Self charging lightweight drone apparatus

• US 10,424,231 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mores, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mores, Inc.
• Inventors: Salem, Ayman
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoge, Gary C
• Application Number:
  US15/162,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20160351089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/58 Arrangements or construction of gas-bags; Filling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/30 Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/80 UAVs characterised by their small size, e.g. micro air vehicles [MAV]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/24 for use as flying displays, e.g. advertising or billboards
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/37 Charging when not in flight
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/12 the advertising matter being towed by the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A drone apparatus or arrangement is provided. The drone apparatus or arrangement includes a plurality of drone devices, each drone device including an unmanned vehicle configured to be controlled to hover in air at a desired height and move to a desired location, and a surface apparatus connected to the plurality of drone devices such that the plurality of drone devices are collectively controllable to reposition the surface apparatus to a desired location.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least three drone devices, each drone device comprising an unmanned vehicle configured to be controlled to hover in air at a desired height and move to a desired location; and

a surface apparatus connected to the at least three drone devices such that the at least three drone devices are collectively controllable to reposition the surface apparatus to a desired location;

wherein at least two drone devices are attached to a top of the surface apparatus and at least one drone device is attached to a bottom of the surface apparatus while the at least three drone devices are in flight, thereby holding the surface apparatus in an air disturbance resistant orientation, wherein the surface apparatus is formed of at least one of a polymer, a plastic, paper, and microfiber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each drone device is configured to connect to and recharge at a compatible charging station.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface apparatus further comprises graphic material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least three drone devices comprise two drone devices positioned above the surface apparatus and two drone devices positioned below the surface apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least three drone devices comprise openable hooks on at least one of the surface apparatus and the plurality of drones, the openable hooks configured to facilitate the transportation f the surface apparatus by the at least three drone devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electrically controlled fluid sources.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least three drone devices are connectable to a single rechargeable battery source when not in flight.

8. A drone device arrangement comprising:

at least three drone devices, each drone device comprising an unmanned vehicle configured to be controlled to hover in air at a desired height and move to a desired location;

a surface apparatus connected to the at least three drone devices; and

means for propelling the surface apparatus in an upward direction connected to the surface apparatus;

wherein at least two drone devices are attached to a top of the surface apparatus and at least one drone device is attached to a bottom of the surface apparatus while the at least three drone devices are in flight, thereby holding the surface apparatus in an air disturbance resistant orientation, wherein the surface apparatus is formed of at least one of a polymer, a plastic, paper, and microfiber.

9. The drone device arrangement of claim 8, wherein the means for propelling the surface apparatus comprises a plurality of electrically controlled fluid sources.

10. The drone device arrangement of claim 8, wherein the at least three drone devices comprise two drone devices positioned below the surface apparatus.

11. The drone device arrangement of claim 8, wherein the at least three drone devices comprise two drone devices positioned above the surface apparatus and two drone devices positioned below the surface apparatus.

12. The drone device arrangement of claim 8, wherein each drone device of the at least three drone devices comprises hardware configured to fit on a recharging station such that each drone device may be recharged by the recharging station.

13. The drone device arrangement of claim 8, wherein at least one drone device comprises a sensor arrangement.

14. The drone device arrangement of claim 13, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a camera or a video recording device.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

at least three drone devices, each drone device comprising an unmanned vehicle configured to be controlled to hover in air at a desired height and move to a desired location; and

a display surface connected to the at least three drone devices such that the at least three drone devices are collectively controllable in air to relocate the display surface to a desired location;

wherein at least two drone devices are attached to a top of the display surface and at least one drone device is attached to a bottom of the display surface while the at least three drone devices are in flight, thereby maintaining the display surface in an air disturbance resistant orientation, wherein the display surface is formed of at least one of a polymer, a plastic, paper, and microfiber.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each drone device is configured to connect to and recharge at a compatible charging station.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the at least three drone devices comprises hardware configured to fit on the compatible charging station such that each drone device may be recharged by the compatible charging station.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least three drone devices comprise two drone devices positioned above the display surface and two drone devices positioned below the display surface.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least three drone devices comprise openable hooks on at least one of the surface apparatus and the plurality of drones, the openable hooks configured to facilitate the transportation f the surface apparatus by the at least three drone devices.