IP Library Granted Patent US 12680660
Granted Patent B2
US 12680660 · App. 19/263,115 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Tethered UAV providing broad area lighting

Inventor: Kevin C. Baxter (Tulsa, OK)
Assignee: SPORTSBEAMS LIGHTING, INC.
F21S41/141B64U10/60B64U50/34F21V23/001F21V23/02H05B45/10B64D2203/00B64U2101/30B64U2101/55B64U2201/202F21Y2113/17F21Y2115/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12680660
App. No.
19/263,115
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tethered UAV providing broad area lighting including a weatherproof drone; an electrically conductive tether; a high voltage power supply; an LED light engine which consumes at least 800 watts of power; an uninterruptible power source; and a voltage isolation stage. The weatherproof drone may or may not include a battery. The weatherproof drone, minus a battery, electrically conductive tether, and LED light engine weigh less than 4.4 pounds. The LED light engine produces 5 footcandles or more over an area greater than 50 feet in diameter.

Claims (41)

1 . A tethered UAV providing broad area lighting, consisting of:

a weather resistant drone;

an electrically conductive tether;

a high voltage power supply;

an LED light engine;

wherein said LED light engine consumes at least 800 watts of power;

wherein said weatherproof drone, minus a battery, said electrically conductive tether, and LED light engine together weigh less than 4.4 pounds;

an uninterruptible power source;

a voltage isolation stage;

wherein said LED light engine produces 5 footcandles or more over an area greater than 50 feet in diameter.

2 . The tethered UAV of claim 1 further including a down converter.

3 . The tethered UAV of claim 1 wherein said uninterruptable power supply is three (3) phase AC.

4 . The tethered UAV of claim 1 wherein said LED light engine includes RGBW.

5 . The tethered UAV of claim 1 wherein said LED light engine includes RGBWA.

6 . The tethered UAV of claim 1 wherein said LED light engine is adapted for dimming.

7 . The tethered UAV of claim 1 wherein said LED light engine includes bi-color LEDs.

8 . The tethered UAV of claim 1 which does not include a battery.

9 . The tethered UAV of claim 1 wherein said tether is in communication with a base including a battery.

10 . The tethered UAV of claim 1 wherein said drone includes a battery.

11 . The tethered UAV of claim 1 wherein said tether is fed from a reel supported by a base.

12 . The tethered UAV of claim 1 wherein said drone includes a battery mount and a cartridge adapted to be secured in said battery mount.

13 . A tethered UAV providing broad area lighting, consisting of:

a weatherproof drone;

an electrically conductive tether;

a high voltage power source;

at least one LED light engine;

wherein said at least one light engine consumes at least 800 watts of power;

an uninterruptible power supply;

a voltage isolation stage;

wherein said at least one LED light engine produces 5 footcandles or more over an area greater than 150 feet in diameter.

14 . The tethered UAV of claim 13 further including a down converter.

15 . The tethered UAV of claim 13 wherein said uninterruptable power supply is three (3) phase AC.

16 . The tethered UAV of claim 13 wherein said at least one of said at least one LED light engine includes RGBW.

17 . The tethered UAV of claim 13 wherein at least one of said at least one LED light engine includes RGBWA.

18 . The tethered UAV of claim 13 wherein at least one of said at least one LED light engine is adapted for dimming.

19 . The tethered UAV of claim 13 wherein at least one of said at least one LED light engine includes bi-color LEDs.

20 . The tethered UAV of claim 13 which does not include a battery.

21 . The tethered UAV of claim 13 wherein said tether is in communication with a base including a battery.

22 . The tethered UAV of claim 13 wherein said drone includes a battery.

23 . The tethered UAV of claim 13 wherein said tether is fed from a reel supported from a base.

24 . The tethered UAV of claim 13 wherein said drone includes a battery mount and a cartridge adapted to be secured in said battery mount.