Drone receiver

• US 10,081,425 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2018
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Blomberg, Jeanette L., Butler, Eric K., Chandra, Anca A., Chowdhary, Pawan R., Griffin, Thomas D., Jadav, Divyesh, Lee, Sunhwan, Moore, Robert J., Strong, Jr., Hovey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Xavier, Valentina
• Application Number:
  US15/905,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20180178912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 211 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/007 Helicopter portable landing pads
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/222 for storing aircraft, e.g. in hangars
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/32 for handling freight
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/36 Other airport installations ground installations for de-icing aircraft B64F5/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/368 Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/90 Launching from or landing on platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/82 Airborne vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/84 Waterborne vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus comprising a body including a cavity for storing one or more packages, and a conveyor belt disposed above a top surface of the body. The belt is shaped to receive one or more packages, and the belt is controllable to rotate a package placed on the belt either from the top surface to the cavity for storage or from the cavity to the top surface for dispatch. A package comprises at least one of a drone and a payload transported by the drone. The apparatus further comprises a landing mechanism for stabilizing a drone landing on the apparatus.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing one or more packages in a cavity of a body of an apparatus;

controlling a conveyor belt disposed above a top surface of the body, wherein the belt is shaped to receive one or more packages, and the belt is controllable to rotate a package placed on the belt either from the top surface to the cavity for storage or from the cavity to the top surface for dispatch; and

stabilizing a drone landing on the apparatus via a landing mechanism of the apparatus;

wherein a package comprises at least one of a drone and a payload transported by the drone.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

slowing and stabilizing the fall of a drone landing from above the apparatus via the landing mechanism; and

re-charging one or more batteries of one or more drones stored in the cavity using a recharge unit of the body.

3. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable hardware storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code being executable by a computer to implement a method comprising:

storing one or more packages in a cavity of a body of an apparatus;

controlling a conveyor belt disposed above a top surface of the body, wherein the belt is shaped to receive one or more packages, and the belt is controllable to rotate a package placed on the belt either from the top surface to the cavity for storage or from the cavity to the top surface for dispatch; and

stabilizing a drone landing on the apparatus via a landing mechanism of the apparatus;

wherein a package comprises at least one of a drone and a payload transported by the drone.