Chinese Drone Maker Secures Probe of Textron Helicopter Patent

June 7, 2022, 9:13 PM UTC

An administrative tribunal granted Chinese drone-maker SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd.'s request to review a helicopter stability patent held by rival Cessna-maker Textron Innovations Inc., ruling that a parallel lawsuit in federal district court isn’t enough to preempt the review.

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board decided Tuesday that it will probe the validity of US Patent No. 9,162,752, which covers protocols to stabilize rotary aircraft during takeoff and landing. The patent is specifically aimed at reducing the dangers of “brownout” visibility conditions, which occur when dust and sand are whipped up by overhead rotor blades.

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