Aerial system and vehicle for continuous operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9926084-B2
Application number	US-201615291878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2016
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

An aerial vehicle landing station comprising a first post and a second post, wherein the second post is spaced apart from the first post and a cable to capture an aerial vehicle, wherein the cable is stretched between the first post and the second post and configured to support the weight of the aerial vehicle once captured and the cable may provide a charging current to the aerial vehicle once captured. One or more markers may be further positioned on the cable to designate a landing point, wherein the one or more markers are configured to be visually tracked by the aerial vehicle. A cable management device coupled to the cable via one or more pulleys may regulate tension of the cable. A communications transceiver at the aerial vehicle landing station may wirelessly communicate data with the aerial vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial vehicle landing station comprising:
a first post and a second post, wherein the second post is spaced apart from the first post;
a cable to capture an aerial vehicle,
wherein the cable is stretched between the first post and the second post and is configured to support the weight of the aerial vehicle once captured,
wherein the cable provide a charging current to the aerial vehicle once captured;

one or more markers positioned on the cable to designate a landing point, wherein the one or more markers are configured to be visually tracked by the aerial vehicle;
a cable management device coupled to the cable via one or more pulleys to regulate tension of the cable; and
a communications transceiver to wirelessly communicate data with the aerial vehicle.

2. An aerial vehicle landing station comprising:
a first post and a second post, wherein the second post is spaced apart from the first post;
a cable to capture an aerial vehicle, wherein the cable is stretched between the first post and the second post and is configured to support the weight of the aerial vehicle once captured and to provide a charging current to the aerial vehicle;
one or more markers positioned on the cable to designate a landing point, wherein the one or more markers are configured to be visually tracked by the aerial vehicle; and
a cable management device coupled to the cable to regulate tension of the cable.

3. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 2 , wherein the cable comprises a first conductor and a second conductor to provide the charging current to the aerial vehicle via an arresting device coupled to the aerial vehicle.

4. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 2 , wherein the cable charges the aerial vehicle through inductance charging.

5. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 2 , wherein the aerial vehicle landing station comprises a communications transceiver to wirelessly communicate data with the aerial vehicle.

6. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 5 , wherein the communications transceiver wirelessly receives surveillance data.

7. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 2 , wherein each of the first post and the second post is a telescoping post.

8. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 2 , wherein each of the one or more markers is an infrared reflector.

9. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 2 , wherein each of the one or more markers is an infrared beacon.

10. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 2 , wherein each of the one or more markers is a retroreflector material.

11. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 2 , wherein the aerial vehicle landing station is coupled to a vehicle to provide a mobile station.

12. An aerial vehicle landing station comprising:
one or more markers to designate a landing point for an aerial vehicle at the aerial vehicle landing station,
wherein the one or more markers are positioned at one or more predetermined locations and are configured to be visually tracked by the aerial vehicle;

one or more conductors to provide a charging current to the aerial vehicle; and
a communications transceiver to wirelessly communicate with the aerial vehicle,
wherein the aerial vehicle landing station is configured to communicate, via the communications transceiver, data to the aerial vehicle that includes information reflecting the one or more predetermined locations associated with the one or more markers at the aerial vehicle landing station.

13. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 12 , wherein the one or more conductors charge the aerial vehicle through inductance charging.

14. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 12 , wherein the one or more conductors charge the aerial vehicle through direct contact with one or more conductors of the aerial vehicle.

15. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 12 , wherein each of the one or more markers is an infrared reflector.

16. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 12 , wherein each of the one or more markers is an infrared beacon.

17. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 12 , wherein each of the one or more markers is a retroreflector material.

18. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 12 , wherein the aerial vehicle landing station is coupled to a vehicle to provide a mobile station.

19. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 12 , wherein the aerial vehicle landing station further comprises (i) a first post and a second post, wherein the second post is spaced apart from the first post, and (ii) an arresting cable to capture an aerial vehicle, wherein the arresting cable is stretched between the first post and the second post and configured to support the weight of the aerial vehicle once captured.

20. The aerial vehicle landing station of claim 19 , wherein the arresting cable includes the one or more conductors to provide a charging current to the aerial vehicle.

Assignees

• Aurora Flight Sciences Corp

Inventors

• Peverill James
• Woodworth Adam
• Freudberg Benjamin
• Cottrell Dan
• Mckenna Terrence

Classifications

• B60L53/68 Primary

  Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control · CPC title

• B64F1/029

  using a cable or tether · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64C2201/06

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic