Wireless discovery of wireless device using one or more drones

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

a flight system;

a wireless communication system;

a processor; and

a power system having a battery and a battery charging port; wherein:

the power system is operable to power the flight system, the wireless communication system, and the processor; and

the processor is configured to:

operate the flight system during a take-off operation to fly the unmanned aerial vehicle from a ground position to an in-air position while the battery charging port is attached to a detachable air-to-ground tether, the ground position at a first altitude and the in-air position at a second altitude higher than the first altitude;

determine the unmanned aerial vehicle has reached the in-air position;

operate the power system to recharge the battery, via the battery charging port and the detachable air-to-ground tether, while ascending in altitude from the first altitude to the second altitude or while hovering at the second altitude;

trigger a release of the detachable air-to-ground tether from the battery charging port and the unmanned aerial vehicle after determining the unmanned aerial vehicle has reached the in-air position and after determining the battery is recharged; and

operate the flight system to execute a flight pattern while operating the wireless communication system to search for a wireless communication device.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the power system is configured to receive power via the battery charging port and the air-to-ground tether as the unmanned aerial vehicle moves from the ground position to the in-air position during the take-off operation.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:

the power system is configured to power the flight system using energy stored in the battery to fly from the ground position to the in-air position; and

the processor is configured to at least partially recharge the battery via the battery charging port and the air-to-ground tether before triggering the release of the air-to-ground tether.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor is configured to search for the wireless communication device by:

operating the wireless communication system to wirelessly receive, from the wireless communication device, an identifier of the wireless communication device;

determining that the identifier matches a saved identifier; and

wirelessly receiving, from the wireless communication device, a location of the wireless communication device.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 4 , further comprising:

a camera; wherein:

the processor is configured to:

operate the flight system to fly the unmanned aerial vehicle to an in-air position proximate the location of the wireless communication device; and

operate the camera to capture at least one image of the location of the wireless communication device.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 4 , wherein operating the wireless communication system to wirelessly receive the identifier of the wireless communication device includes:

operating the wireless communication system at a predetermined time and for a predetermined duration; and

temporarily ceasing operation of the wireless communication system after the predetermined duration.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to operate the wireless communication system to request a data broadcast from the wireless communication device.

8. A method for locating a device using an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

at the unmanned aerial vehicle:

taking off from a launch platform, at a first altitude, while connected to a remote power source via a detachable air-to-ground tether;

determining the unmanned aerial vehicle has reached an in-air position at a second altitude;

recharging a battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle, while the unmanned aerial vehicle is at the in-air position, by receiving power via the detachable air-to-ground tether; and

triggering a release of the detachable air-to-ground tether from the unmanned aerial vehicle after determining the unmanned aerial vehicle has reached the in-air position and after determining the battery is recharged; and

at the unmanned aerial vehicle and during a flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle:

at a predetermined time, monitoring a radio spectrum for a wireless communication signal;

detecting the wireless communication signal; and

in response to detecting the wireless communication signal, estimating a direction from the unmanned aerial vehicle to a wireless communication device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wireless communication signal is a signal set identifier (SSID).

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the launch platform is on a mobile launch apparatus.

11. A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

at the unmanned aerial vehicle:

taking off from a launch platform, at a first altitude, while connected to a remote power source via a detachable air-to-ground tether;

determining the unmanned aerial vehicle has reached an in-air position at a second altitude higher than the first altitude;

recharging a battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle, while the unmanned aerial vehicle is at the in-air position, by receiving power via the detachable air-to-ground tether; and

triggering a release of the detachable air-to-ground tether from the unmanned aerial vehicle after,

determining the unmanned aerial vehicle has reached the in-air position; and

determining the battery is recharged.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

recharging the battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle, by receiving power via the detachable air-to-ground tether, while the unmanned aerial vehicle is ascending from the first altitude to the second altitude.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

ascending from the first altitude to the second altitude without the unmanned aerial vehicle receiving power via the detachable air-to-ground tether; and

powering the unmanned aerial vehicle using energy stored in the battery while ascending from the first altitude to the second altitude.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the battery is recharged comprises determining the battery is recharged to 100% capacity.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the battery is recharged comprises determining the batter is recharged to at least 90% capacity.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

operating a flight system of the unmanned aerial vehicle to execute a flight pattern while operating a wireless communication system of the unmanned aerial vehicle to search for a wireless communication device.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the launch platform is on the ground.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the launch platform is on a mobile launch apparatus.