# US 10,310,501 B2 · Managing available energy among multiple drones > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,310,501 B2 - Document ID: US10310501B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/433,105 - Filed: 2017-02-15 - Published: 2018-08-16 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-15 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Jeremy A. Greenberger; Christopher J. Hardee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310501B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0027: {involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00)} - B64U 10/13: Flying platforms - B64U 50/34: In-flight charging (photovoltaics B64U50/31) - G06Q 10/083: Shipping - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - G08G 5/56: for two or more aircraft - G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft - H02J 7/342: {The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68)} - B64U 2101/30: for imaging, photography or videography - B64U 2101/64: for parcel delivery or retrieval - H02J 2105/32: {for aircrafts} - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract Management of available energy among multiple drones is provided by identifying tasks to be completed by the multiple drones, and determining energy requirements of one or more drones of the multiple drones to facilitate completing one or more tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones. Further, the approach includes identifying an energy sharing approach for completion of the task(s) by the drone(s) where one or more other drones of the multiple drones transfer energy in operation to the drone(s) to facilitate completion of the task(s). In operation, the multiple drones may be detachably coupled, and the approach may include implementing the energy sharing approach by transferring energy from the other drone(s) to the drone(s) to facilitate completion of the task(s), for instance, prior to decoupling of the other drone(s) from the drone(s). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of managing available energy among multiple drones, the method comprising: identifying tasks to be completed by the multiple drones; determining energy requirements of one or more drones of the multiple drones to facilitate completing one or more tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones; identifying an energy sharing approach for completion of the task(s) by the drone(s) where one or more other drones of the multiple drones transfer energy in operation to the drone(s) to facilitate completion of the task(s); and wherein the multiple drones are coupled, and the method further comprises implementing the energy sharing approach by transferring energy in operation from the other drone(s) to the drone(s) to facilitate completion of the task(s) prior to decoupling of the other drone(s) from the drone(s). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises determining energy requirements of the other drone(s) of the multiple drones to facilitate completion of one or more other tasks by the other drone(s), and using the energy requirements of the drone(s) and the energy requirements of the other drone(s) in identifying the energy sharing approach, the other task(s) being one or more other tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes determining a respective route for each drone, each respective route including a route portion where the multiple drones travel as a coupled collective of drones, and the determining comprises determining energy requirements of each drone of the multiple drones for completion of a respective task of the multiple tasks to be completed by the multiple drones. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the determining further comprises determining any lifting requirements for each drone of the multiple drones for completion of the respective task and a total distance of each respective route of the multiple drones, and determining an expected amount of energy each drone will require for completion of the drone's respective task, and based thereon, identifying the energy sharing approach to facilitate transfer of energy from the other drone(s) to the drone(s) while in operation to facilitate completion of the task(s), while retaining sufficient energy for completion of one or more other tasks by the other drone(s), the other task(s) being one or more other tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the other drone(s) decouples in operation from the drone(s) to facilitate completion of one or more other tasks by the other drone(s), the other task(s) being one or more other tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein transferring energy in operation comprises transferring electrical energy in operation to one or more power supplies of the drone(s) from one or more other power supplies of the other drone(s) prior to decoupling of the other drone(s) from the drone(s), and wherein the transferring electrical energy is through one or more coupling mechanisms coupling the drone(s) and the other drone(s) in a coupled collective of the multiple drones. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the drone(s) have different power supply requirements for completion of the task(s) from the other drone(s) for completion of one or more other tasks, the other task(s) being one or more other tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones, and wherein the drone(s) requires transfer of electrical energy thereto in operation in order to complete the task(s) and return. ### Claim 8 A system for managing available energy among multiple drones, the system comprising: a memory; and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the system performs a method comprising; identifying tasks to be completed by the multiple drones: determining energy requirements of one or more drones of the multiple drones to facilitate completing one or more tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones; identifying an energy sharing approach for completion of the task(s) by the drone(s) where one or more other drones of the multiple drones transfer energy in operation to the drone(s) to facilitate completion of the task(s); and wherein the multiple drones are coupled, and the method further comprises implementing the energy sharing approach by transferring energy in operation from the other drone(s) to the drone(s) to facilitate completion of the task(s) prior to decoupling of the other drone(s) from the drone(s). ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the determining further comprises determining energy requirements of the other drone(s) of the multiple drones to facilitate completion of one or more other tasks by the other drone(s), and using the energy requirements of the drone(s) and the energy requirements of the other drone(s) in identifying the energy sharing approach, the other task(s) being one or more other tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the determining includes determining a respective route for each drone, each respective route including a route portion where the multiple drones travel as a coupled collective of drones, and the determining comprises determining energy requirements of each drone of the multiple drones for completion of a respective task of the multiple tasks to be completed by the multiple drones. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the determining further comprises determining any lifting requirements for each drone of the multiple drones for completion of the respective task and a total distance of each respective route of the multiple drones, and determining an expected amount of energy each drone will require for completion of the drone's respective task, and based thereon, identifying the energy sharing approach to facilitate transfer of energy from the other drone(s) to the drone(s) while in operation to facilitate completion of the task(s), while retaining sufficient energy for completion of one or more other tasks by the other drone(s), the other task(s) being one or more other tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the other drone(s) decouples in operation from the drone(s) to facilitate completion of one or more other tasks by the other drone(s), the other task(s) being one or more other tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones. ### Claim 13 A computer program product for managing available energy among multiple drones, the computer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therewith, the computer readable code being executable by a processor to perform a method comprising: identifying tasks to be completed by the multiple drones; determining energy requirements of one or more drones of the multiple drones to facilitate completing one or more tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones; identifying an energy sharing approach for completion of the task(s) by the drone(s) where one or more other drones of the multiple drones transfer energy in operation to the drone(s) to facilitate completion of the task(s); and wherein the multiple drones are coupled, and the method further comprises implementing the energy sharing approach by transferring energy in operation from the other drone(s) to the drone(s) to facilitate completion of the task(s) prior to decoupling of the other drone(s) from the drone(s). ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the determining further comprises determining energy requirements of the other drone(s) of the multiple drones to facilitate completion of one or more other tasks by the other drone(s), and using the energy requirements of the drone(s) and the energy requirements of the other drone(s) in identifying the energy sharing approach, the other task(s) being one or more other tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the determining includes determining a respective route for each drone, each respective route including a route portion where the multiple drones travel as a coupled collective of drones, and the determining comprises determining energy requirements of each drone of the multiple drones for completion of a respective task of the multiple tasks to be completed by the multiple drones. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the determining further comprises determining any lifting requirements for each drone of the multiple drones for completion of the respective task and a total distance of each respective route of the multiple drones, and determining an expected amount of energy each drone will require for completion of the drone's respective task, and based thereon, identifying the energy sharing approach to facilitate transfer of energy from the other drone(s) to the drone(s) while in operation to facilitate completion of the task(s), while retaining sufficient energy for completion of one or more other tasks by the other drone(s), the other task(s) being one or more other tasks of the tasks to be completed by the multiple drones.