Drone-enabled substance collection system
AssigneeHana Resources, Inc.
InventorsAndrew John Fox, Michelle Caruana
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to fly along a flight path and collect a substance at a specified geographic location. For example, the unmanned aerial vehicle may include a rail mount to which various attachments can be coupled. One such attachment may be a rail attachment coupled to a support that carries a canister. The canister may include a lid that allows substances to enter the canister, but that prevents substances from exiting the canister. The unmanned aerial vehicle can fly to the specified geographic location, descend or otherwise cause the canister to descend, and maintain a position for a period of time to allow a substance to enter the canister. The unmanned aerial vehicle can then return to the point of origin.
Claims23
A system comprising:
- an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a battery, a housing that at least partially encloses the battery, and a plate affixed to an exterior of the housing;
- a rail mount configured to couple to the plate;
- a rail attachment comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the rail attachment is configured to couple to the rail mount, and the second portion of the rail attachment comprises a first clevis;
- a support comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the support comprises a second clevis and is configured to couple to the second portion of the rail attachment;
- a flexible structure having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the flexible structure is configured to couple to the second end of the support;
- a canister configured to couple to the second end of the flexible structure;
- and
- a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, wherein the computing system is configured to communicate with the unmanned aerial vehicle and configured with specific computer-executable instructions to instruct the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly along a flight path and collect a substance in the canister at a first geographic location.
An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
- a battery;
- a housing that at least partially encloses the battery;
- a plate affixed to an exterior of the housing;
- a rail mount configured to couple to the plate;
- a rail attachment comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the rail attachment is configured to couple to the rail mount and the second portion of the rail attachment comprises a first clevis;
- a support comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the support comprises a second clevis and is configured to couple to the second portion of the rail attachment;
- a structure having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the structure is configured to couple to the second end of the support;
- and
- a substance-carrying component configured to couple to the second end of the structure.
A method comprising:
- as implemented by an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a rail mount,
- flying along a flight path from a first geographic location toward a second geographic location;
- descending, at the second geographic location, from a first height to a second height, wherein the descent causes a substance to enter a canister, wherein the canister is coupled to a first component removably coupled to the rail mount;
- ascending, a threshold time period after descending, to a height above the second height;
- and
- flying toward the first geographic location.
A method for retrofitting an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
- attaching a rail mount to a front surface of a plate of the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein a rear surface of the plate couples to a frame housing a battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
- attaching a rail attachment to the rail mount, wherein the rail attachment comprises a clevis;
- coupling a clevis of a support to the clevis of the rail attachment;
- coupling a flexible structure to the support;
- and
- coupling a canister to the flexible structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.