System, mobile base station and umbilical cabling and tethering (UCAT) apparatus

• US 10,195,629 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Working Drones, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Working Drones, Inc.
• Inventors: Dahlstrom, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Abby Y
• Application Number:
  US14/853,555
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/08 responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged, of ambient medium or of target ; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/005 mounted on vehicles or designed to apply a liquid on a very large surface, e.g. on the road, on the surface of large containers
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/16 Dropping or releasing powdered, liquid, or gaseous matter, e.g. for fire-fighting jettisoning fuel B64D37/26
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/80 UAVs characterised by their small size, e.g. micro air vehicles [MAV]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/83 Electronic components structurally integrated with aircraft elements, e.g. circuit boards carrying loads
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/25 for manufacturing or servicing
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/40 for agriculture or forestry operations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/95 Means for guiding the landing UAV towards the platform, e.g. lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/97 Means for guiding the UAV to a specific location on the platform, e.g. platform structures preventing landing off-centre
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/30 with arrangements for data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/82 Airborne vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 : Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00

Abstract

An aspect of the embodiments includes a system comprising an unmanned self-propelled (USP) vehicle comprising a tool having a dispensed tool output and a mobile base station. The mobile base station comprises a power supply, a fluid medium source, and one or more processors operable to generate control signals to control the USP vehicle and to affect the dispensed tool output from the tool. The mobile base station includes an umbilical cabling and tethering (UCAT) apparatus to interconnect the USP vehicle and the mobile base station, the UCAT apparatus providing the USP vehicle with one or more of power from the power supply, a fluid medium from the fluid medium source and the control signals. The embodiments include a mobile base station and method for conducting a task.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an unmanned self-propelled (USP) vehicle comprising a tool having a dispensed tool output, the USP configured to fly along a flight path;

a mobile base station having a mobile platform, the mobile base station comprising;

a power supply;

a medium source;

one or more processors operable to generate control signals to control the USP vehicle and to affect the dispensed tool output from the tool; and

an umbilical cabling and tethering (UCAT) apparatus comprising at least one cord to interconnect the USP vehicle to the mobile base station, the UCAT apparatus providing the USP vehicle with one or more of power from the power supply, a medium to or from the medium source and the control signals;

a plurality of sensors coupled along a length of the at least one cord of the UCAT apparatus to sense a position of the at least one cord and a functional status of the medium flowing through the UCAT apparatus and provide sensed information to the one or more processors; and

a display configured to display to a user the sensed information including the position of the at least one cord and the functional status of the medium during flight of the USP vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the USP vehicle is one of a multi-rotor rotorcraft, an aerial vehicle and a waterproof aerial vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote control system;

wherein the medium source comprises one or more reservoirs having a material supply, the material supply being the medium;

wherein the UCAT apparatus configured to deliver the material supply to the tool of the USP vehicle for dispensing by the dispensed tool output; and

wherein the one or more processors of the mobile base station further being operable to communicate with a remote control system to identify a status of the material supply of the one or more reservoirs as a result of the dispensing.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the mobile base station further comprises one or more sensors configured to sense a status of one or more materials supply parameters of the one or more reservoirs, the one or more materials supply parameters comprises one or more of an amount remaining, pH level, viscosity, temperature, and mixture ratios which affect the dispensed tool output.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the material supply comprises one or more of sand, microscopic granulates of metal, water, air, gases, chemicals, organic and inorganic compounds including solid and semi-solid compounds, wherein the material supply is communicated to the USP vehicle through the UCAT apparatus and dispensed through the tool as the dispensed tool output.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile base station comprises a landing pad for the USP vehicle to land thereon.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the landing pad comprises machine readable markings and/or a beacon detectable by the USP vehicle during landing.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile base station comprises one or more mobility sensors;

and the one or more processors configured to move the mobile platform based on sensed signals from the one or more mobility sensors and to affect the dispensed tool and output from the tool.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile base station comprises one or more of a compressor, a vacuum, an airblower, a mixer/stirrer, strainer, forced air supply, pump, and heater to affect the dispensed tool output from the tool through the UCAT apparatus.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one processor of the one or more processors is a part of the UCAT apparatus.

11. A mobile base station, comprising:

a power supply;

a medium source;

one or more processors operable to generate control signals to control an unmanned self-propelled (USP) vehicle having a tool with a dispensed tool output and to affect the dispensed tool output from the tool; and

an umbilical cabling and tethering (UCAT) apparatus comprising at least one cord to interconnect the USP vehicle to the mobile base station, the UCAT apparatus providing the USP vehicle with one or more of power from the power supply, a medium to or from the medium source and the control signals; and

a plurality of sensors coupled along a length of the at least one cord of the UCAT apparatus to sense a position of the at least one cord and a functional status of the medium flowing through the UCAT apparatus and provide sensed information to the one or more processors wherein based on the sensed position, the at least one cord is repositioned during flight of the USP vehicle along a flight path.

12. The mobile base station of claim 11, wherein the medium source comprises one or more reservoirs having a material supply, the material supply being the medium;

wherein the UCAT apparatus configured to deliver the material supply to the tool of the USP vehicle for dispensing by the dispensed tool output; and

wherein the one or more processors of the mobile base station further being operable to communicate with a remote control system to identify a status of the material supply of the one or more reservoirs as a result of the dispensing.

13. The mobile base station of claim 12, further comprising one or more sensors to sense a status of one or more materials supply parameters of the one or more reservoirs, the one or more materials supply parameters comprises one or more of an amount remaining, pH level, viscosity, temperature, and mixture ratios which affect the dispensed tool output.

14. The mobile base station of claim 12, wherein the material supply comprises one or more of sand, microscopic granulates of metal, water, air, gases, chemicals, organic and inorganic compounds including various solid and semi-solid compounds, wherein the one or more material supply is communicated to the USP vehicle through the UCAT apparatus and dispensed through the tool as the dispensed tool output.

15. The mobile base station of claim 11, further comprising a landing pad for the USP vehicle to land thereon.

16. The mobile base station of claim 15, wherein the landing pad comprises machine readable markings and/or a beacon detectable by the USP vehicle during landing.

17. The mobile base station of claim 11, further comprising a mobile platform and one or more mobility sensors;

and the one or more processors configured to move the mobile platform based on sensed signals from the one or more mobility sensors and to affect the dispensed tool output from the tool.

18. The mobile base station of claim 11, wherein the mobile base station comprises one or more of a compressor, a vacuum, an airblower, a mixer/stirrer, strainer, forced air supply, pump, and heater to affect the dispensed tool output from the tool through the UCAT apparatus.

19. A method, comprising:

providing a mobile base station on a mobile platform, the mobile base station comprising a power supply;

a medium source having a medium;

one or more processors operable to generate control signals to control an unmanned self-propelled (USP) vehicle having a tool with a dispensed tool output and to affect the dispensed tool output from the tool; and

an umbilical cabling and tethering (UCAT) apparatus comprising at least one cord, with a plurality of sensors coupled along at least one cord of the UCAT apparatus and being in communication with at least one processor of the one or more processors, to interconnect the USP vehicle with the mobile base station;

interconnecting the USP vehicle and the mobile base station via the at least one cord of the UCAT apparatus;

generating, by the one or more processors of the mobile base station, the control signals to control the USP vehicle during flight of the USP along a flight path;

sensing a position of the at least one cord and a functional status of the medium flowing through the UCAT apparatus with the plurality of sensors coupled along a length of the at least one cord;

communicating one or more of power from the power supply, the control signals and the medium through the UCAT apparatus;

affecting the dispensed tool output of the tool during flight of the USP vehicle via the control signals and movement of the mobile platform; and

causing repositioning of the at least one cord in response to the sensed position of the at least one cord during flight of the USP vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sensing, by one or more mobility sensors, mobility of the mobile platform; and

causing, by the one or more processors, the mobile platform to move based on sensed signals from the one or more mobility sensors and to affect the dispensed tool output from the tool.