CA3087379A1 - Tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system - Google Patents

Abstract

The field of the invention generally relates to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) also commonly referred to as 'drones' and which terms `I.JAV' and 'Drone' are used interchangeably throughout this application. The invention overcomes the extremely restrictive constraint of limited flight duration of all drones that use electrical storage batteries to provide power both for propulsion and operation of systems carried on board the UAV. In applications where UAVs carry equipment necessary for the mission, the weight of such equipment perforce reduces the batteries that can be carried by the UAV which reduces the flight time even further.
The invention removes the constraint of limited flight time by providing power to the UAV from an external source through suitably designed wires and/or cable assemblies. The invention further eliminates the need to carry materials, either collected or dispensed, on board the UAV and instead transport them to and from an external source through specially designed conduits. The invention further removes the necessity of carrying control equipment on board the UAV and instead provide control signals to the UAV from an external source using wires, fiberoptic elements, cables or other conductors that permit transmission of such signals.
This combined assembly of wires, cables and conduits constitutes a leash which effectively tethers the UAV to a structure located externally at a distance from the UAV, which structure may be fixed to the surface or mounted on mobile platforms which may travel on the surface of the earth or while submerged underwater or carried airborne and which platform provides all or part of the resources needed for the UAV to accomplish its mission through the tether.

Description

2 The use of airborne platforms to position objects above the surface of the earth was,

3 until recently, possible only through expensive and highly complex aircraft which are

4 either piloted or unmanned. Technology now enables such positioning to be achieved by employing cheap and simple machines known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) 6 or "drones", both terms being used commonly and interchangeably to mean all 7 machines capable of unmanned flight. The most common form of UAVs attain flight 8 through the use of propellers that direct powerful jets of air downwards.
The propellers 9 are driven by electric motors powered by batteries carried on board the UAV. Despite major advances in battery technology, they are heavy in weight and have limited 11 capacity to store electric power. The maximum weight of batteries that can be carried on 12 board is determined by the combined lifting capability of the propellers UAV and 13 invariably result in limited power which drastically limits the flight time of the UAV. In the 14 event that the UAV is required to carry equipment on board to accomplish its mission is the weight of the batteries has to be reduced to accommodate the weight of such 16 equipment. This results in a further decrease of flight time. A UAV can therefore remain 17 airborne for limited periods only and must land to either recharge its batteries or replace 18 them with fully charged units.
19 The total lifting capability of any UAV is a sum of three components;
the first being the weight of the airframe and the electronics required to control the UAV, the second being 21 the material that is carried on board the UAV for the purpose it is employed and the third 22 being the batteries that provide power to UAV. The structural weight of the airframe and 23 its electronics is an inescapable component which is reduced to an absolute minimum 24 through careful selection of materials and design. The remaining payload is shared between the batteries and the weight of equipment or material carried on board the 26 UAV. In applications where the material carried on board is of fixed weight, the duration 27 of a UAV(s) flight is a direct, constant function of battery weight whereas if the material 28 carried by the UAV is either obtained or dispensed during flight, the flight duration varies 29 as a function of the weight of the material on board the UAV at any given time.
The flight time of any UAV is optimized by designing it to carry sufficient batteries to 31 power the propellers and the equipment carried on board for the duration needed to Page 1 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 32 execute the task. For a UAV of defined specifications, if the flight time is increased by 33 carrying more batteries, the equipment it can carry must be reduced equally thereby 34 rendering the increase in flight time nugatory. If instead, the weight of material carried is 35 increased, batteries need to be removed and the flight time to dispense the added 36 materials may be reduced enough to preclude their dispensing. It is therefore necessary 37 to strike an optimized balance between the weight of the batteries needed to provide 38 power to the UAV for the entire period required to dispense all the material carried.
39 Likewise, if the UAV is employed to collect material during its mission, the weight of 40 batteries would need to be reduced by the weight of the material to be collected in each 41 mission. These are serious limitations that result in restricted flight times of short 42 durations during which the UAV can operate over a small area and collect or dispense 43 limited amounts of material.
44 The flight duration of any UAV can be increased to a theoretically infinite limit if power to 45 the UAV is provided through a wire connected to external source.
Furthermore, in 46 applications where a UAV is required to collect or dispense materials, if the materials 47 are not stored on board the UAV but instead stored in an external location and 48 transported to and from the UAV through a suitable conduit, the process of collection 49 and delivery can continue throughout any prolonged duration of flight of the UAV. The 50 sources of power and material may therefore be located at a distance from the UAV
51 which may be fixed on the surface or on a mobile platform which having freedom of 52 movement in all three axes. The wire and conduit assembly used to transport power 53 and materials constitutes a tether and, using a tethered arrangement, it becomes 54 possible for a UAV to theoretically operate for an unlimited time and dispense unlimited 55 amount of materials.
56 Furthermore, if an ability to transmit control signals needed to manoeuvre the UAV
57 is also incorporated into the tether, the need for on board carriage of the 58 electronics package is also eliminated. This enables the use of stripped down, 59 'dumb' and consequently cheap UAVs for any given task.
60 Using a tether to provide signals to the UAV also overcomes the unwelcome 61 possibility of interrupted radio signals, computer malfunction, erroneous 62 commands and thus eliminates the possibility of the UAV deviating from planned Page 2 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 63 flight paths and flying into areas where it can cause damage to persons and or 64 property including other manned and unmanned aerial vehicles. Tethered 65 operations also prevent malevolent third parties intentionally interfering with the 66 wireless transmissions and gaining control of the UAV.

68 It is known that the prior art provides UAVs of varying sizes and capabilities constructed 69 in a variety of materials and designed for a multitude of tasks. The prior art also 70 generally discloses various means, methods and processes through which the assigned 71 task(s) are achieved. Examples of such prior art are shown in the following Canadian 72 Intellectual Property Office and the United States Patents and Trademarks Office 73 patents:
74 = CA 2991427 TOPCON POSITIONING SYSTEMS, INC.
75 = CA 2996770 DIGI-STAR, LLC
76 = CA 3074512 PRECISION DRONE SERVICES INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, LLC
77 = CA 3039129 DEERE & COMPANY
78 = CA 2957081 THE CLIMATE CORPORATION\
79 = CA 3046946 MU-G KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT B.V.
80 = CA 3034062 TEVEL AEROBOTICS TECHNOLOGIES LTD
81 = CA 3034610 WALMART APOLLO, LLC
82 = CA 3066907 PRENAV, INC.
83 = CA 3036779 UNMANNED SYSTEMS AND SOLUTIONS, LLC
84 = CA 3009978 TRIBUNE BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLC
85 = 9,969,495 United Parcel Service of America, Inc.
86 = 9,764,839 Whitaker, et al 87 = 10,364,029 Liu 88 = 10,577,100 Beardsley, et al.
89 = 10,577,103 Cantrell, et al.
90 = 106,627,386 Saez, et al 91 = 10,669,023 Heinen, et al.
92 = 10,683,195 Shannon, et al.
93 = 10,696,395 Molnar, et al.
Page 3 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 94 = 10,706,382 Gil 95 All prior art relates to a variety of concepts of UAV employment, some of which have 96 achieved considerable popularity and commercial success. However, there is not known 97 to exist, at this time, any method or art of UAV employment that involves the use of a 98 'dumb' UAV that has no ability to sustain flight and/or perform any task unless 99 connected to another entity through a tether which provides, either partly or in whole, loo continuously or intermittently, the resources needed for operation of the UAV.

102 The first aspect of the invention describes a UAV that is tethered to a base which 103 contains a winch and cable assembly on which the tether is wound and which 104 base may either be fixed to a surface or installed on a moveable platform which 105 may itself be airborne. The tether is constructed of materials that exhibit 106 sufficient tensile strength to contain the UAV and malleability and resilience to 107 last over repeated bending of the tether as it is wound and unwound from the 108 base.
109 In another aspect of the invention, a tethered UAV is described as an assembly 110 where the tether is used to deliver power to the UAV and to systems carried 111 within the UAV for any specific task assigned to the UAV. In this aspect, the 112 power source is located externally instead of being carried aloft within the UAV
113 and enables provision of continuous power to the UAV and associated systems 114 for extended periods which period can theoretically be infinite.
115 In another aspect of the invention, a tethered UAV is described as an assembly 116 where the tether is able to deliver material to the UAV from the base or receive 117 material from the UAV which material may have been acquired by the UAV
118 during flight at the base from which the tether originates. In this manner it 119 becomes possible to provide a constant supply of material to be dispensed to 120 the UAV and/or receive material collected by the UAV for as long as the UAV
121 is able to sustain flight.
122 In another aspect of the invention, a tethered UAV is described as an assembly Page 4 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 123 which acts as the medium for exchange of data, control signals and other related 124 electronic communications between the UAV and the base. This exchange may 125 occur through copper wire, conductors of other elements, fiber optic lines or any 126 other means. In this aspect of the invention, the use of a tether to communicate 127 with the UAV eliminates the need for radio frequency transmitters and receivers 128 which, in turn, eliminates the threat of external interference, either unintentional 129 or intentional to the UAV control signals as well as to any and all data or 130 information obtained by the systems carried on board the UAV.
131 In another aspect of the current invention, a UAV that is powered through a tether 132 may avoid regulations regarding weight restrictions and/or use in commercial 133 applications. In this aspect, the UAV may also avoid regulations regarding the 134 commercial use of autonomously operating UAV(s).
135 In another aspect of the invention, the tether used by the UAV may physically 136 restrict the UAV from entering no-fly zones and thus remain safe from 137 malfunctioning, crashing, landing or having mid air collisions with other manned 138 and unmanned flying objects.
139 In another aspect of the invention, the tether connecting the UAV to the vehicle or 140 other base is described to include a pole, either telescopic or of fixed length which 141 controls the elevation of the base or the origin of the tether in the vertical 142 dimension.
143 In another aspect of the invention, the use of multiple bases carried aboard a 144 single vehicle or platform would enable use of multiple UAVs to operate as a 145 swarm and perform assigned functions which may vary from one UAV to 146 another.
147 In another aspect of the invention whereby multiple UAVs, each tethered to a 148 common base, move together as an integrated assembly in a manner that 149 maintains a constant spatial relationship of each UAV and the base and any 150 other element that may form part of the ensemble.
151 In another aspect of the current invention, multiple UAV(s) may be daisy chained Page 5 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 152 or otherwise connected with each other vertically, horizontally or in other 153 configurations while remaining attached to one single tether and base or multiple 154 tethers and bases.
155 In the aspect of the invention whereby multiple UAVs operate as a swarm which 156 is synchronized, coordinated and controlled by a central authority located on the 157 surface or airborne, that authority would be able to move and position each UAV
158 along its X and Y and Z axes and thus set up a spatial distribution of UAVs in a 159 pattern that is best suited for any particular operation.
160 In another aspect of the current invention, tethered UAVs are continuously 161 monitored and if an alert is detected that may threaten the safety of any of the 162 UAVs or the environment, the system is empowered to abort the mission and 163 retract the UAV(s) before any dangerous situation arises.
164 In another aspect of the invention, the base containing the tether and winch 165 assembly may be carried on board the UAV, and the other end of the tether 166 extended to be attached to an entity which may be located on the surface or 167 airborne.
168 In another aspect of the invention, the tether, either in whole or in part, may be 169 intangible in nature and may consist of a material or medium which is not 170 physical in nature but is able to provide one or more functions of the 171 conventional physical tether.

173 FIG. 1 is an overhead view of a UAV"A" (1) connected by tether "B" (2) to a Base 174 "C" (3) which incorporates a winch or similar assembly on which tether "B" (2) is 175 wound; the solid and dotted lines depicting two spatial positions of UAV"A" (1) with 176 tether "B" (2) extended to two different lengths.
177 FIG. 2 is an overhead view showing arrangement of multiple UAVs "A" (1) 178 (numbering 3 in this example) each having its individual tether "B" (2) connected to 179 its individual base "C" (3) with all bases "C" (3) being mounted on a moveable 180 platform "D" (4).
Page 6 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 181 FIG. 3 is a side view of a tethered UAV"A" (1) connected to base "C"
(3) which is 182 mounted on mast "E" (5) installed on moveable platform "D" (4); mast "E" (5) being 183 either fixed in length or telescopic in nature with FIG.3A depicting the extended 184 position of mast "E" (5) whereas FIG. 3B depicts a retracted position of mast "E" (5) 185 which varying position in turn determines the elevation of Base "C"
(3).
186 FIG. 4 is a side view of multiple satellite UAVs "A" (1) tethered to a central UAV
187 "A" (1) which is in turn tethered to base "C" (3) installed on moveable platform 188 "D" (4). and acts as a connection hub relay for transferring material, power and 189 signals to the multiple satellite UAVs "A" (1) through independent tethers "B" (2);
190 the whole assembly having ability to move in a coordinated and orchestrated 191 manner.
192 FIG. 5 is a side view of UAVs that carry base "C" (3) on board and having tether 193 "B" (2) connected to a moveable platform "D" (4) on the surface.
194 FIG. 6 is a plan view of multiple UAV(s) "A" (1) each being tethered through a non-195 physical tether to their individual bases "C" (3) which are mounted on moveable 196 platform "D" (4).

198 The following detailed description is not intended to limit the current invention, 199 in that alternate embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For 200 example, some of the tether systems of the current invention may assume 201 different configurations and may be utilized with different types of UAV(s). Also, 202 the formations and relative positions of all UAV(s) as depicted in the figures are 203 examples only, and may vary in the number, location and type of vehicles or 204 platforms, and may include other devices, sensors or equipment for creating 205 other effects. In the figures, the same or similar reference numerals may refer to 206 the same or similar elements throughout the different views, as well as within 207 the description below.
208 In one embodiment of the current invention as shown in FIG. 1, UAV "A"
may 209 include tether "B" that may generally be secured to UAV "A" on one end and to Page 7 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 210 a base "C" located on a surface platform which is either fixed or movable. on 211 the other end. In this configuration, tether "B" may generally be flexible to 212 accommodate the position and flight path of UAV "A". Tether "B" may comprise 213 of pipes, cords, cables, braided or woven ropes, metal wires, strings, or other 214 types of conduits which may even be intangible in nature. It is preferred that 215 tether "B" exhibit properties so that it may withstand repeated bending and 216 tension.
217 While FIG. 1 depicts the lower end of tether "B" attached to surface base "C", it 218 may also be attached directly to any other structure that may be positioned on or 219 near the surface. UAV "A" may be configured to carry a collection and/or 220 dispensing system that may be used to collect and/or dispense materials or may 221 carry any other payloads that may include imaging devices, sensors, emitters or 222 any other nature, format and composition of payload.
223 Base "C" may include one or more power sources, one or more winches, an 224 automated and/or manual control system to control itself, UAV "A"
and/or the 225 payload carried on board UAV "A" and may also include one or more operators, 226 and other systems and components that may be utilized to control, 227 communicate, direct, maintain, power or otherwise interact with UAV
"A".
228 Tether "B" may be designed to serve a variety of different purposes and uses. In 229 one embodiment, tether "B" may include conduits, electrical wires, cables, 230 transmission lines or other types of structures to deliver electrical power to UAV
231 "A" and payload appliances and to other systems that may be a part of or 232 configured with UAV "A". In this scenario, the battery, electrical generator, or 233 other power source may be located within base "C" or apart from it.
234 It is important to note that a significant proportion of the overall weight of a UAV
235 "A" comprises an onboard battery and the material or equipment carried on board 236 for the intended task. Elimination of the need to carry both the battery and part or 237 all of the materials and equipment needed for any specific task may allow UAV "A"
238 to weigh much lesser and thus overcome restrictions including but not limited to 239 those of construction, utilization, economics, regulatory and the like.
Page 8 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 240 A first benefit of providing power to UAV "A" via tether "B" may be to eliminate 241 the need to replace or recharge onboard batteries. It is well known that 242 batteries have a limited duty cycle before they are depleted of energy and 243 degrade in performance. With time and as the battery source loses power, the 244 ability of a UAV to perform its function diminishes and eventually ends. As 245 battery power decreases below a certain threshold, it becomes necessary to 246 land the UAV and to either replace the onboard battery or to recharge it. By 247 providing power via tether "B", UAV "A" is no longer required to land to replace 248 or recharge any onboard battery source. This allows UAV "A" to perform its 249 assigned functions with more reliability and accuracy over much longer periods 250 of time.
251 Second, removal of battery weight may allow UAV "A" to instead carry other 252 additional or heavier dispensing materials and/or appliances since the given 253 amount of lift provided by propellers need not be devoted to carrying the 254 weight of their power source.
255 In another embodiment, tether "B" may transport materials to be dispensed or 256 collected by UAV "A" directly to and from base "C" thus precluding the need to 257 carry the weight of such materials on board the UAV itself.. Supply and 258 collection of such materials through a tether thus eliminates the need to carry 259 tanks which hold the material on board the UAV, which action generates 260 substantial weight savings and enables use of smaller and cheaper UAV(s) 261 employed in any such role.
262 In addition, by utilizing tether "B", UAV "A" may preferably weigh less than a 263 specified weight to meet restrictions imposed by pertinent regulations.
This 264 may avoid restrictive regulations regarding the commercial usage of drones.
265 Such commercial UAV regulations may include but not be limited to one or 266 more of the following:
267 1) the UAV may only be flown within the sight of the operator, 268 2) the UAV may only fly up to a certain speed, Page 9 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 269 3) operators of the UAV must be of a minimum age, 270 4) operators of the UAV must pass an aeronautics test and be vetted by the 271 appropriate authority 272 5) an operator may only control a single UAV.
273 By utilizing tether "B" and thus avoiding such regulations, UAV "A" may also avoid 274 the time and costs and regulatory approvals associated with such restrictions. This 275 may allow use of UAV "A" in manners that would not otherwise be possible due to 276 regulations. Furthermore, this increased flexibility of employment of UAV(s) "A"
277 may allow better and more extensive delivery and collection of materials over 278 large areas including those in which autonomous UAVs are prohibited from 279 operating.
280 Another use of tether "B" may be to provide data transfer between base "C" and 281 UAV "A" bi-directionally. To accomplish this transfer, tether "B" may comprise of 282 electrical wires, cables, optical fibers, transmission lines or other even 283 intangible elements that may adequately transmit data to and from UAV
"A".
284 Data that may be sent to UAV "A" via tether "B" may include flight control and 285 coordinate information to control the position and speed of multiple UAVs "A".
286 This data may be received by each UAV "A" and may direct it to perform a 287 desired choreographed flight pattern while operating within a swarm that is 288 operating over a specific fixed or variable geographical region.
289 Data transmissions may also contain control information for any devices that 290 may be configured with UAV "A" such as sensors, emitters, lighting systems, 291 cameras or other types of payloads and may include instructions to devices that 292 collect or dispense materials from UAV "A".
293 It should be noted that UAV "A" may send data to base "C" via tether "B"
294 simultaneously while surface base "C" may be sending UAV "A" data as 295 described above. It should also be noted that UAV "A" may transmit and receive 296 data via tether "B" from sources other than base "C". It may further be noted 297 that UAV "A" may also simultaneously send and receive data to and from other Page 10 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 298 entities that are separate from base "C" and not connected to UAV "A"
via 299 tether "B".
300 One benefit of utilizing tether "B" to send and receive data transmissions to and 301 from UAV "A" may be to avoid any outside electromagnetic interference that may 302 interfere or otherwise disrupt the data transmissions as is the case with data 303 transmission techniques that must propagate through the air, including but not 304 limited to modulated or unmodulated radio frequency (RF) transmissions, 305 microwave transmissions, millimeter wave transmissions and other similar types of 306 transmissions and which interference may be intentional and for mala fide 307 purposes.
308 When multiple transmitters are located within close proximity of each other, the 309 radiating energy from these transmitters can interfere with each other and thus 310 cause corruption of the data sent to and from UAV "A" and base "C".
However, 311 when the data is transmitted through a physical connection such as a cable, 312 optical fiber, or other conduit, it is not susceptible to interference by other signals.
313 This ensures that the data transmitted via tether "B" to and from UAV
"A" remains 314 safe from such disruptions even in settings where additional signals may be 315 present.
316 The use of pre-programmed flight information in all UAV(s) using GPS
signals and 317 preferably a differential GPS transmitter is another option to avoid any potential 318 signal interference during the use of wireless transmissions. In this embodiment, 319 however, it may yet remain preferable to include tether "B" to provide a conduit for 320 receiving or delivering material from and to the UAV "A" as well as providing a 321 backup of control signals in the event of a malfunction or an error in navigation.
322 Another use of tether "B" with UAV "A" may be to provide safety mechanisms to 323 ensure that UAV "A" does not fly into unsafe areas that may pose safety 324 hazards to bystanders, structures or to UAV "A" itself. Because UAV "A" is 325 attached to tether "B", it may be impossible for UAV "A" to fly off beyond the 326 length of tether "B" due to a strong gust of wind, an onboard mechanical 327 malfunction or for any other reason. In this regard, tether "B"
contains UAV "A"
Page 11 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 328 and prevents it from flying away in an uncontrolled manner.
329 In another embodiment, tether "B" may be extended to a specific length in order 330 to limit the flying distance of UAV "A" from base "C" so that UAV "A"
operates in 331 a defined area and in so doing, establishes a safe-flying zone for the UAV.
332 Furthermore, the specific length of tether "B" can be suitably adjusted to vary the 333 boundaries of the safe-flying zone and thus keep UAV "A" safe from colliding 334 with structures that may be otherwise be encountered if UAV "A" is allowed to 335 operate freely within the zone determined by the maximum length of tether "B".
336 In another embodiment of the current invention as depicted in FIG. 4, one end of 337 tether "B" is attached to the winch in base "C" while the other end is connected to 338 a specially equipped UAV "A" embodying apparatus and means that enable it to 339 act as a hub to which are connected a plurality of UAVs "A" and in this manner, 340 relay all data, materials, signals and other items between the plurality of UAVs "A"
341 and Base "C". It should be noted that in this embodiment, the entire ensemble of 342 UAVs "A", tethers "B" and base "C" may travel in any direction if base "C" is 343 mounted on a mobile platform as depicted in Fig. 4.
344 In all embodiments of the current invention, UAV "A" may not be required to 345 include its own onboard GPS and flight control systems and may receive all 346 flight control commands from surface base "C". This may allow removal of all 347 navigation and positioning systems on board UAVs "A" and in so doing, reduce 348 the cost, complexity, and weight of UAVs "A". This may allow low cost 349 commercially available UAV(s) to be tethered and used for any desired purpose 350 thus avoiding the high cost of developing new UAV(s) "A" for these specific 351 purposes. In addition, the elimination of onboard navigational systems may 352 allow UAV "A" to carry other types of payloads due to the reduced weight of the 353 overall UAV "A". This reduced weight may also help tethered UAV "A" to achieve 354 a sufficiently light weight to avoid regulations described above.
355 It should be noted that while the figures depict a single base "C"
connected to 356 a single UAV "A" through tether "B", multiple UAVs may be daisy chained to 357 connect to base "C" and additionally, multiple masts "E" may be positioned to Page 12 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 358 one moveable platform "D". This may result in an array of bases "C"
controlling 359 a multitude of UAVs "A". It is also to be noted that movement of the mobile 360 platform would result in an attendant movement of all UAV(s) "A" in a 361 coordinated and synchronized manner.
362 It can be seen that in the case of an array of multiple bases "C"
controlling a 363 multitude of UAV(s) "A", the entire array may be controlled in unison and their 364 individual positions coordinated centrally.
365 Although base "C" may be controlled manually by a human operator using a 366 joystick or other type of manual control system, it may be preferred for base "C"
367 to be programmable or to be generally controlled by an automated control 368 system. In this regard, base "C" may be programmed or controlled to cast out 369 and reel in particular lengths of tether "B" such that the movements of UAV(s) 370 "A" may be synced or coordinated as desired by the controller rising, 371 descending, reeling in and out as desired by said controller.
372 Note that while this specification uses the mechanism of a winch located within 373 base "C" to reel in and cast out lengths of tether "B" to control the length of tether 374 "B" connected to UAV "A", other types of mechanisms may also be used for these 375 purposes. Such other types of mechanisms may be tangible mechanisms that 376 include reels, pulley systems, or other types of systems that may act as tether "B"
377 and extend from base "C" to UAV "A".
378 In another embodiment, multiple UAV(s) "A" may be connected to a single or 379 plurality of tethers "B" which may be of varying dimensions and of varying 380 materials. Furthermore multiple tethers may be threaded through a tube or 381 pipe of large dimension, the height of which tube or pipe may be fixed or 382 variable and the tethers may extend through such tube or tubes before 383 emerging from the tube(s) to further extend to respective UAV(s) "A".
384 Base "C" may also control UAV "A" in more than one dimension. In one 385 embodiment where base "C" may remain stationary, X and Y movement may 386 only be controlled in a very limited manner by the length of tether "B"
while in 387 another embodiment, base "C" may be placed on a moveable platform "D"
Page 13 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 388 and have the ability to vary its location and in so doing also vary the position of 389 the tethered UAV "A". For example, base "C" may be attached to a platform 390 that may travel in the X and Y dimensions along rails positioned on or above 391 the surface. The movement of the carriage may be controlled manually by a 392 human operator or may be programmable or generally controlled using an 393 automated control system. As base "C" moves along the rails in the X
and Y
394 dimensions, UAV "A" may be pulled by tether "B" such that it generally follows 395 the same movement and is controlled to move in the same dimensions. At the 396 same time, base "C" may control the height of UAV "A" both by elevating or 397 lowering base "C" and/or casting out and reeling in tether "B" in order to 398 control UAV "A" in the Z dimension also.
399 It should be noted that base "C" may vary its position using means including but 400 not limited to aircraft, balloons, dirigibles, blimps, automotive vehicles, self 401 propelled platforms, platforms that are moved by humans or animals and which 402 have an ability to move in all three dimensions. Also, it should be noted that while 403 the above description describes a single base "C" moving in the X and Y
404 dimensions while controlling a single UAV "A", multiple bases "C" may be 405 configured to move in the X and Y dimensions with each base "C"
controlling one 406 or more UAV(s) "A" which may result in an array of bases "C" moving in any 407 dimension while remaining linked to a multitude of UAV(s) "A".
408 In addition, as with the single base embodiment described above, multiple bases 409 may be controlled manually by a human operator using a joystick or other type of 410 manual control input system. Alternately, multiple bases may be programmable or 411 may be generally controlled by an automated control system. In this regard, 412 multiple bases may be controlled to cast out and reel in particular lengths of 413 tethers respectively such that the movements of UAV "A" may be synched or 414 coordinated as desired.
415 The safety benefits mentioned above may provide safety benefits through the 416 use of programmable bases or with bases controlled by an automated control 417 system. Without the use of a tether of adjustable length, the length of tether "B"
418 may be static and may result in a safe-flying zone that may generally resemble Page 14 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 419 a fixed sphere with surface base "C at the center of the sphere, the radius of 420 which is defined by the length of tether "B". However, when employing base "C"
421 to adjust the length of tether "B" at any point in time during the flight of UAV "A"
422 as depicted in FIG. 1, base "C" may cast out or reel in lengths of tether "B" to 423 generally adjust the radius of the sphere and control the position of UAV "A"
424 and in so doing, may prevent UAV "A" from colliding with any structure and/or 425 other obstacles or with other airborne objects located outside the dimensions of 426 the sphere.
427 Base "C" may be controlled manually by a human operator, may be 428 programmable or may be controlled by an automated control system. If base 429 "C" is programmable or is controlled by an automated control system, the 430 general layout, map and coordinates of obstacles or areas to be avoided that 431 may be located within the flight path of UAV "A", may be programmed into 432 programmable base "C" and/or into the automated control system controlling 433 base "C". This way, base "C" may be automatically controlled to reel in and 434 cast out lengths of tether "B" in order to control the length of tether "B" to 435 restrict UAV "A" to ensure safety of flight and of all obstacles and structures 436 around UAV "A"..
437 It should be noted that when base "C" is adjusting the length of tether "B" to 438 limit the flying radius of UAV "A" in the Y dimension, base "C" may also adjust 439 the length of tether "B" to limit the flying radius of UAV "A" in the X
dimension or 440 in any other direction.
441 In addition, the use of multiple bases to control the position of UAV(s) "A" as 442 described above may also necessitate an ability to restrict UAV(s) "A"
from 443 colliding with each other. Multiple bases may each cast out and reel in lengths 444 of tether "B" to restrict UAV(s) "A" from flying into each other.
445 In addition, other safety mechanisms may also be employed to ensure the safety 446 of flight of UAV "A". In one embodiment that is relevant for use with a single base 447 configuration or with multi-base configurations, UAV "A" may continually monitor 448 its onboard systems for alerts to possible problems or malfunctions that may Page 15 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 449 cause UAV "A" to crash or otherwise operate improperly, and may continually 450 communicate this information to base "C", to operators manually controlling 451 winches, to programmable bases or to any automated control system that may be 452 controlling the bases. If this data is deemed to be a significant threat to the safety 453 of UAV "A", nearby structures or other obstacles within the flight path of UAV "A", 454 an immediate and urgent command to reel in tether(s) "B" may be issued to 455 base(s) so they may immediately or quickly reel in UAV(s) "A" to effect an 456 immediate landing. It may be preferred that if multiple UAVs "A" are to be reeled 457 in, this action be conducted in a coordinated manner such that UAV(s) "A" and 458 tether(s) "B" are not damaged or entangled during the emergency landing 459 process. It may also be preferable that the tethers are reeled in at a high enough 460 velocity such that even if UAV(s) "A" are in a free fall, the reeling in process of 461 tether(s) "B" is rapid enough to ensure a safe recovery of UAVs "A"
within a safe-462 flying zone.
463 In another embodiment, a variety of proximity sensors may be positioned on 464 board UAV(s) "A" and may be configured to detect the presence of obstacles 465 that appear within the flight path of the UAV(s) "A" and may autonomously 466 instruct its own flight control system or by through surface-based flight control 467 system to immediately alter the spatial position of the UAV. Such automated 468 action may be utilized as an additional safety system in case other safety 469 mechanisms fail due to tether breakage, radio failure or other malfunctions that 470 may cause UAV "A" to errantly fly in a collision path.
471 It should be noted that while the embodiments described above depict a single 472 tethered UAV "A" they are equally applicable to multiple tethers, with or without 473 the use of bases or to multiple UAV(s) "A" that may be daisy chained or 474 otherwise connected or configured together and controlled by the same tether or 475 tethers and by the same base or bases. These UAV(s) "A" may be daisy 476 chained vertically, horizontally or in any configuration that allow multiple UAV(s) 477 "A" to be tethered together and controlled by the same system of tethers and 478 bases.
479 The tethered UAV(s) of the current invention may be used outdoors or indoors.
Page 16 of 17 Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-20 480 When used indoors, the tether mechanism may be suited for use with relatively 481 light UAV(s) and may include lighter-than-air UAV(s). To this end, where no wind 482 conditions exist, UAV(s) "A", or blimps, or spheres or other aerial objects, may 483 preferably use the tethering system of the current invention with reliability. Also, 484 when used indoors, or under a roof or overhang, GPS or positioning data may not 485 be readily available. Accordingly, the tethering system of the current invention 486 may be used to control the flight of UAV(s) "A" or other aerial object.
487 While the foregoing embodiments relate to tethers that generally extend 488 downward from UAV(s) "A" toward base "C" the current invention may also 489 include embodiments where the tethers may generally extend upwards from 490 UAV "A" to a base "B" located above or at the same level as UAV "A".
491 The current invention also includes embodiments where UAV "A" contains and 492 carries aloft base "C" within itself as well as a controller which may be pre-493 programmed and in so doing, UAV "A" is empowered to connect the tether "B"
494 carried aboard to a device which is located at a distance equal to or less than 495 the length of tether "B". This embodiment may provide increased flexibility in 496 design, transportability and operation of tethered UAV(s).
497 For example, the system may be designed so that a plurality of UAV(s) may be 498 preprogrammed and transported to remote locations where the other end of 499 tether(s) "B" may be coupled to relevant sources. This would allow the UAV(s) to soo perform the programmed tasks using a comparatively inert or 'dumb' platform on 501 the surface.
502 Although certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been 503 described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the 504 invention pertains that variations and modifications of the described embodiments 909 may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is 506 intended that the claims herein be interpreted to cover any such modifications. It is 507 further intended that the present invention be not limited according to any 908 particular disclosed embodiment, but rather only according to the appended 509 claims.
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Claims (15)

The Embodiments Of The Invention In Which An Exclusive Property Or Privilege Is Claimed Are Defined As Follows:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a plurality of propellers driven by electrical motors mounted on arms radiating outwards from a central body that provide lifting force to the UAV and which motors are powered electricity supplied by batteries that simultaneously power any and all electronics carried on board the UAV to determine, manage and adjust the geo-spatial position of the UAV and which batteries also power devices carried on board the UAV for executing an assigned task which task may include the collection and dispensing of materials is connected to a base by a tether of variable length and which tether consists of an arrangement of ropes, flexible wires, hoses, tubes, conduits, cables, optical fiber, cords or other such devices in any combination thereof having one end of said tether coupled to the UAV and the second end coupled to the base and which tether is used to transport electrical power, data, control signals, material to be dispensed or collected by the UAV and/or any other article between the base and the UAV in both directions.

2. The UAV system of claim 1, wherein the base contains a roller drum, winch or other storage mechanism that contains the tether and which tether is connected at one end to sources that supply the UAV and to the UAV at the other end and incorporates a mechanism which may be operated manually, electrically or via electronic signals to extend and retract the tether and, in this manner, vary the spatial position of the UAV in relation to the base and/or the relative position between the base and the UAV.

3. The UAV system of claim 2, wherein the base as described is installed on a platform which may be static or mobile and which platform is endowed with an ability to vary its position in all axes in a manner directed by a human controller or an automated controller which may operate in an interactive, dynamic manner or use a preprogrammed interface.
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4. A UAV system as described in Claim 3 in which the base contains the source of electrical energy that is supplied to the UAV through the tether which source may consist of generators, battery banks or other devices capable of providing such energy.

5. A UAV system as described in Claim 3 in which the base contains bulk storage tanks and/or devices that hold material which is supplied to the UAV
and dispensed to desired locations through purpose built dispensers which control the amount, speed, volume and pattern of dispensing in a manner defined by a controller which may be carried on board the UAV or located in the base or at another third location.

6.A UAV system as described in Claim 3 in which the base contains receivers, devices and/or containers designed to receive material collected by the UAV
through appropriately designed collectors carried on board the UAV and having the ability to forward the collected material to said receivers, devices and/or containers as directed by a controller which may be carried on board the UAV or located in the base or at another third location.

7. A UAV system as described in Claim 3 in which the UAV, tether and base is able to move in a coordinated manner in all directions along each of the three axes as an integrated assembly and which assembly travels in a synchronized manner with the UAV tethered to the base and continuing to perform its assigned function or functions.

8. The UAV system of claim 7 in which multiple UAVs are daisy chained to one tether with each UAV performing its own function as well as acting as a relay for other UAVs comprising the daisy chain.

9. The UAV system of claim 3 in which multiple bases are mounted on a moveable platform with each base being connected to one or more UAVs and endowed with the ability to move as a swarm of multiple UAVs with Page 2 of 4 each UAV performing the function or functions assigned to it while remaining stationary or having ability to reposition itself within the swarm as and when directed by the controller.

10.The UAV system of claim 1 wherein the tether provides material to be dispensed from a position or positions varying in three X, Y and Z axes in amounts and duration that are determined by the controller which may be a computer or a human and which controller may be located on the base or at a location removed from the base.

11.The UAV system of claim 9 wherein the UAVs are stripped down 'dumb' devices only capable of generating lift and wherein the mobile platform incorporates generators and/or batteries that provide power to the UAV, computers and communication apparatus to control the UAV, operator(s) or persons controlling the system and all required storage, propulsive, computational and navigational devices containers as may be necessary for the execution of the task(s) assigned to the UAV(s) and also including control of the platform and its systems.

12.The UAV system of claim 1 wherein the tether that connects the UAV to the base is, either wholly or in part, physical in nature and, either wholly or in part comprised of electronic or other ethereal links that together and in a combined manner, tether the UAV to the base with its spatial position synchronized with the position of and in relation to the moveable platform and provide the wherewithal needed by the UAV to execute its task inclusive of power, signals, materials and any and all other items.

13.The UAV system of claim 3 wherein the base containing the roller drum and tether that connects the UAV to platform is not carried on board a platform but is instead carried within the UAV itself and from which base is extended a tether which connects the UAV to a platform containing sources of power, control signals, dispensing material, data and other items needed by the UAV for the execution of its task and which platform, either mobile or Page 3 of 4 stationary, is located at a distance from the UAV equal to or less than the length of the tether and to which the UAV is required to connect and remain tethered for the execution of the task assigned

14.The UAV system of Claim 1 which incorporates a emergency recovery feature which is activated in the event that the tether is broken, disconnected or otherwise impaired in its function and which feature enables the UAV to travel to the base in a direct and safe manner using on board electrical power for the short flight to the base using navigation data to arrive at the base which comprises guidance signals derived from the base or stored within the memory of the UAV.

15.The UAV system of Claim 14 in which the UAV incorporates an ability to continue performing a crucial task for a prolonged but finite time even after the tether is severed the duration of which is determined by the size of batteries carried on board the UAV and in a manner that is programmed into the UAV prior to executing an emergency recovery manoeuvre back to the base.
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