Drone elevator systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11608192-B2
Application number	US-201916406841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2019
Priority date	May 8, 2019
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for lifting drones to a desired height before launching. In one exemplary embodiment, a drone elevator system includes a looped cable that is engaged to a pair of pulleys. A first pulley of the pair of pulleys is coupled to a lighter-than-air craft and the second pulley is attached to a motor. The lighter-than-air craft moves upwards so as to raise the first pulley skywards and place the looped cable at an angle with respect to the ground. The motor is then operated to rotate the second pulley for moving the looped cable. The cable includes a set of tethers each of which is used to tether a drone. Each tether includes an extension arm that prevents the tethered drone from making contact with the cable when being lifted. Each tethered drone can be launched after being lifted to a desired height.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
detachably attaching a first drone to a first tether in a cable of a drone elevator system, wherein the first tether comprises a plurality of attachment elements having a clamp that is activated by a wireless signal, wherein the drone elevator system further comprises:
the cable, wherein the cable comprises a looped cable engaged to at least a first pulley at a first end and a second pulley at a second end, the looped cable having a first separation distance between a first section of the looped cable and a second section of the looped cable that is parallel to the first section, wherein the drone elevator system is configured to move the plurality of attachment elements along the first section of the looped cable, around the first pulley, and along the second section of the cable;

operating the drone elevator system to lift the first tether to a first height;
preventing the first drone from making contact with at least the cable when the drone elevator system is operated to lift the first tether to the first height; and
launching the first drone from the drone elevator system, the launching comprising detaching the first drone from the first tether after lifting the first tether to the first height.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first tether comprises one of a rod or a bar having a proximal end anchored to the cable and a distal end coupled to plurality of attachment elements for attaching the first drone to the first tether, the one of the rod or the bar extending away from the cable in an arrangement that prevents the first drone from making contact with the cable when the drone elevator system is operated to lift the first tether to the first height.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of attachment elements comprise at least one of a wire or a hook.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein preventing the first drone from making contact with the cable comprises:
sensing a swaying of the first drone via a sensor in a first direction when the drone elevator system is operated to lift the first tether to the first height; and
counteracting the swaying by operating an engine of the first drone to move the first drone in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
attaching a ribbon as a tail to the first drone, wherein a length of the ribbon is determined based at least in part on a wind condition and a weight of a package carried by the first drone; and
utilizing the tail to stabilize the first drone at least when the drone elevator system is operated to lift the first tether to the first height and when the first tether has been lifted to the first height.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
attaching a second drone to a second tether in the cable of the drone elevator system;
operating the drone elevator system to lift the second tether to a second height when lifting the first tether to the first height, wherein the second height is based at least in part on an angle of the cable with respect to a ground and a distance between the first section of the looped cable and the second section of the looped cable;
preventing the second drone from making contact with at least the cable when the drone elevator system is operated to lift the second tether to the second height; and
launching the second drone from the drone elevator system, the launching comprising detaching the second drone from the second tether after lifting the second tether to the second height.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein lifting the second drone to the second height is carried out concurrently to lifting the first tether to the first height.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drone elevator system further comprises:
a lifting mechanism that is engaged to at least the first pulley for raising the first pulley and placing the looped cable at an angle with respect to a ground;
a motor coupled to at least one of the first pulley or the second pulley, the motor operable to move the looped cable; and
the first tether further comprising a first extension arm extending away from the looped cable, the first extension arm having a proximal end anchored to the looped cable and a distal end having the plurality of attachment elements.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a diameter of at least one of the first pulley or the second pulley is selected to provide the first separation distance between the first section of the looped cable and the second section of the looped cable.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first pulley is paired with a third pulley and the second pulley is paired with a fourth pulley in an arrangement that provides the first separation distance between the first section of the looped cable and the second section of the looped cable.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the drone elevator system further comprises a loading platform, and wherein a third section of the looped cable located between the first pulley and the third pulley is configured to move horizontal to a loading surface of the loading platform when the looped cable is in motion.

12. A method comprising:
providing a drone elevator system that includes a cable having at least a first tether, the first tether including a rigid extension arm having a proximal end anchored to the cable and a plurality of attachment elements having a clamp that is activated by a wireless signal, wherein the plurality of attachment elements comprise a cylindrical section fixedly attached to the cable, the rigid extension arm extending perpendicularly from the cylindrical section, and an angle support provided between the rigid extension arm and the cylindrical section, and wherein the drone elevator system further comprises:
the cable, wherein the cable comprises a looped cable engaged to at least a first pulley at a first end and a second pulley at a second end, the looped cable having a first separation distance between a first section of the looped cable and a second section of the looped cable that is parallel to the first section, wherein the drone elevator system is configured to move the plurality of attachment elements along the first section of the looped cable, around the first pulley, and along the second section of the cable;

detachably attaching a first drone to a distal end of the rigid extension arm; and
operating the drone elevator system to lift the first tether to a first height, the rigid extension arm preventing the first drone from making contact with the cable.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein detachably attaching the first drone to the distal end of the rigid extension arm comprises one of using a wire, a hook or a container that is a part of the rigid extension arm.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
sensing a swaying of the first drone via a sensor in a first direction when the drone elevator system is operated to lift the first tether to the first height; and
counteracting the swaying by operating an engine of the first drone to move the first drone in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
attaching a ribbon as a tail to the first drone, wherein a length of the ribbon is determined based at least in part on a wind condition and a weight of a package carried by the first drone; and
utilizing the tail to stabilize the first drone at least when the drone elevator system is operated to lift the first tether to the first height and when the first tether has been lifted to the first height.

16.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Leone Thomas
• Miller Kenneth
• Dudar Aed M

Classifications

• B64U70/20 Primary

  for releasing or capturing UAVs in flight by another aircraft · CPC title

• B64U10/30

  Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft · CPC title

• B64U70/70

  Launching or landing using catapults, tracks or rails (launching from storage containers B64U70/50) · CPC title

• B64U80/10

  with means for moving the UAV to a supply or launch location, e.g. robotic arms or carousels · CPC title

• B64U2101/64

  for parcel delivery or retrieval · CPC title