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Collaborative unmanned aerial vehicle for an inventory system

  • US 10,000,284 B1
  • Filed: 06/26/2015
  • Issued: 06/19/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

  • an outer shell defining an outer boundary of a lifting gas envelope arranged to enclose a volume of lighter-than-air gas;

    the UAV further comprising a plurality of discrete and substantially vertical ducts, comprising at least four substantially vertical ducts, the ducts being arranged symmetrically across a plane passing through a vertical centerline of the UAV, and pass through the lifting gas envelope within the outer shell, and extend between a superior surface of the outer shell to an inferior surface of the outer shell, and fluidly connecting an exterior of the outer shell at the superior surface with the exterior of the outer shell at the inferior surface, wherein the ducts are not connected with each other and are spaced apart from a center of the UAV;

    a plurality of fans correspondingly disposed within the plurality of ducts to control movement of the UAV;

    a retention feature connected with the shell to selectively retain an item; and

    a management component configured to control the UAV.

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