Multi-bay drone for removing and replacing a device in a device receptacle in a single visit
AssigneeInventus Holdings, LLC
InventorJeroen Leverman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drone for replacing a removeable device can include a drone body with at least three lift-generating rotors spaced apart from the drone body and operating in concert that provide lift sufficient to propel the drone in at least six directions. The drone can include a first bay attached to the drone body, the first bay comprising a first mounting mechanism to dismount a first removeable device from a device receptacle and to securely stow the first removeable device. The drone can also include a second bay attached to the drone body comprising a second mounting mechanism to stow a second removeable device and to mount the second removeable device on the device receptacle.
Claims19
A drone for replacing a first removeable device with a second removeable device, the drone comprising:
- a drone body with at least three lift-generating rotors spaced apart from the drone body and operating in concert that provide lift sufficient to propel the drone in at least six directions;
- a first bay for interfacing with the first removable device, the first bay being attached to the drone body, the first bay comprising a first mounting mechanism to dismount the first removeable device from a device receptacle and to securely stow the first removeable device, the first mounting mechanism of the first bay further comprises:
- an electromagnet positioned to interface with a locking pin in the first removeable device, wherein the locking pin of the first removeable device is biased away from the electromagnet and the locking pin moves toward the electromagnet if the electromagnet is in an energized state to stow the first removable device in the first bay;
- a second bay for interfacing with the second removeable device, the second bay being attached to the drone body comprising a second mounting mechanism to stow a second removeable device and to mount the second removeable device on the device receptacle.
A drone for replacing a first removeable device with a second removable device, the drone comprising:
- a first bay for interfacing with the first removable device, the first bay being attached to an underside of a drone body, the first bay comprising a first mounting mechanism to dismount or mount the first removeable device from a device receptacle and to securely stow the first removeable device, the first mounting mechanism of the first bay comprising a first motor configured to spin the first removeable device in a direction that unscrews the first removeable device from the device receptacle;
- a second bay for interfacing with the second removable device, the second bay being attached to the underside of the drone body, the second bay comprising a second mounting mechanism to dismount or mount a second removeable device from the device receptacle and to securely stow the first removeable device, the second mounting mechanism of the second bay comprising a second motor configured to spin the removeable device in a direction that screws the second removeable device into to the device receptacle;
- at least three lift-generating rotors mounted on arms extending from the drone body and operating in concert that provide lift sufficient to propel the drone in at least six directions;
- a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a ground station;
- and
- a controller that controls a state of the first mounting mechanism, a state of the second mounting mechanism and a speed of rotation of the at least three lift-generating rotors in response to commands received at the wireless transceiver.
A method for replacing a removeable device with a drone, the method comprising:
- aligning a drone such that a first bay of the drone overlays a first removeable device mounted in a first device receptacle, wherein a second bay of the drone stows a second removeable device;
- dismounting, with a first mounting mechanism of the first bay, the first removeable device from the first device receptacle;
- stowing, with the first mounting mechanism of the first bay, the first removeable device in the first bay of the drone;
- mounting, with a second mounting mechanism of the second bay, the second removeable device in the first device receptacle or a second device receptacle, wherein the first removeable device is stowed in the first bay of the drone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.