Guided lift system

• US 9,718,543 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Samaritano, Anthony C., Duffy, Michael J., Quadracci, Leonard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BENEDIK, JUSTIN M
• Application Number:
  US14/506,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20160096623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 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: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 19/00 Hoisting, lifting, hauling or pushing, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0866 specially adapted to captive aircraft

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for a guided lift system utilized for maneuvering payloads. According to aspects of the disclosure, a guided lift system may include a lift unit attached to a payload, at least two control tethers attached to the lift unit, and at least two control units fixed in positions and capable of adjusting the lengths of the control tethers. Coordinated length adjustments of the control tethers pulls the lift unit and payload in a desired direction to a desired delivery location.

Claims

1. A guided lift system for maneuvering a payload, comprising:

a lift unit attached to the payload, wherein the lift unit comprises a lift vehicle that operates to lift the payload in a vertical direction and to create a non-vertical lift component in a horizontal direction;

a first control tether attached to the lift unit;

a first control unit adjustably coupled to the first control tether, the first control unit fixed to a first position and operative to adjust a length of the first control tether between the first control unit and the lift unit;

a second control tether attached to the lift unit; and

a second control unit adjustably coupled to the second control tether, the second control unit fixed to a second position and operative to adjust a length of the second control tether between the second control unit and the lift unit such that coordinated length adjustments of the first control tether and the second control tether via the first control unit and the second control unit controls movement of the lift unit and payload between the first position and the second position, and wherein the non-vertical lift component created by the lift vehicle can move the lift unit and the payload in the horizontal direction to a location that is not linearly aligned with the first position and the second position.

2. The guided lift system of claim 1, wherein the lift unit comprises a payload tether such that the lift unit is attached to the payload via the payload tether.

3. The guided lift system of claim 2, wherein the first control tether and the second control tether are attached to the lift vehicle.

4. The guided lift system of claim 2, wherein the first control tether and the second control tether are attached to the payload tether.

5. The guided lift system of claim 2, wherein the first control tether and the second control tether are attached to the payload.

6. The guided lift system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first control tether and the second control tether electrically couples the lift vehicle to a power source.

7. The guided lift system of claim 1, wherein the first control unit and the second control unit each comprise a motorized winch assembly.

8. The guided lift system of claim 1, further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the first control unit and the second control unit, the controller operative to coordinate length adjustments of the first control tether and the second control tether to move the lift unit and payload.

9. The guided lift system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third control tether attached to the lift unit; and

a third control unit adjustably coupled to the third control tether, the third control unit fixed to a third position and operative to adjust a length of the third control tether between the third control unit and the lift unit such that coordinated length adjustments of the first control tether, the second control tether, and the third control tether via the first control unit, the second control unit, and the third control unit controls movement of the lift unit and payload between the first position, the second position, and the third position.

10. The guided lift system of claim 1, wherein the vertical thrust magnitude of the lift vehicle is remotely controllable during operation.

11. The guided lift system of claim 1, wherein the vertical thrust magnitude of the lift vehicle is fixed while maneuvering the payload.

13. The guided lift system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first position and the second position is attached to a vehicle.

14. The guided lift system of claim 1, wherein the first position comprises a mobile or fixed ground location, and wherein the second position comprises a rooftop location such that the second position is at a higher altitude than the first position.

12. A guided lift system for maneuvering a payload, comprising:

a lift unit attached to the payload, wherein the lift unit comprises a lift vehicle having a plurality of rotors;

a first control tether attached to the lift unit;

a first control unit adjustably coupled to the first control tether, the first control unit fixed to a first position and operative to adjust a length of the first control tether between the first control unit and the lift unit;

a second control tether attached to the lift unit; and

a second control unit adjustably coupled to the second control tether, the second control unit fixed to a second position and operative to adjust a length of the second control tether between the second control unit and the lift unit such that coordinated length adjustments of the first control tether and the second control tether via the first control unit and the second control unit controls movement of the lift unit and payload between the first position and the second position, wherein the lift vehicle having a non-vertical lift component such that an origination location of the payload is located on a line intersecting the first position and the second position, and a destination location of the payload is located at a position offset from the line intersecting the first position and the second position.

15. A guided lift system for maneuvering a payload, comprising:

a lift unit comprising a lift vehicle having a plurality of rotors and a vertical thrust magnitude that is variable, and a payload tether attached to the payload;

a first control tether attached to the lift unit;

a first motorized winch assembly coupled to the first control tether, the first motorized winch assembly fixed to a first position and operative to adjust a length of the first control tether between the first motorized winch assembly and the lift unit;

a second control tether attached to the lift unit;

a second motorized winch assembly adjustably coupled to the second control tether, the second motorized winch assembly fixed to a second position and operative to adjust a length of the second control tether between the second motorized winch assembly and the lift unit such that coordinated length adjustments of the first control tether and the second control tether via the first motorized winch assembly and the second motorized winch assembly controls movement of the lift unit and payload between the first position and the second position; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the first motorized winch assembly and the second motorized winch assembly, the controller operative to coordinate length adjustments of the first control tether and the second control tether to move the lift unit and payload,

wherein the first control tether and the second control tethers are the only control tethers coupled to the lift vehicle, and wherein the lift vehicle comprises a non-vertical lift component such that an origination location of the payload is located on a line intersecting the first position and the second position, and a destination location of the payload is located at a position offset from the line intersecting the first position and the second position.

16. The guided lift system of claim 15, further comprising:

a remote control device operative to provide user-supplied control to the controller for moving the lift unit and payload between positions.

17. A method for maneuvering a payload, the method comprising:

lifting a payload attached to a lift unit comprising a payload tether and a modular vehicle lift system with a plurality of lift vehicles connected to one another;

at a first control unit at a first position, lengthening a first control tether attached to the lift unit;

at a second control unit at a second position, shortening a second control tether at a rate corresponding to the lengthening of the first control tether to pull the lift unit toward a location between the first position and the second position; and

at the plurality of lift vehicles, creating a non-vertical lift component to move the lift unit and the payload in a horizontal direction to a location that is not linearly aligned with the first position and the second position.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising coordinating the lengthening of the first control tether and the shortening of the second control tether to lift, move, and lower the lift unit.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

at a third control unit at a third position, adjusting a length of a third control tether at a rate corresponding to the lengthening of the first control tether and shortening of the second control tether to pull the lift unit to a destination location offset from a line intersecting the first position and the second position.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

mounting the first control unit to a ground or a vehicle;

mounting the second control unit to a rooftop,

wherein pulling the lift unit to the destination location between the first position and the second position comprises pulling the lift unit from a first position on the ground to a destination location on the rooftop.