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.
Claims20
A drone-based system comprising:
- a drone, wherein a tether is configured to connect a base station to the drone and is configured to provide the drone with power from the base station;
- a directionally-alterable lighting system operably attached to the drone and configured to generate illumination including at least one fiducial illuminated by the directionally-alterable lighting system;
- and
- a lighting system controller electrically connected to the directionally-alterable lighting system and configured to provide direction control of the directionally-alterable lighting system, wherein the lighting system controller utilizes a reflection from the illuminated at least one fiducial to control an intensity for the directionally-alterable lighting system.
A drone-based system comprising:
- a drone, wherein a tether is configured to connect a base station to the drone and configured to provide the drone with power from the base station;
- a directionally-alterable lighting system having a plurality of independently-addressable lighting units, each operably attached to the drone and configured to provide illumination including at least one fiducial illuminated by the directionally-alterable lighting system;
- and
- a lighting system controller electrically connected to the directionally-alterable lighting system and configured to provide direction control of each of the plurality of independently-addressable lighting units, wherein the lighting system controller utilizes a reflection from the illuminated at least one fiducial to control an intensity for each of the plurality of independently-addressable lighting units.
A drone-based system comprising:
- a drone, wherein a tether is configured to connect a base station to the drone and configured to provide the drone with power from the base station;
- a lighting system, operably attached to the drone via the tether, configured to generate illumination of a ground area including at least one fiducial, wherein the illumination of the ground area is controllable by modifying 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 illumination generated by the lighting system, wherein the light level output adjustment controller utilizes a reflection from the illuminated at least one fiducial to control an intensity for the lighting system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.