US 11,735,937 B2
Methods and apparatus for vehicle-based drone charging
Cynthia M. Neubecker, Westland, MI (US); Brad Ignaczak, Canton, MI (US); Somak Datta Gupta, Canton, MI (US); and Brian Bennie, Sterling Heights, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI (US)
Appl. No. 16/461,950
Filed by Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 30, 2016, PCT No. PCT/US2016/064142
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 17, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/101926, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 7, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0299802 A1, Oct. 3, 2019
Int. Cl. B60L 53/66 (2019.01); B60L 53/65 (2019.01); B60L 53/68 (2019.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); H02J 50/10 (2016.01); B64U 50/34 (2023.01); B64U 80/86 (2023.01)
CPC H02J 7/0044 (2013.01) [B60L 53/65 (2019.02); B60L 53/665 (2019.02); B60L 53/68 (2019.02); B64C 39/024 (2013.01); H02J 7/0014 (2013.01); B60L 2240/70 (2013.01); B64U 50/34 (2023.01); B64U 80/86 (2023.01); H02J 7/00034 (2020.01); H02J 50/10 (2016.02); Y02T 10/70 (2013.01); Y02T 10/7072 (2013.01); Y02T 10/72 (2013.01); Y02T 90/12 (2013.01); Y02T 90/14 (2013.01); Y02T 90/16 (2013.01); Y02T 90/167 (2013.01); Y04S 30/14 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle-based drone charging apparatus, comprising:
a charging device to be operatively coupled to a vehicle, the charging device to charge a drone in response to the drone being operatively coupled to the charging device, the vehicle at a first location; and
a communication interface to be operatively coupled to the vehicle, the communication interface to:
broadcast use information associated with the charging device, the use information including location information associated with the first location of the vehicle, vehicle movement information, and fee information associated with a cost for use of the charging device, the first location being a current location of the vehicle, the vehicle movement information including a route of the vehicle, the route indicating that the vehicle will be at a second location at a first future time, the route indicating that the vehicle will be at a third location at a second future time, the second future time after the first future time; and
receive a reservation confirmation, the reservation confirmation including time information associated with a second indication that the drone is to use the charging device at the first future time at the second location and authentication information associated with an identifiable feature of the drone.