Method and apparatus for an airborne drone training track

• US 10,486,831 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2016
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Natarajan, Chandrashekar, Thompson, John P., Atchley, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benedik, Justin M
• Application Number:
  US15/334,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20170113816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/022 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/00 Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations specially adapted for captive aircraft B64F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 3/00 Ground installations specially adapted for captive aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/202 using tethers for connecting to ground station

Abstract

An airborne drone training track includes both a ground track and a ceiling track. The ceiling track can be disposed above and be at least essentially aligned with the ground track. Airborne drone attachment tethers movably attach an airborne drone to each of these tracks. A lower airborne drone attachment tether movably attaches to the ground track and to a bottom portion of the airborne drone. A plurality of upper airborne drone attachment tethers movably attach to the ceiling track and to upper portions of the airborne drone. By one approach there is only one lower airborne drone attachment tether and four upper airborne drone attachment tethers.

Claims

1. An airborne drone training track comprising:

a ground track;

a ceiling track disposed above and at least substantially aligned with the ground track;

a lower airborne drone attachment tether having a first end movably attached to the ground track and a second end configured to attach to a bottom portion of an airborne drone;

a plurality of upper airborne drone attachment tethers, each having a first end movably attached to the ceiling track and a second end configured to attach to an upper portion of the airborne drone.

2. The airborne drone training track of claim 1 wherein the ground track comprises at least one rail and wherein the ceiling track comprises at least one rail.

3. The airborne drone training track of claim 1 wherein the ground track is attached to an indoor floor of a building.

4. The airborne drone training track of claim 3 wherein the ceiling track is attached to an indoor ceiling of the building.

5. The airborne drone training track of claim 1 wherein the tethers comprise a flexible material.

6. The airborne drone training track of claim 5 wherein the tethers are substantially nonelastic.

7. The airborne drone training track of claim 1 wherein at least substantially all of the outer surface of the tethers are colored to highly contrast with at least a majority of other surfaces that are located visually proximal to the airborne drone training track.

8. The airborne drone training track of claim 1 wherein the lower airborne drone attachment tether is the only lower airborne drone attachment tether and wherein the plurality of upper airborne drone attachment tethers consists of only four upper airborne drone attachment tethers.

9. The airborne drone training track of claim 1 wherein the lower airborne drone attachment tether has a length that is shorter than the height of the ceiling track above the ground track and wherein at least one of the upper airborne drone attachment tethers includes an auto-belay to prevent an attached airborne drone from moving downwardly at greater than a permitted speed.

10. A method comprising:

attaching a bottom portion of an airborne drone to a lower airborne drone attachment tether having an opposing end that movably attaches to a ground track;

attaching a plurality of upper portions of the airborne drone to a plurality of upper airborne drone attachment tethers that each have an opposing end that movably attaches to a ceiling track.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

flying the airborne drone while attached to the lower airborne drone attachment tether and to the plurality of upper airborne drone attachment tethers, such that the lower airborne drone attachment tether limits a height to which the airborne drone can rise.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of the plurality of upper airborne drone attachment tethers includes an auto-belay, such that the at least one of the plurality of upper airborne drone attachment tethers prevents the flying airborne drone from moving downwardly at greater than a permitted speed.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

remotely releasing at least one of the tethers while flying the airborne drone.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

remotely releasing all of the tethers while flying the airborne drone.

15. An airborne drone having an upper portion and a lower portion, and further comprising:

at least one lower tether attachment point disposed on the lower portion, the at least one tether attachment point attached to a lower airborne drone attachment tether having an opposing end movably attached to a ground track;

a plurality of upper tether attachment points disposed on the upper portion, the plurality of upper tether attachment points each attached to an upper airborne drone attachment tether having an opposing end movably attached to a ceiling track.

16. The airborne drone of claim 15 wherein the lower portion has only one lower tether attachment point and the upper portion has exactly four upper tether attachment points.

17. The airborne drone of claim 15 wherein the tether attachment points each comprise a remotely releasable attachment point configured to release an attached tether in response to a remote control signal.