Drone receiving systems and methods

• US 10,093,432 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frederick J. Onorato, James Mckinnon
• Original Assignee: Frederick J. Onorato, James Mckinnon
• Inventors: McKinnon, James, Onorato, Frederick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krycinski, Stanton L
• Application Number:
  US14/877,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20160101874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/14 Deposit receptacles for food, e.g. breakfast, milk , or large parcels; Similar receptacles for food or large parcels with appliances for preventing unauthorised removal of the deposited articles , i.e. food or large parcels
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/007 Helicopter portable landing pads
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• 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

Abstract

A drone receiving system having a tray configured to function as a landing pad for the drone delivering a package as well as a nest for the package, wherein the tray is associated with at least a mounting arm for mounting the drone receiving system to an outside of a structure, wherein the at least a mounting arm is expandable to move the tray away from the structure, so that the drone can deliver the package without being obstructed by the structure, and wherein the at least a mounting arm is retractable to move the tray after package delivery toward the structure, so that the package can be unloaded from the tray from inside the structure.

Claims

1. A drone receiving system comprising a tray having a rectangular shape, a bottom comprising a plurality of perforations such that water cannot accumulate into the tray, four lateral walls extending upwards from the bottom, wherein each lateral wall of the four lateral walls is sloped away from a center of the bottom, a landing area having a first area for receiving one or more landing gears of a drone delivering a package, and a package area having a second area smaller than the first area for receiving the package delivered by the drone, the package area being elevated above the plurality of perforations, wherein the tray is associated with at least one mounting arm for mounting the drone receiving system to an outside of a structure, wherein the at least one mounting arm is expandable to move the tray away from the structure, so that the drone can deliver the package without being obstructed by the structure, and wherein the at least one mounting arm is retractable to move the tray after package delivery toward the structure, so that the package can be unloaded from the tray from inside the structure.

2. The drone receiving system of claim 1, wherein the at least one mounting arm is associated with a V-shaped mounting bracket attached to the structure for counterbalancing a portion of a weight of the tray and of the package received in the tray.

3. The drone receiving system of claim 2, wherein the at least one mounting arm is telescopic.

4. The drone receiving system of claim 3, further comprising a solar panel positioned onto an upper side of the bottom of the tray, so that the solar panel is exposed to sunlight during daytime when there is no package in the tray.

5. The drone receiving system of claim 4, further comprising a strobe light and a weatherproof box housing at least a member of a group consisting of a retractable cord, a power adapter, a strobe light fuse box, a Wi-Fi transmitter, a Global Positioning System (GPS) transmitter, a transceiver and a battery.

6. The drone receiving system of claim 5, wherein at least a member of a group consisting of the strobe light, the WI-FI transmitter and the GPS transmitter guide the drone during landing.

7. The drone receiving system of claim 1, wherein the structure is a house.

8. A drone receiving system comprising a tray configured to function as a landing pad for a drone delivering a package as well as a nest for the package, wherein the tray is associated with a first mounting arm on a first side of the tray and associated with a second mounting arm on a second side of the tray opposite to the first side;

the drone receiving system further comprising a mounting bracket associated with the first mounting arm and the second mounting arm via a first attachment point and a second attachment point, the first attachment point and the second attachment point being on a first side of the mounting bracket, wherein the drone receiving system is adapted to mount the drone receiving system to an outside of a structure via a second side of the mounting bracket, the mounting bracket further comprising a third attachment point lower that the first attachment point and the second attachment point, wherein the first mounting arm and the second mounting arm are expandable to move the tray away from the structure, so that the drone can deliver the package without being obstructed by the structure, and wherein the first mounting arm and the second mounting arm are retractable to move the tray after package delivery toward the structure, so that the package can be unloaded from the tray from inside the structure.

9. The drone receiving system of claim 8, wherein the mounting bracket is V-shaped.

10. A drone receiving system, comprising:

a tray configured to function as a landing pad for a drone delivering a package and configured to function as a nest for the package by having;

a perforated bottom surface having a first area, a rectangular shape, and a center, the perforated bottom surface being configured to function as the landing pad for landing gears of the drone;

four lateral walls extending upwards from the perforated bottom surface, wherein each lateral wall of the four lateral walls is sloped away from the center of the perforated bottom surface;

a solar panel having a second area smaller than the first area, and positioned centrally on the perforated bottom surface such that the landing area is exposed and borders the solar panel, wherein the solar panel is configured to supply power to the drone delivery system and to function as the nest for the package;

a plurality of mounting arms;

a mounting bracket for attaching the plurality of mounting arms to a wall of a structure, the mounting bracket having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is lower than the second portion when the mounting bracket is attached to the wall, such that a counterbalance to the tray and the package is provided;

wherein each mounting arm of the plurality of mounting arms is configured to be expandable and retractable such that the tray is movable towards or away from the wall;

wherein a first mounting arm of the plurality of mounting arms is associated with a first side of the tray, and a second mounting arm of the plurality of mounting arms is associated with a second side of the tray opposite of the first side; and

wherein the solar panel is positioned above the perforated bottom surface such that water is drained through the perforated bottom surface and damage to the solar panel is prevented.