Systems and methods for tethered drones
AssigneeBlue Vigil LLC
InventorsRobert Schumann, Gerard Eldering, Charles A. Eldering, Brandon Wernick, Ted Markson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an example embodiment, a drone-based system comprises: a base station, wherein the base station is configured to provide drone control and power, a drone; a tether connecting the base station to the drone and configured to provide the drone with the power from the base station; and a lighting system, operably attached to the drone via the tether, configured to generate illumination of a ground area, wherein the illumination of the ground area is controllable by modifying least one of an intensity of the illumination and a height of the drone above the ground area.
Claims17
A drone-based system comprising:
- a base station, wherein the base station is configured to provide drone control and power;
- a drone;
- a tether connecting the base station to the drone and configured to provide the drone with the power from the base station;
- a lighting system, operably attached to the drone via the tether, configured to generate illumination of a ground area, wherein the illumination of the ground area is controllable by modifying least one of an intensity of the illumination and a height of the drone above the ground area;
- and
- a light level output adjustment controller electrically connected to the lighting system and configured to modify the intensity of the illumination generated by the lighting system based on an amount of the tether deployed between the base station and the drone.
A method comprising:
- launching, from a base station, a drone, wherein the drone is connected to the base station by a tether, wherein the drone includes a lighting system, and wherein the base station supplies power for the lighting system by way of the tether, wherein the drone also includes a light level output adjustment controller electrically connected to the lighting system, and wherein the light level output adjustment controller modifies light output of the lighting system based on an amount of tether deployed;
- causing the drone to fly to a specific altitude;
- and
- activating the lighting system to provide downward illumination to a surface.
A drone-based system comprising:
- a base station, wherein the base station is configured to provide drone control and power;
- a drone;
- a tether connecting the base station to the drone and configured to provide the drone with the power from the base station;
- a lighting system, operably attached to the drone via the tether, configured to generate illumination of a ground area, wherein the illumination of the ground area is controllable by modifying least one of an intensity of the illumination and a height of the drone above the ground area;
- and
- a light level output adjustment controller electrically connected to the lighting system and configured to modify the intensity of the illumination generated by the lighting system, wherein the light level output adjustment controller is configured to modify the intensity of the illumination generated by the lighting system based on a calculation of the illumination including at least a parameter of a distance from a surface and a parameter of the intensity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.