modules, blocks, devices, means and / or the like utilized to disclose the principles of design and operation of the present invention.

[0029] Terms and definitions used in the description herein

[0030] The term "illustrative" means a non-limiting example, instance or illustration. In a similar manner, the terms "for example" and "by way of example" used herein set off lists of one or more non-limiting examples, instances or illustrations. As used herein, circuitry is "configured" to perform a function whenever the circuitry comprises the necessary hardware and code (if any is necessary) to perform the function, regardless of whether performance of the function is blocked or forbidden (for example, by an operator-configurable setting, factory trim, etc.).

[0031] As used in the present invention, the term "correspondence" and derivatives thereof (i.e. adjective, verb, adverb) does not necessarily mean exact conformity or exact equality in / to / between whatsoever in any respect but may imply a departure or deviation from said equality within specified limits. For example, the term "corresponding coordinates", unless the description herein clearly dictates otherwise, means not only that these coordinates may be exactly equal to one another or may exactly coincide with one another but also implies that said equality or coincidence of coordinates may be established with some error (for example, with the error of operation of a GPS system) or within the bounds of a predetermined geographic region surrounding an exact geographic point or region to which these coordinates belong or an exact geographic location to which these coordinates belong.

[0032] As used in the present invention, the term "unmanned aircraft apparatus" (UAA), unless the description herein clearly dictates otherwise, refers to an unmanned aerial vehicle which is configured to fly or which is capable of moving through the air in automatic mode, i.e. without involving a human or external control sources, or is capable of moving through the air in semi-automatic mode, i.e. with receipt of at least a portion of control commands from a human (for example, a pilot, an operator or the like) or an external source (for example, a control panel, control server, external control device or the like) via predetermined communication channels. Unlimited examples of UAAs are various multi-rotor UAAs, for example, multicopter drones; single-rotor UAAs, for example, unmanned helicopter; hybrid UAAs, for example, rotary wing drones; and the like.

[0033] In the context of the present invention, the term "housing", unless the description herein clearly dictates otherwise, refers to a framework, skeleton, shell, panelling, fuselage, load-bearing structure or body of a physical inanimate object, each of which may be formed from a single load-bearing element or a combination of coupled to one another load-bearing elements, wherein the type, shape, overall dimensions, design features and / or material of such housing are not specifically limited in any way.

[0034] In the context of the present invention, the term "payload", unless the description herein clearly dictates otherwise, refers to people or living beings (in particular, to people or living beings as such or people or living beings placed into a capsule, cabin, accommodation module, cryomodule, rescue module, living compartment, living block and the like) or to cargo (to cargo as such or to cargo placed into crates, boxes, packages, bags, containers, reservoirs, vessels, tanks, canisters, receptacles, barrels, cisterns, cylinders, vessels, reservoirs, packs, bottles, flasks, glass containers, cylinders, cases, storage modules and the like) which may be accommodated in the housing of the means of transport performing the function of a carrier and intended for delivery, shipment or transportation of people, various living beings and / or various cargos through the air, over ground (land), over water and / or under water.

[0035] As used in the present invention, the term "module", unless the description herein clearly dictates otherwise, refers to a functional element or a combination of functional elements of a device in the form of a part, node, block or other assembly unit that performs certain technical functions that provide for the functioning of the device. The module generally may be implemented in practice using a combination of known structural elements, a combination of known structural elements and known hardware, a combination of known structural elements and known software and hardware or a combination of known hardware and known software. Accordingly, for example, the control module may be implemented using hardware and software. As used in the present invention, the module of integrated control may be a physical device, an apparatus, or a plurality of modules implemented using hardware, for example, using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a combination of hardware and software, for example, using a microprocessor system and a set of instructions implementing the functionality of the control module, which (when executed) transform the microprocessor system into an application-specific device or system (for example, automatic pilot system). Furthermore, each of the modules described herein or at least one of them may be implemented in the form of a combination of hardware and software, wherein some of the functionality described herein with respect to one of the modules may be implemented by means of hardware only, whereas other functionality described herein in relation to the same module or other module may be implemented by way of using hardware in combination with software. Furthermore, in the context of the present invention, the docking module may be configured to detachably interact with at least one unmanned aircraft apparatus, wherein the docking module may be implemented using a combination of known structural elements, a combination of known structural elements and hardware, a combination of structural elements and software and hardware or a combination of hardware and software.

[0036] As used in the present invention, the term "navigation command", unless the description herein clearly dictates otherwise, refers to an instruction directed to aircraft apparatuses being part of the system for moving a payload. Navigation commands may be presented or provided by the movement control system of the aircraft apparatuses in the form of digital or analog data, instructions, control signals or the like. Navigation commands may be initially generated by, without limitation, an automatic operator, an operator (whether locally or remotely situated) and / or an obstacle-avoidance system. In particular, navigation commands may be received, for example, by a control unit for controlling an aircraft apparatus being part of one of the aircraft apparatuses in the system for moving a payload.

[0037] As used in the present invention, the term "manual control", unless the description herein clearly dictates otherwise, refers not only to control solely using human hands but also using human feet, fingers, voice, pupils or any suitable combination thereof. Thus, as used in the present invention, the term "manual control" refers to at least one of the following: buttons, levers, joysticks, toggle switches, pedals, touch screen, gesture control sensors, pupil-tracking scanners, microphone and / or the like.

[0038] As used in the present invention, the term "charging device", unless the description herein clearly dictates otherwise, refers to a device for replenishing the range of an aircraft apparatus by way of recharging the rechargeable battery thereof and / or by replenishing the fuel capacity thereof.

[0039] As used in the present invention, the term "database", unless the description herein clearly dictates otherwise, refers to any structured data set that does not depend on a specific structure, database management software, hardware of the computer that stores data, uses data or otherwise makes data available for use. The database may be present on the same hardware running the process that stores or uses the information stored in the database or it may be present on separate hardware, for example, a dedicated server or on a plurality of servers.

[0040] As used in the present invention, the term "parking station", unless the description herein clearly dictates otherwise, means an unmovable or movable structure adapted to accommodate aircraft apparatuses, store aircraft apparatuses and / or replenish the range (for example, recharge) of aircraft apparatuses therein.

[0041] As used in the present invention, the term "control device" refers to computing equipment executing a computer program for enabling receipt of requests (for example, from other computing devices) over a communication network, execution or processing of such requests and / or transmission of such requests over a communication network (for example, to other computing devices). The computing equipment executing a computer program may be, without limitation, a single physical computer or a single physical computer system. As used in the present invention, the use of the term "control device" does not mean that each computational task (for example, received instructions or commands) or any other specific task will be received, executed or cause performance by one and the same control device (i.e. by one and the same software and / or hardware), which means that any quantity of pieces of software or hardware may be involved in receiving / transmitting, executing or may cause performance of any task or request or the consequences of any task or request, where all that software and hardware may be implemented in the form of one or more control devices.

[0042] As used in the present invention, the term "server" refers to computing equipment executing a computer program for enabling receipt of requests (for example, from other computing devices) over a communication network, execution or processing of such requests and / or transmission of such requests over a communication network (for example, to other computing devices). The computing equipment executing a computer program may be, without limitation, a single physical computer or a single physical computer system. As used in the present invention, the use of the term “server” does not mean that each computational task (for example, received instructions or commands) or any other specific task will be received, executed or cause performance by one and the same server (i.e. one and the same software and / or hardware), which means that any quantity of pieces of software or hardware may be involved in receiving / transmitting, executing or may cause performance of any task or request or the consequences of any task or request, where all that software and hardware may be implemented in the form of one or more servers.System for moving a payload

[0043] shows one of the illustrative embodiments of a system 1000 for moving a payload according to the present invention, comprising an aircraft apparatus 100 and a correcting apparatus 200 detachably coupled to one another by means of a connecting rod 400 to form a functional pair of aircraft apparatuses, wherein the connecting rod 400 is preferably configured in the form of a flexible extendable connecting rod or a flexible extendable cable. In some embodiments of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 may be configured in the form of a steel cable or a nanostructured rope.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, the system 1000 may be comprised of one or more aircraft apparatuses 100 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more aircraft apparatuses 100) and one or more correcting apparatuses 200 (for example, one, two three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more aircraft apparatuses 200), wherein at least one or each of said aircraft apparatuses 100 may be detachably coupled to at least one or each of said correcting apparatuses 200. In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, in which the system 1000 is comprised of two or more aircraft apparatuses 100, at least two of said aircraft apparatuses 100 may be detachably coupled to one another or detachably docked to one another to form a cluster aircraft apparatus. In another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, in which the system 1000 is comprised of two or more correcting apparatuses 200, at least two of said correcting apparatuses 200 may be detachably coupled to one another or detachably docked to one another to form a cluster correcting apparatus. In yet another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, in which the system 1000 is comprised of two or more aircraft apparatuses 100 and one or more correcting apparatuses 200, at least one or each of said aircraft apparatuses 100 may be detachably coupled to at least one or each of said correcting apparatuses 200 to form a functional group of apparatuses. In another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, in which the system 1000 is comprised of one or more aircraft apparatuses 100 and two or more correcting apparatuses 200, at least one or each of said correcting apparatuses 200 may be detachably coupled to at least one or each of said aircraft apparatuses 100 to form a functional group of apparatuses.

[0045] In another embodiment of the present invention, the aircraft apparatus 100 may be a cluster aircraft apparatus formed from or defined by two or more aircraft apparatuses docked or coupled to one another, wherein each such cluster aircraft apparatus may be comprised of aircraft apparatuses of the same type or different types. The correcting apparatus 200 may be a cluster correcting apparatus formed from or defined by two or more correcting apparatuses docked or coupled to one another. In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be configured each in the form of a cluster apparatus formed from two or more apparatuses docked or coupled to one another, wherein the types of aircraft apparatuses forming or defining the cluster aircraft apparatus may (wholly or at least partially) coincide with the types of apparatuses forming or defining the cluster correcting apparatus, or may (wholly or at least partially) differ from the types of apparatuses forming or defining the cluster correcting apparatus. In another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be configured each in the form of two or more cluster apparatuses, wherein each such cluster apparatus may be formed from two or more docked or coupled to one another aircraft apparatuses having the same type or different types, and the types of aircraft apparatuses, of which the distinct cluster aircraft apparatuses are comprised, may (wholly or at least partially) coincide with one another or may (wholly or at least partially) differ from one another.

[0046] In particular embodiments, the correcting apparatus 200 may perform movement through the air only in combination with the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0047] Of note, the type, shape, geometric dimensions, materials of manufacture of any one of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 are not specifically limited in any manner in the herein described embodiments of the present invention.

[0048] Each of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be implemented in the form of any suitable unmanned aircraft apparatus (UAA) known from the prior art and configured to take off into the air, move through the air (fly) and land in automatic mode (i.e. in autopilot mode that does not involve any participation of a human subject in the process of controlling the operation of the aircraft apparatus and / or that does not involve the receipt, by the aircraft apparatus, of any control or navigation commands from one or more external control sources), or in semi-automatic mode (i.e. in a mode that enables the use of autopilot, and also enables the participation of a human subject in the process of controlling the operation of the aircraft apparatus and / or enables the receipt, by the aircraft apparatus, of any control or navigation commands from one or more external control sources). Of note, in the case of operation in semi-automatic mode, any one of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may receive at least a portion of control commands from a human subject, for example, from a pilot, operator, or the like, or from an external control source, for example, a control panel, a control server, an external control device, or the like) via predetermined communication channels. In particular, non-limiting examples of such UAAs, in the form of one of which any one of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be configured, are various multi-rotor UAAs (for example, multicopter drones), single-rotor UAAs (for example, unmanned helicopters), hybrid UAAs (for example, rotary wing drones), and the like.

[0049] As shown in, the aircraft apparatus 100 comprises a fuselage, framework or housing 110 of any suitable type provided with two propulsion modules 120 each of which is detachably installed on one of the two opposite sides of the housing 110 and each of which is comprised of two air propulsion units 130 comprising each one or more air propellers. Thus, the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 is provided on the external side thereof with four air propulsion units 130 forming two functional pairs of air propulsion units, in each of which the both air propulsion units 130 are disposed on one of the sides of the housing 110 or in each of which the air propulsion units 130 are installed on opposite sides of the housing 110. The air propulsion units 130 being part of the detachably installed propulsion modules 120 are configured to enable, upon actuation of all such air propulsion units 130 or at least a portion of same, the flight or movement through the air of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0050] In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 may be provided with one or more air propulsion units 130 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more air propulsion units 130) detachably or rigidly coupled to the housing 110 so as to enable, upon actuation thereof, the flight or movement through the air of the aircraft apparatus 100, wherein each of said air propulsion units 130 may be installed on one of the sides of the housing 110 (for example, on the side of the upper portion of the housing 110, on the side of the lower portion of the housing 110 or on one of the lateral sides of the housing 110). In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, in the aircraft apparatus 100, all or at least a portion of the air propulsion units 130 may be installed on the same side of the housing 110 or on distinct sides of the housing 110 so as to enable, upon actuation of all such air propulsion units 130 or at least a portion of same, the flight or movement through the air of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0051] In another embodiment of the present invention, the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 may be provided with only one propulsion module 120 which may be detachably installed on one of the sides of the housing 110 and which may comprise one or more air propulsion units 130 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten air propulsion units 130) comprising each one or more air propellers and installed at a predetermined distance from one another so as to enable, upon actuation of all such air propulsion units 130 or at least a portion of same, the flight or movement through the air of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0052] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 may be provided with two or more propulsion modules 120 (for example, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more propulsion modules 120) which may be detachably installed on distinct sides of the housing 110 and each of which may be comprised of one or more air propulsion units 130 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten air propulsion units 130) comprising each one or more propulsion units and configured to enable, upon actuation of all such air propulsion units 130 in said propulsion modules 120 or at least a portion of same, the flight or movement through the air of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0053] In one other embodiment of the present invention, the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 may be provided with one or more propulsion modules 120 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more propulsion modules 120) which may be detachably installed on at least one of the sides of the housing 110 and each of which may be comprised of one or more air propulsion units 130 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten air propulsion units 130) comprising each one or more air propellers, and may be further provided with one or more additional air propulsion units 130 coupled to the housing 110 such that the air propulsion units in said propulsion modules 120 and said additional air propulsion units 130 may be configured to enable, upon actuation of all of same or at least a portion of same, the flight or movement through the air of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in, the correcting apparatus 200 comprises a fuselage, framework or housing 210 of any suitable type provided with two propulsion modules 220 each of which is detachably installed on one of the two opposite shortened sides of the housing 210 and each of which is comprised of one air propulsion unit 230 comprising an air propeller, and further provided with two additional air propulsion units 230 each of which is installed on one of the two opposite elongated sides of the housing 210 and coupled to the housing 210. Thus, the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus 200 is provided on the external side thereof with four air propulsion units 230 defining two functional pairs of air propulsion units, in each of which the air propulsion units 230 are installed on opposite sides of the housing 210, wherein each of the air propulsion units 230 defining one functional pair of air propulsion units is part of one of the two propulsion modules 220, and the other functional pair of air propulsion units is defined by additional air propulsion units 230. The air propulsion units 230, being part of the detachably installed propulsion modules 220, and the additional air propulsion units 230 coupled to the housing 210 are configured to enable, upon actuation of all said air propulsion units 230 or at least a portion of same, the flight or movement through the air of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus 100 may be provided with exclusively one or more air propulsion units 230 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more air propulsion units 230) detachably or rigidly coupled to the housing 210 so as to enable, upon actuation thereof, the flight or movement through the air of the correcting apparatus 200, wherein each of said air propulsion units 230 may be installed on one of the sides of the housing 210 (for example, on the side of the upper portion of the housing 210, on the side of the lower portion of the housing 210 or on one of the lateral sides of the housing 210). In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, in the correcting apparatus 200, all or at least a portion of the air propulsion units 230 may be installed on the same side of the housing 210 or on distinct sides of the housing 210 so as to enable, upon actuation of all such air propulsion units 230 or at least a portion of same, the flight or movement through the air of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0056] In another embodiment of the present invention, the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided with only one propulsion module 220 which may be detachably installed on one of the sides of the housing 210 and which may comprise one or more air propulsion units 230 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten air propulsion units 230) comprising each one or more air propellers and installed at a predetermined distance from one another so as to enable, upon actuation of all such air propulsion units 230 or at least a portion of same, the flight or movement through the air of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0057] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus 100 may be provided with exclusively one or more propulsion modules 220 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more propulsion modules 220) which may be detachably or unmovably (undetachably) installed on distinct sides of the housing 210 and each of which may be comprised of one or more air propulsion units 230 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten air propulsion units 230) comprising each one or more propulsion units and configured to enable, upon actuation of all such air propulsion units 230 in said propulsion modules 220 or at least a portion of same, the flight or movement through the air of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0058] In one other embodiment of the present invention, the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided with one or more propulsion modules 220 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more propulsion modules 220) which may be detachably or unmovably (undetachably) installed on at least one of the sides of the housing 210 and each of which may be comprised of one or more air propulsion units 230 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten air propulsion units 230) comprising each one or more air propellers, and may be further provided with one or more additional air propulsion units 230 coupled to the housing 210 such that the air propulsion units 230 in said propulsion modules 220 and said additional air propulsion units 230 may be configured to enable, upon actuation of all of same or at least a portion of same, the flight or movement through the air of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present invention, the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 may be provided with exclusively two or more propulsion modules 120, at least one of which may be wholly or at least partially installed in the housing 110 so as to extend therefrom. In other embodiments of the present invention, the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided with two or more propulsion modules 220, at least one of which may be wholly or at least partially installed in the housing 210 so as to extend therefrom.

[0060] In various embodiments of the present invention, the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 may be provided with exclusively two or more air propulsion units 130, at least one of which may be wholly or at least partially installed in the housing 110 so as to extend therefrom. In various other embodiments of the present invention, the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided with two or more air propulsion units 230, at least one of which may be wholly or at least partially installed in the housing 210 so as to extend therefrom.

[0061] In other embodiments of the present invention, the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 may be provided with exclusively one or more propulsion modules 120 provided each with one or more air propulsion units 130 and configured each to deploy upon actuation of the latter. In various other embodiments of the present invention, the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided with exclusively one or more propulsion modules 220 provided each with one or more air propulsion units 230 and configured each to deploy upon actuation of the latter.

[0062] In other embodiments of the present invention, at least one or each of the air propulsion units 130 with which the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 is provided may be configured to enable the aircraft apparatus 100 to move through the air simultaneously in the vertical plane and in the horizontal plane under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0063] In some other embodiments of the present invention, at least one or each of the air propulsion units 130 with which the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 is provided may be configured to rotate or alter the orientation thereof with respect to the housing 110 under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 so as to enable the aircraft apparatus 100 to move through the air in the vertical plane or horizontal plane depending on said orientation of the propulsion unit 130.

[0064] In other embodiments of the present invention, at least one or each of the air propulsion units 230 with which the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus 200 is provided may be configured to enable the correcting apparatus 200 to move through the air simultaneously in the vertical plane and in the horizontal plane under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0065] In some other embodiments of the present invention, at least one or each of the air propulsion units 230 with which the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus 200 is provided may be configured to rotate or alter the orientation thereof with respect to the housing 110 under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 so as to enable the correcting apparatus 200 to move through the air in the vertical plane or horizontal plane depending on said orientation of the propulsion unit 230.

[0066] The aircraft apparatus 100 being part of the system 1000 shown incomprises a control module (not shown) installed in the interior of the housing 110 and configured to control the operation of the aircraft apparatus 100, including the operation of the air propulsion units 130 thereof. Thus, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 is configured to present control commands to at least one of the air propulsion units 130 so as to enable actuation thereof, or to each of the air propulsion units 130 so as to enable actuation thereof, thus enabling the flight or movement through the air of the aircraft apparatus 100. Of note, the simultaneous operation of all air propulsion units 130 or at least of most of same allows for increase in the carrying capacity of the aircraft apparatus 100. In one embodiment of the present invention, all air propulsion units 130 in the aircraft apparatus 100 or at least a portion of same may be actuated sequentially or substantially simultaneously using the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100. In another embodiment of the present invention, all air propellers of the air propulsion units 130 in the aircraft apparatus 100 or at least a portion of same may be actuated by means of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 so as to enable them to rotate in the same direction or in different directions. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, at least one or each of the air propulsion units 130 in the aircraft apparatus 100 may be configured to rotate around the axis thereof by a predetermined angle under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0067] The correcting apparatus 200 being part of the system 1000 shown incomprises a control module (not shown) installed in the interior of the housing 210 and configured to control the operation of the correcting apparatus 200, including the operation of the air propulsion units 230 thereof. Thus, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 is configured to present control commands to at least one of the air propulsion units 230 so as to enable actuation thereof, or to each of the air propulsion units 230 so as to enable actuation thereof, thus enabling the flight or movement through the air of the correcting apparatus 200. Of note, the simultaneous operation of all air propulsion units 230 or at least of most of same allows for increase in the carrying capacity of the correcting apparatus 200. In one embodiment of the present invention, all air propulsion units 230 in the correcting apparatus 200 or at least a portion of same may be actuated sequentially or substantially simultaneously using the control module of the correcting apparatus 200. In another embodiment of the present invention, all air propellers of the air propulsion units 230 in the correcting apparatus 200 or at least a portion of same may be actuated by means of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 so as to enable them to rotate in the same direction or in different directions. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, at least one or each of the air propulsion units 230 in the correcting apparatus 100 may be configured to rotate around the axis thereof by a predetermined angle under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0068] According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 may be installed exteriorly to the housing 110. According to one other embodiment of the present invention, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 may be installed exteriorly to the housing 210.

[0069] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, only the aircraft apparatus 100 may be provided with a control module installed interiorly or exteriorly to the housing 110 and configured to control the operation of the aircraft apparatus 100 (including the operation of the air propulsion units 130) and to control the operation of the correcting apparatus 200 (including the operation of the propulsion units 230). According to one other embodiment of the present invention, only the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided with a control module installed interiorly or exteriorly to the housing 210 and configured to control the operation of the correcting apparatus 200 (including the operation of the air propulsion units 230) and to control the operation of the aircraft apparatus 100 (including the operation of the propulsion units 130).

[0070] Furthermore, each of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 being part of the system 1000 may comprise at least one of the following means of wireless communication: an SW band radio antenna, USW radio antenna, UHF radio antenna, an optical communication module, half-duplex / simplex satellite communication module, 2G / 3G / 4G / LTE / 5G cellular communication module, wireless communication module, wired communication module and the like, thus allowing each of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 to receive navigation commands and / or control commands from the control device of the system 1000 and, accordingly, allowing the control device of the system 1000 to control the operation of said aircraft apparatus. Of note, navigation commands and / or control commands being received by the aircraft apparatus 100 from the control device of the system 1000 using the wireless communication means of the aircraft apparatus 100 are transferred from said wireless communication means of the aircraft apparatus 100 to the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 for processing same by this control module of the aircraft apparatus 100. Similarly, navigation commands and / or control commands received by the correcting apparatus 200 from the control device of the system 1000 using the wireless communication means of the correcting apparatus 200 are transferred from said wireless communication means of the correcting apparatus 200 to the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 for processing same by this control module of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 and / or the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 may perform the herein-described functions of the control device of the system 1000. In other words, in such embodiments of the present invention, the control device of the system 1000 may be configured in the form of a control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, a control module of the correcting apparatus 200, or jointly operating control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 and control module of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0072] In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided with one or more of the above wireless communication means, wherein the wireless communication means of the aircraft apparatus 100 may be configured to receive navigation commands and / or control commands from the control device of the system 1000, and the wireless communication means of the correcting apparatus 200 may be configured to receive navigation commands and / or control commands from the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100. In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, navigation commands and / or control commands presented by the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 to the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 may be created or generated by the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 in response to respective navigation commands and / or control commands from the control device of the system 1000.

[0073] In one other embodiment of the present invention, each of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided with one or more of the above wireless communication means, wherein the wireless communication means of the correcting apparatus 200 may be configured to receive navigation commands and / or control commands from the control device of the system 1000, and the wireless communication means of the aircraft apparatus 100 may be configured to receive navigation commands and / or control commands from the control module of the correcting apparatus 200. In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, navigation commands and / or control commands presented by the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 to the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 may be created or generated by the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 in response to respective navigation commands and / or control commands from the control device of the system 1000.

[0074] In some embodiments of the present invention, the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be coupled to one another in a wired manner so as to enable data exchange with one another.

[0075] In turn, the control device of the system 1000 is configured to receive and process data (including system requests) from the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200, and is also configured to generate control instructions / commands and / or generate navigation instructions / commands based on said received data and the results of processing thereof so as to enable presenting or directing such generated control commands and / or navigation commands to at least the aircraft apparatus 100 or the correcting apparatus 200, including in response to a request from said aircraft apparatus 100 or correcting apparatus 200. In order to present navigation commands and / or control commands to at least one of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 being part of the system 1000, the control device of the system 1000 is communicatively coupled, by means of a wireless communication network (not shown) being part of the system 1000, to said aircraft apparatus 100 and correcting apparatus 200.

[0076] The control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 is communicatively coupled to the above means of wireless communication of the aircraft apparatus 100, thus allowing said control module to process navigation commands and / or control commands received, by means of wireless communication of the aircraft apparatus 100, from the control device of the system 1000, and to control the operation of the aircraft apparatus 100 depending on said navigation commands and / or control commands. In particular, in response to navigation commands and / or control commands from the control device of the system 1000, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 may, for example, enable performance of the following operations: (i) altering the speed of flight of the aircraft apparatus 100, (ii) altering the direction of flight of the aircraft apparatus 100, (iii) directing the aircraft apparatus 100 from a parking station (not shown) or a current region of ​​air space to a target region of ​​air space in which it is contemplated to dock the aircraft apparatus 100 to at least one correcting apparatus 200 or in which it is contemplated to dock the correcting apparatus 200 to at least one below-described payload 300; (iv) performing docking of the aircraft apparatus 100 to at least one correcting apparatus 200; (v) performing undocking of the aircraft apparatus 100 from at least one correcting apparatus 200; and (vi) directing the aircraft apparatus 100 to one of parking stations (not shown) for accommodating therein or thereon so as to enable storage of said aircraft apparatus 100 in said parking station and / or so as to enable replenishment of the range (charging) of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0077] The control module of the correcting apparatus 200 is communicatively coupled to the above means of wireless communication of the correcting apparatus 200, thus allowing said control module to process navigation commands and / or control commands received, by means of wireless communication of the correcting apparatus 200, from the control device of the system 1000, and to control the operation of the correcting apparatus 200 depending on said navigation commands and / or control commands. In particular, in response to navigation commands and / or control commands from the control device of the system 1000, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 may, for example, enable performance of the following operations: (i) altering the speed of flight of the correcting apparatus 200, (ii) altering the direction of flight of the correcting apparatus 200, (iii) directing the correcting apparatus 200 from a parking station (not shown) or a current region of ​​air space to a target region of ​​air space in which it is contemplated to dock the correcting apparatus 200 to at least one aircraft apparatus 100 or in which it is contemplated to dock the correcting apparatus 200 to at least one below-described payload 300; (iv) performing docking of the correcting apparatus 200 to at least one aircraft apparatus 100; (v) performing undocking of the correcting apparatus 200 from at least one aircraft apparatus 100; and (vi) directing the correcting apparatus 200 to one of parking stations (not shown) for accommodating therein or thereon so as to enable storage of said correcting apparatus 200 in said parking station and / or so as to enable replenishment of the range (charging) of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0078] In various embodiments of the present invention, the control device (not shown) may not be part of the system 1000.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present invention, the communication protocols and / or technical means used for data transfer or data exchange between the control device of the system 1000 and the aircraft apparatuses 100, 200, may be at least partially different from one another and / or may at least partially coincide with one another. Furthermore, for data transfer or data exchange between the control device of the system 1000, the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 there may be simultaneously used one or more standard communication protocols and respective standard technical means of communication.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control device of the system 1000 may be configured to organize safety while flight or movement through the air of the aircraft apparatuses 100 and the correcting apparatus 200.

[0081] The control device of the system 1000, which presents control commands and / or navigation commands to the control module of at least one or each of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 being part of the system 1000 shown inis a single server which may be configured in the form of, for example, the Dell™ PowerEdge™ server with the Ubuntu Server or Windows Server operating system installed thereon. Furthermore, the control device of the system 1000 may have or may acquire access to at least one remote or external database (not shown) via the communication network of the system 1000 or in other (wired or wireless) manner, or may have or acquire access to at least one local database stored on a storage device (not shown) or in the memory (not shown) being part of such control device of the system 1000.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control device of the system 1000 may be any other suitable hardware, application software, system software or any combination thereof.

[0083] In other embodiments of the present invention, the functions of the control device of the system 1000 may be shared among multiple computer devices or computing devices, for example, may be implemented using multiple servers coupled to one another via the communication network of the system 1000 so as to mutually exchange data therebetween.

[0084] In other embodiments of the present invention, the functions of the control device of the system 1000 may be performed by (i) a control module of other aircraft apparatus that may be configured analogous to any one of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 or may be configured different from said aircraft apparatus or correcting apparatus, (ii) a group or plurality of control modules of other aircraft apparatuses each of which may be configured analogous to any one of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 or may be configured different from said aircraft apparatus or correcting apparatus, (iii) the control module of the below-described payload 300, or (iv) any other suitable computing device configured to generate control commands and / or navigation commands and further configured to present said generated commands to the control module of at least one or each of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 being part of the system 1000 shown in.

[0085] The communication network of the system 1000 to which there are at least communicatively coupled the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 and the control device of the system 1000 substantially allows the control device of the system 1000 and said aircraft apparatuses 100, 200 to exchange therebetween system and / or operational data which they use to implement the functions or functional capabilities thereof described herein. The communication network of the system 100 may be, for example, any suitable wireless communication link known in the prior art, such as a WiFi wireless technology-based communication link, 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G wireless technology-based communication link, LTE technology-based communication link and / or the like.

[0086] In one of the embodiments of the present invention, the system 1000 may comprise two or more wireless networks configured each analogously to the above communication network of the system 1000 and used in the system 1000 to perform mutual data exchange between the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200, the control device of the system 1000 and / or any other functional devices which may further be part of the system 1000 and which are described herein, in the real-time mode or in real time.

[0087] Each of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 comprises an (embedded) integrated power supply source (not shown) configured in the form of a battery, one or more rechargeable batteries, an internal combustion engine generator, a hydrogen engine generator, a generator based on one or more solar panels, or a generator based on any other suitable energy source known from the prior art, wherein said integrated power supply source may also be configured to be charged from an external power supply source (not shown) using a charging device (not shown) of a suitable type connected to said external power supply source and configured to connect thereto said integrated power supply source. In particular, the integrated power supply source in the aircraft apparatus 100 is coupled, by means of the power supply circuit of the aircraft apparatus 100, to the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 and any other herein-described functional components of the aircraft apparatus 100 so as to enable the supply of power thereto or to enable same to be powered; the integrated power supply source in the correcting apparatus 200 is coupled, by means of the power supply circuit of the correcting apparatus 200, to the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 and any other herein-described functional components of the correcting apparatus 200 so as to enable the supply of power thereto or to enable same to be powered.

[0088] In another embodiment of the present invention, the integrated power supply source in at least one or each of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be charged in a wireless manner using an external charging device (not shown) whose operation is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction which will be appreciated by one skilled in art.

[0089] According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 may further enable the aircraft apparatus 100 to be directed to a parking station (not shown) which may further be part of the system 1000. Such parking station may be provided with one or more charging devices (not shown) electrically coupled each to at least one of the power supply sources of the parking station and enabling each the coupling of the aircraft apparatus 100 thereto for at least partial charging or at least partial replenishment of the range of said coupled aircraft apparatus 100 such that the aircraft apparatus 100 may switch to a state with at least a partially replenished range or fully replenished range, thus allowing for reusing same as part of the system 1000.

[0090] According to one other embodiment of the present invention, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 may further enable the correcting apparatus 200 to be directed to a parking station (not shown) which may further be part of the system 1000. Such parking station may be provided with one or more charging devices (not shown) electrically coupled each to at least one of the power supply sources of the parking station and enabling each the coupling of the correcting apparatus 200 thereto for at least partial charging or at least partial replenishment of the range of said coupled correcting apparatus 200 such that the correcting apparatus 200 may switch to a state with at least a partially replenished range or a fully replenished range thus allowing for reusing same as part of the system 1000.

[0091] It should be noted that in embodiments of the present invention, wherein the aircraft apparatus 100 or the correcting apparatus 200 may be coupled to one or more charging devices of the parking station of the system 1000 to charge same or replenish the range thereof, each of the power supply sources of the parking station of the system 1000 in this embodiment of the present invention may be one or more rechargeable batteries, an internal combustion engine generator, a hydrogen engine generator, a solar panel and any other suitable energy source known from the prior art. It should also be noted that at least one or each of the charging devices (not shown) of the parking station of the system 1000 in such embodiments of the present invention may be a wireless charging device, a wired charging device or a charging dock. Alternatively, at least one or each of the charging devices of the parking station of the system 1000 may be configured, for example, in the form of a device for supplying electrical energy, a device for supplying liquid or gaseous fuel and / or the like. As yet another alternative, at least one or each of the charging devices of the parking station of the system 1000 may be hydraulically coupled to a pump (not shown) coupled by a hydraulic line to a reservoir or container (not shown) with fuel in a manner to enable intake of fuel from said container so as to enable supply of said intaken volume of fuel to the fuel tank of the aircraft apparatus 100 which fuel tank is hydraulically coupled to the fuel-powered engine of the aircraft apparatus 100, thus allowing to replenish the range of the aircraft apparatus 100 (in particular, due to at least partial replenishment of fuel volume in the fuel tank of the aircraft apparatus 100). As one other alternative, at least one or each of the charging devices of the parking station of the system 1000 may be hydraulically coupled to a pump (not shown) coupled by a hydraulic line to a reservoir or container (not shown) with fuel in a manner to enable intake of fuel from said container so as to enable supply of said intaken volume of fuel to the fuel tank of the correcting apparatus 200 which fuel tank is hydraulically coupled to the fuel-powered engine of the correcting apparatus 200, thus allowing to replenish the range of the correcting apparatus 200 (in particular, due to at least partial replenishment of fuel volume in the fuel tank of the correcting apparatus 200).

[0092] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 may further enable the docking or detachable coupling of the aircraft apparatus 100 with a replenished range to at least one correcting apparatus 200, wherein said correcting apparatus 200 while said docking process may be present in the air or on the surface of the ground (or the surface of another object which in turn may be present on the ground, on the surface of water and / or in the air). In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the process of docking or detachable coupling of the aircraft apparatus 100 with a replenished range to at least one correcting apparatus 200 may be immediately controlled by the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control device of the system 1000, which presents control commands to the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 and / or the control module of the correcting apparatus 200. In another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, the aircraft apparatus 100 with a replenished range may be docked or detachably coupled to at least one correcting apparatus 200 using a connecting rod 400 manually or automatically under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control device of the system 1000, which presents control commands to the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 and / or the control module of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0093] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 may further enable the docking or detachable coupling of the correcting apparatus 200 with a replenished range to at least one aircraft apparatus 100, wherein said aircraft apparatus 100 while said docking process may be present in the air or on the surface of the ground (or the surface of another object which in turn may be present on the ground, on the surface of water and / or in the air). In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the process of docking or detachable coupling of the correcting apparatus 200 with a replenished range to at least one aircraft apparatus 100 may be immediately controlled by the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 or the control device of the system 1000, which presents control commands to the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 and / or the control module of the correcting apparatus 200. In another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, the correcting apparatus 200 with a replenished range may be docked or detachably coupled to at least one aircraft apparatus 100 using a connecting rod 400 manually or automatically under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control device of the system 1000, which presents control commands to the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 and / or the control module of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0094] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, while coupling the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 using the connecting rod 400, they may further be electrically coupled to one another to form a single power supply circuit (for example, using a connecting power cable that may run interiorly to the connecting rod 400 or exteriorly to the connecting rod 400 and which may be connected to power supply circuits of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200) and a cluster power supply source of a functional pair of aircraft apparatuses (for example, such cluster power supply source may be formed from the rechargeable batteries of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200), which supplies power or powers all functional components of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 substantially simultaneously such that recharging such cluster power supply source from an external power supply source (not shown) using a charging device (not shown) of a suitable type allows to speak about the replenishment of the range of a functional pair of aircraft apparatuses (i.e., replenishment of the range of the both aircraft apparatus 100 and correcting apparatus 200 at once). Thus, the range of a functional pair of aircraft apparatuses formed from coupled to one another the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be controlled by the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control device of the system 1000 by way of monitoring the state of the cluster power supply source of the functional pair of aircraft apparatuses (for example, by way of monitoring the residual charge level of the cluster rechargeable battery of the functional pair of aircraft apparatuses). In one embodiment of the present invention, the cluster power supply source of the functional pair of aircraft apparatuses formed from coupled to one another the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be recharged from two or more external power supply sources (not shown) using two or more charging devices (not shown) of a suitable type which may be electrically coupled each to the respective one of said external power supply sources and each of which may be configured to enable one or more of the power supply sources being part of said cluster power supply source to be coupled thereto such that such cluster power supply source may substantially be recharged by way of parallelly recharging the individual power supply sources thereof.

[0095] The connecting rod 400 in the form of a flexible extendable connecting rod or a flexible extendable cable coupling to one another the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 shown inenables the movement or displacement of the correcting apparatus 200 in the air with respect to the aircraft apparatus 100, wherein the degree or magnitude of said displacement depends on the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 400, which may be altered under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0096] As shown in, the air propulsion units 130 in the aircraft apparatus 100 are preferably oriented or installed such that actuating, by means of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, all air propulsion units 130 or at least a portion of same enables the flight or movement of the aircraft apparatus 100 in the air in a substantially vertical plane. Of note, the direction of movement of the aircraft apparatus 100 in the vertical plane (i.e., movement in vertical downward direction to reduce the altitude or perform the landing operation of the aircraft apparatus 100, or movement in vertical upward direction to increase the altitude or to perform take-off operation of the aircraft apparatus 100) under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 substantially depends on the direction of rotation of bladed propellers in specific air propulsion units 130 actuated in the aircraft apparatus 100 using the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100. In one embodiment of the present invention, the bladed propellers of the air propulsion units 130 in the aircraft apparatus 100 may be actuated so as to enable the rotation thereof in one and the same direction or in different directions in a predetermined sequence (in particular, one by one or in predetermined groups) and / or for a predetermined period of time using the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, which may provide for a rectilinear or curvilinear trajectory of movement of the aircraft apparatus 100 in the vertical plane.

[0097] It should also be noted that the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 actuates the desired air propulsion units 130 (i.e., all air propulsion units 130 or at least a portion of same) so as to provide for the rotation of the bladed propellers of each of said actuated air propulsion units 130 in one of two opposite directions for the take-off of the aircraft apparatus 100 and / or for the movement of the aircraft apparatus 100 through the air to at least one predetermined point in space.

[0098] In the case when the aircraft 100 is preliminarily detachably coupled by means of the connecting rod 400 to the correcting apparatus 200 and is present in the air (in particular, while hovering in the air in a predetermined point in space or while moving through the air in its vertical plane), the correcting apparatus 200 may be present in an inactive state (i.e., all air propulsion units 230 may be switched off) and may simply hang on the connecting rod 400 under gravity at a predetermined distance from the aircraft apparatus 100 generally corresponding to the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 400. In the case of movement of the aircraft apparatus 100 through the air, as the altitude increases, the correcting apparatus 200 coupled to the aircraft apparatus 100 by means of the connecting rod 400 also gains altitude moving together with the aircraft apparatus 100 in the vertical plane in an upward direction, since the aircraft apparatus 100 will substantially pull along with it the correcting apparatus 200 by means of the connecting rod 400 (i.e., the aircraft apparatus 100 will perform the function of a master aircraft apparatus, and the correcting apparatus 200 will perform the function of a slave aircraft apparatus). In the case of movement of the aircraft apparatus 100 through the air, as the altitude decreases, the correcting apparatus 200 coupled to the aircraft apparatus 100 by means of the connecting rod 400 also drops altitude moving under gravity in the vertical plane in a downward direction, since the correcting apparatus 200 is substantially simply suspended from the aircraft apparatus 100 by means of the connecting rod 400. Of note, in both cases, i.e., in the case of movement of the aircraft apparatus 100 through the air with an increase in altitude and in the case of movement of the aircraft apparatus 100 through the air with a decrease in altitude, the speed of movement of the correcting apparatus 200 whose air propellers 230 are present in the switched-off state in the vertical plane substantially coincides with the speed of flight of the aircraft apparatus 100, wherein the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 move through the air in substantially the same vertical plane and in substantially the same direction, and the altitude of the flight of the correcting apparatus 200 is substantially always less than the altitude of the flight of the aircraft apparatus 100 by a value substantially equal to the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 400. It should also be noted that in the case when it is necessary to move the aircraft apparatus 100 through the air with a decrease in the altitude of the flight thereof, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 must activate the air propulsion units 130 taking into account the own weight of the aircraft apparatus 100 and taking into account the weight of the correcting apparatus 200 whose air propulsion units 230 are present in a switched off state and which is suspended on the aircraft apparatus 100 by means of the connecting rod 400 in order to exclude the possibility of an undesirable fall or collision in the air of both of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 and thus enable a substantially uniform or smooth drop of the altitude by both of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200. Thus, the displacement or movement in the air of the aircraft apparatus 100 in the vertical plane thereof under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 enables the positioning or altering of the spatial position simultaneously of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 in the vertical plane with respect to the surface of the ground or the surface of another object which in turn may be present on the ground (land), in the air and / or on the water.

[0099] In one embodiment of the present invention, the aircraft apparatus 100 may perform movement in the air in the vertical plane thereof under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 substantially simultaneously with the movement of the correcting apparatus 200 in the air in the horizontal plane thereof under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, which may enable the positioning or altering of the spatial position of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 in the air simultaneously in the vertical and horizontal planes, and also enable positioning or altering of the spatial position of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 in relation to the surface of the ground or the surface of another object which in turn may be on the ground (land), in the air and / or on water.

[0100] Furthermore, as shown in, the air propulsion units 230 in the correcting apparatus 200 are preferably oriented or installed such that actuating, by means of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, at least a portion of the air propulsion units 230 enables the flight or movement in the air of the correcting apparatus 200 in a substantially horizontal plane, i.e., substantially parallel to the housing 110 or the aircraft apparatus 100. Of note, the direction of movement of the correcting apparatus 200 in the horizontal plane under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 substantially depends on specific air propulsion units 230 actuated in the correcting apparatus 200 using the control module of the correcting apparatus 200. In one embodiment of the present invention, the desired air propulsion units 230 (i.e., all air propulsion units 230 or at least a portion of same) in the correcting apparatus 200 may be actuated so as to enable the rotation of the bladed propellers thereof in one and the same direction or in different directions in a predetermined sequence (in particular, one by one or in predetermined groups) and / or for a predetermined period of time using the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, which may provide for a rectilinear or curvilinear trajectory of movement of the correcting apparatus 200 with respect to the aircraft apparatus 100 in the horizontal plane. It should also be noted that in the case when the correcting apparatus 200 is coupled by means of the connecting rod 400 to the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 actuates the required air propulsion units 230 only while presence of the aircraft apparatus 100 in the air, in particular while hovering of the aircraft apparatus 100 in the air in a predetermined point in space or while the flight of the aircraft apparatus 100 in the vertical plane. In one embodiment of the present invention, the correcting apparatus 200 may perform movement in the air in the horizontal plane under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 substantially simultaneously with the movement of the aircraft apparatus 100 in the air in the vertical plane under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100. In another embodiment of the present invention, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 may enable the flight or movement of the correcting apparatus 200 in the air in the horizontal plane only after taking, by the aircraft apparatus 100, a final or intermediate spatial location in the vertical plane (i.e., after the hovering of the aircraft apparatus 100 in the air in a predetermined point in space) under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, which exchanges data with the control module of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0101] Thus, the displacement or movement in the air of the correcting apparatus 200 in the horizontal plane under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 enables positioning or altering of the spatial position of the correcting apparatus 200 with respect to the aircraft apparatus 100, and also enables positioning or altering of the spatial position of the correcting apparatus 200 with respect to the surface of the ground or the surface of another object which In turn may be present on the ground (land), in the air and / or on the water. Of note, in this embodiment of the present invention, there may be a case wherein the correcting apparatus 200 will pull along with it, by means of the connecting rod 400, the aircraft apparatus 100 so as to enable the movement of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 in the air in the respective horizontal planes substantially parallel to one another (i.e., the correcting apparatus 200 will perform the function of a master aircraft apparatus, and the aircraft apparatus 100 will perform the function of a slave aircraft apparatus), wherein the speed of flight of the aircraft apparatus 100 which substantially will pull along with it the correcting apparatus so as to enable their movement through the air in parallel horizontal planes will substantially coincide with the speed of flight of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0102] As described above, the connecting rod 400 used for the detachable coupling to one another of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 is configured flexible and extendable. Thus, the connecting rod 400 is installed in the housing 110 so as to fully or at least partially extend from the housing 110 so as to enable the detachable coupling thereof to the housing 210 to create a detachable coupling between the housings 110, 210 and, accordingly, between the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200. In particular, the housing 110 is provided with a mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive is communicatively coupled to the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 and operably coupled to the extendable connecting rod 400 so as to enable altering of the length thereof under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 by way of at least partial extension of the connecting rod 400 from the housing 110 by a predetermined value of extension (value of release). In various embodiments of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 may be configured folding, expandable, deployable, telescopic, or the like, and the mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive is installed in the housing 110, may be operably coupled to the connecting rod 400 so as to enable at least partial or full unfolding, expansion, deployment, extension or the like, respectively, to increase the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 400 and to enable full or at least partial return of the connecting rod 400 to the initial state thereof to reduce the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 400. In other words, in such embodiments of the present invention, the mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive operates under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, may enable altering of the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 400 coupling to one another the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 and, accordingly, enable altering of the distance between the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 while they are present in the air.

[0103] In one embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 may be installed in the housing 210 so as to fully or at least partially extend from the housing 210 so as to enable the detachable coupling thereof to the housing 110 to create a detachable coupling between the housings 110, 210 and, accordingly, between the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200. In particular, in such embodiment of the present invention, the housing 210 may be provided with a mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive is communicatively coupled to the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 and operably coupled to the extendable connecting rod 400 so as to enable altering of the length thereof under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 by way of at least partial extension of the connecting rod 400 from the housing 210 by a predetermined value of extension (value of release). In various variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 may be configured folding, expandable, deployable, telescopic, or the like, and the mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive is installed in the housing 210, may be operably coupled to the connecting rod 400 so as to enable at least partial or full unfolding, expansion, deployment, extension or the like, respectively, to increase the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 400 and to enable full or at least partial return of the connecting rod 400 to the initial state thereof to reduce the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 400. In other words, in such variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive operates under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, may enable altering of the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 400 coupling to one another the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 and, accordingly, enable altering of the distance between the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 while they are present in the air.

[0104] According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 coupling to one another the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be configured rigid (i.e., it may have a fixed shape and fixed geometric dimensions which can not be altered while the operation of the system 1000).

[0105] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 coupling to one another the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be configured in the form of a telescopic rod.

[0106] According to one other embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 coupling to one another the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be configured in the form of a folding hinged structure.

[0107] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 coupling to one another the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be rigidly coupled to each or at least one of the housings 110, 210.

[0108] According to one other embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 may be coupled to at least one or each of the housings 110, 210 using a hinge (i.e., a hinged movable support) or an axis of rotation, which allows for the improved mobility of said connections and, accordingly, expand the range of admissible displacements or movements of the correcting apparatus 200 with respect to the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0109] According to some other embodiment of the present invention, the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be coupled to one another using two or more connecting rods (for example, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more connecting rods), each of which may be configured analogously to the above connecting rod 400.

[0110] In another embodiment of the present invention, for mutual coupling of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 there may be further used one or more additional extendable connecting rods (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more connecting rods), each of which may be configured analogously to the above connecting rod 400.

[0111] In some other embodiment of the present invention, the housings 110, 210 may be coupled to one another by means of one or more connecting rods 400, at least one or each of which (i) may be coupled at one end to a movable carriage (not shown) installed on the housing 110 or at least partially therein so as to rectilinearly or curvilinearly move along a predetermined route with respect to the housing 110 and by a predetermined distance under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, and / or (ii) may be coupled at the other end to yet another carriage installed on the housing 210 or at least partially therein so as to rectilinearly or curvilinearly move along a predetermined route with respect to the housing 210 and by a predetermined distance under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 100.

[0112] According to various embodiments of the present invention, the housings 110, 210 may be coupled to one another by means of one or more connecting rods 400, at least one or each of which (i) may be coupled at one end to a rectilinear or curvilinear guide (not shown) installed on the housing 110 or at least partially therein by means of a movable connection configured to move along a predetermined route along said guide of the housing 110 by a predetermined distance under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, which is configured to control the movement of said movable connection of the housing 110, and / or (ii) may be coupled at the other end to yet another rectilinear or curvilinear guide installed on housing 210 or at least partially therein using another movable connection (not shown) configured to move along a predetermined route along said guide of the housing 210 by a predetermined distance under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, which is configured to control the movement of said movable connection of the housing 210. In one of the variations of such embodiments of the present invention, the guide of the housing 110 may have an X shape, a cruciform shape, an H shape or any other shape similar to any symbol known from the prior art, any letter or geometric shape known from the prior art, any object of the living or non-living world known from the prior art, or the like.

[0113] According to other embodiments of the present invention, the housings 110, 210 may be coupled to one another by means of two or more extendable connecting rods 400, each of which may be operably coupled to an individual mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length communicatively coupled to the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 or the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 and operably coupled to said extendable connecting rod 400 so as to enable altering of the length thereof under the control of said control module of the aircraft apparatus by way of at least partial extension of this connecting rod 400 from the housing 110 or the housing 210 by a predetermined value of extension (value of release). Thus, in such embodiments of the present invention, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 or the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 is communicatively coupled to mechanisms or drives for altering the connecting rod length to control the operation thereof, thus allowing for altering the length (the value of extension or the value of release) of at least one of the extendable connecting rods 400 so as to enable altering of the spatial position of the correcting apparatus 200 (for example, tilting by a predetermined angle from one side of the housing 210) with respect to the aircraft apparatus 100 while the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 are present in the air.

[0114] According to some other embodiments of the present invention, the mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length communicatively coupled to the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 and operably coupled to one or more extendable connecting rods 400 coupling the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 so as to enable altering of the length thereof under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 may be a winch drive installed on any one of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 and configured to enable altering of the length of release of at least one or each of said extendable connecting rods 400 under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control device of the system 1000.

[0115] According to various embodiments of the present invention, the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 may further be configured to at least partially or fully accommodate therein the correcting apparatus 200, in particular the housing 210 thereof. In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 coupling to one another the housings 110, 210 may be at least partially or fully pushed in or retracted into the housing 110 or housing 210 while accommodating the correcting apparatus 200 in the housing 110. In another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 coupling to one another the housings 110, 210 may be uncoupled from the housing 110 and / or the housing 210 prior to accommodating the correcting apparatus 200 in the housing 110.

[0116] According to various other embodiments of the present invention, the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus 200 may further be configured to at least partially or fully accommodate therein the aircraft apparatus 100, in particular the housing 110 thereof. In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 coupling to one another the housings 110, 210 may be at least partially or fully pushed in or retracted into the housing 110 or housing 210 while accommodating the aircraft apparatus 100 in the housing 210. In another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 400 coupling to one another the housings 110, 210 may be uncoupled from the housing 110 and / or the housing 210 prior to accommodating the aircraft apparatus 100 in the housing 210.

[0117] According to other embodiments of the present invention, the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 or the housing 210 in the correcting apparatus may comprise a drive mechanism (not shown) operably coupled to the housing 210 so as to enable the rotation thereof with respect to the housing 110 of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control device of the system 1000, wherein the housing 210 may be coupled to the connecting rod 400 coupling to one another the housings 110, 210, so as to rotate with respect thereto.

[0118] As shown in, the system 1000 also comprises a payload 300 detachably coupled to the correcting apparatus 200 by means of a docking module 600 preferably configured in the form of a rectilinear guide, wherein the docking module 600 is installed on an extendable rigid connecting rod 500 coupling the docking module 600 and the correcting apparatus 200 and substantially determining the distance between the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300, wherein the payload 300 is operably coupled to said guide, in the form of which the docking module 600 is configured, so as to enable this payload 300 to move along the length of this guide under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus or the control module of the payload 300. Thus, in the system 1000, the correcting apparatus 200 is further provided with a docking module 600 installed on an extendable rigid connecting rod 500 so as to detachably couple to the payload 300. Of note, due to the fact that the docking module 600, with which the correcting apparatus 200 is provided, is installed on an extendable rigid connecting rod 500, prior to coupling the docking module 600 to the payload 300, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 enables at least partial or full extension of the rigid connecting rod 500 so as to enable the increase in the spatial extent or length thereof, thus in turn enabling the displacement of the docking module 600 by a value of displacement corresponding to said value of elongation of the rigid connecting rod 500. It should also be noted that in the present invention, the payload 300 may be coupled to the docking module 600 manually (for example, using any suitable coupling or fastening means known from the prior art) or automatically under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control device of the system 1000 (for example, using a controlled electromagnetic fastening module).

[0119] The docking module 600 installed on the extendable rigid connecting rod 500 in the system 1000 shown inis configured to interact with at least one of the fastening or coupling elements (for example, with a cam, hook, staple, eye, clamp, latch, electromechanical grip, magnetic grip and the like) which may be provided to the housing 210 to form a detachable coupling therebetween which provides for the coupling of the housing 210 to the housing 110.

[0120] Non-limiting examples of the docking modules 600 for providing for detachable fastening or connection of the housings 110, 220 to one another are the following fastening or connecting elements which must be provided to at least one of the rigid connecting rods 500 and which may enter into interaction with respective mating fastening or connecting elements provided at the respective docking spots of the housing 210: various suitable mechanical connecting or fastening means (brackets, grips, fasteners, mounting slots, cams, hooks, latches and the like), electromechanical means under control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 (for example, electromechanical docking means for docking by a mating element to be docked, electromechanical means of gripping for gripping a mating element to be gripped or the like), electromagnetic means under control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, magnetic means, vacuum grips under control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 and / or the like.

[0121] According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, the docking module 600 may be provided with any one of the above fastening or coupling elements or may comprise any one of the above fastening or coupling elements, and the housing 210 in the docking spot thereof may be provided with respective mating fastening or coupling means of a suitable type enabling the formation of a detachable coupling between the docking module 600 and the housing 210.

[0122] According to one other embodiment of the present invention, the docking module 600 may be configured to be at least partially or fully accommodated in the housing of the correcting apparatus 200 upon folding of at least one or each of the rigid connecting rods 500.

[0123] In one embodiment of the present invention, the docking module 600 may be an unmovable fastening or coupling structure which may be configured to detachably interact with the housing 210 by means of one or more rigid connecting rods 500 and which may be (i) secured to one or more rigid connecting rods 500 or may be (ii) at least partially embedded or integrated into the body of one of said connecting rods 500 so as to enable access thereto from the external side of said connecting rod 500.

[0124] In one other embodiment of the present invention, the docking module 600 may be a movable fastening or coupling structure which may be configured to detachably interact with the housing 210 by means of one or more rigid connecting rods 500 and which may be (i) secured to one or more rigid connecting rods 500 or may be (ii) at least partially embedded or integrated into the body of one of said connecting rods 500 so as to enable access thereto from the external side of said connecting rod 500, wherein such connecting structure may be further configured to be at least partially or fully deployed, unfolded or extended under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 so as to enable return thereof to the initial state thereof under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100. Alternatively, the movable fastening or connecting structure in the form of which the docking module 600 may be implemented may be fully installed or secured in one the rigid connecting rods 500 (i.e., in the internal space of the rigid connecting rod 500) and may be configured to at least partially extend from said connecting rod 500 and / or to deploy beyond the limits of said connecting rod 500 under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 so as to enable return thereof to the initial state under control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100. In yet another alternative, the movable fastening or connecting structure in the form of which the docking module 600 may be implemented may be partially embedded or integrated into the body of the connecting rod 50 and may be configured to at least partially deploy, unfold, expand or extend under control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 so as to enable return thereof to the initial state under control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0125] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the docking module 600 may be an unmovable fastening or coupling structure which may be attached on the housing of the payload 300 on the external side thereof, attached in the interior of the housing of the payload 300, or at least partially embedded / integrated into the housing of the payload 300, wherein the access to the docking module 600 for detachable interaction therewith of the housing 210 by means of one or more rigid connecting rods 500 with which the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided so as to enable the formation of a detachable coupling therebetween may be provided under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control device of the system 1000. In this embodiment of the present invention, access to the unmovable fastening or coupling structure, in the form of which the docking module 600 may be configured and which may be provided to the housing of the payload 300 may be provided by way of opening a barrier structure or covering structure which prevents accessibility to the docking module 600 from the external side of the housing of the payload 300 and which may be, for example, (i) a hatch, door or flaps provided in the body of the housing of the payload 300, or (ii) a hatch, door or flaps provided in an individual protective housing surrounding or enclosing the docking module 600, or (iii) a combination of the above (i.e., a combination (i) and (ii)). Alternatively, in this embodiment of the present invention, access to the unmovable fastening or coupling structure, in the form of which the docking module 600 may be configured and which may be provided to the housing of the payload 300 may be closed by means of a barrier or covering structure (for example, an outer cover, casing or protective housing) preventing access to said fastening or coupling structure from the external side of the housing of the payload 300 for interaction therewith of the housing 210 by means of one or more rigid connecting rods 500, with which the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided, and being under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 (alternatively, under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 or the control device of the system 1000), wherein the access to said unmovable fastening or coupling structure may be provided by way of, for example, opening, opening-out, opening-wide, displacing, shifting or removing said barrier or covering structure under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 so as to enable the subsequent return thereof to the initial position (state) under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 (alternatively, under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 or the control device of the system 1000).

[0126] In one other embodiment of the present invention, the docking module 600 may be a movable fastening or coupling structure which may be attached on the housing of the payload 300 from the external side thereof, attached in the interior of the housing of the payload 300, or at least partially embedded / integrated into the housing of the payload 300, wherein said movable fastening or coupling structure may be actuated in a manner to enable at least partial deployment, unfolding, expanding or extending, or the like under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control device of the system 1000. Furthermore, in this embodiment of the present invention, access to such movable fastening or coupling structure, in the form of which the docking module 600 may be configured, for detachable interaction therewith of the housing 210 by means of one or more rigid connecting rods 500 with which the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided so as to enable the formation of a detachable coupling therebetween may be provided under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control device of the system 1000. In particular, in this embodiment of the present invention, access to the movable fastening or connecting structure, in the form of which the docking module 600 may be configured and which may be provided to the housing of the payload 300, may be provided by way of opening a barrier structure or covering structure, which prevents such movable fastening or connecting structure from moving away from the housing of the payload 300 and which may be, for example, (i) a hatch, door or flaps provided in the housing of the payload 300, or (ii) a hatch, door or flaps provided in an individual protective housing surrounding or enclosing the docking module 600, or (iii) an element or plate secured on the housing of the payload 300 and preventing the possibility of performing the deployment, expansion, unfolding or extension operation of such movable fastening or connecting structure, or (iv) a combination of the above (i.e., a combination of (i), (ii) and ( iii)).

[0127] In one embodiment of the present invention, the docking module 600 may be installed on one or more connecting rods (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, ten, ten or more connecting rods) each of which may be configured analogously to the above connecting rod 500 or the above connecting rod 400.

[0128] In another embodiment of the present invention, on the connecting rod 500 there may be installed one or more docking modules 600 (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more docking modules 600) with which the correcting apparatus 200 may be provided.

[0129] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, one or more docking modules 600 may be provided to the payload 300, wherein said docking modules 600 may be secured on the housing of the payload 300 or configured integral with the housing of the payload 300 and may each be configured to detachably couple to at least one of the extendable rigid connecting rods 500 rigidly or detachably coupled to the aircraft apparatus 100, in particular to the housing 110.

[0130] As described herein, in various embodiments of the present invention, the control device of the system 1000 (alternatively, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, the control module of the payload 300 or any suitable combination thereof) may be configured to enable altering of the degree of extension of the flexible connecting rod 400, by means of which the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 are coupled to one another, and enable altering of the degree of extension of the rigid connecting rod 500, by means of which the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300 are coupled to one another. In one of the variations of such embodiments of the present invention, the control device of the system 1000 may be configured to enable altering of the degree of extension of the flexible connecting rod 400 at least depending on the degree of extension of the rigid connecting rod 500 and / or depending on the current distance between the payload 300 and the target location in which the payload 300 is to be placed as a result of the landing thereof using the aircraft apparatus 100 and / or the correcting apparatus 200. In another variation of such embodiments of the present invention, the control device of the system 1000 may be configured to enable altering of the degree of extension of the rigid connecting rod 500 at least depending on the degree of extension of the flexible connecting rod 400 and / or depending on the current distance between the payload 300 and the target location in which the payload 300 is to be placed as a result of the landing thereof using the aircraft apparatus 100 and / or the correcting apparatus 200.

[0131] As shown in, the payload 300 is configured in the form of a passenger cabin comprising a housing in the form of a fuselage provided with viewing windows and configured to accommodate therein people (for example, one or more passengers and / or a pilot), various living beings and / or various cargos of any type. Of note, the payload 300 coupled to the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be used for the delivery, carriage or transportation of people, various living beings and / or cargos of various types (solid, gaseous, liquid, fluid, bulk, viscous, radioactive, chemical, and / or the like) through the air to a target location which in turn may be located on the surface of the ground (on land), on the surface of a mobile or stationary ground object (for example, on a ground platform, bridge, TV tower, truck body, roof of a building, or the like), the surface of a stationary water object (for example, on an offshore platform, a marine buoy, pontoon, or the like), the surface of a movable water object (for example, on the deck of a ship, barge, diesel-engine-powered ship, liner, power boat, or the like), the surface of a stationary or movable air object (for example, on the fuselage of an airplane, balloon, or the like) or the surface of any other suitable objects known from the prior art. In some embodiments of the present invention, the housing of the payload 300 may be configured so that the payload 300 may enable the delivery, carriage or transportation of people, various living beings and / or cargos of various types (solid, gaseous, liquid, fluid, bulk, viscous, radioactive, chemical, and / or the like) over ground (land), over water and / or under water. Thus, in such embodiments of the present invention, the payload 300 may be configured in the form of an independent (autonomous) vehicle, a transportation module or a transport module having a ground type, an air type, an overwater type or an underwater type.

[0132] In one embodiment of the present invention, in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 there may be provided a pilot seat which may accommodate a pilot (not shown) capable of controlling the operation of the payload 300 in the case when this payload 300 is any vehicle known from the prior art. In particular, in this embodiment of the present invention, in order to control the operation of the payload 300, a pilot may use an instrument panel and control elements which may also be disposed in the housing of the payload 300. Furthermore, in this embodiment of the present invention, in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300, in addition to a pilot, there may be further accommodated at least one passenger, at least one luggage item of a passenger and / or at least one cargo item, wherein said pilot, passengers, cargo items and luggage items of passengers may be accommodated in corresponding spots in the common internal space or may be accommodated each in its distinct zone at least partially defined by one or more partitions or in a distinct compartment at least partially defined by one or more partitions. In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the pilot seat may be disposed in the pilot cabin provided in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 and separated by a partition from the remainder of the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 which, in turn, may be divided by another partition into a passenger compartment in which there may be installed one or more passenger seats for accommodating passengers therein and into a luggage compartment or cargo compartment in which there may be accommodated cargo (in particular, one or more cargo items) and / or there may be accommodated passenger luggage (in particular, one or more passenger luggage items), wherein said cargo items, passenger luggage items and / or passenger seats may be disposed on or attached to the bottom, floor, walls of the housing of the payload 300. In another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, in the passenger compartment in the housing of the payload 300, instead of or further to passenger seats, there may be provided the following: (i) rails installed on the lateral walls, floor and / or ceiling of the housing of the payload 300 for accommodating passengers in any position in the housing of the payload 300, for example, sitting or standing on the floor of the housing of the payload 300; (ii) couches, beds or benches secured to the floor, walls and / or ceiling of the housing of the payload 300 for accommodating thereon passengers in a sitting, standing and / or lying position; (iii) specialized areas for accommodating disabled people in a sitting, standing and / or lying position; (iv) specialized areas for wheelchairs used by disabled people; (v) specialized areas for accommodating baby cots used by infants and (if necessary) specialized areas for accompanying persons; and / or (vi) specialized areas for accommodating gurneys for transporting patients used by bedridden patients. It should be noted that the quantity of passengers in the passenger compartment in the housing of the payload 300 may be from one person to several tens or even hundreds of people without making any limitations, wherein said quantity of passengers is substantially limited only by the area of the passenger compartment within the internal space of the housing of the payload 300. In yet another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, in the cargo compartment of the housing of the payload 300 there may be enabled not only accommodation of cargo and / or passenger luggage on the floor of the housing of the payload 300 but also attachment thereof in the cargo compartment of the housing of the payload 300 using conventional fastening means known in the prior art, wherein in the cargo compartment of the housing of the payload 300 there may be further provided shelves, hangers, crates and other carrying means attached to the floor, ceiling and / or lateral walls of the housing of the payload 300 and allowing additional cargo items and / or passenger luggage items to be accommodated in the cargo compartment of the housing of the payload 300. In another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, the areas for passenger luggage, including shelves, hangers, boxes, and other carrying means for accommodating passenger luggage items, may only be provided in the passenger compartment of the housing of the payload 300 further to the above variants of means for accommodating passengers in said passenger compartment. One skilled in the art would readily appreciate that cargo items and / or passenger luggage items may be at least partially secured or fixed also from the external side of the housing of the payload 300 using suitable fastening means known in the prior art (for example, using a dedicated enclosed-type attached equipment used in airplanes, cars, motorcycles, helicopters, bicycles, and the like). Of note, the above pilot cabin, passenger compartment and cargo compartment in the housing of the payload 300 may be configured in general analogously to the corresponding compartments of airplanes, helicopters, buses, cars, ships, power boats, or the like.

[0133] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the pilot seat may be disposed in the pilot cabin in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 which pilot cabin is separated by a partition from the remaining portion of the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 in which portion, in turn, on the bottom, ceiling and / or floor of the housing of the payload 300 there may be accommodated or secured passengers (for example, in passenger seats), cargo items and passenger luggage items. Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention is possible in which in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 there may be accommodated only a pilot and passengers; an embodiment of the present invention is possible in which in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 there may be accommodated only a pilot and cargo; an embodiment of the present invention is possible in which in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 there may be accommodated only passengers and cargo; an embodiment of the present invention is possible in which in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 there may be accommodated only passengers; an embodiment of the present invention is possible in which in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 there may be accommodated only a pilot in the pilot seat; and an embodiment of the present invention is possible in which in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 there may be accommodated only cargo.

[0134] Of note, in embodiments of the present invention, in which in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300 defined by the walls of the housing of the payload 300 from the internal side thereof there may be installed control elements (not shown), these control elements of the payload 300 may substantially enable the payload 300 to be controlled in semi-automatic mode (i.e. a combination of manual control by a pilot and automatic control using autopilot) and enable manual input, by the pilot present in the pilot seat and monitoring the readings of the instruments on the instrument panel, of at least one control command in the case when the payload 300 is any vehicle known from the prior art. The control elements of the housing of the payload 300 must be communicatively coupled to the below-described control module (not shown) being part of the payload 300 so as to enable each of said control commands of the pilot to be presented to said control module of the payload 300, wherein some of said control commands of the pilot may substantially override the corresponding control commands of the control module of the payload 300 generated by the control module of the payload 300 while controlling such payload 300 in automatic mode (i.e., in the autopilot mode).

[0135] In some embodiments of the present invention, in which the payload 300 may be any vehicle known from the prior art, there may not be provided the pilot's participation in the process of controlling said payload 300, and, accordingly, the above-described instrument panel, control elements and pilot seat may be absent in the internal space of the housing of the payload 300, and the control of such payload 300 may be implemented substantially completely in automatic mode (i.e., in autopilot mode) using the control module of the payload 210 (alternatively, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control device of the system 1000), which in turn may receive control commands from the control device of the system 1000 which may comprise said payload 300.

[0136] In other embodiments of the present invention, in which the payload 300 may be any vehicle known from the prior art, the above control elements and / or the above instrument panel in the housing of the payload 300 may be part of the below-described control module of the payload 300, which allows this control module of the payload 300 to simultaneously enable manual control of such payload 300 by means of a pilot and automatic control of such payload 300 in autopilot mode.

[0137] In other embodiments of the present invention, the payload 300 may be formed from two or more individual payloads detachably coupled to one another (for example, from two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more individual payloads) having one and the same type or different types of the above types of payloads.

[0138] The rigid connecting rod 500 coupling to one another the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300 shown inenables the movement or displacement in the air of the payload 300 with respect to the correcting apparatus 200, wherein the degree or magnitude of said displacement of the payload 300 depends on the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 500, which may be altered under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 (alternatively, under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control device of the system 1000, or the control module of the payload 300).

[0139] As shown in, the air propulsion units 230 in the correcting apparatus 200 are preferably oriented or installed such that the actuation, by means of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, of all air propulsion units 230 or at least a portion thereof enables the flight or movement in the air of the correcting apparatus 200 in a substantially horizontal plane, wherein the direction of movement of the correcting apparatus 200 in the horizontal plane thereof (i.e., movement to one of the lateral sides while maintaining the altitude of flight of the correcting apparatus 200) under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 substantially depends on the direction of rotation of the bladed propellers in specific air propulsion units 230 actuated in the correcting apparatus 200 using the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, and / or on the orientation of said actuated propulsion units 230 in relation to the housing 210.

[0140] It should also be noted that in the case when the correcting apparatus 200 is preliminarily detachably coupled by means of the connecting rod 500 with the payload 300 and is present in the air (in particular, while the correcting apparatus 200 hovers in the air in a predetermined point of space together with the aircraft apparatus 100, while the correcting apparatus 200 moves through the air in the horizontal plane thereof with respect to the aircraft apparatus 100, while the correcting apparatus simultaneously moves together with the aircraft apparatus 100 in the vertical plane, or while the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 simultaneously move in the horizontal and vertical planes), the payload 300 may be present in a state in which it substantially simply hangs on the connecting rod 500 by means of the rigid design of the connecting rod 500 and under gravity at a given distance from the correcting apparatus 200, generally corresponding to the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 500. In the case of movement of the correcting apparatus 200 through the air in the horizontal plane while maintaining the altitude of flight thereof, the correcting apparatus 200 will pull along with it the payload 300 (i.e., the correcting apparatus 200 will perform the function of a master aircraft apparatus, and the payload 300 will perform the function of a slave aircraft apparatus) coupled to the correcting apparatus 200 by means of the connecting rod 500 such that the payload 300 will move through the air together with the correcting apparatus 200 in the same direction as the correcting apparatus 200, and in the horizontal plane thereof substantially parallel to the horizontal plane of flight of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0141] Of note, while movement of the payload 300 together with the correcting apparatus 200 in the respective horizontal planes, the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200 will maintain each the altitudes of flight thereof, wherein the altitude of flight of the correcting apparatus 200 will exceed the altitude of flight of the payload 300 by an amount corresponding to the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 500.

[0142] It should also be noted that while movement of the payload 300 together with the correcting apparatus 200 in the respective horizontal planes, the speed of flight of the payload 300 will substantially coincide with the speed of flight of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0143] Furthermore, of note, if and where it is necessary to move the payload 300 through the air with a decrease in the altitude of flight thereof, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 must actuate the air propulsion units 130 and / or air propulsion units 230 taking into account the own weight of the aircraft apparatus 100, the own weight of the correcting apparatus 200 suspended from the aircraft apparatus 100 by means of the connecting rod 400, and the own weight of the payload 300 installed on the connecting rod 500, thus allowing (i) to exclude or minimize the probability of an undesirable fall of the aircraft apparatus 100, the correcting apparatus 200 and / or the payload 300 and / or (ii) to exclude or minimize the probability of a collision of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 in the air and, accordingly, allowing for a substantially uniform or smooth drop in the altitude by the aircraft apparatus 100, the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300.

[0144] Thus, the displacement or movement in the air of the aircraft apparatus 100 in the vertical plane thereof under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 enables the positioning or altering of the spatial position simultaneously of the aircraft apparatus 100, the correcting apparatus 200, and the payload 300 in the vertical plane with respect to the surface of the ground or the surface of another object which in turn may be present on the ground (land), in the air and / or on the water. In particular, while gaining (increasing) altitude, the aircraft apparatus 100 will pull along with it the correcting apparatus 200 suspended from the aircraft apparatus 100 by means of the connecting rod 400, and the correcting apparatus 200 in turn will pull along with it the payload 300 coupled to the correcting apparatus 200 by means of the rigid connecting rod 500.

[0145] Furthermore, the displacement or movement in the air of the correcting apparatus 200 in the horizontal plane thereof under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 enables the positioning or altering of the spatial position of the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300 in the horizontal plane simultaneously with respect to the aircraft apparatus 100 and with respect to the surface of the ground or the surface of another object which in turn may be present on the ground (land), in the air and / or on the water. Of note, in some cases, the displacement or movement in the air of the correcting apparatus 200 in the horizontal plane thereof under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 may further enable positioning or altering of the spatial position simultaneously of the correcting apparatus 200, payload 300 and aircraft apparatus 100 which may pull along with it the correcting apparatus 200 by means of the connecting rod 400 with respect to the surface of the ground or the surface of another object which In turn may be present on the ground (land), in the air and / or on the water.

[0146] Furthermore, the displacement or movement in the air of the correcting apparatus 200 in the horizontal plane thereof under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 and simultaneously therewith the displacement or movement in the air of the aircraft apparatus 100 in the vertical plane thereof under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 enable the positioning or altering of the spatial position simultaneously of the aircraft apparatus 100, the correcting apparatus 200, and the payload 300 in the both of the horizontal and vertical planes with respect to the surface of the ground or the surface of another object which in turn may be present on the ground (land), in the air and / or on the water, wherein the correcting apparatus 200 together with the payload 300 may also alter the spatial position thereof with respect to the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0147] As described above, the connecting rod 500 used for the detachable coupling to one another of the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300 is preferably configured rigid and extendable. Thus, the connecting rod 500 is installed in the housing 210 so as to fully or at least partially extend from the housing 210 so as to enable the detachable coupling thereof to the housing of the payload 300 to create a detachable coupling between the housing 210 and the housing of the payload 300 and, accordingly, between the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300. In particular, the housing 210 is provided with a mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive is communicatively coupled to the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 and operably coupled to the extendable connecting rod 500 so as to enable altering of the length thereof under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 by way of at least partial extension of the connecting rod 500 from the housing 210 by a predetermined value of extension (value of release). In various embodiments of the present invention, the connecting rod 500 may be configured folding, expandable, deployable, telescopic, or the like, and the mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive is installed in the housing 210, may be operably coupled to the connecting rod 500 so as to enable at least partial or full unfolding, expansion, deployment, extension or the like, respectively, to increase the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 500 and to enable full or at least partial return of the connecting rod 500 to the initial state thereof to reduce the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 500. In other words, in such embodiments of the present invention, the mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive operates under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, may enable altering of the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 500 coupling to one another the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300 and, accordingly, enable altering of the distance between the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300 while they are present in the air.

[0148] In one embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 500 may be at least partially installed in the housing of the payload 300 so as to fully or at least partially extend from the housing of the payload 300 so as to enable the detachable coupling thereof to the housing 210 to create a detachable coupling between the housing of the payload 300 and the housing 210 and, accordingly, between the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200. In particular, in such embodiment of the present invention, the housing of the payload 300 may be provided with a mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive is communicatively coupled to the control module of the payload 300 and operably coupled to the extendable connecting rod 500 so as to enable altering of the length thereof under the control of the control module of the payload 300 by way of at least partial extension of the connecting rod 500 from the housing of the payload 300 by a predetermined value of extension (value of release). Furthermore, in such embodiment of the present invention, on the connecting rod 500 at least partially disposed in the housing of the payload 300 there may installed the docking module 600 rigidly or detachably coupled to the connecting rod 500 and configured to detachably interact with the housing 210, or, alternatively, the connecting rod 500 may be configured to detachably interact with the docking module 600 secured on the external side of the housing 210 or configured integral with the housing 210. In various variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 500 may be configured folding, expandable, deployable, telescopic, or the like, and the mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive is installed in the housing of the payload 300, may be operably coupled to the connecting rod 500 so as to enable at least partial or full unfolding, expansion, deployment, extension or the like, respectively, to increase the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 500 and to enable full or at least partial return of the connecting rod 500 to the initial state thereof to reduce the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 500. In other words, in such variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length, which mechanism or drive operates under the control of the control module of the payload 300, may enable altering of the spatial extent or length of the connecting rod 500 coupling to one another the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200 and, accordingly, enable altering of the distance between the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200 while they are present in the air.

[0149] According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, the connecting rod 500 coupling to one another the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be configured flexible or may be configured analogously to the above connecting rod 400. According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 500 coupling to one another the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be configured in the form of a telescopic rod. According to one other embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 500 coupling to one another the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be configured in the form of a folding hinged structure. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 500 coupling to one another the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be movably coupled to each or at least one of the housing 210 and the housing of the payload 300. According to one other embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod 500 may be coupled to at least one or each of the housing 210 and the housing of the payload 300 using a hinge (i.e., a hinged movable support) or an axis of rotation, which allows to improve the mobility of said couplings and, accordingly, expand the range of permissible displacements or movements of the payload 300 with respect to the correcting apparatus 200.

[0150] According to some other embodiment of the present invention, the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be coupled to one another using two or more connecting rods (for example, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more connecting rods), each of which may be configured analogously to the above connecting rod 500 or analogously to the above connecting rod 400.

[0151] In another embodiment of the present invention, for mutual coupling of the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200 there may be further used one or more additional extendable connecting rods (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more connecting rods), each of which may be configured analogously to the above connecting rod 500 or to the above connecting rod 400.

[0152] In some other embodiment of the present invention, the housing of the payload 300 and the housing 210 may be coupled to one another by means of one or more connecting rods 500, at least one or each of which (i) may be coupled at one end to a movable carriage (not shown) installed on the housing 210 or at least partially therein so as to rectilinearly or curvilinearly move along a predetermined route with respect to the housing 210 and by a predetermined distance under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, and / or (ii) may be coupled at the other end to yet another carriage installed on the housing of the payload 300 or at least partially therein so as to rectilinearly or curvilinearly move along a predetermined route with respect to the housing of the payload 300 and by a predetermined distance under the control of the control module of the payload 300.

[0153] According to various embodiments of the present invention, the housing of the payload 300 and the housing 210 may be coupled to one another by means of one or more connecting rods 500, at least one or each of which (i) may be coupled at one end to a rectilinear or curvilinear guide (not shown) installed on the housing 210 or at least partially therein by means of a movable connection configured to move along a predetermined route along said guide of the housing 210 by a predetermined distance under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, which is configured to control the movement of said movable connection of the housing 210, and / or (ii) may be coupled at the other end to yet another rectilinear or curvilinear guide installed on housing of the payload 300 or at least partially therein using another movable connection (not shown) configured to move along a predetermined route along said guide of the housing of the payload 300 by a predetermined distance under the control of the control module of the payload 300, which is configured to control the movement of said movable connection of the housing of the payload 300. In one of the variations of such embodiments of the present invention, the guide of the housing 210 may have an X shape, a cruciform shape, an H shape or any other shape similar to any symbol known from the prior art, any letter or geometric shape known from the prior art, any object of the living or non-living world known from the prior art, or the like.

[0154] According to other embodiments of the present invention, the housing of the payload 300 and the housing 210 may be coupled to one another by means of two or more extendable connecting rods 500, each of which may be operably coupled to an individual mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length communicatively coupled to the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control module of the payload 300 and operably coupled to said extendable connecting rod 500 so as to enable altering of the length thereof under the control of said control module by way of at least partial extension of this connecting rod 500 from the housing 210 or the housing of the payload 300 by a predetermined value of extension (value of release). Thus, in such embodiments of the present invention, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control module of the payload 300 is communicatively coupled to mechanisms or drives for altering the connecting rod length to control the operation thereof, thus allowing for altering the length (the value of extension or the value of release) of at least one of the extendable connecting rods 500 so as to enable altering of the spatial position of the payload 300 (for example, tilting by a predetermined angle on one of the sides of the housing of the payload 300) with respect to the correcting apparatus 200 while the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200 are present in the air.

[0155] In some embodiments of the present invention, the payload 300 may further comprise a control module (not shown) installed in or on the housing of the payload 300, wherein the control module of the payload 300 may be configured analogously to any one of the above control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 or the above control module of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0156] Of note, coupled to one another the aircraft apparatus 100, the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300, shown inas part of the system 1000, may respond as an integral whole to control commands and / or control instructions being received from the control device of the system 1000. In particular, the operation of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 as part of the system 1000 may be synchronized using the control device of the system 1000 (alternatively, using the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 and / or the control module of the payload 300). Furthermore, the aircraft apparatus 100 may be electrically coupled to the correcting apparatus 200 and / or to the payload 300 to form a single power supply circuit and to form a cluster power supply source (for example, the cluster power supply source may be formed from one or more integrated rechargeable batteries being part of the aircraft apparatus 100, as well as one or more integrated rechargeable batteries being part of the correcting apparatus 200 and / or one or more integrated rechargeable batteries being part of the payload 300), wherein the charging process of such cluster power supply source and the process of distributing power energy between the functional components of the aircraft apparatus 100, the correcting apparatus 200 and / or the payload 300 may be controlled by the control device of the system 1000 (alternatively, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 and / or the control module of the payload 300).

[0157] Of note, the process of detachable docking or detachable coupling of one or more correcting apparatuses 200 to one or more payloads 300 and the process of detachable docking or detachable coupling of one or more aircraft apparatuses 100 to said correcting apparatuses 200 may take place directly in the air in response to control commands and / or navigation commands presented by the control device of the system 1000 to the aircraft apparatus 100, the correcting apparatus 200 and / or the payload 300, i.e., may take place under the control of the control device of the system 1000.

[0158] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control device of the system 1000 may be configured to receive data relating to the degree of extension of the flexible connecting rod 400 from the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 and / or data relating to the degree of extension of the rigid connecting rod 500 from the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 so as to enable the control of operation of the aircraft apparatus 100 and / or the control of operation of the correcting apparatus 200 depending on said accepted data relating to the degree of extension of the flexible connecting rod 400 and / or on said accepted data relating to the degree of extension of the rigid connecting rod 500. Thus, in such embodiments of the present invention, the control device of the system 1000 (alternatively, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control module of the payload 300) is further configured to control the operation of the aircraft apparatus or the correcting apparatus depending on the degree of extension of the flexible connecting rod and / or the degree of extension of the rigid connecting rod.

[0159] It should also be noted that in any one of the embodiments of the present invention described herein, a reference to the use of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 for controlling, monitoring or performing the described operation is not limiting, i.e. it will be appreciated by one skilled that, instead of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, there may be used the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, the control module of the payload 300, the control device of the system 1000, or any suitable combination thereof. In particular, in the case when the aircraft apparatus 100 is detachably coupled to the correcting apparatus 200, the control of the aircraft apparatus 100 may be intercepted by the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control of the correcting apparatus 200 may be intercepted by the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100. As yet another example, in the case when the correcting apparatus 200 is detachably coupled to the payload, the control of the correcting apparatus 200 may be intercepted by the control module of the payload 300 or the control of the payload 300 may be intercepted by the control module of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0160] In one of the embodiments of the present invention, the payload 300 may comprise an (embedded) integrated power supply source (not shown) configured in the form of a battery, one or more rechargeable batteries, an internal combustion engine generator, a hydrogen engine generator, a generator based on one or more solar panels, or a generator based on any other suitable energy source known from the prior art, wherein said integrated power supply source of the payload 300 may also be configured to be charged from an external power supply source (not shown) using a charging device (not shown) of a suitable type connected to said external power supply source and configured to connect thereto said integrated power supply source of the payload 300. In particular, the integrated power supply source in the payload may be coupled, by means of a power supply circuit of the payload 300, to the control module of the payload 300 and any other functional components of the payload 300 described herein so as to enable the supply of power thereto or to enable them to be powered. In one other embodiment of the present invention, the integrated power supply source of the payload 300 may be charged in a wireless manner using an external charging device (not shown) whose operation is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction which will be appreciated by one skilled in art.

[0161] In another embodiment of the present invention, the payload 300 may also comprise an (embedded) integrated power supply source, wherein the payload 300 and the correcting apparatus 200 may be electrically coupled to one another to form a single power supply circuit (for example, by means of an electric cable passed interiorly to the connecting rod 500 or exteriorly thereto so as to enable the coupling of the power supply circuits of the payload 300 and of the correcting apparatus 200) and to form a cluster power supply source comprising the power supply source of the payload 300 and the power supply source of the correcting apparatus 200 and supplying power or powering all functional components of the payload 300 and / or all functional components of the correcting apparatus 200 substantially simultaneously such that recharging such cluster power supply source from an external power supply source (not shown) using a charging device (not shown) of a suitable type allows to speak about the replenishment of the range of a functional pair of the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300 as a whole. Thus, the range of the functional pair of the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300 may be controlled by the control device of the payload 300 or the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 by way of monitoring the state of the cluster power supply source (for example, monitoring the residual charge level of the cluster rechargeable battery). In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the cluster power supply source may be recharged from two or more external power supply sources (not shown) using two or more charging devices (not shown) of a suitable type which may be electrically coupled each to the respective one of said external power supply sources and each of which may be configured to enable one or more of the power supply sources being part of said cluster power supply source to be coupled thereto such that such cluster power supply source may substantially be recharged by way of parallelly recharging the individual power supply sources thereof. In another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, the power supply source of the payload 300 may be charged separately from the power supply of the correcting apparatus 200 using the same external power supply source (not shown) or other external power supply source (not shown) different from the external power supply source used to recharge the power supply source of the correcting apparatus 200. In yet another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, the payload 300 may not have its own power supply source, and the functional components of the payload 300 may be powered from the power supply source of the correcting apparatus 200 while there is a detachable coupling of the correcting apparatus 200 to the payload 300, in particular as a result of coupling the power supply circuits of said functional components of the payload 300 to said power supply source of the correcting apparatus 200. In another variation of this embodiment of the present invention, the payload 300 may also not have its own power supply source, and the functional components of the payload 300 may be powered from a cluster power supply source formed from the power supply source of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the power supply source of the correcting apparatus 200, in particular as a result of coupling the power supply circuits of said functional components of the payload 300 to said cluster power supply source. In some other variation of this embodiment of the present invention, the power supply of the payload 300 may be charged from the power supply source of one of the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200, while the aircraft apparatus 100, the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300 are coupled to one another, in particular as a result of coupling the charging circuit of the power supply source of the payload 300 to the power supply source of the aircraft apparatus 100 and / or the power supply source of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0162] In some embodiments of the present invention, the aircraft apparatus 100, the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300 may have individual power supply circuits. In other embodiments of the present invention, the power supply circuit of the aircraft apparatus 100, the power supply circuit of the correcting apparatus 200 and / or the power supply circuit of the payload 300 may be electrically coupled to one another so as to obtain the combined power supply circuit thereof and the combined charging circuit thereof.

[0163] According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, the payload 300 may further be provided with one or more wheeled propulsion units (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, nine, ten or more wheeled propulsion units) in the form of a wheelbase configured to enable the payload 300 to move over the ground surface (over land) or over the surface of a stationary or movable physical object which may at least partially be present in the air space, ground space, above-water space and / or underwater space following placing the payload 300 at a target location on said surface of movement and uncoupling the correcting apparatus 200 from the payload 300. Thus, in such embodiment of the present invention, the wheeled propulsion units of the payload 300 may substantially be additional means of movement which may be provided to the housing of the payload 300.

[0164] According to one other embodiment of the present invention, the housing of the payload 300 may further be provided with one or more air propulsion units (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, nine, ten or more air propulsion units) undetachably secured to the housing of the payload 300 and configured to enable the payload 300 to move through the air following placing this payload 300 in the target location and uncoupling the correcting apparatus 200 from the payload 300. Thus, in such embodiment of the present invention, the air propulsion units of the payload 300 may substantially be additional means of movement which may be provided to the housing of the payload 300.

[0165] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the housing of the payload 300 may further be provided with one or more unmanned aircraft apparatuses with the air propellers thereof (for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, nine, ten or more such air propellers) detachably secured to the housing of the payload 300 and configured to enable the payload 300 to move through the air following placing this payload 300 in the target location and uncoupling the correcting apparatus 200 from the payload 300. In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the unmanned aircraft apparatuses which may be detachably docked to the housing of the payload 300 may be provided with one or more air propellers (for example, with one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more such air propellers) enabling the payload 300 to move in the air or fly upon actuation thereof.

[0166] According to one other embodiment of the present invention, the housing of the payload 300 may be provided with one or more unmanned aircraft apparatuses with the air propellers thereof detachably secured to the housing of the payload 300 and may further be provided with one or more additional air propulsion units undetachably installed on the housing of the payload 300.

[0167] In some embodiments of the present invention, in the system 1000 there may be used two or more aircraft apparatuses 100 detachably docked or coupled to one another to form a cluster aircraft apparatus, wherein in particular embodiments of the present invention, the quantity of aircraft apparatuses 100 docked to one another may be two or more units, multiple units, multiple tens of units or even multiple hundreds of units. In such embodiments of the present invention, in order to provide for a desired load capacity there may be used a plurality, a combination, or a group of aircraft apparatuses 100 with the same load capacity or distinct load capacities, wherein the total load capacity provided by said aircraft apparatuses 100 in combination must correspond to said desired load capacity, and the aircraft apparatuses 100 as part of said cluster aircraft apparatus may coincide as well as differ in terms of type, design, overall dimensions, shape, power, flight range, duration of operation, flying characteristics, type of a propulsion unit, and / or the like.

[0168] In other embodiments of the present invention, in the system 1000 there may be used two or more correcting apparatuses 200 detachably docked or coupled to one another to form a cluster correcting apparatus, wherein in particular embodiments of the present invention, the quantity of correcting apparatuses 200 docked to one another may be two or more units, multiple units, multiple tens of units or even multiple hundreds of units. In such embodiments of the present invention, in order to provide for a desired load capacity there may be used a plurality, a combination, or a group of correcting apparatuses 200 with the same load capacity or distinct load capacities, wherein the total load capacity provided by said correcting apparatuses 200 in combination must correspond to said desired load capacity, and the correcting apparatuses 200 as part of said cluster correcting apparatus may coincide as well as differ in terms of type, design, overall dimensions, shape, power, flight range, duration of operation, flying characteristics, type of a propulsion unit, and / or the like.

[0169] As shown in, the housing 110 on the lower side thereof with which the aircraft apparatus 100 faces toward the correcting apparatus 200 while they are detachably coupled by means of a flexible connecting rod 400 is provided with two individual guides 140, each of which is rectilinear and which are disposed at the same level at a predetermined distance from one another, defining the interval between said guides 140.

[0170] In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one or each of the guides may be configured rectilinear or curvilinear. In one of the variations of this embodiment of the present invention, the both guides 140 may be coupled to one another to form a cluster guide of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0171] In another embodiment of the present invention, the housing 110 may be provided with only one rectilinear or curvilinear guide 140 configured to dock to one or more other guides to form a cluster guide of the aircraft apparatus 100, wherein at least one segment of said cluster guide of the aircraft apparatus 100 may be configured to combine with or detachably dock to the guide of the payload 300.

[0172] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the housing 110 may be provided with two or more guides 140 which or at least a portion of which may be coupled to one another, wherein each of said guides 140 may be configured rectilinear or curvilinear, and at least one of said guides may be configured to combine with or detachably dock to the guide of the payload 300 to form a cluster guide.

[0173] In one other embodiment of the present invention, at least one or each of the guides 140 which may be provided to the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 being part of the system 1000 shown inmay be configured T-shaped, Z-shaped, X-shaped, Y-shaped, inverted-U-shaped, E-shaped, U-shaped, N-shaped, L-shaped, F-shaped, O-shaped, H -shaped, V-shaped, inverted-L-shaped, C-shaped or W-shaped. It should be noted that in this embodiment of the present invention, at least one or each of the guides 140 which may be provided to the housing 110 may also have any other shape corresponding to any known symbol, any known letter, any known geometric shape, any known numeral or the like.

[0174] Furthermore, as shown in, the guide, in the form of which the docking module 600 is preferably configured, is configured rectilinear and substantially corresponds in shape and size to the interval between the two guides 140 which are provided to the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100, thus allowing said guides to enter into a detachable interaction with one another (i.e. said guides may be combined with one another or may be detachably coupled to one another) to form a cluster guide so as to enable the payload to move along the length of said cluster guide, wherein said cluster guide substantially defines the trajectory or path of movement of the payload 300, which was initially movably installed on the guide, in the form of which the docking module 600 is configured, with respect to the aircraft apparatus 100 under the control of the control module of the payload 300. Of note, the combining or detachable docking of the guide of the payload 300 with / to the guides 140 to form a cluster guide is provided by fully retracting the flexible connecting rod 400 into the housing 110 under the control of the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 so as to provide for the placement of the correcting apparatus 200 in the housing 110, as well as by at least partially retracting the rigid connecting rod 500 into the housing 210.

[0175] According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, the housing 110 in the aircraft apparatus 100 is further provided with one or more guides 140, at least one or each of which may be configured to combine with or detachably couple to the guide, in the form of which the docking module 600 may be configured or which may be part of this docking module 600, upon retracting at least one of the flexible connecting rods 400 and / or upon retracting at least one of the rigid connecting rods 500 so as to enable the formation of a cluster guide for the movement of the payload 300 therealong.

[0176] According to one other embodiment of the present invention, the docking module 600 may further comprise a guide configured to enable the payload 300 to move therealong upon coupling the docking module 600 to said payload 300.

[0177] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the docking module 600 may further comprise a drive or a drive mechanism configured to interact with the payload 300 upon coupling the docking module 600 to said payload 300 so as to enable the payload 300 to move along the guide under the control of the control device of the system 1000, the control module of the payload 300, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200, or the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100.

[0178] Of note, the shape, length (spatial extent) or other geometric dimensions, as well as the shape of the section and the material of manufacture of the guides described herein are not specifically limited in any manner, wherein said parameters or characteristics of the guides may coincide with one another or may differ from one another.

[0179] Figs. 2-4 substantially illustrate the process of gripping the payload 300 preliminarily placed in a predetermined location on the ground surface for subsequent movement thereof to a target location.

[0180] In particular,shows that the aircraft apparatus 100 preliminarily coupled by means of the extendable flexible connecting rod 400 to the correcting apparatus 200 which, in turn, is provided with a docking module 600 installed on the extendable rigid connecting rod 500 hovers in the air in a predetermined region of space located above the payload 300 to be gripped for subsequent movement thereof to a target location or subsequent delivery thereof to a delivery location. Subsequently, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 actuates a mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length installed in the housing 110 and operably coupled to the extendable flexible connecting rod 400 so as to provide for the release or extension of this flexible connecting rod 400 from the housing 110 by a predetermined value, thus leading to an increase in the length of said flexible connecting rod 400 so as to enable descending of the correcting apparatus 200 being in an inactive state and suspended from said flexible connecting rod 400, and accordingly, to descending of the docking module 600 coupled to the correcting apparatus 200 by means of the extendable rigid connecting rod 500 towards the payload 300. In case if the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, while descending of the correcting apparatus 200 towards the payload 300, detects (for example, as a result of processing data from the sensors of the correcting apparatus 200 or the sensors of the payload 300 which at least register the distance between the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300 and the mutual spatial position of the correcting apparatus 200 and the payload 300) that the lowered correcting apparatus 200 has an incorrect or unsuitable spatial position with respect to the payload 300, which spatial position does not allow the docking module 600 to enter into a detachable interaction with the housing of the payload 300, then the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 or the control device of the system 1000 may present control commands and / or navigation commands to the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 to actuate all or at least a portion of the possible propulsion units 230 to move the correcting apparatus 200 through the air in the horizontal plane with respect to the aircraft apparatus 100 and, accordingly, with respect to the payload 300 so as to provide for correction of the spatial position of the correcting apparatus with respect to the payload 300, which as a result allows the correcting apparatus 200 to hover in the air in a region of space in which the correcting apparatus 200 has a spatial position allowing for the docking module 600 to successfully dock to the housing of the payload 300. Further, due to the fact that the length of the release of the flexible connecting rod 400 does not allow bring the docking module 600 installed by means of the rigid connecting rod 500 on the correcting apparatus 200 into detachable interaction with the housing of the payload 300, and the aircraft apparatus 100 no longer has the opportunity for further descending (for example, due to the presence of objects on the ground surface, such as buildings, trees, buildings, and the like, which prevent the aircraft 100 from further descending to an altitude suitable for bringing the docking module 600 into a detachable interaction with the housing of the payload 300), the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 actuates a mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length which is installed in the housing 210 and operably coupled to the extendable rigid connecting rod 500 so as to provide for extension of that rigid connecting rod 500 from the housing 210 by a predetermined value, which leads to an increase in the length of said rigid connecting rod 500 so as to provide for additional descending of the docking module 600 towards the payload 300 so as to provide for bringing into a detachable interaction therewith, as a result of which the payload 300 occurs to be detachably docked to the docking module 600 and, accordingly, coupled to the correcting apparatus 200 by means of the at least partially extended rigid connecting rod 500 and coupled to the aircraft apparatus 100 by means of the flexible connecting rod 400 coupling the aircraft apparatus 100 and the correcting apparatus 200 to one another. Of note, there may be a case wherein the aircraft apparatus 100 may hover exactly over the payload 300, and the length of the extension of the flexible connecting rod 400 from the body 110 will be sufficient to bring the docking module 600 into a detachable interaction with the payload 300 so as to provide for gripping of the payload 300; so, in this case the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 may not enable extension of the rigid connecting rod 500 from the housing 210 or may enable only partial extension of the rigid connecting rod 500 from the housing 210. It should also be noted that there may be another case wherein the aircraft apparatus 100 may hover exactly over the payload 300 but the maximum length of extension of the flexible connecting rod 400 from the housing 110 may not be sufficient to bring the docking module 600 into a detachable interaction with the payload 300; so, in this case the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 may enable the aircraft apparatus 100 to be further descended to an altitude sufficient to perform gripping of the payload 300 and it may not be necessary to extend the rigid connecting rod 500 from the housing 210 to further bring the docking module 600 closer to the housing of the payload 300.

[0181] Further, as shown in, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 actuates a mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length installed in the housing 210 and operably coupled to the extendable rigid connecting rod 500 so as to provide for at least partial retraction of this rigid connecting rod 500 back into the housing 210 by a predetermined value, which leads to reduction in the length of said rigid connecting rod 500 so as to provide for lifting of the docking module 600 together with the payload 300 which was previously brought into a detachable interaction with the docking module 600 towards the correcting apparatus 200 which, during said process of retraction of the rigid connecting rod 500, retains the spatial position thereof in the air, as a result of which the payload 300 occurs to be raised from the ground surface on which it was previously situated while gripping thereof using the docking module 600, wherein the distance from the lower portion or bottom of the housing of the payload 300 to said ground surface substantially corresponds to the value by which the rigid connecting rod 500 was retracted into the housing 210 under the control of the control module of the correcting apparatus 200.

[0182] Further, as shown in, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100 actuates a mechanism or drive for altering the connecting rod length installed in the housing 110 and operably coupled to the extendable flexible connecting rod 400 so as to provide for at least partial drawing or retraction of this flexible connecting rod 400 back into the housing 110 by a predetermined value, which leads to a decrease in the length of said flexible connecting rod 400 so as to provide for lifting of the correcting apparatus 200 together with the payload 300 coupled to the correcting apparatus 200 by means of the rigid connecting rod 500 being in a retracted state and having a minimum permissible length towards the aircraft apparatus 100 which, during said process of drawing or retracting the flexible connecting rod 400, retains the spatial position thereof in the air which the aircraft apparatus occupied while gripping the payload using the docking module 600 (see) and / or while lifting the gripped payload 300 as a result of retracting the rigid connecting rod 500 (see). As shown in, as a result of drawing or retracting the flexible connecting rod 400, the guide, in the form of which configured is the docking module 600 by using which the payload 300 was previously gripped and raised to the initial altitude while retracting the rigid connecting rod 500, occurs to be combined or brought into a detachable interaction with the both guides 140 which are provided to the housing 110 to form a cluster guide of the aircraft apparatus 100, and the correcting apparatus 200 occurs to be completely placed in the housing 110.

[0183] Subsequently, prior to starting to move the payload 300 through the air using the aircraft apparatus 100, the payload 300 may be displaced or moved with respect to the housing 110 to redistribute the load exerted on the aircraft apparatus 100 by the payload 300, and, accordingly, to occupy a more balanced or equilibrated spatial position in the air by the aircraft apparatus 100. Thereafter, the control module of the aircraft 100 may enable altering of the spatial orientation or enable rotation of the air propulsion units 130 to move the aircraft apparatus 100 together with the correcting apparatus 200 placed in the housing 110 and with the payload 300 suspended from the cluster guide of the aircraft apparatus 100 to a target location to which said payload 300 must be delivered.Method of movement of payload

[0184] is a flow diagram showing the main operations of a method 700 of movement of a payload, wherein the method 700 of movement of a payload shown inmay be performed using the system 1000 for moving a payload which system may be implemented in accordance with any one of the relevant embodiments of the present invention described herein.

[0185] In particular, the method 700 of movement of a payload shown incomprises the following four main operations or four main steps 710, 720, 730 and 740.

[0186] In particular, the step 710 comprises moving in the air the aircraft apparatus 100 coupled to the correcting apparatus 200 using one or more extendable flexible connecting rods 400 so as to enable positioning of the correcting apparatus 200 provided with a docking module 600 installed on one or more extendable rigid connecting rods 500 with respect to the payload 300 to be moved.

[0187] The step 720 comprises at least partially extending at least one of the extendable flexible connecting rods 400 and / or at least partially extending at least one of the extendable rigid connecting rods 500 under the control of the control device of the system 1000 (alternatively, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control module of the payload 300) to position the docking module 600 with respect to the payload 300.

[0188] The step 730 comprises detachably coupling to one another the docking module 600 properly positioned with respect to the payload 300 at the step 720 and the housing of the payload 300.

[0189] The step 740 comprises moving the aircraft apparatus 100 together with said payload through the air to the target location under the control of the control device of the system 1000 (alternatively, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control module of the payload 300).

[0190] Of note, prior to performing the step 740, the method 700 may comprise further at least partially retracting the flexible connecting rod 400 previously extended at the step 720 and / or may comprise further at least partially retracting the rigid connecting rod 500 previously extended at the step 720.

[0191] Furthermore, the method 700, while the aircraft apparatus 100 is present in the region of the target location, may further comprise at least partially extending at least one or each of the extendable flexible connecting rods 400 coupling to one another the housings 110, 210 and / or may comprise at least partially extending at least one or each of the extendable rigid connecting rods 500 coupling the housing 210 to the docking module 600 under the control of the control device of the system 1000 (alternatively, the control module of the aircraft apparatus 100, the control module of the correcting apparatus 200 or the control module of the payload 300) for positioning the payload 300 coupled to the docking module 600 with respect to a target delivery location and further comprises uncoupling the positioned payload 300 from the docking module 600 so as to enable placement thereof in said delivery location.

[0192] The provided illustrative embodiments of the present invention, examples and description serve only to facilitate understanding of the principles of the claimed invention and are not limiting. Other possible embodiments of the present invention or modifications or improvements to the above embodiments of the present invention will suggest themselves to one skilled in the art after reading the above description. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

A system for moving a payload, comprising:an aircraft apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air,a correcting apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the correcting apparatus to move with respect to the aircraft apparatus, whereinthe housings of the aircraft apparatus and the correcting apparatus are configured to couple to one another by means of an extendable flexible connecting rod,the correcting apparatus is provided with a docking module installed on at least one or more extendable rigid connecting rods and configured to detachably couple to the housing of the payload, and said system further comprisesa control device configured to enable altering of the degree of extension of said flexible connecting rod and to enable altering of the degree of extension of said rigid connecting rod.The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of the air propulsion units of the aircraft apparatus is configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air in the vertical plane.The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one of the air propulsion units of the aircraft apparatus is configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move in the horizontal plane.The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the air propulsion units of the aircraft apparatus is configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air simultaneously in the vertical plane and in the horizontal plane.The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the air propulsion units of the aircraft apparatus is configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air in the vertical plane or in the horizontal plane.The system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to control the operation of the aircraft apparatus or correcting apparatus depending on the degree of extension of the flexible connecting rod and / or the degree of extension of the rigid connecting rod.The system according to claim 1, wherein the housings of the aircraft apparatus and correcting apparatus are coupled to one another by means of at least one additional extendable flexible connecting rod.The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said flexible connecting rods is operably coupled to one or more winch drives installed on the aircraft apparatus or correcting apparatus so as to enable altering of the length of release of at least one flexible connecting rod under the control of the control device.The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said rigid connecting rods is operably coupled to one or more drives installed on the correcting apparatus or payload so as to enable altering of the length of said at least one rigid connecting rod under the control of the control device.The system according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the aircraft apparatus is configured to partially or fully accommodate therein the housing of the correcting apparatus.The system according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the correcting apparatus is configured to partially or fully accommodate therein the housing of the aircraft apparatus.The system according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the aircraft apparatus or the housing of the correcting apparatus comprises a drive mechanism operably coupled to the housing of the correcting apparatus so as to enable rotation thereof with respect to the housing of the aircraft apparatus under the control of the control device.The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said connecting rods is configured in the form of a telescopic rod.The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said connecting rods is configured in the form of a folding hinged structure.The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said connecting rods is rigidly coupled or hingedly coupled to the housing of the correcting apparatus.The system according to claim 1, wherein the docking module is configured to be partially or fully accommodated in the housing of the correcting apparatus upon folding of said rigid connecting rods.The system according to claim 1, wherein the docking module further comprises a guide configured to enable the payload to move therealong upon coupling the docking module to said payload.The system according to claim 17, wherein the docking module further comprises a drive mechanism configured to interact with said payload so as to enable it to move along the guide under the control of the control device.The system according to any one of claims 17-18, wherein the housing of the aircraft apparatus is further provided with one or more guides, at least one of which is configured to be combined with the guide of the docking module upon retracting at least one of said flexible connecting rods and / or retracting at least one of said rigid connecting rods so as to enable formation of a cluster guide for movement of the payload therealong.A method for moving a payload, comprising the steps of:moving in the air the aircraft apparatus coupled to the correcting apparatus using one or more extendable flexible connecting rods so as to enable positioning of the correcting apparatus provided with a docking module installed on one or more extendable rigid connecting rods with respect to the payload to be moved;at least partially extending at least one of said extendable flexible connecting rods and / or at least partially extending at least one of said extendable rigid connecting rods under the control of the control device to position said docking module with respect to said payload;detachably coupling to one another the positioned docking module and said payload; andmoving the aircraft apparatus together with said payload through the air to a target location.The method according to claim 20, comprising, prior to moving the aircraft apparatus to a target location, further at least partially retracting said extended flexible connecting rod and / or at least partially retracting said extended rigid connecting rod.The method according to claim 20, comprising, while the aircraft apparatus is present in the region of a target location, further at least partially extending at least one of the extendable flexible connecting rods coupling to one another the housing of the aircraft apparatus and the housing of the correcting apparatus, and / or at least partially extending at least one of the extendable rigid connecting rods coupling the housing of the correcting apparatus to the docking module under the control of the control device to position the payload coupled to the docking module with respect to a target delivery location, and further uncoupling the positioned payload from the docking module so as to enable placement thereof in said delivery location.

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