UAV recovery system

• US 7,219,856 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Root, George Raymond Jr., Adamski, David M., Watts, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu; Teri Pham
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mayle; Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US11/050,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20070051849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 244/110.C, 244/110.F, 244/116, 114/259, 114/261, 114/262
• US Class Current: 244/110.00F
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/02 for arresting aircraft, e.g. nets or cables
• 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

Abstract

A UAV capture system is disclosed. In the illustrative embodiment, the UAV capture system is coupled to the deck of a sea-faring vessel. The UAV capture system includes a single arresting line that is supported by a stanchion. In the illustrative embodiment, the stanchion is disposed on a rotatable boom.

Claims

1. An apparatus for airborne capture of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a stanchion having two upright vertical members;

a single arresting line for unmanned aerial vehicle capture, wherein said arresting line is supported in air between said upright vertical members, and wherein, at a time of said capture, said unmanned aerial vehicle is above said arresting line; and

a braking system, wherein said arresting line is coupled to said braking system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a boom, wherein said stanchion is coupled to said boom.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said boom is rotatable between a first position and a second position.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said boom is coupled to a deck of a vessel, and further wherein:

in said first position, said stanchion is disposed over a side of said deck above water;

and, in said second position, said stanchion is disposed above said deck.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said stanchion is in a third position, wherein:

said third position is between said first position and said second position;

said boom is disposed above said water over said deck; and

said arresting line is not orthogonal to a long axis of said vessel.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a camera, wherein said camera is coupled to said stanchion.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a camera, wherein said camera is coupled to one of said stanchion or said boom.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a processor for receiving a signal from said camera.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said processor receives a signal that is representative of data selected from the group consisting of altimeter data from a UAV, geographical location data from a UAV, data pertaining to movement of a ship, data for determining a height of said arresting line, and weather data.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an arresting hook for engaging said arresting line, wherein said arresting hook is attached to a UAV.

11. An apparatus for airborne capture of an unmanned aerial vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a movable boom, wherein said boom is coupled to a deck of a ship near a first end of said boom;

a stanchion having two upright vertical members;

a single arresting line for capturing said unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein said arresting line is supported in air between said upright vertical members, and further wherein said arresting line is disposed above said movable boom; and

a braking system, wherein said arresting line is coupled to said braking system.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said movable boom is movable between:

a first position, wherein both of said two upright vertical members of said stanchion are disposed over said deck; and

a second position, wherein both of said two upright vertical members of said stanchion are not disposed over said deck.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said vertical members extend less than six feet above said boom.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a distance between said vertical members is within a range from about 12 feet to about 20 feet.

15. A method for airborne capture of an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

directing a UAV toward a length of an elevated, horizontally-disposed arresting line;

coupling a hook, which depends from said UAV, to said arresting line, thereby capturing said UAV while in flight, and wherein, at a time of said capture, said UAV is disposed above said arresting line;

releasing an additional length of arresting line after said hook and said arresting line are coupled to bring said UAV to rest; and

maintaining said UAV in an elevated disposition, suspended by said arresting line, until after said UAV is brought to rest.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the operation of releasing an additional length of arresting line further comprises applying a resistance during release of said arresting line thereby slowing forward motion of said UAV.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the operation of directing a UAV further comprises manually flying said UAV toward said arresting line via remote control.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the operation of directing a UAV further comprises autonomously controlling flight of said UAV via a system comprising a camera, a processor, and a transceiver.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said arresting line is supported by a stanchion, and wherein said stanchion is supported by a boom, and further wherein said additional length of arresting line is sufficient to enable said UAV to come to rest below said boom.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said boom is coupled to a deck of a ship, and wherein said method further comprises retrieving said UAV from said arresting line by one of either:

pulling said arresting line toward said deck;

or

rotating said boom over said deck.