Patents
US 10007272 B2: Midair tethering of an unmanned aerial vehicle with a docking station
- Granted
- 2018-06-26
- Filed
- 2016-08-04 application 15228672
- Type
- Utility · 20 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicle docking systems and methods are presented herein. A UAV can hover in a hovering position above a docking pad of the UAV docking system based on positioning measurements. An on-board camera can image a machine-readable code present on the docking pad. The hovering position of the UAV above the docking pad can be adjusted based on imaging of the machine-readable code and ranging measurements to the docking pad. A tether can be extended from the UAV towards the docking pad. The hovering position of the UAV and extension of the tether can be adjusted such that a mating device present on a distal end of the tether engages with a coupling device of the UAV docking pad. The tether can be reeled in to the UAV to assist in lowering the UAV from the hovering position to a landing position on the docking pad.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg180626.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION 40 patents | US company or organization | Englewood, CO | EchoStar Technologies International Corporation State business registration EXACT high confidence: identical full name and state | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Boyd Tirpak | Monument, CO | 19 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Danny J. Minnick | Castle Rock, CO | 42 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Keith Gerhards | Parker, CO | 12 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| G05D | Systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables | G05D1/0676 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| B64F | Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations specially adapted for use in connection with aircraft; designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for | B64F1/007 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| B64U | Unmanned aerial vehicles [uav]; equipment therefor | B64U10/60 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-02-16 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C. signed 2017-02-14 | ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION ENGLEWOOD, CO | 41735/861 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2016-08-04 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | MINNICK, DANNY J. signed 2016-06-30 TIRPAK, CHRISTOPHER BOYD signed 2016-06-30 GERHARDS, KEITH signed 2016-07-01 | ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C. ENGLEWOOD, CO | 39346/899 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.