Battery backup via unmanned aerial vehicles for failure recovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10625856-B2
Application number	US-201816029564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2018
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to supply one or more batteries include loading the UAV with the one or more batteries as cargo; causing the UAV to fly to a remote location; and at the remote location, inserting the one or more batteries in a battery system for powering thereof. The method can further include, at the remote location, retrieving a second set of one or more batteries from the battery system; and causing the UAV to fly back with the retrieved second set.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to supply one or more batteries, the method comprising:
loading the UAV with the one or more batteries as cargo;
causing the UAV to fly to a remote location; and
at the remote location, inserting the one or more batteries in a battery system of the remote location, the battery system configured to supply power to the remote location,
wherein the remote location is a cell site, and the battery system is disposed on one of a cabinet, a shelter, and a cell tower, at the cell site,
wherein the battery system takes control of the UAV while receiving the one or more batteries from the UAV.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
at the remote location, retrieving a second set of one or more batteries from the battery system; and
causing the UAV to fly back with the retrieved second set.

3. A method using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to supply one or more batteries, the method comprising:
loading the UAV with the one or more batteries as cargo;
causing the UAV to fly to a remote location; and
at the remote location, controlling the UAV by the remote location during delivery of the one or more batteries to the remote location,
wherein the remote location is a cell site, and the battery system is disposed on one of a cabinet, a shelter, and a cell tower, at the cell site,
wherein the battery system takes control of the UAV while receiving the one or more batteries from the UAV.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more batteries are released from an altitude above ground level or a point of impact without harming the batteries when they reach ground level or the point of impact, and the one or more batteries include parachute system deployed subsequent to the releasing.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more batteries are released on the ground, a building, cabinet, or any other structure or receptacle.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
at the remote location, retrieving a second set of one or more batteries from a battery system; and
causing the UAV to fly back with the retrieved second set.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the remote location is a cell site with a battery system.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the battery system is disposed on one of a cabinet, a shelter, and a cell tower, at the cell site.

9. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) adapted to perform physical functions on a cell tower at a cell site, the UAV comprising:
one or more rotors disposed to a body;
one or more members disposed to the body, wherein the one or more members are loaded with one or more batteries as cargo;
wireless interfaces;
a processor coupled to the wireless interfaces and a camera; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
cause the UAV to fly to a remote location; and
at the remote location, insert the one or more batteries in a battery system of the remote location, the battery system configured to supply power to the remote location,
wherein the remote location is a cell site, and the battery system is disposed on one of a cabinet, a shelter, and a cell tower, at the cell site,
wherein the battery system takes control of the UAV while receiving the one or more batteries from the UAV.

10. The UAV of claim 9 , wherein the UAV is configured to retrieve a second set of one or more batteries from the battery system at the remote location, and fly back with the retrieved second set.

11. The UAV of claim 9 , wherein the remote location is an electric vehicle.

12. The UAV of claim 9 , wherein the UAV has one or more counterbalancing techniques to compensate for weight distribution change in flight due to the one or more batteries.

Assignees

• Etak Systems Llc

Inventors

• Priest Lee
• Terry Charlie
• Godwin Joshua

Classifications

• B64C17/02

  by gravity or inertia-actuated apparatus · CPC title

• B64D1/02

  Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles (jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12) · CPC title

• B60L2200/10

  Air crafts · CPC title

• B60L53/80

  Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries · CPC title

• B64C2201/141

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic