US 11,745,897 B2
Methods and apparatus to recover unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with kites
Benjamin T. Brown, Bingen, WA (US); Alice Fockele, Bingen, WA (US); Kelly A. Comstock, Bingen, WA (US); John Wong, Klickitat, WA (US); Jacob Allen, Bingen, WA (US); Daniel L. Shaw, White Salmon, WA (US); and Jesse D. Kiewit, Bingen, WA (US)
Assigned to Insitu, Inc., Bingen, WA (US)
Filed by Insitu, Inc., Bingen, WA (US)
Filed on Dec. 9, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/707,971.
Prior Publication US 2021/0171216 A1, Jun. 10, 2021
Int. Cl. B64F 1/02 (2006.01); B64U 70/30 (2023.01); G05D 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC B64F 1/0295 (2020.01) [G05D 1/105 (2013.01); B64U 70/30 (2023.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus to recover an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during flight, the apparatus comprising:
a tether line;
first and second steering lines;
a tensioner operatively coupled to the tether line;
a kite operatively coupled to the tether line to support the tether line for recovery of the UAV, the first and second steering lines operatively coupled to the kite;
a sensor to detect a position of the UAV ire flight, the sensor remotely positioned from the UAV;
at least one memory,
machine readable instructions; and
at least one processor to execute the machine readable instructions to:
calculate a projected flight path of the UAV based on the detected position of the UAV, and
cause, based on the calculated projected flight path, an actuator to linearly displace at least one of the first or second steering lines to steer the kite toward the UAV for recovery thereof.