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US 12,542,599 B2Granted
Drone coordinated satellite communications, energy harvesting, and camouflage
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorNathan D. Hiller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, Systems, and Apparatus for coordinating drones to communicate with reduced signal to noise, harvest energy, or provide camouflage.
Claims20
A system for energy harvesting, comprising:
- a set of transmitter drones;
- a plurality of elements, wherein each element, of the plurality of elements, is mounted to a different transmitter drone of the set of transmitter drones;
- and
- a computer communicatively coupled to the set of transmitter drones, the computer coordinating the set of transmitter drones to:
- receive solar energy on the plurality of elements;
- and
- transmit, from the plurality of elements, at least a portion of the solar energy to a device on a receiver drone, the device including at least one of a photovoltaic device or a first thermoelectric module,
- wherein the device converts at least the portion of the solar energy to electrical power with an efficiency that is greater than a conversion efficiency of a device that receives at least the portion of the solar energy from a plurality of flat reflectors.
5 more elements
An apparatus for energy harvesting, comprising:
- a set of transmitter drones;
- a receiver drone;
- and
- a plurality of elements, wherein each element, of the plurality of elements, is mounted to a different transmitter drone of the set of transmitter drones, and wherein the apparatus is configured to:
- receive solar energy;
- and
- transmit at least a portion of the solar energy to a device on the receiver drone, the device including at least one of a photovoltaic device or a first thermoelectric module,
- wherein the device converts at least the portion of the solar energy to electrical power with an efficiency that is greater than a conversion efficiency of a device that receives at least the portion of the solar energy from a plurality of flat reflectors.
5 more elements
A method for harvesting energy, comprising:
- coordinating a set of transmitter drones to:
- receive solar energy on an element;
- and
- transmit at least a portion of the solar energy to a device on a receiver drone, the device including at least one of a photovoltaic device or a first thermoelectric module,
- wherein the device converts at least the portion of the solar energy to electrical power with an efficiency that is greater than a conversion efficiency of a device that receives at least the portion of the solar energy from a plurality of flat reflectors.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.